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Post by sunnirazvi on Jul 9, 2005 13:35:43 GMT
assalamalaikum,
what do you say to those people who hold tariqat higher than shariat ?
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Post by Imam on Jul 15, 2005 0:58:20 GMT
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim.
Wa'laykum-as-Salaam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu.
Shar'iyyah and Tariqah, go hand in hand and form perfection, and guidance to those who adhere to them. It is worth noting, that the Shar'iyyah, and it's knowledge, is an obligation (fard) in itself, while the Tariqah, can be a journey for the soul, to reach the Ultimate Destination of Perfection. While Tariqah, cannot be attained solely on it's own, it is necessary to have the knowledge of the Shar'iyyah. These are all those outer actions which are performed in worship for the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. For example how to perform wudhu', and prayer, what to do during pilgramage, how much tax (zakah) to pay, and what to refrain from during the light hours of Ramadhan. Of course these must be observed in the light of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon Him). The Tariqah, when taught by a Master (Shaykh) of the Shar'iyyah, will concentrate on all the above, and in addition to this, upon the inner actions of the self. For example, he will teach you how to be modest, and how to practice solely for the pleasure of Allah the Almighty, rather than for the sake of people. He will teach you how to remember Allah the Almighty at all times, how to struggle against your ego, concentrating in perfecting your inner self, so that your character becomes so complete, that there remains nothing between you and he. A person without the knowledge of the shar'iyyah, has been referred to as an ignoramous, whereas the person who does not have a spiritual guide has been referred to as a lost sheep. This is the reason why Shaykh Sa'di said that a person without a shaykh, it is like the devil being his Shaykh. Alhamdu lillah, the Shaykh must fully comply with the Shar'iyyah, in order to guide his follower. He must have had permission (ijazah), in order to guide all those who need to be guided. Furthermore, he must not be an open-sinner (fasiq), and that he should be able to answer any question which people may ask him, either by looking in the books of Islam, or without looking in them. Any shaykh, who claims that he is a shaykh, yet does not comply with the fundamental precepts of religion (Islam), must be avoided. Nowadays, such false people do emerge, who cannot even undertand the basic principals of Qur'anic grammar, yet they claim to be great saints. Similarly, those scholars, who try and create mischief (fitna) amongst the community of Muslims (ummah), must also be avoided as there knowledge has not led them in the Straight Path. Those who claim that they have achieved the intimate knowledge of Allah, yet they do not even seem to be firm on the five time prayer, are trying to fool innocent Muslims, and should be avoided. The Straight Path constitutes of knowledge and practice of the fundamental concepts of Islam, and when this is merged with having the Right Guide, then the Straight Path becomes lit, and one gets to know how far his destination is. May Allah the Almighty keep us all firm on the Straight Path, and may He help us to appreciate, follow, and respect those who rightly guide others, (amin).
Wallaho a'lamu bithawaab.
M. Waseem Ashrafi
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