Differences Between one Tariqah and Another?

[Cino]

Recently, @Grandad mentioned that his scholar son is a member of the Shadhili Tariqah.

What are the differences between the various orders, such as Shadhili, Mevlevi, Chishti, Naqshbandi...? Is it doctrinal? Teaching style? Techniques?

 

[Niblo]

Watching, with interest!

 

[Cino]

Watching, with interest!

Watching the watcher...

 

[Niblo]

Watching the watcher...

Watching the Watcher watching (this could run and run) .

Have a great day, and very best regards. Peace.

PS: God willing, have a more 'informative' reply in mind, but lacking time at the moment.

 

[Niblo]

Good afternoon, Cino.

Some general comments concerning Sufism:

‘It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allāh (may peace be upon him) said: “Ask me (about matters pertaining to religion), but they (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) were too much overawed out of profound respect for him to ask him (anything).

‘In the meanwhile a man came there, and sat near his knees and said: “Messenger of Allāh, what is al-lslam”?

‘To which he (the Holy Prophet) replied: “You must not associate anything with Allāh, and establish prayer, pay the poor-rate (Zakat) and observe (the fasts) of Ramadan”.

‘He said: You (have) told the truth. He (again) said: “Messenger of Allāh, what is al-Iman (the faith)”?

‘He (the Holy Prophet) said: “That you affirm your faith in Allāh, His angels, His Books, His meeting, His Apostles, and that you believe in Resurrection and that you believe in Qadr (Divine Decree) in all its entirety”.

‘He (the inquirer) said: “You (have) told the truth. He (again) said: “Messenger of Allāh, what is al-Ihsan”?

‘Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: “(Al-Ihsan implies) that you fear Allāh as if you are seeing Him, and though you see Him not, verily He is seeing you”.

‘He (the inquirer) said: “You (have) told the truth”. He (the inquirer) said: “When shall be the hour (of Doom)”?

‘(Upon this) he (the Holy Prophet said:

‘“The one who is being asked about it is no better informed than the inquirer himself. I, however, narrate some of its signs (and these are): when you see a slave (woman) giving birth to her master - that is one of the signs of (Doom); when you see barefooted, naked, deaf and dumb (ignorant and foolish persons) as the rulers of the earth - that is one of the signs of the Doom. And when you see the shepherds of black camels exult in buildings - that is one of the signs of Doom. The (Doom) is one of the five things (wrapped) in the unseen. No one knows them except Allāh”.

‘Then (the Holy Prophet) recited (the following verse): " Verily Allāh! with Him alone is the knowledge of the hour and He it is Who sends down the rain and knows that which is in the wombs and no person knows whatsoever he shall earn on morrow and a person knows not in whatsoever land he shall die. Verily Allāh is Knowing, Aware.”

‘He (the narrator, Abu Huraira) said: “Then the person stood up and (made his way). The Messenger of Allāh (may peace be upon him) said: “Bring him back to me”.

‘He was searched for, but they (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) could not find him. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) thereupon said: “He was Jibreel and he wanted to teach you (things pertaining to religion) when you did not ask them yourselves”.

(Muslim: Book 001, Number 0006). See also: Muslim: Book 001, Number 0004; and Bukhari: Volume 1, Book 2, Number 47.

From this ḥādīth we see that Islam is a tree with three major branches:

Islam - Submissions to the Will of Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla), especially concerning what is right or wrong, halal or haram. This branch is the preserve of the jurists.

Iman – Faith. Belief in One God; in His Angels; in His Prophets; in His Books; in the Day of Judgement and so on. This branch is the preserve of the theologians.

Ihsan – Remembrance of Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla); righteousness, self-realisation and so on. This branch is the preserve of those who practice Tasawwuf.

Continued:

 

[Niblo]

There are people – especially in the West – who call themselves ‘Sufis’ but are not Muslims. And there are Muslims who call themselves ‘Sufis’ but whose practices are – to say the least – suspect. A true follower of Tasawwuf knows that the shari‘a and ‘aqida of Islam are paramount. They know this…….and they act accordingly. One who does not act in this way, and yet pretends to be a Sufi, is like one who walks through a hospital wearing a white coat, with a stethoscope around his neck, trying desperately to convince everyone that he is a doctor. A real doctor is something else.

It is clear from the ḥādīth quoted above that the practise of Tasawwuf (living in the remembrance of Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla) was the norm among the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions, even though the term ‘Tasawwuf’, like many other Islamic disciplines, was not known to them. It was, however, very much in use during the period of the four great Imams of the Maḏāhib. This is what they had to say about it:

‘If it were not for two years, I would have perished. For two years I accompanied Hazrat Jafer as-Sadiq (R.A) and I acquired the spiritual knowledge that made me a knower in the Way (i.e. Sufism).’

(Reported of Imam Abu Hanifa: ‘Ad-Durr Al-Mukhthar’; Volume 1, page 43).

‘Whoever studies jurisprudence and does not study Sufism will be corrupted. Whoever studies Sufism and does not study Jurisprudence will become a heretic. Whoever combines both will reach the truth.’ (Imam Malik: ‘Kashf Al-Khafa Wa Muzid Al-Abas’; Volume 1, page 41).

‘I accompanied the Sufi people and I received from them three kinds of knowledge: They taught me how to speak. They taught me how to treat people with leniency and a soft heart. They guided me in the ways of Sufism.’ (Imam Shafi: ‘Tanwir Al-Qulub’; page 405).

‘O my son you have to sit with the Sufis, because they are like a fountain of knowledge. They recite the remembrance of Allah (S.W.T) in their hearts. They are ascetics and they have the most spiritual power……………………… I do not know any people better than them.’ (Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, advising his son: ‘Ghiza Al-Albab’; Volume 1, page 120).

And what of other scholars?

‘I knew it to be true that the Sufis are the seekers in Allah's Way. Their conduct is the best of conduct. Their way is the best of ways. Their manners are the most sanctified. They have purified their hearts from other than Allah and they have made them as pathways for rivers to run receiving knowledge of the Divine Presence.’ (Imam Ghazali: ‘Al-Munqidh Min Ad-Dalal’; page 131).

‘The specification of the Ways of the Sufis are five: To keep the Presence of Allah (S.W.T) in your heart in public and in private. To follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (S.A.W) by action and speech.
To keep away from dependence on people. To be happy with what Allah (S.W.T) gives you, even if it is little. To always refer your matters to Allah (S.W.T) Almighty and Exalted.’ (Imam Nawawi: ‘Al-Maqasid At-Tawhid’; page 20).

‘Sufism appeared in the 1st century of Islam and it received tremendous honour. It purified the self, straightened the conduct and gave knowledge to people from the wisdom and secrets of the Divine Presence.’ (Muhammad Abduh: ‘Majallat Al Muslim’; page 24).

‘The Sufis initiate people in Oneness and sincerity in following the Sunnah of the Prophet (S.A.W), in repentance from their sins and in avoidance of every disobedience to Allah, Almighty and Exalted. Their guides encourage them to move in the way of perfect Love of Allah.’ (Abul Hasan Ali An-Nadwi: ‘Muslims in India’; pages 140-146).

‘Sufism is a reality whose signs are the love of Allah and the love of the Prophet (S.A.W), where one absents oneself for their sake and one is annihilated from anything other than them. It instructs us how to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (S.A.W)……………The Shariah and Sufism; what is the similitude of the two? They are like the body and the soul. The body is the external knowledge, the Shariah, and the spirit is the internal knowledge.’ (Abul Ala Mawdudi: ‘Mabadi Al Islam’; page 17).

It is clear from the above that Tasawwuf is very much a part of Islam.

As you know, my son is a murid in the Shadhili Tariqa. All members of this Tariqa follow one of the four Sunni Maḏāhib; as well as one of the two schools of tenets of faith, Ash‘ari or Maturidi. My son is of the Maliki; and follows the Ash‘ari school in ‘aqida. Like all Shadhili murids he does not take his Dīn from those who are not Imams, especially not from orientalists, or authors without a traditional Islamic education at the hands of the tradition’s Shaykhs.

May the Beloved bless you – and all you love – and keep you safe.

 

[muhammad_isa]

...
‘He (the inquirer) said: “You (have) told the truth. He (again) said: “Messenger of Allāh, what is al-Ihsan”?

‘Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: “(Al-Ihsan implies) that you fear Allāh as if you are seeing Him, and though you see Him not, verily He is seeing you”.
...

SubhanAllah .. wiki says this about Ihsan:-

It is a matter of taking one's inner faith (iman) and showing it in both deed and action, a sense of social responsibility borne from religious convictions.

Indeed, Almighty God is aware of every leaf that falls. He is aware of what is in our hearts.
eg intentions

 

[Niblo]

Well said, Akhi.

 

[Cino]

Thank you both for the explanations.

So the differences between tariqas boil down to which legal school they follow?

 

[Cino]

My personal contact with Sufism has been partly through a relative who was part of one of the (Western) Inayati groups, who according to your definition above would not have qualified, neglecting or downplaying the role of jurisprudence to the point of not requiring members to be Muslims.

My other personal contact was through a friend who is a mureed of a Sanussi sheikh.

And finally, I lived for my early years in a central Asian country which gave the world several Sufi masters over the centuries.

So I'm always interested to learn more about the topic.

 

[Niblo]

Thank you both for the explanations.

So the differences between tariqas boil down to which legal school they follow?

Hold on to your hat!!

You will have heard the term ‘Sharīʿa law’. This is a misnomer. Sharīʿa is not law, but a set of principles. It is concerned with the welfare of people, both in this life and in the life to come. It is meant to protect human dignity, and to promote basic human rights. These include: the right to the protection of life; the right to the protection of family; the right to the protection of religion; the right to the protection of property (access to resources); and the right to the protection of education.

The maḏāhib are schools of thought within Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh).

There are four Sunni maḏāhib: Maliki – after Imam Mālik ibn Anas ibn Mālik ibn Abī 'Āmir al-Asbahī; Shāfiʿī – after Imam Abū ʿAbdullāh Muhammad ibn Idrīs al-Shāfiʿī; Ḥanafī – after Imam Nuʿmān ibn Thābit ibn Zūṭā ibn Marzubān (also known as Imam Abū Ḥanīfah); and Hanbali – after Imam Aḥmad bin Muḥammad bin Ḥanbal Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Shaybānī. In addition, there are two Shia maḏāhib: Ja’fari and Zaidi. Finally, we have the Ibadi maḏhab and the Zahiri maḏhab.

A maḏhab represents the entire school of thought of a particular Imam, together with that of the numerous scholars who followed after each of the founders of their respective schools, and who refined and upgraded their work in the light of changing circumstances.

The vast majority of Muslims follow the teachings of a particular maḏhab; in accordance with Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla)’s words: ‘(Prophet), all the messengers We sent before you were simply men to whom We had given the Revelation: you (people) can ask those who have knowledge if you do not know. We sent them with clear signs and scriptures. We have sent down the message to you too (Prophet), so that you can explain to people what was sent for them, so that they may reflect.’ (Al-Nahl: 43-44).

The Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) is, of course, no longer with us; and everything we have from him, whether the ʼaḥādīth or the Qur'an, has been conveyed to us through Islamic scholars.

This is the purpose of the maḏāhib; and why they should be treated with the utmost respect.

Differences between the maḏāhib arise from:

a) The way in which certain Qur’anic words are to be understood. This arises from the fact that in the Arabic language a single word can have a number of meanings, according to its context. One maḏhab may prefer one meaning (one interpretation) over another.

b) Their particular interpretations of the primary sources of Law. The Hanafi, for example, place greater emphasis on ijtihad as compared to the Hanbali madhab.

c) The epistemic weight given to the various secondary sources, such as social customs (urf); public interest (maslaha); exceptional cases (istasna); and the preference of one legal opinion over another (istihsan). Hanafis, for example, accept istihsan as a valid secondary source, whereas Shafi’s do not.

d) The way in which ʼaḥādīth are classified. Some ʼaḥādīth are regarded as authentic and reliable by certain maḏāhib, and therefore are used by them as the basis for a given ruling. Other maḏāhib may reject the very same ʼaḥādīth altogether.

It is incumbent upon a Sufi to acquire knowledge (from the Law) as to what is required of him as a Muslim, so that his personal affairs are well founded. The same is true, of course, for all Muslims.

As an aside:

As-Suyuti writes: ‘A principle of Islamic jurisprudence states that there is no condemnation of others in matters of scholarly disagreement. Rather, there is only condemnation in matters upon which all the scholars have agreed.’ (Al-Ashbāh); and Ibn Taymiyyah writes: ‘Whoever acts according to the opinions of scholars in matters of juristic discretion should not be condemned or boycotted. Whoever acts according to one of two different opinions should not be condemned for it.’ (Majmūʻ al-Fatāwá 20/207 wal-Naẓāʼir 2/35).

It is a matter of conscience. People are expected to follow their conscience (even if it conflicts with the religious verdict of a respected scholar) until new learning, new understanding, creates honest doubt. When this happens we must: ‘Leave what makes you doubt for what does not make you doubt. Verily, truth brings peace of mind and falsehood sows doubt.’ (Sunan al-Tirmidhī : 2518).

Continued:

 

[Niblo]

John Baldock writes that a tariqa is:

‘Known by the name of the shaykh whose teaching it followed. For example, the tariqah that formed around Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (d.1166) in Baghdad became known as the Qadiriyyah or Qadiri Order.

‘Some of the principal Sufi Orders and the shaykhs from whom they take their name are: the Chishtiyyah or Chishti, after Mu’in ad-Din Chishti of Chisht in Afghanistan (d.1233); the Shadhiliyyah or Shadhili, after Shaykh Abu’l Hasan al-Shadhili of Morocco (d.1258); the Mevleviyyah or Mevlevi, after Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi of Konya (d.1273); the Bektashiyyah or Bektashi, after Hajji Bektash of Khorasan (d.1338); and the Naqshbandiyyah or Naqshbandi, after Shaykh Bahaudin Naqshband of Bukhara (d.1390).

‘When the founding shaykh died, the order continued under his successor, using the founding shaykh’s name. Sometimes a new Order emerged from within an older Order. The Darqawiyyah or Darqawi Order, for example, which takes its name from Shaykh Mulay al-Arabi ad-Darqawi of Morocco (d.1823), was a branch of the much older Shadhili Order, founded in the thirteenth century. As well as forming new branches, Orders would sometimes merge with each other yet whether they are direct lines, branches or mergers each Order has its own chain of transmission – the silsilah – which connects the shaykhs of today with the first Sufi shaykh, the Prophet Muhammad.

‘Sufi Orders are now active in all parts of the world, although some are active on some continents and not on others. In some Orders women and men enjoy equal status.

‘Each Order therefore not only evolved its own unique ‘flavour’, but it also developed a system of practices that were best suited to its followers. It should be stressed that there is no competition between the Orders, for although their outward forms might appear different their primary concern is the tariqah or inner Path of awakening. As Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri says: “Ulama’ (religious authorities) have traditionally sought outer uniformity while experiencing inner disunity, whereas the Sufis seek inner unity while tolerating outer differences.” (Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri, Elements of Islam, 70)’ – (‘The Essence of Sufism’; my emphasis).

All Sufis, regardless of their tariqa, aspire to please their Lord in each of the following ways:

Through repentance:

According to Islam all will stand before Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla) on the Day of Judgment. Each of will be given a record of their lives. Those whose book is placed in their right hand will be admitted to Paradise; and those whose book is placed in their left will not.

It is said that a good deed is recorded as soon as it is carried out; but that a record of a bad deed is delayed for some hours, to allow for repentance (tawbah). Even when a sin is recorded it can be erased by sincere and genuine repentance: ‘But He will overlook the bad deeds of those who have faith, do good deeds, and believe in what has been sent down to Muhammad - the truth from their Lord - and He will put them into a good state’ (Muhammad: 2).

Not only does tawbah wipe out an evil deed, it transforms that deed into a good one: ‘Those who repent, believe, and do good deeds, Allāh will change the evil deeds of such people into good ones. He is most forgiving, most merciful’ (Al-Furqan: 70).

Every day of their lives – many times a day – Muslims speak these words in prayer: ‘The Lord of Mercy’; ‘The Giver of Mercy’; ‘The Compassionate’; ‘The Merciful’. These are the Beloved‘s Names. We did not give them to Him, He chose them for Himself. Of all His Names these are His favorite. That is why we are asked to speak them so often - so that we do not forget Who it is that loves us; Who it is that binds us to Himself with ties of tenderness, mercy and forgiveness.

When we repent for the love of Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla) alone, and not out of fear of punishment; nor for any other reason. This will suffice.

Through remembrance of the Beloved (dhikr):

Al-Qushayri writes:

‘Remembrance is a powerful support on the path to God (Glorious and Majestic) Indeed, it is the very foundation of this (Sufi) path. No one reaches God save by continual remembrance of Him. There are two kinds of remembrance: that of the tongue and that of the heart. The servant attains perpetual remembrance of the heart by making vocal remembrance. It is remembrance of the heart, however, that yields true effect.

‘One of the qualities unique to remembrance is that He placed men’s remembrance of Him on a level with His remembrance of men. He commands, “Make remembrance of Me, and I will make remembrance of you” (2:147).’ (‘Principles of Sufism’).

Through trust in the Beloved:

Al-Qushayri writes:

‘When Sahl b. ‘Abdallah was asked about trust in God, he explained, “It is a heart that lives with God Most High without other attachment”. The master Abu ‘Ali ad-Daqqaq (may God have mercy upon him) said, “There are three degrees for the one trusting in God: trust, then surrender, and then assignation (to Him).”

‘The one who trusts in God is at peace with His promise, the one who surrenders is content with His knowledge, and the one who assigns his affairs to God is satisfied with His wisdom. I heard him say, “Trust in God is the beginning, surrender is the middle, and assigning one’s affairs to God is the end.” Ad-Daqqaq was asked about trust, and he commented, “It is eating without greed.”’ (Ibid).

Through silence:

Al-Qushayri writes:

‘One of the Sufis said, “Silence is the language of forbearance.” One of them instructed, “Learn silence just as you learned speech. If speech used to guide you, silence will protect you.” It is said, “The modesty of the tongue is its silence.” And “The tongue is like a wild beast. If you do not tie it up, it will attack you.”’ (Ibid).

Hamid Algar writes:

‘Silent recitation takes place exclusively in the heart, while vocal recitation involves the use of the tongue. To put it differently, the dhikr which begins with audible recitation by means of the tongue and other speech organs must necessarily descend to the heart to have its effect; otherwise it will be mere recitation and nothing more. The difference, then, is between a dhikr which originates immediately in the heart and a dhikr which originates on the tongue but ultimately descends to the heart’ (Sufism: Principles and Practice’).

Through love for their Lord:

Al-Qushayri writes:

‘The sayings of the sheikhs on love are many. One of the Sufis declared, “Love is perpetual turning toward the Beloved with a heart distraught with love.” It is said, “Love means preferring the Beloved to all that is familiar.” It is said, “Love means that the lover conforms to the Beloved’s wishes whether present with Him or absent away from Him.” It is said, “Love is effacement by the lover of his attributes and the affirmation of the Beloved in His essence.” It is said, “Love is the heart’s agreement with the wishes of the Lord.” It is also said, “Love means that a person is afraid lest he stop being reverent when he performs a service.”’ (Ibid).

William C. Chittick writes:

‘Ibn Ata’illah quotes a hadith that illustrates the intimate link that Muslims have always seen between love for God and the Prophet and remembering God and the Prophet: God said to him, “O Muhammad, I have made you one of the remembrances of Me. Those who remember you remember Me, and those who love"’ (‘Sufism: A Beginner's Guide’).

I hope this helps.

Peace.

 

[Niblo]

My personal contact with Sufism has been partly through a relative who was part of one of the (Western) Inayati groups, who according to your definition above would not have qualified, neglecting or downplaying the role of jurisprudence to the point of not requiring members to be Muslims.

My other personal contact was through a friend who is a mureed of a Sanussi sheikh.

And finally, I lived for my early years in a central Asian country which gave the world several Sufi masters over the centuries.

So I'm always interested to learn more about the topic.

John Baldock reminds us that Inayat Khan:

‘Established the Sufi Movement and the Universal Worship, which brings the world’s great religions together in a single act of worship. This simple ritual comprises readings from the sacred writings of the major religions and the lighting of a candle for each religion to symbolize the transmission of the divine light to humanity. The work of Hazrat Inayat Khan in the West is continued by his two sons, Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, head of the Sufi Order International, and Pir-o-Murshid Hidayat Inayat Khan, head of the Sufi Movement." (‘The Essence of Sufism’).

The Inayati website (which appears more a family business than a Sufi tariqa) asks the following question:

‘Can I belong to any religion and be welcomed into the Inayatiyya?’

And answers (my emphasis):

‘With its universal vision embracing the totality of revelations, the Inayatiyya accepts and honors all of the great religions of the world. There is no compulsion or expectation of conversion, but instead an aim to bring together all religions, and those with no religion, to awaken the spirituality that exists in all traditions, and ultimately transcends all traditions.’

Is it possible to be a Sufi without Islam – without any religion at all?

In this – as in everything else – Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla) knows best!

Peace.

 

[Cino]

Thanks for the detailed, well-structured reply, @Grandad! Much appreciated.

So the individual Tariqas have other differences as well, besides the specifics of the jurist school. Thanks for the clarification.

Is it possible to be a Sufi without Islam – without any religion at all?

I don't know, but my gut feeling is, it's probably complicated and fighting over who gets to call themselves what can get really ugly.

Some thoughts:

My relative who participated in an Inayati group (I don't know which one) was nominally Christian, not Sufi, but got more out of it than through participation in various mystic Christian groups, according to their report. Apparently, beign in good standing with a Christian Church worked for this person wrt to the moral guidance and spiritual orthopraxis. But this is absolutely not my first-hand experience. FWIW, this person did not identify themselves as a Sufi, but did refer to the Inayati community as Sufis.

Related to this, the Qabbalah has been facing a similar dilemma - ever since the Renaissance there has been a "Christian Kabala", which is the basis for much of the modern Western Esoteric traditions. So there are centuries-old lineages of Qabbalah practitioners who are not Jewish.

The general structure of the Sufi path, as you detailed it - Repentance, Remembrance, Trust, Silence, and Love - is universal enough that it is applicable to any mystical path, even an atheist one. But that would render the term "Sufi" kind of meaningless, if all mystics were Sufis as well.

 

[Niblo]

@Cino

Sufism has meaning for those with knowledge; and, as you say, its path is well trodden, even by those of Faiths other than Islam...or of none.

What matters, for a Believer, is that the Beloved is remembered, loved and trusted; that personal failings are repented; and that others - regardless of their status - are treated well; with respect, kindness and so on. In short, the Believer must - at all times - strive to 'do the beautiful'.

For the Unbeliever; only the object of their remembrance and their love changes; the rest remain the same.

'This above all...to thine own self be true. And it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.' (Hamlet).

Peace.