questions for those who are in a sufi tariqa or know someone who is in one

[fnaeem]

Assalmu Alaikum.
I am starting to explore tasawwuf a little bit, and I have a bunch of questions.

1) Any good books that you recommend ( non orientalist) ?

2) Did you evaluate ?
If so, did you evaluate the shaikh or the tariqa. How did you do it ?
How does one evaluate a tariqa ?

3) There is the shadhhili Tariqa of which Sh Keller is a member, I believe the Naqshbandi of Sh Hisham Kibbani and maybe the Alawi tariqa with which Abdul Hakim Murad and many others like the Qadri and the Chistiyya. Which one did you choose and why.

4) I grew up in Pakistan and unfortunately back in India/Pak/Bangladesh lot of fake pirs exist so I have this inherent fear of the phrase "pir-mureed". I think I will be a lot more comfortable taking bayah with an arab sheikh or somebody from the west.

5) Keeping points 3 &4 in mind, what advise could you give me, about how and where to begin ?

Lastly my inclination towards tariqas is because of the following analogy in my mind. If you join the army the drill seargent makes you march and exercise till you do it perfectly and are in shape. its painful but it "makes a man out of you". I envision a tariqa to be a set of rules and regulations, and rigorous practice that the Shaikh helps you implement so you can kill you nafs and live according to the shariah. I envision a tariqa to be something akin to an elite fighter pilot school. The shaikh challenges you to be your best, and then when you get there he challenges you to be better than that and guides you
on how to achieve that.

Is my analogy a fantasy or is that really the role of a tariqa.

I really appreciate your responses.

:jazak:
Faisal

[UmmZaid]

Salaam 'Alaikum

Sh. Abd al Qadir al Jilani Homepage (http://www.al-baz.com/shaikhabdalqadir/) has a lot of really wonderful excerpts. I recommend buying the books if you can find them.

Poetry and other works (http://www.tasawuf.ws/) by Sh. Ahmad al 'Alawi of the Shadhiliya tariqa.

You can listen to the speeches of Al Habib Ali al Jifri (http://www.alhabibali.org/english/) in English here. Also a very nice message board for the Haba'ib is here (http://groups.msn.com/TheHabaib) along with pictures and articles / stories.

As for a book, I really liked Shems Friedlander's "When You Hear Hoofbeats, Think of a Zebra."

As for finding a tariqa, read about them, read about the sheikh, visit if possible, listen to his lectures. Pray for guidance.

[Muawiyah]

Dear brother, I would urge you not to be frightened of the terms, but look at the reality.

"Pir"="Shaykh"="Buzurg"=Old Man

Mureed is the same everywhere.

It's not possible that fake-pirs are found only in South Asia, there will necessarily be some eaters of suhut among Arabs as well. A south asian Shaykh will probably better understand your way of thinking.

I'd recommend reading the criterion for a shaykh given in Behishti Zewar and if you can get it "Bayt ki Haqiqat" by Hadhrat Maulana Mufti Rasheed Ahmad Ludhyanvi Rahimahullahu Ta'ala.

[Mustafa]

wa alaikum as salaam

1) Depends what you're looking for...'The Book of Assistance,' 'Key to the Garden' and 'Degrees of the Soul' are good books entrenched in tasawwuf. For sufi ethics 'The Book of Sufi Chivalry' is good.

2) By listening.

3) I'm in the Shadhili tariqa - but you don't choose the tariqa, Allah chooses it for you. You just ask Him and then everything becomes clear.

4) If you ask Allah sincerely, He'll keep you away from charlatans.

5) Ask Allah and pray istikhara,

I guess that's all really cryptic, isn't it? Tasawwuf isn't about words; it's about actions. If you're sincere and you begin your search, then Allah will guide you to what's best for you.

Wa salam
Your brother in Islam

[Sim]

Assalmu Alaikum.
I am starting to explore tasawwuf a little bit, and I have a bunch of questions.

3) There is the shadhhili Tariqa of which Sh Keller is a member, I believe the Naqshbandi of Sh Hisham Kibbani and maybe the Alawi tariqa with which Abdul Hakim Murad and many others like the Qadri and the Chistiyya. Which one did you choose and why.

Walaikum assalam. the first thing to remember is that all of the tariqa's have the same goal, which is becoming closer to Allah tala using any halal means possible; the only difference between them is the method by which they attain the ma'rifah. choose whichever you feel is the best. im in the naqshbandi tariqa...why? lol because my family and sheikhs are. alhamdulilah im satisfied with it.


4) I grew up in Pakistan and unfortunately back in India/Pak/Bangladesh lot of fake pirs exist so I have this inherent fear of the phrase "pir-mureed". I think I will be a lot more comfortable taking bayah with an arab sheikh or somebody from the west.

5) Keeping points 3 &4 in mind, what advise could you give me, about how and where to begin ?

the word "pir" has quite a few bad connotations these days, but there are true pir's out there.. i know choosing a sheikh is difficult, especially if you have no shuyukh "link". i would suggest that you ask people you know about who they're sheikhs are etc. then arrange to meet him, and if he's a true sheikh worthy of the title, im sure you'll know by his demeaner.

as for choosing a tariqa, just read up on each one and try and speak to people of each tariqa, see what you think....take part in their methods of zikr if you like. i know someone in my tariqa who tried the shadhili method of zikr and liked it even more then ours...subhanallah. they're all good.


Lastly my inclination towards tariqas is because of the following analogy in my mind. If you join the army the drill seargent makes you march and exercise till you do it perfectly and are in shape. its painful but it "makes a man out of you". I envision a tariqa to be a set of rules and regulations, and rigorous practice that the Shaikh helps you implement so you can kill you nafs and live according to the shariah. I envision a tariqa to be something akin to an elite fighter pilot school. The shaikh challenges you to be your best, and then when you get there he challenges you to be better than that and guides you
on how to achieve that.

Is my analogy a fantasy or is that really the role of a tariqa.

i think your analogy is the reality of a tariqa....after you give bayah to a sheikh he'll start giving you ijaazat to read certain wazaif (special things to read) which will increase your spiritual rank and will also make firm your link with your Lord. As time progresses he'll increase your reading and give you more powerful things to read. when i say powerful, i mean powerful.

as in, if your supposed to read it everyday and you miss it - you'll suffer the consequences the very next day, guaranteed. i've actually witnessed this on three seperate occasions with the same person. whenever he'd miss his wazifa given to him by his sheikh, something would happen to his car. either a minor crash - breakdown or whatever....and i've been in the car all three times. subhanallah, just goes to show the power of these things and also in the tariqas and the sheikhs themselves. but the consequences depend on what your actually given to read and so varies from person to person.. but one things for sure; dont underestimate the power of Allah tala.

if you think about what i just said in the paragraph above, Allah tala is in a way "forcing" you to become pious by making you read your wazaif. if you miss it, you'll suffer directly - so you'll know to read it next time....

anyway yeh, those are my thoughts!
take it easy and good luck.
wsalam.

[Strive4Allah]

Four simple ways to tasawwuf:
Eat less
Sleep less
Socialize less with people
Talk less

P.s I dont know if it fits here.

Too true agree with Sim. Goal is to get closer to allah. Done in whatever/whichever? way

[Shaykhs-Pir Sahib]

as salamu alaykum

this was posted in another forum (and possibly in this one); anyhow its a summary of a lecture Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi gave about tasawwuf - and includes some excellent book recommendations and links which i believe were added by the one who posted the article:

The Principles of Tasawwuf
By Sheikh Muhammad al Ya`qubi al Hasani

1. The definition:

Hundreds of definitions of Tasawwuf have been drawn. The great scholar sidi Ahmed Zarouq says: ”Tasawwuf has more than two thousand explanatory definitions; all ultimately refer to the following: True devotion to Allah from where He likes by the means He likes Some of the common definitions are: Acting upon knowledge Noble character Acquiring the good characters and getting rid of the bad.

2. The subject:

The Divine Essence as how Allah can be known. Another opinion says that the subject of this discipline is hearts and souls; because it works on their purification and cultivation. Both opinions are correct as the latter looks at the goal and the former looks at the means; as it has been correctly said, ”He who knows himself will know his Lord”.

3. The fruit:

The fruit or the benefit of this discipline is the purification of the heart and knowing the Master of the worlds.

4. The merit:
Tasawwuf is a noble discipline of high merit. Its nobility stems from from its subject. Al-Ihsan is one of the three levels of this deen and the highest.

5. The relation of this discipline to the other sciences:

Tasawwuf is the base of the Sharia; without it all acts of worship would be imperfect. It is the core of the Quran and the Sunnah and the tissue of muslims spiritual life. Imam Malik says: ”Whoever acquires tasawwuf without fiqh is a heretic and whoever studies fiqh without tasawwuf is unrighteous and who combines both has the reality”

6. The pioneer:

The word al-wadi means the one that sets forth this branch of knowledge. It is of course the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace). Many ahadith highlight this fact, most famous of which is hadith Jibril (May Allah bless him). The first one who made this knowledge known is Sayyiduna Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) and then his son Sayyiduna al-Hasan (May Allah be pleased with him) and al-Hasan al-Basriy (May Allah have mercy on him).

7. The name:

The name of this science is tasawwuf. The word is derrived from souf: wool; or from safa: purity; or from suffa: the special place of a group of the sahaba in the Holy Sanctuary of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace).
The discipline has been known by this name since the second century of hijra, i.e. the time of the salaf (May Allah have mercy on them). It has been frequently called ilm as-Sulouk, ilm al-Ihsan, ilm at-Tarbiyah or ilm at-Tazkiyah.

8. The sources:

Tasawwuf relies on al-Quran and as-Sunnah as the sources and proofs of its material. The sayings of the great scholars are a rich treasure for the seekers and the masters alike.

9. The legal ruling:

The legal ruling of studying tasawwuf is fard i.e. obligatory. Since all human beings are susceptable to sins save for the Prophets. Imam Abul Hasan ash-Shadiliy ”Who does not deeply study this discipline will die persisting on major sins without being aware of it”.

10. The issues discussed:

Tasawwuf tackles some of the cardinal elements of the deen such as ikhlas: sincerity; sidq: truthfulness; wara: religious cautioness; tawakkul: reliance; zuhd: asceticism; mahabba: love; and similarly their opposites, wich are called the diseases of the hearts such as insincerity; hypocrisy; arrogance; greed. It also tackles some of the subtlest subjects such as the passing of thoughts; the states of the heart; inspiration. One of its most important subjects is dhikr, the remebrance of Allah and its virtues; another is the sheikh and his qualifications, the disciple murid and his adab.

Basic works on tasawwuf:

1. The Beauty of the Righteous by al-Hafiz Abu Nuaym al-Asfahani

o Hilyat al awliya: http://www.omphaloskepsis.com/ebooks/pdf/mussm.pdf

2. The Revival of the Sciences of the Deen- Ihya Ulumid-Deen by al-Imam al-Ghazali

o About the Ihya: http://www.iqra.net/articles/Ihya/index.php
o Some chapters from the ihya: http://www.ghazali.org/site/ihya.htm
o books by al Ghazali: http://www.zhikr.org/waobooks/02_books/_ghazali/frontcage.php
o More books: http://www.its.org.uk/alghazali.html
o More books and excellent chpater from the ihya: http://www.fonsvitae.com/marvels.html

3. Al-Risalah of Imam Abul Qasim al-Qushayriy

o http://www.kazi.org/product_info.php?products_id=1666

4. The Aphorisms- al-Hikam og Imam Ibn Atta Allah

o Hikam: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Abewley/hikam.html
o Commentary by ibn Ajiba: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Abewley/hikcom1.html

5. Revelation of the Unseen by Imam Abdul Qadir al-Jaylaniy

o http://www.al-baz.com/shaikhabdalqadir/Books_and_Text_of_Wisdom/books_and_text_of_wisdom.html

[Strive4Allah]

Is he a hanbli?

[Shaykhs-Pir Sahib]

as salamu alaykum

Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi is hanafi, although he knows maliki fiqh too - if thats whom you were asking about.

[Strive4Allah]

Waliakum salaamz Yes I were asking about him jazakallah

[salman]

Dear brother, I would urge you not to be frightened of the terms, but look at the reality.

"Pir"="Shaykh"="Buzurg"=Old Man

Mureed is the same everywhere.

It's not possible that fake-pirs are found only in South Asia, there will necessarily be some eaters of suhut among Arabs as well. A south asian Shaykh will probably better understand your way of thinking.

I'd recommend reading the criterion for a shaykh given in Behishti Zewar and if you can get it "Bayt ki Haqiqat" by Hadhrat Maulana Mufti Rasheed Ahmad Ludhyanvi Rahimahullahu Ta'ala.

Sallamu Alaikum

From Beshti Zewar (whatever error comes in the translation is from me):

-- If one has decided to become a Murid he should first look at these points in a Pir/Shaikh. If he does not have these points then do not be his Murid:

1. The first thing is that he knows the Masail of Religion and is acquainted with the Shariah.
2. Secondly, he doesnot contradict what has been mentioned in this book. His Aqida should not conflict with the beliefs you have read in this book (since it is based solely on the beliefs of Ahly Sunnah) and nor should it conflict with the method of purifying the heart (as mentioned in this book, which is very vast).
3. He should not do this to get wealth or food (The pirs intention to get Murids should not be for the sake of the reasons mentioned above).
4. A person should choose a Pir who is looked upon by good people as being a pious scholar.
5. (Almost the same as above)
6. His teaching should have such an effect on you that it will make you love and aspire for Din. This can be noted by looking at the condition of him and his students. Even if 5 or 6 out of 10 of his Murids are good, then understand that this Pir is a man of Taaseer.

-- Beshti Zewar, page 485, "Peeri Muridi ka Bayan" Dar Al Ishat, Karachi, 2002.

These are a few, if not all, of the requirements one should keep in mind when looking for a Shaikh. I would not recommend that you read to many books right now that go deeply into sufism, but simply introductory books, or books on the lives of the Awliya (shaikh Gibrils articles are good). You will fall deeply in love with one of them and will aspire to follow his path, atleast thats what happened to me, Wallahu A'lam. The best way to evaluate someone is to sit with them for a few sessions, maybe a few weeks, and then ask yourself if this is what you want (see point 6 above).

Allah give us success.