Shaykh Ahmed er Rifai

Teachings

Mujahada: Striving Against Your Nafs

Bismillah er Rahman er Rahim

I struggled against my nafs (egoistic self; man’s animal nature). I realized on the paths I followed that
there are no better deeds acceptable to the Divine than the ones done in accord with the  sunna (way or
exemplary actions) of the Prophet, peace be upon him.
It is related that Haqq (The True; Allah’s name or attribute Al Haqq) the Most High told Musa (Moses),
peace be upon him, “O Musa, you must approach Me with entities that do not exist within My
treasures and ask for My nearness with them.” Musa said, “O Lord! What can possibly be missing in
your treasures?” Upon this, the Divine address was heard, “My treasures are full of  azamat (greatness)
and jabbarut (compelling power), but there is no humility, broken-heartedness nor poverty. I am very
close to the broken-hearted. O, Musa, no one can earn closeness to Me better than with these things.”
Those who earn nearness to Allah undoubtedly respect Allah very much and they have very
good adab (manners; the correct way to act in any given situation).
To obey Allah’s orders rightfully is for hope of attainment of His nearness. To avoid Allah’s
prohibitions is for fear of Him.

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It is impossible to attain nearness to Allah without showing effort or doing good deeds. You cannot go
on the path of Allah with nafs and desire or whim, because nafs will degrade you, even at your first
step.
Know that all of your property, your nafs, your nasab (family lineage), ilm (knowledge), riches, sons,
daughters, miracles, virtues, good deeds and whatever else comes to mind are nothing but memories.
You will attain Divine nearness if you praise and thank your Master and respond to Him with humility
and poverty. If you respond to Him with ghafla (heedlessness; mindlessness; ignorance)
and takabbur (vanity; pride) you will be wronging yourself.
Those who are tactful thank and praise Allah all of the time. These people say, “Allah has granted
us ilm, I have been blessed by inspiration and talent from Allah.” They do not say, “I am better than
you, greater than you,” or “I am more honored than you.” These kinds of words and claims are
produced by nafs because of being in the lower levels. These words are produced by the language of
the stupid.
Allah the Most High says in Qur’an-i Karim (The Generous Qur’an), “washkuruli wa la takfurun.”
(“Be thankful to Me and do not be ungrateful.”) (Sura Baqara 2:152)
Those who have tact do not claim any superiority over others. What are you bragging about? Your
father? Your father is Adam, peace be upon him, and most of his children are unbelievers. Some of the
children of the prophets are like this. Are you bragging about your ilm? Shaytan (Satan) has read all the
pages of existence. What kind of situation is he in? Are you proud of your riches? Qaruun (Korah,
Pharaoh’s slave-driver) was stricken with the affliction of having a lot of riches and then met with
oblivion.
On the other hand, let us examine these incidents:
Ibrahim (Abraham), peace be upon him, was spared from burning in the fire because he depended on
Allah.
Musa, peace be upon him, won over Pharaoh by admitting to Allah his poverty.
Yunus (Jonah), peace be upon him, saved his honor and name through niyya (intention; direction of
will) to Allah, saying, “La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz zalimin.” (“There is no God save
You! Be You glorified! Lo! I have been a wrongdoer.” (Sura Anbiya 21:87) Again, by surrendering to the
divine decree and by his obedience, his trust in Allah proved right.
Prophets, messengers, awliya (protecting friends; saints), siddiqs (truthful, loyal ones), salihs (sinless
pure ones; sincere ones) are all in this way.
If you consider yourself an alim (person of knowledge; scholar), but in fact are ignorant and call
yourself one who has reached Haqq, but in fact are in separation, do not blame anyone else.

Mujahada Cont'd. / Spiritual Advice from Shaykh Ahmed Rifai

I cannot tell you to leave the means of making a living or to stay away from trade and crafts. This is
your livelihood. Only observe Allah’s rights and wrongs when doing these things.
Again, I cannot tell you to ignore your family and relatives, only to make sure that they do not take your
focus away from Allah. I cannot tell you not to dress well, only urge that you do not do this to show off
or claim superiority against the poor who cannot do that. Do not dress up to flaunt your body. This

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may lead you to falling into the pit of vanity. Otherwise, act basically according to the  ayat (verse), “Qul
man harrama ziynatallahillati akhraja li ibadihi wattayyibati minal rizq.” (“Say, who forbids adornments
and good nourishment that Allah produced for his servants.”) (Sura A’raf 7:32) It is not forbidden to
dress well and eat delicious food, but it is advised that you do not focus on them and fall into ghafla.
Clean and tidy up your hearts. This is much better than concentrating on outer garments. Allah’s gaze is
not at your garments, but into your heart.
Do not fall into the bala (calamity; misfortune; trial) of vanity; know that pride and haughtiness are
invitations for destruction. There is no way to the proximity of Allah for those who see everyone else
lower and themselves higher. We are all poor creatures of Allah. Our beginning is a secretion
considered a pollutant and our end is a rotting corpse, also considered a pollutant. The honor of our
materiality is with aql (intelligence; mind; the power of understanding and discrimination). Aql is
considered aql if it can take its nafs under control and keep it from transgressing the limits; otherwise it
cannot be called “aql.” It happens like that in gemstones as well. A person without aql is left in a state
of impurity without a gem in him, and this way he cannot proceed to a spiritual level or deserve
a maqam (station; spiritual level).
What aql is supposed to do is save a person from ananiya (egotism). If it cannot save him from false
claims, that aql loses its level of highness.
Knowing that we are created from earth and will go back into earth, the course we should take has to
be one that is befitting the “between the beginning and the end” condition we are in. The divine
preacher is present in each Muslim’s heart. If a person does not have preaching and advice from
himself to himself, he will not benefit from any advice given to him by anyone else. How can the one
who is unaware benefit from admonishment?
Please get your share of the advice that I am giving. “Whoever hides what he knows of the
beneficial ilm will have a bridle of fire put on him on the Judgment Day.” Because I overpowered
my nafs, it did not transgress. My person is happy now. When you, too, overpower your nafs and stop
worrying about money, ancestral lineage, honor, property and possessions, you will be happy as well.
My appeal to you is that if you do not check your nafs in every breath, they will not add you into the
book of Insan-i Kamil (True or Mature Human Being in the intended sense by Allah).
When Allah sees that one of His servants is fit for love, He shows him his state of incompleteness and
puts compassion and softness for all creation in his heart. He gets him used to being generous, his hand
to being giving and his heart to being merciful. To make him abhor his nafs, He shows him his
indecencies and makes his nafs lowly in his eyes.
Arifs (knowers, in the spiritual or inner sense) are in a constant state of melancholy, while the common
people are joyful. But they [arifs] never fall into grief and they live a surrendered life. They speak less,
cry a lot, laugh little and they want nothing but their real Beloved. They value nothing or hold nothing
in importance except the annihilation of their indecencies and sins.
— excerpt from El Burhan ul Mueyyed (Confirmed Miracles), translated by Shaykh Taner Ansari

Advice from Shaykh Ahmed Rifai

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It is advisable that you should stay away from some manners and make some manners your own:
•Jealousy is wanting people not to have what Allah has given them.
•Being conceited is thinking that you are better and above others.
•Lying is saying things that do not exist and trying to use that for your own benefit.
•Backbiting is talking badly about humanity.
•Greed is not being able to get your fill of worldly life.
•Wrath is boiling your blood for revenge (getting heated up and wanting revenge).
•Hypocrisy is acting superficial and being two-faced.
•Cruelty is following your nafs’ lust and pleasure.
•Try to diet to clean your soul (do not eat too much) to change a bad day and bad situation to a good
day and a good situation. (If you do not diet, your nafs will be dominant; you can exchange this for a
better day if you diet.)
•Time is a sword. If you do not pass your time with good and beautiful actions, it will cut you. You will
be judged according to your actions.
•Being on friendly terms with Allah is the greatest wealth. Being on friendly terms with things that are
going to die and with people whose hearts are dead is the greatest poverty.
•One should not complain to Allah. A wise and mature person does not complain to Allah.
•The actions of wise people are for Allah’s good pleasure. They do not want anything from Him for
their nafs.

Shaykh Ahmed er Rifai

Biography

Seyyid Ahmed er Rifai was born in the first half of Rajab in the Muslim year of 512 AH (1119
CE) on a Thursday. His birthplace was in the town of Ummu Abeyde, in the township of Beta,
in the province of Basra, Iraq. Hz. (for Hazreti, meaning the Honorable) Ahmed Rifai passed to
the other side on Thursday, Jamadi al-Awwal 22, 578 AH (1183 CE), in the town of Wasit, in
Basra, Iraq. His father was Seyyid Ali Abul Hasan. His mother was Fatima ul-Anseri bint Yahya
Nijjeri. His Shaykh was Aleyyul Vasiti. His maternal uncle, who helped raise him, was Shaykh
Mansur Rabbani.

Shaykh Ahmed Rifai

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Ahmed Rifai was related by blood to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on both his
father's and mother's sides. His paternal lineage was Seyyid Ahmed er Rufai, Ibni Seyyid Ali,
Ibni Seyyid Yahya, Ibni Seyyid Sabit, Ibni Seyyid Hazim, Ibni Seyyid Ali, Ibni Seyyid
Ebilmekerim Rufael Hasanulmekki, Ibni Elseyyit Mehdi, Ibni Esseyyit Mehmet Ebi Kasim, Ibni
Esseyyit Elhasan, Ibni Esseyyit Elhuseyin, Ibni Esseyyit Ahmet, Ibni Esseyyit Musa ul-Sani,
Ibni Esseyyit Imam Ibrahimulmurtaza, Ibni Imam Musa-ulkazim, Imam Jaferi Sadik, Ibni Imam
Muhammad Bakir, Ibni Imam Zeynelabidin, Ibni Imam Husayn, Ibni Emirulmuminin Ali Al
Murtaza.
Before Ahmed Rifai's birth, his maternal uncle, a famous shaykh, Mansur Rabbani, had a vision
of our Prophet Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) and was told that his sister would have a male child
who would be famous and be known by the name "Rifai." When the child reached the proper
age for Sufism, he should be sent to Shaykh Aleyyul Vasiti for education and training.
Ahmed Rifai's father passed away when his son was 7 years old. Seyyid Ali died in 519 AH and
was buried in Baghdad. Ahmed Rifai's maternal uncle started taking care of the little boy. After
a while he was sent to Shaykh Vasiti in accordance with his uncle's vision. Ahmed Rifai showed
ability and wisdom beyond his age when he began his education under Shaykh Vasiti. He
acquired a high maqam (spiritual station) by explaining the book of the Shafi school
called Tanbih. Shaykh Mansur said that all during Ahmed Rifai’s stay with him, he saw many
miracles come through the boy and that many blessings came through him for everyone.

One of the most widely known miracles associated with Hz. Shaykh Rifai is the one that give
him the name Abul Alemeyin (Father of Two Banners). In the year 555 AH, when he was 43
years old, Hz. Rifai went on hajj (pilgrimage). He didn't wear the usual traveling clothes

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of seyyids, or the relatives of the Prophet [pbuh] (seyyids were recognizable by their clothing).
There is a certain section of the Prophet's (pbuh) tomb in Medina that only blood relatives of
the Prophet (pbuh) may enter. The guard at the door would not allow him in, as he wanted to
have proof that Ahmed Rifai was related to the Prophet (pbuh). Hz. Rifai became downhearted
and called out towards our Prophet's (pbuh) tomb, "As-salaamu alaykum, ya jeddi (Peace be on
you, my ancestor)." Our Prophet (pbuh) answered, "Walaykum salaam, ya waladi (And peace be
on you, my son)." Muhammad's (pbuh) hand came out of the tomb, and our Pir kissed the
Prophet's (pbuh) hand. When people saw this miracle, they went into a state of wajd (ecstasy)
and began stabbing themselves with their swords and knives. When the ecstasy passed, there
were people lying all about covered with blood, and Ahmed Rifai returned them to their normal
health. After that, our Pir was famous for possessing this gift.
Shaykh Ahmed Rifai is known as one of the four major aqtab-i erbaa (qutbs of the time, which
is the highest spiritual station after the prophets and messengers). Another major qutb was his
cousin Abdul Qadir al Geylani.

One day someone asked Abdul Qadir Geylani "Ya Hazreti (O Honorable Sir), what is love?"
Hz. Geylani told the person to go ask this question to Seyyid Ahmed er Rifai. After sending
Hz. Geylani's salaams (greetings of peace) to Hz. Rifai, he asked, "What is love?" When Ahmed
Rifai heard this question, he stood up, saying, "Love is fire, love is fire." He began whirling until
he disappeared into the unseen. When the person saw this, he was disturbed because he didn't
understand what was happening. At that moment, the spiritual presence of Abdul Qadir
Geylani appeared and told him to look for the spot from where his cousin Ahmed Rifai had
vanished, and to pour rosewater on that spot. The person did this, and within a couple of
moments Seyyid Ahmed Rifai appeared, whirling in the exact same place. When the man went
back to Baghdad, he visited Hz. Geylani, who asked him, "Did you see love? My brother Seyyid
Rifai has reached stations that many walis (protecting friends; saints) have not been able to
reach."
Seyyid Ahmed Rifai also deeply loved and respected Abdul Qadir Geylani and told his students
that whoever visited Baghdad without visiting Hz. Geylani's tomb would not be welcome by
Allah or by them.

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 Shaykhs Abdul Qadir Geylani and Ahmed Rifai

Abu Musa al Haddadi said that in the town of Haddadiye there was a woman whose children
were always stillborn. This lady said, “If I have a child, I will give this child to the service of
Ahmed Rifai." A few years later she had a daughter who was hunchbacked and lame, and the
other children in the village always made fun of her. One day, Ahmed Rifai was visiting this
town and all the villagers went to the road to see him. The little girl threw herself at Rifai's feet
and cried out, "You are my mother's Shaykh; please heal me from these problems!" and wept.
When Hz. Rifai saw her situation he cried as well, and praying over her, he placed his hands on
her back and head. The girl's back and leg were both healed. This is why Ahmed er Rifai is
called Beynennas or Abul Arca, the Father of the Lame.
One Friday, Hz. Rifai was sleeping and woke to find that it was time for prayer. However, there
was a cat asleep on his robe. He asked his wife for some scissors, cut off the part of his robe
where the cat lay, and stood up and went to prayers. When he returned, the cat had awakened
and left, so he asked his wife for thread to sew the robe back together. When he saw his wife's
displeasure at what he had done to his robe, he said "Do not worry, nothing but goodness
happened and I did not suffer because of this; this was a good thing."
Once, Ahmed Rifai spent forty days caring for a dog with leprosy in the wilderness. When he
returned and was asked why he had spent so much time caring for an unclean beast, he replied,
"When I die and meet my Maker, what would I have said if He asked me why I hadn't helped
one of His creatures?"

Lineage of the Ansari Qadiri Rifai Tariqa

The AQRT can be traced back to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through several
Sufi saints. The founding pirs are Abdul Qadir Geylani and Ahmed er Rifai, who were cousins,

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and lived around Baghdad in the late 11th-early 12th century CE. Each founded
a tariqa (school; order) of Sufism to address the different needs of spiritual seekers.
The Qadiri and Rifai orders evolved independently, and in the 19th century circumstances
brought together Shaykh Muhammad Ansari, a high ranking shaykh (teacher) of the Rifai
Order, and Shaykh Abdullah Hashimi of the Qadiri Order. These two Sufi saints were guided
to bring together the teachings and practices of both Tariqas to form a new school relevant to
the modern world. They named the new order the Qadiri Rifai Tariqa.
The present murshid, or spiritual leader, of our Tariqa, Shaykh Taner Ansari, has strong
spiritual connections with the Naqshbandi, Bektashi and Mevlevi orders through his family and
through spiritual instruction. Shaykh Taner's teacher, Shaykh Muhyiddin Ansari, directed him to
receive instruction under various shaykhs of those tariqas to complete his training.

Shaykh Abdul Qadir Geylani (l)

Shaykh Ahmed er Rifai (r)

Through Shaykh Taner Ansari, Shaykh Muhyiddin Ansari launched the Qadiri Rifai Tariqa in
the US and further refined the school. Today the order is called the Ansari Qadiri Rifai Tariqa.
We are also known as Tariqa al Ansariya (The Way of the Helpers) because of our emphasis on
service to Allah through service to all living things.

Sh. Muhyiddin Ansari

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 Sh. Haji Hamza

Sh. Sabri Hoja

Sh. Ali Baba

Concepts in Sufism

Allah says in a hadith qudsi (holy tradition, a saying attributed to, or anecdote regarding Prophet
Muhammad [peace be upon him], according to traditional eyewitness accounts), "I created some of My
servants for my zat (essence; person)." The Sufi’s goal in life is to achieve an intimate understanding of
and love for God. Tasawwuf, known in the West as Sufism, is a process of attaining closeness to the
Creator through love, which is attained by purification of the nafs (egoistic or animalistic nature). Such
a loving relationship with Allah, held by many prophets and other saintly individuals throughout
history, may be achieved by anyone who sincerely wishes for it and is willing to undertake the discipline
necessary to achieve that state.
The underlying tenet of Sufism is that human beings were created to know Allah and to manifest His
attributes while living on this earth. Tasawwuf is a method and way of life that enables one to
become insan-i kamil, a true human being who has realized intimacy with his Creator. When his or her
spiritual potential has been achieved, a human being is fit to be Allah’s khalifa (deputy) on earth, as
Allah intended, according to the Holy Qur’an.

Every human being is equipped with the inner circuitry that joins him with the divine. Many experience
moments of truth, when the circuits light up and knowledge of the absolute becomes manifest. While
these times of heightened awareness may pass as quickly as they come, the method of  tasawwuf is

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designed to enable the seeker to forge a pure and permanent connection, to gain eternal life while living
on this earth.
The word "concepts" does not fully describe the topics treated here. A better description would be
"facets of consciousness" that the student of Sufism experiences as he or she travels along the Sufi
path. Many of the topics in this section of the website are excerpts from the book The Sun Will Rise in
The West by Shaykh Taner Ansari. This book is recommended to readers for a detailed and
comprehensive explanation of Sufism that is especially tailored to the Western mindset.
Please note that the use of the masculine pronouns in some of these writings is purely for convenience.
The Sufi path is open to women and men alike. Likewise, there is no gender implication in the Arabic
name "Allah."

Concepts in Sufism

Allah says in a hadith qudsi (holy tradition, a saying attributed to, or anecdote regarding Prophet
Muhammad [peace be upon him], according to traditional eyewitness accounts), "I created some of My
servants for my zat (essence; person)." The Sufi’s goal in life is to achieve an intimate understanding of
and love for God. Tasawwuf, known in the West as Sufism, is a process of attaining closeness to the
Creator through love, which is attained by purification of the nafs (egoistic or animalistic nature). Such
a loving relationship with Allah, held by many prophets and other saintly individuals throughout
history, may be achieved by anyone who sincerely wishes for it and is willing to undertake the discipline
necessary to achieve that state.
The underlying tenet of Sufism is that human beings were created to know Allah and to manifest His
attributes while living on this earth. Tasawwuf is a method and way of life that enables one to
become insan-i kamil, a true human being who has realized intimacy with his Creator. When his or her
spiritual potential has been achieved, a human being is fit to be Allah’s khalifa (deputy) on earth, as
Allah intended, according to the Holy Qur’an.
Every human being is equipped with the inner circuitry that joins him with the divine. Many experience
moments of truth, when the circuits light up and knowledge of the absolute becomes manifest. While
these times of heightened awareness may pass as quickly as they come, the method of  tasawwuf is
designed to enable the seeker to forge a pure and permanent connection, to gain eternal life while living
on this earth.
The word "concepts" does not fully describe the topics treated here. A better description would be
"facets of consciousness" that the student of Sufism experiences as he or she travels along the Sufi
path. Many of the topics in this section of the website are excerpts from the book The Sun Will Rise in
The West by Shaykh Taner Ansari. This book is recommended to readers for a detailed and
comprehensive explanation of Sufism that is especially tailored to the Western mindset.
Please note that the use of the masculine pronouns in some of these writings is purely for convenience.
The Sufi path is open to women and men alike. Likewise, there is no gender implication in the Arabic
name "Allah."

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 Allah  
From a Sufi Perspective

We call God “Allah” because there is no gender implied in this Arabic appellation. Allah can have no
gender because that would be a limiting factor, and Allah can have no limits. We believe that God is
omniscient, omnipotent, and is the uncaused Cause of all creation. Allah is without limit in every
dimension, infinitely and eternally, the formless Creator of all forms. Allah is neither created nor can
He be destroyed.
The one thing in the universe we know of that cannot be created or destroyed is energy. Energy can be
understood as the capacity to do work, as the force that is behind all action, and as action itself. We
know energy as a kind of light/force, as that which radiates and that which is radiated. It is both
substance and movement. Sufis believe that Allah is the fundamental energy which has existed before
all time, because Allah is both uncreated and the Creator. We understand Allah as the conscious energy
of the universe, the One who contains infinite knowledge and power to act in whatever way He wills.
Allah defines Himself in the Holy Quran as “…the Light of the heavens and the earth” (24:35). Just as
we understand that light is energy, we conceive of Allah as energy. Allah as pure energy is formless, but
contains the potential to create all forms. Allah’s power is at once the energy used to create all forms,
and the energy/substance of forms. For Sufis, Allah’s inherent quality of awareness, His
comprehensive and eternal consciousness, is another aspect of the “Light” by which He describes
Himself. There can be no god but Allah, because the existence of any other power would limit God,
Who is without any limit whatsoever.

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The analogy of His light is as a niche, and within it, a
lamp. The lamp is enclosed in a glass. The glass is like a shining star. Lit from a blessed tree, an olive
neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil is almost luminous, though no fire touched it. Light
upon light. Allah guides unto His light whom He will. And Allah speaks to mankind in allegories, and
Allah is Knower of all things. (Qur'an 24:35)

With further investigation into the concept of Allah as energy, another notion emerges. If Allah is both
the substance and the Creator of creation, there can be nothing else but Allah. There can be no place
where Allah is not because that would imply that something outside of Allah exists. Thus, from the Sufi
perpective, nothing exists but Allah.

The Beautiful Names of Allah

All creation consists of Allah’s own substance. The basic matter of all things is contained within His
singular reality. Sufis call this spiritual/material substance the Ninety-Nine Names or the Beautiful
Names of Allah. These names are Allah’s diverse attributes, all of which comprise His entire being.
Allah’s essence holds all of these qualities as potential energy. In the act of creation, His potential
energy becomes kinetic.
Most of Allah’s names are found in the Holy Qur’an, interspersed in its many suras [chapters]. Sufis see
them as Allah’s way of describing Himself in the Qur’an, the Word of God revealed to Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him). For Sufis, Allah’s names are the very stuff of creation, as well as the

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means by which Allah sustains it. The Beautiful Names, as compiled below, are understood by Sufis as a
chart of universal elements, which supersedes the periodic table of chemical elements devised by
scientists.

The 99 Names of Allah

In a sacred tradition Allah told Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), “I was a secret treasure and I wished to be
known, so I created creation.” Allah fashioned the universe or universes from His pure light. His
energy existed in a formless state, and He willed the energy to take shape over time. In the act of
creation Allah activated some of His inherent attributes, such as Al Khaliq, Al Bari, Al Musawwir. Allah
began the creation with one word, “Be.” At that moment, the creation of the universe started.

The Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe corroborates the Sufi viewpoint. According to this
theory, the universe came into being through a series of explosions. With each explosion a new
chemical element was created. In Sufi terms, Allah’s light thus began taking shape in material form, and
the interaction of Allah’s attributes produced variety and complexity. Waves, subatomic and atomic
particles, molecules, cells, organisms, the development of all that exists began as energy and continues
to exist as energy in various states of formation, from wave particles to the human being. For the Sufi,
the universe has long been understood as a multilayered totality, light wrapped in sheaths of
increasingly more dense matter.

Allah’s names are manifest in various combinations at each point of creation. The formula Allah used
for each thing determines its unique character. This uniqueness itself is an expression of Allah’s
name Al Ahad, The Unique. Because Allah’s intention was to be known, He created a being who could
know Him intimately, as a living, conscious synthesis of all of His Beautiful Names. Allah designed
only one creature to manifest all of His divine attributes. This fruit of the universe, the end product of
the creation of the worlds, is the human being.

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 The Ninety-Nine Names of Allah Delineated

The Beautiful Names, which are Allah's attributes, fall within His Mercy and/or Power sides, as
depicted in this illustrated chart. The center line symbolizes the Balance Names of Allah. The inner
circle represents the Zat Names of Allah. The Power Names of Allah are on the left and the Mercy
Names of Allah are on the right.

•Allah: God
•Al Rahman: The One Who Acts with Mercy
•Al Rahim: The Source of Mercy
•Al Malik: The Ruler; The King; The Owner of the Dominion
•Al Quddus: The Holy One
•Al Salaam: The Peaceful One
•Al Mu’min: The Accepter of the Truth; The One Who Acts With the Truth
•Al Muhaymin: The Protector; The Guardian; The Giver of Security
•Al Aziz: The Mighty with Benevolence; The Revered One
•Al Jabbar: The Compeller
•Al Mutakabbir: The Possessor of Greatness
•Al Khaliq: The Creator
•Al Bari: The Shaper
•Al Musawwir: The Detailer
•Al Ghaffar: The Oft-Forgiving One
•Al Qahhar: The Overpowering One
•Al Wahhab: The Bestower
•Al Razzaq: The Provider
•Al Fattah: The Opener; The Presider
•Al Alim: The All-Knowing One
•Al Qabid: The Constrictor
•Al Basit: The Reliever; The Expander

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•Al Khafid: the Abaser
•Al Rafi: The Exalter
•Al Mu’izz: The Bestower of Honors
•Al Mudhill: The Humiliator
•Al Sami: The Hearer
•Al Basir: The Seer
•Al Hakam: The Judge
•Al Adl: The Just One
•Al Tawwab: The Accepter of Repentance
•Al Latif: The Subtle and Kind One
•Al Khabir: The All-Aware One
•Al Halim: The Soft and Gentle One Who Gives Ease
•Al Azim: The Magnificent One
•Al Ghafur: The Purifying and Tolerant One Who Overlooks Sins
•Al Shakur: The Source of Gratitude
•Al Ali: The Exalted One
•Al Kabir: The Incomparably Great One
•Al Hafiz: The Preserver and Protector
•Al Muqit: The Caretaker
•Al Hasib: The One Who Keeps Accounts and Measures of All Things
•Al Jalil: The Mighty One
•Al Karim: The Generous One
•Al Raqib: The Vigilant Supervisor
•Al Mujib: The Responsive One
•Al Wasi: The All-Encompassing One
•Al Hakim: The Wise One
•Al Wadud: The Loving One
•Al Majid: The Glorious One
•Al Ba'ith: The Resurrector
•Al Shahid: The Witness
•Al Haqq: The Truth
•Al Wakil: The Trustee; The Representative; The Guardian
•Al Qawi: The Strong One
•Al Matin: The Enduring One
•Al Wali: The Protecting Friend
•Al Hamid: The One Who Deserves All Praise; The One Who is Glorified
•Al Muhsi: The Doer of Good
•Al Mubdi: The Originator
•Al Mu’id: The Restorer
•Al Muhyi: The One Who Is Able to Revive
•Al Mumit: The Giver of Death
•Al Hayy: The Alive, Continuously Existing One
•Al Qayyum: The Caretaker
•Al Wajid: The One Who Forms
•Al Majid: The Glorious One

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•Al Wahid: The One and Only
•Al Ahad: The Unique
•Al Samad: the Receiver of Requests
•Al Qadir: The One Who Is Able to Do All Things
•Al Muqtadir: The Creator of All Power
•Al Muqaddim: The One Who Puts His Creatures Ahead
•Al Mu’akhkhir: The One Who Puts His Creatures Behind
•Al Awwal: The Former
•Al Akhir: The Latter
•Al Zahir: The Outer
•Al Batin: The Inner
•Al Waali: The Governor
•Al Muta’ali: The Highly Exalted One
•Al Barr: The Pure One
•Al Muntaqim: The Avenger
•Al Afu: The Forgiver
•Al Ra’uf: The Clement One; The One Full of Kindness
•Malik al Mulk: Owner of All
•Dhul-Jalali Wal-Ikram: The Lord of Majesty and Bounty
•Al Muqsit: The Equitable One
•Al Jami: The Gatherer
•Al Ghani: The Self-Sufficient One
•Al Mughni: The Enricher
•Al Mani: The Preventer
•Al Darr: The Creator of the Harmful
•Al Nafi: The Creator of Good
•Al Nur: The Light
•Al Hadi: The Guide
•Al Badi: The Originator
•Al Baqi: The One Who Remains
•Al Warith: The Inheritor
•Al Rashid: The One Capable of Right Judgment
•Al Sabur: The Patient One

Prophet Muhammad   as the Sufi’s Model

In the tradition of Sufism Muhammad (peace be upon him) is respected as the prototypical example of
a true human being. Sufis strive to emulate his behavior in the hope of attaining a similar close and
loving relationship with the Creator.

We sent thee (O Muhammad) not except as a mercy for all creatures. (Qur'an
21:107)
Allah designated certain persons as His prophets, to be living repositories of direct knowledge from
Him. As Allah’s representatives on earth, the prophets (peace be upon them all) were obliged to

15
consistently affirm the reality of the all-embracing dominion of Allah. They were sent as warners to
people whose customs deviated from divinely prescribed behavior, in order to reinforce a sanctified
relationship between God and mankind. The main vehicle for this sacred connection was the covenant,
the ageless pact wherein human beings acknowledge the sovereignty of their Lord, who in turn
reciprocates with His promise of divine guidance and protection. Allah established this spiritual
contract in human society with Adam (pbuh), whom He appointed as His first prophet. The divine
covenant was subsequently renewed under the leadership of the prophets who succeeded Adam (pbuh)
throughout the course of human spiritual development.

Mankind was one community. Then Allah sent prophets as bearers of good
news and as warners, and sent down with them the scripture with the truth
that it might judge between human beings concerning the subjects in which
they differed. (Qur'an 2:213)
All of the prophets attained high degrees of virtuous traits commensurate with the needs of their
people. The knowledge they transmitted was designed to be reflected in their living example. The
station of prophethood reached maturity in Muhammad (pbuh).

Muhammad is not the father of any one among you men, but he is the
Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; most definitely, Allah knows
everything. (Qur'an 33:40)
The perfect rendering of Allah’s knowledge in the Qur'an finds its living example in the last Prophet
(pbuh), who exemplifies the ideal inner and outer reality of the human being. Muhammad (pbuh) fully
actualizes the outer form and the inner content of the knowledge of Himself that Allah chose to
impart to man. All of the virtuous traits which Allah encourages humans to strive to attain are
contained within his being. In other words, Muhammad (pbuh) is the Qur'an. His reality is the synthesis
of Ilm al Yaqin, knowledge through communication, ‘Ayn al Yaqin, knowledge through experience,
and Haqq al Yaqin, knowledge through direct communion with Allah, the complete scope of Allah’s
greatest favor to us, which is insight into the ultimate truth.

Today have I perfected your din (way of life; religion; path of righteousness to

Allah) for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam
(surrender; submission) as your din. (Qur'an 5:3)
In Muhammad (pbuh), the circle of human development is completed. From His face, His essence,
Allah created the Light of Muhammad, which is the spiritual essence of all believers. Allah reinforced
the earthly manifestation of His light continuously throughout the history of mankind by sending a
succession of prophets to help secure the truth within the hearts of believers. The light-circuit was
clinched with the arrival of Muhammad (pbuh) in physical form on the earth, as he was the material
manifestation of the primordial energy with which Allah chose to grace the human being. Muhammad
(pbuh) exemplifies the spiritual knowledge and demeanor of insan-i-kamil, the perfected human being.
He is both the prototype and the ultimate actualization of the human model that Allah had in mind at
the outset of creation.

The Sufi Way of Love

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The believer who yearns for something deeper than the promised reward of eternal salvation for good
behavior is faced with a challenge which springs from within. Happiness for him is not achieved by
clinging to the hope of endless delights in Paradise, nor is he motivated toward being good in order to
avoid the agonies of hell. Consciously or unconsciously, this seeker is after absolute truth. It is the inner
man who remembers when he was not separated from his Lord, and now longs to be reunited with his
true Beloved. Although in fact no real dichotomy exists, the mind learned to create a separate entity of
itself, wrapped up in human flesh, when the self was born. This seeker craves for the conscious
realization of what his heart already knows – that he is connected very intimately with the essence of
Allah, and in fact his true nature lies in the experience of knowing that ultimate reality. The task at hand
thus becomes to discover where his “self ” fits in relation to Allah’s unlimited Being.

As for those who strive for Us, We will definitely guide them to Our paths and
(then surely you will see that) Allah is with the doers of good. (Qur’an 29:69)
According to a Sufi saying, “Heart is the sultan,” because that is where Allah makes His presence
known in the human being. Love is the medium of unity, the process through which the
electromagnetic vibrations produced by the heart and mind are working in tandem, thereby setting up
the optimum scenario for spiritual learning. Tasawwuf, known in the West as Sufism, is the process
through which Allah, through the shaykh, clears the path into the depths of the seeker’s heart, which is
the seat of divine union, and therefore the “house” of God.

The human being’s conscience is the voice of the ruh (spirit; soul) making itself heard in his heart. For
the Sufi, expanding one’s consciousness means directing his or her attention to the wisdom of the
heart, because knowledge from Allah is broadcast to that center of his being. The goal
of tasawwuf training is to be able to hear Allah’s voice in the heart, and for a loving relationship with
Allah to develop in that site of spiritual interchange. The mature human being makes his choices based
on the information housed therein, using his aql (rational mind; intellect) as the arbiter of messages and
information that come through. Many notions may spring up, but it takes a mature human being to be
able to differentiate among them and recognize the sources of such communications.

In the material world of proofs, Allah has made moral distinctions for human beings so that they can
choose good and avoid evil. The wisdom on which good action is based is learned in three ways: by
hearing of or reading about universal truths, by observing these truths in action or experience, and
directly from Allah. It is Allah within that the Sufi strives to touch. Sufis wish to be with Allah in the
same intimate way that lovers are united. All of creation serves Allah, willingly or unwillingly. Sufis wish
to serve Allah willingly, knowingly, and lovingly. That is why Sufism is called the way of the heart,
designed to bring the human being to his ultimate objective of loving intimacy with Allah.

When the heart is clean, the inner spiritual senses come alive to balance the outer senses. The mature
Sufi’s heart has become identified with Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) heart, which is in constant
rapport with the essence of Allah. It is aligned with Allah and the entire universe, and has, in a sense,
become the universe. Through such a heart Allah sends His mercy to creation. The Sufi functions as a
servant of Allah in this material world in an active way, through beneficial action, and in a passive way,
as a conduit for Allah’s mercy. In this way the Sufi is said to follow in the footsteps of Muhammad
(pbuh).

Nafs – The Enemy Within

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The human being is a walking laboratory designed for the purpose of observing and understanding
Allah, who created him from the lowest of the low to the highest of the high. Man's animal nature,
comprised of bodily functions and egoistic desires, is known as the nafs. The nafs is tied to the material
world, and is therefore restricted by the temporary quality of all creation. The perspective from which
the nafs perceives reality is itself. This self-biased aspect of the human being is part of the triad which
describes him more thoroughly. For the purpose of simplification, nafs can be thought of as the outer
man, ruh (soul; spirit) as the inner man, and aql, the composite faculties of rational discrimination and
decision-making, as the bridge between the two.
The basic motivation of the nafs is survival, self-preservation. This inherent urge to stay alive and
reproduce itself colors its behavior. Void of wisdom, the nafs is prone to conduct itself on a reactive
basis, as higher knowledge is not within the realm of its operation. Although he has an animal nature,
man is distinguished from and considered a higher being than an animal because of his rational and
spiritual capacity, even though his actions far too often do not reflect that capacity.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “If you know your nafs, you know Allah.” Once we
have learned to identify the ways of nafs within ourselves, we have gained a perspective from which to
distinguish between selfish desires and the wishes of Allah. From this basis we may choose actions
motivated by the desire to please Allah. A Sufi constantly strives to know whether his actions please
Allah or his nafs.

In traditional Sufi lore nafs is likened to a donkey. The Sufi asks him- or herself: Am I riding the donkey,
or is the donkey riding me? The method of Sufism is designed to help the murid, a student of Sufism,
identify his nafs so that he can conquer it. The point is for the murid to gain control over the nafs, so
that his or her actions and thoughts are Allah-based and not self-centered. When he succeeds, he
achieves the optimum balance between his outer, material, self and his inner, spiritual, one. The Sufi’s
intention is to be in a continuous state of vigilance vis-a-vis his own nafs. In that way, he proves to
Allah that he is choosing Him and not nafs. For example, nafs might incite him to cheat on an exam in
school, but when he chooses not to cheat he has shown Allah that His pleasure with his actions is more
important to him than any temporary benefit derived from cheating. Having nafs is a natural and
necessary part of the human condition; having one’s nafs under control is the condition of the insan-i-
kamil (mature human being).

The intensity of the struggle with his nafs’ desires is the standard Allah uses to judge man and reward
his efforts with closeness to Him. The more choices made for Allah’s sake, the closer man comes to
knowing Allah. In exercising his free will in the right way, he learns to fulfill his destiny as a human
being, to be a knower of Allah, His deputy, and, finally, His lover.
Life in the world can be seen as a long series of creating nafs-attachments, as our desires and
expectations grow along with us. The Sufi murid quickly learns the considerable magnitude of his
attachments, and the seemingly endless ways he has learned to put his trust in other than Allah. He
realizes that he himself is the idol that must be broken in surrendering to the true God.
The nafs is a very stubborn idol, prone as it is toward self-preservation. Any attempt at tampering with
its long-cherished habits is naturally met with extreme resistance. Therefore, in tasawwuf different
apects of the nafs are tackled in sequence, starting from the roughest and most obvious, to the more
subtle characteristics.
The nafs is separated into seven levels, a divide-and-conquer tactic, so that the murid can detach himself
by degrees from its influence. With each level of cleansing, the murid moves another step closer to

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unity with Allah, with the shaykh’s permission, as he holds the key to his student’s promotion through
the levels of nafs. Every level bids a specific practice, which the shaykh usually changes when he knows
that his student is ready to move on.
And We have created above you seven tariqas (paths) and We are fully aware of and know what We are
creating and making. (Qur’an 23:17)

The Seven Levels of Nafs

1. Nafs-i-Ammara: The Dominant Nafs

Traits: narcissistic, mechanical, conditioned, non-reflective, impulsive

Habits: pride, enmity, cruelty, lust, stinginess

There is no doubt that nafs-i-ammara (the dominant nafs) orders us

to do evil, except those on whom my Lord has mercy. (12:53)

2. Nafs-i-Lawwama: The Blaming Nafs

Traits: conscience, capacity for self-observation

Habits: backbiting, trickery, conceitedness, hypocrisy, self-consciousness, guilt, fearfulness,
wishful thinking, intense desire to please others

But I swear by the nafs-i-lawwama (blaming nafs) (that this

Scripture is true). (75:2)

3. Nafs-i-Mulhama: The Inspired Nafs

Traits: generosity, gratitude, modesty, empathy, ardent desire

Habits: liberality lacking discrimination, mystical inflation, tendency toward spiritual greed

And a nafs and Him who gave order to it and inspired it with a

sense of what is wrong for it and (what is) right for it. (91:7-8)

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4. Nafs-i-Mutmaina: The Tranquil Nafs

Traits: dignity, sincerity, courage, compassion, complete loyalty

Habits: Attachment to spiritual ambition

O, you nafs at peace! (89:27)

5. Nafs-i-Radziyya: The Satisfied Nafs

Traits: endurance, resignation, constancy

Habits: personal identification with affliction

Return to your Lord, content... (89:28)

6. Nafs-i-Mardziyya: The Satisfying Nafs

Traits: knowledge of God, sincerity, unbounded faith and hope in existential communion
Habits: mystical intoxication, lack of sobriety and balance

...for His being pleased with you! (89:28)

7. Nafs-i-Safiyya: The Purified Nafs

Traits: freedom from duality, acceptance of God’s will, joy of union, freedom from expectation,
contentment
Habits: None remaining

Today I have perfected your din (way of life; religion; path of

righteousness to Allah) for you and have completed my favor to
you and have chosen Islam (surrender; submission) for you as
a din. (5:3)

As the murid moves through the levels of nafs, he or she is learning ever deeper levels of
surrender by detachment from the mire of personal desires. Tasawwuf is a process of constant
surrender, through which one puts nafs in its proper place, which is away from the heart, the

20
sultan, within. If the murid chooses not to proceed and stops at any level, this becomes
his maqam, or permanent station. The insan-i-kamil (mature human being) has surrendered to
Allah completely, having become complete master over his nafs. Detached from himself, he has
strengthened His attachment to Allah in body, mind, and soul. Born with the capability of
becoming the lowest of creatures, one who is dominated by his nafs’ selfish inclinations, in
defeating the nafs he or she has attained a station higher than the angels. For him the nafs has
been transformed into an agent of spiritual advancement.

The Role of the Shaykh

Every true shaykh has been appointed to the task of teaching tasawwuf, known in the West as Sufism, by
his own shaykh, who was previously assigned by his shaykh, and so on, in a line that stretches back to
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Each of the several schools, or tariqas, of Sufism, is thus
supported by its own ancestral lineage of spiritual teachers, called silsila. Every silsila is documented in
writing, and each line of descent, though distinct, proceeds from the authoritative decree of Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh). In the act of initiation into a Sufi tariqa, the murid (Sufi student) makes spiritual
connection not only with his own shaykh, but with the entire chain of shaykhs within the Sufi order to
which his shaykh belongs. In taking hand with all of his shaykh’s spiritual ancestors, the murid makes a
bond ultimately with the Prophet (pbuh) himself. This connecting with his silsila is what Sufis regard as
“holding onto the rope” of Allah.

And hold tight to the rope of (connection to) Allah altogether, and do not be divided, and remember
Allah's grace to you when you were enemies. He brought your hearts together, so that you became like
brothers with His grace, and when you were upon the edge of the pit of fire and He saved you from it.
This is how Allah shows His ayats (revelations) to you clearly, so perhaps you will be among those (who
choose to be) guided. (Qur’an 3:103)

The shaykh’s job is to help his murid reach the realization of Allah within himself and to protect him
from spiritual danger. As tariqa is the bridge between the inner and outer worlds, the shaykh is the
conductor who leads the way across, a living link between outer and inner. He has his feet in both
worlds at all times, having been to the other side and sent back, in order to guide his children to their
spiritual destination. The shaykh is a wali (protecting friend; saint) working visibly in the world,
receiving guidance from his pirs (spiritual ancestors in the silsila) in the unseen.

None will have any power of intercession, except the one who has taken a
covenant with Al Rahman (The One Who Acts with Mercy). (19:87)
Our Pir, Shaykh Abdul Qadir Geylani said:

In the hadiths (traditions; sayings attributed to, or anecdotes regarding

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), according to traditional eyewitness accounts) it is
seen that the Prophet (pbuh) took a word from his sahabe (companions) that
they were going to obey Allah. Thus taking one's word, i.e., biat (making a
pact), is modeled after such occasions, and is what makes it legal.

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The shaykh must have reached an advanced state of inner development to be an effective guide on the
path of tasawwuf. In order for him to lead his murid to connection with his inner self, the shaykh must
have traversed this territory himself, as it is otherwise impossible to show the way.

The inner evolution of the shaykh has brought him through the four doors of tasawwuf: from sharia,
which is what Muhammad (pbuh) said, through tariqa, what Muhammad (pbuh) did, through haqiqa, the
secret of Muhammad (pbuh), to the state of marifa, the being of Muhammad (pbuh). The mature
shaykh has been to the very core of being, at one with the essence of Allah, and back again, upon
Allah’s command through His Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), to lead his children to that promised land.
He is the point in which all of the pertinent knowledge is gathered, the interface between the seen and
the unseen.

The conditions of a true shaykh are the following:

1) He follows the sharia.
2) He speaks about what is in your heart, and answers questions that you have not spoken aloud.
3) When you are in his presence, you forget your troubles, as he takes your load.
4) He praises Allah and not himself.
5) He has a silsila and ijaza (license) to teach the path.

Praise Allah Only But Respect the Shaykh

by Shaykh Taner Ansari

One must follow certain principles in order to attain closeness to Allah. A student's relationship with
his or her teacher is very important in this regard. Shaykh is not your friend. Shaykh is an employee of
Allah who is helping you to have a relationship with Allah. It is your job to respect the door or the
means through which you are getting Allah's knowledge. The critical point is this: It is Allah who is
teaching you through the shaykh; you have to remember this. Your biat (initiation) is to Allah, your
focus is on Allah, your target is Allah, your beloved is Allah, what you yearn for is Allah; don't forget
this. All praise is due to Allah, as is mentioned in sura Al Fatiha (the first chapter of the Qur'an). Some
people praise their shaykh because they are told Allah's light is shining through their shaykh's face.
Seeing this yourself is one thing and being told that this is so is another thing. You have to act
according to your own spiritual level. Otherwise, you can fall into shirk (associating partners with Allah).
Even if you see Allah's light in your shaykh, your job is to praise Allah, no matter what. As Allah The
Most High says in the Holy Qur'an: "Look at the sun, but adore Allah who created it." So don't go too
far in praising your shaykh, just respect him or her. Simple titles are sufficient. No shaykhs praise
themselves, no prophets praise themselves; they all praise Allah. Why don't we all do that?

Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani on the Character of a Shaykh

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Unless a shaykh attains the following twelve virtues in himself, he cannot sit on the sajada (prayer rug)
of annihilation and wear the sword of being a helper. Two virtues are from Allah, two are from the
Prophet (peace be upon him), two are from Abu Bakr, two are from Umar, two are from Osman, and
two are from Ali, may Allah be happy with all of them.
The ones from Allah are: sattar (covering of shame or shortcomings), and ghaffar (forgiving much).
The ones from the Prophet are: shafiq (extreme kindness, mercy), and rafiq (extreme softness).
The ones from Abu Bakr are: sadiq (loyalty), and mutasaddiq (much alms giving).
The ones from Umar are: amri maruf (strongly enforcing right action), and nahy-i-munkar (forbidding
ill deeds).
The ones from Osman are: mitam (hospitality), and musalli (praying during the night when everyone
else is sleeping).
The ones from Ali are: alim (knowing), and shuja (courage).
If a shaykh doesn’t have the following five virtues, he will be a dajjal (misleader) who will lead the
people into ignorance:
1. Outwardly, he should know sharia.
2. Inwardly, he should be researching haqiqa (the state of knowledge of the truth).
3. He has to serve his guests with a smiling face.
4. He must treat the poor kindly, saying nice words to them. This is the praised shaykh, who
knows haram (what is forbidden) and halal (what is permitted).
5. He knows how to tame his own nafs (egoistic or animalistic nature) and how to tame the nafs of the
wayfarers to haqiqa.
The person who is going to be a shaykh has to know the religious and natural sciences, and the
terminology of the Sufi masters. If he does not know these, he cannot be a murshid (master). Junaid,
may Allah be pleased with him, says, “Our knowledge depends on the Book of Allah (Qur’an)
and sunna (observed behavior) of the Prophet. The one who does not memorize the hadith (sayings
attributed to, or anecdotes regarding Prophet Muhammad [pbuh], according to traditional eyewitness
accounts) and write it, who does not know the great Book and the terminology of the Sufi masters,
who does not have any knowledge of the religion, is not a person among the ones who do irshad (teach
enlightenment). As for me, the person who takes the responsibility of training and raising
the murid must do this for Allah’s sake, not for his nafs (ego). When he is raising him, and inviting him
to fight against his nafs, he must be kind, caring, and soft, as a father and mother treat their children.
First, he has to show him the easy ways, and not give him or her a load he cannot carry. After he takes a
word from him that he is going to leave his ill deeds and start praising Allah, then he can slowly, step by
step, give him heavier assignments.
The person who wants to train himself without a shaykh is actually trying to raise a building without a
foundation. A person who is not raised by masters, and did not get sacred milk from them, is like a
child left in the middle of the street. If a person does not wear the clothing of  taqwa (self-vigilance) in
the hands of an alert and authoritative master, he will fall into the trap of his nafs, and his nafs will play
with him as it wants, and it will lower him to baseness. On the other hand, the one who holds a strong
handle will be able to see the secret of his existence, and he will be submersed into endless favors and

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pleasures of Allah. The murid who follows his nafs and who does not listen to his shaykh is really
denying himself his portion in life.

Understanding Sufi Tariqas

All true Sufi tariqas have a lineage that is traceable to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
through his son-in-law Hazreti Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) or Hz. Abu Bakr (may Allah be
pleased with him). According to hadith (tradition; saying attributed to, or anecdote regarding Prophet
Muhammad [pbuh], according to traditional eyewitness accounts) the Prophet (pbuh) taught these
esteemed individuals how to do zikr (the Sufi practice of repeating the Names of Allah) in two
different ways. These methods were passed down through generations and are the foundation upon
which the Sufi tariqas were later established.

The various Sufi tariqas (Sufi orders; literally, paths) were established by their founders in response to
the needs of different kinds of people. If a person is drawn to a particular school of Sufism, such as
the Qadiri Tariqa or Mevlevi Tariqa, it is because that school has a flavor or character that addresses the
particular needs of that individual. This can be thought of in the same light as vocational schools. If a
person has a deep desire to become a chef of Chinese cuisine, he does not go to a master of French
cuisine for training. Likewise, each spiritual seeker has a particular character that can be well served by a
tariqa suited to his or her personality.

The shaykhs of the path have been assigned an area of work and they may only accept the people who
belong to them. While everyone is welcomed as a guest, it is understood that a true shaykh will
recognize the people who belong to him or her and can only accept his or her own spiritual “children"
as murids (students of Sufism; lit., committed ones). The shaykhs understand that their tariqa is "best"
only for those people who Allah sends to them, and that no one, besides Allah, can be all things to all
people.
Among the true tariqas there is general agreement about the essential tenets of Sufism. There is no
competition among the tariqas. No tariqa claims that they have the one true way, or that it is higher
than other orders.

Sufi Practices

The Sufi’s goal is to have an intimate and loving relationship with Allah. Over the centuries techniques
have been developed to help the Sufi focus keenly on the goal and steer away from the many
distractions that may cloud this relationship. These are the methods of tasawwuf (known in the West as
Sufism), which are designed to take the murid (student) through the levels of nafs (egoistic or

24
animalistic nature), thereby cleaning the obstruction from the spiritual heart, which is the place of
connection between Allah and the human being.
The Sufi initiate is placed under the spiritual guidance and care of his or her shaykh or shaykha in a
mutual pact called biat. It is essential that the shaykh have a personal and continuous relationship with
his student, because at the moment of biat, the shaykh places him in a special curriculum, custom-
designed to fit his individual spiritual needs. This is called suluk, the murid’s own particular road to
Allah, which is regularly monitored by his shaykh.

The outer aspect of suluk is the totality of the experiences he will undergo in life, all of which will carry
lessons for him to learn and tests by which he will be tried. For example, it may happen that he gets
stuck in the same troublesome situation repeatedly. For the murid, this should be taken as a clue to the
fact that there is some lesson that he hasn’t quite grasped. If he decides to leave the situation rather
than change the thing in himself which gave rise to it, the pattern will repeat itself, until he gets the
message and acts upon it. Everything in his world acts as a mirror to him. He will continue to see
himself reflected back until he learns to get out of the way, at which point he sees the reality of Allah
reflected in all things.

In suluk the murid learns that everything in the outer world has its inner aspect. In other words,
everything is a sign from, and pointing to, Allah. Though he may encounter some strange or miraculous
occurences, the salik, seeker, learns to regard such incidences as normal episodes in his Sufi trek
through life. As he becomes more alert in his broadened scope of observation, his life becomes a Sufi
story. This expanded perceptiveness helps to promote the realization that the realms of spiritual and
material reality are not mutually exclusive.

Please note that the use of the masculine pronouns in some of these writings is purely for convenience.
The Sufi path is open to women and men alike. Likewise, there is no gender implication in the Arabic
name "Allah."

Many of the topics in this section of the website are excerpts from the book The Sun Will Rise in The
West by Shaykh Taner Ansari. This book is recommended to readers for a detailed and comprehensive
explanation of Sufism that is especially tailored to the Western mindset.

Rabita – Heart Connection

Unquestionably, the most important of the tools used on the Sufi path is rabita, or heart-connection. At
the moment of biat (initiation into a Sufi tariqa), a valve is opened in the student’s spiritual heart, and a
spiritual energy connection is made between him, his shaykh, and the entire silsila (line of spiritual
ancestors). Herein lies the importance of ijaza, the shaykh’s permission to teach tasawwuf (the Sufi
method). With ijaza comes the key the shaykh uses to open his murid’s (student’s) connection to the
spiritual chain, the “rope of Allah.” Hence it can be seen that Sufi lineage is not simply a matter of
ancestral tradition – it is the dynamic link to Allah’s essence, which is activated at biat and continues to

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operate through the use of rabita. The silsila as a chain of transmission is the means through which
Allah transfers knowledge of Himself to the murid’s heart. It is the cable used to download
information, so to speak, from the source. Making rabita is accessing that information.

The Sufi murid should practice the use of rabita continually. He is urged to make a deliberate, thoughtful
connection to his heart upon every undertaking in his daily life. At the outset of each activity he is
taught to make the mental assumption that it is not he, but his shaykh, who is performing the action.
This practice is designed to help the student leave the notion of self-involvement, which in turn leads
to the existential knowledge of the illusory nature of his individual self. The mature student
of tasawwuf realizes that in making rabita to his shaykh, he is in truth making rabita to Allah.

The murid practices rabita with his shaykh very pointedly while reciting his wazifa (personal zikr, or

recitation of Allah’s names). Under no circumstances should a student discuss his wazifa with
another murid, as this may breed an unhealthy competitiveness. It is a personal formula to help his
purification process, which the shaykh modifies when he sees that an improvement has been made in
the murid’s spiritual condition.

Along with the establishment of connection with the silsila, during the initation process into tariqa, the
shaykh employs a technique known as talqin, or inculcation. The practice of talqin is the directed use of
the mind to plant the seeds of positive change in the murid’s heart. Through talqin, the heart of
the murid is instilled with zikr through the invocation of several of His Beautiful Names. Other ritual
prayers are also implanted in the murid’s heart during biat. Throughout the murid’s training, the shaykh
is in constant rabita with him, and uses talqin regularly to help his student, often from afar.
The shaykh’s job is to protect his murid from spiritual danger by utilizing talqin, both to fix Allah’s light
in the murid’s heart and to work against any counterproductive effort made by negative forces.
The murid is likewise instructed in the use of this mechanism for self-regulatory purposes, whereby he
can make an effort to distance himself from negative attributes. Through the willful mental
conditioning of talqin, he intends to convince himself to forego inappropriate thoughts or behavior.
His use of talqin can also be beneficial in reinforcing the work of other assigned practices of tasawwuf.
Utilizing rabita is exercising the central tenet and true meaning of Islam, which is surrender. Through
continual use of rabita, the murid’s sense of self dissolves in his shaykh, the state known as fanaful shaykh,
then in his pirs as fanaful pir, then in the Prophet (peace be upon him) as fanaful Rasul, and, ultimately, in
Allah, as fanafullah. This is the true state of self-annihilation, more aptly conceived of as “merging in
Allah.” When the murid comes to the indisputable realization that he truly does not exist, he
understands the real truth of “La ilaha ilallah,” that Allah alone exists.

Adab – Good Manners

In the process of cleansing through the levels of nafs (egoistic or animalistic nature), the murid (Sufi
student) achieves good ahlak, or beautiful character. These are the noble traits that adorned Prophet

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Muhammad (peace be upon him), and helped bring him to closeness with Allah. Good ahlak will carry
the murid through life's circumstances with grace and fortitude because it is the seedbed of righteous
conduct.

We have placed all that is on the earth as a glittering show thereof, that We
may test them: which of them is best in conduct. (Qur'an 18:7)
Putting good ahlak to use in action is known as the practice of adab. It is the outward manifestation of
one's inner willingness to accept Allah's decree and to serve his Lord lovingly. Actions performed
with adab reflect the realization that, even though Allah has given us the conscious will to make
decisions, we do not exercise this privilege independently but only as executors of Allah's energy and
attributes.
Many shaykhs have said that the whole of Sufism is adab. Adab is doing the right thing, at the right
time, in the best way possible. It is the way of harmony, acting with deference to the scheme of the
whole. The expression of adab is shown in courtesy, politeness, a pleasant social demeanor. It is a way
of behaving graciously, which flows from the foundation of an inner attitude of surrender.

Adab in the Sufi Circle

When a dervish (Sufi practitioner) removes his shoes and walks through the entrance of
the dergah or tekke, the Sufi center, he leaves the everyday world with its worries and problems outside.
The dergah becomes a school in which to practice adab, or good manners, proper behavior and
courtesy.
Our attitude in going to the tekke should be humble. We are there to observe, listen and learn. We
should treat others as brothers, sisters and decent human beings, and assume that the other attendees
are more spiritually developed than ourselves. The tekke is the place to practice a self-effacing attitude
to the shaykh and the other murids. It is the place to learn service. One should speak softly, sit quietly,
and follow the directions of the shaykh or leader at the time. The talk should focus on Allah, not
our nafs (egos; selves). We do not go to the tekke to gossip or to backbite. We go there to talk about
Allah so we can get rid of our negative habits. The aim is to control our  nafs, which is our mechanical,
egoistic nature. One reason to practice adab is because our nafs does not want to.
The key individual in the adab of a Sufi circle is, of course, the shaykh or shaykha. He or she is the one
who sets the tone of the halka (circle). The shaykh decides what will be studied in the gathering, when
the activity will begin and when it will end. Communications pass through him. He is the first person
the dervish greets when he arrives at the tekke, and the first and last one of whom the dervish takes his
leave.
We learn by listening and observing. If you want to say something while the shaykh is talking, or if you
have a question, politely ask the shaykh for permission to talk after it seems that the shaykh may be
finished speaking. The shaykh might have you wait because in a teaching circle what is coming through
the shaykh’s heart is a direct spiritual message that might be forgotten if he is interrupted.
We may show disagreement with the shaykh or other murids in a respectful way, although this does not
mean we are right. If you hear something that you disagree with, put it in the "bag" behind you to be

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contemplated later. There might come a time when you understand what you had previously disagreed
with.
All instructions given by the shaykh to murids should be treated as confidential, just as all personal
issues discussed by the murid with the shaykh are confidential. The dervish does not ask a fellow
student about her practice or compare his to the others'. Practices are given for the particular person's
guidance and most likely will be quite different than the others'. Discussion of "visions" and other
spiritual phenomena are discouraged between murids because of the confusions, as well as subtle
competitiveness, that may arise, unless they are being used in teaching by the shaykh to help the brother
or sister murid.
The most destructive and damaging problem in a spiritual group is backbiting. Backbiting occurs when
one or more people criticize the character of another individual who is not present. This kind of
destructive behavior can destroy a learning circle, and once the damage is done it is difficult to repair.
The tekke is the place where the nafs is gradually brought into alignment with reality. It is therefore
expected that conflicts will arise. Because of this, adab becomes a practice of extreme importance, not
a mere formality.
Daravish (pl. of dervish) are free to join the halka of another tariqa and do their zikr if we have the
permission of the shaykh of that tariqa. Our adab should be the same as with our own shaykh. If there
are unique or different aspects to the adab of the other tariqa, we should honor these as well.
Good adab with one's shaykh does not stop outside of the Sufi circle. For example, it is a good practice
for the dervish to ask his or her shaykh's permission before undertaking any major decision, such as
moving, traveling, or other weighty matters. A good attitude to have is to talk with one's shaykh at least
once a week if possible.
Hz. Ahmed er Rifai: On Sharia and Nasiha – Comply with Adab
The path you intend to take openly and secretly has to be upon sharia (Islamic canonical law). Whoever
acts like this will be among those desired by Allah. There are ulama (people of knowledge; scholars)
and fuqaha (humble servants of Allah), people who are qualified to make judgment upon religious
jurisprudence. You may advise people with judgment in sharia, but you have to be careful that you also
act with what you preach; do not act as if you are sifting flour, only to give the fine flour to others and
end up with the bran for yourself. When you are using your tongue, use it with respect, with wisdom.
Let malice and envy not reside in your hearts. Otherwise you will fall into the judgment of “ata
muruunan naasa bilbirri wa tansawna anfusakum (You advise others to do good, but you yourselves
forget to do it.)” (2:44)
In your attitude and actions you should not have qahr (overpowering demeanor), cruelty, abuse or
pride. You should not insinuate that you are better or higher than someone else. You need adab and
kindness in the path of nasiha (advice) and giving sermons. The scent of the prime sunna (way or
exemplary actions of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) is here. When our Prophet, peace be
upon him, wanted to admonish somebody for some shortcoming, he would address the issue in a
general setting but would not mention the offending person’s name. I swear that this kind of teaching
gives salvation to hearts. What can we say to the person who claims superiority over people and wants
to dominate them? O poor person! Turn away from this. Some people’s so-called obedience is in the
outer form only. Their hearts have not bowed down. When reality is distinguished from the hal (state
of being; situation), the heart will turn away from you and you will be under its feet.

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You people who want to be superior and to dominate others cannot avoid the danger of falling
into istidraj, Allah’s gradual lure into sin as a trial, because you want to follow your nafs (egoistic or
animalistic nature). In truth, divine jealousy will not put up with this.  – from Guidance to Mysticism,
translated by Shaykh Taner Ansari in Grand Masters of Sufism

Surrender – The Foundation of Love

The Sufi wishes to love and be loved by Allah. In tariqa (the Sufi path) he or she follows in the
Prophet's (peace be upon him) footsteps with this single goal in his heart, because he knows
Muhammad (pbuh) is Habibullah, Allah's lover. He understands that the only way to gain Allah's love is
through surrender, for in surrender he denies the selfish urgings of his nafs (egoistic or animalistic
nature) in order to secure Allah's good pleasure. Allah created the Prophet (pbuh) as the model of a
human being in a state of complete surrender to his Lord. His exquisite state embraced the perfect
balance of his inner and outer being. The key to this balance was an unswerving focus on Allah in all
things. From the firmness of his faith sprouted his impeccably pure intention to serve his Lord lovingly
in thought, word, and deed.

That is because Allah never changes the grace He has bestowed on any people
until they first change that which is in their nafs, and truly Allah is Hearer,
Knower. (Qur'an 8:53)
In the dynamic of their loving relationship, as the Prophet (pbuh) scrutinized the purity of his
intention, Allah in turn increased his faith. The Sufi murid (student) is encouraged to reenact such a
working relationship with Allah, maintaining focus on Allah with the intention to surrender to Him in
every way. Intention is the springboard of surrender, the inner aspect which gives meaning to outer
deeds. The intention to act in a way pleasing to Allah is the foundation of faith, because in it is the tacit
assumption of Allah's complete sovereignty. The acknowledgment "La ilaha illallah (There is no god but
God)" is implicit in the believer's pure intention.
One who knows that Allah holds all power, as our Prophet (pbuh) did, should preface every action by
saying, "Bismillah er Rahman er Rahim (In the name of Allah, The One Who Acts with Mercy, The
Source of Mercy)." By saying this with sincerity, the believer states that he is acting in Allah's name,
with Allah's power and not his own. Saying "Bismillah er Rahman er Rahim" is to be in a state
of rabita (spiritual connection) with Allah, and is the beginning of surrender.

Whoever surrenders his whole attention to Allah while doing good, his reward
is with his Lord. And for them there will be no fear nor will they grieve.
(2:112)
“Islam” means “Surrender.” Sufism is the way to surrender knowingly, willingly, and lovingly in every
action. Sufis must continually surrender throughout their lifetime and its sometimes hard lessons. This
insistence on surrender is the key to bringing the Sufi closer to Allah.
Every Sufi is encouraged not only to observe and emulate Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) flawless
behavior, but to truly internalize his refined demeanor. This cannot be accomplished without profound
surrender. We must begin the process with the intention to surrender willingly, and Allah, Who has all
the power, will then help us to realize His love deep within our being. This love is the fruit of

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surrender, which is the composite of pure intention with good ahlak, manifest in acting with
good adab at all times.
Surrender is an ongoing practice. Just as there is no end to Allah’s infinite grandeur, there can be no
limit to our willingness to yield to our Maker. When the Sufi murid makes rabita with his shaykh, with
the intention of fighting his nafs and acting in Allah’s name, the channel between him and the Creator
opens up in his heart. This line of Allah’s life and love widens with each effort made on the part of His
servant.
As the beginning of surrender is in the pure intention to act in Allah's name, the completion of
surrender is in the outer aspect of right action. Right action is propelled from the heart of one who has
been cleansed from his nafs’ interference, and is shaped by his excellent character.
For a Sufi, being close to Allah is reaching a state of nothingness, whereby one is a fitting vehicle
through which Allah may act as He wills. The point of Sufi training is not to gain in spirituality, but to
realize one’s nonexistence and thus to better know, praise, and serve the One who exists.

Zikr – Remembrance of Allah

One of the most treasured practices of the Sufi path is zikr, the remembrance of Allah. To be in unity
with Allah is to be in a constant state of remembrance of the source of all creation. In the sense that
unity is the deepest state of surrender to Allah, this is the true zikr, and is the goal of the Sufi path. As
a means to achieve that state, zikr as a ritualized practice was bequeathed to students
of tasawwuf (Sufism) by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Hazrati Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was the first one to ask the Prophet (pbuh) about the path
of zikr. He asked him to teach him the closest, most precious, and the easiest way. Upon this, the
Prophet (pbuh) waited for the angel Jibril (Gabriel, [pbuh]) to come. Jibril (pbuh) came and he
inculcated “La ilaha illallah” into the Prophet’s (pbuh) heart three times. Our Prophet (pbuh) repeated
this the same way and then taught it to Hazreti (Honorable) Ali.

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There are two forms of ceremonial zikr: jahri, or outward zikr, in which one's voice can be heard by
others, and khafi, or silent zikr, in which it can be heard only by oneself. The jahri style was taught by
the Prophet (pbuh) to Hz. Ali and the khafi style to Hz. Abu Bakr.

The ritual ceremony of zikr is traditionally held in a Sufi gathering-place known as the dergah or tekke.
In this setting the members of a Sufi tariqa (order) together intone certain Names of Allah, thereby
invoking the characteristics represented by those Names into the hearts of the congregation. There is a
traditional order in which Allah’s Names are mentioned in zikr, and each one is repeated several, often
hundreds of times in unison by the group. Certain movements, such as swaying back and forth or
turning from right to left, are incorporated into the activity during the intonations, and are likewise
performed in unison. In some tariqas a prayerful rotation of the whole body, arms extended while
pivoting on one foot, is traditional.

(This lamp is found) in houses which Allah has allowed to be exalted and that
His Name will be remembered therein. In them He is praised in the mornings
and evenings. (Qur'an 24:36)
Each of the Beautiful Names invoked during zikr is a key to a spiritual level within the heart. In the
midst of such spiritual concentration, participants sometimes travel to profound dimensions of reality.
This refreshment to the soul helps to provide encouragement to the murid (Sufi student) in his
sometimes difficult journey to Allah. The effect of zikr in the group is to enable each one present to
benefit from the augmentation of spiritual energy that a unified effort achieves. In such an atmosphere
of concentrated spiritual energy, it is not uncommon for unseen beings such as angels and other
spiritual personages to attend the proceedings, thereby bringing additional blessings from Allah.
Murids who have been initiated into tariqa are assigned a personal zikr, called wazifa, by their shaykh or
shaykha. The wazifa is a personal spiritual prescription designed to bring the student through the levels
of nafs (egoistic or animalistic nature) and to an abiding close relationship with Allah. Over time, and in
response to the murid’s progress, the particularities of the wazifa may change.

Everything in the Universe is Making Zikr

by Shaykh Taner Ansari

Whether you see it or not, whether you believe it or not, everything in the universe is praising Allah.
When you find the truth, you can see it. All things are praising Allah, by turning, by vibration, by
motion. So are you, all human beings, all of the animals, everybody. Your heart says Al-lah, Al-lah, Al-
lah – this is how it beats.
Can you live without breathing? You cannot. Allah says in Quran-i Karim (Generous Qur’an), “We put
the summary of what you do around your neck.” What do we have around our necks? There’s a
voicebox and an air passage. Each time we breath: hhhu, hhhu, hhhu – this hhhu is the name of
Allah, Hu. In Judaism it’s Ya Hu Wah, in Islam, Ya Hu. You are saying His name, whether you want to

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or not. This is the way your body makes zikr, the remembrance of Allah. Allah gave you the ability to
control some things, and expects you to join the cosmos and use your body willingly, consciously, and
knowingly by making zikr. Although you are already making zikr involuntarily, put your consciousness
there now: Hu, Hu, Hu. Alter it a little bit and make it your own. This is what Allah is expecting from
you.
When you know the truth – that there is God and there is you – you have a responsibility to uphold the
truth. Allah created the whole universe for a purpose, including you. If you know this purpose, and act
according to it, you will be in harmony with Allah’s purpose and you will be happy. Happiness is
centered in the heart. It is the heart taking control of the brain. If your heart is happy, everywhere else
within you is happy. Allah says in the Holy Qur'an, “Hearts find peace only with the  zikr of Allah.” If
you want peace in your heart, you have to make zikr. If you want peace in your brain, you have to
surrender. Shut the mind up and surrender it to your heart.

Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani on Zikr

Allah the Most High says: “Make zikr of Him as he has guided you.” (2:198)
This generous ayat (verse of the Qur’an) shows the way to the ones who want to
make zikr (remembrance) of Him. Another meaning of this ayat is to make zikr of Him in accordance
with your spiritual level.
The following hadith sharif (honorable tradition) was granted by our Prophet, peace be upon him:
“The most valuable zikr is the one done by me and the prophets before me: La ilaha illallah.”
This shows us the best zikr. It means there is no other Allah (God), but Allah Himself.
There are levels special to each station of zikr. These zikrs are either done jahri (outwardly; aloud)
or khafi (silently; hidden), in other words, either with open voice or by the heart.
Zikr is made first by the tongue, then it passes to the nafs (egoistic or animalistic nature). Next it comes
to the heart, then it passes to the ruh (spirit; soul). Then it happens in the realm of sirr (the secret),
deeper even than the heart, then in khafi (the hidden) and later in the khafi of khafi. These zikrs are
given degrees in accordance with Allah’s guidance.
The zikr done with the tongue is similar to the one done with the heart. If it is being done through the
tongue, it is known that Allah is not forgotten in your heart.
When the zikr is done through the nafas (breath), zikr is done inwardly. There is no letter, and no voice
is heard. It is done with inner motion and feeling.
The zikr of qalb (the heart) is to feel the manifestation of Jamal (Allah's Beauty) and Jalal (Allah's
Power) in the heart’s essence.
The product of the zikr done with ruh enables you to attain the light manifestation of
Allah’s Jalal and Jamal attributes.
The zikr done in the realm of sirr takes you to observance of the divine attributes.
The khafi zikr (silent zikr done by the heart) brings you to the observance of the light that shines at
the zat (essence; person) of ahadiya (level of unique oneness), at the headquarters of the righteousness

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of the mighty Sultan. The zikr that is called the secret of secrets allows you to reach the reality of the
station of haqq al-yaqin (sure knowledge received in the heart directly from Allah). You must know that
no one besides Allah can peer into this secret of secret state, which is called khafi al-akhfa (secret of
the secret state). The following generous ayat relates this as: “He knows the secret and the deeper
secret.” (20:7)
This phenomenon encompasses all of the ilms (kinds of knowledge), and all of the [spiritual] purposes
[or intentions] reach there.
As a consequence of making the zikrs described above, a different kind of ruh finds a chance for
manifestation. It is more latif (subtle; pleasant; gracious) than all of the other ruhs related above. They
call this tifl-i maani (child of the spirit or heart; spiritual child).
Furthermore, it is the host who invites you to attain the stations and states described above, and from
there to the zat of Allah.
This spiritual state is not found in everyone, but only in the khawas (distinguished) servants. The
following ayat-i karim (generous verse of the Qur’an) explains this to us: “He places that ruh into the
hearts of his servants He chooses.” (40:15)
This ruh is stationed in the realm of Power. It occupies space in the realm of mushahada (observation;
witnessing). It is also a property of the realm of haqiqa (reality; truth). It does not show any tendency
toward anything except the zat of Allah. Our Prophet, peace be upon him, says the following to explain
these phenomena:
“Dunya (the material world) is forbidden [unlawful] to the people of akhira (the hereafter). Akhira is
unlawful for the people of dunya. Dunya and akhira both are unlawful to those who would want
Allah’s zat.”
This ruh is tifl-i maani. Reaching Allah happens through this.
In order to protect the decrees of sharia (Islamic canonical law), it is necessary to make the body follow
the straight path. It is necessary to continue doing the zikrs of Allah openly or secretly, day or night. It
is fardz (obligatory) to do zikr of Allah for those who are seeking the path to Haqq (The True; Allah’s
name or attribute Al Haqq). The following generous ayat shows us why this is necessary: “Do zikr of
Allah standing, sitting, and reclining.” (4:103)
He grants again: “They do zikr of Allah standing, sitting and reclining, and contemplate the wisdom of
the creation of the heavens and the earth.” (3:191) – from Secret of Secrets, translated by Shaykh Taner
Ansari in Grand Masters of Sufism

Sohbet – Sermon of Divine Inspiration

In a holy hadith (tradition or saying of Prophet Muhammad), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
“Acquiring knowledge in company for an hour in the night is better than spending the whole night in
prayer.” Therefore, one of the most significant tools used by the shaykh in tasawwuf (the Sufi method)
is sohbet, the discussion of spiritual matters. In this traditional Sufi practice, the shaykh sits in a circle
with his murids (students) and proceeds to give an inspired talk on a pertinent spiritual subject. These
words are direct teachings from Allah by way of Haqq-al-Yaqin (direct knowledge from Allah) operating

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in the heart of the shaykh. It may be that the message is coming via one of the members of
the silsila (chain of spiritual ancestors) to the shaykh’s heart, yet it is understood that the form in which
it is delivered does not diminish the fact that it is knowledge from Allah. One’s attentive presence
at sohbet may be more important to the murid’s spiritual growth than any other tool of tasawwuf, with the
exception of rabita (heart-connection with the shaykh).
During sohbet, the shaykh may teach a lesson by telling a story. Sufi storytelling is a tradition whereby
the shaykh can elucidate a point in a subtle way, so that a student may be admonished, for example,
without being embarrassed in front of his peers. It is crucial for Sufi shaykhs and followers of the path
to make painstaking attempts to not break anyone’s heart, as this is Allah’s seat in the house of the
human being. The shaykh knows when a heart can withstand a strong reproof, and when a more
delicate handling of the matter is necessary. Sufi stories provide one means for such subtlety, while
simultaneously opening an avenue for thoughtful reflection, for often the stories pose a conundrum
that is not readily understood. In a similar way to a Zen koan, these tales can lead the contemplative
student to deeper levels of understanding and enlightenment.

On Sohbet
by Hz. Ahmed er Rifai

Awliya (protecting friends; saints) are like bridges on the road to Haqq (Truth; Allah). People go
towards Allah by passing over them. They are the owners of sincere, pure deeds and they are the
people of purity and sincerity. Allah has saved them from the attachments of masiwa Allah (other than
Allah) and has honored them with nearness to Him. There are no veils over their hearts. They abstain
from revealing the divine secrets that they have been allowed to see. They are in constant
contemplation and zikr (remembrance [of Allah]). “Rijaalullaa tulhiihim tijaaratun wa laa bay’un ‘an
zikrillah ([Those] whom neither merchandise nor sale beguiles from remembrance of Allah)” (Qur'an
24:37) These are the people mentioned here.
I advise you that, after you learn the religious responsibilities, you should be in the  sohbets of these
exalted people. They possess the delight of truthfulness, the pleasure of loyalty, and yearning for
the Mawla (Master; Allah). The likes of these qualities cannot be attained by studying lessons, but by
being in the presence of the shaykh who possesses the knowledge of hal (state of being; situation;
status) and the knowledge of qawl (utterances; words; wisdom). Awliya take and make use of wisdom
wherever they find it; they are not particular about where it comes from. They do not discriminate as to
who said it, even if an unbeliever narrated it, and thus they say, “yatafakkaruuna fi khalkissamaawaati
wal ardi rabbana maa khalaqta hadha batilan (They contemplate the creation of the heavens and earth
(and say) ‘You did not create these for nothing.’)” (3:191)
Make sure that the shaykh you want a connection with is kamil (mature). The nature or
incomplete hal of the shaykh manifests, batin to batin (inner to inner), subliminally, in
the murids (students; ones who long) or dervishes (Sufi initiates of a certain level). If the shaykh is
mature, the murid will be mature and will advance and reach his destination. If the shaykh is incomplete

34
or lacking, he causes the murid to be incomplete and not reach the goal. For that reason, you shaykhs,
make sure that you do not transfer any incompleteness to those who connect with you.

Contemplation

Contemplative meditation is another practice prescribed for the student of tasawwuf, by which he or
she hopes to reach the enlightenment of spiritual knowledge. The deep contemplation of the Sufi is
known as tafakkur. In tafakkur, the murid (Sufi student) poses a question in his mind,
makes rabita (spiritual cnnection) to his heart (to his shaykh, to Allah), and waits for the answer to
reveal itself. Along the way, he uses deductive reasoning to help his mind work in conjunction with the
heart. The mind asks the question, the heart answers, and the mind acts as interpreter, bringing the
solution to the forefront of consciousness with clarity.
Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani said in Secret of Secrets:

“Whoever contemplates divine knowing, and wishes to attain a complete

sense of knowledge about Allah The Most High, his contemplation equals a
thousand years of ritual worship. The real knowledge of knowing is this. By
this knowledge I mean the state of unity. The one who knows reaches his
Beloved, the One whom he misses, through this. The end of this state is to fly
spiritually to the realm of real closeness.”

The Honor of Aql

by Hz. Ahmed er Rifai

The greater alem (realm; world) is aql (intelligence; mind; the power of understanding and

discrimination), and it is with you. You understand what and who you are in the context of where you
exist with this aql. This is because, if your existence and your corporeality had not had the honor of
including such a greater realm, you could not occupy your prime position or state of being. When you
show an effort befitting the fleshly figure that possesses such a valuable realm, the greater alem that
exists in you shines everywhere and can take you to great heights of accomplishment.

Allah has ordained all transactions based on aql. Whatever He gives, He gives according to aql;
whatever He forbids, He forbids according to it. Union, separation, expansion, contraction are all
connected to aql. It is the honor of the universe; it is the first created of all facets of humanity. Our
Prophet, peace be upon him, has professed, “Aql is the first creation.” If you make an effort for your
name and honor to be elevated with this spiritual being you possess, and to avoid belittling your
humanity, you will be saved from getting stuck behind veils and will be elevated.

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Aql can possess and hold ilm (knowledge; science). For the created, the honor of ilm is with aql. Ilm is
completed with aql. Imam al-Shafi said, “Reigning without aql is like sitting on garbage and, more than
that, it is a post of humiliation.” Some say ilm is higher than aql. This saying pertains to the divine ilm,
because divine knowledge is among the attributes of the eternal. As for aql, it is created. If
our aql and ilm are weighed, we find out that aql is on a higher level because if there is no aql, there is
no ilm. If a person with aql falls down, we are sure that he will get up, but if a fool without  aql falls, we
are afraid that he may not be able to get up.
– from Guidance to Mysticism, translated by Shaykh Taner Ansari in Grand Masters of Sufism

On Contemplation
by Shaykh Taner Ansari

All humans have nafs (egoistic or animalitic nature), brain and a line to God. We have to find the correct
way. Allah is Rahman and Rahim (Merciful), so He helps us find the right course by logic, by
contemplating and deduction. The first thing you have to accept is that there is a God, but it’s not you.
Our job is to find our essence through contemplation. Islam is acknowledgment of the fact that there is
a God, and don’t try to be God yourself. You have to accept that there are rules and regulations. You
have to be in sync with this. Do we have free will? Yes, if we didn’t have free will, Allah wouldn’t have
created us, because Allah wants to be chosen scientifically with our own free will, with no force. If
Allah wanted to force us, everyone would believe. Making the choice of choosing Allah has to be the
beginning of your life. Everything has to be based on this. This is the truth and this is what we have to
make peace with. Islam is making peace with Allah’s decrees and Allah’s systems. This is physics. If you
think you have power too, show it to me. I am not going to ask you to make a galaxy. I am going to ask
you not to eat again. If you think you have power, do this.

Allah gives you power and He is testing you. Power comes from Al Qadir and Al Muqtadir (names of
Allah that describe Allah's power). Just imagine somebody says, “Please hold on to my money,” as a
trust. This is temporary, for safekeeping. You can only spend when the owner says you can. Similarly,
this is Allah’s life. He has set up a general course through us. He owns your life. He owns everything.
You need His permission for this and that. We are nothing.
A sea turtle hatches 1,000 eggs. Only three of them make it to the sea, and one out of 1,000 will grow
to adulthood. Allah makes billions of people, but only a few of these people are going to choose Allah
willingly and only a few of them will reach the sea of Love and swim. We are trying to raise
consciousness. Allah is doing this with us, through us. I can see this in us. What I noticed is that people
are stuck to forms that are related to the five senses. We not only have outer senses, but also inner
senses. In order to learn Allah, you have to study both – inner and outer. It is easy for us to go to
church and kneel down. It is easy to go to the mosque and do your prayers. But going to the mosque,
doing these forms is not the goal. There are certain meanings in these packages. What is the message

36
with these packages? Allah is in constant communication with you, and why are you not in constant
communication with your Creator?
Forms make it seem that everything is separate. Allah made it like this to see how hard you are going to
contemplate to get to know Allah. You cannot love blindly. Some people are just singing love songs; do
they understand what love is? First of all, Allah will love you, then you can love back, and none of this
is going to happen if you don’t get out of your comfort zone and act according to your claim.
One of the rules of being a Sufi is that you have to be on the lookout for Allah’s signs. Listen to my
advice. Surrender and learn the easy way. My students have to be conscious of what they are doing.
Each action has to be willing. I don't want habitual actions. This is the killer of all faiths. Mean what
you say each time.
My students should all be positive – no negativity. We will pray, be positive, we will be patient, we will
observe, we will help people in general, and we will not help the people who are doing bad. We are all
in this earth together. For Allah there is only one thing – do you acknowledge Him or not? We do not
make any distinctions among the prophets. They are giving you the same message. What is the
important thing, the prophet or the message? The prophet is helping you establish this  iqam al salat,
this relationship with Allah.

Contemplation Exercise from Shaykh Taner Ansari

Allah and the universe; you and your body – there is something in common here. What is it? Both
have ruh, soul, and body. You are in your body, you don’t see yourself or the ruh but you see the
manifestations, which are perceived by these eyes and these five senses. Allah is in this universe too;
what you are seeing is the manifestation. All over the world, especially in Buddhism, there are
meditation methods. Now I give you some Sufi meditation:

1. Contemplation of Breathing
You breathe in “Allah” and breathe out “Hu (name of Allah in the third person).” There are two things
happening in the universe: passive energy and active energy. You are being with Allah with the breath.
You are breathing in Allah – literally breathing in Allah, not the sound of Allah or the thinking of
Allah, but the reality of Allah. All contemplation is understanding and getting to the reality, realizing
the reality. The reality is when you breathe in slowly through your nose and say, “Allah,” and breathe out
with your mouth (and acknowledge it) with, “Hu”. You can sit down and be with Allah through breath.
Every moment you should be with Allah with breath. Allah The Most High says in the Qur’an-i
Karim (Generous Qur'an):
"Wakulla insanin alzamnahu ta-irahufi’aa unuqihi (The summary of what you do will be put around
your neck.)" (17:2) This is what’s happening in your neck.
You have an outer zikr, which your breath is doing and you have an inner zikr, which your heart is
doing. Outer and inner have to go together.

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 2. Contemplation of Heart Zikr
Allah the Most High says in the Qur’an-i Karim:
"Alam ya’ni lillazina amanu an takhsha’aa qulubuhum li zikri Allahi (Has not the time arrived for the
believers that their hearts in all humility should join in the zikr of Allah?)" (57:16)
Allah says to join your heart in the zikr of Allah. What is this zikr? It is your heartbeat.
Make rabita (spiritual connection) to your heart, listen to your heart when it is saying, “Allah,” and
when it is saying, “Hu.” Your heart is pumping in blood with “Allah” and pumping out with “Hu.”
Your heartbeat is changing that passive energy into kinetic energy by pumping the blood and Allah’s
energy to all your cells for life. Life comes to you from all points, everywhere. With breath you get life
from Allah into your lungs, and then your heart pumps it through your whole body to maintain this
manifestation with zikr: “Allah Hu.” You can simulate this with your glottal vibration – this imitates
your heart. You have breath and vibration. You are breathing in and at the same time vibrational  zikr is
happening in your body. When you hear this, then you have passed the level of sharia (the body of
Islamic religious canons). When you see your body doing zikr in your sleep or awake, you have passed
the level of sharia.
So, as you can see, this is true. This is actually happening. Do you see how your existence is totally
dependent on Allah? Are you with Allah or not at all times?
There is a correlation between your breath and your heart. When you stop breathing, your heart stops.
When your heart stops, your breathing stops. When they both stop, your brain stops. So your
manifestation goes into de-manifestation.
When does the heart say, “Allah”? And when does it say, “Hu”? Allah in, Hu out, just like breathing.
You should do this contemplation every day.

3. Seeing Allah in Other People

If this is so, you can see this in yourself, right? Go sit in a café; your job is to watch people and not to
judge them – just study them and try to see Allah in them and show respect to Allah in other people,
not telling them, but by saying “Hu.” Just because they are manifesting nafs, ego, does not mean Allah
is not there. As you can see, Allah is in every manifestation, but Allah gives us time to realize and come
to terms of endearment so that we can have an exposition of love between us.
All of it starts with good adab – acting the way Allah wants a human being to act. Be connected,
thinking, overcome emotion with knowledge, research, and then put into action with the connection,
and ask help from the Creator for the result. Everything starts with the intention. Are you intending to
be god yourself and reinvent the wheel? Or are you intending to accept what is out there as is and do
your part? Intend to find your purpose, your role in this big picture, and intend to do your part
voluntarily and then lovingly. This is what is expected of us.

4. The Way to Pray

Our (AQRT) motto is “Ya Wadud (O Love), Ya Salaam (O Peace), Ya Jami (O Togetherness), Ya
Nafi (O Goodness).” When we are praying, we have to imagine that energy by going into our hearts,
then find that energy and give it to the universe. “Ya Wadud” – distribute love to everybody. “Ya

38
Salaam” – give peace to everybody. “Ya Jami” – put togetherness among everybody. “Ya Nafi” – for
goodness. You have to think, live and give, for goodness.

Service – The Sufi Expression of Gratitude

Whatever knowledge one receives on the path to Allah is incomplete and useless if it is not brought
from the arena of inner knowledge to the outer field of action. Allah’s wish is to develop mature
human beings, well integrated in the spiritual and material worlds. This is why the Sufi’s learning is in
the world, and where the fruit of his spiritual attainments is meant to be put to use. Otherwise, his
position is as if he had joined an intellectual club — rich in concepts, short on action, and absolutely
void of any spiritual advancement. It behooves the Sufi to make service to Allah in the world his or her
priority.

On Service
by Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani

There is zakat (alms; poor-due) in sharia (Islamic canonical law) and there is zakat in tariqa (the Sufi
path). According to the laws of sharia, a certain percentage of your worldly income is given to the
needy
As for zakat in tariqa, it is given from the earnings for akhira (the hereafter) and is distributed to the
poor and needy of akhira. Zakat at the same time means sadaqa (charity). Allah the Most High has
revealed this: “Charity is the right of the poor.” (Qur'an 9:60)
The charity given touches the hand of Allah The Most High even before it reaches the poor. What is
meant by this is that it is accepted by Allah The Most High.
Now then, these great personalities donate the reward of their good deeds to Allah’s rebellious
servants. Allah The Most High, on the other hand, manifests His forgiving attribute in proportion to
their acts of salat (formal Islamic prayer), hajj (pilgrimage), tasbih (personal Sufi practice
of zikr [remembrance of Allah]) and tahlil (declaration of unity). He covers their evil self [egotism,
vanity and such].
Their generosity goes to such extremes that no existence belonging to them remains. They will have
[expect] no reward or [admit to any] good deed. The person who enters into this path will have no
existence of his own remaining. He lives a hal (state of being; situation; status) of bankruptcy (muflis).
Allah The Most High is generous. He loves the generous. He loves the one who is bankrupted through
generosity. Our Prophet, peace be upon him, explained this as: “The muflis is in the trust of Allah in
both worlds.”
Here let us mention a dua (prayer of supplication) recited by Rabia Adawiya. She used to supplicate
thus:

39
 “O Allah, give my worldly share to the unbelievers. If I have any share in the
hereafter, distribute it among Your mu’min (believing) servants. I only wish to
make zikr of You in the world, and only to see You in the hereafter.”
Because the servant and whatever he is holding in his hand is temporary, they all together belong to the
Master. On Judgment Day, every good deed will bring a tenfold reward. Allah The Most High reveals
this as: “Whoever brings a good deed will get a tenfold reward for it.” (6:160)
Another meaning of zakat is the cleansing of nafs (egoistic or animalistic nature). When the nafs is
cleared of selfish, egotistical attributes, zakat finds its spiritual value. A little worldly possession given in
this world brings a manifold reward in the hereafter. This generous ayat (verse of the Qur’an) relays
such a meaning: “Who would give Allah a handsome loan so that He may give him a manifold reward?”
(57:11) “Whoever purifies his nafs finds salvation.” (Shams 91:9)
The loan mentioned in the above generous ayat means the distribution of part of your worldly gains
among some servants of Allah The Most High for the sake of goodness. In this distribution, only
Allah The Most High’s beautiful countenance should be kept in mind and material gains should not be
sought. Any goodness done or given for Allah The Most High’s servants must be given with
compassion; it must not be done to make them indebted to you. Allah The Most High revealed this to
us as: “Do not render your charity null with reproach and abuse [to the one who receives it].” (2:264)
Human beings should not request the benefits of worldly things for their good deeds. Another name
for this is “infaq” (to spend one’s substance in alms or other good works; supporting others). The
following generous ayat tells us why and how this is given: “Unless you spend of that which you love,
you will not be able to attain piety.” (3:92)
– from Secret of Secrets, translated by Shaykh Taner Ansari in Grand Masters of Sufism

On Service
by Hz. Ahmed er Rifai

Try to serve people as much as you can. Be merciful to the feeble elders. Feel sorry for the state of the
poor when you are rich and give them much sadaqa (alms; charity). With sadaqa, balas (calamities;
misfortunes; trials) are dismissed by Allah. Show hospitality to the guest, because our Prophet, peace be
upon him, has accepted this as ibada (worship)
Husn-i akhlaq (good behavior) is the best of deeds. It is said, “If you cannot make people happy with
material things, make them happy with good akhlaq (manners, habits). The best of good deeds is
good akhlaq.”
The people who have good akhlaq can attain the same level as people who worship and fast, without
doing anything else. Good akhlaq is the best ibada after [next to] Allah’s fardz (compulsory) ibada.
If you do ibada in an irritable state, what good will it serve? Allah is not in need of anyone or anything.
He is Al Ghani (The Self-Sustaining One). At the door of servitude, what befits the servant is to wait at
the door selflessly. When you are appealing to the Presence of Allah, you must be humble, in a state of

40
fear and awe, admitting your powerlessness and poverty. If you go to the door of Allah, putting your
deeds and your nafs (egoistic self; man’s animal nature) aside, with utmost humility, then maybe you will
be accepted.
– from Guidance to Mysticism, translated by Shaykh Taner Ansari in Grand Masters of Sufism

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 Glossary of Sufi Terms and Phrases

A
‘abd, abid

devotee; dependent; servant; one who is conscious of his/her dependence on Allah

abdal

substitute; one who has traded his own self for Allah

abraar

best of believers; goodness; righteous; virtuous

Abu Bakr As-Siddiq

first Khalifa after the Prophet (peace be upon him)

Abul Alemeyin

Father of Two Banners, a title of Hz. Ahmed er Rifai

Abul Arca (or Beynennas)

Father of the Lame, a title of Hz. Ahmed er Rifai

adab

etiquette; manners

adhan (azan)

call to prayer

afidah

plural of fuad

Ahl al Kitab, Ahle Kitab

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People of the Book or Scripture

Ahl al Tariqa, Ahle Tariqa

People of the path; Sufis

Ahlullah

People of Allah

Ahl al Suffa, Ahle Suffa

Sufis during the time of Muhammad (pbuh)

ahwal

lit. "states," pl. of hal, a transitory mystical state.

Akbar

Greatest or Greater than great (Allah)

akhfa

very deeply hidden; the deepest part of the heart; sirr ‘ul-asrar

akhir

last; latter

‘alam-i jabbarut

the world or realm of the archangels

‘alam-i kasrat

the world or realm of multiplicity (kinetic energy)

‘alam-i lahut

the world or realm of the essence of Allah

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‘alam-i mulk

the world or realm of creation

‘alamin

worlds; realms

‘alam-i ruh

the world or realm of the spirit

‘alam-i wahdat

the world or realm of oneness (potential energy)

Alayhi salaam

"Peace be upon him" (abbr., pbuh)

Alayhis-salat was-salaam

"Upon Him be blessing and peace"

Alhamdulillah

"All praise and gratitude be to Allah"

Ali Ibn Abu Talib

fourth and last of the righteous Khalifas after Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

Allahu Akbar

"Allah is Greater than great"

alim

knower, in a scholarly sense

amaana

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object given for safekeeping; trust

anfus

plural of nafs

ansar

helpers

Aqim al salat

"Establish a system of connection and devotion to Allah" (command)

'aql

the rational mind; intellect

aqtab

plural of qutb

aqtab-i erbaa

qutbs of all time, a very high spiritual station reached by only four human beings, among whom
are Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani and Hz. Ahmed er Rifai

arhul

plural of ruh

arif

spiritual knower; gnostic

arsh

throne; the place of origin; stage from which Allah makes decisions; command post

Asma ul Husna

The 99 Names (Attributes) of Allah, which are used individually or together in zikr

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asr

passing time; declining day; isha in the afternoon

As-salaamu alaykum (var. salaam alaykum, salaamun alaykum)

"Peace be upon you"

As-salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu

“Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings”

Astaghfirullah, tubtu illallah, we na’aytu qalbi an masiwa’llah

“Allah forgive me, please cleanse my heart of everything but You.”

A’uzu billahi minashaitan al rajim, bismillah Al Rahman Al Rahim

"I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, who is cast out. In the name of Allah, The Source of
Mercy, The One Who Acts with Mercy."

awliya

protecting friends of Allah; saints; guardians (pl. of wali)

awwal

first; former

‘awwam

common people; the masses

ayat

sign; portent; lesson; message; proof; revelation; verse; evidence

‘ayn al yaqin

sure knowledge gained through observation and experience

top

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 B
bala

adversity in the form of a trial or test

baqa

the state of "subsistence"; continuing awareness through Allah.

baraka

blessing; grace

bast

expansion

batin

inner

bayat, biat

pledge; promise; initiation into a Sufi order

bayt

house; sanctuary

Baz al-Ashab, Al, Bazul Eshep

The White Falcon; title of Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani (Arabic, Turkish)

biat

see bayat

bid’a

harmful religious innovation

Bismillah Al Rahman Al Rahim

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"In the name of Allah, The One Who Acts with Mercy, The Source of Mercy"

D
dede

lit., grandfather; an elder dervish with spiritual standing within the order

dergah

Sufi center

dervish

lit., poor one; formal member of an order; murid who has attained a certain level of maturity

dhawq

lit., taste; perceptivity gained through divine grace.

din

way of doing righteous deeds; way of life; religion; path of righteousness to Allah

dua

prayer; supplication; invocation of Allah’s favors

dunya

material world

dzan

assumption; good dzan is to assume the best or to give the benefit of the doubt

top

F
fajr

dawn; salat just before dawn

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fana

annihilation; spiritual cessation of ego-awareness

fanafullah

dissolving in Allah

fardz

compulsory religious rule

Fatiha, Al

Opening sura of the Qur'an

Fi'il-i Muhammad

the example Muhammad (pbuh) projected in living according to Allah's wishes; Muhammad’s
(pbuh) implementation of sharia

firdaws

paradise

fitna

corruption; dissension between parties; trouble; disharmony; mischief-making; disorder;

rebellion; planting the seeds of trouble

fuad

spiritual heart as perception point within a human being

Furqan

Criterion of Right and Wrong

G
Gavsul Azam, Ghawth-i Azam

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lit., The Greatest Help(er), a title of Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani

ghafla

heedlessness; mindlessness; ignorance

ghaib

unseen

ghayba

backbiting

Ghawth

Helper; very high station in spiritual hierarchy

top

H
Habibullah

Beloved of Allah; Muhammad (pbuh)

hadith

tradition; saying attributed to, or anecdote regarding Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), according to
traditional eyewitness accounts

hadith qudsi

holy hadith

hadrah

lit., presence; a gathering for the practice of zikr often accompanied with movement

haidar

The ornamental vest worn by a dervish

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Haj

Pilgrimage to Mecca

haji

pilgrim

halal

permissible by Islamic law

Hal-i Muhammad

the spiritual state of Muhammad (pbuh); Muhammad’s direct knowledge of Allah

halka

lit., circle; a group which gathers to practice or study Sufism, usually a shaykh and murids.

halvet

spiritual retreat

haqiqa

the state of knowing absolute truth

haqq

truth

haqq al yaqin

truth received directly from Allah; sure knowledge

haram

unlawful

hawa

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lust; desire; whim

Hazrat, Hazreti (abbr., Hz.)

honorific title

hidaya

guidance

hikma

wisdom

himmah

force of heart; decisiveness

Hu

third-person pronoun (without gender) used in reference to Allah and in invocation to Allah
during zikr

top

I
‘ibad

plural of ‘abd

ibada

act of worship; devotion

ijaza

permission; license to teach tasawwuf (Sufism)

ijtihad

deduction; the process of reasoning through which one draws conclusions about a subject

52
ilah

god; deity; a revered higher power to whom one adheres and appeals for help

ilm

knowledge

ilm al ladun

divine knowledge received directly from Allah

ilm al yaqin

knowledge through research, written or verbal communication

iman

faith; belief; that which you accept to be the truth

indallah

nearness to or being in the presence of Allah

insan

human being

insan-i kamil

mature human being

Insha Allah, inshallah

God willing

iqam al salat

the establishment of prayer and connection to Allah

irada

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the quality of spiritual aspiration

irfan

gnosis; direct perception of Reality

irshad

guidance; direction

isha

evening; salat in the evening

ishq

love; passion; ardent desire

Islam

surrender; submission

istidraj

to lead on; a test of sincerity by forestalling the consequences of wrong action

ittiqa

watching for Allah’s good pleasure with one’s deeds; guarding oneself from evil or harm; not
offending Allah in one’s actions

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J
jalal

wrath; power

jamal

mercy; beauty

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jahri

in a hearable voice; loud

jihad

struggle; effort; holy war

jihadul-akbar

the greater struggle, i.e., the fight against one’s nafs

jinn

unseen being with consciousness and abilities similar to humans

K
Ka'aba

The Sanctuary; Inviolable Place of Worship; Mosque in Mecca

kalima

word; speech; saying; command; science

Kalima Tawhid

Utterance of Oneness (“La ilaha illa Hu” [“There is no god but Him”])

kamil

mature

Kanz-i Makhfi

Secret Treasure (Allah)

kashf

observation; spiritual understanding

khafi

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hidden; subtle

khalifa

representative; deputy; murid licensed by his/her shaykh to teach tasawwuf; designated

successor of a particular shaykh

khas

special; designated; destined

khawas

people of rare distinction

Kitab

Book; Scripture; established and applied knowledge; laws and regulations

Kitabin Mubin, Kitabi al Mubin

Clear Book (of references); Book that Makes Everything Clear; established knowledge;
scientific fact

kursi

throne

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L
La ilaha illallah

"There is no god but God"

La maqsudu illallah

"There is no goal other than Allah."

lataif

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spiritual perception point within a human being

Laylat Al Qadr

Night of Power, a holy night of special prayer during the month of Ramadan

Laylatul Mi’raj

Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) mystical Night Journey

liqa

joining

M
maasiwa

other than Allah

Ma’bud

Object of devotion (Allah)

maghfira

pardon

maghrib

west; sunset; salat just after sunset

mahabba

love; attraction

maqam

station; place; position; state of spiritual development

maqam mahmud

praised station

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ma'rifa

direct knowledge of Allah

mashallah

what Allah wants (and happens)

masjid

lit., place of prostration; mosque; place of worship

Masjid Al Aqsa, Al

The Farthest Mosque; mosque in Jerusalem

mawla

protector; guardian; master; lord

mawlana, mevlana

spiritual teacher; our lord

meydan

lit., "field" or "meeting place"; place where zikr is held

meydan-ji

elder dervish who helps other students learn the proper customs and procedures in a meydan

Mi'raj

Night Journey of the Prophet (pbuh); the type of "ascension" that may be experienced by
advanced Sufis

M’iraj ul Ma’nawiy

Spiritual Journey

mihdi

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one who is guided

mihrab

niche in the wall which shows the direction of prayer

mu'adh dhin, muezzin

one who calls people to prayer

muhabbest

lit., attracted one; someone attracted to an order

muhib

one who loves

muhasibi

lit., rendering account; taking stock of one's actions

Muhyiddin

Reviver of the Way of Doing Righteous Deeds (Religion); a title of Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani

mukhlas

sincere and dedicated one who chooses Allah as his/her goal

mulk

sovereignty; domain; realm

mu’min

accepter of the truth; believer; acknowledger

muraqaba

meditation practiced in solitude; watching over carefully

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murid

lit., directed one; a person who has accepted a spiritual teacher; Sufi student

murshid

teacher of the Sufi path, a title usually reserved for the head of an order

musbaha

string of prayer beads; rosary; also known as tasbih

Muslim

one who surrenders; submitter; one who is willing to accept and make peace with Allah’s laws
and regulations

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N
naas

humanity

nabi

prophet

nafs

lit., breath; self; person; egoistic or animalistic nature

Nafs-i Ammara

Dominant Nafs; the first of seven main levels of nafs attained in the process of Sufi
purification

Nafs-i Lawwama

Blaming Nafs; the second of seven main levels of nafs attained in the process of Sufi
purification

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Nafs-i Mardziyya

Satisfying Nafs; the sixth of seven main levels of nafs attained in the process of Sufi
purification

Nafs-i Mulhama

Inspired Nafs; the third of seven main levels of nafs attained in the process of Sufi purification

Nafs-i Mutmaina

Tranquil Nafs; the fourth of seven main levels of nafs attained in the process of Sufi
purification

Nafs-i Radziyya

Satisfied Nafs; the fifth of seven main levels of nafs attained in the process of Sufi purification

Nafs-i Safiyya

Purified Nafs; the seventh of seven main levels of nafs attained in the process of Sufi
purification

na’im

bliss; delight

namaz

formal Islamic worship that is observed five times daily

ni'ma

favor; blessing; grace; kindness; benefit; comfort; pleasure; delight

niyyah

intention

nur

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light

P
pir

spiritual ancestor; founder of a Sufi tariqa; living principal of a Sufi tariqa

Pir-i Dastgir

lit., "Who Takes by the Hand," a title of Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani

postaki, post

sheepskin used as the seat of the shaykh in the traditional Sufi zikr ceremony

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Q
qabd, qabz

contraction; deflation

Qaddasa Allahu sirrahu

"May Allah sanctify his secret"

qahr

wrath

qalb

heart

Qalu Balaa

covenant at the beginning of creation between the souls and Allah

qana’at

contentment

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Qawl-i Muhammad

what Allah said through Prophet Muhammad (pbuh); sharia

qiblah

direction turned to during prayer, which is geographically towards the Ka’aba in Mecca

Qur'an, Koran

lit., lecture or recitation; revelation from Allah to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) over a period of
23 years and compiled into a volume of 114 suras, or chapters

Qur’an-i Karim, Qur’an al Karim

Generous Qur'an

qurb

nearness; closeness

qutb

lit., pole; a person of extremely high spiritual level who acts as administrator in the spiritual
hierarchy of the world; human conduit of spiritual power from Allah, through whom it is
distributed in the world.

Qutbul Azam

Greatest Qutb, a title of Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani

Qutbul Rabbani

Divine or Devout Qutb, a title of Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani

R
Rab

Lord; Master; Allah

Rabbi

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My Lord

rabita

purposeful spiritual connection; heartfelt connection

Rabbil ‘alamin

Lord of the worlds, realms, generations

rahbar

lit., conductor; spiritual guide

rahma

mercy; grace

rakat

A unit of ritual prayer including standing, bowing, sitting, and prostrating

raqsh

dancing

rashid

maturity; wisdom

rasul

messenger

rida

contentment; good pleasure; satisfaction; approval

rijal

person who is faithful to his or her vows under all circumstances

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rijal al ghaib

saint who can see remotely or travel through time and space in the service of Allah

rizq

sustenance

ruh

soul; spirit

ruhsat

concession or permission given by a shaykh to perform a certain practice or organizational

function

ruhul aminu

trusted spirit

ruhul jismani:

corporeal soul

ruhul quds

holy spirit

ruhul seyrani

moving soul

ruhul sultani

kingly soul

ru'yah

lit., vision, esp. of a spiritual nature

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 S
sabr

patience

sadaqa

charity; alms

sadr

chest; heart; innermost self

sadr latifa

place in chest area equivalent to the heart chakra of Indian tradition

sahaba

companions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

sahv

lit., sobriety; the condition of the mature practitioner who has returned to normative
consciousness after sukr

sajda

prostration

sajjada

prayer rug

salaam

peace

Salaam alaykum

"Peace be upon you"

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salat

worship; prayer; formal Islamic worship that is observed five times daily; making connection to
Allah; namaz

salat al asr

afternoon prayer

salat al fajr

morning prayer

salat al isha

night prayer

salat al maghrib

sunset prayer

salat al zuhr

noontime prayer

salawat

invocation of peace and blessings upon Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

salik

lit., traveler; spiritual seeker

Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa salaam

"May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him," spoken or written after Muhammad's name

sama, sema

turning; revolving; a spiritual concert or zikr accompanied by music and sometimes turning

(whirling)

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samawat

heavens

shafi

intercessor

sharia

the body of Islamic religious canons; injunctions attributed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
regarding proper behavior for Muslims

shaykh

lit., elder; appointed master in a Sufi order or tariqa

shirk

attributing partners to Allah

shirk-e khafi

hidden shirk

siddiq

truthful and loyal one

sifat

attribute

silm

peace; submission

silsila

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lit., chain; the lineage of a Sufi tariqa descending from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), through Ali
Ibn Abu Talib or Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them). The chain of transmission
includes all murshids of the order up to the present.

Silsiletil Zehep

Golden Chain (Turkish), the spiritual lineage of Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani

sirr

secret; mystery

Sirr-i Muhammad

Secret of Muhammad; haqiqa

sirr ‘ul-asrar

secret of secrets; akhfa

soffreh

cloth spread on the floor used for meals

Subhan Allah

"Exalted is Allah" (Free from all defects)

Subhana Rabbi Al A’la

"Glory to my Lord The Most High"

subhat

lit., association; spiritual affiliation

Sufi

lit., wearer of wool or person of the bench; member of a tariqa

Sufism

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process of attaining closeness to the Creator through love, which is attained by purification of
the nafs; tasawwuf

sultan

king

Sultanul Awliya

King of the Saints, a title of Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani

suluk

journey; the life-path of a spiritual seeker

sukr

mystical intoxication, often accompanying wajd or fana

sunna

the observed behavior of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

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T
tafakkur

reflection; contemplation

tafakkarun

those who contemplate

tafsir

scholarly interpretation; explanation

tahajjud

special prayer during the night

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taj

lit., crown; hat worn by a dervish

tajalli

The state of irridation, epiphany, or theophany

takbir

great word (Allahu Akbar [God is Greater than great])

taqwa

self-vigilance; following the guidelines of Allah; devotion

talib

candidate or aspirant to formal membership in a Sufi order

talqin

inculcation; the practice of deliberate mental self-conditioning

tariqa

lit., way to; path; order of Sufism founded by a recognized member of a silsila

tasarruf

Allah’s executive power

tasawwuf

system of spiritual cleansing known in the West as Sufism

tasbih

glorification; repeating the Names of Allah with the help of prayer beads; prayer beads

taslim

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surrender

tawba

repentance

tawhid

unity and oneness of God, the direct perception of central tenet of Islam, Allah's absolute
singularity

ta’wil

deep, authoritative interpretation

tawakkul

complete trust in and reliance upon God alone

tekke (Turk.)

lit., corner; dervish gathering place, synonymous with khaniqah (Pers.) and zawiyya (Ar.)

U
Ummul Kitab

The Mother or Totality of Knowledge of our universe

urs

anniversary of the death of a Sufi saint, which is celebrated as their day of union with Allah

Uzkurullah

"Remember (make zikr of) Allah"

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V
verd

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litany of praises; incantation prior to zikr

W
wahdat

unity

Wahdat al Wujud

Oneness of Being; the absolute non-duality of existence

wahy

divine revelation; inspiration; suggestion; indication; saying something in a whisper

wajd

state of ecstasy

wajh

countenance; face; essence; attention

wakil

trustee; representative; guardian; advocate; keeper; representative of a shaykh, lower in rank

than a khalifa

wali

protecting friend of Allah; guardian; saint; also wali ul Allah; Sufi of a high spiritual level

waliyyan-murshid

teacher who guides and protects

Watan Asli

lit., Our Motherland; the face of Muhammad (pbuh)

wazifa

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repetition of names or attributes of Allah given as a practice prescribed to the murid;
personal zikr

wudu

ritual ablution, or washing, performed before salat

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Y
yaqin

certainty

Z
Zabur

Psalms

zakir

one who chants in the liturgy, also known as qawwal

zahir

outer

zakat

poor due; alms

zat

essence; person

zikr

lit., remembrance; reminder; the Sufi practice of repeating the Names of Allah

zuhr

74
noon; salat around noontime

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