ADVICE FOR TIJANI
WOMEN ON BALANCING BETWEEN THEIR OBLIGATIONS AND SPIRITUALITY (ESPECIALLY IN
RAMADHAN)
Question answered by;
Khadimatul Hadrah, Sayyidah Bilqees Grillo,
Hafidhahallah
*QUESTION*
Salam alaykoum Sayyidah,
May Allah preserve you.
How does a Tijani woman schedule the time for
her adhkaar?
Putting in mind that
1. She is married
2. She has small kids going to school (that she
prepares for school early in the morning)
3. She works in an office and resumes around
8.am
4. Her husband is residing in a far away town
and they discuss daily.
*ANSWER*
Alayka salaam waramatullah wa barakatuh.
RAMADHAN MUBARAK
How are you Sayyid Abdul Wahab?
I hope
you are fine? May Allah Ta'ala strengthen us all in performance of the
obligations of this Holy Month, aamin.
Now to your questions;
Her major obligation is the Fard (Obligatory)
Salaats, that comes first in this month, followed by use of her time for the
preparation of both sahoor ( pre-dawn meal)and futoor (post-sunset meal),
followed by taking time to prepare the kids: food, bath,etc for school.
This is then followed by her rush to work and
her regular talks with her husband.
This is the order of priority.
After this is the Fard of our Tariqah like
laazim,wazifah etc.
Next is
Tilawatul Qur’an (recitation of the Quran) after which is her other
(Ramadhan) adhkaar. This should be slotted in between the other time after her major obligations have been
taken care of..
She can slot in all other essential but not
obligatory devotions like her laazim, Quran, etc. when time presents such
opportunity. While at work, she can hymn
or quietly do adhkaar of the Tariqah without using Sibhahs( prayer beads). She
can stylishly use dua-counters which can be held on the fingers.
She should always break off her adhkaar in order
to attend to her man's phone call everytime and whenever he calls in.
She should not make a devotional schedule that
will burden her because she wants to seek the blessings of Ramadhan.
She should know that all of the daily chores
which permanently takes almost all her time are also part of the sources of
seeking the Barakah (spiritual blessings and benefits ) of Ramadhan. The only thing for her is to ennoble and/or
purify her intentions so that everything
she is doing in is counted in her favour
as being good deeds that earns plenty rewards in the Holy month of Ramadhan.
She should engage more in the dhikr of the Qalb (heart) which is the
repetition of glorification of Allah within the heart as she moves about or
sits working in the office or going in and out, not necessarily counting the
numbers; just immersion of the heart in
dhikr-Allah, As-salat on the Prophet,
the kalimatu tayyibah(lailahaillAllah) or any of the tasbihs which her
heart choses to remember Allah Ta'ala with, suffices.
Islam is a religion of ease and of connection of
the heart with our Rabb(Lord). Once we are able to achieve this, the Fard
salaats, adhkaar and other devotionals will then act as propellers towards The
Straight Path and thus blocks away any form of deviation from Allah.
Allah (and his Apostle) knows best ya Sayyid.
*QUESTIONER*
Jazakumullau khayran.
If they are the adhkaar she was used to doing
before Ramadhan (like her حرز والتحصين Protection
and fortifications) that she wishes to maintain
plus her portion of Quran, does the above priorities also hold ma?
*ANSWER*
On her regular adhkaar, they have priority
over other voluntary adhkaar except the Qur'an which has priority over others.
What I mean is, she must do a little recitation of Quran in Ramadhan even if it
is half a page before her Hirz and other
Tahseen.
The reason why the Qur’an comes as a priority
is because the whole essence of Ramadhan is the celebration of the Holy Qur’an
which was revealed in this special month.
"شهر
رمضان الّذى أنزل فيه القرآن هدى
للنّاس
و بينّات من الهدى والفرقان فمن شهد منكم الشهر فاليصمه
.... Al Baqarah 2: 185
So, it is the greatest means of access to
Allah and most beloved of all adhkaar in this month.
As for our awraad (litanies)of the
Tariqah, since we have made it
obligatory upon ourselves due to our taking the Bay-ah (oath of allegiance). It
is regarded as we regard our Fard
salaats. Hence we are required to do it immediately after our salaats.
*QUESTIONER*
Allahu Akbar..... We are grateful we are on
the path of Adab(Etiquette and Courtesy)
Can this(response) be shared with our female
brethren?
*ANSWER*
Of course, you are gaining lots of Thawaab by
that!! JAZAAKALLAHU KHAYRAN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions answered on 6th Ramadhan, 1438 A..H
by Sayyidah Bilqees Grillo (Queen Sheba) of Alkanz Sufi Journals.
