In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All praise and eulogies belong to the Mainspring of Being. And may benedictions be upon him who stands in the stations of epiphany and upon his Progeny, the Trustees of the Worshipped One.
INTRODUCTION
O!! fellow travellers of the realm of felicity and purity! O comrades on the oath of sincerity and fidelity! DO THEE WANT TO DIE BEFORE MEETING ALLAH … The Beloved SAW said in a beautiful narration that “Mon Ahabba Liqooallahi Ahabballahu Liqooahu Wa Man Karihallahu Liqoooallahi Karihallahu Liqooahu” – Whoever is willing to meet Allah… Allah is open arms to meet him and whoever detests to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him.
I ask thee, WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF MAN? WHAT IS HIS DESTINATION? WHAT IS HIS PURPOSE HERE?
The answer to the first two questions is ALLAH and the third is TO JOURNEY BACK TO ALLAH. How do he accomplish this journey: Allah gave us an insight in the Qur’an “O! Mankind, indeed you are labouring toward your Lord with great exertion and will meet it” Al Inshiqaq” Chapter 84 verse 6.
And that is Sayr- Godward wayfaring , Suluk is threading the path with a guide. Sayr is like having getting readily set to embark on a journey to an unknown destination with all tools required in your disposition: say a car, clothing and feeds then Suluk is following a guide who does not only know all the routes to the destination but is always welcome and also permitted to bring people there.
Definitely, all human do Sayr as we always find in the Qurán WA ILA LLAHI LIMASEER; ALA ILA ALLAH TASEERU LI UMUR to Allah is your journey
The Sufist cannot wait till the hereafter to meet Allah, they want to meet him now and they are choked with his Love alone as they’ve tasted everything and found it tasteless.
A scenario is that of children who can perceive the beautiful aroma of mum’s sumptuous meal from a far, they’ve to race ahead of other children to get home and break into mama’s apartment, mama’s kitchen, YES …, mama’s pot NO they want to enter the pot. To achieve this, they’ve to break many barriers such as the gate, door and everything that obstructs them because they are being driven by SHAWQ- AN INESTIMABLE LOVE.
THE Sufist actually die before death to experience what is beyond this physical realm, so they break the door, Well, that is not a crime because at the other end is their BELOVED waiting to receive them. So, their eternal journey starts here and now as they can’t wait.
SAYR - (GODWARD WAYFARING)
Sayr is a Godward journey or an inner journey as man is not a drop in an ocean rather he is an ocean in a drop. Hence, this journey is an inward one which requires only the wayfarer.
To embark on this endless journey, the following measures are to be taken by the WAYFARER RADICAL RENUNCIATION: HE must first cast away social habits, customs, and conventions and to do away with fictitious values that hinder the wayfarer from traversing the path. This World as described by Shaykh Li Islam RTA is like a cinema hall, wherein you are engulfed in the movie and so you cry, laugh and feel sober BUT take your mind back; your wife is at home, exam is around the corner, job. If the light should go off suddenly then you will realise that it is just a screen before you. It is APPARENT BUT not REAL, another similitude is that of MIRAGE
SO, why would you keep yourself busy with it when the REALWORLD AWAITS U.
He should be convinced on the path (TARIQO) he chooses to follow strictly .
Then seek for a COMPETENT WALIYY or SHEIKH who is authorised to train on that path. He should seek for a Sheikh , he loves, respect , who has passed beyond the station of fana' and reached the station of baqa' billah and is informed about the things which are beneficial and harmful, those which lead to deliverance and those which lead to perdition, and who can take charge of the wayfarer's training and guide him to his sought goal.
SHEIKH LI ISLAM RTA said in RUHU LI ADAB “Seek for a knowledgeable and experienced teacher with sound advice, Complete in knowledge of Divine Lord ( and of course) a righteous leader”
The Murid or disciple in reality seeks the countenance of Allah. This countenance of Allah has a gate which is the Prophet (SAWS), the countenance of the Prophet (SAWS) also has a gate which is the Shaykh. Allah says in the Qur`an 3:31" If you really love (to have the countenance of) Allah, follow me and Allah shall love you " and in the Qur`an 31:15" And follow the path of one that has turned towards. Thus if you love Allah and wish for His countenance you must start your journey by seeking a complete Shaykh. A complete Shaykh is one whom on one hand knows and observes the law (Shari`at) and on the other hand knows and observes the reality (Haqiqat). The Shari`at and the Haqiqat represent the two sides of the coin.
He should THEN perform Bay’ah (oath of allegiance) with the Sheik,
Submit yourself completely to him and don't experiment (on your efforts), Be like a dead person before its washer and you shall be informed.
Complete Submission is very important in Islam. Allah says in the Qur`an 2:208
" Oh you believers, enter into Islam completely (i.e. whole-heartedly ".)
In another place Allah says, Qur`an (4:59 )" Obey Allah and obey the Prophet and the leaders among you ". Obedience must therefore be 100%, not 50/50 or 70/30 as done by many today.In submitting yourself to a Shaykh, sincerity is of utmost importance. Thus, if one finds himself in the hands of a false Shaykh who is camouflaged and a mischief doer. The answer is that as long as the disciple is sincere in his followership, Allah shall guide him as He promised in the Qur`an 29:69" And those that strive in Us (sincerely), We shall surely guide to Our paths ".
However, one's journey through these stages depends on several matters, all of which must be observed in the best and most perfect manner.
In order to preserve that which is peripheral they forgo the very substance of life. Taking the common people's appreciation and blame as a criterion and standard, they waste their lives and lifetime trying to conform to these standards.
In order to attain his goal, the wayfarer must adopt a policy of moderation and assume a middle position between two groups, refraining from either extreme and moving on the straight path. This purpose is not attained without intercourse and dealings with the people to the extent of one's social needs. However, if there should arise an inevitable difference in sociability, in respect of quality and quantity, between a wayfarer and a nonwayfarer, it would not be harmful.Thus, the22 wayfarer is now ready for his eternal journey.
SULUK (SPIRITUAL ASCENSION)
The eternal journey leads to fanaafillah (annihilation) and baqaabillah. Transversing between these two is Suluk.along the line, if one experience JADHBU;being fast tracked by Allah.. Sheikhi li ISLAM RTA said “he is not from us, a saleek who is not fasttracked in his journey and one who claims to be fast tracked without going through the journey…
The word Suluk means the journey, but it also means the manner of the journey, the art of journeying. And so Suluk means etiquette, a fine manner, because for the spiritual seeker on this path the journey itself is the destination. The journey is not a means to an end. The journey is the end. The One whom we seek is present at every way station along the way. So our manner of journeying must reflect the awareness of the presence of the divine in every moment. Suluk is seeking Allah with Allah for Allah to achieve ALLAH.
This is not to say that we will not err, we will not make mistakes; we are human, it is natural that we will miss the mark. But we seek to learn from our mistakes; we seek always to increase our quality of presence, of awareness of our selves, awareness of our inner condition, awareness of each other, so that our manner can more and more reflect this greater, finer, deeper awareness.
We are here not to add to the sum of our knowledge, nor to collect more facts, but to undergo a different kind of experience, an experience of travel, a journey within, moving through the terrain, the landscape within our own mind, within our own heart, within our own soul, to return to the center of ourselves. ( it’s a journey from one ALF:apparent to another ALF:real)
Jesus, peace be upon him, said, of all of the commandments of the Bible, two are paramount: Love the Lord with all of your mind and all your heart and all of your soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. The vertical dimension, to love God, to approach God, and the horizontal dimension, to love one's neighbor. Ultimately the two are inextricable; the center of yourself, the divine center, is also the center of every being. As it is said in the old saying, God is a circle, whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.
Suluk is a journey to the center of that circle; a center that is already present but which is obscured by our identification with a dimension of our being which is true and yet it is incomplete. We are seeking completeness. We are seeking wholeness. We are seeking integration, the integration of the eternal and infinite, and the ephemeral—the integration of heaven and earth. So this is not a path of rejection, of turning away, but it is a path of inclusion, of affirming and uniting all dimensions of reality.
A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE METHOD AND WAY OF GODWARD WAYFARING AND ASCENSION
1.STEADFASTNESS (‘AZM): As soon as the wayfarer puts his foot into the field of spiritual struggle (mujahadah) he is faced with difficult and unpleasant developments arising from the conduct of the people and the behaviour of acquaintances that have no purpose in life except their base desires and social aspirations. By word and action they reproach him, desiring to dissuade him from his path and purpose.
2. GENTLENESS AND LENIENCY (RIFQ WA MUDARA):This is the most important of matters which the wayfarer must observe, because even a small negligence in this regard, aside from the fact that it may halt the wayfarer's progress and advancement, may totally put an end to his journey forever. Do not force worship on yourself (making it unpleasant).
3. LOYALTY (WAFA) That consists of not committing again a wrong action after one has repented, and fulfilling the duty that one has committed oneself to carry out and not to neglect it. It also includes remaining faithful until the end to the promises and pledges one has given to one's aware Shaykh and trainer of the way of God.
4. STABILITY AND PERSEVERANCE (THUBAT WA DAWAM): Explanation of this notion requires an introduction. That which can be inferred from Qur'anic verses and sacred traditions is that whatever external entities we perceive by the means of our senses and whatever external acts we perform and which assume reality in the world of matter are accompanied with certain realities lying beyond the realm of material and physical bodies. And there is nothing but that its stores are with Us, and We do not send it down except in a known measure. (15:21)
5. SELF‑VIGILANCE (MURAQABAH):Self‑vigilance means that the wayfarer must be watchful and on his guard in all conditions so that he is not guilty of misfeasance in respect of his duties and does neglect what he has resolved upon. Muraqabah has a common meaning and it differs according to the difference of stations, ranks and degrees of the wayfarers. At the beginning of wayfaring muraqabah consists of abstaining from anything that is of no benefit either for one's religion or one's world, and avoiding that which is of no concern to one, while trying not to say or do anything that is contrary to God's pleasure. But gradually this muraqabah becomes more intense and heightens degree by degree. At times muraqabah may consist of concentrating on one's silence and at other times on one's soul, and at other tines, at a higher plane, on the reality of the Universal Divine Names and Attributes.
Without muraqabah, contemplation and dhikr will remain fruitless. Muraqabah in relation to wayfaring is like the sick man's refraining from improper foods, while contemplation and dhikr are like medicines, and until the sick person does not purge his physiological condition and refrain from that which does not suit his condition the medicines will be ineffective, or they may even produce an opposite result. Hence the sages and the grand masters of this way forbid the wayfarer from contemplation and dhikr without muraqabah, and they prescribe contemplation and dhikr in accordance with the rank and degree of the wayfarer.
6. SELF‑ACCOUNTING (MUHASABAH) :This consists of fixing a certain time during day and night for oneself wherein one may scrutinize all one's actions during past twenty‑four hours. It is to this that the statement of Hadrat Musa ibn Ja’far, may Peace be upon him, refer“He who does not take account of him own soul once every day is not one of us.” And should it appear to the wayfarer during muhasabah that he has violated his duties, he must seek forgiveness (istighfar) and, in case he hasn't done any, he should thank God, die Exalted
7. SELF‑CENSURE (MU'AKHADHAH): It consists of the wayfarer's taking disciplinary measures against his lower soul in case of observance of any betrayal on its part and taking steps to discipline it and warn it in a manner that he himself deems fit.
8. SPEEDY ACTION (MUSARA’H) It means taking speedy action in carrying out one's resolve, for this path has havocs that may pose obstacles to the wayfarer at every station pertinent to his state. The wayfarer must be very clever and judicious and carry out his duty before any hindrance arises and spoils his poise, and he must leave no stone unturned in the way of achieving his goal.
9.AFFECTION (IRADAT):That is affection for the master of the Shari ‘ah and his true successors. This affection must be so pure and sincere as to be free of any kind of taint or impurity, and this stage must be raised to the frontier of perfection. Because iradat has a great role in the effect of actions, and the greater the intensity and excellence of one's iradat, the better and more enduring will be the effect of actions in the soul of the wayfarer.And since all existents are the creatures of God, the wayfarer must have affection for all of them and have respect for them in accordance with their rank and degree. Affection and kindness towards all creatures of the Lord, whether human beings or animals, all of them and each in accordance with its station and rank, are manifestations of the love for God. Hence it has been stated in traditions that the main product of faith is affection for God's creation: O my God, I beseech You to grant me Your love and the love of those who love You Her love makes me love the sand dunes of Najd, And why would they delight me were it not for her love?
In her longing, I humble myself for Layla's family, And bear with its humble and stately
10. REVERENCE AND ETIQUETTE (ADAB): ADAB is the greatest virtue. This consists of veneration for the Sacred Lord of Honour and His vicegerents, and this is different from the affection and love mentioned above. For reverence consists of being careful of oneself lest one should trespass one's limits and commit some action contrary to the demands of servanthood. That is because there arc limits and bounds for the contingent in respect of the Necessary Being, and that which is implied by the observance of this reverence is the observance of the requirements of the world of plurality. But love and affection consist of attraction towards the threshold. of the One and that which is implied in it is attention to Unity.
The perfect degree of etiquette is that in all conditions the wayfarer must consider himself as being in the presence of God, the Glorious and the Exalted, and observe the rules of etiquette in his speech and silence, while eating and sleeping, while moving about and while resting, and in all his states, movements and pauses. Should the wayfarer's attention be always towards the Names and Attributes of God, he will inevitably be well‑mannered and humble
11. INTENTION (NIYYAT): It consists of the wayfarer not possessing any purpose in his wayfaring except the making of the spiritual journey itself and seeking annihilation in the Essence of the One (dhat al-ahadiyyat). Hence the wayfarer's quest must be sincere and pure: So call on God with pure allegiance to Him. (40:14)It is mentioned in many traditions that intention has three ranks. Among them is the one in which Imam Sadiq (‘a) says:The servants are of three kinds: a group worship God for fear, and that is the worship of slaves; another group worship God for the sake of greed, and that is the worship of merchants; yet there is another group that worships God for the sake of His love, and that is the worship of freemen.
…Some sages have said in defining the fourfold stages: "First, renouncing the world; second, renouncing the Hereafter third, renouncing the Master (mawla); fourth, renouncing renunciation." Reflect over these words. And it is this stage which is meant by the expression ‘renunciation of yearning' (qat al-tam’) used by the wayfarers, and this is a stage which is very great, as it is a valley most difficult to traverse and passing through which is a most formidable task.
12. SILENCE (SAMT) :Silence is of two kinds:
General and mixed (mudaj): consists of withholding the tongue from superfluous speech with people. Rather, the wayfarer must confine himself to the minimum that is possible, and this silence is essential at all times and throughout the course of wayfaring.
Special and pure (mutlaq): which consists of withholding the tongue from speech with people while being engaged in exclusive verbal dhikr, and it is not commendable in cases other than that.
13. HUNGER (JU’) AND EATING LITTLE: ‘Hunger' is to be to the extent that it does not lead to weakness and does not make one's state turbulent. Imam Sadiq (‘a) said: Hunger is the condiment of the believer, and the spirit's nourishment, and the heart's food. That is because hunger brings lightness and luminosity to the soul, and thought can soar high in the state of hunger. Overeating or eating to one's fill makes the soul heavy, tired, and weary and holds it back from soaring into the skies of gnosis. it is best achieved through FASTING
14. SECLUSION (KHALWAT) This is of two kinds: general and particular or special.
General seclusion consists of seclusion and withdrawal, except when demanded by necessity, from those who are not the people of God (ahl Allah), especially from the weak‑minded among the common people,
And leave alone those who have taken their religion as a sport and play and the life of the world has deceived them. (6:70)
As to the special seclusion, it consists of distancing oneself from all people. Although that is not devoid of excellence during all worship and dhikr, but in a group of verbal adhkar, or rather in all of them, it is considered essential by the masters (mashayikh) of the Way.
15. MORNING WAKEFULNESS (SAHAR): This means being awake at dawns to the extent permitted by the wayfarer's constitution. This statement of God, the Exalted, refers to the reprehensibility of sleeping at daybreak and the praiseworthiness of being awake during that time: Little of the night they would slumber, and in the mornings they would ask for forgiveness. (6:70)
16. PERPETUAL OBSERVANCE OF TAHARAH: That consists of always being with wudu', performing the wajib baths, the Friday bath, and all other mustahabb baths to the extent possible.
17 OUTPOURING HUMILITY (TADARRU'):. This consists of expressing lowliness and humility; making entreaty and lamentation.
18. REFRAINING FROM PLEASURES: This consists of refraining from pleasures and appetites to the extent of one's capacity; confining oneself to that which is necessary for the body and for survival.
19. SECRECY: This is one of the most important of the requirements of wayfaring, and the sages attached much importance to it and gave significant advices to their disciples, exhorting them in the extreme, whether tile matter was one that pertained to the acts of worship, awrad or adhkar, or to spiritual experiences, disclosures, and states.
20. WIRD: Wird consists of verbal adhkar and awrad, and their quality and quantity depends on the prescription of the teacher. For they are like medicines, which are beneficial for some people and harmful for some others. It is often seen that the wayfarer engages in two dhikrs, one which turns his attention toward plurality and the other toward Unity, and as they are said together they neutralize one another without yielding any result. However, the teacher's permission is required for awrad concerning which there is no general permission. But as for those for which a general permission exists, there is no problem.
PRACTICAL APPROACH TO SAYR WA SULUK
Suluk is dedicated to cultivating the essential practice, the essential teachings that Murshid offered, and doing so according to the form that he taught. Murshid teaching is extraordinary in that it contains the freedom that each seeker may apply the teaching that is relevant to him or her at the particular moment of his or her passage through a certain stage of life.
CONCENTRATION
The first stage is dedicated to the practice of concentration. Concentration ( is the peace of mind) means learning to silence the tongue, to still the mind, to sit in a upright and yet relaxed position, and for the mind to begin to become calm and clear. When a body of water, a pond or lake, becomes calm and clear, it reflects an image clearly. If the water is turbulent, no clear reflection is possible. So, the first task is to calm the body and the mind and to cultivate the capacity to hold a single image, a single thought with clarity and precision. This is of course the development of a very natural capacity of mind, and yet for some reason we are not taught this method in our ordinary lives. [FORM THE IMAGE]
CONTEMPLATION
The second stage is contemplation. This means that not only do we hold an image in our mind, but we hold with clarity, with focus, and with depth an inner process. Not a static image, but a dynamic inner process. Not an arbitrary, random process, conditioned by our continuous bombardment by random associations, but rather a process of internal deepening where we increasingly descend from the superficial level of consciousness into deeper and deeper strata of mind, discovering the undercurrents of our conscious thoughts. That is contemplation. Exploring the divine qualities in our thoughts, in our personalities. Finding the root of our motivations, finding that all of our impulses, however seemingly arbitrary or destructive, have a divinely ordained powerful and deep motive force. We discover this through the practice of contemplation. [FOCUSING THE IMAGE]
MEDITATION
Meditation goes still further. In meditation not only is there no image, there is no content whatsoever. Meditation is pure mind; mind witnessing itself, pure presence without object. In ordinary knowledge the knower confronts the known. In meditation the knower and the known are identical. This is the essence of peace, transcendence. But it is not the final stage of our journey. [RECEIVING THE MESSAGE FROM THE IMAGE]
REALIZATION
This is when we return to our outer senses. We return to relationships, commitments, our profession, our engagement in creating a beautiful world of beautiful people. And this is possible when the depths of meditative peace are united with the active use of the senses, the awakened conscience, and a fine sensitivity to every being who comes into our field of awareness.
So these four stages will be the landscape through which we move. Since, individual varies, the means of receiving the teachings will also be different.
Sufism, therefore, is the process of making life natural.... By this process of Sufism SAYR WA SULUK one realizes one's own nature, one's true nature.... Sufism means to know one's true being, to know the purpose of one's life and to know how to accomplish that purpose.
Sufism is not any kind of escapism into an intricate metaphysics ”—“Sufism is entirely a fine manner” , a manner in which the divine is seen truly in every soul. . To see the humanity of a person and at the same time the divinity of a person, to be seen in one’s divinity and in one’s humanity, and to build a community from those perceptions. VERILY TO ALLAH ALONE BELONG ALL PERFECTIONS
INTRODUCTION
O!! fellow travellers of the realm of felicity and purity! O comrades on the oath of sincerity and fidelity! DO THEE WANT TO DIE BEFORE MEETING ALLAH … The Beloved SAW said in a beautiful narration that “Mon Ahabba Liqooallahi Ahabballahu Liqooahu Wa Man Karihallahu Liqoooallahi Karihallahu Liqooahu” – Whoever is willing to meet Allah… Allah is open arms to meet him and whoever detests to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him.
I ask thee, WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF MAN? WHAT IS HIS DESTINATION? WHAT IS HIS PURPOSE HERE?
The answer to the first two questions is ALLAH and the third is TO JOURNEY BACK TO ALLAH. How do he accomplish this journey: Allah gave us an insight in the Qur’an “O! Mankind, indeed you are labouring toward your Lord with great exertion and will meet it” Al Inshiqaq” Chapter 84 verse 6.
And that is Sayr- Godward wayfaring , Suluk is threading the path with a guide. Sayr is like having getting readily set to embark on a journey to an unknown destination with all tools required in your disposition: say a car, clothing and feeds then Suluk is following a guide who does not only know all the routes to the destination but is always welcome and also permitted to bring people there.
Definitely, all human do Sayr as we always find in the Qurán WA ILA LLAHI LIMASEER; ALA ILA ALLAH TASEERU LI UMUR to Allah is your journey
The Sufist cannot wait till the hereafter to meet Allah, they want to meet him now and they are choked with his Love alone as they’ve tasted everything and found it tasteless.
A scenario is that of children who can perceive the beautiful aroma of mum’s sumptuous meal from a far, they’ve to race ahead of other children to get home and break into mama’s apartment, mama’s kitchen, YES …, mama’s pot NO they want to enter the pot. To achieve this, they’ve to break many barriers such as the gate, door and everything that obstructs them because they are being driven by SHAWQ- AN INESTIMABLE LOVE.
THE Sufist actually die before death to experience what is beyond this physical realm, so they break the door, Well, that is not a crime because at the other end is their BELOVED waiting to receive them. So, their eternal journey starts here and now as they can’t wait.
SAYR - (GODWARD WAYFARING)
Sayr is a Godward journey or an inner journey as man is not a drop in an ocean rather he is an ocean in a drop. Hence, this journey is an inward one which requires only the wayfarer.
To embark on this endless journey, the following measures are to be taken by the WAYFARER RADICAL RENUNCIATION: HE must first cast away social habits, customs, and conventions and to do away with fictitious values that hinder the wayfarer from traversing the path. This World as described by Shaykh Li Islam RTA is like a cinema hall, wherein you are engulfed in the movie and so you cry, laugh and feel sober BUT take your mind back; your wife is at home, exam is around the corner, job. If the light should go off suddenly then you will realise that it is just a screen before you. It is APPARENT BUT not REAL, another similitude is that of MIRAGE
SO, why would you keep yourself busy with it when the REALWORLD AWAITS U.
He should be convinced on the path (TARIQO) he chooses to follow strictly .
Then seek for a COMPETENT WALIYY or SHEIKH who is authorised to train on that path. He should seek for a Sheikh , he loves, respect , who has passed beyond the station of fana' and reached the station of baqa' billah and is informed about the things which are beneficial and harmful, those which lead to deliverance and those which lead to perdition, and who can take charge of the wayfarer's training and guide him to his sought goal.
SHEIKH LI ISLAM RTA said in RUHU LI ADAB “Seek for a knowledgeable and experienced teacher with sound advice, Complete in knowledge of Divine Lord ( and of course) a righteous leader”
The Murid or disciple in reality seeks the countenance of Allah. This countenance of Allah has a gate which is the Prophet (SAWS), the countenance of the Prophet (SAWS) also has a gate which is the Shaykh. Allah says in the Qur`an 3:31" If you really love (to have the countenance of) Allah, follow me and Allah shall love you " and in the Qur`an 31:15" And follow the path of one that has turned towards. Thus if you love Allah and wish for His countenance you must start your journey by seeking a complete Shaykh. A complete Shaykh is one whom on one hand knows and observes the law (Shari`at) and on the other hand knows and observes the reality (Haqiqat). The Shari`at and the Haqiqat represent the two sides of the coin.
He should THEN perform Bay’ah (oath of allegiance) with the Sheik,
Submit yourself completely to him and don't experiment (on your efforts), Be like a dead person before its washer and you shall be informed.
Complete Submission is very important in Islam. Allah says in the Qur`an 2:208
" Oh you believers, enter into Islam completely (i.e. whole-heartedly ".)
In another place Allah says, Qur`an (4:59 )" Obey Allah and obey the Prophet and the leaders among you ". Obedience must therefore be 100%, not 50/50 or 70/30 as done by many today.In submitting yourself to a Shaykh, sincerity is of utmost importance. Thus, if one finds himself in the hands of a false Shaykh who is camouflaged and a mischief doer. The answer is that as long as the disciple is sincere in his followership, Allah shall guide him as He promised in the Qur`an 29:69" And those that strive in Us (sincerely), We shall surely guide to Our paths ".
However, one's journey through these stages depends on several matters, all of which must be observed in the best and most perfect manner.
In order to preserve that which is peripheral they forgo the very substance of life. Taking the common people's appreciation and blame as a criterion and standard, they waste their lives and lifetime trying to conform to these standards.
In order to attain his goal, the wayfarer must adopt a policy of moderation and assume a middle position between two groups, refraining from either extreme and moving on the straight path. This purpose is not attained without intercourse and dealings with the people to the extent of one's social needs. However, if there should arise an inevitable difference in sociability, in respect of quality and quantity, between a wayfarer and a nonwayfarer, it would not be harmful.Thus, the22 wayfarer is now ready for his eternal journey.
SULUK (SPIRITUAL ASCENSION)
The eternal journey leads to fanaafillah (annihilation) and baqaabillah. Transversing between these two is Suluk.along the line, if one experience JADHBU;being fast tracked by Allah.. Sheikhi li ISLAM RTA said “he is not from us, a saleek who is not fasttracked in his journey and one who claims to be fast tracked without going through the journey…
The word Suluk means the journey, but it also means the manner of the journey, the art of journeying. And so Suluk means etiquette, a fine manner, because for the spiritual seeker on this path the journey itself is the destination. The journey is not a means to an end. The journey is the end. The One whom we seek is present at every way station along the way. So our manner of journeying must reflect the awareness of the presence of the divine in every moment. Suluk is seeking Allah with Allah for Allah to achieve ALLAH.
This is not to say that we will not err, we will not make mistakes; we are human, it is natural that we will miss the mark. But we seek to learn from our mistakes; we seek always to increase our quality of presence, of awareness of our selves, awareness of our inner condition, awareness of each other, so that our manner can more and more reflect this greater, finer, deeper awareness.
We are here not to add to the sum of our knowledge, nor to collect more facts, but to undergo a different kind of experience, an experience of travel, a journey within, moving through the terrain, the landscape within our own mind, within our own heart, within our own soul, to return to the center of ourselves. ( it’s a journey from one ALF:apparent to another ALF:real)
Jesus, peace be upon him, said, of all of the commandments of the Bible, two are paramount: Love the Lord with all of your mind and all your heart and all of your soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. The vertical dimension, to love God, to approach God, and the horizontal dimension, to love one's neighbor. Ultimately the two are inextricable; the center of yourself, the divine center, is also the center of every being. As it is said in the old saying, God is a circle, whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.
Suluk is a journey to the center of that circle; a center that is already present but which is obscured by our identification with a dimension of our being which is true and yet it is incomplete. We are seeking completeness. We are seeking wholeness. We are seeking integration, the integration of the eternal and infinite, and the ephemeral—the integration of heaven and earth. So this is not a path of rejection, of turning away, but it is a path of inclusion, of affirming and uniting all dimensions of reality.
A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE METHOD AND WAY OF GODWARD WAYFARING AND ASCENSION
1.STEADFASTNESS (‘AZM): As soon as the wayfarer puts his foot into the field of spiritual struggle (mujahadah) he is faced with difficult and unpleasant developments arising from the conduct of the people and the behaviour of acquaintances that have no purpose in life except their base desires and social aspirations. By word and action they reproach him, desiring to dissuade him from his path and purpose.
2. GENTLENESS AND LENIENCY (RIFQ WA MUDARA):This is the most important of matters which the wayfarer must observe, because even a small negligence in this regard, aside from the fact that it may halt the wayfarer's progress and advancement, may totally put an end to his journey forever. Do not force worship on yourself (making it unpleasant).
3. LOYALTY (WAFA) That consists of not committing again a wrong action after one has repented, and fulfilling the duty that one has committed oneself to carry out and not to neglect it. It also includes remaining faithful until the end to the promises and pledges one has given to one's aware Shaykh and trainer of the way of God.
4. STABILITY AND PERSEVERANCE (THUBAT WA DAWAM): Explanation of this notion requires an introduction. That which can be inferred from Qur'anic verses and sacred traditions is that whatever external entities we perceive by the means of our senses and whatever external acts we perform and which assume reality in the world of matter are accompanied with certain realities lying beyond the realm of material and physical bodies. And there is nothing but that its stores are with Us, and We do not send it down except in a known measure. (15:21)
5. SELF‑VIGILANCE (MURAQABAH):Self‑vigilance means that the wayfarer must be watchful and on his guard in all conditions so that he is not guilty of misfeasance in respect of his duties and does neglect what he has resolved upon. Muraqabah has a common meaning and it differs according to the difference of stations, ranks and degrees of the wayfarers. At the beginning of wayfaring muraqabah consists of abstaining from anything that is of no benefit either for one's religion or one's world, and avoiding that which is of no concern to one, while trying not to say or do anything that is contrary to God's pleasure. But gradually this muraqabah becomes more intense and heightens degree by degree. At times muraqabah may consist of concentrating on one's silence and at other times on one's soul, and at other tines, at a higher plane, on the reality of the Universal Divine Names and Attributes.
Without muraqabah, contemplation and dhikr will remain fruitless. Muraqabah in relation to wayfaring is like the sick man's refraining from improper foods, while contemplation and dhikr are like medicines, and until the sick person does not purge his physiological condition and refrain from that which does not suit his condition the medicines will be ineffective, or they may even produce an opposite result. Hence the sages and the grand masters of this way forbid the wayfarer from contemplation and dhikr without muraqabah, and they prescribe contemplation and dhikr in accordance with the rank and degree of the wayfarer.
6. SELF‑ACCOUNTING (MUHASABAH) :This consists of fixing a certain time during day and night for oneself wherein one may scrutinize all one's actions during past twenty‑four hours. It is to this that the statement of Hadrat Musa ibn Ja’far, may Peace be upon him, refer“He who does not take account of him own soul once every day is not one of us.” And should it appear to the wayfarer during muhasabah that he has violated his duties, he must seek forgiveness (istighfar) and, in case he hasn't done any, he should thank God, die Exalted
7. SELF‑CENSURE (MU'AKHADHAH): It consists of the wayfarer's taking disciplinary measures against his lower soul in case of observance of any betrayal on its part and taking steps to discipline it and warn it in a manner that he himself deems fit.
8. SPEEDY ACTION (MUSARA’H) It means taking speedy action in carrying out one's resolve, for this path has havocs that may pose obstacles to the wayfarer at every station pertinent to his state. The wayfarer must be very clever and judicious and carry out his duty before any hindrance arises and spoils his poise, and he must leave no stone unturned in the way of achieving his goal.
9.AFFECTION (IRADAT):That is affection for the master of the Shari ‘ah and his true successors. This affection must be so pure and sincere as to be free of any kind of taint or impurity, and this stage must be raised to the frontier of perfection. Because iradat has a great role in the effect of actions, and the greater the intensity and excellence of one's iradat, the better and more enduring will be the effect of actions in the soul of the wayfarer.And since all existents are the creatures of God, the wayfarer must have affection for all of them and have respect for them in accordance with their rank and degree. Affection and kindness towards all creatures of the Lord, whether human beings or animals, all of them and each in accordance with its station and rank, are manifestations of the love for God. Hence it has been stated in traditions that the main product of faith is affection for God's creation: O my God, I beseech You to grant me Your love and the love of those who love You Her love makes me love the sand dunes of Najd, And why would they delight me were it not for her love?
In her longing, I humble myself for Layla's family, And bear with its humble and stately
10. REVERENCE AND ETIQUETTE (ADAB): ADAB is the greatest virtue. This consists of veneration for the Sacred Lord of Honour and His vicegerents, and this is different from the affection and love mentioned above. For reverence consists of being careful of oneself lest one should trespass one's limits and commit some action contrary to the demands of servanthood. That is because there arc limits and bounds for the contingent in respect of the Necessary Being, and that which is implied by the observance of this reverence is the observance of the requirements of the world of plurality. But love and affection consist of attraction towards the threshold. of the One and that which is implied in it is attention to Unity.
The perfect degree of etiquette is that in all conditions the wayfarer must consider himself as being in the presence of God, the Glorious and the Exalted, and observe the rules of etiquette in his speech and silence, while eating and sleeping, while moving about and while resting, and in all his states, movements and pauses. Should the wayfarer's attention be always towards the Names and Attributes of God, he will inevitably be well‑mannered and humble
11. INTENTION (NIYYAT): It consists of the wayfarer not possessing any purpose in his wayfaring except the making of the spiritual journey itself and seeking annihilation in the Essence of the One (dhat al-ahadiyyat). Hence the wayfarer's quest must be sincere and pure: So call on God with pure allegiance to Him. (40:14)It is mentioned in many traditions that intention has three ranks. Among them is the one in which Imam Sadiq (‘a) says:The servants are of three kinds: a group worship God for fear, and that is the worship of slaves; another group worship God for the sake of greed, and that is the worship of merchants; yet there is another group that worships God for the sake of His love, and that is the worship of freemen.
…Some sages have said in defining the fourfold stages: "First, renouncing the world; second, renouncing the Hereafter third, renouncing the Master (mawla); fourth, renouncing renunciation." Reflect over these words. And it is this stage which is meant by the expression ‘renunciation of yearning' (qat al-tam’) used by the wayfarers, and this is a stage which is very great, as it is a valley most difficult to traverse and passing through which is a most formidable task.
12. SILENCE (SAMT) :Silence is of two kinds:
General and mixed (mudaj): consists of withholding the tongue from superfluous speech with people. Rather, the wayfarer must confine himself to the minimum that is possible, and this silence is essential at all times and throughout the course of wayfaring.
Special and pure (mutlaq): which consists of withholding the tongue from speech with people while being engaged in exclusive verbal dhikr, and it is not commendable in cases other than that.
13. HUNGER (JU’) AND EATING LITTLE: ‘Hunger' is to be to the extent that it does not lead to weakness and does not make one's state turbulent. Imam Sadiq (‘a) said: Hunger is the condiment of the believer, and the spirit's nourishment, and the heart's food. That is because hunger brings lightness and luminosity to the soul, and thought can soar high in the state of hunger. Overeating or eating to one's fill makes the soul heavy, tired, and weary and holds it back from soaring into the skies of gnosis. it is best achieved through FASTING
14. SECLUSION (KHALWAT) This is of two kinds: general and particular or special.
General seclusion consists of seclusion and withdrawal, except when demanded by necessity, from those who are not the people of God (ahl Allah), especially from the weak‑minded among the common people,
And leave alone those who have taken their religion as a sport and play and the life of the world has deceived them. (6:70)
As to the special seclusion, it consists of distancing oneself from all people. Although that is not devoid of excellence during all worship and dhikr, but in a group of verbal adhkar, or rather in all of them, it is considered essential by the masters (mashayikh) of the Way.
15. MORNING WAKEFULNESS (SAHAR): This means being awake at dawns to the extent permitted by the wayfarer's constitution. This statement of God, the Exalted, refers to the reprehensibility of sleeping at daybreak and the praiseworthiness of being awake during that time: Little of the night they would slumber, and in the mornings they would ask for forgiveness. (6:70)
16. PERPETUAL OBSERVANCE OF TAHARAH: That consists of always being with wudu', performing the wajib baths, the Friday bath, and all other mustahabb baths to the extent possible.
17 OUTPOURING HUMILITY (TADARRU'):. This consists of expressing lowliness and humility; making entreaty and lamentation.
18. REFRAINING FROM PLEASURES: This consists of refraining from pleasures and appetites to the extent of one's capacity; confining oneself to that which is necessary for the body and for survival.
19. SECRECY: This is one of the most important of the requirements of wayfaring, and the sages attached much importance to it and gave significant advices to their disciples, exhorting them in the extreme, whether tile matter was one that pertained to the acts of worship, awrad or adhkar, or to spiritual experiences, disclosures, and states.
20. WIRD: Wird consists of verbal adhkar and awrad, and their quality and quantity depends on the prescription of the teacher. For they are like medicines, which are beneficial for some people and harmful for some others. It is often seen that the wayfarer engages in two dhikrs, one which turns his attention toward plurality and the other toward Unity, and as they are said together they neutralize one another without yielding any result. However, the teacher's permission is required for awrad concerning which there is no general permission. But as for those for which a general permission exists, there is no problem.
PRACTICAL APPROACH TO SAYR WA SULUK
Suluk is dedicated to cultivating the essential practice, the essential teachings that Murshid offered, and doing so according to the form that he taught. Murshid teaching is extraordinary in that it contains the freedom that each seeker may apply the teaching that is relevant to him or her at the particular moment of his or her passage through a certain stage of life.
CONCENTRATION
The first stage is dedicated to the practice of concentration. Concentration ( is the peace of mind) means learning to silence the tongue, to still the mind, to sit in a upright and yet relaxed position, and for the mind to begin to become calm and clear. When a body of water, a pond or lake, becomes calm and clear, it reflects an image clearly. If the water is turbulent, no clear reflection is possible. So, the first task is to calm the body and the mind and to cultivate the capacity to hold a single image, a single thought with clarity and precision. This is of course the development of a very natural capacity of mind, and yet for some reason we are not taught this method in our ordinary lives. [FORM THE IMAGE]
CONTEMPLATION
The second stage is contemplation. This means that not only do we hold an image in our mind, but we hold with clarity, with focus, and with depth an inner process. Not a static image, but a dynamic inner process. Not an arbitrary, random process, conditioned by our continuous bombardment by random associations, but rather a process of internal deepening where we increasingly descend from the superficial level of consciousness into deeper and deeper strata of mind, discovering the undercurrents of our conscious thoughts. That is contemplation. Exploring the divine qualities in our thoughts, in our personalities. Finding the root of our motivations, finding that all of our impulses, however seemingly arbitrary or destructive, have a divinely ordained powerful and deep motive force. We discover this through the practice of contemplation. [FOCUSING THE IMAGE]
MEDITATION
Meditation goes still further. In meditation not only is there no image, there is no content whatsoever. Meditation is pure mind; mind witnessing itself, pure presence without object. In ordinary knowledge the knower confronts the known. In meditation the knower and the known are identical. This is the essence of peace, transcendence. But it is not the final stage of our journey. [RECEIVING THE MESSAGE FROM THE IMAGE]
REALIZATION
This is when we return to our outer senses. We return to relationships, commitments, our profession, our engagement in creating a beautiful world of beautiful people. And this is possible when the depths of meditative peace are united with the active use of the senses, the awakened conscience, and a fine sensitivity to every being who comes into our field of awareness.
So these four stages will be the landscape through which we move. Since, individual varies, the means of receiving the teachings will also be different.
Sufism, therefore, is the process of making life natural.... By this process of Sufism SAYR WA SULUK one realizes one's own nature, one's true nature.... Sufism means to know one's true being, to know the purpose of one's life and to know how to accomplish that purpose.
Sufism is not any kind of escapism into an intricate metaphysics ”—“Sufism is entirely a fine manner” , a manner in which the divine is seen truly in every soul. . To see the humanity of a person and at the same time the divinity of a person, to be seen in one’s divinity and in one’s humanity, and to build a community from those perceptions. VERILY TO ALLAH ALONE BELONG ALL PERFECTIONS
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