In the Name of Allah the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Ãdãb
al-Sulŭk:
A
Treatise on Spiritual Wayfaring
By Shaykh Najm
al-din Kubra (qs)
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vi * *
The sixth principle is that the salik should not busy
himself with a medley of supplications, remembrances (adhkar, pl.of dhikr)
supererogatory prayers (nawafil) and different kinds of practices, but
should devote to a single form of dhikr and perform all the obligatory
prayers and prescribed forms of worships (fara’id wa sunan). Only then he should immerse himself into
the remembrance of God. It is said that dhikr is the key to the hidden
world ('alam al-ghayb) and the lamp of the inner world. Without a key
one cannot enter a house and without a lamp a dark house is not illuminated.
Hence the salik should remember God in the way a lover remembers his
beloved, and the remembrance must never leave him. Then he must so much
persevere in dhikr that dhikr gets attached to
bin,' not leaving his heart empty of dhikr even for a moment. When he
continues in this dhikr, it is transformed from human dhikr into
celestial and holy (qudsi) dhikr. 'Human dhikr' is that which is
done with the help of sounds, letters and numbers, while the dhikr qudsi is
that which is free from numbers, letters and sounds. After this stage, the
dhdkir (doer of dhikr) loses his identity and is submerged within the
object dhikr. He becomes unaware of his dhikr as well as his own
being. There are many degrees of dhikr, some which are superior to the
others, which are hard to begin; but gradually hard- ship and labour disappears
and dhikr becomes the nature and habit of the salik.
**
vii **
The seventh principle is to keep constant
fast, for this act signifies opposition to and suppression of the carnal self,
which is the root cause of all veils, the ground of separation and remoteness
from Haqq. If a salik reduces his food gradually, it is
permissible. This is the way which has been followed by some Sufi
masters (mashayikh). It is also proper if one adopts a middle path, i.e.
observes moderation. Muhammad (S) said: "Keep your self (nafs) in a
sound state, because it is what carries on about (markub); you should be
kind to it and take care of it." The Prophet (S) further said:
"Whoever makes his faith extremely austere for himself, his nafs
overwhelms him and subordinates him." If it happens that the salik
has to break his non-obligatory (mustahabb) fast in order to please his
guest or at the signal of his spiritual guide (murãd), he should not
let the self enjoy to its full, but take food in minimum quantity and eat
lesser than he is used to eat on the days when he keeps fast, so that he may
deprive his nafs from two pleasures (one is the breaking of fast and the
other is the pleasure of taking food to the heart's statisfaction). Moreover,
he should not always take bread along with stew (but be content with bread
only), for this practice is considered abominable by Sufi masters (mashãyikh), particularly
if stew is prepared with meat.
*
* viii * *
The eighth principle is taking care of bodily cleanness, for
such cleanness is the weapon of a believer and it evokes inner enlightenment.
The Prophet (S) said: Wudu' (ablution) performed on wudu' shall
be as light upon light on the Judgement's Day."
*
* ix * *
The ninth principle is to keep vigil in
nights. This practice is considered to be one of the most important acts of the
sãlik. In the praise
of the virtuous (abrãr), God, the
Exalted, says:
They used to
sleep but little of night ... (51:17)
It means that they sleep little at night, and the night is
the time of supplication for the awliyã' and the pure.
*
* X * *
The tenth principle for the sãlik is that he
should strive his best to get lawful (halãl) means of
livelihood. God, the Exalted, has said:
Eat of the good
things We have provided you... (2:172)
And the Prophet (S) said: "After the obligatory duties,
it is obligatory to seek lawful livelihood"; that is, after the duty of faith
it is the most obligatory of one's obligations. The lawful earning makes the
inner being (bãtin) illuminated, and unlawful earning darkens the heart.
The 'urafã' have said: Whoever is nourished by lawfully earned things
for forty days, God will illuminate his heart. In case the absolutely lawful is
not available due to the prevailing dubious character of that which is earned,
he should eat that which is less susceptible to doubt, and that too is to be
taken according to one's minimum necessity and not to one's need and satiation.
If the seeker acts with negligence in this regard, he will not be in a position
to benefit from the fruits of the tree of 'irfan. The author of the
treatise (may God have mercy upon him) says, a disciple (murid) should
not, even in the days of hardship and need, take even a grain of sesame that is
doubtful, to say nothing of taking such a thing during normal and easier
circumstances. The root cause of corruption of the world's people is their
carelessness regarding this matter, as well as their lack of abstinence from
unlawful and doubtful food. The Messenger of God (S) said: "The criteria
of religion are piety and fear of God, and faith is corrupted because of
greediness."
Here end the outward rules prescribed for the salik.
There are also many inward rules followed by the people of the spiritual path (tariqah).