Rabita Shareef

[ozgurislam]

As salamu aleykum,

Recently ifound a site about tawassuf they are doing something called RABITA.

Does anybody heard about this? Please check following link:

http://www.nurmuhammad.com/NaqshbandiSecrets/ShaykhAdnankabbanirabitashareefmuraqabah.htm

My opinion is that this is a major shirk.

Was salaam

[Omar HH]

Rabita is the connection and love with the Shaykh and not shirk. One must neccessarily love the Shaykh (actually there is a station of Tassawuf called Fana fil Shaykh or Anniliation in the Shaykh's Attributes) and through this love for him and this connection he PICKS UP the good qualities of the Shaykh.

This is what Rabita means to have Connection with the Shaykh through loving him and the stronger this presence the better.

Wa Allahu `Alam,

Omar.

[ahsanirfan]

Whatever the reality may be, Rabita is still a controversial issue. If done incorrectly it can lead to serious mistakes. Some of greatest awliya have used Rabita successfully to train their mureeds. So it is best that we keep quiet about it.

[Omar HH]

I never knew Rabitah was really that contraversial of an issue - although I have heard of some.

Fana fil Shaykh is well known I thought - which is to be annihilated in your Shaykh's attributes. I'll see if Shaykh Sidi Ibn `Ajibah had anything to say about Fana fil Shaykh.

Rabitah is the shortest way to reach Ma`arifah say some Sufis.

Ma`arifah is direct experience of Tawhid if anyone is wondering.

Jazakallahu Khayrun...

I will have more about this later like I said.

[ahsanirfan]

If I am correct then Sidi Ibn Ajiba does not have anything to say about Rabita, because, as we have been taught by Sheikh Nuh, the shadhiliyyah have no Rabita. There is no emphasis on the Sheikh in the Shadhiliyyah.

[Omar HH]

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)

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 :saw: and if we love him "we will be with whom we love" on the Day of Judgement. Loving Rasul Allah :saw: 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 :saw: and ultimately Allah `Azza wa Jal.

The Sahaba were in love with Rasul Allah :saw: 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 :saw: 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 :saw:, 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).

About Fana fil Shaykh, Ustadha `Aisha Bewely's website says:

The Perfect Guide. He missed the opportunity for his company and cannot return to his station. He cannot listen to his words or see his physical essence. So he begins to imagine him in his thoughts and to summon him present in his heart until he is annihilated in him. He begins to say, "The Shaykh said to me," and "I said to the Shaykh." Sometimes he says, "I am Shaykh so-and-so." That does not help him at all in attaining his Goal, because his annihilation is only movement from one phenomenal being to another phenomenal being. That moves him to the Domain of Worship.

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ABewley/chess4.html

It was this relationship, springing from the deep Secret Love of the Essence, which revealed to the orthodox Muslims the elite bond between the Master and his followers–the Shaykh with his beloveds. Although it had always existed, it was through Abu al-Hasan ash-Shadhdhuli, may Allah protect his secret, that it took on a new spiritual depth. This added depth came from the tasting of the true meaning of the annihilation (fana’) in the Shaykh, who is the living Spirit of the Prophet Muhammad, prayers and peace be upon him, in his time. It is he who guides Allah’s lover from his perfect annihilation of himself in himself, to the perfect annihilation of himself in Allah, Most High, followed by the perfect subsistence (baqa’) in his Spirit. - Sufiway.com

Rumi said:

"My master and my morād! My affliction and my remedy!
Let me divulge the secret: My Sun (Shams [Note 3]), my God!
Until thou gazest at me, I am bewildered by love,
for thou art the king of the two worlds; my Sun, my God!
I will become extinguished before Thee so that no trace of me remains:
such is the requirement of decorum; my Sun, my God!"

Fana fil Shaykh is a very normal part of Tawassuf.

Shaykh Gibril Hadad says:

Other critics object to Rabita or "connection," a particular characteristic of the Naqshbandi Tariqa. More precisely, they object to the element of tasawwur or "picturing" in Rabita which requires of the Murid to picture the image of the Shaykh in the heart at the beginning and during dhikr. But Allah Most High said, "Truly in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example" (33:21) and He said to "enter the houses through their doors" (2:189) and so we come to the Prophet (s) through the Siddiq (may Allah be well pleased with him) , and to the latter through
Salman (may Allah be well pleased with him) , and to the latter through Qasim (may Allah be well pleased with him) , and to the latter through the Sayyid (may Allah be well pleased with him) , etc. Since "the Ulema are the inheritors of the Prophets" it follows that the Murshid is our example of that example. He must be one of those of whom the Prophet said (s): "When you see them, you remember Allah!" This is narrated from Ibn 'Abbas, Asma' bint Zayd, and Anas (may Allah be well pleased with them) , and also from the Tabi'in Sa'id ibn Jubayr, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghanam, and Muslim ibn Subayh.

Some even object to the Murid's self-effacement in the Shaykh or fana' fil-Shaykh. They say, "Your Shaykh is just a man; let your fana' be in Rasulullah!" But it is false that the guiding Shaykh is just like any other. 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. The watermelon ripens through the heat of the sun hour by hour and warms with the passage of days. It matures, yet what knowledge does it have of this? Does the sun even know that it ripens and warms it? As mentioned above, objecting to fana' fil-Shaykh is also like Objecting to love of the Shaykh. We aim to love our Shaykh and know that he is the worthiest object of love and respect in this world.

As the poet said:
Out of pure and sincere faithfulness to you I say:
Love of you is written inside my heart of hearts,
a patent engraving [NAQSH], an ancient writ.
Nor do I have any will [IRADA] except your love,
Nor can I say anything to you but that I love you.

On this topic Mawlana said recently:
"We have been ordered to love holy people. These are the Prophets and, after Prophets, their inheritors, the Awliya'. We have been ordered to believe in Prophets and belief gives us Love. Love makes people to follow that beloved one. ITTIBA' means to love and follow while ITAAT means [only] to follow. An obedient person may be obedient by force or by love but not always by love.

"Now, Allah Almighty is asking for His servants to love Him. And servants can't reach directly to love of their Lord. Therefore, Allah Almighty sends, on behalf of Himself, Prophets that represent Him among His servants. And everyone that loves Awliya and Anbiya, through Awliya are reaching love of Prophets. And through love of Prophets you are reaching to love of Allah Almighty.

"Therefore, without love, a person can't be a beloved one in the Divine presence. If you are not giving your love, how does Allah Almighty love you?

"But people that are like wood, dry, dry wood, are denying love. They are such dry ones - no life! A tree, with love, is opening through spring time. But dry ones, even if seventy springs came on them, never open. Love makes nature open and give its fruits, its beauty to people. Without love, it should never be opening, never flowering, never giving its fruits. "So love IS the most important pillar for faith. No love, no faith. I may speak on it up to next year, but you must understand, from a drop, an ocean!" (This is the end of Mawlana's talk.)

Jazakallahu ta`ala Khayrun,

(Some things taken from Naqshbandi Sufi Tradition: Guidebook of Daily Practices and Devotions)

[Omar HH]

If I am correct then Sidi Ibn Ajiba does not have anything to say about Rabita, because, as we have been taught by Sheikh Nuh, the shadhiliyyah have no Rabita. There is no emphasis on the Sheikh in the Shadhiliyyah.

Maybe your right Sidi,

But I thought he said something about it in al-Mahabith al-Assiyah (which by the way is ESPECIALLY good book - esp. for Shadhilis like yourself, Shaykh Abu Qanit translated it, it has the history of the Hadra, how to reach Ma`arifah, all of that).

I'll look it up.

[Omar HH]

Actually it was Shaykh Abu Qanit's commentary on Ibn `Ajibah which included Fana fil Shaykh:

A sign that the person is entering into the fifth level is
that he constantly begins to perceive and feel his soul beyond his body. And after this, he learns how to control his soul,
direct it, and view things with it in this fifth stage (via active control over his thoughts and visualizations). At this stage,
the person can get more frequent glimpses of the Divine Entity via his strengthened and refined soul and begins to
experience annihilation (1) in the Entity of Allah, (2) in the soul of the Prophet, and (3) in the soul of his spiritual teacher
(one at a time in either forward or reverse order).

So there is no Rabitah in the Shadhili school? Interesting.

Omar

[ahsanirfan]

Hmmm.... interesting.. perhaps in Sheikh Abu Qanit's branch it exists... in the Hashmi Darqawi branch it does not.... wallahu 'alam

[Omar HH]

Well maybe there is no Rabitah but you can probably have Fana' in the Shaykh right?

I don't know.

Shaykh Abu Qanit al-Sharif al-Hassani is Shadhili-Darqawil-Alawi wa Allahu `Alam.

[ahsanirfan]

Well maybe there is no Rabitah but you can probably have Fana' in the Shaykh right?

I don't know.

Shaykh Abu Qanit al-Sharif al-Hassani is Shadhili-Darqawil-Alawi wa Allahu `Alam.

i dont know about that.... havent recieved any instructions on tht yet :).. if there are any....

[ozgurislam]

As salamu aleykum,

Well brothers for me i dont need to picture or imagine a shayk to come closer to Allah, A person can come closer to Allah simpy by his good deeds and thoughts. This Rabita is Bidah himself, there is 100% no any proof backed this Rabita up from Nabi SAW and Sahaba Ikram. Further more this Rabita leads to kufr and shirk

The reason i begin this topic about is that some people in my country (Turkey) mostly the Naqsheebandi Tareeqas are doing this, there are very good articles on a Turkish website refuting these Rabita (www.suleymaniyevakfi.org)

Well after this message of me maybe some brothers will think im a salafi or whatever, but im not i follow Hanafi Madhab .

[Omar HH]

First of all the pictures on that website are not official Naqshbandi-Haqqani tariqa websites. I have met many murids which absolutely hate them.

Second of all - the Sahaba loved everything about Rasul Allah :saw: including his appearance. They loved every aspect of him. When you see Rasul Allah :saw: in your dreams if you are that lucky you will have a conncection with thining about what he looks like :saw: (may Allah make us that lukcy).

Shirk is worshipping another besides Allah or believing that things have effects in themselves without Allah (lesser shirk). How is it shirk to imagine your Shaykh to increase in love with him? If I remember my mother and how she took care of me (Hafiz Allah) and I increase in my love towards her is that shirk?

Shirk is a very dangerous thing. And bid`ah is introducing new obligatory acts of worship.

Wa Allahu `Alam.

[ozgurislam]

Increasing love for somebody is not shirk everybody knows that, But why should i imagine a shayk to come closer to Allah, because that is the problem with Rabita Shareef, as a matter of fact the shayk is in Rabita Shareef a door to Allah without him you cant.And if you are imagining the shayk you need to ask him to bring him closer to Allah.And this is a serieus problem.

The mursheed and murid relations are very absurd, the murid has to be like a dead body in front of his mursheed and has to do everything what the mursheed says, even when the mursheed is wrong the murid cant say he is wrong.The mursheed has the power over his murid and can do everything with him what he want. (Therefore we hear a lot of absurd stories about the shayks with their students)

Finally some people take a photo to imagine their shayks which is absolutely haram (photo)or hang their shayks photo in the mosques.

Well take care en just follow Ahle Sunnah as the early proceddors did like Abu Hanifa , Imam Malik etc etc they where never n Tareeqa or did Rabita or whatever.

Was salaam

[muhammadnur]

Well maybe there is no Rabitah but you can probably have Fana' in the Shaykh right?

I don't know.

Shaykh Abu Qanit al-Sharif al-Hassani is Shadhili-Darqawil-Alawi wa Allahu `Alam.


As Salaam Alaikum,

Rabita as a specific practice is not found in the Shadhili but fana' in the shaykh is different in terms that rabita is the practice and fana is the result. In the Shadhili in my limited understanding we are to absorb the hal of our shaikh just as any other tariqa but we have different means of doing so. So suhba and following the shaikh instructions are our means which is less "intense" if you will than the Naqshbandi method where connection with the Shaikh is more pronounced. Does anyone know if rabita as a practice is also used in the Qadiri, I know its used, albeit to a lesser degree in terms of emphasis, in the Tijani tariqa.

[Tazkiyah]

Increasing love for somebody is not shirk everybody knows that, But why should i imagine a shayk to come closer to Allah, because that is the problem with Rabita Shareef, as a matter of fact the shayk is in Rabita Shareef a door to Allah without him you cant.And if you are imagining the shayk you need to ask him to bring him closer to Allah.And this is a serieus problem.

The mursheed and murid relations are very absurd, the murid has to be like a dead body in front of his mursheed and has to do everything what the mursheed says, even when the mursheed is wrong the murid cant say he is wrong.The mursheed has the power over his murid and can do everything with him what he want. (Therefore we hear a lot of absurd stories about the shayks with their students)

Finally some people take a photo to imagine their shayks which is absolutely haram (photo)or hang their shayks photo in the mosques.

Well take care en just follow Ahle Sunnah as the early proceddors did like Abu Hanifa , Imam Malik etc etc they where never n Tareeqa or did Rabita or whatever.

Was salaam

a salaam wa alikum..

Rabita Sharif in the Naqshbandi Haqqani according to Shaykh nur Mohamed website site. .. (imagining their shaykh etc during muraqaba) is acceptable in tariqa and not shirk.

I am a naqshbandi Mujjaddi and we have rabita sharif .. but we do not carry our shaykhs picture around or even imagine him during muraqaba. Our rabita sharif is discussing our problems..dreams..up and downs basically with the Shaykh. Keeping him updated of our status. No disrespect to anyone.. Murshids learn from their own Shaykhs etc. So if Naqshbandi Haqqani perform their muraqaba like that. Shaykh Nazim (db) learned from his Shaykh.. Shaykh Abdullah Faiz Daghestani. Our Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmed Naqshabandi (db) visited daghestan on his trip of Central Asia a few years ago. Many high Naqshabandi shaykhs have come out of daghestan.. and most are are from Shaykh Nazims line. Although our silsila splits around the the 24-25 Shaykh. Our Shaykh still has lots of respect for the Shaykhs of dagestan otherwise he would of never visted that remote part of Russia. Just my two cents.. Jazakallah khairun for your time.

[Omar HH]

Following the Shaykh's orders is not Shirk.

You must know there are two types of tariqas (A tariqa is basically a madhab of Tassawuf in a way):

Tariqa Ishraqi:

An Ishraqi tariqa is a Naqshbandi type Imam Ghazali type tariqa. The approach is to "chop the Nafs head off" through intense jihad of the nafs or struggle against the self. This is often done by following EVERYTHING your Shaykh does and not following your Nafs.

Tariqa Burhani:
A Burhani tariqa is a Shadhili type tariqa in which Shukr (thankfulness) is a major means of going up the maqams or spiritual state.

Imam Malik (Radi Allahu `Anhu) did most likely have a Shaykh in Tassawuf.

Sayyidina Ja`far as-Sadiq (Radi Allahu `Anhu) taught Imam Abu Hanifa (Radi Allahu `Anhu) in Tassawuf.

Please see the articles like those by Shaykh Nuh Keller on masud.co.uk.

Is remembering the image of Rasul Allah (Sal Allahu `Alayhi wa Sallim) after seeing him in your dream shirk? No - it increases you in love for him just like imagining the picture of your mother or father smiling would increase your love for them.

Love between murid and Shaykh is vital in tassawuf.

I am not a murid of any tariqa, just my two scents of very lowly knowledge compared to tariqa folks. Go ask them.

BTW... I have heard from many Naqshbandi murids dislike for the pictures on NurMuhammad. Actually the site is NOT an official Naqshbandi website of the tariqa I think. Wa Allahu `Alam.

[ozgurislam]

Is remembering the image of Rasul Allah (Sal Allahu `Alayhi wa Sallim) after seeing him in your dream shirk? No - it increases you in love for him just like imagining the picture of your mother or father smiling would increase your love for them.

As salamu aleykum,

Remembering Nabi SAW after seeing his image in dream is different then imagining and remembering ones mother or shayk.

We dont need any intersession like a shayk to come closer to Allah so simple is that.

Furthermore that Imam Malik and ABu Hanifa did Tawassuf is very questionable, the people of tawassuf have many fabrications in their books ,Like Abdulkadir Gilani, in their books he seems to fly in the air :-) Furthermore they have a lot of fabrications on duaa's reading some dua for 4 million sawaab etc etc.

[Tazkiyah]

These days there is a big diffrence between Shariah based tasawwuf and other practices that sufis do. Look at the offshoot some of the chisti tariqa in india (Pir Inayat Khan). They are a prime example of non shariah based tasawwuf in india. We are talking about shariah based tasawwuf. No dua is better then Nabi saws Dua... even if according to some sufis u get this and that amount of sawab from it. Tasawwuf is the science of spirtual development. Let us not get into the proper adab of Imam Malik Rahimullah and Imam Abu hanifa Rahimullah. Imam Malik didn't walk in Madinah sharif or goto the bathroom in madinah sharif. Is this in hadith? Is it fardh..wajib..etc No..This was adab he had learned from his Shaykhs. The many he had.. such as Ibn Hurmuz.etc. Ibn Hurmuz..Imam Malik..Imam Jafar as Sadiq never related hadith accpet in a state of wudu. Now a days we just state the hadith the mafhoom etc and think we are doing our jobs. I would suggest you look into Shariah based tasawwuf. Just remeber tasawwuf is for everyone.. some just can't grasp the principles.

[ozgurislam]

What i just wanted to point out is that the most Tawassuf people are doing Tawassuf not according to Shariah, and about their books the less said the better! For instance look at Imam Rabbani in his Makbuat 1'st volume the 312't letter what he is saying about pointing the indexfinger in Tashahhud he is of mind that one should not point his finger in his view it is makruh or merely haram, while this is a proved sunnah? This is just one masalah about salah about the others the less said the better.

About their dua books it is the same the less said the better.
I think everybody knows what i want to point out.

Was salaam

[Mossy]

I'd like to point out that generalisations are generally bad. Also that Imam Rabanni was somewhat more learned than you and you should have more respect.

I would recommend you enquire directly of a shaykh from a specific tariqah if you have any indepth questions regarding their practices.