Al-Tarīqa al-Jaʿfariyya al-Ahmadiyya al-Muhammadiyya

The full name of the path is al-Ṭarīqa al-Jaʿfariyya al-Ahmadiyya al-Muhammadiyya, from here it will be referred to as “The Jaʿfari Tariqa”. This path, as one of the paths known as Ṭarīqa Muhammadiyya, is rooted in the Muhammadan upbringing and reality. As such the Jaʿfarī ṭarīqa is a traditional path of Islamic spirituality which is thoroughly grounded in the Qurʼān and Sunna. In truth this is the case of all true paths, therefore, there will be undoubted similarities and overlaps in approach between them, however there are characteristics which serve as distinguishing features.

Here is a summary of some of the features of the Jaʿfarī path which in further articles we will expand upon, in shāʼ Allāh.

  1. ʿIlm
    Sayyidī Shaykh Salih was a scholar as was his shaykh sayyidī Shaykh Ahmad ibn Idrīs before him, the path is characterised with the respect for and the seeking of knowledge. As well as love and honouring its people. Students are encouraged to attend the gatherings of sacred knowledge as much as they can.
  2. The Qurʼān
    Reciting, memorising and studying the Qurʼān is an important point of the path from the beginning. This is different from the conceptualisations of some paths which state that the Qurʼān in primarily a focal point at the end of the path. While all paths encourage the devotional reading of the Qurʼān throughout all stages, Shaykh Salih’s emphasis on the Qurʼān as a means of spiritual elevation even from the beginning is an important distinguishment.
  3. Praise and love of the Prophet ﷺ
    The praise of the Prophet ﷺ feature heavy in the path of shaykh Salih. His collection of poetry in praise of the Prophet ﷺ are famous. The point of course is to increase love of him and honouring his rank. This centers the Prophet as our focal point in sulūk.
  4. Praise and love of the Ahl al-Bayt
    This relates to the above but deserves to be a separate point, as love of the family also features prominently in the way of the shaykh.
  5. Brotherhood
    One should gather with the brotherhood for remembrance, praise and fellowship.

Practices:

Idrīsī connection:
Shaykh Salih al-Jaʿfari traveled the path of his master Shaykh Ahmad ibn Idrīs. Though the Shaykh was given his independent path, its roots are Idrīsī as such the adhkār known as “The Keys of the Heavens and Earth” are prominent in the path of Shaykh Salih.

  1. Idrīsī Tahlīl
    This should be read 3x after every obligatory prayer and 100x a day
  2. Istighfār al-Kabīr
    Should be read once after every obligatory prayer and 70 times if able (ideally at ṣuḥūr time)
  3. Ṣalāt al-ʿAẓīmiyya
    Should be read once after every obligatory prayer and as much as one has the ability to do outside the prayer. Shaykh Salih was famous for reading this 2000 times in the night.

Jaʿfarī litanies:
The litanies of Shaykh Salih consist of: daily aḥzāb/duʿāʼ, daily recitation of the Qurʼān, and daily ṣalawāt, as well as supplemental and special litanies for personal and group use. Fore more details see Tariqa page.

Philosophy:

Though not emphasized by all, all paths acknowledge a spiritual connection to the founders of their paths and the Prophet ﷺ. The Jaʿfari path as one of the representatives of the “Ṭarīqa Muhammadiyya” movement had a great emphasis on this connection to the barzakh and the ultimate tarbiya of the Messenger ﷺ. While there remains the living murabbī who connects you to the path, guides and gives advice, the primary or ultimate tarbiya of this way is “bi-sirr” (spiritual connection) and not verbal articulations, where the souls are raised and trained by the soul of Shaykh Salih himself until such state one is under the tarbiya of the Prophet, himself ﷺ.

For more on the Ṭarīqa Muhammadiyya see : Ṭarīqa Muḥammadiyya