[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:\/\/naqshbandi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/MAWLANA-SHAYKH-MUHAMMAD-HISHAM-KABBANI.Majlis-Madinatul-Munawarrah-s.jpg” min_height=”550px” custom_padding=”||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” title_text=”MAWLANA SHAYKH MUHAMMAD HISHAM KABBANI.Majlis Madinatul-Munawarrah (s)” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_image=”off” background_size=”initial” background_position=”bottom_center” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_5,3_5,1_5″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”70px||5px||false|false” custom_css_main_element=”align-items: center;” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/naqshbandi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Capture1.png” title_text=”Capture1″ align=”right” align_tablet=”” align_phone=”center” align_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font=”Anglecia Pro Display||||||||” header_2_text_align=”center” header_2_text_color=”#05290d” header_2_font_size=”62px” custom_margin=”-23px||||false|false” custom_padding=”|0px||||” header_2_font_size_tablet=”” header_2_font_size_phone=”40px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
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Imam Abu Hanifa (r) (85 H.-150 H) said, \u201cIf it were not for two years, I would have perished. For two years I accompanied Sayyidina Jac<\/sup>far as-Sadiq and I acquired the spiritual knowledge that made me a knower in the Way.\u201d<\/p>\n The book\u00a0Ad-Durr al-Mukhtar<\/em>, vol 1. p. 43, mentions that Ibn\u00a0c<\/sup>Abidin said, \u201cAbi Ali Dakkak, one of the sufi saints, received his path from Abul Qassim an-Nasarabadi, who received it from ash-Shibli, who received it from Sariyy as-Saqati who received it from Mac<\/sup>ruf al-Karkhi, who received it from Dawud at-Ta\u2019i, who received the knowledge, both the external and the internal, from the Imam Abu\u00a0Hanifa (r), who was supporting the Sufi Spiritual Path.\u201d The Imam said before he died:\u00a0lawla sanatan lahalaka Nuc<\/sup>man<\/i>, \u201cWere it not for a certain two years, Nuc<\/sup>man [i.e. myself] would have perished.\u201d There were the last two years of his life, when he began accompanying Jac<\/sup>far as-Sadiq (q).<\/p>\n Imam Malik (r) said, \u201cWhoever studies jurisprudence (fiqh) and didn\u2019t study Sufism (tasawwuf<\/em>) will be corrupted; and whoever studied tasawwuf and didn\u2019t study jurisprudence will become a heretic; and whoever combined both will be reach the Truth.\u201d This saying is mentioned and explained in the book of the scholar \u2018Ali al-Adawi with the explanation of Imam Abil-Hassan, a scholar of jurisprudence, vol. 2, p. 195.<\/p>\n Imam Shafic<\/sup>i said, \u201cI accompanied the Sufi people and I received from them three knowledges:<\/p>\n This is mentioned in the books,\u00a0Kashf al-Khafa<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0Muzid al-Albas,<\/i>\u00a0by Imam \u2018Ajluni, vol. 1, p. 341.<\/p>\n Imam Ahmad (r) said, advising his son, \u201cO my son, you have to sit with the People of Sufism, because they are like a fountain of knowledge and they keep the Remembrance of Allah in their hearts. They are the ascetics and they have the most spiritual power.\u201d This is explained in the book\u00a0Tanwir al-Qulub<\/i>, p. 405, by Shaikh Amin al-Kurdi.<\/p>\n Imam Ahmad said about the Sufis, as mentioned in the book\u00a0Ghiza al-Albab<\/i>, vol. 1, p. 120, \u201cI don\u2019t know any people better than them.\u201d<\/p>\n Imam al-Muhasibi reported that the Prophet (s) said, \u201cMy Nation is going to split into 73 divisions and only one of them will be the Group of Salvation.\u201d And Allah knows best that the Group is the people of\u00a0Tasawwuf<\/em>. He went deeply into the explanation of that subject, in the book\u00a0Kitab al-Wasiya<\/i>\u00a0p. 27-32.<\/p>\n Imam al-Qushayri said about Sufism, \u201cAllah made this group the best of His saints and He honored them above all of His Servants after His Messengers and Prophets, and He made their hearts the secrets of His Divine Presence and He chose them from among the Nation to receive His Lights. They are the means of humanity. He cleaned them from all connnections to this world, and He lifted them to the highest states of vision. And He unveiled to them the Realities of His Unique Oneness. He made them to observe His Will operating in them. He made them to shine in His Existence and to appear as Lights of His Lights.\u201d [ar-Risalat al-Qushayriyya<\/i>, p. 2]<\/p>\n Imam Ghazali,\u00a0\u00a0Hujjat ul-Islam<\/em>, the Proof of Islam, said about Sufism, \u201cI knew to be true that the Sufis are the seekers in Allah\u2019s Way, and that their conduct is the best conduct, and their way is the best way, and their manners are the most sanctified. They have cleaned their hearts from other than Allah and they have made them as pathways for rivers to run receiving knowledge of the Divine Presence.\u201d [al-Munqidh min ad-Dalal<\/i>, p. 131].<\/p>\n Imam Nawawi said, in his Letters,\u00a0al-Maqasid<\/i>, \u201cThe specifications of the Way of the Sufis are five:<\/p>\n Imam Fakhr ad-Din ar-Razi said, \u201cThe way the Sufis seek Knowledge is to disconnect themselves from this worldly life, and keep themselves constantly busy in their mind and in their heart, with Dhikrullah, during all their actions and behaviors.\u201d [Ic<\/sup>tiqadat Firaq al-Muslimin<\/i>, p. 72, 73]<\/p>\n Ibn Khaldun said, \u201cThe way of the Sufis is the way of the Salaf, the Scholars among the Sahahba, Tabic<\/sup>in, and Tabic<\/sup>\u00a0at-Tabic<\/sup>in. Its origin is to worship Allah and to leave the ornaments of this world and its pleasures.\u201d [Muqaddimat ibn Khaldun<\/i>, p. 328]<\/p>\n Tajuddin as-Subki (r) mentioned in his book\u00a0Muc<\/sup>id an-Nac<\/sup>im<\/i>, p. 190, under the chapter entitled\u00a0Sufism<\/i>, \u201cMay Allah praise them and greet them and may Allah make us to be with them in Paradise. Too many things have been said about them and too many ignorant people have said things which have no relation to them. And the truth is that they have left dunya and are busy with worship.\u201d<\/p>\n He said, \u201cThey are the People of Allah, whose duc<\/sup>a and prayers Allah accepts, and by means of whom Allah supports human beings.\u201d<\/p>\n He said in his book\u00a0Ta\u2019yad al-Haqiqat al-c<\/sup>Aliyya<\/i>, p. 57, \u201cSufism in itself is the best and most honorable knowledge. It explains how to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) and to leave innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n In\u00a0Majmac<\/sup>a Fatawa<\/i>\u00a0Ibn Taymiyya<\/i>, published by Dar ar-Rahmat, Cairo, Vol, 11, page 497,\u00a0Book of Tasawwuf<\/i>, Ibn Taymiyya says: \u201cYou have to know that the rightly-guided shaikhs must be taken as guides and examples in the Dan, as they are following in the footsteps of the Prophets and Messengers. The Way (tariqat) of those shaikhs is to call people to Allah\u2019s Divine Presence and obedience to the Prophet.\u201d<\/p>\n Ibn Taymiyya says on page 499 of the same volume: \u201cThe shaikhs whom we need to take as guides are our examples and we have to follow them. As when on the Hajj (the pilgrimage), one needs a guide\u00a0(dalil)<\/i>\u00a0to reach the Kac<\/sup>ba, these shaikhs are our guide\u00a0(dalil)<\/i>\u00a0to Allah and our Prophet (s).\u201d<\/p>\n Among the shuyukh he mentioned are: Ibrahim ibn Adham, Mac<\/sup>ruf al-Karkhi, Hasan al-Basri, Rabia al-Adawiyya, Junaid ibn Muhammad, Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, Shaikh Ahmad ar-Rafa\u2019i, and Shaikh Bayazid al- Bistami.<\/p>\n Ibn Taymiyya quotes from Bayazid al-Bistami on page 510, Volume 10: \u201c\u2026the great Sufi shaikh, Bayazid al-Bistami, and the famous story of when he saw God in a vision (kashf<\/em>) and said to Him: \u2018O Allah what is the way to You?\u2019 And Allah responded, \u2018Leave yourself and come to Me.\u2019\u201d Ibn Taymiyya continues quoting Bayazid al-Bistami, \u201cI shed my self as a snake sheds its skin.\u201d<\/p>\n Implicit in this quotation is an indication of the need for\u00a0zuhd<\/em>\u00a0(self-denial or abstention from the worldly life), as that was the path followed by Bayazid al-Bistami.<\/p>\n So we see from the above quotes, that Ibn Taymiyya was accepting many shaikhs by quoting them and urging people to follow guides to show the way to obey God and to obey the Prophet (s).<\/p>\n \u201cThe crucible itself tells you, when you are strained, Whether you are gold or gold-plated copper.\u201d Sanai.<\/p>\n Following is what Ibn Taymiyya said about the definition of\u00a0Tasawwuf<\/em>, from Volume 11,\u00a0At-Tasawwuf<\/i>, of\u00a0Majmuc<\/sup>a Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya al-Kubra<\/i>, Dar ar-Rahmah, Cairo:<\/p>\n \u201cAlhamdulillah, the use of the word tasawwuf has been thoroughly discussed. This is a term that was given to those who were dealing with that branch of knowledge\u00a0(tazkiyat an-nafs and Ihsan)<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTasawwuf<\/em>\u00a0is the science of realities and states of experience. The Sufi is that one who purifies himself from everything which distracts him from the remembrance of Allah and who is so filled with knowledge of the heart and knowledge of the mind that the value of gold and stones will be equal to him.\u00a0Tasawwuf<\/em>\u00a0safeguards the precious meanings and leaves behind the call to fame and vanity to reach the state of Truthfulness. The best of humans after the prophets are the Siddiqin, as Allah mentioned them in Surat An-Nisa\u2019, 69: \u201cAll who obey Allah and the Messenger are in the company of those on whom is the grace of Allah: the prophets, the sincere lovers of truth\u00a0(siddiqin)<\/i>, the martyrs and the righteous; Ah! what a beautiful fellowship.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n He continues about the Sufis, \u201cThey are striving to be obedient to Allah\u2026 So from them you will find the Foremost in Nearness by virtue of their striving. And some of them are from the People of the Right hand\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Before proceeding to Imam Ibn Qayyim, it may be useful to say something about the wearing of the Sufi cloak. In the view of the Trustworthy, there are three categories of shaikh:<\/p>\n The first two categories (The Shaikh of the Cloak and The Shaikh of the Dhikr) are really deputies of a shaikh, representing the reality of the shaikh or the tariqat through the intermediary of either the cloak or the dhikr. The Shaikh of the Cloak (Khirqah<\/em>) depends on the power of the cloak to act on the murid. The murid takes his support from the cloak, which a fully realized Shaikh of Guidance has imbued with his blessings.<\/p>\n The murid of the Shaikh of Dhikr is supported by the dhikr, not directly by the shaikh. In these two cases, the shaikh becomes the symbol, because the real support of the murid is the cloak or the dhikr.<\/p>\n The highest of the three categories is the Shaikh of Guidance. He is the one who supports the murid without any intermediary, directly from himself to the murid. He is the real shaikh because, without any means, he supports and directs the murid directly through his heart. That is why Sayyidina Ahmad al-Faruqi said, \u201cIn our tariqat the shaikh guides the murid directly, unlike other tariqats which use the cloak and other means to lift up their murids.\u201d<\/p>\n In the Naqshbandi Tariqat only one shaikh, the Shaikh of Guidance, is therefore accepted as possessing real authority. When that shaikh passes away, the murids must renew their initiation with his successor, to whom he has transmitted all his secrets and his inheritance from the Prophet (s) and all his predecessors in the Golden Chain.<\/p>\n Imam Ibn Qayyim stated that, \u201cWe can witness the greatness of the people of\u00a0tasawwuf<\/em>\u00a0in the eyes of the Salaf by what has been mentioned by Sufyan ath-Thawri (d. 161 H.\/777 CE). One of the greatest imams in the 2nd century and one of the foremost mujtahids, he said: \u201cIf not for Abu Hisham as-Sufi (d. 115 H.\/733 CE) I would never have perceived the action of the subtlest forms of hypocrisy\u00a0(riya\u2019)<\/i>\u00a0in the self.\u201d (Manazil as-Sa\u2019ireen<\/i>)<\/p>\n Ibn Qayyim continues: \u201cAmong the best of people is the Sufi learned in fiqh.\u201d<\/p>\n Following is a quotation from Muhammad Man\u00a0ar Nuc<\/sup>mani\u2019s book (p. 85),\u00a0Ad-Dia\u2019at al-Mukaththafa Didd ash-Shaikh Muhammad ibn\u00a0c<\/sup>Abdul Wahhab<\/i>: \u201cShaikh\u00a0c<\/sup>Abdullah, the son of shaikh Muhammad ibn\u00a0c<\/sup>Abdul Wahhab, said aboutTasawwuf<\/em>: \u201cMy father and I don\u2019t deny or criticize the Science of Sufism, but on the contrary we support it because it cleans the external and the internal of the hidden sins which are related to the heart and the outward form. Even though the individual might externally be on the right way, internally he might be on the wrong way; and for its correction\u00a0tasawwuf<\/em>\u00a0is necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n In the fifth volume of the collection of letters by Muhammad ibn\u00a0c<\/sup>Abdul Wahhab entitled\u00a0ar-Rasa\u2019il ash-Shakhsiyya,<\/i>\u00a0page 11, and again on pages 12, 61, and 64, he states: \u201cI never accused of unbelief Ibn\u00a0c<\/sup>Arabi or Ibn al-Farid for their Sufi interpretations.\u201d<\/p>\n The great scholar, Ibn\u00a0c<\/sup>Abidin in his book\u00a0Rasa\u2019il Ibn\u00a0c<\/sup>Abidin<\/i>\u00a0(p. 172-173) states: \u201cThe Seekers in this Way don\u2019t hear except from the Divine Presence and they don\u2019t love any but Him. If they remember Him they cry. If they thank Him they are happy. If they find Him they are awake. If they see Him they will be relaxed. If they walk in His Divine Presence, they melt. They are drunk with His Blessings. May Allah bless them.\u201d<\/p>\n He stated, \u201cTasawwuf<\/em>\u00a0appeared in the first century of Islam and it received a tremendous honor. It cleansed the self and straightened the conduct and gave knowledge to people from the Wisdom and Secrets of the Divine Presence.\u201d [quoted from\u00a0Majallat al-Muslim<\/i>, 6th ed., 1378 H, p. 24].<\/p>\n He said, \u201cSufism was a unique pillar from the pillars of the religion. Its purpose was to cleanse the self and to take account of one\u2019s daily behavior and to raise the people to a high station of spirituality.\u201d [Majallat al-Manar<\/i>, 1st year, p. 726].<\/p>\n Maulana Abul\u00a0Hasan\u00a0c<\/sup>Ali an-Nadwi is a member of the Islamic-Arabic Society of India and Muslim countries. He said in his book,\u00a0Muslims in India<\/i>, written some years ago, p. 140-146, \u201cThese Sufis initiate people in Oneness and sincerity in following the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) and in repentence from their sins and in avoidance of every disobedience to Allah, Almighty and Exalted. Their guides encourage them to move in the way of perfect Love of Allah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn Calcutta, India, everyday more than 1000 people are taking initiation into Sufism.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks to the influence of Sufi people, thousands and hundreds of thousands in India found their Lord and reached a state of Perfection through the Islamic religion.\u201d<\/p>\n He said in his book\u00a0Mabadi\u2019 al-Islam<\/i>\u00a0(p. 17), \u201cSufism is a reality whose signs are the love of Allah and the love of the Prophet (s), where one absents oneself for their sake, and one is annihilated from anything other than them. It instructs how to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (s).\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTasawwuf<\/em>\u00a0searched for sincerity of heart, purity of intention, and trustworthiness of obedience in all of an individual\u2019s actions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSharic<\/sup>ah and Sufism: what is the similitude of the two? They are like the body and the soul. The body is the external shari\u2019ah knowledge and the spirit is the internal knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n In sum, Sufism, in the present as in the past, is the effective means for spreading the reality of Islam, extending the knowledge and understanding of spirituality, and fostering happiness and peace. With it man can find himself and, in so doing, find his Lord. With it man can improve, transform, and elevate himself, and find salvation from the ignorance of this world and its misguided pursuit of some materialistic fantasy. And Allah knows best what he intends for his servants.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Testimony of the Scholars of External Knowledge in Support of the Precedence of the Scholars of Internal KnowledgeImam Abu Hanifa (81-150 H.\/700-767 CE) Imam Abu Hanifa (r) (85 H.-150 H) said, \u201cIf it were not for two years, I would have perished. For two years I accompanied Sayyidina Jacfar as-Sadiq and I acquired the spiritual […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":268,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1782","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naqshbandi.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naqshbandi.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naqshbandi.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naqshbandi.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naqshbandi.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1782"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naqshbandi.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1782\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naqshbandi.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naqshbandi.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Imam Malik (94-179 H.\/716-795 CE)<\/h4>\n
Imam Shafic<\/sup>i (150-205 H.\/767-820 CE)<\/h4>\n
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Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (164-241 H.\/780-855 CE)<\/h4>\n
Imam al-Muhasibi (d. 243 H.\/857 CE)<\/h4>\n
Imam al-Qushayri (d. 465 H.\/1072 CE)<\/h4>\n
Imam Ghazali (450-505 H.\/1058-1111 CE)<\/h4>\n
Imam Nawawi (620-676 H.\/1223-1278 CE)<\/h4>\n
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Imam Fakhr ad-Din ar-Razi (544-606 H.\/1149-1209 CE)<\/h4>\n
Ibn Khaldun (733-808 H.\/1332-1406 CE)<\/h4>\n
Tajuddin as-Subki<\/h4>\n
Jalaluddan as-Suyuti<\/h4>\n
Ibn Taymiyya (661-728 H.\/1263-1328 CE)<\/h4>\n
What Ibn Taymiyya Says About the Term\u00a0Tasawwuf<\/em><\/h5>\n
The Sufi Cloak (khirqa<\/em>)<\/h4>\n
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Imam Ibn Qayyim (d. 751 H.\/1350 CE)<\/h4>\n
c<\/sup>Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn\u00a0c<\/sup>Abdul Wahhab (1115-1201 H.\/1703-1787 CE)<\/h4>\n
Ibn\u00a0c<\/sup>Abidin<\/h4>\n
Shaikh Muhammad\u00a0c<\/sup>Abduh (1265-1323 H.\/1849-1905 CE)<\/h4>\n
Shaikh Rashad Rida<\/h4>\n
Maulana Abul\u00a0Hasan\u00a0c<\/sup>Ali an-Nadwi<\/h4>\n
Abul\u00a0c<\/sup>Ala Mawdudi<\/h4>\n