HOW TO CHOOSE A TARIQAH (& MY PERSONAL JOURNEY)

HOW TO CHOOSE A TARIQAH AND WHY AM I A TIJANI

By: Imam Fakhruddin Owaisi

QUESTION:

As-Salam Alaykum Sidi Fakhruddin,

Could you please answer the following questions?

    - How to choose a Tariqah?

    - Why did you become a Tijani?    

Thank You.

ANSWER:

Wa Alaykum As-Salam dear Sidi,

Sorry for the delay, but I was in Morocco to visit Sayyidna Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani (RA). I just came back from there filled with the blessings of the Grand-Shaykh (RA).

To choose a Tariqah to follow, you must verify the following matters at least:

1- Is that Tariqah and its rules in accordance with the Shari’ah???

  

You will know that by seeing if any Pious Ulama follow that Tariqah and if its followers give importance to performing the Five Prayers in Jama’ah, and women wearing Hijab.

2- If the Dhikrs of that Tariqah are manageable for you?

Do not become like those people who “take a Tariqah” for “Barakah” but do not perform any of it’s Dhikrs because “they are too much”! What’s the use then? Why fool ourselves?

3- If the Tariqah is connected to the Prophet (SAW)?

This may be through a Chain (Silsilah) of Masters, or through direct Spiritual authorization from the Prophet (SAW), as with our Shaykh Sayyidna Ahmad al-Tijani (RA). Do note also that our Shaykh al-Tijani (RA) was originally a fully authorized murshid of the Khalwati Tariqah, whose chain goes back to the Prophet (SAW) via the Suhrawardi masters. His Shaykh in this Tariqah was Sidi Mahmud al-Kurdi (RA). He was also connected to the Qadiri and Shadhili Tariqahs.

However afterwards, the blessed Prophet (SAW) appeared to him in daylight and ordered him to relinquish all previous affiliations and come under his direct Prophetic Training. He then left all other Dhikrs and received the (Muhammadan Tijani) Wird from the blessed Rasul (SAW) directly. Do note that renowned scholars like Imam al-Suyuti in his Ta’yid al-Haqiqah al-‘Aliyyah and Imam al-Sha’rani in his Tabaqat confirm that some Saints of this Ummah had “no other Shaykh but the Prophet (SAW)”.

4- If the present Shaykh or representative of the Tariqah is a complete Arif-Bi’Llah or not?

Don’t follow a Mahjub (veiled one) or a Majzub (intoxicated one). The Mahjub doesn’t see Allah, and the Majzub doesn’t see His creation. Both are incomplete. A blind man cannot guide another blind man. Follow a Kamil Shaykh, a complete one. One who walks on the two feet of the Shari’ah and Haqiqah. It is important that the present Shaykh of the Order is a Kamil Wali, and not just the founder of the Tariqah, who may have passed away hundreds of years ago. It is the present Shaykh that will mentor you.

5- Also check if the present Shaykh or representative of the Tariqah can make YOU into an Arif-Bi’Llah as well?

There are many Shaykhs today who are themselves Saints, but do not have the power or permission to pass on that same sainthood to their murids.

This is because they don’t have the Batini Permission or Power from Allah to do that. Therefore, they may guide the murid to the levels of Islam and Iman, but they cannot guide him to the highest level of Ihsan (Ma’rifah), even if they wanted to.

The goal of the Sufi Tariqah is the Ma’rifah of our Creator Allah (SWT), not dreams, visions, miracles and predictions of the future. Don’t be fooled by all of that. Follow an Arif who can make you an Arif. A Knower of Allah who can make you a Knower of Allah.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse (RA) said:

و من لم ينل معرفة الرحمن

فقد ضاع عمره مدى الازمان

And whoever did not attain the Ma’rifah (Certain Knowledge) of Allah

Then he has wasted his lifetime indeed!

  

Also, DO NOT follow a Sufi Shaykh or join a Sufi Tariqah simply because:

1- The Shaykh comes from my family, my country or my race!

That’s called the ‘Yahudi attitude’. It’s the downfall of many otherwise intelligent people. Most Muslims today follow a Prophet, who is not from their race or their country! صلى الله عليه و سلم

   

2- The Shaykh displays a lot of miracles!

So what?! Magicians also do many extraordinary things. We believe in the miracles (Karamat) of the Awliya, but that is not the criteria for following anyone as a Shaykh and Guide.

3- Because somebody is forcing or pressuring me to take that Tariqah!

“There is no compulsion in Religion”, the Holy Qur’an states. You will never benefit like that. We do not take a Tariqah to impress a spouse or a friend. You take it for Allah only.

4- Because the Shaykh is a direct Descendant of the Prophet (SAW)!

If a particular ‘Shaykh’ is a Sayyid/Sharif (a descendant of the Prophet SAW), you may kiss his hands and feet, carry his shoes and love and respect him fully.

But, you do not take Ba’yah from him until he fulfills the above-mentioned criteria. This is because being a Sayyid and Sharif, does not automatically make anyone a Wali, Arif or a Murshid. Many Sharifs are themselves in need of a Complete Shaykh to guide them further!

Indeed, many of them know that, and follow a Wali-Kamil to get the Inheritance of their Grandfather (SAW) from him!

I myself saw many Sharifs following non-Sharif Shaykhs, e.g. with my own Shaykh, Mawlana al-Imam Hassan Cisse (RA). I saw them kissing his hands, although he was not even an Arab. Nobody forced them to do that, but they saw their grandfather Prophet (SAW) in their Shaykh.

5- Because the Dhikrs or Hadrah of that Tariqah is very melodious and exciting!       

   

This may attract us to a Tariqah, but it is not the criteria or the goal.  Tariqah is not taken for fun, entertainment, or passing time. It’s not a nice ‘spiritual escapade’ from ‘daily life’.

I have seen people joining Tariqahs just for “enjoying that nice dhikr’, and they never attained anything, because the goal was not ALLAH, but pleasing their own nafs!

6- Because the Tariqah has a glorious history and produced many great Awliya¸ Ulama and inspiring personalities in the past!

That’s all good, but don’t live in the past please!

Ask yourself: Is this Tariqah of any benefit today??? Can it guide me to ALLAH?

Many universities produced great Scholars in the past. But today those universities are producing nothing. We judge them by their activity today.

Tariqah is not joined as an “Identity Tag”. Don’t join a Tariqah to boast: I am a Tijani! I am a Qadiri! I am a Naqshbandi! I am Ba-Alawi! I am a Mourid! I am a Sufi!….etc!!!

Allah knows best what you really are!!!

This is what I was inspired to write for now. If you are sincere, Allah will show you the best way to Himself. Keep on making Salatu ala’n-Nabi (SAW) till then.

You asked me, why I personally took the Tariqah Tijaniyyah?

Well, it is because I applied the above-mentioned rules in my own life. From a young age, I always searched for “the best” in this Sufi Path. Not out of curiosity, but in order to emulate the best Khalifah of the Prophet (SAW) in our age. To find the closest Door to Allah and his Prophet (SAW).

My own family descends from many Ulama and Awliya, with known Shrines and venerated Tombs. In fact, we have our own “family Tariqah,” which I moved on from, with all due respect maintained.

Furthermore, I grew up in the illuminated city of al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (18 years), so I had the blessing of mixing with many of the greatest Awliya of the time who would come there throughout the year to visit the Holy Prophet (SAW).

I can say without exaggeration that there is hardly any Sufi Tariqah, who’s Dhikrs I didn’t practice, whose Gatherings I didn’t attend, and who’s Shaykhs I didn’t meet.

I happily mixed with the Shaykhs and followers of Tariqah Qadiriyyah, Shadhiliyyah, Ba-Alawiyyah, Chishtiyyah, Naqhsbandiyyah, Rifa’iyyah, Khalwatiyyah, Mevleviyyah, Suhrawardiyyah, Idrisiyyah, Sammaniyyah, Shuttariyyah…etc, with their many branches.

I met their Shaykhs, sat with them as a respectful student, visited their shrines during my travels, recited their prayers, and read their books. Indeed, people wouldn’t know what Tariqah I myself followed due to my mixing with everyone. I would be seen in all the different Zawiyahs, reciting Dhikrs and Nashids! I still cherish that sweet phase of my life.

Nevertheless, after a long (inward-based) search and close observation of the Turuq and their contemporary Shaykhs, I realized, in MY personal capacity, that there was no Shaykh or Tariqah today, closer and more beloved to Rasul-Allah (SAW) than Khatam al-Awliya Sidna Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani (RA) and the Tariqah Tijaniyyah.

I got hold of a copy of the Jawahir al-Ma’ani of Sidi Ahmad al-Tijani (after hearing about it for years as a child in Madinah) and reading it only confirmed the above. Even the way this blessed book came way was very symbolic. An indication of which direction I needed to turn.

Once my heart was set on the Tijaniyyah, I started searching in the Tijaniyyah itself for the complete Shaykh and guide. After much seeking, I realized that there was no Tijani master who could plunge his disciples into the Fat’h al-Akbar and Ma’rifah of Allah like Sahib al-Faydah Shaykh-al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse (RA). I realized that he was the greatest miracle of Shaykhuna al-Tijani (RA) and received from him (and from the Prophet SAW) that which no other Tijani Khalifah had ever received before. By now, this has become a fact of history. I read the Diwan of Shaykh Ibrahim (which I received in the blessed Rawdah in the Prophet’s Mosque of Madinah from a Nigerian visitor!), and it only confirmed my belief in him.

Indeed he appeared as the greatest Master and Shaykh of Tarbiyah in this Path. I saw many of my friends taking this Tijani-Ibrahimi Path and achieving the Ma’rifah. So I looked around at who inherited the Khilafah of Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) in Tarbiyah and the Tijani Faydah. I saw no one more renowned and greater than Shaykh Imam Hassan Cisse (RA). Many of my friends (non-Sufis and Sufis) took the Tijani Path from him and completed their Tarbiyah with him and became such Arifin that al-Shaykh-al-Akbar Ibn-Arabi would be impressed by them!

  

Then we were blessed that Imam Shaykh Hassan Cisse came to South Africa. I spent much time in his blessed company. Although I had been in the Suhbah of many Arab and non-Arab saints, there was nothing that could compare to the Presence of the Imam al-Faydah!

There were some great spiritual experiences and there was something about his Presence that shouted aloud to me: “I am not Hassan Cisse…I am (representing) Muhammadun Rasul-Allah (SAW)”. It was very clear to me! He was a complete Inheritor of the Anbiya!

Nevertheless, the nafs has its own filthy tricks, so I still did not take bay’ah, contenting myself that it is enough that I love him and recognize his Maqam!

To be frank, the idea of following a “Black Shaykh” also seemed a bit strange to me (an Asian) at that time as I knew that it could “tarnish” my image! While I personally was never into racial prejudices, but in my Asian community (who knew little or nothing about African scholars and saints); family, friends and people would think I have gone crazy following some “Sorcerer from Africa”!

The nafs said: You can visit and respect the Black Shaykh, but best not to become his disciple. It won’t work out! People will ridicule you! The pressure was too much for a young unmarried man like me. I was torn between my own recognition of the man, and my people’s lack of it!

Nevertheless, Allah blessed me that a young African Tijani Muqaddam of Shaykh Hassan, happened to become my roommate. I knew him as a friend long before he took bay’ah. He was a convert then, and had very little knowledge of Islam. Thereafter, he entered the Tariqah and ended up under Shaykh Hassan Cisse in Senegal. I had not seen him for two years since then.

Now he had returned and become my roommate. Living together, I could see the most amazing changes that had happened to him because of the Tijani Path. He was transformed from “an ignorant teenager” into an Arif-Bi’Llah. I had read the books of the greatest Sufi Gnostics, but the Knowledge of Allah that would flow from this young Muqaddam of Shaykh Hassan overshadowed anything I had read before. It was real and fresh and confirmed to me, once again, the power of the Tijani Faydah.

Nevertheless, the nafs still kept me away from taking bay’ah with a host of excuses, the PRIMARY ONE being the condition that a Tijani murid may not join non-Tijani Dhikrs or visit non-Tijani Saints for blessings, something scary for a seasoned traveler & community leader like me! I could lose a lot of friends like this, I thought.

In any case, one blessed Ramadan night, this brother told me (after many discussions):

“It is time you accept the Truth and follow it! Kill the nafs! You know the Truth very well, so why do you still hesitate to submit to it..…I tell you now and will never tell you again”.

By Allah, I heard Allah Himself say those words to me. My soul was filled with fear that truly, Allah would never guide me again if I refused to submit now. He had shown me enough signs. The time had come for slaughtering the sheep of the nafs and I immediately decided to the take the Tijani bay’ah with all its conditions. It wasn’t fard to visit all Saints or join all Dhikrs. But it was obligatory to arrive in the Divine Presence. Fearing what people would say was pointless.

Then, for a second, the nafs told me that rather than taking the Tijani Wird from my roommate, I should rather take it the directly by the great Shaykh Hassan Cissse himself through the phone. That would be the more fashionable thing to do for a “well-known Imam” like me.

Taking the Wird from an insignificant young African man with little knowledge of Shari’ah would not look appropriate “out there”.  People would think I have really gone mad. Nevertheless, I fought the nafs again, and said to myself:

“I am joining this Path in order to kill my nafs and enter into Allah’s Presence, so how can my FIRST STEP in the Tariqah be based on Ego, Pride, and nafs???”

I was not stupid, and I certainly did not wish to be a hypocrite. Otherwise, I should not even join this Tijani Path or any Sufi path for that matter.

So, I went to the Muqaddam and told him that I wish to submit and take the Tijani Wird from him. He was overjoyed and reminded me of the 5 unbreakable conditions of the Tijani Tariqah, set by the Prophet (SAW) himself. I agreed wholeheartedly, and was thereby initiated into the Path of the Seal of Muhammadan Saints (RA).

It was during the last ten nights of Ramadan, and indeed it was Laylat al-Qadr for me. I received numerous glad-tidings after that; and many difficult and back-breaking tests and trials as well. Nevertheless, it has been a most blessed journey and continues to be.

Al-Humduli’Llah, since then, I have only experienced increase after increase after increase in the understanding of Allah and His Prophet (SAW) in all the levels of Shari’ah, Tariqah, Haqiqah and Ma’rifah. As the Arab poet said:

فكان ما كان مما لست أذكره

فظن خيراً و لا تسل عن الخبر

And then what happened happened, and I cannot mention it!

So just think good and do not ask me about it

And why not, when this Tariqah and its Awrad were personally arranged by the Messenger (SAW)? As the Shaykh al-Islam of Tunisia, Sidi Ibrahim al-Rayahi (RA) said:

    

فما ظنونك بالورد الذي نظمت

يـد الـنبوة هل يبنى بلا ساس

And what do you expect of a Wird….

that was arranged by hand of the Prophet (SAW) himself!  Can it be without benefit?!

And also why not, when Sahib al-Faydah Shaykh al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse (RA) said:

ففاض منى سره فلا أحد

يقصدنى ما عرف الله الصمد

So His Divine Secret flowed from Me, and there is no one…

who comes to me, except that he will know ALLAH al-Samad!

  

To understand the magnanimity of this Divinely endowed function of Shaykh Ibrahim (RA), read the following statement of Sayyidina Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani (RA) stated:

 “There are 165,000 veils (hujub) between the individual and the Sacred Presence (Hadrat al-Quds); and 167,000 stations (maqams) between sainthood (wilayah) and gnosis (Ma’rifah)”!!!

Allahu Akbar! All of this has been made easy through the Grace of Allah and the Madad of Rasul-Allah (SAW) by Shaykhuna Barhama (RA) and the Faydat al-Tijani. We continue to swim in the oceans of the Faydah Tijaniyyah, and wish this blessing for all those we love. And Tawfiq lies with Allah only.

Before the taking the Tijani Path, we were in the Journey to Allah, after taking it and going through its Suluk and Tarbiyah, we are now traveling the Journey in Allah. This journey is never ending and cannot end  for it is the very purpose of our existence.

As the Khalifah of the Tijani Faydah in Mauritania the great Arif-Bi’Llah, Sidi al-Shaykhan bin al-Shaykh Muhammad al-Hafiz al-Shinqiti (RA) beautifully said:

    

بحر المياه كفى منه الشراب و من

بحر المعارف لا يكفي سوى الغرق

One may get sufficient drink from the Sea of Water

But from the Sea of Ma’rifah! Nothing suffices but drowning!

Since then, I have been thrice to Makkah, thrice to Madinah, thrice to Fez and thrice to Medina-Kaolack. Something to ponder about!

Anyways, this is my story, in brief, dear brother. No one has to believe it or accept my claims and understandings in it. It’s just my personal story. Allah is a witness to it!

Yes I am proudly and gratefully Tijani, but I love and honor all Tariqahs, all Muslims, all Humans and all Creation of God. كل له قانتون.

   

I pray that Allah keep us steadfast on the Path of His True Servants, which is His Own Path. Amin. Bi-Jahi Zeenat il-Hadarat (SAW).

Was-Salam

Fakhruddin al-Tijani al-Ibrahimi

 

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