Taking the Tariqa

“And he who takes this path soon
Will see its secret most clear
I am present when the oath is being taken
To witness the bay’a for I am the guardian”

The focus of our shaykh, Shaykh Muhammad Salih, is not to accumulate murīds for the sake of numbers. As such this is not a path of merely seeking baraka. The expectation and hope is for the potential student to intend to be dedicated to the methodology of Sīdī Shaykh Salih al-Jaʿfari and maintain the awrād; in a word, to make ‘sulūk’.

If a person simply wants the baraka of Shaykh Ṣāliḥ, his Dīwan and Salawat are freely available and general ijāza (permission) to read them is given. They are a treasure trove of benefit for anyone who wishes to add them to their spiritual regime. They can be found on our Library page.

The first expectation for the potential murīd is to read the available material on our website, www.lightoftheazhar.com and/or the Compendium, which is a manual for the murid on the path. After that, one is encouraged to do the post salat awrād described on the ‘Overview of the Tariqa’ page and contact us at info@lightoftheazhar.com and you will be invited to attend our online dhikr gatherings (depending on your location). This will allow you to meet fellow murīds and ask any lingering questions. After several sessions if you still want to proceed, the representative of the Shaykh will aid you to make contact with him for the formal bayʿa.

For Women:

Just as the case for men, the path is not simply for baraka (see FAQ question 11). The expectation is sincerity in seeking knowledge, both the religious sciences and of the path. Therefore, women are also encouraged to read the contents of this website and Compendium to know and understand the path they will embark on. After that, women do not have to go through the “formal bayʿa” process involving taking the shaykh’s hand and repeating the covenant. She should contact us at info@lightoftheazhar.com to be put in contact with a representative of the shaykh to be given instructions and full permission to recite the Foundations of the Path, the daily awrād, Salawat, and supplications of the path.

We pray Allah accepts this from us.