Shariat &Tariqat

Shariat is the law, shariat is the scholarship, shariat is the knowledge. Tariqat is the lifestyle, taking what is ordered in shariat and putting it in your life. When you are entering into tariqat you cannot say, “I like this and I don’t like that. I want this and I don’t want this.” What comes to you is from Allah. You have to accept. If you are not accepting then you are not finding peace. You are running to fix it but the more you are running to fix it the more you are destroying it because you are running away from Allah more.

Tariqat gives you what is necessary to live in this world and not go to extremes left and right. Tariqat teaches you how to look after yourself, how to cure yourself and be strong to run to give cure to others.

Our way and Islam can only continue through tariqat. Without tariqat there’s only individual Islam. Everyone makes their own Islam according to their understanding or whatever their ego likes. Allah (swt) has sent to us not only the Book but He sent us a Prophet (sws) to teach us how to live in this world. Someone may say, “Don’t I know how to live?” Of course. Whatever the man is copying either from television, from their parents, from newspapers, from here or from there, that’s what man builds his life on. So man has to have a role model in his life and the role model for the believers, for Muslims must be the Holy Prophet (sws), his Sahaba, Sahaba-e Kiram (alayhim-ur Ridwan), the Tabi’in and those who are coming after and continuing on the footsteps and in the way of the Holy Prophet (sws).

So tariqat teaches us how to live. Tariqat teaches us to understand what is coming from our ego and what is coming from our Lord. Man cannot be worshipping the two at the same time. Either he is worshipping his ego or his Lord. He cannot be worshipping the Lord of the Heavens and at the same time do whatever his ego wants. It’s not possible.

The Most Distinguished Osmanli • Nakshibendi • Hakkani Sufi Order is an authentic spiritual path (tarikat) that is deeply rooted in Islam and in the Traditions of the Seal of the Prophets, the Beloved of Allah,  Prophet Muhammad (sws). It is the only Sufi path that traces its spiritual lineage back to the  closest companion of the Prophet (p), Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), ‘the second of the  two’ in the Cave. According to the Prophet (sws), all the secret knowledge that Allah put in the heart of the  Prophet (sws) was poured into the heart of Abu Bakr.

This secret knowledge, which is the Prophetic knowledge  of Sufism, was then transmitted from heart to heart, from one grandsheykh to another. This order later received  its name from Shah Bahauddin Nakshibend of Bukhara, the 19th Grandsheykh who lived in Central Asia. Its purpose is a Prophetic purpose, to turn mankind away from this lower world (dunya) and our lower selves (nafs) to a higher existence (maula) and a higher self (ruh), ultimately to experientially realize the truth of the testimony of faith, that there is no God but God – “la ilaha illallah”. This is achieved by understanding and adhering through practical living the lifestyle of the Prophet (sws), the most perfect model for all of humanity and for all times, thus realizing the second phrase of the testimony of faith, “Muhammedan Abduhu wa Rasuluhu”– that Muhammed is the Servant and Messenger of God. The actualization of the second phrase is realized through initiation (bayat) and association (sohbet) with the inheritors of the Prophet (sws), the living Saints (awliya) and Sheyhks. Just as the companions of the Prophet (p) achieved spiritual perfection through association with  the Prophet (p), so the followers (murids)of this Sufi order realize their spiritual potential through associations with the Sheykh.

Tarikatuna Sohbah wal hayri fi jamiyah

The main concern of the Nakshibendi Sufi Order is with the Greater
Struggle (jihad-ul akbar), the spiritual struggle with the ego (nafs)
and the other enemies of Man- shaytan, dunya, and hawa. In order
to engage in this Holy Struggle, the murid must be in constant association with
the Sheykh and he would then apply the teachings into his daily life. Shah
Nakshibend said “Tarikatuna Sohbah wal hayri fi jamiyah”– this Way is
based on association and goodness comes through association. Just as a patient
submits to a doctor, so the murid learns to submit to the Sheykh, who is a
Spiritual Physician of the Heart. Through the cleansing of the heart from all
idols and desires, the murid will then be able to transform his heart into the
Throne of God, inviting Him to reside therein. Other spiritual practices
include the remembrance of God (zikir), chanting the divine names of
Allah and praising His Holy Prophet (sws).

It is not a game. Tariqat especially. Tariqat, the Way, the way people must live. Everyone is sick spiritually. Everyone needs a doctor. They need a doctor to direct their spiritual connections to reach to their stations. If they don’t have that doctor then they are not going to reach to their stations. If they don’t have the guide then they are not going to reach to what is for them. And as they are not going to earn what is for them in Dunya, so they are not going to earn what is for them in Akhirat. Holy Prophet (sws) and all prophets came to teach people how to live. And the prophets came in the worst times when the people lost their directions completely and they didn’t have any way to turn anymore except to their own ego. Allah then sent prophets to them to show them the way. Whoever held onto those prophets found safety. Whoever left those prophets are in trouble, right now.

Don’t think that the world has never seen such things like this before, the buildings or anything that people are building today. The world has seen all these things before too and everything came to an end. The people before us built better world, in luxury ways, in art and in every way. But it came to an end, it disappeared, it fell into the oceans and it disappeared into the oceans. 21st century man has not reached anywhere except in arrogance which is reaching all the way to the skies. We must clean and clear ourselves from that if we are looking for the truth and if we are running to defend the truth. It doesn’t matter how the world is living. It’s not our problem. It is not your problem. You cannot save anybody until you learn how to save yourself. If you don’t save yourself then you are not going to be able to save anyone and those ones that you are trying to save are going to pull you into their own hell. And Allah is saying to us, “As you like. I have created you for Paradise. But if you are running towards hell then you are going to open the door of hell by yourself.”