The Sufi ethical concept states. Business Ethics Tests - file n1.doc

Sufism, as one of the many currents of Islamic thought, originated in the Western century. as a reaction to some provisions of Islam that strictly regulate the spiritual life of a person. The traditions of Sufi philosophy took shape towards VIII century and developed in the works of Jami, Jalal ad-Din Rumi, poet-thinkers Hafiz, O. Khayyam. In the 11th-12th centuries, these traditions continue in the works of Ibn Sina, Al-Ghazali, Ibn Rushdt and other thinkers and not only of the Muslim East.

Sufism defends the right of every person to his own religious experience, for his personal communication with God without intermediaries. In contrast to traditional Islam, Sufism places emphasis not on the external manifestation of religiosity, but on the internal self-improvement of a person. The goal of self-improvement is recognized as spiritual renewal. Some followers of Sufism believe that in the course of spiritual renewal, a person dissolves in God and thereby achieves the state of a “perfect person.”

The philosophical basis of the teachings of Sufism about man is the position that man is a being that reproduces in miniature the entire universe and is in an essential relationship and interdependence with the world, the unity of which lies in God. A person achieves Truth when he realizes his involvement in God and experiences unity with him.

However, the thesis about the unity of existence in God was not shared by all Sufi thinkers. There were differences in his interpretation. The most extreme position - the complete dissolution of man in God - was defended by al-Hallaj, who was convicted and executed by the authorities of the Abbasid Caliphate on charges of heretical identification of himself with God.

The famous Persian poet Jalaluddin Rumi agreed with this position, finding nothing heretical in it:

“You who seek God in the midst of the blue sky,

Leave these searches, you are He, and He is you.”

From Rumi's explanations it follows that such an identification expresses true humility, since it recognizes the dissolution of man in God and denies his independent existence, while the expression “I am a servant of God” contains a claim to an existence different from the existence of God.

Despite Rumi's explanations, such a position remained incompatible with traditional Islam. For it logically followed from it that there was no need to worship Muslim shrines... pilgrimages to holy places, etc. There is no need to go anywhere, Rumi argued:

“If you want to see God eye to eye -

From the mirror of the soul, wipe away the dregs of humility and the dust of rumor.

And then, like Rumi, illuminated by the truth,

See yourself in the mirror, because the Almighty is you.”

The ability to become a “perfect person” lies within every person. The Prophet Muhammad is considered in Sufism to be the “perfect man”, thanks to whom God is present on Earth. But he is not unique, for a perfect person does not appear at the direction of God, but as a manifestation of necessity in the eternal movement of the universe, which is God. Thus, in Sufism, nature is reduced to God.

It would seem that one should expect that, from the point of view of Sufism, all people are capable of comprehending the Truth, having achieved, thanks to knowledge, unity with God. However, in reality, supporters of Sufism claim that only sages have this ability, and even then not to the full extent. What prevents the full comprehension of the Truth? Why aren't all people capable of this?

The problem is related to the existence in various ways knowledge and the difference in their capabilities. Sufism recognizes the study of the external world in a rational way, but comprehension of God in this way is impossible. Sufi authors defined the types of knowledge in different ways, but they all agreed that highest value has a variety in which knowledge turns into true confidence, excluding doubts and errors inherent in reason. This type knowledge is embedded in a person’s heart, perceived by him as insight: “Confidence is the light that God puts in a person’s heart”; Since certainty presupposes inner experience, the way to comprehend it is intuition.

It turns out that the Truth, which followers of Sufi thought associate with God, is in principle comprehensible. This distinguishes Sufism from traditional Islam, which requires taking on faith everything connected with God. At the same time, the specificity of this method of comprehension - through intuition - is such that it requires the dissolution of the subject in the object. Is it fully possible? Apparently, supporters of Sufism doubted this, which prompted some to directly assert the incomprehensibility of God, others to associate the possibility of knowledge with exceptional abilities.

Uncertainty about the possibility of achieving the truth or even confidence in the impossibility of its complete comprehension does not turn Sufis away from knowledge. Rather, on the contrary, it stimulates the desire to get as close as possible to the Absolute, even without hope of complete success.

The specificity of comprehension through intuition requires a certain level of culture of mystical experience, which is the property of an individual and cannot be expressed in a rational way. We are talking about the ecstatic state of a fan, which can be designated, its very fact recorded, but not known, but only experienced, felt. It is impossible to transfer an ecstatic state to another person, but you can cause a reciprocal movement of the soul in another person. Words are of little help here. Representatives of Sufism place more hope in wordless communication, emphasizing that words can lead to error, while direct contact of souls eliminates discrepancies. True, souls must be prepared for such contact, otherwise the cry of the Sufi’s soul will be interpreted as silence, because it is not intelligible to the ears. If it is impossible to do without words, then they should be used allegorically. From here a large number of stable images and comparisons widely used in Sufi poetry. For example, the desire for knowledge is depicted in the form of a butterfly flying into the light and burning in the flame of a candle; a person’s relationship to God is described through the relationship of a lover to his beloved; comprehending the truth in mystical ecstasy is compared to drinking wine and getting drunk, etc.

In passing, we note that, although poetry in general is characterized by imagery, difficulties may arise in the perception of Arabic and Persian-language poetry. The images of a lover and beloved, for example, are so widespread in world poetry that it is not always easy to establish whether they are used in a literal or figurative sense, to describe the feelings of a man and a woman or a Sufi and God.

So, due to the specific way of comprehending the Absolute, we cannot be sure that we have known the complete truth. However, it would be logical to expect that everything will strive towards it: after all, the spark of the divine presence is contained in every person. Why don’t all people follow the path of improvement?

Sufi thinkers imagine the path of improvement as follows. An ignorant person, busy with everyday worries and selfish desires, forgets about his involvement in God. He needs to make an effort on himself in order to free himself from his own egoism, from attachment to worldly goods and affirm his true “I”. M.T. Stepanyants showed that from the point of view of Sufism, in principle, every person has such potentials, but not every person is internally ready to do something in this direction and that the difference between a simple person and a sage lies in the degree of their readiness to make their choice in favor of the truth. Al-Hallaj considered the sage to be the one who “has his own torch” i.e. who does not need any instructions or admonitions regarding the choice being made.

Sufism deals with the problem of free will, but deals with it inconsistently. On the one hand, Sufism is characterized by fatalism, as is the case with most movements in Islam: if a person is not an independent reality, but just one of the manifestations of the divine essence, then he is not the master of his destiny. On the other hand, it is important for followers of Sufism to defend the idea of ​​free will in order to justify the need for human active participation in the implementation of the divine plan.

Rumi explained the combination of fatalism with the recognition of free will by the fact that God, having created a person in a certain way, outlined the boundaries of his capabilities, within which he pushed him to perform certain actions. For example, if a person has hands, it means God wants him to work. And here you shouldn’t be a fatalist, Rumi believed. One must do the work for which God intended man.

To behave correctly means to make a choice in favor of the true path. The combination of fatalism with free will allowed Sufism to allow the possibility of choice for a person between good and evil, truth and error. God, as it were, subjects man to a test, allowing him to interpret his destiny in different ways. According to Rumi, it turns out that man himself is presented with a choice between good and evil, which exist before the choice and independently of it:

Place a sword in his (man's) hands and free him from helplessness,

To see whether he will become a warrior or a robber.

Rumi linked the origins of good and evil with divine attributes and asserted their necessary presence in all earthly manifestations.

Once again, Sufism diverged from traditional Islam, which argued, with reference to the Koran, that evil comes from man himself, while good comes from Allah.

If we recognize evil as a necessary side of existence, the existence of which man has no control over, then is it possible to blame a person for the evil he has committed? Supporters of Sufism believe that it is possible. The sinfulness of man, in their opinion, lies in the fact that he cannot cope with worldly temptations and does not feel a strong enough desire to direct himself along the true path. What would his choice be worth if there were no temptations?

The peculiarities of Sufism became the reason that in the twentieth century. the attitude towards him turned out to be ambiguous. On the one hand, the Sufi view of man remains quite attractive; on the other hand, it no longer corresponded to the spirit of the times and was in need of modernization. Like Vedanta, it was subject to rethinking in social terms, although Sufism in its traditional form did not cease to exist.

The most prominent representative of Sufism, rethought in a social direction, was Muhammad Iqbal (1873-1938), a poet and thinker of Hindustan, who wrote in Urdu, Farsi and English.

M. Iqbal drew attention to such, from his point of view, weakness of Sufism as isolation, the proclamation of individual self-improvement through ecstatic merging with God as the goal of human aspirations. A person cannot live outside society and should not be isolated from it, Iqbal argued. Only in society are the multifaceted abilities of a person revealed.

For a person to belong to society is a blessing;

Society promotes the perfection of his virtues;

When a person identifies himself with society,

He is like a drop that in the ocean becomes the ocean itself.

An isolated individual knows neither goals nor ideals

And he cannot find use for his capabilities...

Recognizing the divine presence in man, Iqbal insisted on the need for the full development of human potentials in the name of unity with God, as opposed to the traditional Sufi idea of ​​the dissolution of man in God, which, according to Iqbal, degrades and depersonalizes man. Iqbal considered man to be a collaborator with God, as he is entrusted with the mission of putting into action the divine creations and perfecting them.

If Rumi emphasized the determining character of divine creations and the complementarity and insignificance of human efforts:

He (the man) gave me a hat,

And You (god) are a head full of thoughts.

He gave me a horse

And You are the mind to control it, -

Then Iqbal turns out that God gave man materials or conditions for work, and the creations themselves turn out to be the work of human hands. In Iqbal's poem "Conversation between the Creator and Man", a man declares to God:

You created the night, but I got the fire.

You created the clay, I made the vial.

You created the desert and the blocks of rocks,

I created a garden so that the world would smell fragrant.

I am the one who turned sand into glass

And deadly poison - into the sweetest juice.

God, according to Akbal, deliberately limits his own power in order to give scope to human activity. Therefore, to refuse active activity means for a person to violate the divine destiny. Having elevated man to the co-author of his creations, God allows him to freely choose between good and evil.

On the question of the nature of good and evil, Iqbal agreed with the previous Sufi thought, according to which both good and evil have an objective nature. Iqbal considered evil to be a necessary side of the universe, without which there can be no life. Carrying out a destructive mission in relation to one state of affairs, it is an impulse to change them, to create a new one. In the poem “The Conquest of Nature,” Satan, addressing the Creator, defined his role in the world as follows:

...I break what I created and create something new again...

You lit the constellations - I inspired them to fly and whirl.

You opened being - I gave burning to being.

You breathed a soul into flesh, I filled this soul with anxiety.

You appear as peace, I appear as confusion.

Evil understood in this way cannot be destroyed. It needs to be comprehended and put at the service of good through the development of nature and society.

Iqbal insisted that the desire for God is achieved not by ignoring earthly life, not by leaving it, but by an outburst of fiery love that embraces the whole world, expanding the boundaries of the human soul to universal proportions. Such love is akin to Sufi “intoxication”, “madness”.

By fulfilling his divine destiny, man must change the world. Thus, Iqbal asserted the need for active social activities, considering the “perfect man” a fighter for social change:

The blood of a tulip heart is like wine,

It is a shame for a Sufi to live in captivity under asceticism...

“Adapt to the times” - a hadith for the ignorant:

If you are dissatisfied with the era, go to war with it!

Thus, Iqbal placed first place not spiritual, but social asceticism. The task of the ascetic is to become a prophet, i.e. not just to achieve mystical unity with God, which the Sufis of earlier times sought, but to use the acquired knowledge to transform society: “The desire to see one’s religious experience transformed into a living world force is the highest desire of the prophet,” Iqbal said.

To achieve perfection, a person must go through several stages. First, he comprehends the laws of existence expressed in the teachings of Islam and obeys them. Then a person learns to give up everything external in order to focus on himself, on self-development. And in the final stage, a person will have to move on to self-affirmation in activities based on divine principles. With his last remark, Iqbal removed the possibility of subjectivist interpretations of the remaking of society. He thought of the revolutionary transformation of society as a return to the principles of Islam. Iqbal believed that socialist democracy is an adequate means for the all-round development of the individual, thanks to which man will turn into a full-fledged associate of God and will contribute to the establishment of the Kingdom of God on Earth.

The humanistic orientation of Iqbal’s thought is beyond doubt. But what is its source - that is the question! Should Iqbal be considered to have developed the humanistic tradition of Sufism, or would it be more correct to say that he supplemented Sufism with the principle of humanism borrowed from European philosophy? Something to think about! We know from mathematics that through two points lying on the same plane we can draw only one straight line, but as many curves as we like! Therefore, let us compare Iqbal's views with earlier representatives of Sufism, say, Al-Ghazali of Persia, Farid ad-din Attar (chemist), Maulana Jalal ad-din Rumi, Jami and Avicenna. In a word, let’s analyze their philosophical and religious views.

Sufi philosophy is a special movement in Islam, which is characterized by mysticism, asceticism and asceticism. The etymology of the concept “Sufism” is unclear: some scholars consider it to come from the word “wool” (from which the ascetic’s shirt was made), others see the source as the word “bench” (on which the Sufis sat). Also, the origin of the concept of “Sufism” could have been influenced by the meaning of the root “Sufi” - pure.

The origin of the doctrine

The first Sufi ascetics appeared in the 8th-9th centuries. n. e., shortly after the emergence and spread of Islam. However, according to many researchers, the first shoots of Sufi teachings arose in the era of antiquity. Sufism has absorbed the spiritual elements of many ancient religions and beliefs, but its basis was and remains strict monotheism.

"Great Sheikh"

The most famous and significant Sufi philosopher is considered Muhiyi ad-Din Ibn "Arabi, who was called the Great Sheikh for his wisdom. His influence was great both on his contemporaries and on thinkers of subsequent generations, even on representatives of other philosophical movements. It is believed that Ibn " Arabi owns more than 100 literary and philosophical works. Among them are the Meccan Revelations, called the encyclopedia of Sufism and containing answers to many questions, as well as the philosophical treatise Gems of Wisdom and poetry in the collection Exposition of Passion.

Basic questions: the unity of opposites

Sufi teaching raises many questions: how God can be understood as the only one and at the same time generating all the diversity of phenomena in the world; what place a person occupies in the world, and how his actions relate to God’s will; what are the real possibilities and limits of human knowledge and action.

In Sufism we are talking about the unity of opposites: the temporal is inseparable from the eternal, the different from the same, the earthly from the divine. And the significance of this thesis concerns not only philosophy. It continues beyond its borders, raising questions from the field of ethics, morality, morality and belief. At the same time, adherence to the Islamic tradition is maintained: it is this religion in Sufism that is considered the highest and most perfect of all teachings given to humanity. In addition, the connection of Sufism with Islamic traditional ideas is manifested in the fact that Sufis deny the sinfulness of the flesh as such (but not the sinfulness of excesses) and express rejection of the Christian traditions of monasticism. Sufis say: joy cannot be separately in the spiritual or separately in the material; joy is in their union, when both are satisfied

Basic questions: man is a divine incarnation

In its classical form, Sufi philosophy proclaims the dual unity of the world order, that is, the inextricable connection between Truth and Creation, God and the world. Another important position of Sufi ethics is the direct connection between action and intention. This idea is also based on the philosophy of Islam. According to the Sufi concept, the result of any action directly depends on the intention, and everyone gets exactly what he is looking for. On the other hand, the basic principle of Sufism is that no statement can be immutable.

According to the ideas of the Sufis, man is the incarnation of God, and in every action we are guided by God's will, and, more precisely, we are guided by ourselves through God. In this sense, there is no wrong path because all roads lead to God. This is how Sufi philosophy affirms religious tolerance: since no knowledge in the world is anything other than knowledge of God, and no action is performed out of motives other than the desire for God. Thus, any religion is true. The only thing that is false is the proclamation of any religious teaching as exclusively true and at the same time denial of the value of other religions. Sufis see the truth, in whatever form it may be expressed.

Purpose of Sufism

The central theme of the philosophy of Sufism is the freedom of the soul. The famous Sufi poet Rumi wrote: “The soul on earth is in prison, and it will remain there as long as it lives on earth.” The thirst for freedom can be quenched by spiritual elevation, the desire to merge with God. A Sufi does not just reflect on existence, he lives here and now. The followers of this teaching tried to comprehend themselves and teach others direct communication with God, for which there is no need to resort to the help of priests. It was for this that the Sufis were persecuted and censured by orthodox Islamists. Some of this attitude continues to this day.

The main thing in Sufism is the education of a “perfect person”, capable of rising above earthly vanity and negative manifestations of his nature. The great Sufi spiritual path is called Tariqa. An example of such spiritual formation is the biography of the Prophet Muhammad.

The influence of Sufism on culture

Sufism significantly influenced the development of philosophy, ethics and aesthetics, literature and art. Sufi wisdom is reflected in the works of such eastern poets and thinkers of the late Middle Ages as Farid ad-Din al-Attar, Ibn al-Farid, Omar Khayyam, Jami, Abu Ali ibn Sina (Avicenna), Ali Shir Navoi and others, who worked on the basis of Sufi symbolism of love, longing for the Beloved (that is, God).According to Sufis, love (mahabba) is the highest state of the human soul, leading to unity between the lover and the Beloved.

Formed in the X-XV centuries. Sufi literature is represented mainly by poetry created in the languages ​​of the Near and Middle East: Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, Persian, Urdu, etc. A special place is occupied by Sufi parables, which are the quintessence of the wisdom of this philosophical and mystical teaching.

Themes of parables

In the most general sense, this is a short instructive story, the main moral idea of ​​which is expressed in an allegorical form.

The world that Sufi parables reveal leads to true Reality. At the same time, it is diverse, like life itself, and quite confusing. Each person understands these parables differently, but they all have a common goal. They are based on the comprehension of truth through love and through the renunciation of one’s selfish “I”, which obscures one’s vision. Having mastered this difficult art, a person can find his true divine self.

Poetic parables of Rumi

Some Sufi parables are written in prosaic form, others - in poetic. The latter includes, for example, the work of the poet Rumi. Collected in the book “The Road of Transformations,” Sufi parables were translated from Persian by Dmitry Shchedrovitsky. He also gave religious and philosophical comments before each parable. The book also includes ethical and psychological comments given by Mark Khatkevich. Both commentaries help to better understand the essence and spiritual and moral depth of the parables. The book was published in 2007 by the Oklik publishing house (Moscow).

Sufi parables about love

According to Sufi philosophy, love is the basis of the universe and the driving force in the hands of God, called in this teaching the Beloved. In parables about love, the Sufi teaching about the divine is expressed allegorically, through a system of images. For example, the well-known ancient Arabic legend about the love of the young man Kais (nicknamed Majnun, “falling into madness”) for the girl Leili is used. In the image of the latter, God is depicted, and in the image of Majnun - a soul thirsting for knowledge of the image of God, spiritual perfection and comprehension of the highest Truth. According to the Sufis, heaven is not a place, but a state. One in which the heart is full of spiritual love, and the eyes see deeper than the material world. As a result, a person’s perception is nothing more than a projection of his soul, his inner appearance. For this reason, you can transform the world only through internal cleansing and filling with sincere love. And with it comes happiness, satisfaction, harmony and gratitude.

Examples of parables about love include Rumi’s works “The Love of Majnun”, “Majnun and the Dog”, “The Tale of the Patience of a Lover” by Navoi, “About Lovers”, “Lovers” by Sanaya. These parables, being written by different authors, are united by the common idea that only crazy, all-consuming love gives true insight, revealing the Truth to a person in all its radiance.

Other Sufi parables

Frequent themes of parables are issues of knowledge, getting what you want, etc. One of the striking examples of wisdom is the Sufi parable about water. In various sources it is called “When the Waters Change,” “The Sage and the Water,” or “The Waters of Madness.” Like any Sufi parable, it can have several interpretations and is understood differently by different people. Most people wonder whether the new water was harmful or beneficial. Others ask themselves if they did the right thing main character parables, at first he did not drink new water and avoided madness, but then, unable to bear the loneliness, he nevertheless joined the crowd. To others interesting look The plot of the parable may be answered by the question: “Why did this man decide to escape from the new water alone, instead of trying to find like-minded people?”

In other words, Sufi parables do not have a single interpretation, and their meaning is revealed to a person in the process of thinking and asking himself questions. Ultimately, each person will see something different in the parable.

Sufi parables are a unique source of wisdom that helps a person open his mind and ask questions that have not come to him before. The philosophy of Sufism is an interesting phenomenon that has developed over thousands of years from practice to theory. He is distinguished by amazing religious tolerance and openness to new knowledge about God. Theorists of Sufism called their teaching the “religion of Love.”

They call Sufism “the pure essence of all religions” and believe that Sufism has always existed, only its appearance changed in accordance with one or another cultural and historical environment.

Sufis, who often call themselves “people of true existence,” from century to century bring to the world, along with their teachings, their art, which reflects their perception of beauty. Sufi symbolism, images and motifs permeate a significant part of eastern folklore, literature, especially poetry.

This is almost all Persian-Iranian classical poetry that has received a worldwide vocation. The names of Sufi poets have become textbook: Sanai, Rumi, Hafiz, Jami, Nizami. The same, but to a lesser extent, can be said about Arabic and Turkic literature, poetry, and folklore.

What is Sufism?

The root "sufi" means "pure". It corresponds to the essence of Sufi teaching and the spiritual appearance of its best representatives. True masters of Sufism, true Sufis, are truly pure from dogmatism and fanaticism, free from caste, religious, and national prejudices.

The strong desire for ethical purity and impeccability inherent in Sufis contributed to securing another name for them in the Arab world - Knights of Purity (Sahaba-i-Safa).

Due to its great flexibility and openness to external influences, Sufism is now a heterogeneous formation. Its various currents, directions, schools, groups are distinguished by the emphasis on certain aspects of the methodology, the preference for certain practical techniques. Among their number, a number of orders known for their ancient traditions are usually distinguished, as well as 12 main (“mother”) brotherhoods, such as Alkadiriyya, Naqshbandiyya, Maulawiyya, etc. In addition, there are many other structural formations of Sufism: smaller brotherhoods, communities , centers, monasteries, circles.

Sufism is based on the idea that the universe consists of 7 “realms of existence.” We are talking about the multidimensionality of space.

The subtlest spatial dimension, which Sufis call Zat, is the Abode of God in the aspect of the Creator. The Creator and all the diversity of His Creation (in Sufi terminology - Sifat) form the Absolute. The Creator permeates the entire Creation with His Love.

The multidimensional human organism, being similar in its structure to the multidimensional structure of the Absolute, can reveal in itself more subtle “types of being.” This is done through the process of self-knowledge and self-improvement.

Thus, only through comprehension of his true essence can a person achieve direct perception of God and gain unity with Him. This is very succinctly expressed by one of the hadiths of the Sunnah, which says: “He who knows himself, knows God.” On final stages of such comprehension, individual human consciousness merges with the Divine Consciousness.

This ultimate goal is described in the Sufi tradition as the highest state of consciousness Baqi-bi-Allah (Eternity in God). In the Hindu and Buddhist traditions, this term corresponds to Kaivalya, Mahanirvana, Moksha.

The basis of Sufism is love (mahabba, hubb). Sufis even sometimes speak of their teaching as a “hymn of Divine Love” and call it tassa-wuri - “love-vision”. Love is seen in Sufism as the force that leads to a constant strengthening of the feeling of inclusion in God.

This process leads to the understanding that there is nothing in the world except God, who is both Lover and Beloved.

One of the basic principles of Sufism is “Ishq Allah, Mabut Allah” (“God is Lover and Beloved”).

A truly loving Sufi gradually sinks, drowns and dissolves in the Creator - in his Beloved.

The perception of God as the Beloved comes from direct, immediate experience. Sufis describe it as follows. When a person travels a certain distance along the Path of Love, God begins to help the seeker much more actively, attracting him to His Abode. And then a person begins to feel more and more clearly the reciprocal Divine Love.

Let us trace how such love leading to God develops, based on the ideas of Jalal ad-Din Rumi.

It happens:

1) through the development of emotional, heartfelt love for everything that is most beautiful and harmonious in the world;

2) through active, sacrificial, love-service to people;

3) then - through expanding the circle of this love to all manifestations of the world without distinction; Sufis say about this: “If you make differences between things that come from God, you are not a person of the spiritual Path. If you think that a diamond will exalt you, and a simple stone will humiliate you, then God is not with you”;

4) this developed love for all elements of Creation is redirected to the Creator - and then the person begins to see, in the words of Rumi, that “the Beloved is in everything.”

Obviously, this concept of Love is identical to those presented in the Bhagavad Gita and the New Testament: the same main milestones, the same emphasis. True love is considered in Sufism, as well as in the best spiritual schools of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity, as the only force that can lead to God.

The ethics of honoring a spiritual mentor. Entry into tariqa (Sufi path) under the guidance of a true sheikh-mentor, performing special tasks (wird, wazifa) and other tasks (some assignments) assigned to him, is mandatory for every Muslim. Special tasks include: repeating words of repentance, reading salawat and dhikr a certain number of times, reading certain prayers, reading the Koran, performing additional prayers. It is also necessary to carry out his other instructions, which may take place in different situations, such as helping those in need or doing some useful work and any other instructions and recommendations. For they do not do any errands in vain, and in the fulfillment of their errands there is always great grace. This is the responsibility of both men and women, learned and ignorant, rulers and ordinary people, old and young. Many verses of the Koran, hadiths of the Prophet and sayings of the imams of all four madhhabs prove the obligation to enter the path of knowledge of Allah - the Sufi path (tariqa), to receive the patronage of a Sufi sheikh. To obtain evidence, you can refer to the reliable books of great scientists such as Imam al-Ghazali, Imam an-Nawawi, Ibn al-Hajar, Sha'rani, as well as the books of Russian scientists such as Muhammad Zakir al-Chistavi, Zainullah al-Sharifi, Saifullah -kadi, Jamaluddin from Kumukh, Hasan-afandi, Said-afandi and others.

The statement that it is not necessary to join a tariqa and follow a spiritual mentor, i.e., an ustaz, is absolutely incorrect, and even more so that one cannot join a tariqa. For everyone knows that Allah created man in need of another man. Except in exceptional cases, he cannot independently find the right path and passes it safely. And in this case, he does not do this himself, but the Almighty guides him, and such people are few out of millions. It is absurd to wait until Allah himself guides you, but you must obey His command to enter the tariqa and find the path of Truth. And if you think that Allah has already directed you along the path of truth and you are on the right path, then this is proof that you are on the path of Satan, for only the lost are confident in themselves. From the day of birth, a child needs parents, then, wherever he studies, he needs a teacher, for example, someone who wants to acquire a profession needs an experienced specialist in this field - a mentor, a student needs a scientist-teacher, someone who sets off on a journey needs escorted, etc.

Even our prophet Muhammad* had a mentor in the person of the angel Gabriel. The Almighty, of course, could have directed him himself, but He gave him a teacher, Dzhabrail, to be an example for us. If we set out on the most difficult, long and important path, the path of getting closer to Allah, how short-sighted a person must be who claims that on this path we do not need a mentor or guide, but on the rest we do. Isn't it man of sense will argue that if to treat the body, a doctor is needed, but to treat spiritual illnesses, the soul does not need such a doctor. A Sufi sheikh is a scientist who accurately shows the path to Allah Almighty, and a doctor who treats spiritual illnesses and thereby cleanses our hearts, without which we have no well-being in eternal life. Today a Muslim has more spiritual illnesses than before and therefore needs a true sheikh more and therefore must come under his protection.

Neither numerous sins, nor the consumption of alcohol, nor bad sinful habits of a person should become a reason for refusing to enter under the upbringing of a sheikh. The more sins, the sooner we need to go to a Sufi sheikh who will help us get rid of them. This is similar to how a sick person needs to see a doctor as soon as possible. Some are afraid to go to the sheikh, fearing that they will not be able to consistently and constantly fulfill the sheikh’s task. In vain. If for some reason he misses completing the task, then there is no sin; one must boldly go to the sheikh and enter the path of tariqah and try to fulfill all the instructions of the mentor, observing the norms of etiquette (adab). Allah and the grace of the Sheikh will help you complete the task.

Some are in no hurry to go to the sheikh because they think that if they enter the path of tariqa, they will have to give up the blessings of life and rest, give up work, family, science and other worldly affairs and all the time retire in remembrance of Allah. It is not difficult to guess that this is also a fallacy. A person who has taken the path of tariqah, like everyone else, has the right to engage in so-called worldly affairs within the limits permitted by Islam, and then all this will be worship with the right intention and there is no need to give up all activities. There are also people who doubt the truth of the ustaz because of the sinful behavior of its murids. And that's wrong. For sheikhs are not obliged to protect their murids from sin; they will not be able to do this, for only prophets are protected from sins. Even the sheikhs themselves are not protected from sin; they only sincerely repent if they accidentally fall into sin. After being in Islam, there is no greater happiness and mercy for a Muslim than to be under the tutelage of a true sheikh mentor. The opportunity to join the tariqa is a great blessing of the Almighty.

Next, based on the books of great scholars and righteous sheikhs, we will explain some ethical standards that must be observed by a murid. Without observing adabs, the murid does not receive the benefit of joining the tariqa and completing the tasks of the sheikh-mentor. And the most important thing for a murid is to have a conscious conviction that his spiritual mentor is the deputy of the Prophet * and the true favorite of Allah, wali. The murid must be sure that his mentor is the best for him today. the right person on the ground. However, one should not think that sheikhs, like prophets, are protected from all sins. Although they are protected from them to a certain extent, they can rarely sin and they will definitely repent, and this has its own certain wisdom.

As you know, in religion, compliance not only with mandatory instructions, but also with desirable and recommended ones is of great importance. As we said above, Sufis are those Muslims who scrupulously observe the precepts of religion. But, as a rule, many Muslims formally follow the instructions and do not pay due attention to observing ethical standards (adab). It is precisely such moments that Sufis pay attention to. Sufis say: “A person will not become a true murid until he considers it obligatory for himself to follow the desired instructions (sunna).” That is, until he performs the sunnah as carefully and without skipping as the fard. Also, Sufis, based on the hadiths of the Prophet*, say: “A person will achieve some degree before the Almighty thanks to the observance of adab, and his degree before the Almighty will decrease only due to non-observance of adab.”

Many murids do not pay due attention to observing adab. And since neglect of Allah, even in small things, can cause great damage to the spiritual component of a person. Sufi theologians pay great attention to ethical standards of behavior and have compiled many books on this issue. A very valuable work in this area is the book of the famous Sufi Sheikh Hasan-Afandi from Kakhib “Khulasat al-Adab”, in which all the important issues regarding adab in the tariqa are revealed in detail.

The Almighty made adab a means of knowing and approaching Him and a way of receiving divine light (faiza) through people whom He bestowed with his care and attention - they are Sufi sheikhs-mentors. And receiving faiz is a necessary condition for purifying the heart. He deprived those who did not observe adab of knowing Himself, imposing on them the stamp of deprivation and delusion.

In the above-mentioned book, Hasan Afandi writes: “Since Sufism is entirely adab and no one achieves the goal without observing it, and the majority of followers of the tariqa do not know about observing adab even in general terms, not to mention the details, then our great sheikh Abdurrahman Haji al-'Asawi (q.s.) constantly commanded me to properly teach the murids adab."

In his book “Mawakif al-Sadat”, the great Sheikh Saifullah Qadi writes: “I bequeath to you, dear brothers, do not contradict the people of the tariqa, observe adab. Know that just by entering the path of tariqa your heart will not open, but only by observing adab in relation to the sheikhs... Our sheikh Abdul Aziz Bukhari said: “Our mentor Khawaja Bahauddin al-Naqshbandi said that whoever wants to be with us should observe three conditions (adab).

First, if they see a good deed in themselves, let them not be proud of it, but show even more modesty and humiliation, fearing the wrath of Allah.

Secondly, if he commits any bad deed, sin, let him not despair, remembering the great mercy of Allah.

Third, when the ustaz commands you to do something, you must immediately and with enthusiasm try to do everything perfectly, fearing that leniency towards the commands of the sheikh may deprive them of grace.”

Adab must be observed in relation to everything: both animals and humans. The more you observe adab, the better, this is the command of Allah. Based on this, adab murid in relation to Allah, the Messenger * and his heirs - the Sufi sheikhs, is obligatory...”

A person who has no vices, that is, has a pure soul and who strictly observes all Sharia norms, does not need a mentor. For a mentor is needed to cleanse the spiritual heart, and his heart is pure.

Sheikhs are like gutters through which the light of the knowledge of Allah flows (fayz) coming from the Prophet. A heart that does not receive fayz is not purified, just as a field sown without moisture does not sprout. Fayz does not flow into the heart of a person who does not have a mentor, just as water does not flow onto a person who does not stand under a gutter. Dhikr performed without the instructions of the sheikh does not carry nur in itself, and besides, Satan interferes with it. In numerous books of imams [tariqa] it is said that the teacher of one who does not have a sheikh is Satan.

To overcome obstacles that distance you from Allah Almighty, there is nothing that replaces the remembrance of Allah, which the sheikh teaches. It can be called a cure for all the vices of the soul and doubts instilled in us by Satan.

The reason for non-compliance with all the norms of Islam is heart disease, without getting rid of which faith cannot be genuine and complete. And therefore, a mentor is necessary, first of all, to cure these diseases, so that thanks to his treatment the soul can be cleansed. The more you remember Allah (dhikr), the more your love for Him increases and you try to do what the Almighty commands. And whoever does not love Allah does not follow the path of truth. Following this path is predetermined by the presence of a spiritual teacher (ustaz), whose heart and service are pure, who is perfect in Sharia and Tariqa. Sharia and tariqa are similar to the soul and body. If an action lacks one of them, then it is not considered a good action. This is stated in numerous reliable books. For anyone who rejects what is said, there is a great danger of dying in unbelief. Try to study adab, because without observing it it is impossible to obtain fayz, which is necessary for our salvation.

To receive fayza through awliya’, three conditions must be met:

– sincerity (ikhlas);

– observance of etiquette (adab);

– and most importantly – love for them.

One who lacks sincerity and does not observe adab will not bow down to the heart of the mentor, and therefore he will not receive fayz that comes only from the heart of the sheikh. Therefore, in order to gain the favor of the murshid, one must try to be sincere and observe adab. Whoever sincerely loves the sheikh, and his soul will become as pure as the soul of the sheikh. If there is true love for the mentor, then there will undoubtedly be adab and sincerity.

This is what Saifullah Qadi says about adabs for entering the tariqa: “Know, my dear, may your blessings be preserved. The Almighty, when He wants to endow His servant with happiness and guide him on the path of truth, then with His wisdom He instills inspiration in the heart of this servant, and thanks to this he will begin to seek the path of salvation. Such a desire of a slave is the most painful for the shaitan, therefore the shaitan constantly tries to change his desire for the true path until the special gaze of the ustaz, who has achieved perfection, descends on him. (Murshid Kamil), for this gaze, at the command of Allah, burns the shaitan. As the Almighty said:

Arab

Meaning: “By such examples many hypocrites are mistaken, denying them, and many true believers are guided to the right path, but only the disobedient (fasyks) are mistaken” (Surah al-Baqarah, verse 26).

Therefore, anyone who wishes to embark on this path and wants to achieve the desired goal in order to meet his Lord and become one of the slaves who have fulfilled their duty in worship before the Almighty, is obliged to heed what I will now say: “First of all, it is necessary to know everything conditions and mandatory components of the tariqa, which include:

1. Having a true belief according to the creed of al-Ashari or Maturidi and following one of the four madhhabs and strictly adhering to these frameworks...in the strictest manner.

2. Having a sheikh-mentor...we are obliged to strictly observe adab everywhere and always: being in solitude and among people, both at home and on the street

3. It is forbidden to object to the ustaz in anything... objection and dissatisfaction with the sheikhs, even in small things, deprives the murid of his God-given state (hal). May he warn us against such things. It's not the sheikh's fault here, but yours. The obstacle that appeared due to the revival of one’s ustaz cannot be removed; it blocks, that is, it completely blocks the path through which the divine light (fayz) comes to the murid. Stay away from this as much as possible.

4. Reveal to your ustaz all your thoughts that are lodged in your heart, both good and bad. The sheikh is your doctor, who treats heart diseases, cleanses your soul. He makes tawajuh to treat heart disease. You cannot speak, let him know about my thoughts through his ability of inner vision (kashf-karamat). Kashf is changeable, for he can make mistakes for the benefit of the sheikh, so that he does not rely on him. This is a divine grace that cannot be understood from stories, but only from one’s own experience. According to what we learned from kashf, if it is completely inconsistent with Shariah, a decision is not made, even if it is the absolute truth. Don’t forget about this, this is very valuable information, many people stumble on it.

5. It is necessary to maintain sincerity and sincerity in your endeavor. Love and respect for the Sheikh should not be diminished by trials and tribulations. The murid must love the ustaz more than himself and his children and be convinced that his main goal, i.e. he can achieve the pleasure of Allah only through the mediation of ustaz.

6. You cannot follow the actions of the sheikh in his ordinary affairs, because they may contain some kind of wisdom or he may do this for the purpose of testing the murids. To follow him in anything without his approval is a deadly poison. One must do not what he does, but what he commands to do.

7. Carry out his commands quickly and without delay. Our own interpretation of the meaning of his commands and their postponement is the most dangerous of the obstacles on the way to our goal.

8. Strictly carry out the tasks and wirds of the sheikh exactly as he taught you, without the slightest deviation. His insight is higher than ours, and therefore we must do what he said.

9. You must see yourself as lower and worse than everyone else, no matter what.

10. Do not be treacherous towards the sheikh. Spend your time as he commanded. In all his tasks, be strict, carry them out as he said, in purity and perfection.

11. Have no other goal, either in worldly or in akhirat blessings, other than getting closer to Allah, the only, self-sufficient and eternal. Before the sheikh, the murid should be like a dead person before the one who washes him. He flips it in any direction. You cannot object to the words of the sheikh, even if in some case the myrid himself is right. He must see the sheikh's mistake higher than his truth. If the Sheikh asks him anything, the answer should be clear and concise.

12. Be a follower of the sheikh and leave all decisions to him, respecting and exalting your ustaz, his successors (khulafa), as well as him and their murids, even if you have more knowledge than them.

13. You cannot tell about your goal to anyone except the ustaz, and if he is far away and there is no way to contact him, then you must turn to other pious and God-fearing people.

14. You cannot be angry with anyone. Anger extinguishes the nur of dhikr. You cannot argue and conflict with people of science; this leads to forgetfulness and confuses the heart. If you have hurt the heart of one of the people, offended him with your anger, word or deed, you need to sincerely repent and ask for forgiveness, even if you were right in this matter. You cannot look at people with a demeaning look, accept everyone you meet, Abdul-Abbas Khidra (a.s.) or any other great wali of Allah, knowing that he can indeed be one of the great awliyas. Also ask everyone to read dua for you.

15. Salik must be aware of his weakness, weakness and impotence. Know that you will not achieve your goal without the Sheikh’s satisfaction and that all paths are closed except the Sheikh’s path. The murid must be convinced that he will receive such great benefit from the sheikh that he would not have received worship for 1000 years. Think, dear, about this great matter.”

Before entering the Naqshbandi path, the murid must know that on this path he will encounter many difficulties, he will have to do what the nafs does not like. Anyone who has embarked on this path, in addition to the above, as Saifullah Qadi writes, must observe the following adabs:

1. Have a firm conviction that the sheikh is right and that without him the goal cannot be achieved. Completely rely on the sheikh, entrusting yourself to him... Even if you lose all the benefits and wealth for the sake of the sheikh, you should be satisfied, considering it a blessing, rejoicing that you spent it all for him. This determines the purity of your love for the sheikh.

2. To be deprived of your rights before the rights of the sheikh, for it is known that the choice of the sheikh is the choice of Allah.

3. Move away from what the sheikh does not like, to the best of your ability. You cannot consider his good attitude towards you the result of your good behavior, for it is a deadly poison, from which most murids suffer.

4. Don't ask him to interpret your dreams. If anyone asks him a question, then do not answer it in the presence of the Sheikh.

6. Know the time when you can talk to him. Don't talk to the sheikh when he is not talking to you. And when communicating with him, observe adab and say only what is necessary and with sincerity.

7. You cannot reveal the secrets of the sheikh.

8. You cannot expect the sheikh to treat you with respect. This gives us nothing, because he treats disobedient people with respect.

9. You cannot talk about your God-given states (hal) and kashf-karamats, if any, except to your sheikh, for nothing can be hidden from him. You cannot tell people everything that the Sheikh told you, because they may misunderstand it and will object because of it. And this could get them into trouble.

10. Salam should not be conveyed to ustaz from others except with the heart. And if the sheikh asks about it, then it’s possible.

11. It is indecent to perform ablution, spit, or perform sunnah prayers in front of a sheikh. You cannot stay near him for a long time and eat food with him. And if there is a command from the sheikh for this, then it is possible and even necessary.

12. Next we will talk about adabs, which are decorations for murids. Anyone whom Allah helps and guides on the right path will observe all adabs. As mentioned above, these include: constantly being in ablution, observing its desired actions, as well as following other sunnahs, showing diligence in performing prayers with the team, reviving the worship of Allah in the time between evening and night prayers, performing the dhikr assigned by the sheikh between afternoon and evening prayers. These adabs are the most important. The murid is obliged to constantly pay attention to his actions and reprimand them before he is reprimanded, to be upset by bad deeds, to constantly update the tawbah and ask for forgiveness from the Almighty. If the deed committed is good, then thank Allah for it and look at it as a sinful act. For we have many omissions in it, which is a sin before Allah...

Now let’s talk about adabs in relation to brothers in faith. These include:

1. Not paying attention to the shortcomings of murids and other people, no matter how obvious they may be. If you notice a mistake or mistake on their part, you must hide it, and you must not advertise it in any way, because this can bring disaster upon yourself. If a murid learns about people’s shortcomings and does not try to find excuses for them, then his soul will be destroyed and nothing will help him.

2. It is necessary to share with others your blessings received from Allah, even if it is just one carrot.

3. Lack of desire to become an imam in prayer, but to give preference to another, seeing him higher than himself.

4. A reminder to the murid brothers about performing good deeds at special times: early in the morning, on Friday night, in the evening and at other valuable times. Even if you yourself have done more good deeds than others, you must do less of your own.

5. You cannot treat anyone with disrespect, neither the sheikh nor the murid. This happens when we, moving away from the upbringing of a sheikh, run after worldly goods, being carried away by the delights of this world, looking for luxury in food and clothing.

6. You cannot allow yourself laxity and laziness, because because of this you will not be able to help the murids and fulfill their needs.

7. We must not forget caring for those weak and sick people who have no friends and helpers to look after them.

8. If there are disagreements between the murids, we must hasten to reconcile them, calling on them to forgive the mistakes of their brothers.

9. Do not be careless, visit a fellow believer, and if necessary, help him in word and deed, morally and financially.

10. Do not forget to make dua to your brothers in faith for the forgiveness of their sins, Allah’s pleasure and condescension towards them, especially during prostration in Tahajjud prayer, so that the Almighty will say: “Everything you ask for your brother will be done for you.”

11. Do not speak about your brother in faith except well, especially be careful in times of anger. try to serve your brothers by helping them in need, for this is more valuable to us than other desirable good deeds.

12. It is advisable to have at home knives, scissors, a needle, thread, an awl and other tools that the muridis may need, so that they do not have to ask others for it. Thus, we must help preserve the honor and dignity of the murids. It is also necessary to hurry to repent and ask for forgiveness from them for omissions in adab, especially in relation to the sheikh. In general, observe adab in relation to your ustaz in any way so that it corresponds to the ethical requirements of the given time and place and the customs of the people of the era in which you live.

If a person has a true belief and recognizes true Sufism, he will be on the right path, even if he has not found or entered under the education of a true sheikh-mentor. Such a believer has a chance to be saved from a bad end. If he has not yet found a mentor, he should try to follow the Koran and Hadith to the best of his ability, strictly follow the pious Ulama and what is written in their reliable books, admitting his weakness and asking Allah for forgiveness for this. Persistently and with huzur read salawat, dhikr, as if you were sitting in front of the Prophet*.

Next, we will talk about those adabs that we should observe after we have intended to enter the tariqa or have already entered, as stated in the book of the famous Sufi shhey and successor of Saifullah-qadi - Hassan-afandi, “Khulasat al-adab”. Those who have entered the tariqa must observe eight adabs: adab of intention, adab of spiritual connection with the sheikh (rabita), adab in the presence of the sheikh, adab when talking with the sheikh, adab of serving the sheikh, adab of performing the tasks of the sheikh, adab of visiting (ziyarat), adab when participating in khatma meetings, adab of preparing the heart to receive faiz, adab of diligent worship in solitude (halvat)

Adab intentions. Sincerity in intention is the basis of religion, for action without intention is like a house without a foundation. In other words, in order for any of our actions performed in accordance with the command of Allah to become worship of Allah (ibadat) - which is what Sharia requires of us - intention (niyat) is necessary. Receiving reward from actions primarily depends on intention. A believer's pure intentions are better than his deeds. For if a person intended to do a good deed but could not, although he wanted to, then for this Allah gives him reward as if he had committed this deed. And in addition, he has nothing to be proud of, because he did nothing for others. But a perfect deed can become spoiled if we become proud of it (riya) or become complacent (ujbu), and this happens very often among us.

Anyone who intends to serve the Almighty will receive a reward for this and will come closer to Him. If the intention contains any other goals and desires, then, on the contrary, the person will move away from Allah. Service done without sincerity (ikhlas), like a body without a soul. Therefore, when going to the sheikh, you must have the intention of going to him only for the sake of Allah, for the sake of His pleasure, fulfilling your duty before God.

You cannot set yourself the goal of joining the tariqa and visiting the sheikh to achieve benefits in this or the other world and even obtain special spiritual states (hal) and one cannot even have the intention of getting closer to Allah, becoming holy (get out). There should be no intention of going to Heaven or being freed from the fire of Hell. Although we may get all this for it, it should not be an end in itself. The intention should be only to obey Allah, who commands it. Remove everything from your heart so that your goal is only Allah, unlike anything else.

When you go to the sheikh, you need to go as if you have neither knowledge nor good deeds, otherwise you will be left without faiz. Fayz is received only by those who, observing adab, behave in need, and do not rely on their knowledge and deeds.

Beware of the intention of testing the Sheikh. Whoever comes to him to test him will be cursed by Allah. Do not aim to see kashfu-karamat from him either, since the latter is not a necessary condition for sheikhs. On the contrary, those who do not own karamas may be even closer to the Almighty and higher in degree. Many Companions did not own it. And it also happens that sheikhs, although possessing karamat, nevertheless do not have the right to show it, or, having the right to do so, do not show it if they do not see any benefit in it.

Sheikhs, with every inhalation and exhalation, are busy only with fulfilling the commands of their Lord, and they have neither the desire nor the time to do anything else, to learn some secrets. Moreover, knowledge of secrets is an attribute of Allah, and a perfect wali does not claim them in any way and does not strive for it. In the book "al-Bahjat al-saniyya"(p. 56) it is also noted that Sufis say: “Most of the murids fall away [from the tariqa], being carried away by karamat, not understanding that the greatest karamat is observing the purest Sharia and following the clear and pure Sunnah, i.e. Istiqama.

The book “Lawakih al-anwar al-qudsiyya” says: “I heard that my master (sayyid) Afzaluddin (q.s.) said: “You do not visit a righteous person or alim without breaking your mental rejection of them, so that their anger does not overtake you. How many people came to the Ulama and righteous people with faith in their hearts and left them as unbelievers. Therefore, you should check your intention properly before going to them, and if you are not sincere, then return without going to them.”

In the same book on page 78 it says: “I heard that my lord (sayyid)‘Abdulhalim ibn Muslih (q.s.) said: “Not a single person came to ziyarat to an alim or a righteous person in order to gain true knowledge or improve moral qualities without receiving more than he hoped to gain. And not a single person came out with the intention of denying or criticizing them, without returning with grave sins.” Know that the word “ziyarat” means “inclination”, “sympathy”. They say that if someone visits another, then he has a feeling of sympathy for him, and the condition for having sympathy and inclination for a person is to leave his shortcomings unnoticed. It has come to our attention that when the Salafun were going to visit a religious scholar or a righteous person, they gave alms with the intention that Allah would give them the opportunity not to notice the shortcomings of the person being visited, so as not to return from him without benefiting. In the event that the visitor is not one of those from whom benefit can be obtained, Allah on his behalf gives benefit to the visitor because of the sincerity of the latter’s intention.”

Adab rabits. The meaning of a full-fledged rabita lies in the concentrated presentation of the murshid in front of you and the direction of the gaze of your inner vision to the bridge of his nose in order to receive the faiz located there. You have to imagine that fayz from the sheikh’s heart goes to the bridge of his nose and from there to the bridge of your nose and further to the heart. Stay in this state until there is nothing left in you except the thought of Allah and the influence of attraction towards Him... Your goal is Allah, and rabita is a means of getting closer to Him. Proof of the need for rabita is the following verse of the Quran:

و ابتغوا اليه الوسيله [Meaning]: “Seek means and ways of getting closer to Allah.”

And rabita is the best of all means of approaching the Almighty. It is even an independent path to knowing Allah. Even by performing a large amount of dhikr without rabita, it is impossible to achieve the knowledge of Allah. And it is possible to know Allah even without dhikr, by doing only rabita. It is also said a lot that the most important adab of dhikr is being in a state of rabita, this is confirmed by the Sunnah. For clarification, you can consult books "Nur al-hidaya" And "Tabsirat al-fasilin".

Adabs, visits to the sheikh. When preparing to go to the sheikh, the murid should perform a complete ablution, wear new or clean clothes, and apply incense. And if it is not possible to swim, then fully perform partial ablution. After this, he must repent by saying the repentance formula “استعفر الله” 15 or more times, then he must read the suras "al-Fatiha" And "al-Ikhlas" and reward (sawab) for this, give it to the murshid on whom the rabita is performed as a gift.

On the way to him, one should be in a state of rabita and search for faiz and go to him with sincerity and love in order to receive his grace. On the way to the sheikh, you need to imagine that your guide is the sheikh for whom you are doing rabita at this time. And if he is not yet a murid, then he can simply read salawat, dhikr and be afraid that the sheikh will not accept him. And the sheikh, as you know, accepts with his heart, and everyone needs to be afraid, both those who are for the first time and those who are already a murid.

Wherever your ustaz is, be sure that his gaze always accompanies you, for for Ravkhani there are no barriers, either temporal or spatial. As soon as the murid remembers the ustaz, his ravhani immediately appears next to him, even she is always with the true murids, it is not necessary to see him with her eyes. If the sheikh's gaze leaves him even for a moment, then he will not be a true murid.

On this issue, one of the great Sufis said: “If the Prophet (PBUH) hides from us even for a moment, we will not even consider ourselves Muslims” ( "al-Khalidiya").

Adab in the presence of the Sheikh. To receive divine light (fayza) and grace (barakat) from the sheikh, there are obvious and hidden adabs that should be observed in the presence of the ustaz.

Explicit adab. Do not look directly at the sheikh's face, but only furtively. Stand before him humbly, head down, as if you were a runaway slave returned to his owner. Don't sit down and talk without his permission, but you can ask about things that are unclear and things that would benefit him. You can say what should be said according to Sharia. Don't say what the Sheikh doesn't like to say.

While with your mentor, do not talk to anyone, even to another sheikh of higher rank. Do not address anyone or look at anyone; Be like a lover near your beloved. Respect and deep love for the sheikh is deep love for Allah and His exaltation. Be close to him, in complete silence, with your eyes closed, humbly turning your heart towards the heart of the sheikh in order to receive his grace. Be sure that in front of you is the deputy of the Prophet (alayhi ssalatu wa sallam) and therefore behave around him as you would behave around the Prophet (alaihi ssalatu wa sallam). It is unethical to ask him questions out of curiosity, if you need him to give you the necessary instructions without asking questions. For their contemporaries, sheikhs and religious scholars are like prophets for their community (ummah). Here we mean those ulama who have reached the level of knowledge of Allah and behave according to their knowledge, not those who have simply studied and know the precepts of religion. True Ulama renounce everything forbidden and strictly carry out the commands of Allah, fearing His wrath.

Hidden adabs. Do not go to the sheikh, forgetting about Allah, with thoughts about worldly concerns. It's very bad if you have a bad opinion of people. It is unacceptable that you have a bad opinion about the sheikh, you cannot object to him, deny him or have the intention of testing him, or harbor hatred towards him, otherwise his heart will close to you and you will lose the sight of the Almighty. It will be better for you to fall from the seventh heaven than to be rejected by the heart of your murshid. Direct your strength to the mental remembrance of Allah, be in a state of rabita and striving to receive grace. Approach your mentor with love, humility and respect and expect tawajuh from him.

The whole world is filled with Faiz Murshid. If you strive to receive it with conviction and a prepared heart, you will definitely receive it, not necessarily feel it. Anyone who is confident in receiving faiz will not be deprived of it. Any talk, even about worldly things, will not harm the sheikh and will not spoil his huzur, so in his presence, try to be in huzur, mentally directing your gaze to your heart. In the book "Maktubat" Imam Rabbani says that even listening and seeing the sheikh is medicine for the soul. After asking permission, leave without delay.

While observing the obvious adabs, do not ignore the hidden ones, otherwise you will not receive the fayz coming from the heart of the sheikh. To those murids who understand and desire only the obvious, the murshid gives the obvious, and to those who understand that the hidden is better for them, it is to them that he gives the hidden. Don't ask how you will receive grace from him if he doesn't even talk to you. Receiving grace does not depend on communication. Do not doubt that in the heart of a murshid there is a place for both the Almighty and all murids at once. All murids are in the heart of a murshid, like grains in the palm of your hand. He sees the obedient one with his face turned towards him, and the disobedient one with his back to him. Be sincere towards him and do not open your heart to anyone else, and be sure that without him you will not get closer to the Almighty. Be properly afraid of him and do not lose hope, have a good opinion of him and hope for his help. Put your murshid above yourself, your children and everything that is dear to you. His contentment with you is true happiness for you, and rejection by him is a great misfortune. Put him even higher than his sheikh. If he does not accept you, then all the sheikhs will turn away from you, right up to the Prophet himself (PBUH), and then Allah will reject you.

Al-Sha'rani in the book "al-Minan" said: “There has never been a case where anyone achieved a goal or succeeded after he was not accepted by the sheikh-mentor, or even more so by the Prophet*. Because they never drive away someone who has even the slightest chance of achieving salvation and success.” Volume 1, page 182.

Know that they drive away or accept only with the heart, and not with the tongue, and this happens for a reason that they know. We don't need to know this reason. Therefore, it is important for those entering the tariqa to understand these principles. May Allah help us with this!

The satisfaction of a murshid is the pleasure of Allah, and rejection by him is rejection by the Almighty. Whether you are near him or far from him, beware of his wrath. After all, all the actions and thoughts of the murids are no secret to him, although he does not talk about them. He talks about them only when there is benefit. Reliable books say that a true sheikh knows the state of his murids located in the west when he himself is in the east. Do not be deceived by his outwardly hospitable, friendly attitude; on the contrary, an outwardly inhospitable attitude is better for you, and that is when you will receive grace. Those whom he treats with kindness only outwardly are deprived of grace (barakat). Do only what the Sheikh calls for.

If he shows you special respect, then you should be especially afraid, this is a deadly poison for you. And if he puts you down and you think that you deserve even more, then rejoice, it is through this that you can receive grace. Murshid can test you in different ways, so do not rush to deny his actions. If you have bad thoughts about him or objections, repent immediately before disaster befalls you. From an objection to the sheikh, a veil appears on the murid’s heart, which closes the channels through which the fayz arrives. The owners of true kashfu claim that those who objected to the sheikhs die in unbelief.

If you notice any act of the sheikh that, in your opinion, is contrary to Sharia, then remember what happened to

How can this not happen when you don’t fuck the prophets Musa and Khizri (peace be upon them). Sometimes sheikhs, having some wise meaning or for the purpose of testing the murids, can commit an act that outwardly appears to be a sin, for example, like the “sin” that Khizri committed.

People close to Allah (avliya’) how sheikhs are not immune from sins, even big ones. Sinless people are a feature of only prophets and angels. Unlike others, the righteous, after falling into sin, immediately commit sincere repentance and deeply regret what they have done. By doing this, they will rise to a higher level, and will not see themselves in a better light compared to others. This is the wisdom of Allah that they can fall into sin.

A sin that a person regrets is much better for him than the worship of God in which he is proud. They also say that a repentant righteous person is much higher than one who has not committed a sin, even if they are identical in moral qualities and deeds, for the heart of a repentant person is overcome by enormous humility, grief and constant worry, in contrast to a person who has not committed a sin.

If today some people see a Sufi sheikh tasting various dishes and dressing in good clothes, they begin to deny his high degree, even if they see his obvious ability and positive impact on the murids. This is all for the reason that people rely on their understanding.

Even if the wali will limit himself only to fulfilling the obligatory and leaving the forbidden, this will not contradict his holiness. Because the hadith says that when someone asked the Prophet صل الله عليه وسلَّم: “If I avoid the forbidden and do only the obligatory, will I be sent to Paradise?”, he answered in the affirmative.” And the Prophet* said: “I am also a man like you, and I am angry like a man.” One of the Islamic scholars said that the meaning of Allah's words: “Awliya' is under My protection, and no one knows them except Me,” is that some awliya do not have special obvious qualities that ordinary people do not possess. Non-recognition of a sheikh because he does not observe something from the sunnah, or does what is permitted, is characteristic of the ignorant. His inherent influence on the murids is a sufficient condition for him to be considered an ustaz.

While near a murshid, do not eat food, do not wear his clothes, do not drink from his personal utensils, do not use his jug, do not sit on his vehicle or his personal seat unless he orders you. When following a murshid, do not do what he did not order, unless it is a prescription of the Sharia, for this can result in great disaster for you.

According to the words of the great theologians, one who follows the murshid in all his actions may fall into error, because the ustaz can perform some actions with a wise meaning. Therefore, you need to be careful and try to do what he teaches, but not repeat his actions.

Consider his punishment as a benefit to yourself, and if you are dissatisfied with this, then you will sink to a lower level and you should immediately repent. After the death of an ustaz, do not marry his wife, you can marry his daughter, like the companion Ali (ra) married the daughter of the Prophet *. Don't get on the transport before he gets on, but get off before him. If you happen to care for him, then don’t go to bed before him, don’t stand next to him when he’s on the toilet, and if it’s an open place, then don’t stand where you can see him, and don’t go to relieve yourself in the place where you relieved yourself. He. In short, don't use anything he uses, and always respect him and what he uses.

If he asks, don’t even hide your sin from him. Hurry to tell him about your experiences if they occupy a place in your heart. If you have doubts about him or the tariqa, clear them from your heart, otherwise they, like a dam, will block the way for the fayz emanating from him. Talk about spiritual states only with the murshid, and you should tell them to him without delay. If you don’t tell him about them, it will be a betrayal towards him.

In the book "Tasdiq al-ma"‘arif" in the commentary to the sura "Yusuf" words with the following meaning are given: “The murid is obliged to hide his dreams and mental states from all people, because the prophet Ya'qub commanded Yusuf (a.s.) not to tell his dream to his brothers. If concealment from brothers by kinship and faith is necessary, who were prophets and the children of the prophets, then it is all the more impossible to tell strangers about them.”

It also notes: “One of the sheikhs said that, truly, if a novice murid tells others about his spiritual states of grace received from his virds, even if they are murids, then he will lose these states forever. And you need to tell your sheikh about them, he strengthens them and leads to perfection, and removes bad conditions from the murid. And if this is a false sheikh, then he deprives the murid of his good qualities.

Love those whom the Sheikh loves and turn away from those whom he does not love. Leave aside people who engage in forbidden innovations in religion, as well as people who have forgotten Allah, especially distance yourself from people who deny tariqah! If you get close to them, then callousness will enter your heart, causing the light to fade (nur) Huzur, and you will become careless towards Allah. And after that, your strong desire to remember Allah will disappear. If you taste the food of a person who denies tariqa, the source of faiz is closed for 40 days. Eat food that is pure from the forbidden; do not eat forbidden and questionable food, for such food gives rise to condemnable moral qualities.

In the book "ar-Rashahat" it is said: “The murid’s lack of sublime senses of taste from dhikr is mainly the result of his failure to observe moderation in food.”

If you eat food prepared by a sincere and God-fearing person who is constantly in complete ablution and huzur, then you will achieve good states of mind and huzur, and what you eat in the state of huzur will become medicine for you. You should eat in moderation and beware of waste and greed. When eating, do not forget about Allah, otherwise such behavior will lead to distraction from Him. If you eat in the state of huzur, you will achieve a high degree of it.

Sheikh al-Safi said that if at the beginning of a meal you say: and at the end you say “الحمد لله!”, then Allah will turn this food into nur. And if you eat for pleasure, even in small quantities, then Allah will turn this food into darkness.

In the book "an-Nafais al-sanihat" notes: “Mr. Nur-Muhammad al-Badawani (May Allah Almighty have mercy on him!) I have never eaten rich people’s food, since in most cases it is questionable.” Therefore, we should avoid questionable food; there is a lot of such food nowadays. Try to eat food that you prepared yourself from guaranteed products.

In the book "ar-Rashahat" It is said: “Even when eating a slice of bread, you need to take precautions. The one who prepares food should be in complete ablution, and even lighting a fire should have huzoor in his heart.”

The same book says: “You should be in khuzur even when heating water for performing ablution and preparing food, and also protect your tongue from everything that does not concern it, so that in the heart of the person who has performed ablution with this water or tasted this food, the light of huzur appeared. From water heated with abstraction from Allah, and food prepared with indifference, darkness and carelessness arise in the human heart.”

In the book "al-Hadaik al-wardiya" it is said: “Bahauddin al-Naqshbandi (may his soul be holy!) prepared food for the murids with his blessed hands and served them himself. When they started eating, he urged them to preserve khuzur. If they brought him food prepared in a state of anger or hatred, or those who prepared it were experiencing mental hardship, and if in such a state even one spoon touched the food, he would not stretch out his hand to it and would not allow others to eat it.”

Whoever does not constantly keep Allah Almighty in his heart while eating and drinking, Allah subsequently gives him contentment with small things, detachment from the worldly and preserving him from the evil of his nafs.

“After eating, before going to bed, allow the food to be digested by performing prayers and remembering (dhikr). The hadith says that if you go to bed immediately after eating, your heart will harden.” It says so in the book "Ihya'" Imam al-Ghazali.

“There is no doubt that a large amount of permitted food darkens the soul just as a small amount of forbidden food. Therefore, it is necessary that we digest food through dhikr before it affects our heart. Allah will help." Beware of laughter and anger - they both extinguish the nurs of the heart, killing it. Do not do what is of no benefit to either this or that world, do not ruin your precious life. Appreciate every breath you take, being diligent in dhikr and huzur, for it is irrevocable. Be diligent in serving the Almighty as if you were going to die now.

Adab of communication with the sheikh. Start a conversation with the ustaz only with his permission, in a quiet voice, avoiding illicit speeches and unpleasant words. Make sure there are no differences in thoughts and speech. Do not contradict the sheikh, even with your heart. Consider whatever the murshid says to be correct and do not contradict him. Talk to him only about your spiritual state and about things you do not understand, otherwise the fayz coming from the sheikh will stop.

When you are near a murshid, do not laugh loudly, for this is the worst thing for you. If you had a dream or witnessed a kashfu, tell him about it, but do not ask him to reveal the meaning of the dream and do not interpret it yourself. Never ask him about secret, intimate things. In everything, ask permission and advice from the murshid. What is done with his permission will carry grace, so in order to become its owner, do everything with his permission.

Truly, when the sheikh sees that the murid is observing all these precautions, he educates the murid with the help of special “nurturing water” - an elegant, wonderful drink, giving him to drink it. And he controls this murid with his moral spirit. Oh, what a great happiness for the one who perfectly observes adab in relation to the teacher (sheikh), and what a great misfortune for the one who behaves indecently.

Ask the Sheikh for permission before traveling and upon returning. If he comes to you, then, seeing him off, follow him until he says: “Come back.” When leaving, kiss his hand, wait until he disappears, thus trying to get a fayz from him. In a word, always exalt the sheikh in the same way as kings are exalted by their courtiers and subordinates of their superiors.

Adab of service to the sheikh. Assistance to the sheikh is provided both financially and physically. Everything you do for him is a service to Allah and the Messenger. Therefore, take this opportunity as a great mercy from Allah. Do not think of what you have done as something significant, otherwise it will turn into poison for you. Constantly give thanks to the Almighty who has made you one who helps the mentor, for the grace of help given in the above manner and with deep conviction will surely accrue to you.

Try to immediately carry out the will of the sheikh. If you have agreed on something with the sheikh, then do not be disobedient in fulfilling the agreement. Even if there is mortal danger for you, do not think about yourself, but always, first of all, carry out his will at the strictly specified time, without delaying the demands of the sheikh even for the blink of an eye.

For providing assistance and services to the murshid, do not look for any benefit and do not pursue selfish goals, for it is said: it is important that the murid does not try to benefit himself in anything: neither in achieving the knowledge of Allah, nor in having secret things revealed to him (fatah), nor in achieving the level of holiness (vilaya) and so on. And if it suddenly turns out that you have selfish goals in your soul, then repent without delay.

Don't stop where the Sheikh stopped. Don’t eat with him, don’t drink, don’t take off your headdress in front of him. There should be no other “nest” for a murid until he flies out of the “nest” of his sheikh. Only after this does the murid become an independent person, like a chick that has completed its education and is able to fly on its own. Truly, when a chick becomes independent, it no longer needs its parents.

Don’t sit cross-legged in front of him, and only be near him with your legs tucked under you. Do not lie under his blanket or next to him, do not sleep, for this is also non-observance of adab. Do not pray near his bed or near him. You can pray if you are in the mosque with him or there is another Sharia necessity.

Look at yourself as a person unworthy to help him and constantly making omissions in everything related to service. Look for something that will benefit the murshid and do it without delay, even if he has not ordered it. If you behave this way, there will definitely be a place for you in his heart, and you will constantly receive fayz from the sheikh and begin to help him with even greater zeal and joy.

In the book "al-Baqiyat al-salihat", noted: “The murid should be diligent and fully devote his thoughts to what is required of him in a given situation. Engaging in the remembrance of Allah, when he is not busy serving the sheikh, brings peace to the Muslim. Truly, helping the sheikh, which is the reason for acceptance in the hearts of the sheikhs, takes precedence over dhikr. Truly, the fruits of helping the sheikh are the murshid’s love for him and the presence of a place for him in the sheikh’s heart. “Hearts by nature love those who do good for them.”

And in the book "al-Hadiqat al-wardiyya" Mr. Shah Naqshband (may Allah be pleased with him) notes: “I did not take this tariqa from books, but received it by helping the sheikh.” He also said: “Every person enters the tariqa through a certain gate, but I entered through the gate of serving the sheikh (khidma). The murid will not be able to compensate his sheikh for teaching him even one adab in the tariqa, even if he helps him day and night for the rest of his life.”

Adab for providing financial assistance. Be sure that all the good things that have been given to you, both children and property, you have received thanks to grace (barakatu) ustaz. Consider that everything you have - whether it be food, drink, clothing, etc. – I got everything thanks to the sheikh. Do not spend property for such purposes for which the sheikh would be ashamed, i.e. for what he will remain in debt to you in the eyes of other people, and ask Allah to accept everything you spent in favor of the sheikh. Pray with your heart that the murshid will accept your donation. It is advisable to give what you like most. If the Sheikh accepts your gift, accept it as a special favor for you, thanking and praising your Lord often

Adab of preparing the heart to receive faiz. The sixth adab is about sincerity and how to prepare the heart to receive fayz through the sheikh.

The murid must be sincere and convinced that the murshid is the governor (naib) Prophet صل الله عليه وسلَّم . Acceptance of a murid by a sheikh is tantamount to acceptance by Allah and the Prophet *, do not doubt it! If the sheikh rejects you, then his sheikh rejects you, and so on until the Prophet *.

The soul of a murshid does not leave the murid; it is always next to him. Some murids, who constantly feel her nearby, cannot sleep with their legs straight. Those who will be sure that his soul (ravhani) Sheikh nearby, even if they cannot see her, will also receive fayz, which those who see receive.

At the moment when the soul [of the murid] is separated from his body, the Ravkhani Murshid also comes and helps, just as in the grave during interrogation and after interrogation. As we mentioned above, for the soul there are no barriers or restrictions in either time or space.

Be also sure that the murshid sees and hears you wherever you are. He always knows about your condition, even if he never showed you this knowledge.

All space, all globe filled with his phase just as the world is filled with sunlight. And you are in the aura of his faiz, and if you are convinced and sincerely strive to receive his faiz, then you will undoubtedly receive it.

Indeed, those who have kashfa see this nur of the murshid in this way, covering everything from east to west.

A murshid's sleep is better than our waking, and his eating is better than our fasting. In every moment he reaches such a great level in worship that a murid can only achieve throughout his entire life. Be also sure that the murshid has a special gaze; if he looks at someone with it, then this person, no matter how sinful he may be, will reach high level. Constantly humbly ask him to look at you with that look.

Receiving the Sheikh's grace. Try with all your heart to receive grace from the murshid, showing true love for the Almighty, without paying any attention to your high position, degrees, property, loved ones and relatives. Don't think about your wealth or even about your essence. Do not rely on your efforts, but rely only on the mercy of Allah. Anyone who relies on his deeds will be left with nothing, so turn to Allah and ask Him: “We have no other mercy except from You.” Constantly strive to know Allah. Do not love anyone except Allah, for He will not accept love shared with anyone. To sincerely love what Allah loves is a sign of love for Him. And most of all, Allah loves prophets and righteous people, including sheikhs. While diligent in serving the Creator, strive to increase your good deeds, for, according to the hadith of the Prophet*, if you do not increase your good deeds, they will certainly decrease, and this is very condemnable.

Preparing the heart to receive faiz. Prepare your heart to receive fayz by freeing it from thoughts about the blessings of this world and even eternal life. Forget everything except Allah, and fix your gaze on your heart, be thirsty for the knowledge of the Almighty, loving Him immeasurably. Direct your heart towards the heart of the sheikh to receive his fayz, and, without allowing carelessness to prevail over you, strive to achieve the goal. If the gates of your heart open and your spiritual outlook improves, then fayz will flow to your heart. Regardless of whether you notice it or not, you will definitely receive fayz and grace from Ustaz if you have conviction about it.

In the book "al-Khalidiya" states: “Noticing this is not a condition for achieving knowledge of Allah. The condition is a constant desire for Him with confidence in achieving it at a given time.”

The sun's rays, which illuminate the whole world, do not penetrate into a house that has no windows. As you know, a house with open windows is flooded with sunlight. Likewise, the heart in which Allah is constantly present receives help from Him. Fayz is like pouring rain, and part of it will fall on the heart, in which there is no place for carelessness towards Allah, if there is conviction in the heart about this.

Adab of dhikr, ziyarat and khatma. There are only twenty ethical standards that a murid should observe when remembering Allah (dhikr). Five of them are before dhikr, and twelve adabs must be observed during dhikr and three after it. If you follow these etiquette standards, the result will be great and quick.

Adabs before remembering Allah:

1. Sincere repentance.

2. Do a complete ablution (ghusl), and if this is difficult to do, then at least a full small ablution (wuzu).

3. Hold the word in your heart with bated breath الله "Allah".

4. Then perform rabita on the murshid, begin the path to the Creator, making the sheikh an intermediary between you and God, and to receive the fayz emanating from the bridge of the murshid’s nose, imagine his venerable face in front of you.

Of the listed adabs, the last one that will help the murid most of all is being in a state of rabita, which is also stated in the book “al-Khalidiyya”.

The representation of the sheikh during dhikr is the deep wisdom of remembrance, because in this case the one remembering will be in front of the murshid in the image, and he will not allow him to forget the Almighty for a moment. Indeed, this is a useful injunction. This is stated in the book “Nur al-hidaya”.

5. When starting to read dhikr, the murid must ask the sheikh for help with his heart. It is also permissible to verbally appeal to the sheikh for help.

He should know that asking for help from his sheikh is asking for help from the Prophet himself, because the sheikh is the deputy of the Prophet *ظ

When reading dhikr, rabita allows you to discard all distracting thoughts and doubts. To gain huzoor and to prevent your thoughts from wandering, imagine a sheikh next to you. To cleanse oneself from negative moral qualities, rabita has the most important, just as it is a means of driving away the shaitan, receiving fayz of Allah and achieving His knowledge. They even say that for a beginning murid, rabita is better than dhikr.

In the book "Jami‘u usul al-awliya'" It is said: “Verily, rabita is shortest path approaching the Almighty and the source of the manifestation of amazing, extraordinary things. Zikr alone without rabita and fana’ in the sheikh does not lead to the knowledge of Allah. And as for rabitha with the observance of adab in relation to the sheikh, then even separately it is sufficient to achieve the degree of knowledge of Allah.”

Be confident in your murshid, for his acceptance of you is acceptance by the Almighty, rejection by him is also rejection by the Almighty.

There are six different types committing rabitha, and they are described in detail in the book "Bakhjat". Everyone must perform the type of rabita that the sheikh taught him.

Not every murshid can receive rabita; he must be a sheikh who has achieved spiritual perfection. Spiritually perfect people should also testify to this. Rabita can be performed only on such murshids as, for example, Khalidshah, Mahmud-afandi, Saifullah-qadi and the like.

The result of the rabit depends on its quality. Whoever performs rabita imperfectly will not receive fayz and will not achieve the state of knowledge of Allah, and the secrets of knowledge of the Almighty will not be revealed to him.

Rabita is the largest and most important pillar of the tariqa, it purifies the soul, drives out the shaitan, is the source of true divine faiz and a means of knowing Allah.

After performing the rabita, say sincerely:

«الهي أنت مقصودي ورضاك مطلوبي».

Imbued with the meaning that these words carry, and repeat them perfectly and often, not only to cleanse your heart of lies, but also to extinguish all desires in yourself except Allah.

During dhikr, it is advisable to observe 12 adabs:

1. If possible, sit as if in prayer while reading Tashahhud.

2. Place your hands on your knees.

3. Before starting dhikr, use incense.

4. Be in a dark place.

5. Be in a deserted and quiet place.

6. Close your eyes.

7. Is in a state of rabita i.e. during dhikr, make a spiritual connection between the heart and the heart of the sheikh.

8. Observe ikhlas, remembering Allah sincerely, not paying attention to whether anyone sees you or not.

9. Not have any extraneous purpose other than fulfilling the command of Allah.

10. Dhikr should be the same as the sheikh taught you.

11. Understand the meaning of dhikr at least in general.

12. Protect your heart from all distracting thoughts.

Adab after dhikr. At the end of dhikr, you must observe three adabs, due to which you will benefit.

Adab first. Freeze and humbly direct your inner gaze to your heart (wukuf of the heart), waiting for the manifestation of the results of dhikr (varid). Warid can be expressed in such commendable qualities as renunciation of the heart from the worldly (zuhd), patience (sabr), etc.

Through warid, you can also acquire all the good character traits of the sheikhs, if you turn your gaze carefully to your heart. If after dhikr you quickly stand up and stop this gaze, then the warid may stop altogether.

The longer you look in your heart in this way, the better the warid will strengthen itself, taking the appropriate place in it. And then there is hope that you will be able to get from the warid what you will not get even from thirty years of diligence without wukf.

The second adab is concentrating your attention on the heart, in which you need to hold your breath and freeze like a cat watching a mouse.

As long as you can hold your breath without exertion, it is necessary to remain in this state. And repeat this three, five or seven times. If you concentrate your attention on your heart in this way with complete huzur, this will be more conducive to illuminating the heart, eliminating barriers between you and the Almighty and getting rid of extraneous thoughts.

Adab third. After dhikr, you should not immediately drink water, especially cold water, but should wait a while. This is due to the fact that dhikr increases the temperature of the heart, causing a surge passionate love to the Almighty. This is the most important goal, and water, by cooling the body, can extinguish the surge of love for Allah.

“Tasawwuf is adherence to truths and oblivion of what people own”

The term "Sufism" or "tasawwuf" was not known in the era of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Companions and their contemporaries understood and studied Islam in its perfect, multifaceted form. They did not create any separate groups or new religious movements with different names and symbols.

All the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) followed a direct, clear path: they strictly adhered to the framework of the Koran and Sunnah, guided exclusively by the guidelines contained in them. Thus, main principle era of the Companions and their contemporaries consisted of following the Koran and Sunnah and rejecting innovations.

Islam, as already said, was perceived and spread by the Companions in its pristine, true form. Not a single aspect of Islam - spiritual, material, social, political, economic, moral - was ignored or forgotten. The inner essence of Islam was not suppressed by the external form, and understanding the inner essence did not affect the performance of external Islamic rituals. Attention was paid equally to the mind, spirit and body as the three main components of man, the individual and society - as a whole, unified organism. At the same time, the interests of this and future life were taken into account.

At a certain stage, the people and those in power gradually began to deviate from the norms bequeathed by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The atmosphere of refined luxury of court life contrasted sharply with the political struggle, which took on the character of endless palace conspiracies. In addition, movements arose led by rationalist philosophers (mutakalmun), who focused their attention exclusively on the ideas of rationalism. As for legal scholars (fuqaha), they studied and developed only outside Islam is a religious and cult practice.

At this stage, the teachings of Islam turned into dry and soulless formalism. Muslims were carried away by luxury and worldly goods. As a result, signs of corruption began to appear in Muslim society, a time of civil strife began that ravaged the Caliphate, while the rulers and their entourage were drowning in wealth and luxury. Cynical and epicurean attitudes towards life, a penchant for sensual pleasures and beautiful life, which dominated the circles of the Arab aristocracy, threatened to undermine the moral foundations of the Islamic world.

Against the backdrop of clearly visible trends towards moral degradation, a certain contingent of Islamic society, called “Sufis,” remained faithful adherents of the path of the Companions (Salaf). Sufis strictly followed the instructions of the Koran and Sunnah, rejected innovations, renounced the luxury and pleasures of worldly life, practiced and preached true asceticism.

It should be noted that the term “Sufis” was not immediately assigned to these people. At first they were called “al-ubad” (“worshippers”), “az-zuhad” (“ascetics”), “ahl-uz-dhikr wal-irshad” (“people of remembrance and guidance”). The earliest mention of the term “Sufism” dates back to 815 (200 AH) and belongs to Maruf al-Kurkhi: “ Tasawwuf is adherence to truths and oblivion of what people own." Mention is also made of a certain group that arose in 815 in Alexandria and called itself Sufis. They commanded what was approved by Sharia and were in opposition to the authorities.

Indignant against the morals that reigned in the Caliphate, Sufis called for the purification of religion from innovations, strict and strict adherence to the Koran and Sunnah, renunciation of luxury, spiritual purification, the fight against their own ego (nafs) and asceticism, and opposed all innovations, ideological and behavioral anomalies.

It should be said that Sufis led a highly socially active lifestyle and despised passivity, inertia, and dependency. Sufi sheikhs encouraged their students (murids) to earn a living by their own labor and forbade them to lead a passive contemplative lifestyle. Thus, Imam al-Sharani told his artisan students: “Diligence, diligence and skill in work take the place of voluntary worship.” He called on his carpenter students: “Let the saw be your rosary!” He instructed his agricultural students: “Let the field be your place of solitude!” And he said to the apprentice traders: “ Let fidelity be your place of solitude!"Sheikh al-Dusuqi, for example, bequeathed to his followers: " Anyone who does not earn his living by his own labor, even if he is rich, is not one of us!"Sheikh ar-Rifai told his murids: " Distinguish yourself from people by decorating your tasawwuf. Decoration of tasawwuf is providing for yourself and your family before performing wird and dhikr" Abu al-Hasan ash-Shazali said: “Let him who does not have a job not come to us. Whoever has no good for this life has no good for the next!” Ahmad al-Badawi has the following saying: “Earn your bread, then worship your Lord!” Sheikh al-Hirawi commanded: “ Be masters in this life through your work, so that they do not show disdain towards the tariqa».

As we see, the true Sufis made it obligatory for the followers of tasawwuf to work, by which they had to earn their living and food, revived the concept of human dignity, and prohibited begging and inactivity, since a Sufi should not be dependent on anyone. Sufis cultivated not only work, but also such qualities as honesty, truthfulness, fidelity, reliability, and diligence in the work performed. There is a legend that Ibrahim ibn Adham worked as a watchman in a Syrian town. One day the owner of the garden came to treat his guests and asked Ibrahim to choose the sweetest pomegranates for them. However, the pomegranates brought by Ibrahim tasted bitter. The owner demanded to bring others, but history repeated itself. Then he exclaimed in anger: “You work as the caretaker of this garden, can’t you tell the difference between bitter fruits and sweet ones?” To which Ibrahim replied: “You only determined for me the protection of the garden, but did not allow me to eat its fruits. And I've never tried them."

On this occasion, Abd ul-Hafiz Furguli writes: “ There is no doubt that the high morality that the Sufis enjoyed had a positive impact on work and production, on relationships between people. Through high morality, tasawwuf encourages sincerity, seriousness, and constant work; counteracts laziness, passivity, waste of time; calls for self-criticism, modesty, love for people, service to society; opposes anger, envy, enmity, revenge; encourages leniency and does not tolerate greed».

Thus, tasawwuf represents the purification of internal consciousness and external rituals from moments and actions that contradict Sharia, saturation and filling of the heart with the remembrance of God, a feeling of constant divine control, hope and humility before Him. Tasawwuf as a terminological concept refers to a Muslim’s adherence to the Koran and Sunnah.

The essence of tasawwuf lies in a single and integral set of beliefs (aqidah), morality, the fight against one's ego (nafs) and preaching (da "wa). The pillars of tasawwuf are submission to the One God (Islam), faith (iman) and sincerity in the worship of God (ihsan).

True tasawwuf, as Hussein Muhammad Maklouh writes, is the practical and theoretical education of human psychology, healing of spiritual ailments of the heart, cultivating worthy qualities and uprooting vices, suppressing lust, teaching patience, contentment, and worship.

Sufism was called upon to revive and revive openness and sincerity in the worship of God, i.e. ihsan. As Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Hajjawi writes in his book “Al-Fikr al-Sami”: “The basis of Sufism is the question of Gabriel (peace be upon him) in the hadith about ihsan, which represents the improvement of faith (imaan) and submission to God (Islam )". In this sense, tasawwuf is constant self-improvement, application of diligence and struggle with oneself.

« And those who are zealous for Us, We will guide them along Our paths. Allah is true only to those who do good"(Surah Al-Ankabut, verse 69).

The goal of Sufism as a teaching about sincere and sincere worship of the Almighty is the improvement of service, cleansing the soul from shortcomings and the desire to make it perfect, correct understanding of the deep meanings, subtleties of belief and worship. Following a similar path, a person achieves divine contentment and love, constantly feels the presence of God; inattention and carelessness do not penetrate into his consciousness, which allows him not to cross the boundaries defined by Sharia.

Calling for sincerity in the worship of God, paying primary attention to inner consciousness and spiritual and moral education (some Sufis even said: tasawwuf is morality; whoever improved morality improved tasawwuf), Sufis satisfied the spiritual needs of society. Thanks to their activities, many Muslims returned to the straight path, a large number of the population of countries discovered by Muslims accepted the Muslim religion. Sufis left a large capital of knowledge and spiritual experience.

Tasawwuf is built on strict and strict adherence to the Koran and Sunnah, which are its only sources. As Junayd al-Baghdadi said: “Our knowledge is built on the Quran and Sunnah.” He also owns the following statement: “The path to Allah Almighty is closed to His creations, except for those who follow the path of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).” When Sheikh Naqshubandi was asked: “By what means does one achieve your path?”, he replied: “By following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).”

Abu Sulayman ad-Darani said: “ Sometimes an idea sinks into my heart, and I accept it only in the presence of two fair witnesses - the Qur'an and the Sunnah" Abu Hafs also said: “Whoever does not constantly compare his practice and spiritual states (akhwal) with the Koran and Sunnah and does not criticize his ideas is not one of the worthy men.” And Ibn Abu al-Khiwari believed: “Whoever committed any action without following the Sunnah, then it is invalid.”

Imam al-Ghazali writes: “Junayd said: “My sheikh once asked me: “If you leave me, then to whom will you go?” I answered: “To Mukhasibi.” He said: “Yes, get his knowledge and ethics from him and do not enter into a discussion with him about kalam, leave this matter to the mutakallims.”

One of the outstanding Sufi scholars Sahl ibn Abdullah at-Tusturi said: “ Our foundations consist of seven principles: adherence to the Book of Allah, following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), eating what is lawful, not doing evil, avoiding sin, repentance, fulfilling rights" Sheikh Abu al-Hasan al-Shazali said: “ Whoever leads on the path of Allah Almighty, calling for what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not call for, is an impostor».

Sufis were implacable opponents of innovation. Hasan said: " If people introduced an innovation to their religion, then Allah deprives them of an equal Sunnah, which he will not return to them until the Day of Judgment" It is noteworthy that the great Sufi al-Sharani wrote in his book “At-Tabakat”: “ Sufi scholars came to a consensus (ijma) that only those who have received deep knowledge according to Sharia, studied the subject of explicit and implicit, general and specific, annulling and annulled meanings, deeply studied the Arabic language, mastering its stylistics: figurative, metaphorical expressions, etc.».

What is the meaning of the unanimous opinion of Sufi scholars that Sharani writes about? It is known that in his behavior the sheikh or the head of the tariqa is a standard for students (murids). And in their religious questions and problems, students turn to the sheikh - their teacher, educator and mentor. If the sheikh is not an expert, a specialist in the field of Sharia, then he will unintentionally, unwittingly direct his murids on the wrong path, misleading them, as well as himself.

Also, Sheikh al-Sharani in his book “Kashf-ul-Gumma” wrote: “ The path (tariqa) ​​that is not laid along the path of Shariah is darkness. Anyone who steps on it will not be sure that he is safe and will not die».

The above indicates that the ship of true tasawwuf is steadily sailing in the wake of the Quran and Sunnah. As for the terms “tasawwuf” and “Sufism”, from the point of view of the Sufis, they are not fundamental. After all, as already mentioned, the term “tasawwuf” was not used and was not widespread in the era of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the early Sufis were called “zuhad” (“ascetics”). Therefore, one should not fanatically and fundamentally adhere to the term “tasawwuf” or “Sufism.” At the same time, ignoring and non-recognition of the meaning and content of this term is a major mistake and injustice. After all, tasawwuf is nothing more than “ilm-ul-ihsan” (“the science of sincerity”), “ilm-ul-ikhlas” (“the science of sincerity”), “ilm-ul-ubudiyya” (“the science of worship”) "), Sufis are “ahl uz-zikr” (“people of remembrance”), “ahl-uz-zukhd” (“people of asceticism”).

Thus, the term "tasawwuf" is an inherited concept meaning the truths preached by Islam. Yes, the term “tasawwuf” should not be ignored, since it indicates a specific, definite scientific and historical meaning. At the same time, Sufis do not call for blindly and fanatically adhering to this name due to the fact that it is not mentioned either in the Koran or the Sunnah. A Muslim is proud of his name and does not look for a replacement for it, since that is what Allah Almighty called him.

Magazine " Islam»

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