Part 5 of a series on the spiritual path of the Ṭarīqa ʿUlamāʾ Makka
The Practical Characteristics of the Way
In our way, the constancy of remembrance of Allah in its complete sense is the means that normally brings about this change that the path envisages.
That means primarily performing the remembrance of Allah (dhikr), which will relate to the awrād and adhkār that are performed, and thus will be connected to the ʿilm of one’s self and one’s Lord (“He who knows himself knows his Lord”)[^1]; and the mudhākara, which will relate to the learning of one’s religion, and thus ʿilm of one’s relationship to Allah and His Creation, through Islam, Īmān and Iḥsān.[^2]
Etiquettes of Remembrance (Dhikr) and Remembrances Alone
There are etiquettes to be observed with regards to dhikr—some before, some during, and some after. The ones mentioned here are adapted from Imam al-Shaʿrānī’s The Epistle of Lights on the Etiquettes of Companionship according to the Elite (Risālat al-Anwār fī Adab al-Ṣuḥba ʿinda al-Akhyār).[^3]
Imam ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Shaʿrānī, a Shādhulī Sufi adept, and a Shāfiʿī jurisconsult, considers that there are twenty-six different etiquettes for dhikr. There will be others, and they vary according to the sage in question, but the twenty-six that Imam al-Shaʿrānī indicates are rather elementary to the pursuit of dhikr.
The etiquettes prior to dhikr include: an earnest repentance; being in a state of ritual ablution (wuḍūʾ); perfuming one’s clothes and mouth; ensuring one’s intention for performing the dhikr is nothing except for Allah; and associating honour for the One who is remembered.
The etiquettes during dhikr include: sitting in a clean place; placing the palms on the thighs; facing the direction of Makka (the qibla) if one is performing dhikr on their own, and forming a circle if not; perfuming the gathering place; continued and continual sincerity; continued and continual honesty; eating lawful food, and clothed in lawful garbs; minimal light in the place of dhikr; closing one’s eyes during the dhikr; making oneself aware of the meaning of the dhikr; rejecting any intention in the dhikr for other than Allah; negating any space in one’s heart for other than Allah; that the dhikr be audible (though the audibility can vary according to the type of dhikr and the inclination of the shaykh); that the strength of the dhikr, irrespective of the audibility, be full and complete; that if one’s shaykh is not present, then one imagines one’s shaykh in front of their eyes; and avoiding an inappropriate melody.
The etiquettes following the dhikr include: blaming the nafs for a while; not to drink until a few moments or so have passed; to remain silent for a significant duration; to remain attentive to the one who led the dhikr (the shaykh or his representative); having gratitude for ease and seeking forgiveness for shortcomings. During the silence following the dhikr, three things are also recommended: for the aspirant to make himself very consciously aware that he is in the presence of the Divine, and the Divine is well aware of him; to focus his senses such that he is wholly and completely still; to negate all thoughts and considerations mentally and focusing the meaning of the dhikr over the heart.
In the way of the Ṭarīqa ʿUlamāʾ Makka, if one is so inclined to move in the dhikr, one may do so, but not particularly vigorously. The most vigorous movement in this way is in the heart, not in the body.
When one does sway during the spiritual gathering (ḥaḍra) or any dhikr that one engages within, it is generally from side to side, lightly. Depending on the dhikr, one may motion one’s head towards one’s heart—the shaykh will move accordingly, and the murīds should be attentive to his example.
The Stages of Dhikr
Dhikr has been instituted precisely to sharpen and intensify one’s consciousness of the Divine. Imam Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī[^4] has classified dhikr into five categories or stages.
The first is a “mental or spiritual” activity designed to keep the mind focused on Allah during the day. The purpose of this is to protect one against all Satanic insinuations (waswasa) and instigations. This, nonetheless, is somewhat difficult to maintain for the novice who tends to slip into the vagaries of ordinary and mundane existence.
The second is a “spiritual exercise” accompanied by meditation upon eschatological matters such as heaven and hell, the Day of Resurrection, and so forth; and to focus on matters such as death and the questioning of the grave. While the two might appear similar in nature, the difference is a methodological one. The first is designed to inculcate a mood such as hope (rajāʾ), fear (khawf), gratitude (shukr), and patient endurance (ṣabr), while the second type assists in the development and progress of greater and deeper states of meditation. This type of dhikr is considered a “higher” form.
The third type is to engage an intensified form of repetitive formulae either by continuously reciting Allah’s name or by repeating a set liturgical formula. This form of dhikr is particularly useful for its sacramental value. According to Imam al-Ghazālī, it is essential to recite the formula with presence of mind, without any discrepancy between the tongue and the inner state, as a Tradition says that he who professes single-heartedly that there is no god but Allah will enter Paradise.^5 The execution of the dhikr in this case must be constant, uninterrupted, and without any intervening distractions. The intensity of this form of dhikr evokes images of striving for the sake of Allah (jihād). However, it is the remonstrance against the lower self (mujāhada al-nafs) that is most strongly emphasized and indicated here.
The fourth category is that condition in which intimacy (uns) and love (ḥubb) find their home in the heart—realized, rooted, and firmly embedded. This embedment marks the station of sincerity (ikhlāṣ) that the one who remembers Allah (dhākir) has attained. This station is reached through constant practice and consistency in the sacred art of performing dhikr—of both the mental or inner (sirran) and vocal (jahran) forms. This is the station Imam al-Ghazālī refers to when he states that “the real essence of dhikr is established in the heart only after the heart is consolidated in the fear of Allah…and purified from blameworthy qualities.”
The final type is the most intense and is typified by incessantly invoking the name of Allah or a benedictory phrase such as Glory be to Allah (Subḥān Allāh). The trajectory of this form is that it starts with the physical utterance of the tongue, then progresses to the point where the tongue remains silent and the forms and images of the words alone are visualized and focused upon. Then the final stage occurs in which even the forms and images themselves are obliterated and the meanings alone remain. This leads to the ecstatic state in which the one who remembers Allah loses all consciousness of him/herself. This is the station at which the boundaries between the act of witnessing the dhikr of the Witnessed One and the process of witnessing itself becomes obliterated and only an awareness of the True One (Ḥaqīqat al-Ḥaqq) remains. This, however, is a temporary state. But once the one who remembers Allah returns to the here and now, they are continuously overcome by a desire to encounter their Beloved again.
Shaykh Ahmad Hendricks reminds that the stages of dhikr are three:
- Dhikr bi al-lisān (remembrance with the tongue) only. This will not produce intimacy (uns), nor love (maḥabba), nor experiential knowledge (maʿrifa).
- Dhikr bi al-jinān (remembrance with the heart), which combines repeating the dhikr with your tongue and focusing on the meaning of dhikr in your heart, will produce—after a time of continuous, slow practice—an awakening of the dhawq (spiritual taste) for the Divine Presence.
- Dhikr bi al-sirr wa al-rūḥ (remembrance with spirit and secret) is when the sālik gains spiritual sensitivity towards the Divine Presence or Allah’s Nearness. So, in addition to maʿrifa, he develops dhawq.
To see this in action, it is important to find the people of remembrance (ahl al-dhikr) and spend time with them. The dhawq of the Divine Presence is so palpable in them—and thus company with them is truly valuable. An example of this is like an artist who brims over with a “taste” for artistic beauty and speaks lovingly of expressing that beauty through painting, poetry, or whatever his medium of art might be. As such, it remains important to spend time with the ahl al-dhikr and breathe in the presence of Divine Love in them.
The ahl al-dhikr sometimes express this maqām in words by saying: continuous dhikr awakens our innate knowledge of Allah, until we see or sense Him with the heart, in everything, before everything, and above everything.
This process between the different stages of dhikr is incremental. The sālik is rarely aware at what level he might be: and as such, the proper adab is to do it continuously with the shaykh. Deeper levels of absorption (istighrāq) in the dhikr will develop as one goes along. The final object is to reach or realise the ḥaqīqa of dhikr—which is when you are able to forget the “other” while in the state of dhikr.
Shaykh Ahmad reminds that a lot of this process is experiential—and as such, it is very important to take time and spend “quality time” with the people of the path. The ʿilm of dhikr, indeed of all the maqāmāt, is experiential, deep, and profoundly satisfying.
As such, to proceed: the recommendation of litanies to the aspirant by the shaykh comes at different levels. When one is given a litany, it is advisable that the aspirant pay close attention to the instructions that accompany it. The litany is not given without due consideration as to the appropriateness of it for the aspirant.
One should leave aside expectations when reading the litanies. They are read for the intention of Allah Most High. They are not read for the intention of gaining spiritual openings or any such thing, even though such occurrences may indeed take place. Moreover, even after such spiritual ruptures occur, one should not assume that will always be the case. On the contrary, it may be that the sweetness of the dhikr is apparent, obvious, and vivid at one stage, and that such pleasantness is interrupted on another occasion. If that happens, one should not be depressed or despondent, for it may well be a test of one’s own self. For, indeed, if the reading of the litanies is always ‘sweet,’ might it not happen that we read such devotions for a reason other than Allah? That our intentions become corrupted, by our wanting that sweetness of the spiritual elevation, rather than a purer intention of seeking Allah’s pleasure alone?
What may take place in such a situation is purely that the sensations of spiritual elevation may slowly return over a longer period of time; or suddenly, they may arrive altogether after a period of absence. This will vary according to the situation and the aspirant.
Different Levels of Practices
There are a number and different types of practices that may be prescribed by the teacher for the student. Litanies and invocations have been composed in broadly four ways.
The first type is one that is composed almost exclusively of the invocatory expressions of the Prophet ﷺ himself.
The second type is that which, along with the Qur’anic verses and/or invocatory sayings of the Prophet ﷺ, includes a number of inspirational lines provided by the author of the litany.
A third type is one that is largely composed of personally inspired verses, but which contains allusions and metaphors usually of a metaphysical nature. These may not be readily accessible to the ordinary reader or invoker. These gnostic-type litanies are normally considered the exclusive preserve of the Gnostics (al-ʿārifūn). These litanies are either the result of ecstatic utterances or composed specifically for the elect (khawāṣ) or the superlatively elect (akhaṣṣ al-khawāṣ).
On the fourth level of practices that are usually prescribed, there may be the seclusion from people (khalwa), and different things that are prescribed within the khalwa.
On the first level of practices that are usually prescribed, one will find the likes of the general remembrance formula (Wird al-ʿĀmm) of Imam Abū al-Ḥasan al-Shādhulī in the morning and after sunset; the graceful and benevolent litany (Wird al-Laṭīf) in the morning or the litany arranged by Imam al-Ḥaddād (Rātib al-Ḥaddād) after sunset; the litany arranged by Ḥabīb ʿUmar al-ʿAṭṭās (Rātib al-ʿAṭṭās), the shaykh of Imam al-Ḥaddād; the recitation of particular suras from the Qur’an, such as the 67th Qur’anic sūra, Yāsīn, in the morning, and the 56th Qur’anic sūra, al-Wāqiʿa, in the afternoon or evening; different ways of witnessing to the oneness of Allah (taḥlīl) such as “There is no god but Allah, the King, the Real, the Apparent” 100 times after the noon prayer; or other formulae such as “Allah is all we need. What an excellent Guardian is Allah” 80 times or “I entrust my affairs to Allah” 11 times after the evening prayer.
On the second level of practices that are usually prescribed, one will find the likes of the supplication of the name of Allah (duʿāʾ al-bismillah) that is contained in The Guiding Lights (Shawāriq al-Anwār)[^6] by Sayyid Muḥammad b. ʿAlawī al-Mālikī; the Litany of the Sea (Ḥizb al-Baḥr) of Imam Abū al-Ḥasan al-Shādhulī in the afternoon, or possibly at different times of the day; the litany of victory (Ḥizb al-Naṣr) of Imam al-Ḥaddād after the noon prayer; the litany (wird) of Imam al-Nawawī after the evening prayer; and particular formulae that a shaykh might give.
On the third level of practices that are usually prescribed, one will find the likes of the ‘Litany of Discovery’ being prescribed; a particular exercise that pertains to the reading of the 99 names of Allah, and a search included therein. When fulfilled appropriately, the capacity of the aspirant changes, which will then impact the fulfilling of other practices, and as such, it is a delicate exercise indeed.
One should be aware that there will be different levels even within the period of seclusion. It may be that the first seclusion period one carries out will be at a certain level, depth, and duration, and the next one may differ with different instructions. The process of ascent (taraqqi) is certainly dependent on the capacity of the student, after all. The outcome of the exercise of the ‘Litany of Discovery’ may affect this as well. The effect of the ascent of the student will also, naturally, impact upon the efficacy of the practice at all of these levels. As the aspirant ascends, there may be a deepening of the particular practice, according to the aspirant’s spiritual capacity, and thus one may receive different spiritual openings even when carrying out a very basic practice at a very basic level.
There is also the supererogatory ritual gathering (ḥaḍra) of the spiritual path which is generally advised to attend once the shaykh has indicated as such and that may vary according to the aspirant. Some may begin it immediately while others may come at a later level. It is not, in our spiritual path, generally a public gathering. There may be exceptions, but the practice of Sayyid Muḥammad b. ʿAlawī al-Mālikī was that it was generally private, and not for everyone.
Different acts of worship are recommended at different times of the year and are included in an appendix to this work. Many of them are drawn from The Treasures of Success and Happiness in the Supplications that Expound the Chests by the 19th century Makkan sage, Shaykh ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd Quds.[^7]
✦
May the most bountiful of Allah’s prayers and peace be upon the Holy Prophet and his family, his companions, and all those that follow them in excellence, from this day of ours until the day of Recompense, by Your Mercy, O Most Merciful. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
Footnotes
[^1]: The contrapositive of this statement, “He who knows himself knows his Lord,” is from Q. 59:19 “And be not like those who forsook Allah, so He made them forsake their own souls.”
[^2]: See hadith of Gabriel.
[^3]: ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Shaʿrānī, Etiquettes of Companionship: An English translation of Adab al-Ṣuḥbah, trans. Muhammad Kiani (Creative Space, 2016).
[^4]: Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad al-Ghazālī, Invocations and Supplications (Kitāb al-Adhkār wa al-Daʿwāt), trans. K. Nakamura, Book IX of The Revival of the Religious Sciences, 3rd ed. (Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 2011), xxiii–xxix.
[^6]: Muḥammad b. ʿAlawī al-Mālikī, Shawāriq al-Anwār min adʿiyat al-sāda al-akhyār.
[^7]: ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd b. Muḥammad ʿAlī Quds, Kanz al-Najāḥ wa-l-Surūr fī al-Adʿiya al-Maʾthūra allatī Tashraḥ al-Ṣudūr (Beirut, 2009).
