On the Office of the Spiritual Master (Shaykh) and Being a Disciple (Murid) 

Chapter 5 of the Book of Ad-Dahab al-Ibriz min Kalam Sayyidi Abdelaziz Dabbagh (The Pure Gold in the Sayings of Sidi Abdellaziz Dabbagh) by al-Faqih Sidi Ahmed Ibn al-Moubarak al-Lamti Sijilmasi 

Translated by John O'Kane and Bernd Radtke

Downloadable PDF Version

One of the jurists asked him—God be pleased with him— whether what's been said is true or not, namely that the training of disciples has ceased.

The text of the question is: 'Our lord and imam, you whom God has given the illumination He confers on His noble Friends and has honored by family ties with the house of prophethood— the most excellent blessings and purest peace be upon him who possesses  prophethood —teach us—for Cod has taught you from His divinely communicated knowledge—that which, by elucidation of direct speech as well as similitudes, removes incomprehension from men's hearts and frees their minds from fetters, so that they come to acquire the spiritual sciences. For it's reported that the Prophet said-—blessings and peace be upon him: "Mankind is God's family, and the dearest of mankind unto God are those who most benefit His family."

One of the questions, oh Sayyidi, concerns what's transmitted from the Shaykh Zarruq—God be pleased with him: “Training disciples in the strict sense (bi al-istila’h) has ceased. All that remains is training by means of [a shaykh's] effective will (himma) and spiritual state (‘hal). So give your attention to the Book and the Sunna without any additions and omissions.” Was this peculiar to his own day and age or has training disciples ceased until the descent of our lord Jesus (at the end of time)—peace be upon him—? And if you say it's ceased, what caused it to cease? And if you say it still remains, then who is the shaykh to whom the spirit of the novice (murid) should be entrusted, and who should exercise authority over it through spiritual retreat (khalwa) or whatever he wishes? Specify for us in what clime and what country the person is found at whose hand one of God's slaves (‘ibad) may attain success.

The Shaykh answered'—God be pleased with him.

"The purpose of training is to purify the body (ad-dhat) and cleanse it of its vanities so it becomes capable of carrying the secret. This can only be done by removing darkness from the body, severing from its orientation attachments of falsehood and then severing from it falsehood (itself). Sometimes this occurs due to the purity in its fundamental nature, God having cleansed it without an intermediary. Such was the situation of the three noble generations that were the best of generations. People in those generations were engaged with the truth and sought after it. If they slept, they slept in the truth. If they were awake, they were awake in the truth. And if they set themselves in motion, their motion was in the truth. Thus anyone whose deeper vision God had illuminated and who then looked at their interiors would find that their minds—with rare exception—were engaged with God and His Apostle and sought to attain whatever is pleasing to God and the Apostle. For this reason there was much good in them. The light of truth shone in their bodies, and religious science (‘ilm) and the attainment of a degree of independent juridical interpretation (ijtihad) appeared among them that can't be described or supported. Consequently, spiritual training wasn't necessary in those generations. The shaykh met his novice who was to be the possessor of his secret and the heir to his light, and he [simply] spoke in his car and by this means alone the novice received illumination because of the purity of bodies, the clarity of minds and because of the novice's longing for upright behavior.

But sometimes this occurs—I mean the separation of darkness from bodies—through the shaykh bringing it about, and this is after the noble generations when intentions have been corrupted and inner convictions have become dulled. Minds axe then engaged with the world, seeking to attain fulfillment of lusts and the enjoyment of pleasures. The shaykh, endowed with deeper vision, now meets his novice and heir, he recognizes him and looks him over. He finds that the novice's reason is engaged with falsehood and the fulfillment of lusts, and he finds his body follows his reason in this. It amuses itself with those who pursue trivial amusement, it's neglectful with those who are neglectful, and it sides with the worthless. In the midst of this the limbs set themselves in motion in uncommendable actions because the mind which is the body's master is attached to falsehood, not to the truth. Thus if he finds toe novice in this state, he orders him to undertake spiritual retreat (khalwa), recollection of God (dhikr), and to diminish his food.  In spiritual retreat he's separated from the worthless who are among the number of the dead. Through recollection of God false speech disappears along with trivial play and foolishness which were on his tongue. And through diminishing food the vapors in the blood diminish as does lust, and the mind returns to being engaged with Cod and His Apostle. If the novice then attains this cleanliness and purity, his body is able to support carrying the secret. And this is what shaykhs aim for in their training and by imposing spiritual retreat.

And so matters stood for a while, until truth consorted with the false and light consorted with darkness. The people of falsehood now trained whoever came to them, having them enter spiritual retreat and imparting God's names with a corrupt intention and a purpose contrary to the truth. Moreover, they might add magic incantations and such usages that provoke God the Sublime's deceit (makr) and forms of lulling someone into false contentment (istidrajat). This state of affairs was widespread in the eras when the shaykh Zarruq—God be pleased with him—and his spiritual masters lived. Thus it appeared to them to be good advice regarding God and His Apostle to tell the people to withdraw from this kind of training in which the idle were numerous- They had the people stand in the courtyard of safety which is devoid of fear and sorrow, namely adherence to the Sunna and the Book which don't lead astray anyone who takes (54) them as his guide. The words of these masters—God be pleased with them—were uttered by way of advice and caution. It wasn't their wish—God be pleased with them—to eliminate altogether the true training. Far be it from them! Indeed, the light of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) still remains and its goodness is all-embracing and its blessing will prevail until the Day of Resurrection.

As for your words: "Who is the shaykh?", the answer for you is: The shaykh accorded leadership is someone who knows the Prophet's states (peace and blessing be upon him) and whose body has been given the Prophet's light to drink so that he's come to follow the Prophet's steps (peace and blessing be upon him). God the Sublime has provided him with perfect faith and purity of divine knowledge (‘irfan). So this is the one accorded leadership. You must love him and associating with him will bring profit. Indeed, he joins the slave (‘abd) with his Lord and removes from him doubts about his knowledge of God and causes him to advance in his love of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him)!

As for your words: "Specify for us in what clime and what country he's to be found", the answer for you is: Praise be to God—there are numerous persons of such description in [different] countries and among the slaves (‘ibad). And don't look for him outside the people of (be Sunna and the Community. Seek him and you'll find him! "God is with those who are godfearing and those who do good" (Quran 16:128).'

The same jurist also questioned him about the shaykh who lays claim to seeing the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him).  The wording of the text goes: “Oh Sayyidi, one of them”, i.e. one of the questions, “is that when it comes to someone who claims to see the Prophet in a waking state (peace and blessing be upon him)—the knowers of God say his claim is only to be accepted on the basis of proof. That is to say, he's traversed all but one of three thousand halting-stations. Therefore it's incumbent on whoever makes this claim to explain these halting-stations afterwards. What I seek from your Eminence—God perpetuate it—is that you enumerate the halting-stations for us. Even if [only] by means of a symbol and summarily or whatever is possible of them—and not at great length.'

He answered—God be pleased with him:

'In the interior of everybody there are three hundred and sixty-six (366) veins, each vein bearing its own special attribute with which it was created. The knower of God endowed with deeper vision beholds these veins shining and aflame in their various characteristics. Lying has a vein set aflame by its own attribute, envy has a vein that shines by means of its attribute and hypocrisy has a vein that shines by means of its attribute, betrayal has a vein mat shines by means of its attribute, conceit has a vein that shines by means of its attribute, and pride has a vein that shines by means of its attribute, and so it continues until you cover all the veins. Thus if the knower of God looks at bodies, he sees each body like a lantern with three hundred and sixty-six candies fixed in it. Each candle has its own quality which isn't like any other candle. Moreover, each one of these attributes has subdivisions and categories in it. Desire, for instance, has categories depending on what it's focused on. If it's focused on the genitals, this is one category. If it's focused on tank, this is another category and if on money, this is another category and if on hope that time remains [to repent], still another category. And the same is true of lying because if someone with this attribute doesn't tell the truth, it's considered one category. If someone with this attribute thinks another person isn't telling the truth and doubts his words and doesn't believe him, this is considered another category.

The slave (‘abd) doesn't receive illumination until he's traversed all these stations. But if God wishes His slave well and renders him fit for illumination. He gradually eliminates them from him one after the other. If, for example, God eliminates from him the attribute of lying, the slave reaches the station of truthfulness and then the station of confirming the truth. If God eliminates the attribute of desire for wealth, he reaches the station of asceticism, and if the desire for sins, be reaches the station of repentance, or if the desire for hope that time remains [to repent], be reaches the station of aversion to the House of deception (the world), and so on.

Then if he receives illumination and the secret is placed in his body, he advances by stages in the stations of beholding (mushahada) the worlds. The first thing he beholds are the earthen bodies, next the translunar bodies and then the bodies of light. Then he beholds God the Sublime's actions as pervading His creation. In his beholding the earthen bodies there are stages. The first thing he beholds is the earth that he's on. Next he beholds the oceans that are on the earth. Then be beholds what's between the earth he's on and the second earth, because his sight penetrates the boundaries up to the second earth. Then he beholds the second earth, next he penetrates the boundaries up to the third earth. And so it proceeds until the seventh earth. He then beholds the air between himself and the first heaven, next the first heaven itself. And so it proceeds as in the previous manner with the earth. Then he beholds Barzakh and the spirits that are in it, then the angels and the guardian angels, and the affairs of the hereafter.

In the case of each of these visions (mushahadat) the slave (‘abd) is subject to a rightful claim from among the rightful claims of Lordliness (rububiyya) and a proper role of behavior from among the rules of being God's slave (‘abd) (‘ubudiya). In this barriers appear to him and he experiences hindrances. He beholds frightful and deadly things. If it weren't for God the Sublime conferring success and His generosity toward the impotent slave and His mercy on him, the slave would return from the least of these stages rendered feeble-minded because of them.

His traversing the stations of vision (mushahadat) and their terrors is more difficult for him than the stations of the attributes of carnal souls, because his traversing the stations of attributes was internal and he didn't know about it until after illumination. But his traversing the stations of vision is external.

He beholds it directly and sees it because it's something be delves into after illumination. If his gaze is pure and the light of his deeper vision is complete, and if God shows him such mercy that after it no hardship exists, then God—He is exalted—will bestow on him sight of the chief of the first and the last [of mankind]— upon him be the best of blessings and the purest peace! He'll see him directly and behold him in a waking state. God the Sublime imparts to him what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and what has never occurred in any human being's heart. He now attains the station of well-being and happiness. May he take delight in this felicity!

If you consider the above-mentioned number of attributes and the categories contained in them along with the stations occurring in the previous visions, you'll find that they exceed the aforementioned number. Moreover, the pure qualities of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) aren't concealed from his religious community. The religious scholars-God be pleased with them—have recorded what God—He is blessed and sublime—distinguished him with in his body's exterior and in its interior—the most excellent blessings and purest peace be upon him! Whoever claims to have seen him in a waking state, let him be questioned about some of the Prophet's pure states and let his answer be heard. It won't be unclear which person answers on the basis of direct vision, nor will he be confused with anyone else. Peace!

Now if you're satisfied with this, be happy with it! But if you wish to hear more, know that if God the Sublime confers illumination on die slave (‘abd), He provides him with a light from the lights of truth which enters his body from all directions. It penetrates the body until it’s penetrated flesh and bone. From its cold and the hardship of its entering the body the slave) suffers what approximates the agonies of death. It's characteristic of this light that it imparts secrets of created beings through the beholding of which God wishes to bestow illumination on this slave. And the light enters the body, being variously colored with the colors of the said created beings. So if, for example, God the Sublime wishes to bestow illumination on him through beholding created beings on the surface of this earth, then the light in question comes to him one time and it penetrates him with the secrets by means of which the bodies of the offspring of Adam were formed. Another time it comes to him with the secrets by means of which animals were formed. And another time it comes to him with the secrets by means of which inanimate things such as fruits, vegetables, etc., were formed. But he won't receive illumination through beholding any of them until he's first given to drink of their secrets. However, on each occasion he suffers what he suffered the first time.

And among the created beings is the chief of existence and the luminary of direct witnessing—peace and blessing be upon him! But if God promises the slave (‘abd) to bestow on him illumination through beholding the Prophet's noble body (peace and blessing be upon him) be won't behold him until he's been given to drink the secrets which the Prophet's noble body contains.

Let's suppose that the body before illumination is like something dark and that the noble body [of the Prophet] is like a light with various rays that number one hundred thousand or more. If God wishes to be merciful to this dark body, the light that assists it and provides it with drink comes to it one time. It penetrates it with these rays one after me other. Let's suppose, for example, the ray of patience. By means of it the blackness of its opposite, consisting of fear and anxiety, disappears. Another time the light comes to it with a different ray. Let's suppose it's the ray of mercy. Then the blackness of its opposite, which is a lack of mercy, disappears. And another time it comes to it with a different ray. Let's suppose the ray of forbearance. By means of it the blackness of its opposite disappears. And so it continues until you go through all the rays that are contained in the Prophet's pure, illuminated body. Then all the characteristics associated with black bile disappear from the dark body. At this point the slave (‘abd) is capable of beholding the [Prophet's] noble body because as long as some blackness remains with him, blackness is in his body, and he's unable to behold the noble body until all blackness leaves his body.

But we don't mean that if he's given to drink the secrets that are in the noble body that he contains them to the perfect degree they have in the Prophet's noble body. Rather we mean he's given to drink the secrets to the extent that his body and his fundamental nature can support. Nor do we mean that if he's given to drink some of these rays mat they diminish in the noble body and their place remains empty of them. Indeed, the lights don't disappear from their place by someone partaking of them.

Thus it's become clear to you that the slave (‘abd) doesn't behold the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) until all his characteristics are effaced by the arrival of these noble secrets and subtle lights. And this involves traversing stations that can't be counted and are beyond any reckoning.

The excellence of God's Apostle admits no limit.

That can be expressed by speech of the mouth.

It's as if whoever limited them to two thousand or more was reporting on his own situation and the illumination he'd received. He still lacks what he lacks. As for what was previously said about denying vision (mushahada) to the person who hasn't been given all the lights to drink—what we meant by this was denial of perfect vision. Whoever still lacks a ray of light but experiences a vision hasn't experienced it with perfection. But God knows best!”

And the said jurist questioned him about the novice (murid) who increases if the shaykh is present and becomes less if the shaykh is absent. The wording of the text goes: “Oh Sayyidi, one of them', i.e. one of the questions, 'is that if the novice associates with the perfect shaykh who's a knower of his Lord and the novice claims the shaykh trains him through his effective will (himma) and yet should the human physicality of the shaykh be absent due to death or travel, the novice feels a weakness in himself as far as his spiritual state, religious knowledge and action—then what's the meaning of the shaykh's training him through his spiritual state and effective will and the novice's deriving benefit from him, given that his benefit from the shaykh grows weak once the shaykh is distant from him?”

He answered—God be pleased with him:

The perfect shaykh's effective will (himmat Shaykh al-Kamil) is the light of his faith in God—He is mighty and glorious! By means of it he trains the novice and causes him to advance from one situation to another. If the novice's love of the shaykh comes from the light of his own faith, the shaykh assists him whether he's present or absent, nay even if he's died and a thousand years have elapsed. This is why the Friends of God of every age receive assistance from the faith of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and he trains them and causes them to advance—the most excellent blessings and purest peace be upon him—because their love of him is a pure, unadulterated love which comes from their own faith.

On the other hand, if the novice's love of the shaykh comes from the novice's body and not from his faith, he has benefit from it as long as the shaykh is present. But then if one body is absent from another body, severance takes place. The sign of the body's love is that his love of the shaykh is for the sake of benefit or to ward off harm in this world or in the world to come. And the sign of love based on faith is that it's solely for the sake of God's face, and not for any other purpose. If the novice experiences a decrease in himself during the shaykh's absence, the fault lies with the novice, not with the shaykh. But God knows best!”

And the said jurist also questioned him about whether the path of thankfulness (shukr) or the path of ascetic struggle (mujahada) is more worthy. This is the wording of the text: 'And another question, oh Sayyidi—God be pleased with you and give you contentment—concerns the difference between the path of the Friend and knower of God, al-Shadhili, and his followers on the one hand, and the path of al-Ghazali—God the Sublime be pleased with him—and his followers, on the other hand. As for the first path, it revolves entirely around thankfulness and joy in the divine Benefactor without hardship and trouble. As for the other path, it revolves around self-mortification (riyada), fatigue, hardship, sleeplessness, hunger, and suchlike. So, oh Sayyidi, are the two not in agreement about self-mortification? And then does al-Shadhili order gratitude after one has come close to reaching God or when reaching Him, or does he order gratitude and joy in God from the first instant and the outset? [Finally,] is it possible for one man to travel both these paths or is it impossible to benefit from the one without turning away from the other. Give [us] a clear answer!'

He answered—God be pleased with him:

'The path of thankfulness is the original path, the one adhered to by the hearts of the prophets, the elect Companions and others as well. It entails worship of God the Sublime with sincerity in being God's bondsman (^‘ubudiya) and disavowal of all allotments in acknowledgement of impotence, shortcoming, and failure to fulfill the rightful claim of Lordliness (rububiya), while this [attitude] remains constant in the heart during the passage of hours and periods of time. When God—He is blessed and exalted—knew their truthfulness in this, He rewarded them with what His generosity requires in the way of illumination regarding knowledge of Him and attainment of the secrets of belief in Him—He is mighty and glorious! When the adherents of self-mortification heard about the illumination these people received, they made this the object of their own seeking and desire. They sought after it by means of fasting, rising [at night], sleeplessness and continuous spiritual retreat, until they came to attain what they attained.

And from the start emigration (hijra) on the path of thankfulness was to God and to His Apostle, not to illumination and the acquisition of spiritual ranks. Emigration on the path of self-mortification, however, was aimed at illumination and the acquisition of spiritual ranks. Journeying on the first path is a journey of hearts, while on the second path it's a journey of bodies. And illumination on the first path is a sudden onslaught that the slave (‘abd) hadn't been desiring. While the slaves (‘ibad) was in the station of seeking repentance and forgiveness of sins, behold clear illumination came over him.

Both paths are correct but the path of thankfulness is more correct and more sincere. Both paths are in agreement about self-mortification but in die first there is self-mortification of hearts by means of their attachment to God—He is mighty and glorious— and their compulsory devotion to His door and taking refuge with God in what one does and omits to do, and avoiding the forgetfulness that occurs in between one's occasions of spiritual presence (‘hudur). In short, self-mortification consists of attaching one's heart to God—He is sublime and exalted—and perseverance in this, even if the exterior isn't involved with immense worship. Therefore the one who adopts it fasts and breaks his fast, rises [at night] and sleeps, is intimate with women, and undertakes all the stipulations of the law contrary to mortification of the flesh.”

And another time, after having said: 'Emigration on the path of self-mortification was aimed at illumination and the acquisition of spiritual ranks (nayl al-maratib)', he added:

'After illumination there's the person who remains with his first intention. His heart is concerned with the things he beholds in the worlds and he delights in the unveiling he experiences, walking on water, covering great distances in one step, and this he considers to be the goal. Such a person is one of those whose hearts were empty of God—He is mighty and glorious—at the outset as well as in the end. He's one of: "...the greatest losers in their works whose striving goes astray in the present world, while they think they're doing good deeds" (Quran 18:103).

And among them is someone whose intention changes after illumination. God the Sublime shows him mercy and takes him by the hand. His heart then attaches itself to God—He is sublime and exalted—and he turns away from anything other than God. The situation that occurred for this person after illumination was the starting point for the path of thankfulness. But what a distance there is between these two paths! What a difference between their goals!

In short, journeying on the first path is a journey of hearts and on the second a journey of bodies. The intention on the first path is pure, while on the second it's adulterated. The illumination on the first path is a sudden onslaught that the bondsman hadn't desired and it's divine, while on the second it's acquired by a stratagem and a means. Thus illumination is divided into these two kinds. The illumination on the first path is only acquired by a believer who's an intimate and beloved knower of God, in contrast to that of the second path. Indeed, you've heard that [Christian or Buddhist] monks and rabbis of the Jews practice forms of self-mortification by means of which they attain certain results that lure them to destruction (istidrajat). »

He said—God be pleased with him:

'In what we have to say here we're speaking about self-mortification in general, whether it be authentic or false. We aren't speaking about the self-mortification of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali in particular—God be pleased with him! Verily, he was an imam of truth and a Friend of God with sincerity.

As for the question: "And is it possible for one man to travel both these paths?", the answer is that it's possible, for no contradiction exists between the two. It's possible for a person to attach his heart to God—He is mighty and glorious—with regard to everything he does and omits to do, while he engages his exterior in forms of ascetic struggle and self-mortification. But God the Sublime knows best!'

And the same jurist questioned him further. The wording of the text goes: 'And another question, oh Sayyidi, concerns whether it's possible for a human being to know his capacity (qabiliya) for being a novice or his lack thereof? I mean his particular capacity (qabiliya).Or can this only be made known to him by someone else, an upright shaykh or a brother who gives sincere advice?”

He answered—Cod be pleased with him:

“A person can know by himself what his capacity is by observing the dominant element in his thought (fikr). The latter is what his body has been created for, and it's necessary for the body to follow what his thought is engaged in, whether his body was established in it from the beginning or not. Anyone whose thought is dominated by love of God and an inclination for Him, awareness of His awesome power, and fear before His splendor and majesty—this is the sign that God wishes that person well, whether his body was established in offenses (al-mukhalafat) or in acts of conformity (al-muwafaqat). Even if it was established in offenses, God the Sublime will see that it returns to goodness, well-being, upright behavior and success. Moreover, the said capacity is like manliness and bravery which differ in intensity and weakness, and you can recognize its different degrees. Whoever looks at a group of boys playing recognizes which one's manliness is strong and which one's manliness is weak, and which one's manliness is intermediate. It's this way with the people of capacity. They differ with regard to the presence of the kind of thought just referred to. Among them is someone who's on a high level because that thought is dominant in him at all times, and there's someone to whom it only comes on rare occasions, and then there's someone in the middle.

The secret behind this is that the thought and the ideas (khawatir) that occur in the interior are a light from the lights of reason (‘aql) which the reason imparts to the body in accordance with the divine decree and what destiny has predetermined. If good has been intended for the body, reason casts into it the thought for good and its causes, so that use body attains it If evil has been intended for the body, reason casts into it the thought for evil and its causes, so that the body reaches it and obtains it.

Similarly, the good follows the three previously mentioned degrees of thought, and evil as well follows the decrees of thought concerning it. Moreover, capacity isn't conferred by what's been predetermined. Rather capacity simply appears in everything the divine decree predetermined that the body would attain and reach.

Now whoever looks at a group of boys and it's been predetermined that one of them will be a scribe and another will be a bleeder and another will be a policeman, for example—the first knows now to wield a pen for writing and he acquires this with the least instruction. He doesn't know how to wield a razor to give relief [by bleeding someone] and be doesn't know how to wield a knife.

And if he were instructed, what good would it do? And the second knows bow to wield a razor but doesn't know how to wield a pen and a knife. And the third knows bow to attach a knife but doesn't know bow to wield a pen and a razor. '"Everyone is given help with what he was created for." (Hadith) It's the same for someone whose dominant thought is commerce in cloth and suchlike and yet has rather wants to set him up him in agriculture. No good comes from him. But were his father to set him up in commerce, what he accomplished would satisfy and please his father. What this indicates is that capacity for every matter is based on thought about it Everyone has understanding of whatever his thought is occupied with. But God alone gives success!'

I. al-Lamati, would add that I heard the following from the Shaykh—God be pleased with him:

'A woman who lived in by-gone days had two sons and a daughter. When she was on the point of dying, she said to those [with her): "My son So-and-so will become one of the godly men and the other son will be one of the wicked. The girl will come to have much wealth and abundant worldly goods," She was asked: "Do you know the Unseen?" She replied: "I don't know the Unseen but I looked at the first son and I saw that he's filled with fear of God the Sublime. He does nothing unjust to any of the boys. His Lord—He is exalted—is continually present in his heart. So I knew he'll become good. I looked at the second one and I saw he was the opposite. So I knew his final outcome will be wicked. And f looked at the girl when she was still small and I found that from old rags she was making ankle-rings, necklaces and bracelets, and whatever women wear and adorn themselves with. She was always busy with this. So I knew she'll end up with many worldly goods.”

I, al-Lamati, would add that someone informed me that there was an orphan and his mother put him to work in silk-making. He worked at it and it was very hard for him. Then one day he passed by some people who were engaged in plaster-work and sculpting and ornamenting plaster. He said- “I looked at them and my mind was swept away by them. That day I abandoned silk-making and went to work with them. My limbs performed the work rapidly and my heart felt enthusiasm. It was as if I'd been in prison but now I'd come out. I possessed a great facility foe understanding plaster-work and 1 never returned to silk-making.” And I should add that today he's chief of the group occupied with the craft of plaster-work and: '"Everyone is given help with what he was created for."

One of the people informed me that he once owned a weak donkey and lived opposite a group in the desert. [He related:] 'Among them was a small orphan boy whose only concern was riding my donkey. But he rode it the way one rides a horse. He put spurs made of thorns on his feet and attached a bridle made of palm leaves to the donkey. In his hand he held a lance made from sticks. And so he went on moving about on the donkey. As often as we drove him away, he'd come back to the donkey if we weren't watching it. When the child grew up and reached maturity, he returned with the stewards who train the horse of the sultan—God give him victory- -and: "Everyone is given help with what he was created for."

And here let's relate the story about a teacher of boys who used to test them by giving them birds. He ordered each of them (o slaughter bis bird in a place where no one would see him. So they [all] went and slaughtered their birds, except for one of the boys who was called Abul Abbas Sabti—God be pleased with him' He returned to the shaykh with his bird and said: 'In every place where I warned to slaughter it, I found God with me/ The shaykh—God be phased with him—men realized that he'd attain the station of divine knowledge. He gave him counsel and didn't stop watching over him. But Cod the Sublime knows best!

And I heard the Shaykh say— God be pleased with him: 'If a man is innately predisposed toward Friendship with God and God establishes him among people of disobedience and he remains with them for a while, should one of the Friends of God then pass before him end the man is with that disobedient group, (he disposition in him for Friendship with God will come to life— through God's permission—and he'll experience happiness, joy and the breast's expansion. And this will happen solely because me Friend of God passed before them, even if (he one innately predisposed toward Friendship with God didn't know him and the Friend didn't speak to him and no words were exchanged between them- On the other hand, if they do associate together and become acquainted with one another, don't even ask about the coming to life of the man's innate disposition and the increase of good within him during every moment. And if the man is innately predisposed toward wickedness—toward theft for example—-and God establishes him among people of Friendship with God and divine knowledge (‘irfan) and he comes to serve them and consort with them for a while, and should a thief, for instance, then pass before this group, the disposition for theft in me man will come to life and his breast will rejoice in the wickedness within him. And his experiencing such an upheaval will happen solely because the thief passed before him, without his becoming acquainted with him and associating with him. However, if they do become acquainted with one another, his wickedness will then become complete—God protect us from this—-and: "Everyone is given help with what be was created for."

I, al-Lamati, would add that this is a broad subject and a useful path familiar to whoever has taught religious knowledge and suchlike to the people. If these words about capacity ace presented to him, he'll find they're like a transcribed copy of what happened to him during the period of his teaching and his efforts. Indeed, God the Sublime—He's endowed with generosity and benevolence—established me in the station of teaching and 1 remained in it for some twenty-seven years. When I heard what the Shaykh said—God be pleased with him—about capacity and the spontaneous thoughts that bodies rely on, I compared it with what happened to many people who studied with me and I found what he said to be precise and universally applicable. Thanks to this I cast from myself many burdens that I'd borne while I was teaching them.

They were like a riding animal that goes on walking as long as you beat it. I'd gone to extremes in giving them sincere advice and explaining by means of offering an argument and proof. I'd wanted good for them and desired it for them so much that it came to inhabit my body. All of this became my food and drink with them. but if you atop beating it, it comes to a halt With many other people, however, (be opposite happened, namely after they'd simply mixed and associated with me. what they heard from me settled in their hearts. And they went on acquiring increase in every session that they sat with me, despite my not making an extreme effort with them the way I'd done with the other group.

I continued to think about this and to seek the cause for it until I heard what the Shaykh said—God be pleased with him— concerning capacity. I told him what had happened to me with the first group and he said to me—God be pleased with him: 'Cast the burden from yourself. You're striking cold iron. People are given help with what they were created for and beginnings point to final outcomes. So look at beginnings and accommodate people in their proper places.' This is the sense of what he said-God be pleased with him—and from that day on I felt relief. I acquired great knowledge—praise be to God—about people's situations with regard to capacity in every matter. Praise be to God!

Now if you're clever and smart, bright and intelligent, place these words before your eyes, because thanks to them you'll rid yourself of many burdens when associating with different categories of people, given the diversity of their natures. But God alone confers success—He is sublime!

And the said jurist asked him a question that's generally connected with this subject. The wording of the text goes: 'Oh Sayyidi. another question is this: What's the meaning of what Iblis’, the Cursed One said to the Friend of God Sahl b, Abd Allah al-Tustari  about the verse of God the Sublime's word: "And My mercy embraces all things" (Quran 7:156)?

Iblis said to him; "Restriction (taqyid) is your characteristic, not God's characteristic.” And the verse was a restrictive one and [yet] Iblis’ words were in accordance with religious learning. What ploy is available to the slave (‘abd) so as to restrict the word of God the Sublime, although the verse is restrictive without his restriction, and despite the fact that the shaykh who's a knower of God and a trainer of knowers of God, Muhyi al-Din al-Hatimi, says: "The Cursed One (Iblis) is the [spiritual] master of Sahl in this regard and his teacher." Give an answer and be rewarded for it. Upon you be the purest greeting and the best salutation!'

The shaykh ('Abd al-Wahhab) al-Sha’rani d. (973/1565) —God the Sublime have mercy on him—relates the story but remains silent about it. The questioner imagined from his silence that the story was true. The difficulty in this lies in postulating restriction on God's part—He is exalted—and not on the part of Sahl. Thus he posed his question to the Shaykh—God be pleased with him!

The Shaykh Sidi Abdellaziz Dabbagh answered-—God be pleased with him:

“The restriction in the verse is on God's part—He is exalted—and not on the part of people. Iblis’ adherence to the specious argument that be cites—God curse him—is a false adherence. Correctness lies with Sahl—God be pleased with him—not with Iblis—God curse him! The explanation of the praise for these words which passed over his tongue-—God curse him—is that al-Hatimi and Sahl understood by them something which Iblis didn't understand and which didn't occur in his thought. In Sahl al-Tustari it aroused what was in repose and awakened in him what was sleeping and concealed. He returned to beholding what he knew from God—He is sublime and exalted! Indeed, after receiving illumination and knowledge of God as He really is, if the Sufis—God be pleased with them—look at the situation they were in before illumination, they find that they'd been imposing restrictions on God in innumerable forms while being unaware of it, and that they hadn't known God as He should rightly be known—He is sublime and exalted! When the Cursed One said: "Restriction is your characteristic, not God's characteristic”, these words caused Sahl’s attention to focus on the two situations and he experienced what he experienced, even though the Cursed One didn't intend the meaning Sahl’s attention focused on, nor had it entered his thought. This is a particular form of hearing (sama’) on the part of the Sufis—God be pleased with them!

A shaykh came to the house of one of his disciples. He knocked at the door and there was no one else in the house but the disciple. The disciple said: "Who's knocking at the door? There's no one here but me." When the shaykh heard his words: 'There's no one here but me", he was thunderstruck and fell down unconscious. The disciple knew nothing of this. Whoever says the disciple is the teacher of his shaykh in this sense isn't in any trouble.

And a girl asked her father to bring her something from the market. The father wen: out to get it and the mother said to her: "Why do you bother your father?" The girl replied to her "Do I have anyone but him?" A Sufi heard what she said and fell down unconscious. In this way the falsity of Iblis’ words—God curse him—are made known, as well as the truth of sudden insights of the Sufis and their allusions—God be pleased with them! But God the Sublime knows best!'

And the same jurist asked him a question not far from this subject, the text of which is: 'And another question, oh Sayyidi, concerns what's transmitted from one of the knowers of God, namely: "In disobedience there are a hundred mercies which are accorded the believer.” What are these hundred mercies whose origin is in God the Sublime's wrath and His justice? And what's the secret of their being transformed into His mercy and His generosity?'

He answered—God be pleased with him:

'What's meant by this disobedience is the sin of the believer who's a knower of his Lord's majesty and His awesomeness. Someone with this knowledge only commits the sin in question due to the dominance of the divine decree. Nor do we mean in particular the knower of God who's received illumination, but we mean one whose faith is sincere and whose certainty is pure. Indeed, in such a case fear of his Lord—He is blessed and exalted—doesn't abandon him even while he's obedient, so how would it abandon him in a state of sin. The cause of fear settling in his body is his knowledge of God's awesome power—He is sublime and exalted! So if we suppose the persistence of this knowledge and the absence of its opposites in the way of forgetfulness, etc., then fear persists and it settles in the body and doesn't leave him, not even when he's in a state of obedience. Indeed, he's afraid of performing acts of obedience in a way which distances him from God the Sublime. You see him trembling in fear of this possibility so that be finds no repose at all. He's overcome by this fear prior to acting, in the midst of acting, and after acting. He continually anticipates what will befall him from his Lord, fearing the awesomeness of divine lordliness and its power. Now if this is the state he's in while being obedient, what's his state like if he's committed a sin?

One of the believers sinned against his Lord—He is mighty and glorious—and after that disobedience he lived twenty-four years. Not one moment elapsed for him during his long period without tears flowing from his eyes because of fear about the disobedience. Thanks to the Messing of the tear arising from that disobedience, God—He is blessed and exalted—protected him during so long a period from committing sins and He rewarded him out of His generosity—He is exalted—with awareness of the Knower of the Hidden during this long time. Due to the disobedience the slave (‘abd) in question acquired innumerable forms of mercies.

In short, the matter revolves around fear which is permanently] settled in the body and its cause is the continual knowledge of the power of divine lordliness. This knowledge comes into the body from the spirit and the spirit is from the Heavenly Assembly (the angels) who are the most knowledgeable beings in creation about Lord—He is mighty and glorious! Thus if the body is pure and the spirit provides it with some of its forms of knowledge, die slave (‘abd) will profit in ail his states, both in his obedience and in his disobedience. If the body isn't pure and the spirit veils its forms of knowledge from it, then the body is given to lusts and inclined to pleasures, and this is what settles into the body. The praiseworthy situation becomes in its view like sleep and what prevails is what has settled in, for the command belongs to him who prevails. Now his actions are in order to achieve his lusts. He pursues the goal of benefiting the body and not what being God's slave (‘abd) requires in order to fulfill the rightful claim of divine lordliness. He sins to fulfill his pleasures, nor is it of any concern to him. Consequently, it's clear that the matter doesn't revolve around obedience and disobedience but it revolves around fear and its opposite. In reality, it revolves around knowledge and ignorance. Moreover, the said number'—I mean the hundred mercies—isn't meant in a precise sense. Rather the meaning is what we've indicated. But God the Sublime knows best!'

The above-mentioned jurist still bad two more questions. Let's present them here and then we’ll be free to return to the [proper] subject.

The same jurist said: 'One of the questions, oh Sayyidi, concerns the saying of the knowers of God: "In everything I see I see God." But bow can the eternal al-qadim) be seen in the contingent (al-‘hadith), since God is elevated above residence [in a thing] and union [with it]? And then there's their saying: "He is neither He Himself ('aynuhu) nor is He other than Himself (ghayruhi)." But this entails doing away with contradictions and that's impossible.'

He answered—God be pleased with him:

'As for the meaning of the first saying: "In everything I see I see God", these are people who because of the power of their divine knowledge (‘irfan)—God be pleased with them—behold His actions in fashioned things and created beings. There's definitely no created thing that doesn't contain the actions of God the Sublime- without His residence [in it] and without His union (with It]. And there are other secrets that shouldn't be divulged and shouldn't be told. In short, the complete answer mustn't be recorded in a book. As for the second saying, it's unclear. Indeed, the eternal is different from the contingent. Moreover, what's different from something absolutely can't be the same as it, but is dissimilar from it most certainly and without a doubt. Exact identity (‘ayniyya) is eliminated, whereas being different (ghayriyya) is established. But God alone confers success!”

 [The jurist then said:] 'And the following, oh Sayyidi, is another question: "When the believer visualizes in his mind the form of the Prophet—God's blessings and peace be upon him— (isti’hdar surat nabiy) and represents it with a distinct identity, does it come from the world of the spirit? Or does it come from the world of images? Or from the world of the imagination? And is the person who experiences the mental form, as well as the comprehensible conversation and discussion it includes, protected from Satan as in the case of a vision in sleep, in accordance with the Prophet's words—God's blessings and peace be upon him: "Whoever sees me [in a dream] really sees me. for Satan is unable to take on my appearance."? Is it as the Prophet says—blessings and peace be upon him—or is it not like this? Answer and be rewarded for it! And upon you be the purest greeting and salutation!'

He answered—God be pleased with him:

"This visualization is from the person's spirit and his reason. Whoever turns his thought to the Prophet—God's blessings and peace be upon him—the latter's form occurs in his mind. If he's one of those who know the Prophet's noble form because of being a Companion or one of the religious scholars who've made an effort investigating it and then learned it, the form will occur in his thought more or less the way it really Is outwardly. On the other hand, if he isn't one of these two, he'll visualize him in a human form of extreme perfection in physical constitution and character traits. Perhaps the form that's in his thought will correspond to the externals or perhaps it will differ from them. What's present in thought is the form of his body —God's blessings and peace be upon him—not the form of his spirit— blessings and peace be upon him. What the Companions beheld—God be pleased with them—and what the religious scholars have reported about is the body, not the noble spirit. Thought is only occupied with what a person understands and is familiar with.

As for your words: "Does it come from the world of the spirit?", if by this you mean the visualization, it's from the world of the spirit, that is to say from the spirit of the person thinking' But if you mean by this what's present, that is to say: Is what's present in our thoughts his spirit—God's blessings and peace be upon him—?", it’s just been stated that this isn't the case.

As for the conversation and discussion, if this occurs to the person thinking, then his body is pure and his spirit likes the body and doesn't veil its secrets from it but is like a friend (khalil) is with his friend. Moreover, the conversation is protected [against Satan] and true. If, however, the body is the opposite of this, then the matter itself is the opposite. But God alone confers success.” The Shaykh's answers come to an end here. God be pleased with him and give us benefit through him—amen.

One day I recounted for him—God be pleased with him—that a certain godly man (salih) was performing the recollection of God (dhikr) with a group of his companions. One of them suddenly underwent a change of complexion. His state was altered and be changed the way he was sitting. They asked him: 'Why did you do that?” He replied: “And know that the Apostle of God is among you” (Quran 49:7). He meant by this that the Prophet—Cod's blessings and peace be upon him—was present with them at that moment and that he'd beheld this.

And I asked the Shaykh—God be pleased with him:

“Is this vision (mushahada) that the man experienced a vision of illumination or a vision of thought?” He replied: 'A vision of thought (fikr), not a vision of illumination (fat’h). But even if a vision of thought is inferior to a vision of illumination, it's still only experienced by people of pure faith (al-iman al-khalis), sincere love (mahabba safiya) and truthful intention (niyya sadiqa).  In short, it's only experienced by someone whose attachment to the Prophet is complete—God's blessings and peace be upon him! How many a person experiences this vision and thinks it's a vision of illumination, whereas it's a vision of thought! Yet if you compare this category of people who experience such a vision—and they haven't received illumination—with the multitude of believers, the multitude in this respect is as nothing and its faith compared with their faith is like a non-entity. But God the Sublime knows best!"

I, al-Lamati, would add that what confirms the mental vision and that it's experienced by someone who hasn't received illumination is the fact that It's experienced by someone whose love is perfected for a person, even if that person isn't the Prophet God's blessings and peace be upon him!

A butcher informed me that a son of his whom he loved very dearly died and the son's person remained constantly in his thought His mind and fats limbs were with him entirely. This was his usual state night and day. Finally, one day he went out to the Bab al-Futuh, one of the gates of Fez—God watch over the city— in order to buy sheep as is the wont of butchers and his thought was preoccupied with the matter of his dead son. While his thought was thus preoccupied, behold he saw him with his eyes. The son came toward him and stood by his side. The butcher said: “I addressed him and I told him: "Take hold of this sheep"—a sheep he'd bought—'"so I can buy another one." A brief loss of consciousness had come over me. When those who were nearby heard me speak with the boy, they asked: "Who are you talking to?" When they spoke to me, I came back to my senses and the boy disappeared from my sight. God alone knows what an emotion I felt in my interior—He is blessed and exalted!”

I, al-Lamati, would add that I heard the Shaykh say—God be pleased with him:

'Love (mahabba) like this must exist between the novice and the shaykh. It confers great benefit.”

And I heard him say:

'Those who possess this love inflict harm and confer benefit, just as this occurs with the people of the power of free disposal (Tasarruf). And he said: 'If the fire of love ignites, nothing can withstand it'.

I heard him say—God be pleased with him:

'A certain shaykh had a disciple and the disciple loved him dearly so that the shaykh was never absent from his feelings and thoughts. If the shaykh did something in his house, the disciple imitated it in his house. If the shaykh, in his house, called out to his daughter: "Oh Fatima!", the disciple called out: "Oh Fatima!" in his house. If the shaykh said: "Do) this!", the disciple in his house said: "Do this!" And if the shaykh began to wind his turban around his head, the disciple would take hold of something and begin to wind it around his head. This is the way his states were at all times in relation to the shaykh's state. Through love like this that reaches such a degree [spiritual] inheritance (wirata) occurs.'

I heard him say—God be pleased with him:

“A certain person was in love with a girl of beautiful appearance. His love for her reached the stage where if someone shouted and called out her name: "Oh Fatima", the lover would reply: "Yes!", without being aware of it' He said—God be pleased with him: 'Relate this point from me, for I saw it with my own eyes. If someone called out her name, he replied: "Yes", and he was unaware of it. Now if such love occurs in humorous circumstances, what must serious people be like [in this respect]!”

And I heard him say—God be pleased with him:

(The Qutb) Sayyidi Mansur (“Lahwaj”, d. 1129/1716 in Fez) used to say—God the Sublime have mercy on him: "What happened to a certain Christian lad is proof against anyone who lays claim to love of God the Sublime. The lad fell in love with the daughter of one of their important men. When he'd met her and slept with her in the same bed and his thought had been completely swept away in oceans of love for her, she looked at his face and noticed a pimple on it. She wanted to remove it She had a knife but it was poisoned, though she was unaware of its poison- She removed the pimple and the poison spread through his body. His spirit then departed while he was "absent" in his love of her. Now this was an infidel- He reached the point in his satanic love that his spirit departed without his being aware of it. So how must the state of believers be with their Lord—He is mighty and glorious-?”

I heard him say—God be pleased with him:

“A devotee (muhibb) derives no benefit from a (spiritually) great person (kabir) loving him, even if the great person is a prophet. The small person (saghir) must love the great one and only then will be derive a benefit from the great person's love. However, God the Sublime is the exception. If God—He is exalted—loves the slave (‘abd), he'll benefit from His love, even if the slave turns away completely.'

He said—-God be pleased with him:

“If a small person loves a great person, he attracts what's in the great person (kabir) —but this doesn't happen the other way round. In front of the Shaykh was a pear. He said: 'If God the Sublime provides this pear with love for a sour apple; for example, and the love is very strong, the pear will absorb what's in the apple. If we men split open the pear, we'll find the apple's sourness inside it On the other hand, we won't find anything of the pear's flavor inside the apple. But it's different with God the Sublime. If the slave (‘abd) loves Him. He won't attract any of His secrets to himself unless God loves him. The secret behind this difference is that God the Sublime doesn't love a slave until He's caused him to know Hon- By means of that knowledge the slave becomes aware of His secrets—He is exalted—and thus he experiences attraction to God the Sublime. It's otherwise if the slave's love is without knowledge of his Lord—He is mighty and glorious! In that case it doesn't accomplish anything.'

Then I said: “They say the shaykh is with his disciple in the disciple's body and that he resides there with him”.

He replied—God be pleased with him:

"That's true. And it's like this with the disciple because if his love is strong, he attracts the shaykh so that he's as yon indicated and the disciple's body becomes a place where the shaykh resides. And everyone adorns his place of residence." Here he's alluding to the shaykh's influence on the disciple's body when he resides in it.

 And I heard him say—God be pleased with him;

“If the disciple loves the shaykh with complete love (al-ma’habba al-kamila), the shaykh resides with him in his body. The disciple is like a pregnant woman who carries her child. Sometimes her foetus (‘haml) is entirely healthy and remains in a proper condition until she gives birth. Other times the foetus is lost and nothing comes of it. And other times it falls asleep and then [eventually] wakes up. Its waking up varies. It may wake up after a month, it may wake up after a year, or it may wake up later than that. So this is the disciple's situation if he's pregnant with his shaykh. 1) Sometimes his love is pure, complete and uninterrupted, and so the shaykhs affair appears in his body until God confers illumination on him. 2) Other times his love is interrupted after it had been sincere and the interruption is caused by the appearance of a barrier—we beseech God for protection from this! Then his intention toward the shaykh changes, and the shaykh's secrets are cut off from the disciple's body after they'd been shining upon it. 3) Other times his love halts in its progression for a short period or for one of middling length or for a long period. Then the secrets of the shaykh” s body are held back from the disciple's body. If the Jove returns, the secrets return.

So let the disciple examine himself regarding which of these three categories he belongs to. And let him beseech God the Sublime for forgiveness and well-being, for success and for guidance. Indeed, He is all-hearing and close at hand!” I would add that these are the categories found among the disciples. So Jet the disciple be mindful of these words for they're precious with respect to this subject. But God knows best!

And I beard him say—God be pleased with him:

“The disciple doesn't profit from loving his shaykh if he loves him for his secret (asrar) or his Friendship with God (wilaya) or his religious learning (‘ilm) or his generosity (karam) or tor any reasons such as these. Let the disciple's love be attached and directed to the shaykh's person (dhat) and not because of a cause and not because of a motive, but as is the love that exists between youths. Indeed, they love one another without any motives that incite love but simply out of affection alone. This is the love that must exist between the disciple and the shaykh so the disciple's love doesn't fade into ulterior motives and causes and causes. For when love does fade into such things, Satan enters into it and introduces many doubts into it. Then sometimes it ceases and other times it stops [progressing], as was previously discussed in the last two categories. But God knows best!'

I asked him—God be pleased with him: 'Why does love for the sake of religious learning (‘ilm), Friendship with God, the secret, and things such as these, not bring benefit?'

He replied—God be pleased with him:

'Because secrets, divine insights (ma^’arif) and suchlike are all from God the Sublime and everyone loves God the Sublime but up to this point has still not loved his shaykh. Someone's love of his shaykh proves to be true if he loves him exclusively for his person (dhatihi), not because of the secrets he's achieved.'

Then I said: 'The person (dhat) of the shaykh is likewise from God the Sublime. Everything is from Him. So why is there benefit in love of one part but not another?'

He replied:

'That's true. But by love of the person (dhat) we mean to express figuratively that the love is purely for the sake of God the Sublime because no benefit or anything else can be imagined from the person in itself. If love is directed toward it, this is a sign of purity from flaws.'

And I said: 'People necessarily must have motives and desires. Whoever tills land for the purpose of winter barley will harvest the same. So he loves tilling for the sake of the barley, not for the sake of tilling itself (li-dhatihi).'

He replied—God be pleased with him:

 'Yes, but if winter barley is his intention, though he pursues it to begin with, his thought is then occupied with something else and it no longer remains on his mind. This person acquires much barley and he achieves immense success. On the other hand, if his thought is preoccupied with the barley day and night and he starts thinking and calculating how much it will amount to and what he's going to do with it if it grows, this person won't acquire any barley. Before he acquires any barley, waswas (whispers from Iblis), will overcome him. He'll go on asking himself: "Am I going to attain this barley? Perhaps such-and-such a blight will strike it or the Banu So-and-so will plunder it." By contrast, the first person's thought is at rest concerning the matter of the barley and the matter of waswas. This is a description of the person who loves the shaykh for his own sake (li-dhatihi) and the person who loves him for some [other] reason.'

One day I was talking with the Shaykh white we were in Jaza’ Ibn ‘Amir in the protected city of Fez—God the Sublime watch over her—and he said to me: 'Sayyidi Mansur is at the head of the street. Would you like to meet him and make his acquaintance?” I replied: 'Yes, oh Sayyidi, most willingly! How would I not wish to meet the Qutb?” Then he said to me—God be pleased with him:

“For my part, even if I supposed your father and your mother had begotten a hundred who resembled you in your form, your qualities and your religious learning and in every characteristic of your person, inwardly and outwardly, I wouldn't look at a single one of them. You're my allotment and my portion” whereas they're like an [other] people in my view.”

I then woke from my negligence and was roused from my sleep. I realized that what I brought forth was nothing. Surely, love accepts no partnership. But God knows best!”

And I heard him say—God be pleased with him: "What seeks the secret, on the part of the disciple, is his earthen body (ad-dat at-turabiyya) and what confers the secret, on the part of the shaykh, is his earthen body. If the disciple's earthen body loves the earthen body of the shaykh with an exclusive love, the shaykh's body will provide the disciple's body with its secrets and its divine insights. And if the disciple's body loves the secrets of the shaykh's body and love fades into its secrets and its divine insights, the earthen body will impede it from what it seeks. Then neither the spirit nor anything else will be able to do a thing for it. So let the disciple make the utmost effort in loving the body (person) of his shaykh, avoiding benefit absolutely. There's no strength and no power save in God, (he High and the Mighty!”

And I asked him—God be pleased with him—whether any indication and sign of love exists.

He replied'—God be pleased with him:

“There are two indications. The first indication is that the disciple's repose is in his shaykh's person and he only thinks about the latter, only acts for its sake, only experiences rapture through it, only delights in it and is only sad because of it, so that everything he does and omits to do, in secret and openly, with presence and absence, is for the interests of the shaykh's person and what's suitable for it He doesn't pay attention to his own person and its interests. The second indication is polite behavior and reverence toward his shaykh- Even supposing his shaykh is in a well and he's in a minaret, he'll see with the eyes of his head that he's the one who's in the well and that the shaykh is in the minaret. This is because reverence for the shaykh has so overwhelmed his heart, indeed it's even overwhelmed his reason.”

And he said—God be pleased with him:

“People actually think the disciple is under obligation to the shaykh for a friendly service. In reality, however, it's the disciple who renders friendly service to the shaykh. Previously it was stated”  that love on the part of a great man confers no benefit but love on the disciple's part exercises attraction. So if it weren't for the purity of the disciple's body and the limpidity of his reason, his carnal soul's receptivity for good and his love that exercises attraction, the shaykh wouldn't be able to do anything. And if it were the shaykh's love that brought benefit, men everyone who received his training would Succeed and attain what the (eminent! men have attained.'

And I heard him say—God be pleased with him:

“An indication that the disciple loves the shaykh with sincere, beneficial Jove is the following. His love is able to bring about the disappearance of the secrets and blessings in the shaykh's body so that the shaykh's body is stripped of all that and becomes like the bodies of all ordinary people. If the love then persists as it was, it's sincere love. But if the love shifts and fades with the disappearance of the secrets, this is a false love. But God knows best!”

And I heard him say—God be pleased with him:

“An indication of pure love is that the scales the disciple uses [to assess] the shaykh are abolished (suqut al-mizan) so that in the eyes of the disciple the shaykh's actions, words, and every one of his states, have all been rightly guided and had success conferred on them by God. As for what he's able to understand, so much the better. As for what contains a secret he doesn't understand, he consigns it to God the Sublime in the firm conviction that the shaykh is right. But when he considers it possible that the shaykh isn't right, inasmuch as it appears to him that the shaykh is doing something improper, then he's fallen on his head and entered the company of the liars.”

He said—God be pleased with him:

“The shaykh doesn't demand any external service from his disciple, or that he consume his worldly goods on his behalf, or anything in the way of physical works. But he does make this one demand of him, that he believe the shaykh possesses perfection, God-given success, divine knowledge, deeper vision and closeness to God— He is mighty and glorious—and that he continue in this belief from one day to the next, from one month to the next, and from one year to the next. If that belief is present, the disciple will profit from it and profit from everything he does for the shaykh in the way of service after that If this belief isn't present or is present but doesn't persist waswas (whispers from Iblis) will arise in him and the disciple won't amount to anything.”

And I Was with him one day near the Bab al-Hadid, one of the gates of Fez—God watch over the city—and a certain person was with us. He behaved with much respect toward the Shaykh and was submissive whenever the occasion presented itself such that none of the companions of the Shaykh—God be pleased with him—could match him in this regard. Then the Shaykh—God be pleased with him—said to him: 'Oh So-and-so, do you love me for the sake of God—He is mighty and glorious—?” He replied: 'Yes, I do, oh Sayyidi, with a sincere love for the noble face of God, devoid of concern for appearance and reputation.” This made me jealous when I heard it The Shaykh said to him: 'But do tell me, if you heard that I was [spiritualty] divested and the secrets that are in my body disappeared, would you still love me?” He replied: 'Yes, I would!” Then the Shaykh said: 'And if they told you I'd become a garbage collector and a street-sweeper or something like that, would you still love me? He replied: 'Yes, oh Sayyidi.' The Shaykh said: 'And if they told you I'd become a sinner who commits offenses and doesn't care, would you continue to love me?” He replied: 'Yes, I would!' The Shaykh said: 'And even if I went on doing this for a year and then a year and then a year...?', and he counted up to twenty years. The man replied: "Yes, and no doubt and no hesitation would affect me.' At that I said to the man: 'Woe unto you! This is a matter you won't be able to sustain.”

The Shaykh then told him: 'I'm going to test you.' I said to the man: 'Woe unto you! Here is the beginning of fear for your sake. How can the blind sustain being tested by someone with sight? Seek pardon and forgiveness from the Shaykh and admit to him your weakness and inadequacy. I'll support you in this.” Then we all beseeched the Shaykh for forgiveness and pardon. But what was foreordained was foreordained up to the point where he tested him with something that contained his well-being but the reason for it wasn't apparent to him and he couldn't support it. His intention toward the Shaykh—God be pleased with him— then changed.”

I, al-Lamati, would add that only a person whose clay (fakhar) is true can support a secret of God. He must be true in resolve, effective in determination (sa’hih al-jazm) and keen in belief (nafid al-azm). He listens to none of (God's) slaves (‘ibad) and has performed the prayer for the dead over everyone but his shaykh.

Let's write down some stories on this subject so that anyone who wishes good for himself may draw a lesson from them. Before that, however, I intend to present words I heard from the Shaykh—God be pleased with him—which will serve as an introduction to the stories.

I heard him say—God be pleased with him:

'Before I received illumination I beheld a black, terrifying form that was very tall with the appearance of a camel. This happened to me once. When I received illumination and I beheld what was predestined for me from the worlds of my Lord, I searched for the world of terrifying form and sought to know in what place its kind was located. But I acquired no information about it I asked Sayyidi Muhammad b. Abd al-Karim of Basra about this—God be pleased with him—and he informed me that this kind of form didn't really exist I asked him: "So what was it I beheld?' He replied: This is the action of the spirit—I mean the spirit of your body.” “I asked him: "How is that?" He replied: "If the body sets something before its eyes and is absolutely certain of it the spirit assists the body in creating the form which it's certain of and has begun to fear. The spirit assists the body in creating it oven if there's some harm in it for the body."

He said: 'There's nothing which stands up to the body's certainty (jazm), whether on the side of good or on the side of wickedness."

Sayyidi Muhammad b. Abd al-Karim said: "Before I received illumination I passed through a place and on the way a river appeared to me which only ships could traverse. It was one of the rivers on the surface of the earth. I then felt an immense certainty (jazm) in my body that I could walk on it and that I wouldn't sink or suffer any harm." He said: "I placed my foot on the surface of the water and my certainty (jazm) increased. I went on walking on top of the water until I crossed to the other shore. When I came back on another occasion, certainty (jazm) had disappeared from my body and I began to have doubts about walking on it. I lowered my foot to test the water but my foot sank in the water. I removed my foot and I knew I was unable to walk on it.”"

The Shaykh said—God be pleased with him:

'As long as the body is absolutely certain (jaazima) about something, Satan doesn't draw dose to it. But he draws close to it if certainty has left it. And he knows when it's gone because he flows inside the blood of Adam's offspring. So if he sees that it's left, he approaches the body with doubts so that the body loses the good.”

He said'—God be pleased with him:

“And absolute certainty (al-jazm) is like the fortified wall of a city. When a city has a wall, the enemy has no hopes concerning it. But when a breach occurs in the wall, and gates and openings appear in it the enemy makes haste to enter. The defect of Satan and his temptation is a consequence of the defect of the body's wall which is absolute certainty. So let every intelligent person has then to maintain the well-being of his body's wall so that Satan doesn't approach him and no human being disturbs him.”

Another time I heard him say in the same regard—God be pleased with him:

“If someone truthful promises a person something to do with concerns in the hereafter or the present world, and the person when he hears the promise is calm and assured, being certain the promise is true, this is a sign that without a doubt he'll attain the matter. If when he hears the promise he's disturbed and has misgivings about the truth of the promise, this is a sign that he won't attain the matter. Absolute certainty is the characteristic sign of the people of truthfulness and actualization (ta’hqiq). We beseech God the Sublime by His grace and His generosity to bestow on us His sweetness and His secrets!”

But now for the stories!

1) One of them I heard from the Shaykh—God of pleased with him—is as follows;

'There was a man who lived in earlier times whom God intended to show mercy (rahma), and he loved the godly men. God put it in his heart to withdraw from his property. Thus he sold the property collected the price, and set out with it to see a person famous for his godliness. Groups from all regions came to visit the person, and so this blessed man (marhum) went to him with all his money. He travelled until he reached his town. Then he asked for his house and it was shown to him. He knocked at the door and a [female] servant came out who said: "What's your name?" He replied: “Abd al-‘Aliyy."

Now the shaykh famous for Friendship with God was one of the sinners who spend extravagantly (musrif) on themselves. He had a boon-companion who accompanied him in wine-drinking and other things, and his name was Abd al-‘Aliyy. So he had the same name as the blessed person. The servant girl went off and said to the shaykh: The person who knocked at the door is named Abd al-‘Aliyy." Thinking it was his boon-companion, he said: "Let him in!"  

The man then entered before the shaykh and found the wine in front of him and a dissolute woman with him. But God the Sublime bestowed on him disregard for all this. He went up to the shaykh and said: "Oh Sayyidi. I heard about you in my country. I've come to you so you may guide me to God—He is mighty and glorious! This is my money. I've brought it to you for the sake of God the Sublime." The shaykh said: "God accepts it from you." The shaykh then ordered the servant girl to provide him with a flat-bread which the man took. And the shaykh gave him a hoe and ordered him to work in a garden be owned and that he assigned to bin. The blessed man straightway departed with a serene carnal soul and a happy heart because the shaykh had accepted him. Off he went rejoicing in the work. Though he felt tired from his journey to the shaykh, be didn't rest [along the way] before he reached the garden. Then he set to work with happiness, delight and eagerness of soul.

Due to God's decree—He is mighty and glorious—and His friendliness toward (his blessed man, his arrival before the shaykh who was an impostor and an extravagant spender coincided with the death of one of the great knowers of God. The latter was also one of the members of the Diwan, and the Ghawt as well as the seven Pivots were present at his death. They said to him: "Oh Sayyidi So-and-so, how many times we told you: 'Descend to one of the cities of Islam! Then maybe you'll meet someone to inherit your secret from you.' But you didn't listen to us. Now the hour of your death has arrived and your secret will be lost and you'll be left without an heir." He replied to them: "Oh my lords, even while I remained in my place, God the Sublime has sent me the person who will inherit from me." They asked him: "Who is he?" He replied: "Abd al-‘Aliyy”. who's gone to visit So-and-so the impostor. Just look at his purity of heart with God— He is mighty and glorious—and at his perfect sincerity, firmness of mind, effective resolve, and his deep-rooted certainty. He saw what he saw but his thought wasn't shaken and no doubts were aroused in him. Have you ever heard of a purity such as his body contains? So do you agree to his inheriting [from me)?" They replied: "Yes, we do!"

The spirit then departed from the Friend of God and Abd al-‘Aliyy was united with the secret. God—He is mighty and glorious—rewarded him for his good intention. He then experienced illumination. He realized where the mercy had come from and that the shaykh he'd journeyed to was given to extravagance and an impostor and that God the Sublime had shown him mercy solely because of his intention. But God alone confers success!'

2) And another one I heard from the Shaykh—God be pleased with him—is:

There was a shaykh who had a sincere disciple and one day the shaykh wished to test his sincerity. He said to him: "Oh So-and-so. do you love me?" He replied: "Yes I do, oh Sayyidi." He said to him: "Whom do you love more, me or your father?" He replied: "You, oh Sayyidi" Then be said: "Let's see now! If I ordered you to bring me your father's head, would you obey me?" He replied: "Oh Sayyidi, how would I not obey you? But you shall see presently." And he immediately departed. This occurred after people had gone to sleep. So he scaled the wall of his family's house and ascended to the roof. Then he entered the apartment of his father and mother. He found his father having intercourse with his mother. He left him no time to satisfy his desire but kneeled on his father—who was on top of his mother—and cut off his head. He brought the head to the shaykh and cast it down before him.

The shaykh exclaimed: "Woe unto you! You've brought me the head of your father!" He replied: "Yes, oh Sayyidi! Isn't this it?" The shaykh said: "Woe unto you! I was only joking." The disciple said to him: "As far as I'm concerned, none of your words contain any jesting." Then the shaykh—God be pleased with him—said to him: "Look! Is this the head of your father?" The disciple looked and behold, it wasn't his father's head. The shaykh said to him: "Whose head is it?" He replied to him: "The head of So-and-so the (Christian) renegade ('ilj)."'

The Shaykh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'The people of their city were making use of many renegades like slaves from the Sudan.' He said: 'His father was absent that night and his wife betrayed him in bed. She had a rendez-vous with a (Christian) renegade and she gave herself to him. This was unveiled to the shaykh— God be pleased with him—and be sent his disciple to kill him as described in order to test his sincerity. He came to realize the disciple was a mountain among mountains. He became the heir to the shaykh's secret and took charge of his illumination after him. But God alone confers success!'

3) And another that f heard him relate—God be pleased with him—is:

'A disciple came to a shaykh who was a knower of God and said to him: "Oh Sayyidi, acceptance rests with God—He is mighty and glorious!" He replied: "Yes, it does." And he ordered the disciple to reside with him and to devote himself to serving him. He gave him a hoe that had a ball of iron added on the end of it which had no benefit but made the hoe heavier. And the disciple was to be the heir of the shaykh on condition that he paid no attention to the said iron ball. If he did pay attention to it and remarked: "What's the use of this? What good does it serve? The only thing it does is add weight"—then he wouldn't inherit anything from him.” He said—God be pleased with him: 'So he went on serving him for seven years and he worked with the hoe. Meanwhile, not one vein of doubt stirred in him, nor did storms of Satan’s winds sway him. The said ball became like non-existence which is neither seen nor heard. And this is the situation of the sincere on whom God has conferred success.'

4) And I heard him say—God be pleased with him:

“There was a knower of God—He is mighty and glorious—who had a sincere disciple and he was the heir to his secret. God the Sublime then made him witness many shocking things on the part of his shaykh. Despite this, no doubt arose in the disciple. When his shaykh died and God bestowed illumination on the disciple, he beheld these things [the way they were] and understood that the shaykh had behaved correctly regarding them. They contained nothing that the law condemns. They'd only appeared to him to be doubtful (ishtabahat ‘alayh).

One of these was that there was a woman among the shaykh's neighbors who was known for wickedness. The disciple knew her personally. And the shaykh had a wife who looked like her but the disciple wasn't acquainted with the wife. Now the shaykh had a place where he practiced spiritual retreat between the entrance of the house and the rooms. The disciple wouldn't go into it but would stop in the entrance. It happened that the woman known for wickedness entered before the disciple while he was in the entrance and then she passed through the house.

It also happened that the shaykh’s wife who looked like her came forth and entered unto the shaykh in his retreat. The shaykh had sent for her to satisfy his natural desire with her. So she entered and the shaykh went to her. Meanwhile, the woman who looked like her passed on to the rooms. The disciple cast a glance at the retreat and he saw the wife with the shaykh and the shaykh was having his way with her. The disciple was sure she was the woman known for wickedness. But God kept his heart tranquil and Satan didn't upset him.

Then the wife came out and it was the time for prayers. The shaykh came forth for the prayers and performed his ablutions with sand (tayammum). He had a disorder which prevented him from performing a major ritual ablution [with water]. The disciple” however, was sure the shaykh performed his ablutions with sand without an injury. But God kept the disciple's heart tranquil.

Likewise, the shaykh suffered from a disorder that hindered him from digesting food so that they prepared juice for him by squeezing a melon and brought him the juice to drink. The disciple came in and found him drinking it He was sure it was wine. But God kept his heart tranquil and no doubt arose in him.

When God then bestowed illumination on him, be understood that the woman the shaykh had intercourse with was his wife, not the woman known for wickedness. And he understood that the shaykh’s performing his ablutions with sand was because of the injury to his body. And he understood that the liquid the shaykh drank was melon juke, not wine. But God alone confers success!'

5) And I heard him say—God be pleased with him: 

“A disciple had a brother in God—He is mighty and glorious! This brother died and the disciple remained. And if God bestowed anything on him, he'd divide it between his children and the children of his brother in God. The disciple owned a piece of land along with his [real] brothers. It was unjustly sold off by the Makhzan and when they received the price for it, the disciple's share came to forty mithqals in today's coin.

His brothers said to him: "What are you going to do with your money?" He replied: To going to divide it between myself and the children of my brother in God." They thought he was a fool and said: "We've never met anyone with your lack of intelligence! Make use of your money. Buy this with it and do that with it. Abandon this stupidity you're engaged in."

His carnal soul wanted to incline toward what they said but he told it: "Oh my carnal soul, what will you say to God—He is mighty and glorious—if you're standing before Him tomorrow and He says to me: 'I bestowed on you forty mithqals and you appropriated them for yourself and caused the rightful claim of brotherhood to perish. So today I shall let you perish the way you caused it to perish.'"

God conferred success on him. He divided the money between himself and the children of his brother in God. When he left them, God bestowed illumination on him and gave him what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and what has never occurred in any human being's heart. God made him one of the knowers of God because of his purity of intention, the fidelity of his resolution, and the effectiveness of his certainty. But God alone confers success!'

6) And I heard from someone other than the Shaykh—God be pleased with him:

'A great man had a number of disciples (ashab) and he suspected that only one of them possessed excellence. One day he wanted to put them to the test and test them he did. Everyone of them then fled, except that one individual. What happened is that he neglected them so they gathered at the door of his retreat (khalwa). Then he made appear to them the form of a woman who came to him and entered his retreat. The shaykh stood up and went inside with her. They were sure the shaykh was engaged in immoral behavior with her. Thus they all dispersed and their intention was lost, except that one person. He went off and, having fetched some water, he started to heat it so the shaykh could perform his ritual ablutions with it. 

Then the shaykh came out and said: "What's this you're doing?" He replied: "I saw the woman go inside and I thought perhaps you need to perform a major ritual ablution. So I've heated the water for you." The shaykh said to him: "You still follow me after you saw me commit a sin?" He replied: "Why wouldn't I follow you? Sin isn't an impossibility in your case. It's only an impossibility where prophets are concerned—blessings and peace be upon them! I haven't associated with you because you're a prophet and commit no sins. I've associated with you because you're a human being and you're more knowledgeable

7) And I saw in the book of Muhyi al-Din, the student of Taj al-Din al-Dhakir al-Misri (d. 920/1514)”—God have mercy on him—

“Someone went to one of the great men and said to him: 'Oh Sayyidi, I want you to bestow on me the secret that God has distinguished you with.' The shaykh replied: 'But you won't be able to support it.' The disciple said: “J can support it and I have the capacity for it.” So the shaykh tested him with something that caused him to roll on his head. We beseech God for protection from this!

What happened is there was a youth staying with the shaykh, whose father was an eminent man. When that disciple said: 'I can support the secret, the shaykh said to him: 'I'll bestow on you the secret—if God is willing, and he ordered him to reside with him. Then the shaykh ordered the youth to hide somewhere so that no one would see him. The shaykh then had a ram brought to his retreat and slaughtered it He placed some of the blood on his clothes and, carrying a knife in his hand, he went to the said disciple. Blood was dripping from his hand and he appeared to be in a rage. The disciple said: 'What's happened to you, oh Sayyidi?' He replied: "The youth So-and-so provoked my anger. My carnal soul lost control and has slaughtered him. He lies slaughtered in that place.' And he pointed to the retreat where he'd slaughtered the ram 'if you want the secret, my son, conceal this matter and don't mention it to anyone. If his father asks me about him, I'll tell him: "Your son fell ill and has died." He'll believe me and the matter will turn out favorably. So perhaps, my son, you'll help me and protect me in this affair. Should you do so, I'll bestow the secret on you—if God the Sublime is willing!'

Thinking that now the shaykh was in his grip, the disciple's face changed and his wrath was visible. But he said: 'I'll do it”, though the falsity of his words was evident. He then left (be shaykh and quickly went to the young man's father. He informed him of the story and said to him: The false shaykh we believed had good hi him has just killed your son. He was encouraging me to cover it up and asked me to conceal it from you. If you're in doubt about the matter, come with me immediately. You'll find your son wallowing in his blood.' At that the people exclaimed: 'Woe unto you! Sayyidi So-and-so would never do this, Perhaps this is only how it appears to you.” But he said to them: 'Come with me and my truthfulness or my falsity will be revealed.”

What he said spread among the people and the government authorities heard it So with the disciple in the lead they hurried along their way to die shaykh until they came to a halt before the shaykh" s retreat. They knocked at the door and the shaykh emerged. He asked them: 'What is it you want? What brings you here? They replied to him: 'Haven't you heard what this person is saying?', and they pointed to the disciple. The shaykh asked him: 'What's happened?” The disciple replied: 'What you urged me and asked me to conceal, that's what's happened!' The shaykh said: 'Nothing has occurred between me and you. I've never spoken to you.' The disciple replied: 'Lying won't save you! You've killed someone's son.' And the people rushed toward the shaykh from every aide, [exclaiming;] 'You've killed someone's son and now we're going to kill you, oh enemy of God! You who dupe the people with your worship and deceive them with your spiritual retreat (khalwa).

The shaykh said: 'Ask him how he knows 1 killed him.' The disciple replied: 'Didn't you come out to me with traces of blood on your hands and clothes?” The shaykh said: 'Yes. I'd slaughtered a sheep.' The disciple said: 'Then let's go into the retreat, if you're telling the truth.” So they went inside and found the slaughtered sheep. The disciple said: 'You've hidden the murdered person's body. You've pot this sheep in its place so as not to be killed because of it.' The shaykh said: 'But let's see! If the young man comes out with no harm to him, will you know you're among the liars who shall not prosper?' The disciple said: 'Bring him out, if you're telling the truth.” The shaykh sent for the youth. He came forth and was unaware of what had happened. When the people saw him, they implored the shaykh (for forgiveness] and to curse the false disciple.

Thereupon the shaykh said to him: 'Oh liar, didn't you claim you could sustain the secret and had the capacity for it? So why couldn't you conceal this matter of no importance? But we did this to you because you claimed you could support the secret. Be gone! We've bestowed on you the secret that's appropriate for your kind.” From that day forward this disciple was a warning for those who can learn a lesson, and a severe reprimand for those with false claims. We beseech God for success through His grace!

8) A wondrous story took place involving another man.

He was the chief (shaykh) of a travelling party of pilgrims and was from the Maghrib. He was especially interested in meeting godly men. He loved them and was searching for someone at whose hands he might profit. This was his usual practice when he went out to the East and when he returned to the West. Then he met a (Khalwati) godly man in Egypt who entrusted him with a deposit and told him: The man who asks you tor this is your master (sahib).' Thus he went on making the rounds among the godly men he knew, one by one, until he came back to his home town (Fez, Morocco). He entered his house and remained there for a certain time. Then one day his neighbor (i.e. Sidi Abul Mahasin Yusuf al-Fasi, d. 1013/1598) met him and said to him: 'Where's the deposit So-and-so gave you in Egypt?” He then realized that his neighbor was the Lord of Time (Sahib al-Waqt). He fell at his feet and, kissing them, he exclaimed: 'Oh Sayyidi, how have you hidden yourself from me? Without neglect I've gone to every godly man who was pointed out in the East and the West Yet you're my own neighbor and the closest of people to me.'

Then he asked him for the secret God had distinguished him with. Bui the shaykh told him: This is something you can't support. He replied: 'But I can support it, oh Sayyidi'.' And the shaykh said: 'If you can support it, act in accordance with the condition I set' He asked: 'What's your condition, oh Sayyidi?” The shaykh replied: 'It's a condition entailing no great loss for you, namely that you shave this long beard of yours.” He said to him: 'Oh Sayyidi. How is this possible for me? Along the road to the East I'm respected and revered because of my beard.' 'If you want the secret”, said the shaykh, 'do what I've told you.' He replied to him: 'Oh Sayyidi, this is something I can't support” The shaykh said to him: Then you're left having committed no offense against me, since you didn't accept my condition.” And so he left him. When the shaykh died and the man had missed what he missed, he felt remorse and said: “If in the time of the shaykh I'd possessed the intelligence I possess today, I'd have done what he said and even more.”'

9) And I heard a trustworthy person relate the following,” and he was someone who used to see the Prophet—God's blessings and peace be upon him—in a waking state and smell the scent of the Prophet's city—God's blessings and peace be upon him— while in the dry of Fez:

“I was with a Friend of God on Friday in the al-Andalus Mosque in the protected city of Fez—God watch over it—and when I'd performed the Friday prayers and come out of the mosque, suddenly a man appeared who kissed the hand of that Friend of God. He said: "Oh Sayyidi. I love yon for the sake of God—He is mighty and glorious!" Glancing at him with a disapproving look, the Friend of God replied to him: "Don't you realize that God knows whatever is secret and has kept it hidden?" That is to say, isn't God's knowledge [of something] and His good reward for it enough for you? The Friend of God then departed.

The person who claimed to love [him] wept because of what be heard from the Friend. I went up to him and said: "Oh you there, what you've claimed is an awesome matter and the shaykh must necessarily test you. Be a man! Otherwise this will be the cause of separation between you and the shaykh."“

The trustworthy person continued: "He was a neighbor to the shaykh in one of (he shaykh's gardens and the shaykh possessed a fig-tree within the garden's boundaries. The man with the claim of love used to collect its fruit every year. The shaykh was forbearing. He pardoned and forgave him, and was a good neighbor. But when the man claimed to love him, the shaykh abandoned putting up with this bother and said to him: The tree is my tree. Nothing of it belongs to you!" The one who claimed (to love him] disagreed with him and said: "It belongs to me!" Now the shaykh entered into serious strife and enmity with him, such that I heard the claimer cursing at the shaykh—God be pleased with him!'

And I, al-Lamati, heard this [trustworthy] man say: 'We went on the pilgrimage and when I visited the Prophet's grave—God's blessings and peace be upon him—a state came over me. I said: "Oh Apostle of God, I hadn't thought I'd come to your city and then go back to Fez." From the direction of the noble grave I heard a voice say: "If I'm held within this grave, let whoever comes from among you remain here. But if I'm with my religious community wherever they may be, go back to your country."' He said: 'I went back to my country.' God the Sublime confers success.'

10) And I heard the Shaykh say—God be pleased with him:

“One of the shaykhs drawn unto God (al-majdhub) displayed bad conduct and the people fled from him. One day he even poured wine on his clothes. The people smelled the scent of wine coming from him and they fled from him. Only the heir to his secret stayed with him. The shaykh in question said: "I did this on purpose so these ants would flee from me"—he was referring to the multitude of people who were following him, "I have no need of them. There is need only for you!" God alone confers success.''

11) And I heard him say—God be pleased with him:

“A man came to one of the Friends of God and began to contemplate him. He let his gaze pass over him until he'd contemplated him from head to foot The Friend of God said to him; "What is it you want?" He replied: "Oh Sayyidi, this is my booty. I want my body to look at your body so that tomorrow it will intercede for my body before God." “The Shaykh said—God be pleased with him: 'That man gained great profit?”

When he recounted this story—God be pleased with him—he used to say: 'There are still people left in this religious community. Praise be to God?” God alone confers success!

12) And I heard him say—God be pleased with him:

“A person of sincerity came to someone he believed had goodness in him and he said to him: "Verily, I love you in God—He is mighty and glorious!" The shaykh replied to turn—and this was the time of the morning prayers: "If you wish to profit, don't ever go back to your house. Go to the East." “The Shaykh said: 'He obeyed and didn't contradict him. And so he gained this world and the world to come. God alone confers success!”

Quest for the Contemporary Sufi Guide: Challenges, Veils and Limitation of Sufi Books

On the Living Saints (al-Awliya al-A'hya') and Masters of the Age (As'hab al-Waqt) and Saints of Disposal and Special Authority...[More]  

Clearing the Confusion between the Difference of the 'Shaykh' and the 'Muqaddam'

Tijani scholars have agreed about the thorough identity of the teacher of the Tijani litany. The Allama Shaykh Sidi Ahmed Skirej...[More]