CONDITIONS OF TARIQAH TIJANIYYAH

QUESTION:

Assalamu Alaykum Imam,

What are the conditions I must present to a person who wishes to take the Tijani Tariqah from me, since I have been made a Muqaddam now?

ANSWER:

As-Salam Alaykum Sidi,

In order to give Bay'ah in the honorable Tijani Path, you need to make the person understand and accept the uncompromisable Muhammadan conditions of the Tariqah Tijaniyyah. Then you can initiate him, with the Permission you have from a complete Tijani Shaykh.

The conditions are:

1.     Keep up the Tijani Awrad till death

2.     Keep up the 5 daily prayers (if possible in Jama'ah) and all obligations in Islamic      
        Shariah

3.     Don’t take or practice any Dhikr from any non-Tijani Awliya, while respecting them
        fully. You must leave all other previous Dhikrs you had as well.

4.     Don’t visit any non-Tijani Wali, living or dead for spiritual help, but love them all

5.     Obey parents completely

Do note that these conditions were prescribed by Sayyid al-Wujud (SAW) himself to Shaykhuna al-Qutb al-Maktum Sidi Ahmad al-Tijani (RA).

Let the student know that very well.

was-salam

your servant in the Path of Allah

Fakhruddin al-Tijani

SPREADING OUT THE WHITE CLOTH IN WAZIFA

QUESTION


Salam Alaikum Sheikh Sidi Fakhruddin

I would like to solve some doubts.

My first question is: when we do the Wazifah and inside it we do Jawharatul Kamal (apologize my writing) spreading out the white cloth so that the Prophet and other Khalifas come up to us, aren't we practicing, in a certain way, invocation to the dead?


Like wise when we ask for help to Sheikh Ahmed Tijani through his madad by reciting Salatul Fatihi 100 times and exposing our problems so that he gives us the answer, aren't we doing the same thing and disobeying the ayat of the Koran who says: Only Him we adore and only from Him we ask help?

It would like very much to get these answers since I have doubts in this respect.

Jazakallahu Khayr.

Ma Salam,


ANSWER

Wa Alaykum as-Salam dear brother,

Firstly, the White Cloth is put to honor the Place of Zikr, as it might be dirty. As Sidi Shaykh Ahmad bin Muhammad al-Hafiz al-Tijani of Egypt said about it:



هي رمز للطهارة

“It is a Symbol of Purity”



It is also put to honor the Angels that are present in the Place of Zikr, as confirmed in Hadith. However, the Wazifah is valid without it as well.



The late 19th Century Moroccan Scholar of the Tariqah, Sidi Muhammad bin Abdus-Salam Gannoun (RA) mentioned in his amazing work Hall al-Aqfal li-Qurra Jawharat al-Kamal (which is a detailed explanation of the Jawharah) that Sayyidna Abu-Bakr al-Siddiq (RA) and Sayyidna Uthman bin Affan (RA) used to spread sheets in certain places especially for the Angels that might be present.



Then Sidi Gannoun (RA) – who was also the Imam of the Fez Zawiyah - writes:



إذا كان هذا في حضور الملائكة فكيف مع حضوره صلى الله عليه وسلم بل لو فرش الإنسان حينئذ جبينه أو قلبه أو مقلته لحق له ذلك

 “If this was the case with the Presence of the Angels, then what about the Presence of the Prophet (SAW)! Indeed, if a person spreads his forehead or eyes or heart (for the Prophet SAW), it would only be due (respect for him)”


So understand the Way of the People of Adab!

Secondly, There is no “invocation to the dead”.

Please ponder on your words.


Invocation means, “Praying” or ‘Summoning”. We do not pray to the Prophet (SAW) and the Khulafa or Summon them.

Their presence in the Wazifah is by their choice and is a spiritual matter. There are times when the entire Wazifah is recited but the Prophet (SAW) may not be present himself because of the dirtiness of the place or the dirtiness of the hearts.

Also ponder on your words, “Dead”. This is a secular materialistic way of speaking.

In Islam it is Haram to call the Prophets and Saints “Dead”. You may say that they ‘died’, but you cannot say they are ‘Dead’.

This is because Allah (SAW) clearly states in an Ayah of the Holy Qur’an:

وَلَا تَقُوۡلُوۡا لِمَنْ یُّقْتَلُ فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللہِ اَمْوَاتٌ  بَلْ اَحْیَآءٌ

“And do not call those who are killed in the way of Allah as DEAD. Nay, they are ALIVE”.

Surah al-Baqarah (2): 154

And in another blessed Ayah:

وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ قُتِلُوۡا فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللہِ اَمْوَاتًا بَلْ اَحْیَآءٌ

“And do not think that those who are killed in the way of Allah as DEAD. Nay, they are ALIVE”.

Surah Aal Imran (3):169

However, in the times we live in, people have become soo worldly and materialistic that they openly disobey and deny these Verses of the Qur’an.

You see a bearded man standing next to the Blessed Tomb of the Prophet (SAW) telling the Visitors: ‘Why do you visit this dead man’. Astaghfir-Allah!

Indeed such people are the real dead ones.

As for the Prophets and Saints, they are perfectly Alive in the Spiritual World, in which the possibilities are endless.

So be careful of your words my dear brother. Do not get influenced by those who don’t really believe in the Qur’an, although they think they do.

As for reciting the 100 Salat al-Fatih then consulting with the Ruh of Shaykh Ahmad Tijani (RA) for an answer to your problems.

I ask you: Isn’t doing that permissible when the Shaykh was physically ‘alive’?

Of course yes. Therefore, there is nothing wrong in doing it after he dies as well, because he is still alive.

Also remember that it was always his Ruh (Spirit) that we spoke to, even when the Shaykh was physically alive. So the body and its death don’t matter to Spiritual people.

Of course, such a spiritual consultation only works for those people who are spiritually alive and have a strong spiritual connection to our Shaykh (RA).  One cannot advise an ordinary Muslim or non-Tijani to do it, as it is a special practice for special people only.

And of course, whether we consult the Shaykh or anyone else, we are still only worshipping Allah and seeing His Help, as long as we know that nothing can happen without the Power and Permission of Allah.


In the same Surat al-Fatihah, Allah has asked us to follow the Path of those whom He has blessed i.e. the Anbiya and Awliya. So, there is nothing wrong in consulting them.

Was-Salam

Servant of the Tijani Door,

Fakhruddin bin Ahmad al-Tijani

MUST WOMEN READ WAZIFAH LOUDLY OR SOFTLY, AND HOW MUST THEY DRESS WHEN READING IT?

QUESTION

Salam Alaykum Imam,

Must women read Wazifah loudly or softly, and how must they dress when reading it? Can they wear night clothes?

ANSWER

Wa Alaykum As-Salam ya habibi,

1-Women must read softly when in the presence of men but may read loudly when alone.

An exception may be made if a women becomes ecstatic and loses herself in the Dhikr, but an exception remains an exception, not a rule.

This has been CLEARLY stated by Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (RA).

2- One should try to dress appropriately for the Sacred Wazifah in all circumstances. A woman must cover properly. Night clothes are not appropriate for men or women. Do wear something extra...e.g. a shawl and a skullcap.

Note that the Prophet (SAW) and the 4 Khalifahs are present during the Wazifah!!!

If one keeps this point in mind, then all other etiquette will be observed naturally.

Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) mentions in the beginning of the Ruh al-Adab that when we commence our Adhkar, we must display proper Adab outwardly and inwardly.

May Allah grant us all the Tawfiq for that.Amen.

Servant of the Tijani Door

Fakhruddin al-Tijani al-Ibrahimi