SUFISM and TARIQA TIJANIYYA
About Sufism
An Introduction to Tariqa Tijaniyya
About Sulouk
(Nine Steps of the Path)
Shaykh Ahmad Al Tijani: A Letter From Shaykh Ahmad Al Tijani Ali Harazim informs Us...
Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse: A Man Apart
The 17th Anniversary of the Disappearance of Shaykh
Ibrahim The Eternal Islam
Who Rides Whom?
May Allah Almighty grant us His Divine Guidance so we may continue on the straight path
and be successful in fighting devils and our lower selves, our egos. The Holy
Prophet, Peace be upon him, used to ask Allah to protect him against his ego:
"Oh Allah, don't leave me in the hands of my ego for even a split second
(literally, the time it takes to blink an eye or less than that)! In praying
thus, the Holy Prophet was setting an example for his Nation, showing us that
we should always seek Divine Protection against our own lower selves. This
teaching of the Prophet is very important. The ego is a most dangerous enemy of
mankind which triumphs by making people fall into Hell, here and hereafter. The
ego is at the heart of every trouble in the lives of individuals and society in
general, the culprit who has earned the title: "Public Enemy Number
One".
Seeing that the ego is so dangerous to mankind, why then did Allah create it:
What was the wisdom in building such a dangerous thing into man's nature? This
is a valid question that deserves an answer. The answer is to be found in the
Prophet's saying: "Your ego is your riding animal, your mount." If
not for the ego, you would have to "walk". Therefore, Allah gives us
egos to "ride" on that we may move forward. As we know of the Holy
Prophet himself, his ego appeared to him as "Burraq", the heavenly
winged steed that bore him from Earth to Heaven. Any one of us who strives, his
ego may be transformed into a "Burraq" as well. But the desired transformation
can only take place once we have taken our mount firmly in rein; only then may
it serve us as a heavenly winged horse for taking us to our heavenly stations.
For example, without an airplane we can't carry our physical bodies from Earth
into the skies, but once we board an airplane we may fly and reach every
destination. And so, an airplane is a very, very useful vehicle, but at the
same time it is a very dangerous one. If you don't know how to fly it and if
there is no capable pilot operating it, it may become an instrument of
destruction and may kill many people. Only a trained pilot knows how to fly an
airplane. We, also, are in need of training, if we hope to ever ride our ego
with the absolute precision control required for it to become a Burraq that can
carry us to our heavenly, spiritual stations.
No one can learn to fly a plane just by reading a pilot's manual. That is
insufficient preparation. Rather, a would-be pilot must fly alongside a master
pilot so many times before he can hope to make his first solo flight. For a
long period of time he will only observe the master pilot fly. After that he
will be at the controls but the master will be in the copilot's seat, ready to
take over the controls in case of any shakiness on the part of the learner.
So, it becomes clear how such a learning process must be carried out and that
learning from books alone is inadequate. For this very reason Allah almighty
sent to the Earth not only Heavenly Scriptures but also Prophets to deliver
them and to show people how the teachings of those Scriptures may be put into
action. If reading Scriptures alone were sufficient, Allah would not have sent
Prophets but would have merely made scrolls to fall from Heaven and rain on
people, both inwardly and out. In reality, however, only by observing and
emulating the ways the Prophets put those Divine Teachings and Commandments
into practice may one improve his outward ways and inner state.
In any given time it is impossible for people to attain heavenly positions
without following an Inheritor of the Holy Prophet. Such true Inheritors will
be found among mankind until the end of time. Accordingly, the Prophet has
said: "Never will there cease to be a group from among my Nation living in
the best and truest manner, until the Resurrection Day." If you can find
even one person from among those people, he may suffice you for learning what
you need to know. One person's teaching may suffice the whole world, as did the
Prophet's teaching during his lifetime and the leadership of the Rightly-Guided
Khaliphas in their time. But Allah Almighty, in His endless Bounty and
Generosity, has caused 124,000 Saints to be living in each time, each one
representing and embodying the spiritual emanations of one of the 124,000
Prophets. One Saint has been made to represent our Beloved Prophet, Sayyidina
Muhammad, who is the Imam and leader of all the Prophets.
Therefore, it is the duty of every Muslim to look for an Inheritor of the
Prophets, so he may learn how to deal with his ego effectively and how to put
it under his command. For as long as we don't have it under our command, we are
under its command, and as long as we are under its command, we are not real
servants of our Lord but servants of our egos, Satan and devils. For this
reason, it is a most essential point to learn how to be able to take command
over our egos.
Each and every act of worship gives us renewed power for controlling our egos.
But if we embark on the way of devotion by ourselves, our egos can lay so many
traps in our way and play endless tricks on us. For example, sometimes our egos
may say to us "Pray," or sometimes they may say "Awake at
midnight and pray," or "Read Qur'an, read so much of it, I am with
you, don't worry. Go to Mecca more than once five, ten, twenty times", or
"fast as much as you can." The ego may dictate these actions to you
and thus it may have its grimy little paws in every single one of these
devotions. Later it will manifest its participation by coming to you and
saying: "Oh man, Oh brother, there is no one like you; you are the best
and most pious of the human race, the most famous of holy men. No one can
worship like you; " When it speaks to you like this, it is just like the
butcher who comes to look at the lamb every day, patting it on the back and
grabbing the fat of its neck. He says: "How nice and plump, what a
beautiful lamb." But he is only waiting until the sheep gets big and fat
enough, waiting to slit its throat! Satan comes and says: "There is no one
like you. You are of the highest degree. Then the victim answers. "Yes, I
am the best; there is no one like me." When Satan obtains this confession
of self-worship, he cuts off the victim's head-finished!
That is what we call "self-satisfaction" (I am all right now")
and it is why Satan fell down. For he also said to himself: "I am all
right; I'm really something. The Angels should prostrate before me, not before
Adam, that mudpie! Oh my Lord, You are doing wrong in asking us to bow down
before Adam! "From such thoughts as his we seek refuge in Allah. Since our
ego plays such tricks on us by hiding itself within our acts of devotion and
therein nurturing self-satisfaction and conceit, it is very dangerous and
terrible for a person to strive on his own. He must take a guide and follow his
path, lest so many devils catch him and cut off his head.
Who of you would dare to carry around a plate full of gold on his head and walk
through London at night? Who is so brave and so foolish? (This was during the
time of riots in London.) To perform acts of devotion is riskier even than
this. When I am in the streets of London I often see "Security Cars"
with chains, security windows and armed guards for carrying large amounts of
money from one site to another. Similarly, everyone must have a guardian with
him when he wants to take his heart from Satan's vault. Some people, like
Sayyidina Omar (RA), were so strong in their faith that, if they were coming
down the street and Satan was coming the other way, Satan would quickly turn up
a side street so as not to have to meet them face to face. If you are like
this, then you are in no need of a guide; otherwise, you must take a guardian.
If you sincerely desire to meet one, then you will. In every time Allah has
provided for the seeker to find. But if you aren't seeking, giant devils will catch
you, chop off your head, cut you up into pieces and devour you! That is the end
of your story.
Now we are living in a time when people every where are demonstrating,
shouting: "Freedom, Liberation, Rebellion!" And egos are now always
in rebellion and shouting: "Freedom-Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! We are
free now! We have broken every chain that bound us; we have broken every chain
of religion and now we are free! Hip Hip Hooray! These are words that devils
and egos are gleefully sounding about in our times. You must be very careful
not to allow your ego to follow in this "mainstream of modern
thought". Our battle is not against people but against ego, only because
it drags us into the pit of badness and trouble, here and hereafter. Be careful!
If you become tolerant with it and give it your finger, it will take your
finger and grab your wrist also. From your wrist it will grab your whole arm
and then it will catch you and take you as a slave. Once it has made you its
slave it will come every day and feel you: "Yet there is only skin and
bones here, we must fatten him up a little more." But when it feels that
you are good and fat, then it sharpens its knife...
It is a dangerous time we now live in, as egos have reached to the peak of
their badness. We shall witness such terrible events in the world as have never
been seen before - a result of mankind's egos running free and wild, running
amuk. All governments, from East to West, Muslim, Christian, Jewish and all
others, have granted absolute freedom to their peoples' egos to go on their
dirty ways. Governments have broken every law of religion and, as a result,
they will be punished by the very people to whom they gave absolute freedom for
seeking ego's pleasure.
I ask Divine Protection for the Nation of Muhammad, for all of us and for every
believer. [ Tariqa Tijaniyya]
Atlanta Speeches of Shaykh Hassan Cisse (1)
Masjid Al-Mu'minun ~ Capitol Avenue, Atlanta, GA.
After Jumu`ah Prayer, December 13, 1993
After praising Allah and sending salutations and blessings upon the Noble
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) Shaykh Hassan Cisse said:
"My brothers and sisters in Islam, As-Salaamu Alaykum wa Rahmatu-llah
Ta`ala wa Barakatuhu,"
"I am very pleased to be here with you today. First of all, I apologize
because we came late. We couldn't find the way easily, that is why we came
late. But Al Hamdu li-llah! Our brother has done a very good job. May Allah
accept our prayers! May Allah accept all of our dua's (supplications), and all
of our worship, Ameen! My advice to the community and to myself is that we are
Muslims and we should fear Allah. That is the key to all good things in this
life and in the hereafter. Allah says in the Qur`an that if you are asking for
knowledge, fear Allah and Allah will teach you, for surely Allah knows everything.
This religion of Islam is based on knowledge. All of it is addressing the
intellect of the human being. The first word in it is the word 'READ!' I always
say, that a Muslim has no excuse to be ignorant. It is an obligation upon every
Muslim to seek for knowledge, male or female. From the time he or she is born
until the time he or she enters the grave. Not only Islamic knowledge, but all
types of knowledge. Seek Islamic knowledge together with worldly knowledge,
because the Prophet pbuh) said that you should seek knowledge even if you have
to go to China for it. And we know that at the time that the Prophet (pbuh)
said this, he was not directing people to go to China for Islamic knowledge,
but still he said these words. I am very pleased, once again to hear that you
people are doing your best in making an effort to study Qur`an, and in trying
to understand the meaning of this Book This Book is our Message. It is the last
Message from Allah to all of mankind, and to every individual person. In it HE has
said what HE likes, and what HE does not like. What HE likes; whoever does it,
what will be the reward? And what HE does not like; whoever commits it, what
will be the punishment on the Day of Judgment?
Today in this life we have choices. If Atlanta is not suitable to you, you can move to Washington, to New York, to Africa, to Asia, wherever you like. But on the Day of Judgment there is no choosing. You can only go to Paradise or to Hellfire, and you have to work for Paradise in this life. This is the way, and here, is the place to work for reward in the Hereafter. After making effort to understand the Book, you have to work. We have to apply the message of the Book in ourselves, in our daily activities, and in our relationships, because Allah has mentioned all of these things in this Book. And also because the Prophet (pbuh) has said 'I left with you what, if you hold fast onto it, you will never be led astray after me; that is the Book of Allah and my path.' The Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh), wherever mentioned, is what he said or did or has been said or done in front of him, and he accepted it. Elsewhere the Prophet (pbuh) said: 'All of mankind are going to Paradise except him who refused.' They asked him: 'Who would refuse to go to Paradise?' He said: 'Whoever obeys me, he has accepted to go to Paradise, and whoever disobeys me has refused to go to Paradise.'
Once again, we should tighten our relationships and our brotherhood as Muslims and act according to Islam. We are Muslims. Being a Muslim means you should be acting like a Muslim. You cannot claim to be a Muslim and be busy acting like someone else. If any person is doing that, he is fooling no one but himself. You can fool people, but no one can fool Allah. The Prophet (pbuh) has shown us the character of a Muslim, the character of a Believer and the character of a Migrator. He said: 'A Muslim is he whom, all Muslims are safe from both his tongue and his hand. He or she never uses his or her hand to harm any Muslims.' Muslims are our brothers and our sisters throughout the world. There are one billion Muslims (more or less), throughout the world. Whoever said 'La ilaha illa-llah, Muhammadar Rasulu-llah', he or she is considered as one of our large family. We should be nice to him or her. If you can help any Muslims, then you should do it. But if not; then at least don't harm any of the Muslims. A Mu'min (a Believer of the One God) is he from whom the Muslims are safe. They are safe in their lives, their property, and their wealth. They can trust him or her with their person, with their life, and with their wealth and nothing will happen to it. That is a Believer. Elsewhere, the Prophet (pbuh) said: 'Belief is what you have established in your heart, and your actions prove it.'
Migration has not ended with the migration of the Prophet (pbuh), from Mecca to Medina with his companions. He said: 'Still, whoever migrated away from what Allah has forbidden, he is considered a Muhajjir (Migrator).' May Allah help us! May Allah guide us to the right path! The right path is His Book, and in this Book, we have proof that all of it is truth from Allah. It is enough for us to read one ayat (verse) in Qur`an. Allah says: 'If We read it to you, follow the reading, and to explain it is up to Us.' When Allah said this the Qur`an was only in the Arabic language, and where? In Arabia. Today, the Qur`an has been translated into more than 70 languages. It is the most famous book in the world today. Despite the enemies of Islam and the fight against Islam, and against Muslims throughout the history of Islam, still the Qur`an is the most famous Book. Allah also promised: 'We are the One who revealed Qur`an and We are the One who will protect it.' Other Books, there is something added to them or something taken from them, but that does not happen to Qur`an. Wherever you read it (in Arabic), as soon as you make a mistake, a little boy will even correct you. That is one of the signs that this Book is well protected by Allah. Once again, I thank you and I am praying for you and I am very glad and pleased to be with you. As-Salaamu Alaykum, wa Rahmatu-llahi, wa Barakatuhu!"
The Imam of Masjid Al-Muminun, Imam William Abdur Raheem, extended cordiality to the Shaykh and asked him to give Kalimah Shahadah to a young brother. The Shaykh said to him: "Make your finger like this (holding up the index finger of his right hand). Repeat the words that I am saying. Say: 'Ashhadu an la ilaha illa-llah (he repeated them), wa ashhadu anna Muhammadar Rasulu-llah (he repeated them).' Say: 'I bear witness that there is no god but the One God (he repeated them), and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God (he repeated them).' Do you believe that in your heart? (The answer is yes) Everyday you should pray 5 times: the morning prayers, noon, afternoon, sunset, and the night prayers. In every year you have to fast one month, that is the month of Ramadan. If you have wealth you have to give Zakat. That is the Poor Tax. It is 2.5 per cent of your wealth, after your necessary expenses, to be given to the poor people in every year. And also, if you have the means and ability to go to perform the pilgrimage of Islam (Hajj), you must go once in your lifetime to perform the pilgrimage to the Holy City Mecca. Do you accept all that? (The answer is yes) Say Al Hamdu li-llah." (He said Al Hamdu li-llah!) (The people said loudly:) TAKBIR! (Allah is Great), TAKBIR! TAKBIR!
Another young man wanted to accept Islam also. The Shaykh said: "Say 'Ashhadu an la ilaha illa-llah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadar Rasulu-llah'. Do you believe that? (The responses were the same as above.) Everyday you have to pray 5 times: in the morning, noon, afternoon, sunset, and the night prayers. In every year you have to fast one month, that is the month of Ramadan. If you have wealth, you have to pay Zakat. That is Alms, 2.5 %, to be given to the poor people. If you have the means and ability to go to Mecca for the pilgrimage of Islam, you must go once in your lifetime to perform the pilgrimage of Islam. Do you accept that? Say 'Al-Hamdu li-llah'. Praise be to Allah!
Okay. From now on you are Muslims. Our obligations are now yours. The
Muslims are your brothers and your sisters. If you can help Muslims anywhere in
the world, please do help them. If not, at least do not harm a Muslim, either
with your tongue, or with your hand. That is Islam. Whoever has lived after the
Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and died without saying the words 'La
ilaha illa-llah, wa Muhammadar Rasulu-llah', Allah created him but He does not
like him.
You have said it (The Words of The Witness). Be sure that Allah loves you. Try
your best from now on to increase your knowledge of Islam. Try to read the
Book, to understand its meaning, and to answer the call. Pray with them (the
Muslims), and fast with them, and if you have wealth to support the cause of
Islam, please go ahead and support Islam. What was your name (to the first
one)? Kent Johnson? Okay. (We give you the name) Tajj-ud-deen. Muhammad
Tajj-ud-deen." (The people say loudly:) TAKBIR! TAKBIR! TAKBIR!
Shaykh Hassan Cisse named the other brother Muhammad Abdus-Sami, and said:
"Salaams, Salaams ... Farewell to Muslims at Capital Avenue."
Compiled by Abdullah Abdul-Malik ibn Daud.
Edited by A. H. Halim.
Three Forms of Knowledge
Ibn el-Arabi
of Spain instructed his followers in this most ancient dictum: There are three
forms of knowledge. The first is intellectual knowledge, which is in fact only
information and the collection of facts, and the use of these to arrive at
further intellectual concepts. This is Intellectualism. Second comes the
knowledge of states, which includes both emotional feeling and strange states
of being in which man thinks that he has perceived something supreme but cannot
avail himself of it. This is Emotionalism.
Third comes real knowledge, which is called Knowledge of Reality. In this form,
man can perceive what is right, what is true, beyond the boundaries of though
and sense. Scholastics and Scientist concentrate upon the first form of
knowledge. Emotionalist and Experientialist use the second form. Others use the
two combined, or either one alternately.
But the people who attain to truth are those who know how to connect themselves
with Reality which lies beyond both these forms of knowledge. These are the
real Sufis, the Dervishes who have Attained. [The Way of the Sufi, p.78, Idries
Shah]
Attainments of a Teacher
Straying from the PATH
Noor Ala Noor
Home Page
http://home.earthlink.net/~halimcisse/
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