Tasawwuf
Detailed Section - Information about Tasawwuf
Conceptual algorithm of Tasawwuf
In the next few pages, the commonly used terminologies in Tassawuf are being written down for ease of salikeen (murideen), they are all taken from famous book, “Shariat aur Tareeqat” written by Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi RAH.
16.1. Maqsood (Purpose)
It has two types:
16.1.1. Aamal (Acts/Deeds)
16.1.1.1. Julbi deeds
Julb: desirable/sought after. It means those deeds which are sought after by the salikeen as they are desirable including Love for Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ , patience, gratitude towards the creator, trust on the creator, devotion, truthfulness, and etc.
16.1.1.2. Sulbi deeds
Sulb: to take away. It means those traits which are required to be eliminated from the salik including pride, self conceitness, love for worldly things, impatience, non-gratitude, jealousy, enviousness, back-biting, and etc.
16.1.2. Samaraat (Reward/Consequences)
Rewards are of two types:
16.1.2.1. Full obedience
Full obedience of salik to his Creator as gratification for all his bounties and simultaneously.
16.1.2.2. The acceptance of salik’s endeavor by Allah
The acceptance of salik’s endeavor by Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ.
16.2. Ghair Maqsood (Non-purpose)
It has three types:
16.2.1. Zarai (Means)
Zarai (Means) are of two types:
16.2.1.1. Mujahida (Labor)
It includes exercising silence (avoiding over and un-necessary talk), no over-sleep, balanced diet / no over-diet, no un-necessary engagement with other individuals.
16.2.1.2. Faila (Work)
Faila (Work) are of two types including those that are useful and involves no danger consisting of zikr, muraqiba (concentration / meditation), etc. AND those that are useful but are full of danger including concentration on sheikh, falling in love with opposite sex, and oration of spiritual poetry without musical instruments, oration to be performed by the same sex, and subject of the poetry is to be religious.
16.2.2. Tawabay (side effects)
Any one can encounter these things on the road of tareeqat whether he/she wishes or not. These are out of anyone’s control and are also of two types; including the ones that are dangerous and the other which are not dangerous.
16.2.2.1. Side effects which are dangerous
16.2.2.1.1. Wahdut-ul-wajood with sukr
During wahdut-ul-wajood (a spiritual state of mind that is temporary) unintentionally saying such things which are not in line with shariah and are often times punishable in shariah.
16.2.2.1.2. Kashf-ul-Elahi
Divine revelation about Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ and his attributes on salik’s heart.
16.2.2.1.3. Kashf-e-Kooni
Those elements that cannot be seen by other masses and it may include things of the past, distant objects, and things that are to occur in the future.
16.2.2.1.4. Istughraaq (Meditation)
Concentration on any one spiritual state of mind while forgetting the rest.
16.2.2.1.5. Tasarruf
To effect something or someone by focusing one’s attention on that thing / being.
16.2.2.1.6. Qabz & Bast
The spiritual divine states that are imparted on one’s heart from Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ are called Wardat-e-Qulbi (batini states). The presence of these states is called Bast and absence of these states is called qabz.
16.2.2.1.7. Karamaat
Happening of such events / acts that cannot be explained through normal natural laws & principles on the hand of a pious person, who is fully shariah compliant.
16.2.2.1.8. Mushahida
Converging one’s attention on anything / Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ ’s attributes. It is also called Kafiat-e-Hazoori (total presence of oneself) in which the salik forgets the rest and could do things which are in comprehendible for the others.
16.2.2.2. Side effects that are not dangerous
16.2.2.2.1. Wajd
The salik normally comes across an amazing ecstatic spiritual state.
16.2.2.2.2. Royae Saliha
Seeing good dreams.
16.2.2.2.3. Ijabut-e-Dua
Acknowledgment of dua (prayers).
16.2.2.2.4. Ilhaam
Revelation of anything from Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ on any wali’s (Allah’s friend based on his good shariah compliant deeds) heart.
16.2.2.2.5. Fana-wa-Baqa
Cleansing of heart from bad behavioral traits is called fana and loosing the realization of fana (that one’s heart is cleansed) is called Baqa. In other words, the salik consider himself nothing in front of Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ and this realization that he has achieved cleansing of his heart fades away.
16.2.2.2.6. Wahdut-ul-Wajood without Sukr
Improvement of salik’s link with Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ to such an extent that his heart converges on Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ only while loosing the realization of everything else.
16.2.2.2.7. Farasat-e-Sadiqa
Development of common sense to the level that it reflects the reality, it is also called enlightenment.
16.2.3. Muwanah (Forbidden/Inadmissible)
The things which detract the salik from his / her true objective and if he / she is not stopped, he might become the subject of satin / evil powers instead of a true subject of his creator. These are:
16.2.3.1. Beauty consciousness
Impression of someone’s beauty to an extent that the person forgets his obligation to fulfill shariah standards. This is highly objectionable act. Some people misunderstand the Sufis and consider them to be beauty lovers, however, a person cannot be a sufi if he / she indulges in worldly beauties instead of having a sound link with Allah بحا ن ؤ تعا لئ. May Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ save us all from this act. Ameen.
16.2.3.2. Tajeel (Hustling/Urgency)
Hustling oneself in order to achieve a spiritual state to an extent that one forgets the precautionary measures necessary on the road to tassawuf. Salik may loose his heart in this and gets upset which may result in development of bad feelings for sheikh at times, which is fatal in tareeqat.
16.2.3.3. Tasunnu (Imposture)
Salik’s pretense to have obtained a spiritual state / condition, which he / she has not achieved.
16.2.3.4. Hostility towards Sunnah
There is no such thing in tareeqat that opposes Sunnah in anyways because tareeqat is adopted to achieve full sunnah compliance. The intentional opposition of salik against Sunnah in anyways adversely effects his progress in tareeqat and is fatal.
16.2.3.5. Sheikh’s opposition
Not to follow sheikh’s direction / advice in the tareeqat (saluk).