Tasawwuf

Detailed Section - Information about Tasawwuf

Some useful terminologies in Tassawuf

It is the duty of every muslim to live their lives in accordance with the shariah and as per the commandments of Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ . Therefore, all the muslims are duty bound to acquire the requisite knowledge necessary for this purpose and also to adopt ways & means to achieve that. Please note that ways & means may change with time because our purpose is to please Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ and its ways & means could vary from time to time and so on. The fountain of all Islamic knowledge is Quran & Sunnah and its teachings started right from the time of Hazrat Muhammad صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلمin his majalis (gatherings of people). During that time, the teachings of Hazrat صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلمand Islamic knowledge was not branched out as in vogue now-a-days. Hazrat Muhammad صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلمused to teach everything to his sahabah himself and he was the fountain of all the knowledge, thus there was no need to formally categorize knowledge into different branches. Ashab-e-suffah (people who gathered near suffah in Masjid-e- Nabavi) even used to be present at all times for the purpose of tazkia-e-nafs (purification of soul) and to acquire necessary teachings received from Hazrat Muhammad صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلمfrom time to time. However, after the curtain was drawn on our Prophet صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلمfrom this world and no such person was present who simultaneously had expertise to the level of excellence in all fields of Islamic knowledge like our beloved Prophet صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلم, then, Islamic teachings was branched out for ease. The experts of ahadith were called Muhadis, the experts of tafseer-e-Quran sharif were called mufasir (who can interpret quranic knowledge in depth), the experts of fiqh were called faqhee (Islamic shariah experts), the experts of tazkia-e-nafs were called Sufis. This is why tareeqat and shariat is never separated out by any of our predecessors. Due to misconceptions prevalent in our times about tussawuf, we find it necessary to briefly describe terminologies of tassawuf so that no one is befooled by the fake Pirs and Sufis whose only job is to deceive people in the name of tassawuf and to mint money. These terminologies are important for the beginners in tassawuf so they know what’s what of tassawuf, but they are not at all necessary for the grownups (matured) in tassawufs. These terminologies are also important because all books on this topic uses them and if one is not familiar with these terms, they cannot comprehend those books at all.

Shariat

All orders revealed to our Prophet sul ila ilai wasalam by Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ are included in shariat. It is the way of life as choosen by Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ for the muslims and revealed to us through our beloved Prophet صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلم. Therefore, they are also called the ways/acts of Prophet صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلم, commonly called sunnah. Our Prophet sul ila alaii wasalam is also called Shaaray (person who taught shariah), however, in reality, all shariah is ordained from Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ .

Fiqh

Our ancestors used to call shariah as fiqh. However, our immediate antecedent fashioned the term fiqh for the branch of knowledge that relates to manifested deeds (aamal-e-zahiri) only.

Tassawuf

The branch of knowledge that relates to hidden deeds (aamal-e-batni) is called tassawuf as laid out by our immediate antecedents. Tassawuf is used to treat ailing soul (filled with batni or soul related sins) and it helps in identifying the level of ailment or health. In ahadith, another term called Ahsaan is used for it and in Quran sharif, the word “Taqwa (piety)” is used for it. Taqwa is an internal sensitivity that results from shariah compliant deeds and tassawuf relates to building a shariah compliant character, acquiring traits necessary to build that character and abstaining from those traits that are forbidden as per Islamic shariah and are harmful in building the referred character.

Tareeqat

The procedures of hidden deeds (batini aamals) through which good (shariah compliant) manners are developed and bad traits are eliminated is called tareeqat. The procedures adopted by Sufis in tareeqat may change from time to time as per the needs of the time because our purpose is spiritual health for which procedures may vary from person to person.

Haqeeqat

After attaining batini health (purification of soul) through tareeqat, the batini (spiritual) reality of certain things including attributes of Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ and good or bad deeds become clearer to the sufi, which in turn give new dimensions to the relationship between the sufi and Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ . In plain words, like we know that if someone fire a bullet on us, it will harm us and this reality is crystal clear to us but Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ is watching us but we still indulge in his disobedience is strange because it simply means that we don’t trust that Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ is watching us. Therefore, after haqeeqat of things gets clearer, our belief improves to the level that we are indeed watching it happening which consequently results in improved relationship between the sufi and Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ (one of slave and creator in real sense).

Maarafut

The relationship as outlined above is indeed maarafut. The sufi after attaining this relationship stands a better chance to understand / recognize Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ ’s desire / wish in all aspects of life and act accordingly. The sufi who achieves the status through purification of soul of directly understanding Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ ’s desire without any in between linkage is called Arif (enlightened) and this acquired quality is called Maarafat. Arif although is closer to Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ as compared to other human beings but does not put this thing to his credit but rather considers this as Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ ’s mercy on him because he truly understands the greatness of Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ , who created billions and billions of galaxies in which our universal system is not even a tiny particle (further our earth is not even a tiny particle in our universal system). Some galaxies are billions and billions light years away from us, so what is our status in this wonderful scheme of things.

Nisbat

It means link and it is both sided, which simply means that such an affiliation is established between person and Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ that he always considers himself to be answerable to him and all his actions are guided by this feeling. This makes it easier for him to fully comply shariah principles and it becomes his spiritual need. The person who achieve this link can sense it within him / her self. This person always strives to comply with sunnah and he is safeguarded from sins and always strives for good deeds due to his attained spiritual strength with the mercy of Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ . The signs of this nisbut includes divine spiritual training of the person in day-to-day life automatically, his utilization in religious activities by Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ , establishment of his fondness in the heart of other Sufis automatically, and his company becomes a source of establishing lost link between other fellow human beings and Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ.

Bai'at

It is a contract between the sheikh (mentor) and the mureed (follower/student) that the sheikh will teach and train the murid the procedures of batini aamals (spiritual acts) through which good (shariah compliant) manners are developed and bad traits are eliminated and mureed will follow them by heart. The mureed will consider sheikh his mentor for the manifestd deeds (aamal-e-zahiri) and hidden (batini) and act upon his advices and sheikh will train him with sincerity to help him overcome the spiritual ailments. This is also called the baut-e-tareeqat and its shariah status is sunnah-e-mustahiba (if someone does it, he will be rewarded with ajar and there is no harm if he doesn’t do it). With its Baraka (divine but unseen help), the compliance with shariah principles be it faraiz, wajibaat, and sunnun becomes easier and above all, few lucky ones even get nisbut through it. Nisbut is by far the best thing that could happen to anybody in this universe and there is no comparison of this in the whole universe because it is the ultimate purpose of human beings to establish this spiritual affiliation with the creator to enable one to live his/her life as a true subject of his creator.

Sheikh

The arif who can train / teach the beginner (mureed) in tassawuf through tareeqat is called sheikh. The prerequisites of a sheikh are given ahead in detail.

Mureed

The beginner / student / disciple who commits that he will follow his sheikh without hesitation but in accordance with shariah for purification of soul [training of nafs (soul) to enhance its spirituality].

Silsila

Talveen

The ever changing batini haal (spiritual state) is called tulveen. The mureed during his training is exposed to strange and new spiritual states on a continual basis, which result in varying haals all the time. This is the sign of spiritual immaturity of the mureed, therefore, he/she seeks a permanent condition rather than ever changing spiritual states. The tulveen ultimately leads to tumkeen (permanent spiritual state) and mureed while going through tulveen are not to be followed by others because at times they might be overtaken by a strong temporary spiritual state and do some totally out of line act.

Tamkeen

The salik (one who chooses to travel the road of tassawuf to attain nisbut) travels from temporary spiritual state to a stable one and his conditions stabilizes on any state and coming and going of different states fades away. Now he / she tries to fully adhere to the standards of shariah and this is also called the neutral state. The one who achieves tumkeen with the grace of Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ truly understands his duties to Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ and therefore he can be handed over the duty to train other fellow beings and become sheikh.

Sair ILLaLLah

The salik is initially spiritually sick, therefore he contacts a sheikh for the treatment to get spiritually well, he is required to seek sheikh’s advice on every matter, which in turn helps in treating his spiritual ailments. Due to treatment, the salik’s soul gets purified upto a minimal benchmark meaning that bad manners like self conceitness, jealousy, enviousness and etc are diminished to an acceptable level. In other words, his tazkia reaches acceptable level as signified in Quran sharif whoever cleanse his soul is the one who will succeed in the end. The salik’s qulb (it signifies the spiritual heart on the side of physical heart) attains behavioral qualities like devoutness, simplicity, trust in Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ , warmth for Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ , and etc. These qualities are durable and lasting and the salik understands how to acquire these traits. At this stage, it is said that salik’s Sair ILLALLAH gets completed, thereafter, salik can easily comprehend (ilm-ul-yaqeen) that indeed whatever is told in Holy Quran by Hazrat Muhammad صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلمwill happen on its determined time and he/she surrenders him / herself to the will of Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ.

هدِنَــــاالصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيمَ

صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ

“Take us on the right path – the path of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.”

Sair FiLLAH

After Sair ILLALLAH, the salik continuously tries to throw out everything from his qulb except Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ due to the enlightenment he received in his heart. This enable salik to get exposed to the reality of shariah compliant deeds (aamal-e-shariah) and other worldly realities through the enlightenment of his qulb and thus salik gets closer to Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ with the passage of time. The salik then moves from sure knowledge (ilm ul yaqeen) to full certitude (ain ul yaqeen) and it is called Sair FiLLah and it has no limit and any one can achieve any height in getting closer to Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ with his grace. The salik is required to travel the path until the achievement of Sair ILLALLAH under the guidance of Sheikh and thereafter, it is between him and Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ . In some books, there are two additional Sairs after Sair Fillah but they are in actuality the part and parcel of Sair Fillah. After Sair Fillah, some salikeens are mesmerized with the blessings and bounties of Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ and they do not get indulged with other people and are called mustahlakeen BUT some are made to guide other salikeens towards the path to Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ and are called rajaeen.

Ilm ul Yaqeen (sure knowledge)

The one who can comprehend that whatever is told in Quran Sharif and by Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ through Hazrat Muhammad صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلمis sure to happen.

Ain ul Yaqeen (full certitude)

The one who gets self assurance that whatever is told in Quran Sharif and by Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ through Hazrat Muhammad صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلمwill indeed happen.

Haqqul Yaqeen

The spiritual state in which the person is assured to an extent like he has physically been through the situation that whatever is told in Quran Sharif and by Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ through Hazrat Muhammad صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلمwill indeed happen. In simple words, someone asked Hazrat Ali karam Allah Wajhu that whether your believe will increase any bit after seeing for yourself the Jannah (paradise) and Jahannum (hell), he replied no, this is a good example of someone who have achieved this state.