Dhikr and muraqabah in Shadhili tariqah

[Ramadani]

:salam:

Are the awrad of Shadhili tariqah such as their basic wird as well as hizbul-bahr meant to be read at one sitting on can they be read along the day? Are there any special morning or afternoon wird in Shadhili tariqah?

Also, do Shadhilis do muraqabah like Naqshbandis?

I started reading the regular Shadhili wird this week. I found the texts at the Guiding Helper site.

[muhammadnur]

:salam:

Are the awrad of Shadhili tariqah such as their basic wird as well as hizbul-bahr meant to be read at one sitting on can they be read along the day? Are there any special morning or afternoon wird in Shadhili tariqah?

Also, do Shadhilis do muraqabah like Naqshbandis?

I started reading the regular Shadhili wird this week. I found the texts at the Guiding Helper site.

:salaam:

the shadhili don't have muraqaba the way of the naqshbandi. The basic wird is to be read morning and evening.

And of course its best to take these awrad from a shaikh and not just from a book.

Muhammad-Nur

[Iqbal Muhammad Raakin]

Shadhilis do have a muraqaba. How is the Naqshibandi muraqaba?

[Omar HH]

Shadhili muraqabah is like don't get angry for 40 days and other things like that with different consequences for every time it happens etc. depending on the tariqa.

Naqshbandi muraqabah is during dhikr, it is a seated connection (rabita) with the Shaykh asking Allah to benefit from him.

I have the Arabic which I translated from the book on "Naqshbandi Muraqabah" if you want it?

[Omar HH]

Rabita Sharif

The one doing dhikr turns himself (yatawajjuh) in his heart to Allah Victorious and Majestic and asks him to give him benefit from his Shaykh with knowledge, action, discipleship (suluk), manners, and love - as well as asking that he connects him to his Shaykh and does not cut him off from him and that he support (give him madad) him in his heart and soul by the permission of Allah (SWT).

Read the Fatiha,
Read Surat al-Ikhlas 11 times,
Read Surat Alam Nashrah Laka Sadrak,
Send peace and blessings upon the Prophet 100 times,

With the wording:

Assalawatu was Salamu `Alayka Ya Sayyidi Ya Rasul Allah.

Rabitah is the connection the Murid has with the Murshid. It says in the Qur'an:

O you who believe! Persevere in patience and constancy; vie in such perseverence strengthen each other (rabitu) and have fear of Allah that you may prosper. (3:200)

What is Rabitah?

Rabitah by definition is from the murid to look by means of the inner eye of the heart with unqualified love and longing to the spiritual presence of his or her Shaykh.

We are to love all Muslims, especially the pious. By keeping a good connection to a pious person we make ourselves better. We are commanded to love Sayyidina Rasul Allah and if we love him "we will be with whom we love" on the Day of Judgement. Loving Rasul Allah is a means to following his Sunnah becoming good people, and ultimately loving Allah. Loving the Shaykh is a means of acquiring good habits and purifying oneself, as well as loving Rasul Allah and ultimately Allah `Azza wa Jal.

The Sahaba were in love with Rasul Allah as well as with the pious such as Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Sidiq :radi: and Sayyidina Ali ibn Abi Talib :radi:. Loving someone makes you follow their way and is an effective means for bettering oneself.

Prophet said "A man is on the religion of his friend" therefore to be friends and love pious people especially the Shaykh or Guide will ultimately cause you to be helped in religion insha Allah.

There are two types of Rabitah:

1) In the presence of the Shaykh

Turning to the Shaykh with love, submission to his commands, being consumed in him until his own attributed become annihilated in the attributes of the Shaykh.

2) In the absence of the Shaykh

Imagining the Shaykh and directing yourself towards the spiritual presence and to maintain directing yourself towards it until you experience annihiliation in the presence of the Shaykh or the effects of spiritual attraction.

After achieving either one of these two states, the murid's own personality, self, and characteristics become effaced in the fana fi Shaykh or annihilation in the Shaykh, at which time he will witness with the Shaykh's perfection.

After that the spiritual reality of the Shaykh will train him until it delivers him to the presence of the Prophet , when he becomes among the perfected ones who have arrivated the second stage.

Rabitah brings the murid closer to the Shaykh, such as that even if one is in the east and the other is in the west, by means of that connection the Saykh transmits to the perfect murids...

The Rabitah is the shortest way to reach Ma`arifah, for after achieving it the murid is not in need of anything else; for through it the stations of annihilation (fana) and presence (hudur) are rapidly ascended and the realities (haqa'iq) are granted. Rabitah is the foundation of all attainment because all practices are in need of rabitah to manifest their specialties, especially in the most distinguished Naqshbandi trandition. Because all practices are in need of the support derived from rabtiah, their benefit depends on the strength of rabitah and it's intensity. That is why the Naqshbandi way is called the Way of Rabitah.

Know that Rabitah is a type of love, therefore without great love towards the Shaykh one cannot achieve rabitah. Simmilarly the spiritual outpourings are dependent upon the strength of the connection. The one who has connection with the Shaykh, has the possibility of being trained and is also able to reach these outpourings while whoever has no connection is deprived. For this the Naqshbandi masters say:

The one who does not have rabitah is unable to recieve these outpourings, even if he has accompanied Khidr (`Alayhis Salam).

Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi said - Allah sanctify his soul: Know that wayfaring (suluk) in this Most Distinguished Path is by connection (rabita) and love for the Shaykh we follow. Such a Shaykh trod this Path steadfastly and was dyed (insabagha) with all kinds of perfections through the strength of Divine attraction (jadhba). His gaze cures the diseases of the heart and his Concentration (tawajjuh) lifts away spiritual defects. The owner of these perfections is the Imam of the period and the Khalifa of that time.... Thus our connection is love and our relationship (nisba) is mirroring and dyeing regardless of being near or far. Then the murid gets dyed in this Path by the connection of love for the Shaykh, hour by hour, and gets enlightened through the reflection of his lights. In this pattern, knowledge of the process is not a precondition for the giving or receiving of benefit.

Wassalam.

[Iqbal Muhammad Raakin]

So it's kind of like the Shadhili khalwa?

[Omar HH]

Well it's not like `Uzla or something, they have Khalwa too.

[lumumba_s]

:salam:

In the Shadhili tariqa, muraqaba is a state of awareness of the Divine, of watching over one's heart, which is the primary meaning of the term. What Omar described in his first reply is an implementation of the practice of muhasaba, popularized by Imam al-Harith al-Muhasibi, of which this hal is the intended result. Imam Malik said, "I weigh my words according to the Qur'an and Sunnah prior to speaking. If it conforms to it, I cotinue, if it does not, I desist." Words are actions and this is the state that is sought . . .

The longer reply is a translation of an explanation of the Naqsbandi muraqaba, as a method, not a hal (necessarily-but of course the subsequent hal is what is intended).

I am not the best at explaining things, so I would assume that muraqaba, as a hal, is discussed in the Risala al-Qushayriyya.

[iqadeer]

http://www.tasawwuf.org/writings/wisdom_seeker/wisdom_letter2.pdf