Book of Healing - Spiritual Healing - Gems of Tariqat
Gems of Tariqat
Tags: Tariqat, Minhaj, Suluk, Salik, Tawbah, Sufism, Yas`a
1. There is a wisdom-filled saying of God, may He be blessed and exalted, (5:48): "(O the people of different religions!) for every one of you We have appointed a shari`at and a minhaj (tariqat)". From this Qur'anic teaching, it is obvious that, in all heavenly religions there has been a practice of shari'at and minhaj (tariqat/sufism). Thus in the time of prophethood, in addition to the tree of shari`at, the sapling of tariqat was also growing, a bright example of which can be found in the Aashab-i Suffah (companions of the platform in the holy Prophet's mosque). It is well known that verse (6:52): "And do not drive away those who call upon their Lord ...)", was revealed about their virtues.
2. During the 4th A.H./10th A.C. century, the Sufis established different orders for the purification of the soul. These are called chains or lines. There are many of these chains, which ramified into many more branches in the course of history and each of these branches has a founder. The source of every branch is Hazrat `Ali, with the exception of one chain, the Naqsh-bandiyah, which begins from Hazrat Abu Bakr (Islami Encyclopaedia by Sayyid Qasim Mahmud, p. 507).
3. You can find the terms, such as shari`at, tariqat, haqiqat and ma`rifat in books on sufism. These are destinations of the journey related to religion, knowledge and soul, on the straight path, by walking on which the mu'min-i salik (the mu'min who travels on the spiritual path) can attain the extreme proximity of God. The explanation of the term "suluk" in the Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam, (Luzac & Co., London), p.551, shows: "Suluk (Arabic, "journeying") is a term used by Sufis to describe the mystic's progress in the Way to God, beginning with his entrance into a tariqa (Way) under the direction of a Shaykh and ending with his attainment of the highest spiritual degree within his capacity. Suluk implies a quest deliberately undertaken, and regularly pursued; it is necessary for the salik to pass through, and make himself perfect in each of the "stages" or "stations" (maqamat) of dhikr, trust in God, poverty, love, knowledge and so on - before he can become united with God (wasil). Hence suluk is contrasted with jadhba (absorption)." (Ma`arif-i Islamiyyah, XI, 193)
4. In Kashfu'l-Mahjub, p. 93, a famous book on Sufism, it is narrated about Hazrat Imam Baqir (a.s.), that in explaining the verse (2:256): "Thus whoever disbelieves in the devil and believes in God", he said: "Everything that diverts you from viewing the Truth (al-Haqq) (i.e. observation of the Divine light), is your idol. Now consider what diverts you from attachment with God and keeps you in a veil from Him. If you abandon that thing and the veil, you will reach the unveiling of the Divine light. You will not be prevented from the Truth or be veiled from Him. And he who is prevented from the observation of the Truth, should not claim Divine proximity".
5. In the same book, in the chapter on "Tawbah", an extremely pleasant point is mentioned, which is: tawbah (return) is of three kinds: one is from error to good, one is from good to more good, and one is from one's own existence toward God, may He be exalted." (Ibid., p. 383) Explaining the tawbah of the third kind, I would like to say that the tawbah of the Prophets and awliya' is the ultimate return to God, and that in their personal world, there is the unveiling of the treasure of azal and the observation of God (al-Haqq). It is certain that those perfect words which were given to Hazrat Adam (a.s.) (2:37) for the sake of remembrance and supplication and as the treasures of knowledge and wisdom, were for the purpose of this tawbah of the Prophets and awliya', namely, the observation of the Hidden Treasure and true annihilation.
6. In verse (29:69), God says: "And for those who strive for Us, We surely show them Our paths (of the secrets of ma`rifat)." According to this Divine teaching, to fight against the carnal soul is considered the greater jihad by the holy Prophet. Thus, had the carnal soul not been the greatest disbeliever and the root of spiritual diseases, such an intense opposition and such a great struggle would not have been necessary. But it is obvious that the carnal soul is a very great cunning disbeliever. There is no doubt that the disbeliever suffers from the disease of ignorance, therefore, his complete recovery is necessary in the form of the greater jihad, so that he may be a sound and healthy believer in knowledge and ma`rifat.
7. The mu'min-i salik, by Divine favour and success, continues to progress in the spiritual stages in his personal world (i.e. within himself) until the most amazing event and the greatest miracle of this spiritual journey takes place. That is, although the journey was from azal towards abad, yet finally both become unveiled together. The reason for this is that the beginning and the end of the circle of creation and command are in the same place, just as on a clock-face, the starting point (zero) and the sign of twelve o'clock are at the same place. Thus the treasure of azal is within yourself, but behind 360 veils, of which 180 are dark and 180, luminous. And every veil is a destination. It should be remembered that the dark destinations are not as difficult as the luminous ones. For, the moment the Sufi sees the light, he thinks that this is the light of God, whereas it is the first of the luminous veils, from which he has to go much further.
8. The desired or final destination of the salik is the unveiling and observation of azal and its secrets, which is the highest and the most exalted place of the tajaddud-i amthal (renewal of similitudes), where the doors of the treasures of all realities and recognitions always remain open and where there is every kind of manifestation of the spiritual beauty of the Spirit of the Qur'an. It is the place where there is the manifestation of the eternal Speech and Action of God, which are the Universal Command and the Universal Act respectively. That is, "Be". In other words, there God says "Be" and unfolds and enfolds the Universe, and then there is its continuous renewal of similitudes.
9. Regarding the salat of the holy Prophet, it has been mentioned: "When the Prophet used to pray, there used to be a simmering in his breast like the simmering of a cauldron" (al-Mu`jam, II, 239). And it is said about Hazrat `Ali (a.s.) that "when he was intending to pray, … his body used to shake" (Ibid., p. 387). This is the highest example of the `ibadat of the Prophets and awliya'.
10. The Sufis believe in Divine vision, for without Divine vision, real ma`rifat or recognition is impossible. Ma`rifat is that Divine purpose for the sake of which, the jinn and mankind are created, as God says: "I have not created the jinn and mankind except that they may worship Me (i.e. they may recognise Me)." `Ibadat or worship certainly also implies ma`rifat or recognition. Therefore, the Sufic translation of this holy and wisdom-filled verse is absolutely correct. (Ibid., p. 342).
11. There is no doubt that just as faith, knowledge, good deeds and other commendable attributes develop and become gradually perfect, so ma`rifat too, has many ranks. Indeed, in the spirituality of a salik, it is these ranks which make the ladder, the distance of which is fifty thousand years (70:4). Yet those mu'mins to whom God, the Exalted, grants the light of guidance, their light runs rapidly (yas`a nuruhum) with them through these ranks (57:12; 66:8). Here yas`a is in the aorist tense, which means "runs and will run". Thus, these mu'mins run with the speed of light just as the holy Prophet had gone to mi`raj (spiritual ascent) with the extremely rapid speed of lightning. Thus the greatest secret of guidance and the final destination is hidden in this.
12. The mighty Qur'an, representing the above-mentioned mu'mins, says: "Our Sustainer! Perfect our light for us (by making it reach the stage of perfection)." (66:8). Thus it is clear that the purpose of this light is guidance and recognition. That is, the function of this light is to guide the mu'min to the final destination and to make him aware and cognisant of the secrets of the manifestations of azal, so that he may remain forever enriched with the unique and everlasting wealth of ma`rifat.
Tuesday, 22 Jumada II, 1409
31st January, 1989.
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