The

Chishti Nizami Habibi Soofie 

International Sufi Order

Pietermaritzburg

South Africa

786/92

YA PIR, YA HAFIZ, YA HABIB.

WHY IS THERE A NEED TO BECOME A MUREED?

IS IT NOT SUFFICIENT TO BE A MUSLIM?

The Holy Qur'aan says Sura 53^rd Sura an- Najm النَّجْم [The Star] in Verse 42:

وَأَنَّ إِلَى رَبِّكَ الْمُنتَهَى

اور یہ کہ (بالآخر سب کو) آپ کے رب ہی کی طرف پہنچنا ہے

To Allah Y   is the final goal

And the Holy Qur'aan  also says in the  5^th Sura, al-Mā’idah الْمَآئِدَة (the Table spread) in verse 35:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَابْتَغُواْ إِلَيهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ وَجَاهِدُواْ فِي سَبِيلِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُون

اے ایمان والو! اﷲ سے ڈرتے رہو اور اس (کے حضور) تک (تقرب اور رسائی کا) وسیلہ تلاش کرو اور اس کی راہ میں جہاد کرو تاکہ تم فلاح پاجاؤ

O Believers! Fear Allah Y   persistently and keep looking for means to (approach and get closer to) Him and strive hard in His way so that you may prosper.

It is not imperative to become a mureed in the sense that it is a decree of the religious law, or that it has been prescribed as an indispensable condition for salvation in the Hereafter. In the same way it may be asked if it is absolutely necessary to educate ones children? It is not absolutely necessary, but it is imperative in the sense that without it many latent qualities of the children will never be developed and they will never bloom into that perfection of which they are truly capable. Likewise the believer who does not set foot on the path which leads to nearness of Allah , or does not derive some encouragement and inspiration from others who do so, still remains a believer but is deprived of the priceless boon of that closer intimacy with his Maker and the deeper understanding and more excellent performance of His  commands which lies potentially within him.

Reading books including the Qur'aan and Hadith can never be a substitute for suhbat or association with those experienced travellers who have completed their journey along the road , reached their goal and have now returned to guide others on the same. Hence the status of the the believing associates in the physical company of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e  are called  sahaba, a word derived from suhba or Companionship. This applies specifically to the spiritual relationship which exists between Shaykh and murid. It is a profound mutual love based on pure love of Allah Y. A transfer of condition, from the heart in the form of spiritual waves; which penetrate the heart. No other followers of the Holy Prophet e can reach the status of His Companions (Sahaaba). How did they achieve this excellence in status that no non-companion can surpass? If the answer is ‘due to their knowledge (ilm)’ then I can name great scholars (ulama) that surpassed the Sahaaba in intellectual pursuit, e.g. Imam Abu Hanifa t), (Imam e Aazam Imam Shafei t, Imam Maalik t. If you say, ‘the Sahaba attained their status due to Religious Striving (riyaazat o mujaheda)’ then I can name great non-Sahaaba that surpassed the Sahaaba in Religious Striving (riyaazat o mujaheda). E.g. research how Shaykh Abd Al-Qaadir Jilaani t (Ghaws al-Azam) and Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti t strove in the path of Allah Y? So, how did they achieve this excellence in status that no non-companion can surpass? The answer is that they were close to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. The ones that are close possess a unique status. To further clarify what I am saying I present an example. Light a candle here and you stand there against the wall and notice your shadow, thrown due to the light of the candle, will be equal your body size. Slowly walk towards the candle and you will see your shadow grow, as you get closer to the light. If you step away from the light your shadow will get smaller. If you come very close then the entire room will have your shadow. So the Sahaaba were so close to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e that if we want to be close to him, we have to be in the shadow of the Silsila.

Extreme love of the Holy Prophet e is a guarantee of success in the hereafter, so if you learn about him you will come to know him. This is also the means to achieve proximity to Allah Y. Allah Y says in the 33rd Sura al-Ahzaab الْأَحْزَاب (the Confederates) in verse71:

وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا

And whoever obeys Allah Y   and His Holy Messenger e (out of love) will surely achieve a great success.

طَعَ in Arabic is willing obedience out of love. One can only obey somebody willingly when one loves them. By obeying Allah Y   and his Messenger one gets success in this life and the next. It is mentioned in Hadith that a group of people came to the Holy Prophet e and said:

We love Allah Y 

Then the 3rd Sura, Aal-i- Imraan آل عِمْرَان [The Family of ‘Imraan] Verse 31 was revealed:

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Tell them My Beloved e! If you do love Allah Y, imitate me (love me and build up your moral and spiritual life on my imitation): Allah Y will love you and forgive your sins: For Allah Y   is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.  

The ihsaan of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e on us is, much greater than the ihsaan of our parents. He has secured for us eternal life if we believe in him. It is a condition of Iman to love the Holy Prophet e and a condition of protection of Iman to love him more than any creation, because loving him becomes a cause for being saved from the hell-fire.  Abu Nuaim t reports (a khabar) that he said to Abdur Rahman ibn Umar t:

Ya ibn Umar t, I would have loved to have seen the Messenger of Allah e!

Ibn Umar t asked him:

What you would have done had seen him?

 Abu Nuaim t said:

I would have believed in him and kissed between his forehead out of love of him

  Ibn Umar t said:

You want me to give you some good news?

Abu Nuaim t said:

Yes! O Abdur Rahman.

Ibn Umar t said that he heard the Holy Prophet Muhammad e say:

My love does not permeate the heart of anyone until Allah Y prohibits the fire from touching his body

The heart pumps blood to all parts of thee body. The fact is that the love of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e is flowing in your veins and is flowing in your cellular structure.  One of the things about love is that when the beloved is mentioned to the lover, they start sweating. In other words there is a physiological response to their love. It is stated that the color of Imam Maalik t[i]’s skin changed when he heard the name of the Holy Prophet e. It indicates that the love of the Messenger of Allah Y was flowing in the entire body and there were physiological manifestations of that love. The fact that it is flowing in the body means that the fire cannot touch it; because that love is permeating in the cells of your body. So Allah Y will make the fire forbidden for one in whom the Holy Prophet e’s love has mixed in their body. That is an amazing gift because Hazrath Anas t relates in Ahadith reported by both Bukhari and Muslim which says as reported in Bukhari:

صحيح بخاري / كِتَاب ‏ ‏الْأَدَبِ ‏

‏ ‏بَاب ‏ ‏عَلَامَةِ حُبِّ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ‏ ‏لِقَوْلِهِ ‏ ‏إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمْ اللَّهُ ‏

‏ ‏حَدَّثَنَا ‏ ‏عَبْدَانُ ‏ ‏أَخْبَرَنَا ‏ ‏أَبِي ‏ ‏عَنْ ‏ ‏شُعْبَةَ ‏ ‏عَنْ ‏ ‏عَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ ‏ ‏عَنْ ‏ ‏سَالِمِ بْنِ أَبِي الْجَعْدِ ‏ ‏عَنْ ‏ ‏أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ‏

‏أَنَّ رَجُلًا سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ ‏ ‏صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ‏ ‏مَتَى السَّاعَةُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ مَا أَعْدَدْتَ لَهَا قَالَ مَا أَعْدَدْتُ لَهَا مِنْ كَثِيرِ صَلَاةٍ وَلَا صَوْمٍ وَلَا صَدَقَةٍ وَلَكِنِّي أُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ قَالَ ‏ ‏أَنْتَ مَعَ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ ‏

Narrated Anas bin Malik t: A man asked the Holy Prophet e “When will the Hour be established O Allah's Messenger?" The Holy Prophet e said, "What have you prepared for it?" The man said, “I haven't prepared for it much of prayers or fast or alms, but I love Allah Y   and His Messenger e." The Holy Prophet e said, "You will be with those whom you love."

 [Sahih Bukhari, Maktaba Dar us Salam, July1997, King Fahd National Library, Vol 8, The Book of Al-Adab (Good Manners), Chapter 96, Page 111, Hadith Number 6171]

In the Version in Muslim Hazrath Anas t said:

قَالَ ‏ ‏أَنَسٌ ‏ ‏فَمَا فَرِحْنَا بَعْدَ الْإِسْلَامِ فَرَحًا أَشَدَّ مِنْ قَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ ‏ ‏صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ‏ ‏فَإِنَّكَ مَعَ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ

Anas t said: Nothing made us rejoice more after accepting Islam than the words of the Messenger of Allah e

‏ ‏فَإِنَّكَ مَعَ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ

You would be along with one whom you love.

[Sahih Muslim, Maktaba Dar us Salam, August 2007, King Fahd National Library, Vol 6, The Book of Al-Birr…, Chapter 50, Page 499, Hadith Number 6713]

Naturally they rejoiced for all the Companions had extreme love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad e and this guaranteed they will be with him after death.

Extreme love of the Holy Prophet e is a guarantee of success in the hereafter, so if you learn about him you will come to know him.

The Holy Prophet eis asked by Allah Y to proclaim:

 ‘If you want to bring the love of Allah Y  close to you then get close to me.’

Let me present an example for your understanding. E.g. stand in front of a mirror, look at your reflection and then call your reflection. Try to entice it, threaten it or shout at it to come to you. All these methods will not work.  The only method to get close to the reflection is to approach the mirror and get close to it. You take one step and you will find the reflection taking a step. You walk slowly it will walk slowly. You go running it will come running. If one embraces the mirror the reflection will embrace one. If you cannot call your own reflection then how will you summon the love of Allah Y? So it was difficult to attain Allah Y’s love. Allah was generous (karam) to us he kept The Mirror That Reflects Allah Y (aina-e-haqnuma) beneath the Green Dome of Madinah, the illuminated. If you want to see The Radiations of Allah Y (tajalliat)[ii] then this is ‘The Mirror’ (aina-e-haqnuma). As you approach this mirror the love of Allah Y will approach you. You take one step towards the mirror and you will find the Love of Allah Y taking a step towards you. You walk slowly towards the mirror the love of Allah Y will walk slowly towards you. You go running it will come running to you. If you stand in the shade of the Green Dome of Madinah then know that you have come into the embrace of the love of Allah Y. So the ‘Person Of The Holy Prophet e’ (zaat e Mustafa) has been made the ‘Main Center’ (markaz) and every aspirant who desires Allah Y’s love is being asked to journey towards him, keep his eye on him and the beauty is that following (itteba) is impossible if one does not keep ones gaze fixed on the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e has been made the ‘Main Center’ (markaz) and a markaz is necessary.

WHY ASSOCIATION?

Firstly one who is not aware of his goal is unable to direct himself. He will not know whether he is going towards it or away from it.

 Secondly one cannot chart a course for oneself but must rely on the seasoned traveller. Not only the goal but the way is unknown.

 Thirdly, every system of instruction is for general needs (awaam) but a special teacher can prescribe for individual special (khaas) needs. Fourthly, human beings are naturally weak and inconsistent. The teacher fixes times and prescribes quantities (wird and wazaif).Respect and love for the teacher and fear of his displeasure serves as the greatest incentive for hard work.

Fifthly if the teacher is accomplished (kamil) in his field the pupil is inspired by his example and admiration drives him to copy his excellence. When the admiration becomes love all incentives are merged together and become a driving force.

Remember the Sheik- Murid relationship is infinitely deeper. The qualified Sheik possesses a gift from Allah, the power of transference (faiz) from the always full vessel of his heart. This spiritual action can be compared to a mother giving milk to her child. Those obedient disciples who gain the spiritual attention of the Sheik (tawajjuh) benefit. Like a gardener who prunes the tree, thereby removing undesirable growth, to ensure balanced and beautiful growth, the Sheik prunes the Murid so that he may grow in spiritual stature. This process is called tazkiyah in Sufi circles. This word means pruning in Arabic.

Allah Y  and the Holy Prophet Muhammad e  know best

Irshad Soofi

Tuesday, 07 June 2011