Can someone explain to me how silsalahs work?

[Nomadic]

Bismillah
Br. Abufatimah
Your post on 90 doesn't make sense. As other brother have said science of tassawuf can't be learnt but experienced. It is not some book and syllabus one goes through. It sciences applied differently by the Spiritual master for their students. Also as I have said one can't just take bayah without first knowing if the shaikh demeaner and your capability is on the same page.
Hence before one becomes mureed they are tasted. Your approach seems not to fit in with this. I know one shaikh who sat outside the religious circle for 6 months before he was admitted. This is done to test his sincerety and ability to forberance.
One need to surrounder ones ego!! Tasswuf is not in need of members but believers are in need of tassawuf as an aid to get close to the Most sublime. The shaikh is not in need of murred or students but seeker is in need of a good Shaikh. So oners is on the seeker to seek out a shaikh and not the other way round. Without legwork and constant prayer for means of guidance, one can't really start his search.
The notion of instant gratification is enthesis to tassawuf which is found amoung the most lamadhabist. Tassawuf is not just about taking bayah but being able to test oneself and not the others. The latter implies one knows when in reality is devoid of humility and lack of understanding, reallsation and in essence knowledge of self!

If one can't do this - there is no suluk and no tassawuf.
Allahualam

[AbuFatimah]

dont worry akhi nomadic, inshAllah I will be honest with the shakhayn who im in contact with and they will know what to do inshAllah

[Aram]

dont worry akhi nomadic, inshAllah I will be honest with the shakhayn who im in contact with and they will know what to do inshAllah

you don't need to take bayah with anyone...you can write to shaykhs for general advice and guidance and see what kind of advice they give you...listen to their talks etc and act upon their guidance...bayah is not the most important thing...neither is it the goal of tasawwuf....self-rectification is the thing that is important and that is the goal

[afriki_haqq]

I advise anyone who is intrested in Tasawwuf to check the website of Mufti Ebrahim Desai concerning this. Below I quote Mufti Desai on some of the points regarding tasawwuf. Further, I ask the mods - as mentioned earlier, that all the questions about tasawwuf have been answered in this thread and numerous other thread.

Hadhrat Shah Muhaddith Dehlawi (Rahmatullahi Alayhi) has mentioned the following qualities that have to be found in a Sheikh e Kamil:

1. He should possess the necessary knowledge of Deen, which he should have acquired by formal pursuit of such knowledge or from remaining in the company of firmly grounded scholars.

2. He should be upright and pious, refraining from major sins and from continuously perpetrating minor sins.

3. He has no desire for this World. He engages in acts of obedience, Adhkaar and other devotional practices.

4. He must have derived spiritual benefit by remaining in the company of his Shaykh for an adequate period of time. Such “companionship” can come either through physically being in the Shaykh’s company or through correspondence.

5. He is habitual in enjoining good and forbidding evil (Amr Bil Ma’roof Wa Nahy anil Munkar).#

In addition, one should develop Munasabah (congeniality) with the Shaykh in order for one to derive maximum benefit from the Shaykh.

The objective in Tasawwuf is Islaahe Nafs (spiritual reformation), one should see how best this objective is achieved.

http://tasawwuf.daralmahmood.org/wha...kh-of-tasawwuf

Hadhrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Rahmatullahi alayhi) would advise aspirant Mureedeen to attend his Islaahi Majalis (spiritual gatherings) and then examine whether they had Munasabat (congeniality) with Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi Alayhi).

Munasabat could also be “Aqliyyah” (logical), meaning that you have spiritual rapport and affinity with the teachings and writings of the Shaykh. So the Munasabat with the Shaykh does not always have to be based on one’s natural feeling of congeniality.

In the meantime, we advise you to practice on the following daily practices:

1. Perform the five Fardh (obligatory) Salaahs with Jamaat (congregation).

2. Read some portion of the Qur’an daily.

3. Be sensitive to the rights of others at all times.

4. Read the following Tasbeehaat daily:

4.1) Durood Shareef (100 times daily)

4.2) Istighfaar (100times daily)

4.3) Third Kalimah (100 times daily)

When reciting the above Tasbeehaat, try as much as possible to focus the mind on the greatness and grandeur of Allah (Ta’ala) and if you can’t do that or find that difficult, then focus the mind on the waves of the ocean, a particular mountain, e.t.c so as to focus your mind on the Qudrat (power) of Allah (Ta’ala).

5. Abstain from sin as far as possible. If you do commit a sin, immediately make Tawba (repentance) to Allah (Ta’ala) for committing such a sin. Remember that one of the most significant ways of refraining from sin is by determination and resolute courage.

http://tasawwuf.daralmahmood.org/how...-right-for-you

There are different interpretations as to how the word “Tasawwuf” originated. Some have said that the word “Tasawwuf” is derived from the Arabic word “Soof” meaning “wool”, thus, the donning of “woolen garments” is referred to as “Tasawwuf”.#

...

Nevertheless, Tasawwuf is synonymous with Tazkiyah al- Nafs. Tazkiyah al- Nafs is proven from the Qur’an and Hadeeth.

Tazkiyah is synonymous with many other terms like Islaah e Nafs, Tasheeh al- Akhlaq, Ilm al- Adab, e.t.c. (Fatawa Mahmudiyyah, Vol.6, Pg.220, Maktabah Mahmudiyyah)

One of the main responsibilities and duties of Rasullullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) was Tazkiyah and Islaahe Nafs. (Al- Qur’an, 2: 129)

The Sahabah (Radhiyallahu Anhum) sat in the company (Suhbat) of Rasullullah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam), that is why they are called Sahabah. The Sahabah (Radhiyallahu Anhum) had many other distinguishing and unique attributes with which they could be identified. However, they were specifically distinguished by their Suhbat with Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam). Suhbat is an integral part of Tasawwuf and Tazkiyah.

...

Many Taabi’een like Hadhrat Hasan al- Basri (Rahmatullahi Alayhi), Tabe Tabi’een and other great Masha’ikh right until the present day and age have practiced on Tasawwuf and Tazkiyah.

http://tasawwuf.daralmahmood.org/whe...originate-from

[Ibn Abdallah]

As-Salaamu Alaykum.

One of brother Abu Fatimah's concerns is that sufis have borrowed practices from other religions. This claim (refuted by Prof. Saeed M. Sheikh in his book "Islamic Philosophy") originates with the Orientalists, who in their desire to discredit Islam, claimed that tasawwuf was a syncretism of Islam and Persian/Eastern religions. This is completely false. Tasawwuf was codified by the time of Imam al-Ghazali (ra) long before the Muslims came into contact with Eastern religions. In fact when Muslims (including sufis) came into contact with Hindus, Buddhists, etc., they viewed them as kufaar, not as holders of sacred knowledge. Some of the most notable defenders of Islam in the subcontinent were sufis, such as Shah Waliullah (ra) and Sultan Aurangzeb (ra). As for the claim that tasawwuf borrows from ancient Persian religions, this is ridiculous, seeing as how some of the greatest sufis were Arabs, e.g. Ibn al-Arabi (ra) who was very proud of his Arab heritage.

[Rahmaniyyah]

Statement of Hazrat Mawlana Thanawi (ra)

The commercial peers (spiritual guides) say that they will not divulge the special mysteries without one becoming bay't to them. This is nothing but their fabrication. Indeed, what are the special mysteries which they will not divulge? Most certainly, whatever mysteries were essential (for Muslims) were delivered to the world by Rasulullah (saws) from the hilltops, from the mimbars and in public. In fact, whatever 'special mysteries' they (the commercial mentors) claim to know of -- mysteries which are apart from what Rasulullah (saws) had divulged -- are evils. By means of such evils they are desirous of trapping people in their pernicious nets of deception. Most assuredly, they are unable to publicly divulge such evils. Indeed, their 'special mysteries' are such evils which they can not divulge even after one has become bay't to them, for no one will divulge his own faults and evils.

http://books.themajlis.net/node/448

[junfrared]

Statement of Hazrat Mawlana Thanawi (ra)

The commercial peers (spiritual guides) say that they will not divulge the special mysteries without one becoming bay't to them. This is nothing but their fabrication. Indeed, what are the special mysteries which they will not divulge? Most certainly, whatever mysteries were essential (for Muslims) were delivered to the world by Rasulullah (saws) from the hilltops, from the mimbars and in public. In fact, whatever 'special mysteries' they (the commercial mentors) claim to know of -- mysteries which are apart from what Rasulullah (saws) had divulged -- are evils. By means of such evils they are desirous of trapping people in their pernicious nets of deception. Most assuredly, they are unable to publicly divulge such evils. Indeed, their 'special mysteries' are such evils which they can not divulge even after one has become bay't to them, for no one will divulge his own faults and evils.

http://books.themajlis.net/node/448