اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
"Guide us to the straight path." [1:6]
We are all travelling upon this path. Some make effort and work harder and some are weak.
Only if we know the objective of an action, we are able to obtain its benefit.
What is our purpose of travelling for this dhikr gathering?
We are able to perform dhikr by ourselves and earn reward for it. However, by performing dhikr in the company of the waliAllah, we earn blessings and become close to Allah ta'ala. Furthermore, we are safeguarded from punishments.
The main reason for sitting in the company of the Sheikh is to attain the faiz.
What is faiz and how may it be attained?
Faiz is not a new thing. Islam began with faiz and Nabi ﷺ bought the faiz. It was originated through his blessed company and was obtained by the noble companions. Faiz changes the life of a person. Faiz is also attained through the action of Muraqabah with a Sheikh. Thus, in the line of Tasawwuf, long speeches do not hold value in comparison to the act of Muraqabah. Students are also able to obtain faiz by the smiling, thinking and speech of the Sheikh.
Not all students and those who sit in the company of the Sheikh, attain the faiz and are spiritually reformed, just like not all companions of the Prophet ﷺ attained his faiz such as the likes of Abu Jahal.
Hadhrat Owais Qarni رحمة الله عليه didn't meet the Prophet ﷺ, he had only heard about him, yet, he had the highest status. This is because he had attained the faiz. Thus, physical closeness is not a condition in acquiring faiz.
We should assess our position and whether we have attained faiz. One cannot blame the Sheikh for his lack of faiz.
What is faiz exactly?
It is the blessings from Allah ta'ala from a particular person. Allah ta'ala places a special magnificence within a person whereby he is able to deliver it to others. Allah ta'ala is Most Aware and Most powerful and is able to distribute faiz Himself, yet He chooses the Ambiya عليهم السلام and the AwliyahAllah to distribute the faiz. This is from amongst the Sunnah of Allah ta'ala. He grants them the faiz and then enables them to distribute it to others.
Nothing is impossible for Allah ta'ala. Everything is in His control and He cannot be compelled. Allah ta'ala grants the faiz to us through this very source and this choice is through His infinite wisdom.
Why do some students attain more faiz than others?
It is not in the control of the AwliyahAllah. Rather, it depends upon the individual himself, whether he has the desire to attain the faiz.
Abu Jahal did not want the faiz. On the other hand, Hadhrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه desired it, so he acquired it.
To obtain the faiz from the Sheikh, it is essential that the student desires to obtain it from the Sheikh. His desire must not be contaminated with other purpose. A student must meet, travel and obey His Sheikh, solely for the sake of attaining faiz.
It doesn't matter how weak we are, we must not take shortcuts in obeying our Sheikh, otherwise, we will not attain any faiz. A student must be sincere and full of desire.
He must acknowledge that through his Sheikh, he will be guided towards the straight path and towards Paradise and through his Sheikh's guidance, his deen may be strengthened.
To recognise ones Sheikh as the most important means of guidance in one's life, and the means of having all needs fulfilled, without feeling the need to search elsewhere, is a great blessing indeed. This is the emotion which the noble companions experienced in the company of Nabi ﷺ.
A student must assess why he is weak and make an effort to acquire the company of a Sheikh. A person should be sincere in his search for Allah ta'ala. He must know that it is impossible to gain the closeness of Allah ta'ala through chasing the world.
We must find a Kaamil Sheikh and stick to him. This is the way to become close to Allah ta'ala.
A person must have sincerity and love in order to acquire from his Sheikh. All blood relationships are based on worldly forms of love. However, the love for Allah ta'ala is dependant upon nothing and is found in the company of a Sheikh.
To attain faiz from the Sheikh, you must have sincerity and perform constant personal assessment regarding the level of love, sincerity and sacrifice for the Sheikh. A Sheikh does not demand these things, however, it is something which is required from a student.
The Sheikh is the ocean of faiz, the thirsty come and drink from the ocean and the ocean will never be empty. We must be sincere always. We must not harbour doubts.
The more we remain in the Sheikhs company, the more faiz we will attain.
How to recognise that you are attaining faiz?
We should not expect to see miracles and dreams. This is a great deception.
Rather, there are three signs to look out for. Firstly, a person feels a change in his character, in his speech, in his love for the people and in people praising him for his humble and great character.
Secondly, the student is obedient to his Sheikh. Thirdly, he is guilty when he fails to adhere to his Sheikh's instructions. A student who fails to obey his Sheikh is losing out. It makes no difference to the Sheikh.
If we are weak and we fail to adhere to all three things, we should feel guilty and cry to Allah ta'ala during Tahajjud time. We should seek His help and also seek the love for His waliAllah from Him.
Allah ta'ala has made us capable of achieving these things which are required from us, so we should not make excuses. It is not difficult.
We also attain faiz during Muraqabah. If one performs Muraqabah in the direct presence of his Sheikh, he attains much faiz. This is why a student travels miles for the company of his Sheikh. The student may also attain faiz from his Sheikhs graves. This is the belief of the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'ah.
What is acquired from the physical company of the Sheikh cannot be acquired from far away. The closer one is to his Sheikh in proximity, the more spirituality, development and purity he will attain. The more willingness and desire, the more faiz he will attain.
The more belief we have in the words of our Sheikh, the more we attain. We must crush our desires, otherwise, we will not attain the faiz from our Sheikh even in his direct company. We must be intoxicated in the love for our Sheikh!
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
"Guide us to the straight path." [1:6]
We are all travelling upon this path. Some make effort and work harder and some are weak.
Only if we know the objective of an action, we are able to obtain its benefit.
What is our purpose of travelling for this dhikr gathering?
We are able to perform dhikr by ourselves and earn reward for it. However, by performing dhikr in the company of the waliAllah, we earn blessings and become close to Allah ta'ala. Furthermore, we are safeguarded from punishments.
The main reason for sitting in the company of the Sheikh is to attain the faiz.
What is faiz and how may it be attained?
Faiz is not a new thing. Islam began with faiz and Nabi ﷺ bought the faiz. It was originated through his blessed company and was obtained by the noble companions. Faiz changes the life of a person. Faiz is also attained through the action of Muraqabah with a Sheikh. Thus, in the line of Tasawwuf, long speeches do not hold value in comparison to the act of Muraqabah. Students are also able to obtain faiz by the smiling, thinking and speech of the Sheikh.
Not all students and those who sit in the company of the Sheikh, attain the faiz and are spiritually reformed, just like not all companions of the Prophet ﷺ attained his faiz such as the likes of Abu Jahal.
Hadhrat Owais Qarni رحمة الله عليه didn't meet the Prophet ﷺ, he had only heard about him, yet, he had the highest status. This is because he had attained the faiz. Thus, physical closeness is not a condition in acquiring faiz.
We should assess our position and whether we have attained faiz. One cannot blame the Sheikh for his lack of faiz.
What is faiz exactly?
It is the blessings from Allah ta'ala from a particular person. Allah ta'ala places a special magnificence within a person whereby he is able to deliver it to others. Allah ta'ala is Most Aware and Most powerful and is able to distribute faiz Himself, yet He chooses the Ambiya عليهم السلام and the AwliyahAllah to distribute the faiz. This is from amongst the Sunnah of Allah ta'ala. He grants them the faiz and then enables them to distribute it to others.
Nothing is impossible for Allah ta'ala. Everything is in His control and He cannot be compelled. Allah ta'ala grants the faiz to us through this very source and this choice is through His infinite wisdom.
Why do some students attain more faiz than others?
It is not in the control of the AwliyahAllah. Rather, it depends upon the individual himself, whether he has the desire to attain the faiz.
Abu Jahal did not want the faiz. On the other hand, Hadhrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه desired it, so he acquired it.
To obtain the faiz from the Sheikh, it is essential that the student desires to obtain it from the Sheikh. His desire must not be contaminated with other purpose. A student must meet, travel and obey His Sheikh, solely for the sake of attaining faiz.
It doesn't matter how weak we are, we must not take shortcuts in obeying our Sheikh, otherwise, we will not attain any faiz. A student must be sincere and full of desire.
He must acknowledge that through his Sheikh, he will be guided towards the straight path and towards Paradise and through his Sheikh's guidance, his deen may be strengthened.
To recognise ones Sheikh as the most important means of guidance in one's life, and the means of having all needs fulfilled, without feeling the need to search elsewhere, is a great blessing indeed. This is the emotion which the noble companions experienced in the company of Nabi ﷺ.
A student must assess why he is weak and make an effort to acquire the company of a Sheikh. A person should be sincere in his search for Allah ta'ala. He must know that it is impossible to gain the closeness of Allah ta'ala through chasing the world.
We must find a Kaamil Sheikh and stick to him. This is the way to become close to Allah ta'ala.
A person must have sincerity and love in order to acquire from his Sheikh. All blood relationships are based on worldly forms of love. However, the love for Allah ta'ala is dependant upon nothing and is found in the company of a Sheikh.
To attain faiz from the Sheikh, you must have sincerity and perform constant personal assessment regarding the level of love, sincerity and sacrifice for the Sheikh. A Sheikh does not demand these things, however, it is something which is required from a student.
The Sheikh is the ocean of faiz, the thirsty come and drink from the ocean and the ocean will never be empty. We must be sincere always. We must not harbour doubts.
The more we remain in the Sheikhs company, the more faiz we will attain.
How to recognise that you are attaining faiz?
We should not expect to see miracles and dreams. This is a great deception.
Rather, there are three signs to look out for. Firstly, a person feels a change in his character, in his speech, in his love for the people and in people praising him for his humble and great character.
Secondly, the student is obedient to his Sheikh. Thirdly, he is guilty when he fails to adhere to his Sheikh's instructions. A student who fails to obey his Sheikh is losing out. It makes no difference to the Sheikh.
If we are weak and we fail to adhere to all three things, we should feel guilty and cry to Allah ta'ala during Tahajjud time. We should seek His help and also seek the love for His waliAllah from Him.
Allah ta'ala has made us capable of achieving these things which are required from us, so we should not make excuses. It is not difficult.
We also attain faiz during Muraqabah. If one performs Muraqabah in the direct presence of his Sheikh, he attains much faiz. This is why a student travels miles for the company of his Sheikh. The student may also attain faiz from his Sheikhs graves. This is the belief of the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'ah.
What is acquired from the physical company of the Sheikh cannot be acquired from far away. The closer one is to his Sheikh in proximity, the more spirituality, development and purity he will attain. The more willingness and desire, the more faiz he will attain.
The more belief we have in the words of our Sheikh, the more we attain. We must crush our desires, otherwise, we will not attain the faiz from our Sheikh even in his direct company. We must be intoxicated in the love for our Sheikh!
May Allah ta'ala allow us to implement. Ameen