BEING THE ARTICLE PRESENTED @ TIMSAN SOUTHWEST WHATSAPP PAGE ON
09/08/2015......By Giwa Ibrahim Baye, IOTB LAUTECH.
In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful..
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon His Noble
Prophet Muhammad (SAWS), the Best of Creation and also upon his Companions, the
Stars of Guidance. All praise and thanks belongs to Allah-The Source of Peace
(As-Salaam), The Granter of Security (Al-Mu’min),
The Bountiful Doer of Good (Al-Muhsin). Glorified and Exalted is He-The King
(Al-Malik), The Acceptor of Repentance (At-Tawaab), The Most Merciful
(Ar-Rahim).
May the peace and blessings of Allah b upon the Straight
Path (Sirat al Mustaqim),the Pure (An-Naqi), the Truthful (As-Saadiq), the
Sincere (Al-Mukhlis), the One Attributed with Perfect Character (Al-Mutakhaliq
bi’l Khuluq al-Azim), the
Observer (Al-Muraqib), the Witness (Al-Mushahid), the Source of the Most
Perfect Gnosis (‘Ain al-Ma’arif al-Aqwam), the Slave and
the Master (Al-‘Abd
As-Sayyid), the One Attributed with the Quality of the Greatest Mastery
(Al-Mutasafa bi Sifat as-Sayyid al-A’zam).
May the complete and perfect satisfaction of Allah be upon
the Helper of Truth with Truth (Nasir al-Haqq bi’l Haqq), the Guide to the Straight Path (Al-Hadi ila
Sirat al-Mustaqim), and also upon his Family. May it be according to his true
reality and indeed, his degree is extremely great (Haqq Qadrihi wa Miqdarihi‘l Azim). Amin
Yaa Himmat ash-Shaykh ihdirii lanaa bi aadhaa'l-Mah'dar
wa li-tah'tafii bi nazratin *** tah'tii lanaa bi zafar, Alhamdulilah...
After this: I am sending my greeting of perfect
peace--which contains no vanity or sin to beloved brothers and sisters, i say
salam alaykum warahamatulah wabarakatuhu.
WHO/WHAT IS A TIJANIYYAH ?
A tijaniyyah is a person threading on the path of Sheikh
Ahmad Tijani (RTA).
I think that has justify the question of the topic given to
me?
But i will like to shed more light on WHAT IS TARIQAH
TIJANIYAH? From there, we should be able to define who really is a tijaniyyah.
MEANING AND CHARACTERISTICS OF TARIQAH TIJANIYAH
Tariqa Tijaaniyah is a Muhammadan Path (Tariqah
Muhammadiyya); its companions are they who hold firmly to the Sunnah,
extinguishing themselves in love for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
They are wedded to the emulation of him, in both his words and deeds, and they
have molded themselves with his characteristics; for surely the bases of these
characteristics are the Qur’an
and the Sunnah. Within these two things is found the abode of the Tariqa, and
outside the Qur’an and the
Sunnah there is nothing called the Tijaniyya.
Imam Junayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Surely all the paths (turuq )
are choked off by the creation except those following the footsteps of the Messenger of Allah,
peace and blessings of Allah upon him, those following his Sunnah and his Tariqa.”
Our Mawlana Shaykh Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him,
has declared his innocence of everything at variance with the pure Shari’a
and demonstrated the orthodoxy of his Tariqa with the statement: “If you hear something from me,
weigh it on the scale of the Shari’a.
Whatever is in conformity, take it; whatever is at variance, leave it.” So were all his actions and pure conduct based in the Book and
the Sunnah.
Shaykh Tijani (RTA) also defined Sufism as “ carrying out the Divine command and avoiding the
prohibitions, externally and internally, with regards to what pleases Him, not
what pleases you.” And this
cannot be realized except through compliance with the pure Sharia.
His disciple Sidi
Muhammad bin Mishry (RTA) said: “Despite
what you have heard of the miracles of this Shaykh of exalted rank, he was of
extreme HUMILITY, and whoever did not know him could not distinguish him from
his companions. Among his attributes was that he was an ascetic; one longing
(for Allah); one who has obtained; one who has abandoned all injustice. He
overlooked the (unclean) states of the people but worked ardently on his own self.
And he was stern in following the Sunnah, nor would he indulge anyone in
relaxing its observance except for those who would not obey his command. He
(RA) was always urging us to pray in rank. If we traveled, he would say, ‘Whoever does not pray with you
in rank, do not keep him as your companion.’
And he said, ‘By guarding
the straight line in prayer, Allah will avert from you most afflictions.”
Among the things in which he persevered was the love for the
Prophets household (ahl al-bayt ),
and encouraging others to reverence and exalt them, for this itself is evidence of following the Prophet (SAW) and of enforcing the
commandments of the Qur’an. The Most
High has said:
“Say (O
Prophet): ‘I do not ask
any reward of you, except the love for the relatives (al-qurba).(42:23).
The Shaykh also used
to enjoin obedience to the teachers ( muqadamin ) with what they required in accordance with the truth. He
said, “You must obey the teachers so
long as they command you with the known religious obligations or work to
reconcile the differences between you.”
And he warned them in this against being enamored of the worldly goods of their brethren, and to only see such possession as the
bestowal of Allah, for it is He who gives, withholds, lowers and elevates. It was with this righteous method that the
Shaykh trained his disciples, and it is this righteous manner
that has been the inheritance of his successors (khulifa‘) generation after generation,
for they have been keen to guard this foundation.
In emphasizing the orthodoxy of the Tariqa Tijaniyya, Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse said:
#You must hold firm to the rope of Allah, For a method which deviates from the Qur’anic Remembrance is a path of misery.
#If you should ask, is this litany (wird ) the method of
Muhammad? I will say yes, my wird is for attaining purity.
#The wird is nothing but the remembrance belonging to Allah,
and He alone, (And) offering prayer on the chosen one, the best without
comparison. In it there is no mention of the Shaykh or any other.
#My wird is the source of medicine for the servant’s disease.(TEZKIYATUL NAFSI)
#Tread lightly so as not to deny out of ignorance.For injustice and enmity are the sources of estrangement.
The Tariqa is not an innovation from orthodox Sufism, which
has been described in the Kashif al-Ilbas (of Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse) as follows: “(Sufism) is the expression of a knowledge flaring
forth from the hearts of the saints until their hearts have obtained
enlightenment through acting on the Qur’an
and the Sunnah. And all who act in this way, for him will be kindled sciences, secrets and realities
impossible for tongues to describe. This is analogous to what has been sparked
in the scholars of the Shari’a
with respect to their rulings until they come to know what they know in regards to the rulings of the Shari’a.
>>The Tariqa is built on SINCERITY in the truthful
attention to Allah, by expelling anything else in one’s dealing with the Truth. This is not possible for him who secretly delights in
his ego-self, plunging it into lusts and wicked desires. The Sufis are the true
servants, they are the ascetics in every age.
ABOUT THE SHAYKH ON TIJANI PATH
The shaykhs, as has been related from Shaykh Tijani(RTA),
are the ropes that Allah has extended to the creation, whoever holds fast to them
will be saved. Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse(RTA) said, “Know that the purpose of the shaykhs is that they
are links to the Prophet (SAW), who is the greatest means of access to Allah.
Sidi Abdullah bin al-Hajj al-Alawi, may Allah be pleased with him, once said to
me, ‘What is desired of the Tijani
litanies is to smell the fragrance of the Muhammadan Reality ( Haqiqa
Muhammadiyya), upon it blessings and peace.’”
CONSTANT REMEMBERING OF ALLAH
It is worth mentioning that the people of the Tariqa, men
and women, are the ones remembering Allah often.
They sit for the remembrance in every place and in all
states. Remembrance (dhikr ) is the sacred means of emulating the Messenger of
Allah (SAW): “Surely in
the Messenger of Allah there is for you a beautiful example, for those who hope
for Allah and the Last Day, and who remember Allah often” (33:21).
TIJANIS WILL BE AT THE ARMS OF THE AFFAIRS
Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse wrote in the Risalat al-Tawba : “Despite being absorbed and
extinguished in Allah, the people of Tariqah have not abandoned the affairs of
the creation nor their role as vicegerents on the earth. Rather they compete in
every sphere of life and they are found in diverse professions and
specialties, desiring to obtain what is lawful and to expose themselves to the zephyrs of the Lord, exalted is He. May
Allah bless them, shield them from the schemes of their enemies and protect
them with what He has protected His Wise Remembrance, and such is not difficult
for Allah.” So these are the scholars and the shaykhs and the leaders of
people; and they are also business men, executives, engineers, doctors, journalists and professors etc...
If it is understood that the purpose of the Tijani litanies
is to smell the fragrance of the Haqiqa Muhammadiyya, such a fragrance leads one to act according to the Qur’an and the Sunnah, both of
which provide the capacity for security and the foundation of faith. The
Prophet has said: “I am leaving
with you two things, to which if you hold fast, you will never be misguided:
the Book of Allah and my Sunnah.”
On this foundation this Tariqa has spread to all horizons, for it is a
Tariqa of truth, and the truth prevails and is not prevailed
upon. Shaykh Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
“This seal (
taaba’ ) of ours will gain
ascendancy over every other type of (Sufi) mark (taaba’ ), and none will gain ascendancy over us.”
This Tariqa thus has the capacity to spread without limit, since it is grounded
in magnanimity and tolerance, nor is it contrary to the flawless natural disposition
(al-fitra al-salim ).
HERE ARE THE TIJANIYYAH CONDITIONS, WHICH CAN BE DIVIDED
INTO 4 CATEGORIES:
1ST CATEGORY: THE SPECIAL COMPANIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SHEIKH
AND HIS DISCIPLE
1. The disciple should follow no other spiritual path for
the entire duration of his life.
2. The disciple should limit his visits to the saints,
whether they are dead or alive to those that have been authorized by Sidi Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH sanctify his precious secret),
although he should show full respect for the sanctity of all the saints. It is permitted to visit the companions (May
Allah be satisfied with them all) of the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon
him), those who follow the Tidjaniya path, and, of course, the Prophets.
3. The disciple must perform all the mandatory prayers of
the Tidjaniya, i.e. the compulsory litanies (the adhkar which are: the Lazim, Wadhifa, and kubra on Friday), with greatest
care and assiduity, throughout his life. Note that when a pious vow has been taken, even though, from a general point
of view, a voluntary good deed may be considered to be commendable, it becomes
obligatory within the context of the pious vow.
4. The disciple must never express outrage, animosity of
hostility towards Seyidina Ahmed Tidjani (May Allah be satisfied with him). Such disrespectable behaviour is
characterized, for example, by not heeding his recommendations and warnings.
5. The disciple must always and unceasingly show love
towards Seyidina Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH be satisfied with him).
6. The disciple must never criticize Seyidina Ahmed Tijani
(may ALLAH be satisfied with him).
7. The follower must firmly believe and never refute the
words of Seyidina Ahmed Tijani (may ALLAH be satisfied with him), for they
follow the Qur'aan and Sunnah. The same applies to all of the Awliya.
The follower who disrespects any of these conditions will
immediately lose his affiliation to the Tariqa. He will only reconnect with Sheikh Ahmed Tijani(RTA ) after repenting,
and, having renewed his pact with him, (with one of his Muqqaddam), expressing
profound sincerity in the desire to further his education.
2ND CATEGORY : ALTHOUGH THIS CATEGORY OF CONDITIONS DOES NOT
LEAD TO AN IMMEDIATE RUPTURE
OF THE AFFILIATION (THE FLUX) BETWEEN THE SHEIKH AND THE
DISCIPLE,THEY SHOULD NONETHELESS BE RESPECTED BY ALL.
1. The disciple should uphold, through knowledge and action,
all the commandments of the Law (SHARIA), among which figures the timely
practise of the 5 daily prayers, in congregation when possible, respecting
their conditions, their pillars, and their different parts, in continuous
devotion. Likewise, the disciple should recite the Basmala linked to the Fatiha
with a quiet or loud voice, according to the prayer,if the context permits,
without seeking divergence, which can lead to controversy. The disciple should
perform the bow (ruku) and the prostration (sajda) calmly, whilst pronouncing
the adequate formulas of glorification at least three times.
2. The disciple should never imagine himself safe from God’s ruse: by this i mean counting
on God’s mercy, or the intercession
of His Prophet, or that of Seyidina Sheikh (RTA ), meanwhile committing sins.
3. The disciple should be kind to his parents.
4. The disciple should not claim the title of Muqaddam when
it is not the case. According to some Awliya, this is a sure sign of a negative outcome.
5. The disciple should not neglect the Tidjaniya's mandatory
litanies.This includes deferring them for no valid reason.
6.The disciple should show respect to all those affiliated
to Seyidina Ahmed Tijani (RTA ) even more so to the elite among them.
7.The disciple should avoid the company of the Tijaniyah
detractors, for this can be a cause for trouble.
8.The disciple should not sever the ties that link him to
other beings except in the case of religious necessity, and least of all with his brothers in the Tijaniya
9.The disciple should perform the Wadhifa and the (Hadra of
the Friday) in congregation whenever possible.
>>Whosoever fails to respect any one of these
conditions should resume immediately and with enthusiasm, in order that Allah (The Glorified and The Exalted) permits him to
remain in the Tariqa.
3RD CATEGORY: CONDITIONS OF VALIDITY FOR THE MANDATORY
EVOCATIONs OF THE TIDJANIYA
1. The disciple should formulate the intention
2. The disciple should perform ablutions with water or
Tayyamun, in accordance with Sharia precepts.
3. Purification of body, clothes and space is required, in
accordance with prayer rules.
4. The disciple is required to cover his body (awrah) as for
salat (prayers).
5. The disciple must not speak during the mandatory litanies
of the Tariqa Tijaniya, from the beginning to the end, except in absolute
necessity, in which case he may
communicate by gestures, and if he is not understood, then
he may say one or two words.
There are three exceptions to this rule:
# the disciple may speak freely to his parents, the wife to
her husband, and the follower to his Sheikh (his Muqaddam). The disciple must
refrain from eating and drinking during the mandatory litanies. Even a little
(a sip, or what remains between the teeth) invalidates the Lazim. As for the
Wadhifa, it is a little more that invalidates it.
Whosoever disrespects any of these conditions renders his
evocations invalid, and it is his duty to perform them again.
6. CONDITIONS FOR RECITING JAWHARATU-L-KAMAL
This requires pure water (for the ablution) and a clean
place that is large enough for six people, even if it is for a single recitation. It is forbidden to recite it while mounted or on
a boat. If the follower does the Tayammum (dry ablution), or if he is unable to
clean himself with water after relieving himself, or if he has filth (najas) on
his clothes or his body which he is not able to clean, he will recite
Salat Fatihi twenty times instead of jawharatul kamal during the Wadhifa.
If the disciple does not meet all these special conditions for the recitation
of jawharatul kamal when performing Wadhifa, it is invalidated, and he will be
required to do it again.
4TH CATGORY: RECOMMENDED BEHAVIOUR FOR THE EVOCATIONS.
FAILURE TO RESPECT THESE CONDITIONS DOES NOT INVALIDATE THE PRAYERS, BUT DOES,
HOWEVER, REDUCE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN TERMS OF DIVINE LIGHT.
1. The prayers should be performed in the sitting position.
Standing or lying down is improper without specific reasons. Reciting the
invocations whilst walking does not lead to invalidation, but it is emphasized
that in this case, the disciple should avoid at all costs walking on filth.
2. The prayers should be recited facing the Qibla, except in
whilst travelling, even a short distance, if this is impossible.
3. The litanies are to be pronounced in a low voice in such
a way that the disciple can hear himself reciting them. When in congregation, the litanies are to be performed out loud,
but harmoniously.
4. The disciple should understand the meaning of the
litanies, and to cultivate good pronunciation.
5. The disciple should visualize the image of Sidi Ahmad
Tijani (RTA)
NOTE: All this makes you a good Tijani
TIJANIYYAH PRACTICES AS A STUDENT
At this juncture, my advice for fellow talbee(student) is the advice
Sheikh Baye gave to the youth in 1960s. I quote thus:
“For the youth, I thank you all for your papers. And
I am here to tell you to go ahead and be in the vanguard of things. Surely the
future of every nation is based on its youth. But it is not based upon all of
them, not upon every individual, but only on the intellectual ones, the
educated ones with good character, good manners, and zeal. As for the youth lacking education and good character,
he is like a seed unfertilized. So make every effort to seek and do your best to acquire more knowledge, not only Islamic
knowledge, not only mathematics and its branches, but also be part of and cooperate with those whose zeal is
to discover the unknown and unseen things of this world.”
QUOTING FROM OUR BELOVED MASTERS .......
“Sufism,” said Shaykh Tijani (RTA), “is carrying out the Divine
command and avoiding the prohibitions, externally and internally, with regards
to what pleases Him, not what pleases you.”
And this cannot be realized except through compliance with the pure Shari’a.
"Hide your secrets, KEEP SILENCE , be in wudhu always,
lower your gaze, salatul fatihi (opening prayers on the prophet) should be your wealth, seek Allah alone in everything."
- SHAYKH Al ISLAM SHAYKH IBRAHIM Niasse RTA
Whoever wishes to be with me, he should follow my path in
both word and deed; by fulfilling the obligations (of the religion) and
avoiding the forbidden matters, with a constant desire for gaining the Pleasure
of Allah and His Messenger.
As for the one who identifies himself with us, but
disregards the pure Shari’a by
committing forbidden acts, then I call Allah and you as witness that I have nothing to do with him.
- CHEIKH IBRAHIM NIASSE RTA
If you find the Tariqa Tijaniyya actualizing the brotherhood
of Islam, its success lies in rending apart the walls of the ego-selves,
penetrating into its depths and illuminating its hidden recesses with
beneficial Divine knowledge. In a similar way, this Tariqa has nullified the borders of
nations and erased the differences between the servants of Allah.
- IMAM HASSAN CISSE
MY PERSONAL ADVICE
"You can never be a good tijaniyyah, or enjoy the wird
until you struggle against your self, purify your heart and adopt SINCERITY,
then you will see the BEAUTY of this toriqah and the secret in it."
- GIWA IBRAHIM BAYE
To summarize everything, here are
FEATURES AND ATTRIBUTEs OF GOOD TIJANIYYAH :-
1. SINCERITY : He must do everything with sincerity{Only for
Allah sake} .
2. HUMMILITY : He must show High level of hummility with
people as Sidi Ahmad Tijani as described it.
3. GOOD MORAL : He must have spirit of good moral as Sheikh
Ibrahim has discussed it (many things are lies in it). Please read and digest
that book.
4. KNOWLEDGE: He must seek for knowledge, as Baye said, a
good mureed must seek for 4 kind of knowledge in his Ruhul Adab.
حصل علوما أربعا ذاالسالك # أولها عرفان رب مالك.....
Obtain knowledge of 4
subjects Oh you traveller, the first of it is knowledge of the Lord Possessor...
والثان ان تعرف مايعلق # على العبادات فسذا تحقق.....
And secondly is to know all that is involved, in worship of
Allah for that you will be certain...
ثالثها عرفان حال النفس # من غدرها و كيدها والدس.....
And thirdly is to learn the diff states of soul from its
treachery deceptions and ploys..
للنفس عيب للفواد عيب # للروح عيب ليس فيه ريب.......
For the soul has its faults, and heart it's fault, and the
spirit it's fault in these there is no doubt...
فالأدب الأدب ياذا السالك # فإنه الباب لكل سألك....
And seeking of knowledge of good conduct on you disciple,
for indeed its door for every disciples......
..........................................................................
Summary for 4 knowledge for saalik :-
i. Ilm Ma'rifah (knowledge of Allah)
ii. Ilm shariah ( Islamic jurisprudence)
iii. Ilm diff states of nafsi (amaara, lawaama, mulhimah,
rodiyah, mardiyah and kamila or Abdulah...)
iv. Ilm Adab (good conduct)....
5. MUHSEEN :- its one of the 3 stations of deen. As a
tijaniyyah, he must operate in the level of Muhseen, he must have passed the
trial of Muslim or Mumeen..
My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, we can be a good
tijaniyyah, let continue to thrieve hard in pursuing those attributes and also
have better understanding of the teaching of this toriqah tijaniyyah and advice
of Baye to we "youth" . I hereby recommend and advice you to take all
the words in the Ruhul Adab as your laazim, ponder on it, and seek for the
divine meaning. May Allah give us Allah bi barki Baye.. RTA.
Written by:
GIWA IBRAHIM BAYE
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