“There were no madhhabs during the time of as-Sahâba.
They were made up later. And tasawwuf was introduced into
Islam by Jews.”
These slanderous lies are refuted best by the
following passage from the Persian book Irshâd at-tâlibîn by
Muhammad Thanâ’ullâh al-’Uthmanî ad-Dahlawî, a great ’âlim from India:
“Some people do not believe in awliyâ’. And there are
some who say, ‘There were awliyâ’, but there are none now.’ And there are some
others who say, ‘Awliyâ’ never commit any sins. They know the ghaib. Whatever
they wish happens immediately, and anything they do not want soon vanishes,’
and who, therefore, make wishes to the graves of awliyâ’. Those who think so do
not believe the awliyâ’ of their time when they see that what they think about
the awliyâ’ is not true for these awliyâ’ and remain deprived of their faid.
There are those who are so ignorant as to be unable to distinguish between a
Muslim and a disbeliever, yet claim to be awliyâ’. And there are those stupid
people who regard such ignoramuses as awliyâ’ and are attached to them as
students. Furthermore, there are some people who say “disbelievers” for awliyâ’
putting forward the statements uttered by awliyâ’ unconsciously in the state of
sakr, that is, when they are covered with love for Allâhu ta’âlâ and have lost
themselves in this love. There are those who by themselves draw wrong meanings
from such statements of awliyâ’ and make up wrong beliefs, and thus disbelieve
the correct meanings derived from the Qur’ân al-karîm and the Hadîth ash-sharîf by the ’ulamâ’ of Ahl as-Sunna and go astray. There
are those who have learned the zâhirî knowledge which Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam) was ordered by Allâhu ta’âlâ to
preach, but who do not believe the ma’ârif of tasawwuf (bâtinî knowledge) which
Rasûlullâh was permitted to teach as much as he wished to those
Sahâbîs whom he selected. There are those who worship awliyâ’, vow nadhr to
them and go around their graves as if performing tawâf around the Ka’ba, as
well as those who do not esteem or respect awliyâ’. This is why I wish to
explain to my Muslim brethren what wilâya, that is, the state of being a walî,
is. I have written the Arabic book Irshâd at-tâlibîn on this
subject. And now, I am writing the same in Persian.
“The first part proves that wasîla is true.
“The second part is about the âdâb (manners) to be
observed on the way of tasawwuf.
“The third part is about the âdâb to be fulfilled by
the rehber.
“The fourth part is about the âdâb to be obeyed during
the
progress on the way of tasawwuf.
“The fifth part deals with the knowledge of
approaching Allâhu ta’âlâ and making others approach Him.
“Part one. There is the knowledge of wilâya and tasawwuf in
Islam. There are batinî perfections or excellences in men as well as zâhirî
excellences. Zâhirî excellences include believing in accordance with the
knowledge comprehended and derived from the Qur’ân al-karîm and the Hadîth ash-sharîf by the ’ulamâ’ of Ahl as-Sunna, carrying out fards,
wâjibs, sunnas and mustahabs, and abstaining from harâms, makrûhs, mushtabihât
and bida’. Bâtinî excellences pertain to the ascent of one’s heart and soul.
Al-Bukhârî and Muslim reported from Hadrat ’Umar (radî-Allâhu ’anh) that
somebody he did not know came to Rasûlullâh’s (sall-Allâhu
’alaihi wa sallam) audience and asked him, ‘What is Islâm?’ Rasûlullâh answered: ‘To say
the kalimat ash-shahâda, to perform salât five times a day, to fast in the
month of Ramadân, to give zakât, and to go on hajj when one is able.’ ‘You told
the truth,’ said that person. The
audience was confused to see him ask a question and approve the answer given.
Then, ‘What is îmân?’ he asked. ‘Îmân is to believe in Allah, in His angels, in His books, in His prophets, in the Last Day, and that good and evil occur as the
result of Allah’s Will,’ Rasûlullâh answered. ‘You
told the truth,’ he said again. Next,
‘What is ihsân?’ he asked. ‘To worship Allâhu ta’âlâ as if one sees Him; He always sees you
although you do not see Him,’ Rasûlullâh answered. Then, ‘When
will the Last Day come?’ he asked. ‘I do not know about it more than you do,’ Rasûlullâh said. Then, ‘What are the indications of the Last Day?’ he asked. Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu
’alaihi wa sallam) listed the indications that would precede the Last Day, and
then he looked at us and said, ‘The one who asked these questions and has gone now was [Archangel Gabriel, Jibrîl] Jabrâ’il [’alaihi ’s-salâm). He came to teach you your religion.’[1]
“As it is understood from the Hadîth al-Jibrîl, there
is the
[1] This hadîth sahrîf, named the Hadîth al-Jibrîl, is quoted as the second hadîth in Al-hadîth al-arbâ’în (Forty Hadîths) by al-Imâm an-Nawawî (rahmat-Allâhi ’alaih). These forty hadîths were translated into Turkish and published by Ahmad ibn Kemâl Pasha (rahmat-Allâhi ’alaih). Mawlânâ Khâlid al-Baghdâdî (rahmat-Allâhi ’alaih) commented the Hadîth al-Jibrîl in his Persian book titled I’tiqâd-nâma, which is annotated and translated into English under the title Belief and Islam by Hakikat Kitabevi, Istanbul.
perfection, an excellence, besides îmân and ’ibâdât,
named ihsân, which we call wilâya. The heart of a walî loses itself in the
observation (mushâhada) of his Beloved when love for Allâhu ta’âlâ occupies
him. This hâl is called fanâ’
al-qalb. This mushâhada does not mean
seeing Allâhu ta’âlâ. Allâhu ta’âlâ cannot be seen in this world. But a hâl
occurs to the walî as if he sees Allâhu ta’âlâ. This hâl occurs not as the
result of one’s desire for it. This hâl is described by Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam) in his words, ‘To worship Allâhu ta’âlâ as if one sees
Him.’
“Secondly, we say that a hadîth sharîf declares, ‘There
is a piece of flesh in man. If it becomes pious (sâlih), the whole body becomes
pious; if it becomes evil (fâsid), the whole body becomes evil. This piece of
flesh is the heart (qalb)!’ This
piety of the heart, which is necessary for the piety of the body, is called
‘fanâ’ al-qalb’ by mutasawwifs. When the heart gets annihilated in the love for
Allâhu ta’âlâ this fanâ’ of the heart influences its neighbour, the nafs, which
starts getting saved from being ammâra. It attains ’al-hubb fi ’llâh wa ’l-bugdh fi ’llâh’; that is, it likes the things approved by Allâhu
ta’âlâ and dislikes those disapproved by Him. Therefore, the whole body wishes
to obey the rules of Islam.
“Question: ‘Is there anything else, other than îmân and ’amal,
for the piety of the heart?’
“Answer: The hadîth
ash-sharîf says, “The body becomes pious when the qalb
becomes pious.” The piety of the body
means its living up to the rules of Islam. There are many people who do not
obey the rules of Islam although îmân is present in their hearts. It is known
that those believers who have pious deeds less than evil deeds will be tortured
in Hell. Then, the presence of îmân in the heart cannot cause the body to pe
pious. Therefore, ‘piety’ of the heart does not mean ‘îmân’ of the heart. Nor
can it be said that the heart’s piety is made up of its îmân plus the piety of
the body; because, it is illogical to take the piety of the body as a cause
[indirectly through the heart] for its own piety. In conclusion, the piety of
the heart implies the existence of something else in the heart besides îmân and
’ibâdât. And this is the hâl fanâ al-qalb as described
by mutasawwifs.
“Thirdly, we point to the unanimity that any Sahâbî is
superior to all non-Sahâbî Muslims, even though there have been and there will
be, until the Day of Resurrection, many ’ulamâ’ of Islam with knowledge and
deeds as much as those of some Sahâbîs.
Besides, it was declared, ‘If others gave alms in gold as much as
Mount Uhud for Allah’s sake, they would not attain the thawâb of barley of half
a sâ’ given for Allah’s sake by my companions.’ Such superior value of the ’ibâdât of as-Sahâbat
al-kirâm (radî-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în) was because of the bâtinî kamâl (inner excellence) in their hearts which formed as a
result of attending Rasûlullâh’s (salla-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam) suhba. Their
bâtins, that is, their hearts, received nûr (spiritual light) from Rasûlullâh’s blessed bâtin and became enlightened. When Hadrat ’Umar passed away,
his son ’Abdullâh said that nine tenth of all knowledge had gone away, and,
seeing the confusion of the young people around him, added, ‘I do not mean the
sciences of fiqh and kalâm that you know. I mean nine tenths of the science of
bâtin, the ma’rifa, that had emaneted from Rasûlullâh’s blessed heart.’[1]
Among the Muslims who came after as-Sahâbat al-kirâm, those who attained this
nûr of bâtin achieved it at the suhbas of their rehbers. They attained the nûr
emaneting from Rasûlullâh’s blessed heart through their rehbers. Of course, the
nûr obtained at their suhbas could not be as much as that attained in Rasûlullâh’s suhba. This is the reason for the superiority of as-Sahâbat
al-kirâm. It is concluded, also from this explanation, that there are
perfections of bâtin besides those of zâhir, and there are various degrees of
these perfections. This is pointed out in a hadîth qudsî, in which Allâhu
ta’âlâ declares, ‘I go
closer to My servant if he comes to Me a little way. If My servant comes nearer
to Me, I go much closer to him. By performing supererogatory ’ibâda much, My
servant approaches so close to Me that I love him very much. I accept his
prayers when I love him. He sees, hears and does everything with Me.’ The supererogatory (nâfila) ’ibâdât, for which Allâhu
ta’âlâ loves one very much, are those efforts made on the way of tasawwuf.
“Fourthly, we say that millions of Muslims who have
come on the three great continents of the world for over a millennium have said
and written that some hâl occurred in their hearts by studying on the way of
tasawwuf and by attending the suhbas of the sâlihûn. No one can ever think that
such a tremendous unanimity could be based on a lie. Biographies of most of
those who contributed to this unanimity have been recorded in books; it is
obviously seen that they had knowledge, taqwâ and ikhlâs. It is
[1] See also article 7, p. 26.
impossible for such perfect, good personalities to
have lied. Millions of such pure, perfect Muslims have unanimously communicated
that their hearts, by attending the suhbas of their rehbers, have attained the
nûr that emaneted from Rasûlullâh’s suhba, that a hâl besides îmân and the knowledge of
fiqh have occurred in their hearts at such suhbas, that, after this hâl, love
for Allah and for those whom Allah loved and for Allâhu ta’âlâ’s orders have
occupied their hearts, that it has become lovely for them to do pious deeds and
’ibâdât, and that the correct beliefs transmitted by the ’ulamâ’ of Ahl
as-Sunna have settled in their hearts. This hâl which occurs to the heart is
certainly of perfection and excellence; it is a hâl that causes perfection.
“Fifthly, we say that awliyâ’ possess karâmât. Karâmât are the extraordinary things created byAllâhu ta’âlâ outside His usual
custom, that is, out of the scope of scientific and natural laws. However,
occurrence of some extraordinary things does not necessarily make one a walî.
Such marvellous things may also occur on those whom Allâhu ta’âlâ dislikes and
even on disbelievers. The marvel that occurs on a disbeliever is called sihr
(magic). The walî possesses taqwâ along with karâma. Taqwâ is the quality of fearing Allâhu ta’âlâ, obeying His orders and
prohibitions.
“WHAT IS WILÂYA? Now we will explain what ‘wilâyâ’ means. ‘Wilâya’
means ‘the state of being close to Allâhu ta’âlâ.’ The closeness of human
beings to Allâhu ta’âlâ is of two kinds. The first kind is the closeness of
Allâhu ta’âlâ to every human being. Allâhu ta’âlâ declares, ‘We are closer to him than the big artery
in his neck,’ in the 16th âyat
al-karîma of Sûrat al-Qâf, and, ‘Allâhu ta’âlâ is with you wherever you happen to be!’ in the fourth âyat al-karîma of Sûrat al-Hadîd. The
second kind of closeness is Allâhu ta’âlâ’s closeness to the superior human
beings and to angels only. The last âyat al-karîma of Sûrat al-’Alaq declares, ‘Prostrate and come closer to Allah!’ The above quoted hadîth qudsî declares, ‘By performing supererogatory ’ibâda much,
My servant approaches so close to Me that I love him very much.’ The closeness mentioned in this âyat karîma and this
hadîth qudsî occurs to those distinguished, superior persons only. This
closeness is called wilâya, that is, the state of being a walî. It is necessary
to have beliefs compatible with the i’tiqâd of Ahl as-Sunna in order to attain
this kind of closeness. The 68th âyat al-karîma of Sûrat Âl ’Imrân dclares, ‘Allâhu ta’âlâ loves those who believe.’ But, He loves the distinguished ones among the
Believers more. Allâhu ta’âlâ’s love for every
believer is called wilâyat ’âmma. His love for the distinguished believers is
called wilâyat khâssa, which is the kind of love indicated in the above
hadîth qudsî. There are degrees of this love. We should also note that Allâhu
ta’âlâ’s Attributes (sifât) cannot be comprehended by human reason (’aql), just
as His Person (Dhât) cannot be understood. There is nothing similar to Allâhu
ta’âlâ’s Person or to any of His Attributes. Therefore, the two kinds of
closeness of Allâhu ta’âlâ to men are incomprehensible and unknowable to human
reason. It is not like the closeness in time or space. Allâhu ta’âlâ’s
closeness to His servants is not like the material closeness that can be
understood by reason or perceived through the sense organs. It can only be
comprehended through the knowledge called ma’rifa bestowed by Allâhu ta’âlâ
upon some distinguished believers. This knowledge is called in ’ilm al-hudûrî.
Our knowledge is ’ilm
al-husûlî.
“Since these two kinds of closeness of Allâhu ta’âlâ
to His servants are stated in âyats and hadîths, it is wâjib for us to believe
in both of them. We should believe in these two kinds of closeness of Allâhu
ta’âlâ to us as we believe that He sees us. Allâhu ta’âlâ’s closeness is not
measurable with any unit [such as meter or Angstrom] as His seeing is not with
the help of the reflection of light as explained in physics. It was not for the
purpose of giving a measure but just for the sake of comparison that some
units, such as ell, dhrâ’ (arm’s length), span and length of a barley-grain
were used in some hadîths.
“Question: ‘Why has wilâya been defined with the word yaqîn
(closeness), though wilâya is only an incomprehensible-to-man hâl between
Allâhu ta’âlâ and His servant?’
“Answer: We shall first explain two points before answering
the question:
“1) The kashf that occur upon a walî, or the ru’yâ
(dream) seen by everybody is nothing but the vision of the like or example of
something in the mirror of the hayâl (the mind). It is called ‘ru’yâ’ if it occurs when one is asleep. It is called ‘kashf’ if it occurs when awake. The purer and cleaner the mirror of the mind
gets, the more correct and reliable the kashf or ru’yâ is. Therefore, prophets’
(’alaihimu ’s-salâm) dreams are absolutely reliable and believable; they make a
kind of wahî, for all prophets were ma’sûm; that is,
they never made any mistakes. Their minds were very pure. Their bâtins or
hearts were very clean. Most dreams of awliyâ’ have been correct, too, because
the minds of
awliyâ’ have been cleared and their hearts have been
polished by obeying Rasûlullâh’s orders and by the nurs attained at his suhba either
diretly from him like as-Sahâbat al-kirâm or through their rehbers like the
ones who came after as-Sahâbat al-kirâm. Jalâl ad-dîn Rûmî (rahmat-Allâhi
’alaih) expressed this subtlety very finely in a couplet in his Mathnawî:
‘Do you know what are the images that hunt
the awliyâ’?
They are the visions of the beauties of the
garden of Khudâ!’
“The bâtins of awliyâ’ are polished and are like
bright mirrors because of their obedience to prophets. Sometimes the
old dark spots of their bâtins come back into vision like black stains, and the
mirrors of their minds become blurred, and there occur mistakes in their kashfs
and dreams. This blur occurs sometimes as the consequence of committing a harâm
or mushtabih or going beyond the limits [in using mubâhs] or, at another time,
as a result of being smeared by ignoramuses and heretics. Most dreams of
sinners are wrong, and they err much since their bâtins are dark.
“2) All the beings created by Allâhu ta’âlâ are called
’âlam. There are three kinds of ’âlam: ’âlam ash-shahâda, the material ’âlam which everybody knows; ’âlam al-arwâh, the immaterial, immeasurable ’âlam of souls; and ’âlam al-mithâl, where there is nothing material or immaterial. In
’Alâm al-mithâl, there are mithâls [see below] of all beings that are in the
first and second ’âlams, a mithâl of Allâhu ta’âlâ, and even the mithâls of
thoughts and meanings. Allâhu ta’âlâ has no mithl [see below], but it was said
that He had a mithâl. If a being resembles another being in respect of its dhât
(essence, person) and sifât (attributes), the former is called a mithl of the latter. There is no mithl of Allâhu ta’âlâ’s Person and Attributes,
and such a mithl cannot exist. A being which is likened to another in respect
of not the very person but only its attributes is called a mithâl of the latter. For example, when the sun is called the ‘sovereign,’
the ‘sovereign’ is meant to be a mithâl of the sun. Allâhu ta’âlâ declares, ‘Allah’s nûr in the heart of a believer is
like a candle in the lantern,’ in the
35th âyat al-karîma of Sûrat an-Nûr. A mithâl of Allâhu ta’âlâ is expressed in
the hadîth ash-sharîf, ‘He is
such a Hâkim that He has built a house and filled it with substances.’ Therefore, it was said that Allâhu ta’âlâ could be
dreamt of. [Prophet] Yûsuf (’alaihi ’s-salâm) saw the famine years as
‘lean cattle’ and the fruitful years as ‘fat cattle and spikes of wheat’ in a
dream. It was
declared, ‘I dreamt that many people came to me. They wore shirts. Some had
shirts down to their chests and some had longer shirts. I saw ’Umar
(radî-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh). His shirt was long, down to the ground,’ in a hadîth sharîf reported in the Sahîh of al-Bukhârî, as-Sahâba asked his interpretation of it. ‘The shirt means knowledge,’ he explained. These âyats[1]
and hadîths show that the mithâl of an immaterial being that does not have any
mithl may be seen in a dream or through kashf.
“After explaining the foregoing two points, we say
that there is an incomprehensible hâl called wilâya. This hâl is seen, in ’âlam
al-mithâl, through kashf as the closseness of two objects. As the hâl of wilâya
makes progress, it looks, in kashf, like a walk towards Allâhu ta’âlâ or a
passing from one Attribute of His to another. And because the changes in the
incomprehensible hâls of awliyâ’ (rahmat-Allâhi ’alaihim ajma’în) have been
seen as such in the ’âlam al-mithâl, these hâls have been called ‘qurb-i ilâhî,’ and the changes have been given such names as ‘as-sair ila ’llâh’ and ‘as-sair fi ’llâh.’
“There is no return [or degradation] once fanâ’ is
attained on the way of tasawwuf. Those who have returned have done so before
the attainment of fanâ’. This faqîr [the author, Hadrat Thanâ’ullâh] deduced
this from the 143rd âyat al-karîma of Sûrat al-Baqara which declares, ‘Allâhu ta’âlâ does not make your îmân go
away. He is very Merciful to His servants.’ Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam) declared, ‘Allâhu ta’âlâ does not take back the îmân
of His servants. But, He makes the knowledge fade away by annihilating the
’ulamâ’.’ This hadîth sharîf, too, shows that Allâhu ta’âlâ does not take back the real faith and
bâtinî knowledge.[2]
“Perfect taqwâ develops only in awliyâ’ and is not
attainable unless the evils of the nafs such as jealousy, malice, arrogance,
hypocrisy, and desire for fame are completely cleared away. For these to be
completely cleared away, it is necessary to attain to fanâ’ an-nafs, that is, annihilation of the nafs. Perfect belief
and perfect taqwâ cannot be attained unless love for Allah is more
[1] One of the âyats is about Yûsuf (’alaihi ’s-salâm).
[2] This âyat karîma and hadîth sharîf are the evidences of the fact that none of the Sahâbat al-kirâm (’alaihimu ’r-ridwân) became a murtadd, because the îmân of all of them was real (haqîqî). If the Shî’ites had known this sublety, they would have slandered none of the Sahâbat alkirâm.
than love for other beings, or unless the heart is
cleared of any love for every being except for Allah. And this is only possible
through fanâ’ al-qalb. Fanâ’ al-qalb was expressed as ‘the piety of the
heart’ in the hadîth ash-sharîf. A hadîth
sharîf quoted by al-Bukhârî and Muslim
declares, ‘Îmân of a Muslim
is not perfect unless he loves me more than his parents, children and
everyone.’[1]
Another one declares, ‘Three [kinds of] persons relish îmân: he who loves Allah and His Prophet more than everything; he who loves only those whom Allah
loves; he who, after attaining îmân, is afraid of becoming a disbeliever more
than he is afraid of being burnt in fire.’ One day, Hadrat Râbi’a [al-’Adwiyya, a great woman walî among the
Tâbi’ûn,] was carrying two dishes in her hands, one full of water and the other
full of fire. When she was asked where she was going, she said, ‘I am going to
extinguish the fire of Hell and burn Paradise. Thus I want to save Muslims from
worshipping Allâhu ta’âlâ with the fear of Hell and the wish of
attaining Paradise.’ And as such is wilâya.
Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam) declared, ‘Show honour to my companions!’ Allâhu ta’âlâ declared, ‘Those who deserve to be honoured are those
who fear [Allah] much,’ in the 13th
âyat al-kraîma of Sûrat al-Hujurât. Therefore, the ’ulamâ’ of Islam unanimously
have said that all as-Sahâbat al-kirâm were the most superior and most muttaqî
(fearful of Allah) among this umma. Because, all as-Sahâbat al-kirâm attained
to the highest stages of wilâya by attending the suhba of Allah’s Rasûl. Allâhu
ta’âlâ praises as-Sahâbat al-kirâm in the 101st âyat al-karîma of Sûrat
at-Tawba: ‘Those who are
advanced in belief and those who were the first to migrate...’ He declares, ‘Those who have advanced in believing are those who are advanced in
approaching Allah. They all are muqarrabûn,’ in the tenth âyat al-karîma of Sûrat al-Wâqi’a.
“It is wâjib to try to attain to the perfection of
bâtin by joining a way of tasawwuf. In the 102nd âyat al-karîma of Sûrat Âl
’Imrân, Allâhu ta’âlâ declares, ‘Oh believers! Abstain completely from the things which Allah has
forbidden!’ that is, He wanted that,
in the deeds of the zâhir and in the morals and faith of the bâtin, there
should not be left anything which Allâhu ta’âlâ dislikes. The order in this
âyat karîma shows that the endeavours on the way of tasawwuf are wâjib. Perfect
taqwâ can only be
[1] This hadîth sharîf is quoted also in the Wahhâbite book Fat’h al-majîd
attained through wilâya. The above-mentioned evils of
the nafs are harâm. Perfect taqwâ cannot be attained unless these evils are
cleared away. And these evils can be cleared away by fanâ’ an-nafs. Taqwâ means abstention from sins. This was called ‘the piety of the body’ in the Hadîth ash-sharîf. The piety
of the heart is necessary in order that the body be pious. The piety of the
heart is called ‘fanâ’
al-qalb’ by mutasawwifs.
“We have explained that wilâya is the annihilation of
the qalb and the nafs. The ’ulamâ’ of tasawwuf (rahmat-Allâhi ’alaihim ajma’în)
have said that wilâya has seven stages, five of them being the annihilation of
the five latîfas, namely the qalb, rûh, sirr, khafî and akhfâ; the sixth, the
annihilation of the nafs; the seventh, the annihilation of the substances of
the body. The annihilation of the substances of the body was called ‘the piety of the body.’
“Taqwâ is not attained by performing only the
supererogatory (nâfila) ’ibâdât. Taqwâ is the performance of the fard and the
wâjib and the abstention from the harâm. The fard and the wâjib that are
performed without ikhlâs are of no value at all. Allâhu ta’âlâ declares, “Worship Allah with ikhlâs! Only He is to
be worshipped,” in the second âyat
al-karîma of Sûrat az-Zumar. Abstention from the harâm cannot be achieved
before fanâ’ an-nafs is attained. It is seen that attaining to the perfections
of wilâya is possible through performing the fard. However, attaining to [the
very] wilâya is a favour of Allâhu ta’âlâ; He bestows it upon those whom He
wishes, and it cannot be obtained by labour. Allâhu ta’âlâ has ordered men to
do what they are able to do. He orders, ‘Diet yourself with all your might to what Allah has forbidden!’ in the 16th âyat al-karîma of Sûrat at-Taghâbun. It
is seen that it is necessary to try as hard as one can.
“The degrees of wilâya are infinite. In his book Ghulistan, Sa’dî Shirâzî (rahmat-Allâhi ’alaih) expresses this
with the couplet:
‘His Beauty is Infinite, Sa’dî’s words are
unending;
Drinking does not satiate the sick, nor
lessen the oceanic water!’
Simiraly, the degrees of taqwâ are infinite, too. A hadîth sharîf declares, ‘I am
the one who knows Allah best and fears Him most.’ The fear of Allâhu ta’âlâ increases as one makes
progress through the degrees of wilâya. It is declared, ‘The highest of you in the sight of Allâhu
ta’âlâ is the one who fears Him most,’
in the 13th âyat al-karîma of Sûrat al-Hujurât. It is wâjib to
endeavour continuously to advance along the degrees of
wilâya since the degrees of taqwâ are infinite. It is always fard to desire
one’s knowledge of bâtin to increase. The 114th âyat al-karîma of Sûrat at-Tâhâ
states this fact: ‘My
Beloved Prophet! Always pray, saying, “Oh my Rabb!
Increase my knowledge!” ’ It is harâm
for a walî to stay at a degree he has attained and not to wish to advance
further. Muhammad Bâqî bi’llâh (rahmat-Allâhi ’alaih) versified it:
‘You should be observant on Allah’s Way, be
observant!
You should request till you pass away,
should request!
Even if a sea-full is poured into your
mouth,
Never should you satiate, but seek water
thenceforth!’
Jalâl ad-dîn Rûmî said:
‘Oh my brother, this path has no end,
March on no matter how long you have gone!’
Khwâja Muhammad Bâqî bi’llâh said:
‘No matter how much You make me drink,
My fervent love for You increases!’
“It is wâjib to look for a rehber (guide) since it is
wâjib to try to advance in the bâtin and because it has fallen to the lot of
very few people to approach Allâhu ta’âlâ without the mediation of a rehber.
Therefore, Jalâl ad-dîn Rûmî said:
‘No one but the rehber leads the men,
Find one and cling to him very tight then!
But, one should not get deceived by false rehbers.
“The distinguishing characteristic of a rehber is that
he should have the faith of Ahl as-Sunna and obey the rules of Islam perfectly.
A person whose deeds and words are incompatible with the rules of Islam [who
does not prevent his wife and daughter from going out without veiling their
arms and hair] cannot be a rehber even if he flies in the air. [It is harâm for
Muslim women and girls to go out with their hair, arms and legs unveiled and to
show themselves to the religiously strange men. It is fard for Muslim men to
make their wives and daughters veil themselves before men. A person who does
not obey the books by the ’ulamâ’ of Ahl as-Sunna (rahmat-Allâhi ’alaihim
ajma’în) cannot be a rehber. Such a person harms one’s religion instead of
being useful.] Allâhu ta’âlâ declares, ‘Do not obey the one who commits sins or
who disbelieves!’ in the 24th âyat
al-karîma of Sûrat al-Insân or ad-Dahr. In this âyat, Allâhu ta’âlâ orders us
not to obey first the sinner and secondly the disbeliever, because a Muslim
seldom meets a disbeliever, whereas he is frequently subjected to the command
of a sinner. Besides, this âyat karîma shows that company with a sinner is more
harmful than that with a disbeliever. The 28th âyat al-karîma of Sûrat al-Kahf
declares, ‘Do not obey the
one whose heart is negligent of the dhikr of Us and who runs after the desires
of his nafs and who oversteps the limits of Islam in his actions.’[1]
It is understood from this âyat karîma that following the nafs is an indication
of the heart’s negligence. The body’s degeneration, that is, committing sins,
indicates that the heart has degenerated.
“The second characteristic of a rehber, as explained
in the Hadîth ash-sharîf, is that talking with him and seeing him causes the
remembrance of Allâhu ta’âlâ. Nothing else but Allâhu ta’âlâ seems lovable to
the heart. As related by al-Imâm an-Nawawî, Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu
’alaihi wa sallam) declared, “Allah is remembered when they are seen,” when he was asked about the characteristics of
awliyâ’.
Ibn Mâja, too, reports this hadîth sharîf. Another hadîth sharîf related by al-Imâm al-Baghâwî says, ‘Allâhu ta’âlâ declared, “My awliyâ’ are
remembered when My Name is mentioned, and I am remembered when they are
mentioned.” ’ But, it is necessary to
have affiliation with a walî in order to remember Allah. One who denies a walî
and does not believe that he is a walî has no connection with that walî. One
who does not believe cannot attain this blessing. A couplet says:
[1] Nowadays, those women who go out unveiled and those who take alcoholic drinks, that is, sinners, and those who do not perform ’ibâdât, defend themselves against Muslims by saying, “You should judge one by one’s heart; our hearts are pure. Allah judges our hearts.” This âyat karîma shows that such claims are wrong and corrupt. We noted above that the Hadîth ash-sharîf declared about the heart: “If it becomes evil, the whole body becomes evil,” which also proves that such words of sinners are lies. The hadîth ash-sharîf, “Allah does not look at your appearance; He looks at your hearts and intentions,” is about those who perform ’ibâdât and charities. In other word, ’ibâdât must be performed for love of Allâhu ta’âlâ in order for them to be accepted.
‘That person whom Allah does not favour,
Can’t get faid even if he sees the Prophet!’
Every walî has this power of affecting (ta’thîr). Some
rehbers are more powerful in influencing so that they pull their disciples to
the high stages of the way of tasawwuf. Such a rehber is called kâmil-mukammil.
“Ignoramuses and liars cannot recognize a walî after a
single or a few meeting. They should consult those whom they trust. Allâhu
ta’âlâ declares, ‘Ask and
learn what you do not know from those who know!’ in the 43rd âyat al-karîma of Sûrat an-Nahl and in the
seventh âyat al-karîma of Sûrat al-Anbiyâ. A hadîth sharîf declares,
‘The way of getting
redeemed from ignorance is asking and learning from those who know.’ A person who has been in the company of someone who
is known as a rehber for years but has not felt any change for the better in
his heart should leave his company.
“Al-Imâm ar-Rabbânî al-Mujaddid al-Alf ath-Thânî Ahmad
al-Fârûqî as-Sirhindî (rahmat-Allâhi ’alaih) declared, as-Sahâbat al-kirâm
(radî-Allâhu ’anhum) elected the Four Caliphs successively after Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam) passed away. Their appointing caliphs
was not solely for the purpose of managing worldly affairs. They chose them so
that they should also perfect their bâtins.’
“Question: ‘When awliyâ’ die, they do not cease to be sources of
faid. Is it necessary to always look a for a living walî to get faid?’
“Answer: The emanation of faid from awliyâ’ does not end but even increases
when they die. However, it is seldom possible for a deficient person to receive
sufficient faid from the dead to enable him to attain to perfection.If it were
possible to receive faid from a walî after his death as much as the faid
attainable when he was alive, all the Muslims of Medina would have reached the
high degrees of as-Sahâbat al-kirâm by receiving faid from Rasûlullâh over the centuries, and no one would have had to look for a rehber.
Because, a relation between the faid donor and a faid receiver is necessary to
receive faid from a rehber. This relationship ends when the rehber dies.
Although it is possible to attain much faid also from a dead rehber after fanâ’
and baqâ’ have been attained and a connection between the bâtins [of the rehber
and the disciple] has been established, this faid cannot be as much as that
received when the rehber was alive.
“The ’ulamâ’ of the Ahl as-Sunna (rahmat-Allâhi
’alaihim ajma’în) have said that no walî knows the ghaib, but he may report
only about what is made known to him by Allâhu ta’âlâ through kashf or ilhâm;
he who says that awliyâ’ know the ghaib becomes a disbeliever. Awliyâ’ cannot
make existent what is nonexistent, nor vice versa. Awliyâ’ cannot give food or
[render a family] child or make anyone recover from an illness. In the 187th
âyat al-karîma of Sûrat al-A’raf, Allâhu ta’âlâ ordered His Beloved Prophet
to say: ‘I do not have the
power to help or harm myself. Only what Allah has decreed happens.’ It is not permissible to expect help from anybody but
Allâhu ta’âlâ, who orders us to say, ‘Only You we worship, and Your help we ask,’ in Sûrat al-Fâtiha; ‘Iyyâka’ means
‘only peculiar to You.’ This is why it is not permissible to make a vow (nadhr)
to awliyâ’, because nadhr is an ’ibâda (a form of worship). Anyone who makes a
nadhr to a walî should not fulfil this nadhr of his, because it is wâjib to
abstain from sins as much as possible. It is not permissible to go around a
grave with the intention of respect, because it would resemble going around the
Ka’ba, which is an ’ibâda like performing salât.
“It is not jâ’iz to pray to and to ask prophets
and dead or living awliyâ’ to do anything by themselves. A hadîth sharîf declares, ‘Praying
is an ’ibâda.’ It is declared, ‘Pray to Me! I accept your prayers. Those
who do not want to worship Me out of arrogance will go to Hell in humiliation!’ in the 60th âyat al-karîma of Sûrat al-Mu’min.
Ignoramuses say, ‘Oh ’Abd al-Qâdir al-Jîlânî! Oh Shams ad-dîn Pâniputî! Oh
Tezveren Dede! Give me... for Allah’s sake!’ This behaviour is polytheism and
disbelief. One should say, ‘Oh my Allah! Give me... for ’Abd al-Qâdir
al-Jîlânî’s love! Make my ill loved one recover for as-Sayyidat Nafîsa’s love!’
This way of praying to Allâhu ta’âlâ is permissible and beneficial. The 193rd
âyat al-karîma of Sûrat al-A’râf declares, “Whomever you pray to beside Allah are slaves like you. They
do not have the power to help anybody.”
“Question: ‘This âyat karîma was revealed to make it known that
the disbelievers’ worshipping their idols was polytheism. Is it right to liken
awliyâ’ to idols?‘
“Answer: The âyat al-karîma says ‘beside Allah,’ which means
‘everything other than Allah.’ However, a hadîth sharîf declares, ‘Mentioning (dhikr, see below) prophets is an ’ibâda. Mentioning the pious people is an atonement
for sins. Remembering death is like giving alms. Remembering the grave makes
you closer to
Paradise.’ This hadîth
sharîf is quoted in Abu Nasr ad-Dailamî’s
(rahmat-Allâhi ’alaih) book Musnad
al-firdaws. Ad-Dailamî quotes also
the hadîth ash-sharîf, ‘It
is an ’ibâda to mention ’Alî.’ By the
word ‘dhikr,’ these hadîths mean talking about their high status,
hâls and beautiful morals. To love them as such is due to love for Allah. Those
who hear about those pious people try to be like them. It is an ’ibâda to
mention Muhammad’s (’alaihi ’s-salâm) name after Allâhu ta’âlâ’s Name only in
the adhân and iqâma. It is declared, ‘For [the sake of] you, We lifted up your [name’s] dhikr,’ in the fourth
âyat al-karîma of Sûrat al-Inshirâh. This promotion is only for Muhammad. If
someone, after saying, ‘Lâ
ilâha illa ’llâh Muhammadun Rasûl-Allâh,’ adds, ‘’Alî walî-Allâh’, he deserves ta’zîr; that is, he should be
punished. Mentioning Muhammad’s (’alaihi ’s-salâm) name is permissible only
within the limits shown by our religion. For example, it is not permissible to
repeat, ‘Yâ Muhammad, yâ Muhammad...’ using a rosary.
“’Isma is peculiar to prophets (’alaihumu
’s-salawâtu wa ’t-taslîmât). ’Isma means never
commiting any major or minor sin knowingly or unknowingly. It is disbelief to
say that awliyâ’ posses ’isma.
“Every Sahâbî is higher than all [non-nabî and
non-Sahâbî] awliyâ’. Hadrat ’Abdullâh ibn Mubârak, one of the prominent among
the Taba’ at-Tâbi’în, said, ‘The dust that entered the nose of Hadrat
Mu’âwiya’s (radî-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh) horse while he was riding beside Rasûlullâh was more beneficial than Uwais al-Qarânî and ’Umar ibn ’Abd al-’Azîz.’
“Building the graves of awliyâ’ high building shrines
over them as a sign of respect, giving feasts near their graves and lighting
candles, lamps in their shrines are all bid’as. Some of these are harâm and
some are makrûh. Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam) and ordered Hadrat
’Alî (radî-Allâhu ’anh) to demolish high-built graves of the disbelievers and
their pictures, and so he did. It is necessary to love and respect awliyâ’
after their death, too. Faid and benefits are received from their souls in this
way; one’s heart can get cleaned. It is permissible, even necessary, to build
shrines over the graves of awliyâ’ (rahmat-Allâhi ’alaihim ajma’în) so that the
visitors, recognizing the graves of awliyâ’, may show respect and may be protected
against the cold, heat, rain and wild animals. [The shrine is built not for the
walî but for the people who come to visit.]
“The sunnas in visiting Rasûlullâh’s
(sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam) grave are to have wudû, to say salawât on him,
to donate the thawâb of the good deeds already done such as salât, alms,
fasting and reciting the Qur’ân
al-karîm to him, to keep one’s heart
ready [to think of Allah’s love for him], to ask Allâhu ta’âlâ to make one love
him and obey his sunna. If one visits the grave of the walî he has associated
(mansub) himself with, he should clear his heart of worldly thoughts and expect
to receive faid from him. It is permissible to recite the Qur’ân al-karîm beside graves.
“Those who pass themselves off as rehbers to obtain
worldly advantages, possessions and a reputatiton, and to attract respect are
the deputies of satan. They are like Musailamat al-kadhdhâb.
“It is permissible for a walî to reveal to his
disciples the favours he receives from Allâhu ta’âlâ and the high degrees he
has attained. A hadîth sharîf declares, ‘To disclose the favours that have been bestowed by Allâhu ta’âlâ
is a way of expressing thanks for them.’
Boasting is harâm. If he attributes the good qualities and the favours on him
to himself and does not think that Allâhu ta’âlâ gives them to him, this is
called boasting or tazkiya-i
nafs. If he believes that all of what
he has came from Allâhu ta’âlâ and thinks how defective he himself is, this is shukr (thanksgiving).
“Men approach Allâhu ta’âlâ only through His
attraction (jadhba). If He attracts directly, without any intermediary,
this is called ijtibâ’. His indirect attraction is of two kinds: attraction
by means of ’ibâdât and riyâdât,[1]
which is called sulûk, and attraction through the suhba of a rehber. The
basic cause of attraction is man’s own abilities (isti’dâd), which have been
endowed to men during their creation. These abilities vary with every person.
The greatest obstacle that prevents man from approaching Allâhu ta’âlâ is
composed of the desires of his nafs and the needs and evils of his body. The
second obstacle is the inattention (ghafla) of the latîfas of the ’âlam al-amr towards themselves and towards Allah. ’Ibâdât and
riyâdât that will make one approach Allâhu ta’âlâ should be assigned to him by
a rehber. Not only the nafs and the body attain tadhkiya (purification of bad
qualities) by means of riyâdât and ’ibâdât, but also the latifas of ’âlam
al-amr are cleared of the darkness caused by substances of the body and by
[1] Since the effects of the duties on the way of tasawwuf are confirmed, performance of supererogatory ’ibâdât as riyâdât is preferred.
the nafs and get saved from being ghâfil. The sulûk is
the first step to be taken in most ways of tasawwuf, and the two obstacles are
cleared away. Thus the five latîfas of the ’âlam al-amr become purified, and
the nafs gets embellished with good morals called al-maqâmât al-’ashara. Then the rehber attracts (jadhb) the sâlik (one busy
with sulûk) to Allâhu ta’âlâ. This sâlik [at this state of jadhba] is called sâlik al-majdhûb. And this progression of this is called as-sair al-âfâqî, because the rehber understands the purification of
the sâlik by seeing into the ’âlam al-mithâl. This sair (progression, journey)
is full of difficulties and takes a long time. Allâhu ta’âlâ inspired (ilhâm)
Bahâ’ ad-dîn al-Bukhârî to take jadhba before sulûk. [On his way,] one first
performs -under tawajjuh- dhikr in every latîfa and gets annihilated in every
latîfa. This is called as-sair
al-anfusî. Most of the as-sair
al-âfâqî happens along with it. Then comes riyâdât to purify the nafs and the
body. The sâlik at this state is called majdhûb as-sâlik. This
sair is easy and quick. Those who are deficient and ignorant either do not
advance or advance very little by means of doing ’ibâdât [assigned] by
themselves, because the thawâb for their ’ibâdât is very little. They may reach
only the lowest degree of wilâya after performing ’ibâdât for fifty years.
Hence, wilâya cannot be attained only by mujâhada (striving) and riyâdât.
’Ibâdât and riyâdât are helpful if they are compatible with the Sunna.
Therefore, it is a must to abstain from bida’. A hadîth sharîf declares,
‘Words (advice, al-amru bi’l-ma’rûf) one gives but does not do himself are not
acceptable. Deeds done without [a
good] resolution are not
acceptable. None of them are acceptable if they are incompatible with the
Sunna.’ That is, none of them
deserves thawâb. ’Ibâdât and riyâdât should be not difficult or strenuous but
be in accord with the Sunna.
“Question: ‘It is seen that those who undertake very heavy
riyâdât make good progress and show kashfs and karâmas. How would you explain
this?’
“Answer: Kashf, karâma and success (tasarruf) in worldly
affairs can be obtained by undertaking riyâdât. Ancient Greek philosophers and
Indian priests undertook austerities for this purpose. Men of Allah do not
attach any importance to such results. It is possible to save the nafs from
evils, or to kill the [inner] satan, only by obeying the Sunna.
“Question: ‘As implied in your answer, no one should become a
walî in those ways of tasawwuf in which only riyâda is
undertaken. How would you explain this?’
“Answer: All the ways of tasawwuf follow the Sunna. Although
a bid’a has been introduced in some of them, their following the sunnas in many
respects may cancel the harm caused by bid’a. This introduction of bid’a is due
to the mistake in their ijtihâds. A mujtahid’s mistakes are forgivable. The
faults of ignoramuses and liars are not forgivable, and such people always
suffer a loss.
“Everyone, defective or perfect, may attain much faid
from a more perfect person. Wilâya can only be attained in the suhba of a
perfect master. The suhba of defective, ignorant people cannot make anybody
attain wilâya, because they do not have any relationship with Allâhu ta’âlâ. A
perfect rehber can make people attain wilâya by transmitting the faid he gets
from Allâhu ta’âlâ to them because his zâhir is in relation with khalq (the
creatures) and his bâtin is with Haqq (Allah). The 95th âyat al-karîma of Sûrat
al-Isrâ declares, ‘If there
were angels to walk on the earth, I would send them an angel as a prophet from the heaven.’
It is for this reason that not everybody can receive faid from the Qabr
as-Sa’âda when no apparent relationship with Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu
’alaihi wa sallam) was left after his death. Thenceforth, faid has been
attained from ’ulamâ’ and rehbers, who are Rasûlullâh’s inheritors
according to the hadîth
ash-sharîf, ‘Those who are learned in the sciences of zâhir
and bâtin are the inheritors of prophets.’
“He who attains to perfection and becomes a walî can
receive faid directly from Allâhu ta’âlâ without any intermediary and makes
progress by performing ’ibâdât. The âyat al-karîma, ‘Perform sajda and come closer to Allah,’ indicates this fact. Such a walî can attain faid from
the graves of Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam) and awliyâ’ too.
“It is for the effectiveness of the suhba that prophets
have been sent from among human beings; for, the sciences of i’tiqâd and fiqh
may be learnt through angels, too. Hadîth al-Jibrîl indicates this fact, where Rasûlullâh said, ‘It was
Archangel Gabriel who came to teach you your religion.’ It is essential that a perfect relationship be
present for the suhba to be effective and to obtain faid from a rehber. And
this influence is necessary to attain wilâya.
“There have been few people of very high talents who
attained the virtue of wilâya by receiving faid from the soul of the Prophet
or from that of a walî. Such people are called
Uwâisîs. There was faid in the suhbas of as-Sahâbat al-kirâm, too, but one
suhba was not sufficient and many suhbas were necessary. The suhbas of the
awliyâ’ who came after [as-Sahâbat al-kirâm] could only be effective when
accompanied with undertaking riyâda.
“Allâhu ta’âlâ has created in men the capability of
approaching and knowing Him. This ability varies with the individual.
“After performing fards and wâjibs and abstaining from
harâms and mushtabihât, the dhikr is the most effective supererogatory (nâfila)
’ibâdât. One should always perform the dhikr of Allâhu ta’âlâ. A hadîth sharîf says, ‘What the
people of Paradise regret most is the time spent without the dhikr of Allâhu
ta’âlâ in the world.’ Allâhu ta’âlâ
cannot be approached by performing supererogatory ’ibâdât and reciting the Qur’ân al-karîm before fanâ’ an-nafs is attained. No progress can be
made with them unless the bâtin is purified. The bâtin can be purified by the
dhikr of Allah. The Hadîth
ash-sharîf declares, ‘The best dhikr is Lâ ilâha illa ’llâh.’ Therefore, one should always repeat this kalimat at-tawhîd in one’s free time. And in his remaining spare time,
one should meet and attend the suhba of the people who always think of the next
world and are sâlih. If one cannot find pious company, one should not make
friends with renegades, bid’a-followers or fâsiqs (those who commit harâms),
but read books written by the sâlih. One should not converse with those who are
ignorant of Islam, those who have set their hearts on the world and who are
lâ-madhhabî. Conversation with such people is detrimental to one’s bâtin
(heart, soul). Attending the suhba of awliyâ’ is more useful than the dhikr and
other supererogatory ’ibâdât. As-Sahâbat al-kirâm (radî-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum) used
to say, ‘Would you stay with me for sometime so that I may refresh my îmân,’
when they saw one another. Jalâl ad-dîn Rûmî (rahmat-Allâhi ’alaih) said:
‘Little time spent in the presence of
awliyâ’
Is more helpful than a century with taqwâ!’
Khwâja ’Ubaid-Allâh al-Ahrâr (rahmat-Allâhi ’alaih)
said:
‘Nâfila salât can be performed any time,
But our suhba will not be found again!’
“Somebody was recommended to attend the suhba of
Bâyazîd al-Bistâmî. ‘I am always in my Allah’s suhba,’ he said. “Bâyazîd’s
suhba is more beneficial for you,’ was replied. It was meant that he would
receive faid from Allâhu ta’âlâ proportional to his own talent and to his
relation with Him, whereas he would attain faid proportional to Bâyazîd’s high
degree [of wilâya] in Bâyazîd’s suhba.
‘Never talk with a bad companion,
He is worse than a poisonous snake!
It will not take away your life alone,
He will take away your life and faith!’ ”[1]
Muhammad Pârisâ wrote in his work Risâla-i qudsiyya, “People asked Yûsuf al-Hamadânî: ‘What shall we do if we cannot find a perfect rehber?’ He said, ‘Read their books every day,’ ” Today, to attain salvation, one should read al-Imâm ar-Rabbânî’s (rahmat-Allahi ’alaih) book Maktûbât[2] . It is very beneficial for those who wish to attain happiness.
[1] Thanâ’ullâh ad-Dahlawî, author of the Persian book Irshâd at-tâlibîn from which we have translated the above extracts, was a great walî educated by Mazhar-i Jân’i Jânan. He passed away in Paniput, India, in 1225 A.H. (1810).
[2] More than a hundred letters selected from Maktûbât are translated in our Endless Bliss.