This letter was written to Mirzâ Ubaydullah by Muhammad Ma’thûm. It
notes down the necessity of advice and the importance of jihâd.
Some people suppose that Tasawwuf means to
care for one’s own business, not to interfere with others and not to deal with
anybody. This is not true. This kind of thinking causes the religion to be
wounded. I wonder whom he remembers, when he talks like this about men of
tasawwuf and sofis? If he means the great men who were attached to Hadrat Abû
Bakr Siddîq ‘radiy-Allâhu anh’, (we yould give the answer that) it is written
in their books that the way of these great people was to cling to the Sunnat-i
saniyya [the Sharî’at] and to abstain from bid’ats. But, Amr-i ma’rûf and
Nahy-i
munkar and Bughd-i fillâh and Jihâd-i
fîsabîlillah are the sunnats of our Prophet; that is,
they are of the fards and wâjibs of the Sharî’at. [‘Bughd-i fillâh’ means ‘to feel hostility (towards
disbelievers) for Allah’s sake,’ and ‘Jihâd-i fîsabîlillâh’ means ‘to struggle
for Allah’s sake.’ We have explained Amr-i ma’rûf and Nahy-i munkar before].
Then, to abandon Amr-i ma’rûf means to abandon the way of those great people.
As a matter of fact, Imâm-i Muhammad Bahâaddîn-i Bukhârî ‘quddisa sirruh’, who
was one of them, said, “Our way is to cling to the Urwa-i wusqâ, that is, to follow
the way of Rasûlullah and of his Ashâb.” For this reason, an insignificant deed
on this way gives birth to a great profit. He who abandons this way falls into
great dangers. If tasawwuf meant that you abandon Amr-i ma’rûf, Muhammad
Bahâaddîn-i Bukhârî ‘quddisa sirruh’ who was one of the chiefs of tasawwuf,
would not have performed Amr-i ma’rûf to his own master, Sayyed Amîr Kulâl.
While it was incompatible with manners to warn his master, he still did Amr-i
ma’rûf. Gathering the savants of Bukhârâ, he proved in the presence of them all
that it was not acceptable in the Sharî’at to repeat Allahu ta’âlâ’s name
loudly, thus explaining to his master the importance of stopping it. Being very
pious and in love with a true word, his master admitted it and stopped doing
it. Men of tasawwuf wrote thousands of books in order to communicate the things
that will cause men to attain salvation and those things which will draw them
to annihilation. What are these works of theirs, if not Amr-i ma’rûf? Khwâja
Mu’îniddîn-i Chashtî, one of the great men of tasawwuf, was told by his master,
“The darling’s way is very subtle and dangerous.
Advise everybody and inform them of the
danger!” Why did Shaikh-i-Ekber Muhyiddîn-i arabî ‘quddisa sirruh’ prohibit the
sofis in his time from playing music and dancing, while it was he who spread
Wahdat-i wujûd[1]
all over the world? Some of them obeyed him and stopped doing so. And others
did not obey him and did not stop it. But eventually they confessed their
fault. [It is written in the book Hadîqa and also Akhî Chalabî writes
in this book Hadiyya, “It is fard to do Amr-i
ma’rûf. But it is necessary not to do Amr-i ma’rûf if it will result in
instigation or events disliked by the religion.”]
Gaws-i samadânî Sayyed Abdulqâdir-i Geylânî
performs Amr-i ma’rûf in detail in his book Gunyat-ut-tâlibîn. He says, “It is
permissible for a person to prevent a sinner from sinning when it is probable
that he will be harmed. Yes, it is, as far as we are concerned. In fact, it is
very valuable. He will be rewarded as if he warred against disbelievers for
Allah’s sake. Especially if it is intended to rescue the victims from the
oppression of cruel authorities or to spread îmân when disbelief invades one’s
country. Savants advise to perform Amr-i ma’rûf at such times.” If great ones
among the Awliyâ and the leaders of sufis had neglected Amr-i ma’rûf and Nahy-i
munkar, would they have written these in their books or paid that much
attention to them? Hadrat Abdulqâdir-i Geylânî says: “Things that are
compatible with the Qur’ân, hadîths and reason are called ‘Ma’rûf’, and
things that are incompatible with them are called ‘Munkar.’ [The book Hadîqa, while
explaining the disasters incurred by the tongue, says, “Things that are
prohibited by the Qur’ân and hadîths and by the
unanimity of Mujtahids are called ‘Munkar’.”]
Each of them is of two types. The ma’rûfs and munkars of the first type are
obvious; savants and those who are not savants know them. It is Ma’rûf, that
is fard to perform namâz five times each day, to fast in the month of Ramadân,
to give zakât, to go on a pilgrimage (hajj) and things of this type; and it is
Munkar, that is harâm to commit adultery, to drink alcohol, to steal, to pick
somebody’s pocket, to charge or pay interest when lending or borrowing money,
to snatch away others’ property and things of this type. Every Muslim has to
command or prohibit these things. The second type is known only by savants,
such as kinds of facts to be believed in concerning Allahu ta’âlâ and how to believe
------------------------------------
[1] Not to know that creatures also exist.
To know that only the Creator exists, who is one, and that creatures are His
various reflections.
them. Muslim savants command and prohibit
things of this type. If a savant has communicated them, those who are not
savants may communicate them, too, if they can. The munkars of the second type
comprise mostly aberrations pertaining to îmân and creed. Every Muslim should
cling to the Ahl-i sunnat creed, and abstain from aberrant belief, that is,
from deviation and from bid’at in creed. One who is not learned in religious
knowledge should not dispute with performers of bid’at, but they should keep
away from them and should not greet them. He should not visit them on religious
feasts, at times of happiness, should not perform namâz in their funerals, and
nor should he pity them. Since their creed is corrupt, he should deem it as an
act of worship not to like them. Rasûlulah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’
declared in a hadith, “If a person looks at another person harshly for Allah’s sake
because there is bid’at or aberration in his îmân or worship, Allahu ta’âlâ
will fill his heart with îmân and will protect him against fear.”
[It is written in the book Kanz-i mahfî, “It
is prohibited to live in places where ignorance and immorality, that is bid’at
and sinful activities have increased. Those who migrate in order to maintain
their dîn (religion) will be rewarded with Paradise. It is wâjib to migrate
from one quarter where there are no pious and wise people and where bid’at and
intrigues are on the increase, to another quarter, or from such a city to
another city. If Muslims in all cities are attacked, they should migrate to
another Islâmic country. If there are no Islâmic countries, you should migrate
to a kâfîr country where human rights are respected and worshipping is free and
live there. Please see the thirty-eighth chapter in the second part of (Turkish)
Se’âdet-i ebediyye! This is because those who live among them will be subjected
to the same catastrophe which is expected to befall them. The twenty-fifth âyat
of Sûra Anfal declares: “And fear an affliction which may not only smite those of you who do
what is wrong.”]
Fudayl bin Iyâd, one of the great men of
tasawwuf says, “Allahu ta’âlâ does not accept the worships of those who love
the people who commit bid’at in their words and deeds, and He takes their îmân
away from their hearts. Even if he who dislikes the performer of bid’at prays a
little, I hope that Allahu ta’âlâ will forgive him. If you meet a performer of
bid’at on your way, change your way.” Again, he says, “I have heard Sufyân bin
Uyayna say that Allahu ta’âlâ becomes angry with the person who attends the
funeral of a performer of bid’at until he leaves
the funeral.” Our Prophet declared, “If a person makes
up a bid’at or commits a bid’at, may Allahu ta’âlâ and angels and all people
curse him! Neither the fard nor the supererogatory worships he performs will be
accepted.” Abdulqâdir-i Geylânî’s words are concluded here.
If the way of the great sufis were to not
interfere with anybody, one of them would not have said, “When the Niqâr, that
is, performing Amr-i ma’rûf and Nahy-i munkar, among the sufis stops, they are
no longer of any use.” Shaikh-ul-Islâm-i Hirawî Abdullah Ansârî said that Amr-i
ma’rûf and Nahy-i munkar were called Niqâr among the sufis. [It is
written in Nafahât, while telling about the life
of Abû Saîd-i Kharrâz, that the one who said, “when the niqâr stops,” was
Abul-Hasan Alî bin Muhammad Muzayyan.] Those who slander the great sufis by
saying that they did not interfere with anybody, do they not think why the Qur’ân and
hadiths are full of descriptions describing the rewards and torments in the
next world? Will not the person who believes in the vehement torments that are
said to be prepared for the sinners want to save his Muslim brother from this
danger? If there is a well or a fire in front of a blind man, or if a person is
about to fall into another worldly danger, they will certainly let him know of
it and show him the way to safety. They will not leave him alone. Then, why
should not they let him know of the torment in the next world, which is more
dismal and more impetuous and endless, and show him the way to salvation? It
means that he who does not let others know or show them their mistakes does not
admit or believe in the torment in the next world, and does not have îmân in
the day of the Last Judgement.
If Allahu ta’âlâ did not want to interfere
with anybody, He would not have sent prophets, He would not have declared the
Sharî’ats, He would not have invited people to the Islâmic religion, and He
would not have let us know that the other religions were wrong and aberrant,
nor would He have annihilated those who disbelieved the earlier prophets by
tormenting them. He could have left everybody free and alone; He could have not
commanded anybody to do anything, nor would He have tormented those who disbelieved
Him. Why did Allahu ta’âlâ order Muslims [that is, the Islâmic state] to
perform jihâd against disbelievers [those who prevent people from hearing about
Islâm and becoming Muslims]. Whereas, in jihâd there is torment and death not
only for disbelievers, but also for Muslims. For what reason were the virtues
and blessings of jihâd for those
who perform jihâd and for martrys declared
in the Qur’ân and
hadîths? Why was it commanded to attack evil people, to harass them, and to
destroy those creatures of Allah’s? As a matter of fact, He also commands man
to feel hostility towards his own nafs, and explains that the nafs is at odds
with Allahu ta’âlâ [see fn. (37) in article 30]. To perform jihâd against the
nafs was called the Jihâd-ý ekber (the greatest jihâd). Why did
Allahu ta’âlâ associate his approval and appreciation to this jihâd? Why didn’t
Allahu ta’âlâ leave the nafs alone? It means that it is Allah’s enemy. Allahu
ta’âlâ wants His enemies to be punished. Owing to His infinite mercy, Allahu ta’âlâ
first sent prophets ‘alaihim-us-salâtu wa-t-taslîmât’ as messengers, and then
later He sent the Awliyâ and the savants in their place. By declaring His
rewards and torments through their tongues, He did not give an occasion for an
excuse or pretext. No one can change Allah’s decree and laws. The world’s order
cannot be rearranged in accordance with the opinions of those who do not know
or see what is right. If Allahu ta’âlâ wished, He could guide everybody to the
righteous way and could put everybody into Paradise. But He wanted in eternity
to fill Hell with people and genies. A person who realizes the greatness of
Allahu ta’âlâ cannot ask Him the reason why.
Who can say anything against Him, save fear;
What should be done, except giving oneself up.
He who follows the Prophet will also
follow him in inviting people and in performing Amr-i ma’rûf and Nahy-i munkar.
He who does not do these has not adapted himself to him. If disbelievers were
not Allah’s enemies, it would not be fard to feel hostility towards them. It
would not be the first of the things to bring a man closer to Allahu ta’âlâ. It
would not be an important part of or an additive to îmân. It would not cause
the Wilâyat (the grade of Awliyâ) to be attained and Allah’s consent and love
to be gained. Our Prophet (sall Allahu ’alaihi wa sallam) declared, “The best of
worships is to love Muslims because they are Muslims and to dislike
disbelievers because they are disbelievers.” When Allahu ta’âlâ
asked Hadrat Mûsâ, “What did you do for Me?” he answered, “O my
Allah, for you I performed namâz, fasted, gave zakât, and mentioned your name
very much.” Upon this, Allahu ta’âlâ declared, “O Mûsâ! Your prayers (namâz) are documents for you. Your
fastings are a shield against Hell. The zakât is a shade that protects you
against the heat of the day of the Last Judgement. Your mentioning my name very
much
is a light that will illuminate you in the darkness of the grave
and the Resurrection. That is, all these are useful for you. What did you do
for Me?” Hadrat Mûsâ entreated, “O my Allah! Tell me the
worship which is for Thee!” Allahu ta’âlâ declared in an âyat-i-kerîma, “O Mûsâ! Did you
love those who loved Me for My sake, and did you feel hostility towards My
enemies for My sake?” So, Hadrat Mûsâ realized that
the good deed done for Allah was to love for His sake and to be hostile for His
sake.
Love necessitates that you love the
friends of your darling and be at odds with the enemies of the darling. This
love and this enmity are not within the power of faithful lovers; they cannot
help themselves. This happens by itself without striving, without taking pains.
The friend’s friends seem beautiful, and His enemies seem ugly and evil. Also,
the love that occurs within those who are seized by the pretty appearance of
the world requires this same process. Unless the person who says that he loves
keeps away from the enemies of his darling, he is not regarded as a man of his
word. He is called a hypocrite, that is, a liar. Shaikh-ul-Islâm Abdullah
Ansârî ‘quddisa sirruh’ says, “One day Abul Huseyn bin Sam’ûn offended my
teacher Husrî. Since that day my heart has been feeling unfriendly towards
him.” It will be appropriate here to mention a famous saying of the great, “If
you are not offended by the one who offends your master, a dog is better than
you are.” These two principles of love are declared in the Qur’ân and
hadîths. [Those who wish may refer to the Persian original or the Arabic or
Turkish versions of the twenty-ninth letter]. As it is understood from these
âyat-i-kerîmas, it causes a man to be away from Allahu ta’âlâ if he loves the
enemies of Allahu ta’âlâ. Unless there is enmity, there will be no love. But
this enmity should not cause one to deviate into the way of disliking the
Ashâb-i kirâm, as some people do. Enmity is to be felt towards the enemies.
Hostility felt towards friends, as in the example of Râfidîs and Shiites, is
rejected. Because all of the Ashâb-ý kirâm were honoured with attaining our
Prophet’s presence and company and his blessed looks, which were nourishment
for the heart and soul, they loved one another and felt hostility towards
disbelievers. They all were darlings of the Messenger of Allah. Can it ever be
a principle of love for Rasûlullah to feel hostile even towards one of them!
Don’t those who say so show their enmity instead of their love?
Question: Of the great Awliyâ
‘qaddas-Allâhu ta’âlâ asrâra-hum-ul-’azîz’, those who believed in Wahdat-i
wujûd said that
everything in this world is a mirror
reflecting Allahu ta’âlâ. In everything, nothing besides the perfect Attributes
of Allahu ta’âlâ can be seen. Then, isn’t it necessary to deem everything good,
to love everything, and not to deem anything bad? There is a saying: No absolute evil
exists in the world! [The pantheism philosophy of
Spinoza, a philosopher from Holland, is a copy taken from Muslims’ books on
Wahdat-i wujûd.].
Answer: It is commanded clearly in the
Qur’ân to
dislike disbelievers, to feel hostility towards them through the heart, and to
treat the harbîs severly. [Harbîs are a class of disbelievers explained at the
end of the twentieth chapter.] It is out of the question to doubt this. No
matter what disbelievers’ essence is, it is fard and necessary for us to adapt
ourselves to the Qur’ân. Our business is with nâss, not
with fûss. [That is, our task is with the Qur’ân al-karîm and hadîth-i sharifs,
not with the books of the Awliyâ. For example, Hadrat Muhyiddîn-i Arabî’s
kashfs[1] that are contrary to the Qur’ân and
hadiths, which he communicates in his book Fusûs, cannot be documents for us.]
In the Last Judgement, being saved from Hell and attaining salvation will
depend on the Qur’ân and hadîths, not on the books
of the Awliyâ. Fancies, dreams, kashfs and inspirations that occur to the
hearts of the Awliyâ cannot take the place of the Qur’ân and hadîths. Those
with erroneous kashf or inspiration have to adapt themselves to the Qur’ân and
hadîths and act in accordance with the Qur’ân and hadîths, though they may
not conform with their conscience and kashf. They must entreat Allahu ta’âlâ
ceaselessly so that correct inspirations will occur to them and their hearts’
eyes will be salved with the dust of Prophets’ feet. Also, let us mention the
fact that those Awliyâ who recognize Wahdat-i wujûd divide beings into grades.
They say that the state and the importance of each grade are different. They do
not ignore the rule of Kathrat-i wujûd,[2]
which is the basis of the Sharî’at. They know that to relinquish it is to be a
renegade, that is, to abandon Islâm. Since performing Amr-i ma’rûf and knowing
the sinners and disbelievers as evil are rules of Kathrat-i wujûd, as the other
rules of the Sharî’at are, they deem those who ignore them as
------------------------------------
[1] Manifestation, appearence of Allah’s
Attributes.
[2] ‘Kathrat-i-wujûd’ means ‘to know of the
existence of creatures as well; to know both the Creator and His creatures.’
The rules that are put forth by recognizing the existence of all beings are
called “the rules of Kathrat-i-wujûd (plurality).”
mulhids[1] and zindiqs [see fn. (28) in article 26].
Also those who say that there is no certain evil have to say that there is evil
[in one respect]. Since we have to know disbelievers as evil and keep away from
them, this evil in one respect is enough for them.
Those who recognize Wahdat-i wujûd do not
eat poison. They do not let others eat it, either. They kill the scorpion and
the snake and tell others to be mindful of them. They love those who obey them
and dislike those who disobey them. Hadrat Celâleddîn Rûmî, one of the notables
of the men of Wahdat-i wujûd, says in his Mathnawî:
“He who will not believe this word;
Now I see him headlong in Hell.”
These great people prefer sweet foods,
delicious sherbets, exquisite textures, touching voices, fragrant odors, fine
sceneries, beautiful appearances to the tasteless, ugly ones, and like them
much more. They protect and take care of those who approach them, and they
protect them and themselves against dangers. They pick out useful things and
avoid harmful ones. They try to obtain what they need. They educate their
children. They consult one another about their important affairs, and they do
not let their daughters and wives go out without covering themselves and do not
let others approach them. They keep their children away from bad friends. They
punish the cruel and their enemies, and warn their patients against harmful
food. Are these acts of Wahdat-i wujûd or Kathrat-i wujûd? Then, is it worthy,
is it reasonable to try to escape one’s duties as a born servant (of Allah)
through the rules of Wahdat-i wujûd and to cease from obeying the rules of
Kathrat in affairs pertaining to the next world, while it is fard to obey them?
Is it reasonable to make Wahdat-i wujûd a pretext for avoiding the
responsibities we have in this base worldy life? The reason for it is not to
believe the divine rules, to disbelieve the Prophets and not to have îmân in
the Resurrection and in the torments and blessings of the next world. Of those
who recognized Wahdat-i wujûd, the ones with correct hâls[2] very strongly adhered to their faith and
their actions were compatible with the Sharî’at. This fact is written at length
in books. My father, who was my
------------------------------------
[1] The person who does ilhâd [see fn. (15)
on page 80]
[2] Continuous variation of the kashfs and
manifestations that come to the heart.
master, the cause of my coming to life and
my happiness, was very careful while making an abdast (ablution), in tahârat
[cleaning oneself from najâsat which is explained in fn. (51) in article 34],
in namâz, and in observing the adabs[1],
and he used to say, “I learned these by seeing them from my father. It is not
easy to learn from books how to observe the adab together with all its subtle
particulars.” His father, the grandfather of this poor person, was a man of
Wahdat-i wujûd and was an unequalled ’ârif [see fn. (3) in preface] in the
ma’rifats [see fn.
------------------------------------
[1] There is a special adab in doing
everything. The adab of doing something means to follow the conditions
necessary for doing it in the best manner.
[2] What he said was taken as a document.
His words were used as documents.
It is surprising that some of those who
say that we shouldn’t interfere with anybody and that we shouldn’t attack
[others’] conciences make intimate friends with the disbelievers, such as Jews,
Jûkis, Brahmans, Mulhids, Zindiqs, Armenians, Masons and Renegades, who have
deviated into different ways. At the same time they say “retrogressive,
reactionary, fanatical” about the Ahl-i sunnat wal jamâ’at, who adhere to the
sunnat, to the way of Rasûlullah; and they feel hostility towards these real
Muslims, who were given the good news of “It is only these who will be saved from Hell,” and
who were praised, “It is only these who follow my and my Ashâb’s way.” While
they make friends with disbelievers, they take pleasure in hurting, insulting
and annihilating these true Muslims. What kind of Wahdat-i wujûd, what kind of
unity is it to feel hostility towards those who follow the way of Hadrat
Muhammad, who is Allah’s compassion upon all classes of beings, while being
friendly with disbelievers, towards whom the Qur’ân commands us to feel hostility?
Isn’t this sheer disbelief and enmity towards Islâm?
All the Prophets, the Ashâb-i kirâm, the
Tâbi’în and the Salaf-i sâlihîn ‘radiy-Allâhu anhum ajma’în’[1] strove very much to perform Amr-i ma’rûf
and Nahy-i munkar. They suffered much torment and torture for this cause. If it
were good in our religion not to interfere with anybody, it would not have been
said that it was a symptom of îmân for the heart to refuse a sin. Indeed, it is
declared in the hadîth: “Prevent the sinner from sinning with your hand. If you are unable
to do it, prevent him through words. If you cannot do it either, dislike it [the
sin] through the
heart! And this is the lowest grade of îmân.” If
it were good not to perform Amr-i ma’rûf, the worshipper who would not do Amr-i
ma’rûf to a sinning tribe would not be destroyed together with them. As a
matter of fact, it is declared in a hadith: “Allahu ta’âlâ commanded Hadrat Jabraîl to sink a city into
the earth. Jabraîl said, ‘O Allah! A born servant of Thine in that city has not
disobeyed Thee even for a moment. He has always obeyed and worshipped Thee;
‘Sink him, too! His face never changed when he saw sinners’.”
Question: The hundred and eighth âyat of
Sûrat-ul-Mâida declares: “O My born servants who have îmân! Take care of yourselves! If you
find the right way, others’ going astray will not harm you.” That
is, Amr-i ma’rûf and Nahy-i munkar are not
------------------------------------
[1] See page 84, fn. (26) for the Ashâb-i
kirâm, the Tâbi’în and Taba’-i tâbi’în.
permitted to be done, are they?
Answer: To find the right way
mentioned here, it is also necessary to do Amr-i ma’rûf and Nahy-i munkar. That
is, Allahu ta’âlâ declares: “My believing born servants! If you do what I have commanded and
worship and perform Amr-i ma’rûf and Nahy-i munkar, others’ going astray will
not harm you.” It is written in books when and why this
âyat was revealed, and that many âyats and hadîths about Amr-i ma’rûf and
Nahy-i munkar were commanded after it.
Question: It is the Prophets’ way to
perform Amr-i ma’rûf and Nahy-i munkar and jihâd against disbelievers. Isn’t it
the way of the Awliyâ not to touch consciences, not to interfere with anybody?
Answer: They are fard [commanded] in the Qur’ân and hadîths. The commandments are for everybody. They are not only for some people. Prophets, Awliyâ, savants and the ignorant are equal in carrying out the commandments. Let us repeat that it depends on following the Prophets to be saved from Hell and to attain endless bliss. Whatsoever the Awliyâ obtain from Wilâyat [the last fn. of this article], from love, from ma’rifat [see fn. (54) in article 38] and from qurb-i ilâhî[1] they obtain it as a reward for following the Prophets. What is other than this way is the way of deviation, of the devil. Abdullah Ibni Mas’ûd ‘radiy-Allâhu anhumâ’ says, “One day, the Prophet drew a straight line for us and said, ‘This is the right way which makes man attain Allah’s consent.’ ” Then, drawing some slanting lines like fish-bones on both sides of that line, he said, ‘And these are the ways which the devil makes one deviate into.” Therefore, if a person wants to walk on the right way without adapting himself to the Prophets, certainly he will deviate into slanting ways. If he obtains something, it is istidrâj. That is, it ends in loss and harm. Hadrat Ubaydullah-i Ahrâr ‘quddisa sirruh’ said, “If they gave me all the kashfs and hâls that occur to the heart, and yet if they didn’t ornament my heart with the Ahl-i sunnat creed, I would deem myself destroyed, ruined. If they piled up all the disasters and desolations upon me, yet if they honoured my heart with the creed of the Ahl-i sunnat wa jamâ’at, I would never worry.” If the hâls and kashfs that occur to the Awliyâ are in accordance with following our Prophet, they make light upon light and the subtle mysteries of the Sharî’at begin to
------------------------------------
[1] Its lexical meaning is ‘to the approach,
to get close to Allah’. In Islâm, it is used in the sense ‘to earn the love of
Allah, to be loved by Allah.’
show up. All of the Ashâb-i kirâm
‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ anhum ajma’în’, the Salaf-i sâlihîn, and the mashâyikh-i
mustakîm-ül-ahwâl[1]
were in this state. In tasawwuf, the two ways which are the way of Nubuwwat and
the way of Wilâyat are in haqîqat[2] a single way shown by the Sharî’at, for
both of them make man attain [to perfection] on condition that he will adapt
himself to the Prophet. Likewise, the saying that the ways that will guide man
to Allah’s consent and ma’rifat are as many as the breaths of creatures is
correct, for there is a way that guides every fancy to its origin, and there is
a different ayn-i sâbita, that is, a mabda-i taayyun, for
each creature. In other words, a different divine name causes each creature to
be created and to stay in existence. To attain through any of these ways
depends on observing the rules of the Sharî’at. He who deviates from the
Sharî’at will either break down on the way, or will go off the rails. Then, all
ways begin with the Sharî’at. That is, the Sharî’at is like the trunk of a
tree. All the tarîqats, that is, ways, are like the branches, veins, buds,
leaves and flowers of that tree.
[Emr-i ma’rûf can be carried out in two ways. One is through speaking, writing and every means of communication. However, with this method, fitna may occur if one has an insufficient amount of knowledge, or if disrespect is shown to the people being addressed, or to their traditions or laws. The other approach is to be an exemplary person in your behaviour by adopting the superior morality of Islâm. Presently a similing face, a friendly manner, obeying the laws, paying your taxes and debts, and not despising anyone or violating anyone’s property rights or chastity is a most efficient and beneficial method of teaching Islâm to others. For this reason, it is said that “lisân-ul-hâl antaqu min lisan-il-qâl” which means the language of the body and
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[1] The great men of tasawwuf whose hâls,
kashfs are correct and whose kashfs conform with the Sharî’at.
[2] The information which Allahu ta’âlâ sent
to prophets through an angel is called the Sharî’at. Each Muslim learns the
Sharî’at from masters. When a Muslim’s heart has been purified from sins,
information on the Sharî’at comes to his heart by itself. That Muslim has
reached the haqîqat. To reach the haqîqat, it is necessary to strive and make
progress in the way called tasawwuf. The spiritual training that is done and
the things that are required to enter this way until reaching the haqîqat are
called the tarîkat. A Muslim who has attained the end of one of the paths
called tarîqât is called ‘Walî’, (pl. Awliyâ), and the rank he has reached is
termed ‘Wilâyat’.
behaviour, without making use of words, is
superior to languge itself. Therefore, to live in accordance with the superior
morality of Islâm is the best way to perform Amr-i ma’rûf and Nahy-i-munkar. It
is to carry out an important fard; it is to perform an ibâdât. Tasawwuf is the
way which enables man to develop the ikhlâs needed in worshipping his Creator,
and in enhancing the good morals necessary in his dealings with human beings.
This way is taught by a murshid-i kâmil. Every science has its own specialists.
Man learns a specific branch of science from its specialist. The specialist of
the knowledge of tasawwuf is the one who is a Murshid-i kâmil. Anyone who is a
specialist in any branch of science is not called a Murshid-i kâmil.]