بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
A PRACTICAL GUIDE
on
the Wird [Litany] of the
TARIQAH FAYDAH TIJANIYYAH
[The
Adherent’s Handbook]
Under the guidance-prescriptions of:
THE
OWNER OF THE FAYDAH OF GRACE
SHAYKH IBRAHIM NIASS
[May Allah be
satisfied with him]
By
Sayyidah
Bilqees Grillo FCA, FCIB, FCIT,
MBA
Printed, published & distributed by: Queen of Sheba Peace Foundation
Lagos, Nigeria.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this book
may be reproduced or utilized in any form
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and
recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the
permission of the publisher.
First
Edition: Rajab 15,1437 A.H.[ April 23, 2016 A.D.]
A PRACTICAL GUIDE
on
the Wird of the
TARIQAH FAYDAH TIJANIYYAH IBRAHIMIYAH
[The
Adherent’s Handbook]
KHALIFATUL AAM
SHAYKH AHMAD TIJANI IBRAHIM NIASS[R]
Chairman, Queen of
Sheba Peace Foundation
Head Office: Queen of Sheba
Peace Foundation
House 5 Peaceville, Engn.O.J.Sikuade Street, off Bisi Afolabi
Street, Marshy Hill Estate, Ajah, Eti-Osa LGA, Lekki, Lagos
Main Branch: 96, Oduduwa Street, Surulere, Lagos
Bookstore: 2, Jonah Lane off
Idita Street, Lagos, Nigeria
Phone : +2348023155119, +2348068357614,
+2348157668320
Questions
1 to 77 with answers after each question
DEDICATION
BISMILLAHI
RAHMAN-IR-RAHEEM
This book is dedicated to Allah Ta’ala and His Apostle
Sayyidina Muhammad [peace and blessing of Allah be upon him] on one hand, and
to my Spiritual Father, the father in a Million, Khalifatul Aam, Shaykh Ahmad
Tijani Ibrahim Niass [radhi Allahu an’hu] in commemoration of the 1437 A.H.
Birthday of Baye in Tayba,Senegal.
AUTORIZATION
FROM THE KHALIFATUL AAM’S OFFICE
Praise Is Due To Allah
And He Is Sufficient. May Peace of Both Worlds Reside On Muhammad the Chosen,
And Upon His Household and Companions, The People Of Light, The Exalted In
Ranks.
I Have Given
Permission To The Esteemed Sayyidah, Full Of Barakah, A Muqadimmah, A Gnostic
In Allah, One Who Has Imbibed The Ways Of The Elects Of Allah, Sayyidah Bilqees
Bolajoko Grillo On The Publication And Distribution Of All Lectures Authored By
Shaykh Ibrahim After Translating Them To English Language So That The Accruing
Benefits Can Cut Across The Whole World Both The Tijaniyyahs And Others
(Muslims & Non-Muslims Alike). I Beseech Allah The Exalted, The Powerful To
Grant Her Benefits Until She Is Capable Of Executing The Task. This Is What I
Am Obliged To Write.
This Idhn
(Permission) Is Written By:
SHAYKH AHMAD TIJANI IBRAHIM
NIASS
COMPILER’S NOTE
In
the Name of Allah, The Most Compassionate, The Most Merciful. All praise is due
to The Almighty Allah, The Lord of the worlds. The Most Beneficent, The Most
Merciful. May the peace and Blessings of
Allah be upon the Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Eye of Divine
Mercy of God, his Household the pure ones, his Companions the esteemed in
grace, and those who follow this guidance until the Day of Resurrection.
This
Pamphlet: “A Practical Guide on the Wird of Tariqah Faydah Tijaniyyah” is
necessitated as a result of incessant demand for a handbook that will enable
every Muqaddam have a written explanatory mode of teaching instruction
presentable to an incoming Mureed. This, they hoped will support their oral
explanations thus engendering better application in their devotional
worship.
My
deepest appreciation goes to my spiritual father, Fadhilat Shaykh Ahmad Tijani Ibrahim Niass
al-kaolakhy (radhi Allahu an’hu), for his abiding spiritual
strengthening, encouragement and prayers all the way. May Allah protect him and
his entire family in the hadrah at
home and abroad, in all his endeavours, Amin.
I
also wish to place on record my gratitude to my seniors and colleagues in the
love of Shaykh who assisted in this work namely Sayyid Abdul-Lateef Owolabi
Niass [late], Sayyid Abdul-Fatah Thani Jeje, Sayyid Abdul Ganiyy Junaid
Adewale, Sayyid Muhyideen Igbeti Niass and Sayyidi Mukhtar Dende [Seidi 1] for
their invaluable contributions, jaza’humu-llahu khaera-j-jazah. Most
importantly I acknowledge with thanks the use of my Shaykh, son of my Shaykh’s
book: “Al-Bayan wa Tibyaan” of Shaykh
Ahmad Ahmad Tijani Ibrahim Niass and the pamphlet of Sayyid Mahmud Usman Idris
compiled for my brother-in Allah Muhammad Musa Bagana. I also commend the quiet
spreader of the faydah light, Sayyid Muddathir.A.Rauf [Ikire] for his
enlightening pamphlet “Iwe Itan”,
which came in very useful for this work. I also acknowledge my thanks to the
Late Proffessor Sarigne Mbaye bin Abubakar Niass and Imam Hassan bin Aliou
Cisse, may Allah be satisfied with them all for the beneficial footprints left
behind as references by way of
lectures, literatures and noble examples.
Finally,
my gratitude goes to my mother, the one in a million, Alhaja NihmatAllah Kasumu Gbajabiamila; my husband, Sayyid Muhammad
Shakirudeen Grillo and my children: all
of them, for their fortitude, prayers and sacrifices during the long
periods I kept away from them. I put them in Allah’s Compassionate Care and He
is sufficient for them.
May
Allah (Subhana’u wa ta’ala) profit every reader who may come across this
book by its gleam, purify our hearts by its beautiful admonitions and grant us
all His Rahmah (Mercy), till the Day of Resurrection.
"Ilahî anta maqsûdî wa-ridâka matlûbî—my God, you are my Goal and
Your good pleasure is what I seek."
Glory
is to thy Lord, the Lord of Honour and Power, far above that which they assert.
May peace and blessings reside upon the Messengers! And all praise belongs to Allah,
the Lord of the worlds.
Signed:
Hajiya
Sayyidah Bilqees B. Grillo - Ataala-llaha
baqa’a-ha
12
Rajab 1437 A.H (23 April,2016)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد لله رب العالمين الرحمن الرحيم
مالك يوم الدين إياك نعبد وإياك
نستعين اهدنا صراط المستقيم صراط الذين أنعمت عليهم غير المغضوب عليهم ولا الضآلين.
1. What is the origin
of Wird? Is it part of Islam?
Islam has always been the religion of Allah to mankind from the
Prophet Adam down to all his progeny. This is because it is on that fitrah or template every human being was
born. The act of supplicating to the One Creator of heavens and earth through
contemplation and recitation of His Special Names to glorify, extol and
demonstrate submission to His Will has always been part of the nature of all
souls aspiring towards His Love and Obedience. The act of rendition of constant
set of adhkars [singular for dhikr – supplications used in remembering Allah]
at specially-chosen periods such as in the early mornings, in the evenings, in
the night and in seclusion or other form of privacy is known as wird or recitation of litany, [the
plural is awraad or litanies]. These are supported with many references in the
Holy Qur’an and sayings of the Noble Prophet. Hence the wird cannot be separated from the practices of Islam as they
represent the inner layers of Deen-al-Islam or the finer details of Allah’s
Commandments and Prohibitions.
Prior to the call of the Holy Prophet Muhammad to the Prophetic
Office in the year 610 A.D, it was recorded in history that he used to go to
Cave Hira where he used to remain in solitude for hours and days in
contemplating Allah, His Attributes and His Works. The act of contemplation and
remembering Allah via a process of self-purification is what is regarded as an
inner life of Islam.
“Indeed he succeeds
who purifies his own self, and indeed he fails who corrupts his own self” [As-Shams
91:9-10]
The wird is nothing short
of remembering Allah and calling Him by any of His Supreme Names in humility
and fear, sometimes without loudness of speech and occasionally aloud either in
the long length of the day or the darkness of the night. Also sometimes
remembering Him alone and occasionally in a congregation. This is the origin of
the wird in a formalized form. The
sought Object is Allah and contemplation is on Allah and this is not possible
except by Allah’s leave and with His Permission, for He is the One who elects
for His Divine Mercy whomsoever He wills, and He is the Lord of the Magnificent
Grace.
The main objective
which necessitates wird is because Allah
wants His servants to worship Him with sincerity [ikhlas]. This is a
commandment. The Qur’an says:“And they have not been commanded except to
worship Allah, being sincere to Him in religion” [Al-Bayyinah:98:5]. However mankind cannot worship Allah on a
standard of sincerity or ikhlas expected of them. This is due to the presence
of debasing and filthy attitudes inherent in Man’s nature which represent
stains to a clean heart. Some of these blemishes are pride, conceit, the
diseases of show-off, jealousy, hatred, envy, greed, ego and the likes which
needs to be removed so as to leave the heart pure. Until this is achieved, his
worship or devotion has no real meaning to God. The way out of this is to use wird as a cleansing agent to polish the
heart until it shines and is able mirror or reflect the Divine Essences.This is
in line with an hadith qudsi which says: “…My heavens do not contain me, my earth
also. But the heart of a believer in Me”.
Wird as an inner
spiritual devotion which had always been adopted by the Prophets and Messengers
and upon which state the Holy Prophet had his call to “Arise and warn” [Al-Mudathir
73:1] flourished with the advent of Allah’s message of the Qur’an and many close
adept were recorded as taking up residences within the vicinity of the Prophet.
Some became mosque sleepers solely because of the very strong attachment they
had in the personality of the Noble Prophet. They did this
so as not to lose sight of every utterance of the Master. These group of people
would often sit for hours on benches close to where the prophet was sitting,
gleaning and gaining uncommon wisdom
talks from the mouth of the prophet, watching and emulating his every move,
joining him as he goes into special supplications, enthusing in the lights of
knowledge permeating the personality of the Noble Messenger. “Say: This is my way I call unto Allah on sure knowledge, I and those
who follow me” [Yusuf 12:104]. This is why the Prophet was regarded as the first and the greatest
Sufi Master of all times. The only matter is that they did not give the
practice the name wird.
The meaning of wird is
litany or a dua used in constant supplication as a superogatory act. “My servant draws near to Me through nothing
I love more than that which I have made obligatory for him. My servant never
ceases drawing near to Me through superogatory works until I love him. Then,
when I love him, I am his hearing through which he hears, his sight through
which he sees, his hand through which he grasps, and his foot through which he
walks”. The plural is awraad or litanies and anyone who
engages in constant daily rendition of this nature has embraced wird. What is left is to identify the
spiritual Master whose recommended litanies he/she is engaged in.
This tradition continued during and after the passing away of the Holy
Prophet by himself in his time and by his close companions who became
torch-bearers, Imams and his inheritors who took a multitude of others along the
path of the Prophet under their various names. “Allah
has promised to those among you who believes and do good works that he will
surely make them successors to the earth, as he made successors from among
those who were before them” [An-Nur 24:55]. The successsors are the Ulamas or
scholars who are, according to the Prophetic tradition:“the inheritors of the prophets” [Al-Ulama’u
warathatul-anbiyah].
2. Who is a Shaykh?
Why do we have shaykhs in the Tariqah and are they different from the Shaykhs
we have in Islam?
A
Shaykh is someone who has attained matured comprehension of Allah in His Names,
Attributes, Works and Actions and is able to translate this to proper worship
of Allah and noble conduct within His Universe in a manner pleasing to Allah
[SWT] and not in the manner he desires. [Consider in Surah Yusuf where his
father, Prophet Yaqub, on whom be Allah’s Peace, was referred to as a Shaykh].
He is in addition, able to nurture others from their lowest worship-awareness
level to their highest potential comprehension level by employing the faith,
piety, knowledge, wisdom and good works acquired from following the Books and
Sunnah. He also has some signs of ‘Godliness’ which anybody can easily see or
feel while in his presence. This is why one of the men of Allah, Shaykh
Shariishy said in his book: Anwaar Saraa’ir poetically as follows:
The
Shaykh has signs which, if not present with him;
He
is nothing but someone who treks in the night of his own vain desires
If
you find not with him any of the manifest knowledge [shariah]
Nor
the hidden knowledge [Aqeeqah], kindly throw him into the depth of the ocean.
And
if he is someone who is unable to gather
Both
[shariah and aqeeqah] successfully with perfect mastership]
Then,
the condition of the sick is near to destruction
If
he finds not in his aid a sound, experienced doctor
The
above poem points to the fundamental duty of a genuine Shaykh as someone who is
a soul-doctor and has the capability to cure the one who is spiritually sick or
infirm.
Additionally,
the quality of a shaykh that is divinely-chosen for an adherent has been
described by Shaykh in his book: “Kaashful Albas” as follows: “The shaykh is someone whom your essence [dhat] has acknowledged with
preference, and whom your innermost being [sirr] has acknowledged with
reverence. The shaykh refines you with his exemplary character, trains [adaba]
you by bowing his head in silence, and illuminates your inner being with his
radiance. The shaykh is he who gathers you in his presence and preserves you in
his absence”[ P119 Removal of Confusion].
A
Shaykh can therefore specifically be described as someone having the following
awe-inspiring qualities:
Sound knowledge and
application of both the Shariah and Aqeeqah.
This
means he understands Allah’s Commandments and His prohibitions, he practices
what Allah enjoins and refrains from his prohibitions both in the open and in
the secret. He thus lives his life according to the requirements of the Divine
laws called the Shariah always being careful not to step beyond Allah’s Limits.
Thus a shaykh is a possessor of the Divine Law
called Shariah and his ability to utilize this effectively gives him access to
a wider vista of knowledge called the Aqeeqah. The Aqeeqah is the dawning of
the knowledge of the reality of all things in the heart of the seeker and the
greatest of this knowledge is marifa which
is the act of beholding Allah’s Magnificence. Thus primary worship
obligations such as prayer, fasting,
charity and pilgrimage rites are learnt from the Shariah and these are used as
vehicles to strengthen the bond of intimacy with Allah which results into obtainment
of the Aqeeqah. Aqeeqah leads to marifa which is the end result of the seeker’s
personal exertions to know Allah through such devotional acts as remembrance,
contemplation, focus, firmness of feet, dependence on Allah and perpetual
watchfulness of His Sacred Limits. Marifa is thus assured which guides the
devotee in discharging not only the primary worship duties but also the
secondary ones such as inter-personal dealings in trade, commerce, matrimony,
social co-operation, political obligations, legal contracts and other material
aspects of life. In such a manner therefore, all aspects of life’s affairs
generally find the right mode of expression in such a person. Hence both the shariah and the haqeeqah represent wings of a bird
which enables the devotee to fly into higher realms of knowledge and proximity
to Allah.
Moral Discipline and self
rectitude:
A
shaykh is someone who adopts an ethical disposition or keep up moral
obligations on himself before asking others to do the same. This is why Shaykh
Ibrahim Niass said in his book: “Latayful
minan”: ‘He is not your shaykh
someone you hear from, rather your shaykh is someone from whom you gain/obtain
from. Your shaykh is not someone whose expressions confronts you; your shaykh
is the one whose indications becomes implanted in you. Your shaykh is not he
who summons you to the door; but he who removes the veil between himself and
you. Your shaykh is not the one whose words challenge you; he is the one whose
spiritual state uplifts you. [whose indications rubs on you; a man of ‘do as I
do not do as I say].”
Ability to give irshad
which advances the course of Irfan:
A
Shaykh is a man of spiritual insight who is able to guide others on the way of
God as in the case of Sayyidina Khidr who gave irshad to Musa, not knowledge,
not work.
Although Musa was a prophet whose station of prophethood far exceeded that of a
Waliy, he was sent by Allah to one of His Elects, in the name of the Sage
Khidr to give him spiritual guidance and wisdom despite his having the
knowledge of the Torah. Allah says:”Then found they one of our Servants upon
whom We had bestowed Our Mercy, and whom We had taught knowledge from Ourself
[Q 18:65]”. Here what Allah gave this slave is Irfan otherwise called marifa or the knowledge of Allah. In the
same vein when Sayyidina Musa got to him, he said: “May I follow thee on condition
that thou teach me of the rushdan which thou hast been taught? [Al-Kahf
18:66] Rushdan - spiritual insights or guidance]. Thus Prophet Musa,
despite being on the exalted station of prophethood which is far higher than
that of a waliy, had to take to a guide or teacher who gave him further
insights into the way Allah orders His Creation, His Affairs and how He issued
His Commands. He thus taught him hidden knowledge and wisdom and made him to
realize that the way we see things in the manifest world or in a manifest
manner, and also the way we see people and perceive their actions does not
necessarily represent their realities.
·
Irshad
therefore is the end while knowledge is the means. Whatever knowledge is
acquired, it is not useful until others can benefit from it. Also the
beneficial knowledge which increases the God-consciousness in others is wisdom.
It is this wisdom that the sufi teachings in all ages revolves around.
·
Hence
a Shaykh is someone able to impart the knowledge of God and thus build piety in
the hearts of those who approach him for spiritual direction.
·
A
shaykh is able to grant wisdom to others by words conveyed from his mouth which
has positive impact on the souls of those who listen to his statements.
·
A
shaykh is someone endowed with spiritual intuition and insights arising from
partaking in the Divine Breathe.
Ability to spiritually
deliver a Pilgrim unto Allah:
Shaykh Ibrahim Niass in one of his own description of the Shaykh
perfect in Marifa submitted as follows: “Your Shaykh is the one who releases you from the
prison of your vain desires, and brings you into the presence of the Lord. Your
Shaykh is one who never ceases to polish the mirror of your heart, until the
Lights of your Lord becomes manifest therein. He will encourage you toward Allah
so that you will set off toward Him, and he will be with you until you arrive
in His Presence. He will not cease to be by your side until he has cast you
between His hands, and thrust you into the Light of the divine presence. Then
he will say to you: “Here you are, and here is your Lord”. In addition Shaykh Ibrahim also x-rayed in his book
‘Kashf-ul Abas page 134, the qualities of a Shaykh by making reference to some
poetical lines
of a Shaykh called Nazim who sang as follows:
It is obligatory to obtain companionship of a Shaykh who is a
Gnostic in Allah, well-acquainted with the way;
Such a Shaykh will
safeguard him [the pilgrim] from the destructive elements prevalent in
his trek of the way,
He [the Shaykh]reminds him [the pilgrim] of Allah, whenever he
sees him
And thus joins the servant to his Master Lord.
With
respect to the reality of who a Shaykh is, another poet also lent his voice
when he said:
You
think me to be a Shaykh but I am not;
The
shaykh is someone who is able to teach you ethics about God tirelessly
Thus
a Shaykh is someone who understands the three faculties in Man the interactions
of which results in evolving a human being dominated by the most prevailent
traits which then becomes the basis of his personality or character. He
understands in the first instance the lower, animalistic self called the nafs,
its ploys and tantrums and how to curb its tyranny. He also understands the
spiritual intuition called the spiritual heart or qalb which
produces a man of faith and moderation
and how it can be tutored to climb higher and thus attain close proximity to Allah.
The Shaykh also understands the presence of the soul or ruh which is a
Command from Allah or the spirit which has perpetual attachment to Allah and is
dominated by His love. The duty of the Shaykh is to engender, through constant
training of the devotee, ability to ensure the right interaction of these three
contending intuitions within man such that the lofty and sublime traits are
made to thrive above the animalistic ones.
The
Shaykh is able to do this because he has been acknowledged as such and has
obtained spiritual authorizations to be able to act as a physician of the
heart. He is thus able to identify or diagnose the devotees impediments to
God’s knowledge and pure intentions to serving Him. With his expertise, he is
also able to prescribe to the devotee a course of treatment suitable to him in
order to rid himself of such maladies. This is because the devotee cannot
self-diagnose to any reasonable or safe extent. Hence, he takes spiritual
guidance through initiation from an accomplished Shaykh of his Tariqah. The
Shaykh thus employs the obligatory and the sunnan devotional obligations in
entrenching the devotee’s feet in worship and service of Allah through adoption
of the correct Aqeedah or creed and its tenets. The fruit of this is attainment
of proximity to Allah which is confirmed in an Hadith Qudsi earlier mentioned
whereby the devotee becomes His Instrumentality through whom He acts.
The Shaykh thus trains the seeker to turn away from sins, love of this
world, the love of company and renown, obedience to satanic impulse, and the
promptings of the lower self. The devotee is also trained to prevent the
corruption of those good deeds which have accrued to his or her credit by
overcoming the traps of ostentation, pride, arrogance, envy, and long hopes
(meaning the hope for a long life allowing us to mend our ways later, rather
than immediately, here and now).
This
is why Shaykh Ibrahim advocated that this onerous task can only be accomplished
by a competent Shaykh who must possess
some special credentials as exposed in his
Ruhul Adab thus:
Utlub murabiyyan
khabeeran Naasi’an
Kaamili irfaanin
Imaaman saalihan:
Seek
for a tutor, well-informed, an admonitor
Perfect
in marifa, a Righteous Leader
Here six qualities were listed:
Tutor: One who possesses
the ability to impart knowledge and train a new entrant into the Way of knowing
Self and God.
Well-Informed: One who
understands the maladies that may be plaguing the human soul and the cure
essential for taking a victim out of such spiritual ailment. In addition, one
who has had previous similar experience.
An Admonitor: someone who has the
flair for admonishing people away from what is lawfully wrong to what is
legally right.
Perfect Gnostic: Someone who knows Allah
in His Essence, Names, Attributes and Works and act in accordance to that
knowledge in all his dealings.
Leader: Has the requisite
qualities of an Imam or Islamic leader and can give legal opinions on Islamic
matters. He is a role model; a man of good conduct and noble dispositions.
Righteous: Someone who has piety and is a doer of good
in all ramifications. His attributes fits into those described in the Qur’an
thus: “Those that turn to God in repentance,
that serve Him, and Praise Him, that wander in devotion to the cause of God,
that bow down and prostrate themselves in prayer, that enjoin good and forbid
evil and observe the limits set by God – (these do rejoice). So proclaim the
glad tidings to the believers” [Tawbah 9:112]
We have Shaykhs in the Tariqah because the
Path or Road or Way to Allah requires guidance from someone who has traversed
the way in order to have a smooth trek. The Tariqah can simply be regarded as a
Way or methodology of performance of the Shariah in a faithful fashion under a
chosen Man of Allah or Shaykh.The Straight Path cannot be so easily trekkable
for anyone without a Guide; the only thing is that if someone decides to trek
the Path without a Guide, Satan or Iblis assumes the role of guide and misguide
the one who feels he is above the need for a Man of Allah to guide his steps in
the difficult journey of life. The Qur’an says: “And follow the path of those
who turn repentant unto me” (Luqman 31:25).
A man of Allah, Shaykh Muhammad al-Hafiz
Al-Mishry also lent his voice on this matter thus:“Those who do not believe in the saints of God (awliya’ Allah) and in the special
endowments and miracles that God has honored them with, in both knowledge and
deed, in life and death, should consult the Qur’an, the books of authentic
Hadith, and the various commentaries of the scholars. There are numerous Hadith
traditions and literature confirming these things. However, the words here are
for the one whose heart God has opened to know the truth, whom God has intended
to emancipate from the prison of matter by polishing the mirror of his heart
and opening the closed eyes of his soul. Such a person needs only to be
truthful in following any of those doctors that he may choose, as all the Tariqahs of the people of God are
guiding to His Majesty. A metaphor of this is that whoever enters through one
of the many doors of the holy mosque in Makkah, he enters into the ‘Presence’
of His Majesty, God the Exalted.The benefits of companionship with these
doctors have been proven time and time again. Many dissolute and self-indulgent
individuals have become calm and righteous, and many stray souls were brought
back to the light of righteousness. Both friends and foes have conceded to
these results”.
The religion of Islam had at its inception
the personality and physical presence of the Holy Prophet as the Caller to Allah’s
Path and the Guide to His Straight Path. Hence the Ummah comprising of the
companions and followers had the priviledge of a practical observation of
carrying out worship and adoration of their Creator through the direct
witnessing of how the prophet lived, acted and carried out his own worship. As
a Unique guide, he left behind him the Qur’an and Hadeeth as Manual of standard
code of conduct. However, due to the fact that these are doctrinal means of
access to Allah, he enjoined the Ummah to cling on to the robes of the Ulamas
who are his inheritors so that they can receive verbal and practical guidance
on the proper application of the doctrines. They will also be in a better
position to feel the divine breathe
as it emanates radiantly from the guide, the inheritor of the prophet’s light.
It is thus that in the Tariqah, its adherents
cling firmly to these legacies. Hence just as the prophet was among his Ummah
to guide their footsteps from straying-off, the Shaykh of the Tariqahs who in
reality are representatives of the Holy Prophet in differing ranks of spiritual
illuminations and gifts, also reside among their adherents to give practical
guidance to them in carrying out their worship and spiritual devotions to Allah.
These khalifahs of the Prophet called the
Shaykh in the Tariqah provides practical and verbal directions to the followers
on matters concerning proper understanding and practice of the Shariah as
detailed in the Qur’an and hadeeth. They also grant proper interpretations on
the meaning of the Qur’an, hadeeth and other religious documentaries of the
elders of the Deen in ages past, those who had written down their spiritual
experiences under the guidance of either the prophet in his time or his
companions after him.
Although they act as the Prophet‘s representatives, they
cannot be compared in terms of status, station, or grace to that of the
prophet. However, due to their resolution to act as Allah’s True serrvants,
they become worthy to be regarded as Allah’s Elects or Awliyahs about whom He
states: “Nay verily the Friends of Allah – there shall be no fear on
them, nor shall they grieve. Those who have believed and are pious”[Yunus]. This
is because they have resolutely abandoned their own will for Allah’s Will and
have resolved to live their lives solely to serve, worship and adore their Lord
selflessly, craving for His Mercy and Acceptance. [24:37].They have imbibed
the ways of actions and attitudes of the Holy Prophet and have determined to be
the best among men in conduct and honourable dispositions. This is why they
stand qualified as Guides. This stand is supported by the Holy Qur’an which
reads: “O ye who believe! Fear Allah and seek a means of approach to Him
[Al-Ma’idah 5:35]”. One of the most important means of approach to Allah,
based on the understanding of the Awliyahs of Allah are the Guides who, armed
with the Qur’an, Hadith and sunnah of Rasulullah(saw) assume the role of
guiding the aspirants to Allah, on the way to Allah.
The Shaykh in the Tariqah are unique in that
each one of them has a direct link to a teacher who is also so linked to
another teacher until it is traced to the Holy Prophet, the overall Teacher on
the Way to Allah. The reason for the linkage is in order to assure proper and
perfect emulation of the character and moral precepts of the Holy Prophet through
direct experience. It is only through this route that an adherent attains the
height of best conduct called ihsan
which makes deeds pure and devoid of other-than-Him. Without such a guide there
can be no real mystical experience or spiritual witnessing or tasting.
Therefore the other Shaykhs in Islam will be
similar to the Shaykh in the Tariqah as long as they are able to identify their
direct linkages from their immediate teacher through their ability to trace him
up the line to the Holy Prophet on one hand. On the other hand,the signs of
piety and resemblance to the Holy Prophet in character and way of life must be
visible in the Shaykh. In addition any one who professes to be a shaykh but has
no teacher he can point to should realize that the psalms of Sayyidina Dawud
had inferred that whoever has no shaykh, Satan is his shaykh.
3.
Can we have instances in the life of
the Noble prophet pointing to wird or
the practice of Tariqah including initiation of people into the Way or giving
of bayath or extraction of pledge?
There are
many instances in the life of the prophet that anyone given the light of
understanding can readily discern the above requirements as being part and
parcel of his life and call. The subject matter of tasawwuf was a reality that
was lived and applied by the prophet and those with him. It was a reality
without a given specific name at that time unlike nowadays. What we have
nowadays is that it had been given a description and has come to be understood
over time as meaning tasawwuf or the entering into the tariqah of any of the
Sufi masters.The tariqah thus represent the closest to what obtains in the
Prophet’s time of Islamic guidance and direct witnessing of the way of acting
and of imbibing God’s Love as expounded in the Qur’an and the Prophetic
traditions. Yet some people still say that if the Tariqah is based on the
Qur’an and Sunnah, why did it still require initiation into it by the Shaykh of
the Path? The answers to these are not far-fetched because it is the way Islam
is structured when taking a devotee from one level of faith to another. The
following should be of note:
The
Prophet’s journey [peace be upon him] from being an ordinary worshipper of
Allah to becoming a chosen Prophet was through initiation or a special call
from Allah. He only started to call people to Allah as a prophet after being
duly permitted by Allah as revealed in this verse: “O Prophet, We have sent you as a
witness, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner and one who invites to Allah by
His Permission and as a lamp of spreading light” [Q33:45-46]. This is
the first evidence that even the Prophet [peace be upon him] commenced his
mission with clear permission after his being initiated by Allah into His Way.
Apart from
this, other notable actions by the Prophet such as the decision to perform
Hijrah [Migration from Makkah to Madinah] was after Allah gave him permission.
The same went for all the wars or battles the prophet fought. He was given
permission before being able to take those steps. ”O prophet! Stir up the Faithfuls
to fight” [Q8:65]
Those who
accepted the call of the prophet to be Muslims became Muslims also by
initiation. They had to pronounce the kalimatu shahadah from the mouth of the
prophet to be said by them thus:”Ashadu an la ilaha illa Allah wa ashiadu ana
Muhammadan Rasulullah” – I bear witness that there is no deity worthy
of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah”.
This is how they are made to enter the religion of Islam. Later anyone desiring
to join the fold of islam must do so by being initiated into it in the hand of
a learned Muslim or Imam.
When Islam
was about to gain strength, many Muslims who promised to assist the cause of
Islam were asked by the prophet to swear allegiance and had to be initiated
into his confidence before the Prophet could entrust them with any form of
responsibilities. He gave them bayath the
way the elects of Allah give bayath to whoever wants to be an adherent on the
Way under any spiritual teacher or Tariqah. The Qur’an affirms: “Verily,
those who give bai’ah to you (O Muhammad), they are giving bai’ah to Allah. The
Hand of Allah is over their hands. Then whosoever breaks his pledge, breaks it
only to his own harm; and whosoever fulfils what he has covenanted with Allah,
He will bestow on him a great reward” [al-Fath 48:10].
The taking
of this oath under the tutelage of the prophet is variously done in different
Tariqah but the basic principle is that the aspirant is ‘registered’ with Allah
under the tutelage of a Shaykh who becomes his Murshid. In the same manner it
is the above-stated verse that is usually recited by the leader when bringing
in the aspirant into the Sufi fold.
When the
Prophet wanted to introduce ‘his inner spiritual way [– akin to our modern day
tariqahs]’ to his congregation, he did so when he observed that only the people
who can be considered as ‘inmates’ were present with him. This is because it
represents the final stage in the perfection of worship called ‘ihsan’ for
which only the select few must be initiated by the Prophet. Those who had Allah’s
Divine Grace to be present with him the day he had the idhn or permission from Allah to teach them that science of knowing
God. The matter is not made completely open but behind closed doors. Let us
consider this hadith: “It was related by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad
on the authority of Ya’la bin Shadad bin Awaas and Ubadah bin Samit was present
to testify to this incident. He said: We were with the prophet of Allah (peace
be upon him) when he said: “Are there strangers among you? And we said: “No, O Apostle of Allah”. So he ordered us to close
the door and said: “Raise up your hands all of you and chant: “La ilaha illa Allah”
so we all raised up our hands for one hour (for this duty). Then he said: “All
praise is due to Allah. O Allah! Verily you raised me up with (the conveyance)
of this statement, and commanded me by it (its recitation) and promised me
paradise (Al-Jannah) on it, verily you never fail your promise”. Then he said:
all of you rejoice! For verily Allah has forgiven you (your sins). [Note: The commentators in this hadith
allude the strangers to be Jews or Christians but the Sufis do not regard the
strangers as Jews/Christians since they do not form part of the general
assembly of the companions, but people who are Muslims but not among those who
were accustomed to spending special times with the Prophet, known as the
As’hab-us-Suffah –the Sufis].
Another tradition: ”Shaykh Al-Kaothaani popularly
known as Ajani related in his epistle on the authority of Ali bin Abi Talib
(may Allah honour his face) asked the prophet may the peace and blessing of Allah
be upon him) and said: “Indicate to me (guide me to) the closest road to Allah,
and the easiest for His slaves and the most meritorious (the best) in His view
(or by Him) the most Exalted; And he replied may Allah’s peace and blessings
abode with Him; “O Ali, engage yourself constantly in the remembrance of Allah,
The Most Exalted in seclusion”. Then Ali said: This is how great the favour of
Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) is and hence all the people became engaged in the
remembrance of Allah”.
On a final note, it should be appreciated
that the taking of Tariqah which represent
Ihsan or what is known as the best conduct, or working righteousness or
going into the kernel of the Religion after fully enjoying the shell or the
outer layer of Islam, is a very important stage in anyone’s life. It is usual
even in mundane matters of this world like when people are to assume important
positions like the President of Nations, they must be initiated through
swearing-in, to pacts that they must uphold while in office. In the same way,
the new entrant into the dignified fold of the Elects must be initiated by an
adept Man of Allah who will explain the details, the conditions, the
expectations and the code of moral conduct to the person before being
initiated.
4. Were there any
Tariqah before the Tariqah Tijaniyyah?
Yes, there were
many Tariqahs which originated immediately after the passing away of the Noble
prophet from the pious, foremost companions who lived virtually their entire
lives under the spiritual direction of the Prophet. These paths started like
the madrassah or school of learning under each companion who was ardently
inspired to transmit all that has been learned “live and direct”
from his master the Prophet to those who desired to know. This is the reason
why all the paths to Allah actually originated from Rasulullah (saw) since he
was the teacher to all. In the forefront of this cause were the ahlu-l-bayt who
were the closest to the Prophet. Hence we can count Sayyidina Ali (karama Allah
waj’ahu), his two sons, Sayyids Hassan and Hussain (radhi Allahu an’hum).
Following behind
them were the foremost companions particularly the Caliphs. Among them also are
people like Salman-al-Farsi, a Persian whom the Prophet referred to as a member
of his household through his love and steadfastness to the Prophet. We also
have the likes of Abu Hurayrah Abdur-Rahman bin Sakharin, Ibn Mas’uud. Sa’d
al-Khudri, Zubayr bin Al-Awwam, Abdullah bin Abass, Abdullah bin Umar, to
mention but few. These foremost companions transmitted the special aspects of
the practical life of the prophet; his pronouncements, his ways, his adhkars
and his comments on the meaning of the verses of the Qur’an down the line to
ardent lovers who desired to know every detail of the prophet’s spiritual
mission borne out of love and longing.
This is how the science of Sufism descended from the
companions to the first and later generations of the Tabi’een or followers
gaining roots. After close to a century, the sciences had reached all parts of
the Muslim world throughout the Globe. As this science is transmitted down, it
carried the name of the Spiritual leader or Imam later called Shaykh who
championed the cause and these became affixed unto the Tariqah Path. Some very few of
these are the Sufi Orders of Naqshbandi, Shadhilliy, Darqawiyy, Alawiyy,
Qaysariyyah, Tayfuriyyah, Junaydiyyah, Nuuriyah, Suhailiyyah, Quadriyyah,
khalwatiyyah and the Tijaniyyah. They are like modern day Universities which
students attend in order to learn.
In all these Tariqahs, the theme of learning is about knowing Allah in
order to be sincere worshippers as people craving for His Pleasure and Mercy.
In all, records have it that a total of 312 Tariqahs [Turuqs] had existed
before the Tariqah Tijaniyyah. Tariqah Tijaniyyah came as the 313th
and became as it were, like one of the best University with faster access to
gaining academic credentials as tried and tested graduates.It has been related
inTabarani that Allah[s
Messenger [saw] once said: “My sacred way [shariah] has come by 313 paths [tariqa].
Whoever meets his Lord through one of these paths, would surely enter Paradise”
[Removal of confusion of Shaykh Ibrahim Niass pg 107].
5. Who is the Spiritual Guide in the
Tariqah Tijaniyyah?
The spiritual Guide of the Tariqah is the
Grand Shaykh Ahmad Tidjani who was born in Algeria of an Arab origin. His birth
was in the year 1737A.D (1150A.H) and he lived 80years on earth and passed away
in 1815A.D (1230A.H). the
year 1737
C.E. (12th Safar, 1150 A. H) Seyyidina Shaykh Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Mukhtar ibn Ahmad ibn
Muhammad ibn Salaam Tidjani (Rta –
May God be satisfied with him) was born in a small town called Ain Madi in Algeria. He was the son of
the renowned pious and well learned Sidi Muhammad Ibn Mukhtar Tidjani (Rta).
His mother was the lofty and honourable woman of piety, a generous and
affectionate woman called Aisha bint
Muhammad al-Sanusi. (May God be satisfied with her). His
descendancy could be traced back to the Holy Prophet Muhammad through his
daughter Sayyidah Fatima Zahra’s first son called Hasan and later through Mawla Idris, the celebrated founder of
Morocco.
Earlier in time, there had been a
prediction about the coming of this great Shaykh from a Waliyullah; a famous
Sufi Leader by name Sidi Mukhtar Al Kunty (Rta). He made a declaration that
when the 12th century of the Hijra arrives, it will be comparable to that of
Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him - peace be
upon him) in many aspects because it would usher in the appearance of the Seal of the Saints of the path of
Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him].
What this means is that just as the Holy
Prophet came last and became the Seal of the earlier Prophets who had come before
him, the same way the great Shaykh Ahmad Tijani will come and assume the
position of the Seal of all the earlier Awliyahs.
Hence just as the Seal of Prophet
became the Imam and leader of all Prophets and Messengers, the same way Shaykh
Tijani becomes the Imam of all the Awliyahs both past, present and futre such
that every wayfarer must necessarily pass through him to arrive at the Holy
presence of the Noble prophet Muhammad, the Door to Allah the Most Great in
Grandeur.
When the shaykh appeared he devoted
his entire life to studies and learning. He had memorized the Holy Qur’an by
age of 7years. He was also devoted to worship and timely salat. He was
respectful and obedient to his parents [who both died when he was sixteen years
old], family members and possessed great humility.Whatever he engaged himself
in doing, he achieved it fully without turning away from it until he completed
it successfully.
From his childhood days up till the
time he was given the Tariqah by the Noble Prophetat the age of 46years, he
used to see the Holy Prophet. One day,when he was getting out of his school he
saw a huge light in front of him that was climbing up to the sky, then the
Prophet (Peace be upon him - Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) appeared
and enhanced him with these words: “Go on, for you are truly on the Right Path.”
After this event, he beheld the Prophet in dreams in uncountable times and
given an insight into what the future held for him as a torch-bearer of the
Islamic faith and the entrencher of its illuminating beauty and lights of
gnosis in Allah. There was an instance when he saw himself on a throne,
managing and ordering multitudes of creatures. On another occassion, he saw the
Prophet (Peace be upon him) riding a horse in Ain Madi his home town and he was
following him very closely; he wanted to ask him for something but preferred
waiting that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) dismount his horse to feel more at
ease. When the Prophet (Peace be upon him) got down, he (Peace be upon him)
went to a field and started to pray. The young Ahmad Tijani (radhi Allahu an’hu)
wanted to join him in his prayer but he only arrived at the moment of the
second rak’ah. He understood from that dream that his wishes would be fulfilled
only in the second part of his life, [that is when above the age of forty years
old] which was represented by the second rak’ah.
He travelled far and wide in quest
of knowledge and scholastic excellence after his first twenty-one years which
he spent internally in his home town learning all branches of the Islamic
knowledge and sciences. By the end of this time he had become renowned as the
greatest Mufti [someone who can pass legal judgement on any Islamic matter] of
his time and he recived people afar who came to partake of his knowledge. For
the next ten years he was visiting great men of Islam, attending Zawiyahs,
presenting fatwas, giving Islamic guidance to people he came across in his
journeys between Fez and Ainu Madhi.
However, in 1767/68 (1181H), he left for
Tlemcen at age of 31 and taught there for many years. There, he was loved and
respected by the scholars for his wide knowledge and wisdom. To those who asked
him questions about the identity of the great erudite who would have taught him
so much knowledge, he always answered: “I
did not receive this science from one person only but from all those I met
while travelling.”
Notable among the great Men of Allah
of various sufi Orders he met between 26years to 46years are the following:
- Qutb Mawlana Tayeeb Ibn
Muhammad (Rta)
dead in 1180, of Tariqah Sidi Abdul
Qadir Jilani (Rta),
- In Fez the Tariqah
Nasiriyah of Sidi Muhammad Ibn
AbdAllah Tazani (Rta)
- Tariqah al-Ghamary Sajalmassi of Qutb Sidi Ahmad-l-Habib Ibn Muhammad (Rta) dead in 1165 whom
he was seeing in his dreams after his death and who gave him Special Name
of Allah as litany.
- Sidi Malamati Sidi Ahmad
Tawashi (Rta) dead
in 1204. This one gave him a Divine Name and told him: “Repeat
this invocation, be constant in doing so, without any retirement or
solitude, ALLAH will give you a spiritual opening in this case.”
- Sidi Muhammad Ibn Hassan al
Wanjali (dead in
1185, Rta,) who gave him many asrars
and that he would reach and surpass the station of the famous Shaykh
and Qutb of his time Sidi Abu-l-Hassan
Al Shadhili, radhi Allahu an’hu (the only sufi Order).
- Sidi AbdAllah Ibn Sidi Arbi Ibn
Ahmad (Rta) from Auleed Ma-an al
Andalusia (dead in 1188) in Fes who after having talks with him said to
him three times: “ALLAH grabs by
your hand”.
- The Great Qutb and Gawth of his
time,Sidi Abu Madian (rta)
whom he saw in the dream and got spiritual guaranty of his own future
maqam from.
Once he assimilated the teachings
and the secrets of the well known scholars he met and reached spiritual high
ranks, this thirst and desire of ALLAH that obsessed him still urged him to go
further in his quest. Some famous Saints told him that he would attain a high
rank he would never have expected.
In the month of Muharram in 1214 A.H at Mount Arafat, he reached
the supreme rank of the Qutbaniya el ‘Udhma through a prodigy and
became Al-khatmi-l-Katmi, two outstanding maqams in the saints’
spiritual hierarchy as follows:
·
The
Khatmiya (the Seal of
Sainthood, the highest rank among
thesaints; he closed forever the sainthood’s stations) and
·
The Katmiya “the
Hidden Pole”: a spiritual rank known only by ALLAH and His Prophet (Peace be
upon him). He was awarded this high rank on Safar 18. He thus became the
spiritual intermediary between Prophets (Peace of God be on them all) and all
the other saints. He is on the top of the sainthood ladder. Only the Prophets
(Peace be up on them) and the Prophet’s companions occupy a more high-ranking
station. He is the Hidden Pole who will be known only at the Last Judgment Day
through a voice that will shout: “O People who are gathering here! Here is your
guide who transmitted you Divine lights since the beginning of the creation,
till now!”
Sayyidina Ahmad Tijani (Rta)
revealed: “The master of the existence (Peace
be upon him) has loudly and clearly informed me that I am the Hidden Pole and
this when I was in a waking state not in a dream.” He also explained the
role of the Hidden pole on these terms: “All
the saints drink from our ocean since the creation until the day when an Angel
will blow into the horn of the last judgment.”
6. What is the origin
of the wird of Tariqah Tijaniyyah and
does it have an edge over other Tariqahs?
It is a Tariqah which was given to Imam Ahmad
Tijani directly by the Master of Existence, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, [peace
be upon him].
At age of 46
years, after many years of travels, he decided to live alone on retreat in the Algerian
desert, departing from Tlemcen in the
year 1784 A.H. [1196 A.D]. to the village of Chellala. Thereafter he went
further to another village called Boussemghoune [or Abi Samghun] where he settled down on his retreat program.
It was at this place that Sidi Ahmad Tijani (Rta) obtained “the great spiritual opening” (Fath al
Akbar). That time, he was 46 years old. It was during one of his busy spiritual
programmes that he suddenly saw the Prophet approaching him. This was in broad
daylight and in a state of wakefulness. The Prophet (Pbuh) came up to him and told him: “From
now onwards, I am your initiator and your guide; nobody else will pretend to be your
initiator. Consequently, leave the entirety of what you have taken
from all the tariqahs as you are not indebted for
any favour to any of the shaykhs of the Path, for I am your means (wasita) next to Allah and your Support
in the [spiritual] realization.”
This was how
he became the trustee of the Prophet’s personal spiritual order which
encompasses the graces inherent all the other earlier spiritual paths. This
period thus marked distinctively the birth of his own Tariqah under the
Prophet’s Great Permission. This Tariqah he received is called the Tariqah Ahmadiyyah-Muhammadiyyah-,
Ibrahimiyah-Hanifiyah-Tidjaniyah which contains so many of God’s
blessings never included in any other sufi order, the same way as Muhammad’s
community has had graces never obtained by any other community. The virtues of
the Prophet’s Path (and of his Khalifah Sidi Ahmad Tijani) are uncountable.
Therefore the Prophet (Pbuh) taught:
·
Sayyidina Shaykh
his wird (religious litanies one must repeat daily), and
·
Dictated him the conditions of this Tariqah.
·
He personally gave him among other pieces of
advice: “Keep on following this Tariqa without retiring from this world neither
ceasing your relationship with other human beings until you attain the
spiritual station to which you are promised; keeping your state, without any
discomfort neither difficulties nor excessive religious practices, stop calling
on any saint from now on.”
·
He received a direct initiation from the
Prophet (Pbuh) who ordered and allowed him to call people to this spiritual
way.
He spent a
period of 3 years in this village after which there came an expansion-period that
lasted 13 years in that vicinity and brought his age to about 63years. People
came from several countries to profit from his Baraka and shared what the
Prophet (Pbuh) entrusted him with.
The Tariqah Tijaniyyah thus became the way of
the elects under the guidance and leadership of the Qutb al Maktum, the Imam of
the Tariqah, Shaykh Ahmad Tidjani of
Fez. This period was therefore regarded as the beginning of a distinctive “Tijaniyyah” Sufi
Tariqah. The Shaykh then received the basis of a new wird and was given
permission to give “spiritual training to
the creation in [both] the general and absolute (itlaq) terms.” Hence it is an established path of the Men of Allah right from the
time of the Noble Prophet till this day. It is embraced by whoever ardently
desire to know Allah and the reality of Muhammad, saw.
The
major bounty of this Tariqah Tijaniyyyah is that it came as the last and the
most-prestigious of all the previous Tariqahs, due to the spiritual contact and
perfection of use of adhkars which the Holy Prophet gave to Imam Tidjani both
in wakefulness and in the dream state, with which the Holy Prophet abrogated
for him the multitudes of adhkars, simplified for him the major adhkars and
routes to knowing God, and gave him his transmission support of making him the Khatmil Katmi, by which spiritual lights
flow direct from the prophet to him. Thus Shaykh Tijani was endowed with the
highest of ranks never attained by the previous Shaykhs; the status of The Seal
of Sainthood [Khatmil wilayah] as well as getting the Qutbaniyatul Udhmah as a
Qutb-al-Maktoum. [The greatest Qutb the time ever produced]. He also got the
post of Barzakh-il-Maaluum. The effect of these is that he became the
receptacle of the prophet’s Light and from him others obtained their fill. Even
the renowned shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani left a message to all his own adherents
that in future, if he appeared on earth, his Way should be embraced.
This
is why our Sayyid Maolana
Abul Abass, Shaykh Ahmad Tijani of Fez, declared concerning his own reality in
relation to his master, our prophet Muhammad “All the flowing of lights coming from the
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is collected by the spirits of the other
Prophets. Then all the flowing of lights coming from the Prophets is collected
by my spirit; and from me it is shared among the creatures since the beginning
of the world till the Day when an Angel blows into the Horn of the Last
Judgment Day. But, I have received sciences through which I have been favoured,
between the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and me, with no intermediary.”
This message have been taken from a book: Jawahirul Mahani.
In
support of the Tariqah of Shaykh Tijani, Shaykh Ibrahim who appeared over seven
centuries later said poetically thus:
Alaykum bihabli
llahi lil-abdi waathiqan
Fanahju
yunaawih-d-dhikra nahju-sh-shaqaai
You must hold firm to the rope of Allah;
For a method which deviates from the Qur’anic Remembrance is a path of
misfortune.
Wa in qulta al adha-lwirdu
nahju Muhammadin,
Aqul Naam, wirdih
linaeli-s-safaai
If you should ask, is this litany (wird) the method of Muhammad?
I will say yes, my wird is for attaining purity.
I will say yes, my wird is for attaining purity.
Fama-l wirdu illa
dhiku lillahi wahdahu,
Yuswalli
ala-l-Mukhtaari khaeril waraa
The wird is nothing but the remembrance belonging to Allah, and
He alone,
(And) offering prayer on the chosen one, the best without comparison.
(And) offering prayer on the chosen one, the best without comparison.
Fama fihi dhikru-s-shaykh
aw dhikru gayrihi
Fawirdi li
daai-l-abdi aeynu-d-dawaai
In it there is no mention of the Shaykh or any other
My wird is the source of medicine for the servant’s disease.
My wird is the source of medicine for the servant’s disease.
Ruwaydakum la
tunkiruu an jahalatin
Libagyin wa udwaanin
wa aenu jafaaii
You are all cautioned so as not to oppose [this Way] out of ignorance
For rebellion and enmity are the sources of disaffection.
For rebellion and enmity are the sources of disaffection.
Concerning
the reality of this Tariqah of Grace, Shaykh Ibrahim Niass remarked in his 11th
Letter in the Jawahir Rasa’il: “Hence listen ye all to the Commandments of Allah
and His Apostle. The Tariqah of Shaykh Tijani [radhi Allahu an’hu] that we all
are involved in is nothing except the carrying out of what Allah and His
Apostle have commanded and the avoidance of what Allah and His Apostle have
forbidden. Hence whoever upholds the commandments and abandons the forbidden
acts such a person is of us and whoever does not is not of us. Allah Ta’ala says: “Let those beware of a painful punishment”
[An-Nur 24:63].
7. Are there other
spiritual guides outside the Tariqah and within it?
Yes, there had always been many spiritual
guides right from the time after the demise of the Holy Prophet Muhammad [peace
be upon him]. These spiritual guides are outside and also within the Tariqah.
In fact there are many Spiritual Guides which abounds even before the advent of
Imam Ahmad Tidjani of Fez, the great-grandson of the Prophet.
The
first set of spiritual guides were his companions such as the four
rightly-guided Caliphs as well as the other six closest companions who were
promised al-jannah alongside the first four by the Prophet. For instance about
the first caliph, the Prophet said "whatever
God poured in my heart, I poured into the heart of Abu Bakr"
"ma sab-Allahu fee sadree shayan
illa wa sababtuhu fee sadree Abi Bakrin." (Hadiqa Nadiah published in
Cairo, 1313 H. p. 9). Allah said in Holy Qur'an, '...for God did indeed help him
when the unbelievers drove him out: he had no more than one Companion: they two
were in the cave.' (9:40). The Prophet also said in another hadith
"the sun never rose on anyone better than Abu Bakr except the prophets."
(see Suyuti, History of Caliphs, Cairo,
1952, p. 46). It should be noted that the Naqshbandi tariqah alone is
the only Sufi Way which had its lineage traced back to Prophet Muhammad (saw)
through Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (ra), the first Caliph.
The other stream of spiritual
guides as well as all other tariqahs came through the lineage of Sayiddina Ali
(r), about whom there are very many hadiths that would take many pages to
explain. He is the one the Holy Prophet referred to as the “Door of the City of
knowledge” when he stated in an hadith: “I am the City of Knowledge, and Ali is Door
thereto” Hence anyone who desires to have the real, quintessential
knowledge which the Holy Prophet brought, the real yolk of Islam, must
necessarily have to pass through Sayyidina Ali the door to the Prophet. It is
no wonder then that the last two Tariqahs which appeared finally are the
Tariqahs under his two sons Sayyidina Hassan and Hussain. The Qadriyyah have
their chain of transmission from Sayyidina Husain while the Tariqah Tijaniyyah
is from Sayyid Hassan, may Allah be satisfied with them all.
