Ranks of the Lover and the Murid
HIGH ARE THE RANKS OF THE LOVER AND THE MURID! (adapted from a discussion with Shaykh Muhammad Salih regarding the question: Does the non-Murid achieve the fruits Shaykh Salih mentions in regard to his awrad and salawat in some of his poetry) There are many people who used to ask the permission of Shaykh Abd al-Ghani to read the awrad and salawat of Shaykh Salih al-Ja'fari,…
Twenty-One Attributes of Zuhd
21 Characteristics of the Zuhd (7 characteristics for each letter z-h-d) Adornment (zīnah) of the heart with wisdom and knowledge. Disappearance (zuhūq) of falsehood and the imaginations of the world and what is in it. “And say: Truth has come, and falsehood has vanished away. Lo! falsehood is ever bound to vanish.” (17:81) Nearness in rank (zulfa) in this life and the Hereafter, “He has…
Strive Like al-Suyuti
Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari writing about an exchange he had with a man after one of his Friday lessons from the book al-dhakira al-mu’ajjala: In the year 1385 ah a man came to me and said, “I have to tell you something that if it wasn’t for the fact that I was commanded from ‘on high’ to convey it to you I would not have informed you.…
Repentance
"One who is excessive in sins should make a ghusl and sit in a place alone and pray two units saying, “O Allah, Your runaway slave is returning to Your door.” All with extreme humility and crying with remembering one’s sins and making resolve not to return to them ever. He, [Shaykh Ahmad ibn Idris] says, “But do not make an oath\covenant with Allah that you…
Adab with the Shaykh
From the manners of the path shaykh Salih mentions: Do not consider one’s self higher than the shaykh regardless of obtaining a state from the various states, whether its obtaining knowledges or unveilings. One must see oneself as merely an extension of the shaykh and always and perpetually submit his spirit (ruh) to the shaykh, like Sayyidi ʿAbdul Karīm al-Jīlī, may Allah be pleased with…
Changing Attributes
"The person doesn’t change by taking the tariqa, the only thing that changes is his attributes. Meaning his [literal] hearing, sight, and smell doesn’t change rather what changes is the attributes of these things. The attributes of his physical senses change by taking the tariqa. So, his hearing turns away from frivolity and he begins to love listening to the Quran. His sight itself doesn’t change…
Visiting Imam Shafi’i and the Prophet
It is narrated that Shaykh ʿAlī al-Ṣaʿīdī used to say to his student al-Dardīr, ‘They say that you see the Messenger of Allah ﷺ a lot. If you see him, ask him about my state." He did so and saw the Prophet ﷺ, who said to him, ‘He is a pious person, except that he has some harshness.’ When Shaykh al-Ṣaʿīdī heard this, he cried…
Origin of al-Burdah al-Hasaniyya wa’l Husayniyya
Shaykh Salih mentioned: Once I entered the maqam and greeted our master Imam al-Husayn, upon him be peace. He replied to my greeting saying, ‘Peace be upon you, O' Salih.’ Hearing his greeting me is better to me than this world and everything in it. So I came one day as is my habit and entered the maqam and greeted him, but he did not…
General Istikhara
Some of the shaykhs would encourage to make a general istikhara for the good of the day and what it brings. Below is the supplication of general istikhara by Shaykh Ahmad ibn Idris: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَ أَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، و أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ العَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَ لَا أَقْدِرُ، وَ تَعْلَمُ وَ لَا أَعْلَمُ، وَ أَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الغُيُوبِ اللَّهُمَّ مَا عَلِمْتَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ كَلَامِي…