In 1196/1781, Sidna Shaykh, the Concealed Pole and Known Mohammedian Seal, Sidna Shaykh   Abil Abbas Ahmed ibn Mohammed Tijani  (1150/1735 -1230/1815) announced that his Grandfather, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) authorised him in a daylight vision (yaqadatan; while he was awake) to establish his own order, the Tariqa Ahmediya Mohammediya Ibrahimiya Hanifiya Tijaniya, and not use any of the chains of authority of teacher-to-disciple that were the main stay of all the Sufi orders. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) had granted him permission to initiate mankind into the order during a period when he had fled from contact with people in order to devote himself to his personal development, and had therefore felt unable to consider himself a Shaykh until this permission was granted. He was commanded by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) to renounce all the orders that he was affiliated to and told him that he was to take the path directly from him. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) had furthermore assigned to him the obligatory wird (litany) which he has to transmit in general and unstrictly to any seeker who asks for it and accepts to abide by its conditions; a 100 of Astaghfirou Allah" (I seek Allah’s forgiveness) and a 100 of prayers upon the Prophet with any version, preferably with the Salat al-Fatih prayer.  By 1200/1785 the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) completed to him the wird by adding a 100 of Haylala (“la-ilaha illa’Allah”; There is no God but Allah).

What is the Ahmedi Tijani Path?

The Allama Shaykh Sidi Ahmed Skirej (may Allah be pleased with him), 

“Our Tijani Path is an invocation in reality (dhikr ‘ala al-‘haqiqa). And its litanies becomes obligatory, until death, the time one swears allegiance to the Tijani Path. And its conditions are numerous, notably, observance of the daily ritual prayers at their prescribed times, and non-visitation of saints (awliya) save the companions of Sidi Ahmed Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him) and the companions of the Messenger (peace and blessing be upon him). And who takes the oath of the Tijani Path and embraces another Sufi path later on should be scared for himself.” 

Shaykh Sidi Ahmed Skirej (may Allah be pleased with him) also said,

“Our Path is based on the total submission to Ahl Allah (people of God); having a beautiful belief in each one of them, dead or alive; renouncing (meanwhile) visitation for the purpose of spiritual supply (ziyarat al-istimdad) and/or visitation of attachment (ziyarat at-ta’allauq); having a beautiful opinion on the whole community of “la ilaha illa Allah” (There is no God but Allah), staying away from their opponents, and separating oneself from their hurters as much as possible. Company of loathers is verily a deadly poison. All the above is regarded after the constant observance of obligations (faraid) especially the daily ritual prayer for it is the basis on which our Path has been founded. Its steady observance is a critical condition a Tijani disciple must watch especially in the congregation if possible. Observance of prayer is obligatory in the law and doesn’t require auxiliary elaboration, but, still, it needs further endorsement to be fulfilled before anything else. The Tijani disciple is certainly the very foremost to observe the prayer, its corners and prescribed times, in congregation and privacy. Thus, a Tijani, is, literally, he, who has received the special permission in the (Tijani) invocations from a person who holds a genuine Taqdim (a title of Muqaddam that allows the bearer legal transmission of the Tariqa) and lucid initiating authority, as we have received ourselves from the Shayk and Knower-by-Allah, our Master and Lord, Sidi Ahmed al-Abdellawi: student of the Qutb Sidi al-Haj Ali Tamasini, himself the student of Sidna Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him).    

The Knower-by-Allah Sidi Ahmed al-Abdellawi (may Allah be pleased with him) said,

“The Path of our Shaykh al-Qutb Tijani is the known blessed Wird that is from the making of the Chieftain of the Universe (peace and blessing be upon him) namely, 100 of “Astaghfirou Allah" (I ask forgiveness from Allah),  100 of Salat al-Fatih prayer, and 100 of  “la-ilaha illa’Allah” (There is no God but Allah). This Wird is obligatory in the Mohammediya Path of ours, and it is recited in the morning and in the evening. And the blessed Wadhifa (daily office) composes of 30 recitations of “Astaghfirou Allah Al Adhim alladhi la ilaha ila houa al hayou al kayoum" (I ask forgiveness from Allah, the Mighty. No God exists but Him. He is the Living, the Self-Existing), 50 recitations of Salat al-Fatih prayer, 100 recitations of “La ilaha ila Allah”, and 12 recitations of Jawharat al-Kamal prayer. The Wadhifa is sufficient once a day in the morning or in the evening. (Nevertheless) it would be better off to read it twice a day if possible. Congregation for the performance for Wadhifa is obligatory if someone has brethren in the town. Part of the obligations of the (Tijani) path moreover is the remembrance of the Haylala (i.e. La ilah illa Allah) in the wake of the Asr prayer on Friday (ba’ad ‘asr al-Jumu’a). Congregation is necessary if someone has brethren in the town. Otherwise it is recited individually 1000 or 1200 times.

Thus the quiddity and nature and essence of the Tijani Path are a complex of invocations namely the morning and evening recitation of the Mohammedian Wird that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) had himself assigned to Sidna Shaykh Tijani to initiate any seeker who asks for it and accepts to abide by its conditions; 100 of Astaghfirou Allah" (I seek Allah’s forgiveness), 100 of prayers upon the Prophet with any version, preferably with the Salat al-Fatih prayer, and  100 of "La-ilaha illa’Allah" (There is no God but Allah). To these are added the daily Wadhifa and the remembrance of the Haylala (i.e. La ilah illa Allah) in the wake of the Asr prayer on Friday. These invocations are initiated by a sound Muqaddam who possesses a doctrinal transmission (silsila) tracing the succession of shaykhs back to the Mohammedian Pole Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him), who had his Ancestor the Chosen (peace and blessing be upon him) as a master.  

According to the Jawahir,

“The Prophet told our Master that he was the mediator between him and Almighty Allah and one who assisted him, really and truly. He let him know that he was his guardian and his trainer, not any of the other Shaykhs of the Spiritual Path. He also informed him that he owed no favor to any one of them, because everything he received from Allah came with his help (peace and blessing be upon him) through his mediation from Him to him. Then he told him in the advice he bequeathed to him: "You must adhere to this Spiritual Path without seclusion or isolation from people, so that you may attain to your spiritual station which you have been promised, while maintaining your normal state without restraint, without constriction, and without a great deal of strenuous exertion."

RULE: "Tariqa" versus "Asrar"

According to the Baraka of the Age, al-Allama, Sharif, Sidi Mohammed Radi Gannun al-Idrissi al-Hassani (may Allah outstay his lifetime and be satisfied with him),  

"The Tijaniya order is twofold: (1) The Tariqa (Path), and, (2) The Asrar (Arcane Secrets). The Tariqa-element is based on three corners: (a) the Wird, (b) the Wadhifa, and (c) the Haylala of Friday. Performance of the daily five obligatory rituals, 24/7 visualization of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him and his family), extremism in the recitation of the Salat al-Fatih prayer and Jawahir al-Maani, hagiographication of the life and career of Sidna Shaykh Tijani (may Allah sanctify his secret) and his companions, Ahl al-Bayt’s love and praise and veneration, lifetime devotion to the service of the order, visitation of the Zawiya al-Kubra, obedience to the order's caliphs and muqaddams, respect and veneration of the other Sufi orders and masters, defense of the order in word and deed when needed, understanding of the order's jurisprudence and Sidna Shaykh’s ranks of Qutbaniya and Khatmiya and Katmiya and perception of the known bounties and merits of his companions can be seen as complementary to the threefold corners mentioned above as they are from the conditions of the order. The Asrar-element however concerns the invocation of the prayers and supplications and names. Once the latter are discovered the disciple would start to read them under the authorisation and supervision of a sound Muqaddam. From these the Concealed Greatest Name, Surat al-Fatiha and Salat al-Fatih with the known intention, Idrissid Names, Hizb Sayfi, Hizb al-Bahr, Dalail al-Khayrat, “Salat al-Ghaybiya fi al-Haqiqa al-Ahmediya” (The Divine Prayer in the Ahmedi Reality), “Yaqutat al-Haqaiq fi-Ta’ariif bi-Haqiqat Sayyid al-Khalaiq” (The Jewel of Realities in the Definition of the Reality and the Master of Mankind) exemplify. The Awfaq and Talasim and Raml and ‘Asqarat al-Asame and Asrar al-‘Huruf have nothing to do with the nature of Tijanidom. They are rather from Sufism. Sad he who spends 90 per cent of his time on the Asrar and 10 per cent on the Tariqa! In the Jawahir al-Maani , the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) warns those who concentrate on the Greatest Name on the account of the Quran and Prayers upon Him (peace and blessing be upon him). 

 

The Wird Sharif

Download: Wird Sharif with the Maqsad/Obligatory Litanies (Arabic)

Download: Wird Sharif with the Maqsad/(Translation-Transliteration)

أحزاب وأوراد القطب الرباني سيدي أحمد بن محمد التجاني

Kitab Rimah on the Awrad  (Arabic)

·         "Astaghfirou Allah" (I seek Allah’s forgiveness), 100 times;

·         Salat al-Fatih or "Allahouma Sali 'ala Sayyidina Mohammedin wa Alihi wa Salam Taslima" 100 times;

·         "La Ilaha ila Allah" (There is no God but Allah), 100 times.  

"Fiqh Tariqa": Time of the Wird

The obligatory Wird is performed twice a day. The optional time of the morning Wird starts after the dawn prayer (Subh) and continues up to high forenoon. Forenoon extends up to midday. The necessary time extends from high forenoon until sunset; and the making-up for the morning Wird is beyond that. However, it is unconditionally permissible to advance the morning Wird during the night, with or without a reason. The time for advancing the Wird starts after the Isha Prayer and a lapse of time enough to recite five sub-parts of Qur'an (i.e. 1:30 hours or there about). If dawn breaks before the Wird is over complete it and redo it after Dawn Prayers (a must). It has been narrated in the Jawahir al-Ma'ani and the Idafa al-Ahmediya that Sidna Shaykh (may Allah be pleased with him) said that night acts of worship multiply five hundred manifolds over daytime deeds. 

The optional time for the evening Wird starts after Asr prayer and extends up to the Isha prayer. The Necessary time is between Isha prayer and dawn break; the making-up for the evening Wird is beyond that.  If a person performed his Wird after dawn but before he prayed the Fajr prayer; or after the appointed time of Asr prayer was due but before he prayed the Asr prayer, and whether this has happened intentionally or due to forgetfulness or ignorance, he must redo the Wird during its appointed time, and must make-up for it if the appointed time lapsed. This is because he advanced the Wird before its prescribed time. Al-Qutb Salih Sidi Mohammed ibn al-Arbi Sayeh (d. 1309/1894) says in “Kitab Bughyat al-Mustafid fi-Shar'h Minyat al-Murid (Aspiration of the Beneficiary in the Commentary of the Desire of The Seeker)   

“This is what has been transmitted from the Shaykh. It is a consensus amongst his Companions; and what the author of al-Jaysha al-Kafil ("Sidi Mohammed Saghir Shinguiti"; may Allah bless him) wrote to the contrary was a distractedness from the a special order of our order, therefore it shouldn’t be considered, even though that might be the practice in some other Sufi orders. 

It is NOT permissible to advance the evening Wird during daytime, with or without excuse, whether before the time of Asr prayer or after the time but before the performance of Asr prayer. This is an authentic and continuously recurrent practice of Sidna Shaykh (may Allah be pleased with him). However, it is permissible to advance the evening Wird at night under two conditions: (1) A valid excuse is expected to occur during the optional time of the Wird; (2) its advancing takes place after the advancing of the morning Wird, for order, as it is invalid, with the presence of the excuse, to advance the evening Wird except after advancing the morning Wird.

If a person misses his Wird, he must make up for it. The vow makes the Wird obligatory. 

"Fiqh Tariqa": Remedy of Deficiency in Wird (Jabr al-Wird)

If a person forgetfully exceeds the limit in some or all of the pillars of the Wird, he should, after finishing his Wird or Wadhifa, remedy that deficiency by reciting Istighfar (Astaghfirou Allah)  100 times and/or Jawharat al-Kamal prayer 3 times, with intent to remedy. If a person is in doubt as to whether he exceeds or falls short of the limit, he should build on certainty (the lower number) and complete the Wird, then remedy his doubt by reciting Istighfar 100 times and/or Jawharat al-Kamal prayer 3 times, after finishing his Wird or Wadhifa. If a person, forgetfully, reverses the order of the pillars – e.g. recites prayers upon the Prophet before the Istighfar – he shall cancel what he reverses (prayers upon the Holy Prophet in this case), redo the pillars in order, and then make Istighfar one hundred times nd/or Jawharat al-Kamal prayer 3 times with intent to remedy that deficiency, after finishing his Wird or Wadhifa.If a person is in doubt, or forgetfulness occurs to him during the remedy, he should not repeat the remedy to avoid getting in circle. The remedy is for the individual who performs alone. In a group, the imam bears the deficiencies, similar to congregational prayers. Intentional increase, decrease, or reversal of the pillars invalidates the dhikr, and it is misconduct.  

"Fiqh Tariqa": Dust Ablution and the Wird 

If a person performs dust ablution for a prescribed prayer, he must also perform another dust ablution for the Wird, otherwise the Wird will invalidates. This is because the Wird became obligatory by the vow, and it is not permissible to do two obligatory acts of worship with one dust ablution. Accordingly, he must redo all the Wirds that he has done with dust ablutions of prescribed prayers.   

"Fiqh Tariqa": Prayers during the Wird

If a prayer starts while a person is performing his Wird or Wadhifa, he stops, prays with the group, and then immediately after the prayer is over and before he utters any word resumes his Wird, building on what he has performed before the prayer, instead of starting it all over. This is analogous to starting of a prayer while one performs Tawaf (circumambulating the Ka'aba) as stated by Sidi Mohammed b. Abdelwahid Nadhifi (d. 1370/1951) in his Durrah al-Kharidah. Sidi Tayyeb al-Wadghiri Sufyani (d. 1259/1844), author of Al-Ifada al-Ahmediya li-Murid Sa’ada al-Abadiya” (The Ahmedi Notification for the Hunter of Eternal Rapture) said, "This is a continuously recurrent tradition from the Shaykh and unanimously agreed upon between his Companions, thus, it is neither rejectable nor questionable". 

From the Mertits of the Wird

Al-Khalifa Sidi Abul Hassan Ali Harazem Berrada al-Fasi (d. 1212/1797) said in Risalat al-Fadl wal Imtinan ila kaffat al-Ashab wal Ikhwan” (The Epistle of Bounty and Gratitude Forwarded to all the Companions and Confidants),

"Sidna Shaykh Tijani (may Allah be satisfied with him) said, 'All those who have taken our Wird will enter paradise without any deeds accountancy as well as their children, wives except the grandsons unless they are faithful and have not transgressed the companionship, all these followers will reach the 'Iliyyine status in heaven and are neighbours to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him).'"   And I have heard him saying: “I have asked the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) about those who already possessed a wird from the other shaykhs and are keen to have our Wird? What shall they do?” The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) replied: “O Ahmed! Tell them that my Wird is a great one -meaning that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) has endorsed it to him-, this Wird dispensed all the other wirds, containing the secret of all the other wirds. For the one who holds on to it and quits all other wirds emanating from the other shaykhs there will be no harm to that, and he shall have no fear from his shaykhs either in this life or in the Hereafter, and he is safe. This wird suffices him otherwise he has to leave our Wird for this Wird is only accepted as a single one”. (..)  And in another letter, Sidna Shaykh responded to some faqihs, “About what you have mentioned from your taking the Wird from this Shaykh and quitting another, there is no harm in such case, but most preferably our Wird is to remain according to what I have been told and since it is an inspiration and a classification emanating from the Last Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him)”.

And in the Rimah, 

"Sidi Mohammed al-Ghali informed me that he asked Shaykh Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him) about the cause of the excellent merit contained within his litanies so he told him (may Allah be pleased with him): 'On my account" (li-ajli)'. This is obvious to everyone who knows that Allah Most High established him in the circle of excellence (Dairat al-fadliya), and that it is the circle of the people of his Path."

Pivots of the Wird 

The Wird is based on three pivots,

The first is asking Allah for forgiveness (Istighfar). It is really unconscionable for a Muslim to stop his brother in Islam from asking Allah for forgiveness. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran, “Say: O My servants who have transgressed against their own souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (39:53); “Know that Allah is severe in punishment and that Allah is Forgiving and Merciful” (5:98); “And seek Allah’s forgiveness. Certainly, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (73:20); “Verily, Allah forgives not the setting up of partners with Him, but He forgives whom He pleases whatever is less than that. And whoever sets up partners with Allah has indeed strayed far away.” (4:116); “Will they not repent to Allah and ask His forgiveness? For Allah is the Forgiving, the Merciful". (5:74); “And who can forgive sins except Allah?” (3:135); “And those who, when they commit a lewd act or wrong themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins and who forgives sins except Allah? And they do not persist in what (wrong) they were doing while they knew it. For such, the reward is forgiveness from their Lord and Gardens with rivers flowing through, wherein they shall abide forever. How excellent is the reward of the doers (of good)!” (3:135-136). Allah Almighty have also said in the Holy Quran, “Say: Shall I not inform you of things far better than those (things of this world)? For the pious, there are gardens with their Lord, wherein rivers flow. Therein (is their) eternal home and pure wives. And Allah will be pleased with them. And Allah is Seer of the slaves. Those who say, Our Lord! We have indeed believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire. They are those who are patient, those who are true and obedient with sincere devotion in worship to Allah. Those who spend (in charity) and those who pray and beg for Allahs forgiveness in the last hours of the night.” (3:15-17) In a Hadithi Qudsi, Allah says, "O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and put your hope in Me, I have forgiven you for what you have done and I do not mind. O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky and then you would seek My forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins that are close to filling the earth and then you would meet Me without ascribing any partners with Me, I would certainly bring to you forgiveness close to filling it" (Al-Tirmidhi). 

When asked about the major sins, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) replied." To associate anyone with Allah, to disobey the parents, to kill unlawfully and to give false evidence." Safwan ibn Mobraz al-Mazan reports that  he heard Allah's Messenger (peace and blessing be upon him) saying: "(On the Day of Resurrection) Allah will draw near to a believer and put His forgiveness over him and screen him (his sins) then Allah will say: Do you know such and such sin? Do you know such and such? He will say: Yes, my Lord! This conversation will continue) until Allah will make him confess his sins, and thinks that he is ruined. Then Allah will say: I concealed them (your sins in the world) and I do forgive you today. Then he will be given the record book containing his good deeds." (Related by al-Bukhari, Muslim and Ibn Majah) Narrated Abu Huraira, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) also said: "There were two fraternal persons among the sons of Israel. One of them was engrossed in committing sins while the other was devoted to worship. The devotee used to see his fellow committing sin and advise him. Desist from doing so. One day when he found his fellow committing sin. He said to him: Avoid it. His fellow said: Leave me alone. Have you been sent out as a vigilant on me. The devotee said: By Allah, He will neither forgive you nor admit you to Paradise. When they died, they were gathered before the Lord of the Worlds. Allah asked the devotee: Were you assured of knowing Me or were you having power over what was in My Hands? Then He said to the sinner: Go and enter Paradise by My Mercy; and ordered the angels about the devotee: Lead him to the Hell." (This Hadith is sound and related by Abu Dawid in his Sunan). Abu Huraira narrates that Allah's Messenger (peace and blessing be upon him) said: "A man never did good deeds. Rather, he used to lend (money) the people and advise his servants: Take from the solvent and leave the insolvent and forgive him. Perhaps Allah may forgive us. When he died, Allah asked him: Did you ever do anything good? He replied: No, but I had a servant and I used to lend people money. Whenever I sent him out to recover the loans, I advised him: Accept from the solvent and leave the one who is unable to repay (i.e. excuse him). May Allah forgives us. then Allah The Exalted remarked: I have forgiven you." (Related by An-Nasa'i.)

Offering prayers upon our beloved Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is the second article of the Wird.

Anyone who exercises his thinking faculty very well knows that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) does not need our prayers, not even in the least. For Allah, Glorious is His Name, has completed His blessings and favours upon him and made him a Mercy to the universe. Allah says in the verse, [93:5], “And soon will thy Guardian-Lord give thee (that wherewith) thou shalt be well-pleased”, and in the verse [48:2] Allah says: “That Allah may forgive thee thy faults of the past and those to follow; fulfil His favour to thee; and guide thee on the Straight Path”, and in the verse [5:3], “Today have I perfected for you, your religion and completed my favour upon you and pleased to have Islam as your chosen religion.” Besides these, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) himself said: “I am the distributor while Allah is the One that Gives” Contemplating on the above verse, we find that not only has the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) acquired all favours from Allah, but any other favour that is due to any other creation passes through him for distribution. What can then the creation ask, for he who distributes? If so.. Why then do we offer prayers on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him)? We do this only to multiply our expectations from Allah. It is just like a pauper who visits the king with a gift of a small piece of bread so as to attract the sympathy and love of the king, thereby multiplying his expectations. The king's gift in return is always far better than the pauper's worthless gift.

"اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ الفَاتِحِ لِمَا أُغْلِقَ والخَاتِمِ لِمَا سَبَقَ نَاصِرِ الحَقِّ بِالحَقِّ والهَادِي إِلَى صِرَاطِكَ المُسْتَقِيمِ وعَلَى آلِهِ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ ومِقْدَارِهِ العَظِيمِ" Audio: Salat al-Fatih

The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said: “Anyone who makes one salat (prayer) on me, Allah makes ten for him. When he makes ten for me, Allah makes a hundred for him. When he makes a hundred for me, Allah makes a thousand for him and if he makes a thousand for me, he shall be shoulder to shoulder with me at the gate of the paradise.” In another narration:  “It will be written for him - safety from hypocrisy, safety from hell-fire, and safety from punishment.” Who knows the value of one salat of Allah, not to mention ten or a hundred or even one thousand! To attempt to value this is to value the work of Allah and its reward as compared to that of His servant. Indeed glory be to Allah Who differs from His creatures in every respect, essence, nature or work. Here therefore lies the secret and cornerstone of making salat (prayer) on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). One salat of Allah is more than enough to turn the hell-fire into a frozen ice. Salat on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him)? What a beautiful profession, that Allah and His angels partake alongside the faithful servants male and female. Allah says in the verse, [33:56], Verily Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: “O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect”. The second article of the Tijani Path is therefore a work in which Allah and His angels are participating, and for a poor servant of Allah this makes it a finished affair.

The third principle is to say La ilaha illa-llah (There is no God but Allah). Allah said: “Know, therefore, that there is no god but Allah” (Quran 47; 19), and He Almighty said “For when it was said unto them, there is no god but Allah, they were scornful.” (Quran 37:35). The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said that the Prophet Moses (peace and blessing be upon him) asked his Lord: "-Lord ! Teach me something to recall You and to invoke You. - Say: There is no god but Allah. - Lord ! All your servants say it. - Say: There is no god but Allah. - I want You to do me a favor - Moses ! If the seven skies and the seven earths were in a plate of a balance and the words « There is no god but Allah » were in the other plate, these words would overcome them." (Nissai, Ibn Hibban and al-Hakem) According to Anass ibn Malik, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said: “The one who says "There is no God but Allah" and extends it, will be forgiven four thousand of his great sins.” (Daylami) According to Talha ibn Ubaydillah, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said: “The best thing the prophets and I have ever said is "There is no God but Allah.” (Malik) Al-Qurtubi has reported that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said: “The angel of death ('Izrail) came to a man. He looked throughout all his members and didn’t find any good deed. Then, he opened his heart and found nothing. After, he opened the mouth and found his tongue stuck to his palace saying "There is no God but Allah". He said then: “Paradise is  compulsorily your home because of these words of sincerity i.e. “There is no God but Allah.” The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) has said: “The best that has been said by myself and the previous Prophets before me, is 'La ilaha illa-llah'“. In a Hadith, Allah told the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him): “La ilaha illa-llah is my fortress (protection), whoever enters my fortress is saved from my punishment.” It is therefore abhorrent and disgusting for any Muslim to advise a fellow Muslim to say La ilaha illa-llah. 

Thus the Tariqa that advises Muslims to practice this is simply putting them on the path of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and towards obedience of Allah. In the Hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, “The best word I have ever said together with the previous Prophets is the word La ilaha illa-llah.” And, again, in the Baqara Chapter "Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and reject not Faith" [2:152]. And in Sura Imran (3), v. 191,  “Men who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, lying down on their sides.” [3:191] Men who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth, (With the thought): “Our Lord! not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this! Glory to Thee! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire. And, again, in the Jumu'a Chapter (Ch. 62), v. 10, “And celebrate the Praises of Allah often (and without stint): that ye may prosper.” [62:10] And when the Prayer is finished, then may ye disperse through the land, and seek of the Bounty of Allah: and celebrate the Praises of Allah often (and without stint): that ye may prosper. Surely, when Allah, with His unlimited wealth says often, this wording is not to be taken lightly. When Allah, the Possessor and Dispenser of all wealth, suggests that something be done often, we must remember that the perspective of the wealthy is not like the perspective of the poor. And Almighty Allah, He has everything. You cannot even say Allah is the richest because everything is under His control.

So these are the principles and some of the bases of support for the recitation of the Tijani Path. It is solely derived from Quran and Hadith.  

The Wadhifa Sharifa

Download: Wadhifa Séance at the Zawiya of Sidi al-Arabi ben Sayeh, Rabat (mp3)  

·         "Astaghfirou Allah Al Adhim alladhi la ilaha ila houa al hayou al kayoum" (I ask forgiveness from Allah, the Mighty. No God exists but Him. He is the Living, the Self-Existing), 30 times;

·         Salat al-Fatih, 50 times;

·         La ilaha ila Allah, 100 times;

·         Jawharat al Kamal, 12 times.  

Shaykh Sidi Ali Harazem (may Allah be pleased with him) says in Risalat al-fadhl wal imtinan: 

"It is carried out in the morning or in the evening  and  it suffices once a day and it is recited either in congregation or individually. But it does not dispense the daily wird  or the Haylala of Fridays." Sidi al-Haj Omar ibn Said al-Futi  stated in Kitab Rima'h: "Of the conditions of the Tijaniya order congregation for the performance for the wadhifa and the remembrance of the Haylala in the wake of the afternoon prayer on Friday. As we read in Jawahir al-Ma'ani: "The litanies that are essential to the Spiritual Path include the remembrance of the Haylala in the wake of the afternoon prayer on Friday, together with the congregation. If someone has brethren in the town, they are obliged."

Sidna Shaykh Abi Abbas Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that seven recitations from "Jawharat al-Kamal fi Mad’hi Sayyid Rijal” (The Jewel of Excellence in the Praise of the Chieftain of Men) taught him by his grandfather (peace and blessing be upon him) result in the Prophet's physical presence. On the merits and graces of Jawharat al-Kamal, Sidi Ali Harazem Berrada informs in Kitab Jawahir al-ma'ani wa-bulugh al-amani fi fayd Sidi Abil al-Abbas at-Tijani (Gems of Indications and Attainment of Aspirations in the Overflowings of Sidi Abil Abbas Tijani),

(1) The fact that most of them will be granted each day the favour of visiting the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) in his noble garden (Rawda), and of visiting all the saints of Allah and the righteous, from the beginning of existence until his own time. Sidna Shaykh said "Allah's Messenger gave me an invocation of salat upon him called "Jawharat al-Kamal".' If someone recites it twelve times and says: 'This is a gift from me to you, O Messenger of Allah,' it is as if he has visited him in his noble garden, and as if he has visited the saints of Allah and the righteous, from the beginning of existence until his own time."

(2) The fact that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and the Four Caliphs are present with the people of this Spiritual path every day. Sidna Shaykh Ahmed Tijani said "The Prophet told me that if someone recites "Jawharat al-Kamal" seven times or more, He and the Four Caliphs will be present with him as long as he remembers it". Allah has graciously recommended to our brethren that it should be recited twelve times in the daily wadhifa so that is sufficient for those who are lazy.

(3) The fact that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) loves its reader with a special love, different from that already bestowed on them and on all the loved ones in the first part. Sidna Shaykh Tijani said "The Prophet told me that, if someone makes a regular practice of reciting Jawharat al-Kamal more than seven times every day, The Prophet will love him with a special love, and he will not die until he becomes a saint.

"Fiqh Tariqa": The Laid Down White Garment

It is extremely important to lay down a white garment honouring the presence of the Prophet ( peace be upon him) during the recitation of Jawharat al-Kamal Prayer. Sidna Shaykh (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered his companions to lay down a white cloth for the first time at Dar Lamraya in Fez. Allama Shaykh Sidi Ahmed Sukayraj said in Al-Kawkab al-Wahhaj li-Tawdii’h Dhurrat at-Taj wa 'Ujaalat al-Mu'htaj” (The Fiery Planet in the Commentary of the Inimitable Gemstone),

"It has been authentically related that the prophet peace upon him have laid down his noble dress for his sister (Shayma bint al-Harith) when she visited him with the envoy if the people of Hawazin. The composer of the Hamziya, Imam Sidi Mohammed al-Busairi, referred to this account in his verse:

   For her the Chosen laid down his dress,
      So great that dress contained of grace.

He also laid down his dress for Dihaya al-Kalbi when he came to submit to Islam Dahiya when cried because of this and lifted the noble dress kissed it and placed it on his head and eyes. We can clearly see from this action a sing of glorification to those the noble dress have been placed down for and since the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is an example for us to be followed. The disciple should also lay down a garment honouring the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him) for if we were to lay down ourselves and foreheads on the ground honouring the prophet we would not be blamed."

"Fiqh Tariqa:" Remedy of Deficiency in Wadhifa 

If a person forgetfully exceeds the limit in some or all of the pillars of the Wird, he should, after finishing his Wird or Wadhifa, remedy that deficiency by reciting Istighfar (Astaghfirou Allah)  100 times and/or Jawharat al-Kamal prayer 3 times, with intent to remedy. If a person is in doubt as to whether he exceeds or falls short of the limit, he should build on certainty (the lower number) and complete the Wird, then remedy his doubt by reciting Istighfar 100 times and/or Jawharat al-Kamal prayer 3 times, after finishing his Wird or Wadhifa. If a person, forgetfully, reverses the order of the pillars – e.g. recites prayers upon the Prophet before the Istighfar – he shall cancel what he reverses (prayers upon the Holy Prophet in this case), redo the pillars in order, and then make Istighfar one hundred times nd/or Jawharat al-Kamal prayer 3 times with intent to remedy that deficiency, after finishing his Wird or Wadhifa.If a person is in doubt, or forgetfulness occurs to him during the remedy, he should not repeat the remedy to avoid getting in circle. The remedy is for the individual who performs alone. In a group, the imam bears the deficiencies, similar to congregational prayers. Intentional increase, decrease, or reversal of the pillars invalidates the dhikr, and it is misconduct. 

"Fiqh Tariqa": Wadhifa for Life

 It is mandatory to make-up for the Wadhifa if missed even once in a lifetime. Sidi Mohammed ibn al-Arbi Sayeh said in Bughyat al-Mustafid , 

“No doubt, in the beginning, the Wadhifa was not as emphasized as the Wird, but it had been confirmed during the life of the Shaykh (may Allah be pleased with him). Consequently the author of Jawahir al-Ma’ani amended his own copy and added a clear a statement that it is imperative to make-up for the Wadhifa, similar to the Wird. Therefore any a statement suggesting that the making-up for a missed Wazifa is not obligatory should be disregarded because it contrary to the settled practice of the Sheikh and his Companions".

"Fiqh Tariqa": Late Arrival in Wadhifa 

If a person arrives late in Wadhifa, he performs with the group what he attends, and then completes what he misses after the group finishes recitation: that is to say, he starts the Wazifa from the beginning until the point where he catches up with the group. All the actions of the late-arriver are making-up, because they are all words not actions.  

"Fiqh Tariqa": Menstruation, Illness and the Wird 

It is authentically narrated from the Shaykh (may Allah be pleased with him) that the menstruous woman, and the patient, are free to perform or not to perform the Wird. It is alright if they did it, otherwise there is nothing against them, and no making-up is required of them afterwards. The choice here is for the patient who cannot perform the Wird properly – with all its conditions and counts – without great difficulty. And the choice of the menstruating woman is analogous to her reading of Quran.

·         Recitation of 1000, 1200, or 1600 times of  “La ilaha illa-llah (There is no God but Allah) either in congregation or individually (if there are no brothers in town).  

كان الشيخ رضي الله عنه يحث على مراعاة الأدب في حالة الذكر، فيمنع النغم و التلحين و التمطيط والسماع والاهتزاز والشطح، و لابد من الخشوع و الانكسار والخضوع وإذا كان الذاكرون في البيت يجب ألا يسمعهم من في فم البيت وإنما لهم ذوي كذوي النحل تعظيما لبيوت الله أن ترفع فيها الأصوات فضلا عن الزعقات. قال تعالى إن الذين يغضون أصواتهم عند رسول الله الآية. و لا شك عندنا أنه صلى الله عليه و سلم و الخلفاء و القدوة رضي الله عنهم الرضى الأبدي و عنا بهم ءامين يحضرون هيللة يوم الجمعة إن سلمت من البدع و الفتن و اللهو و اللعب و إلا فلا، و قال النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم : جنبوا مساجدكم صبيانكم و رفع أصواتكم و خصوماتكم و بيعكم و شراءكم. و قال عليه السلام: الكلام في المسجد بغير ذكر الله يأكل الحسنات كما تأكل النار الحطب الرقيق. (ج أحمد بن العياشي سكيرج، رفع النقاب بعد كشف الحجاب عمن تلاقى مع الشيخ التجاني من الاصحاب،".

Conditions of the Wird (Tariqa)

Shaykh al-Islam Allama Sidi Ibrahim Niass al-Kulkhi (d. 1390/1975) illuminates in his Ruh al-adab (Spirit of Good Morals),

The first and most important of the conditions is that one must commit himself to its wird until death. Allah says in the Quran: {And serve the Lord until there come unto you the Hour that is Certain}[15:99]. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) says in a Hadith: "And indeed, a little that is continuous is better than a lot that is intermittent." In another hadith the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said: "The best of worship is the constant one even if it is little."

The second of the conditions is that one must not combine this order with another. There are about 313 orders in Islam, each of which is linked through the Companions of the Battle of Badr. While any of these orders will guide one to the Prophet's (peace and blessing be upon him) path, the principles of all of them are combined in the Tijaniya order, in the same way that all principles of the past religions (of the Book) are combined in Islam. Allah is One. The final and overall Prophethood is one, and the guiding Shaykh of the last order must certainly be one.

The third of the conditions is that a person who has taken the (Tijani) order should not pay homage (seek spiritual guidance) to any other saint that is not a Tijani for the purpose of any spiritual gain. He must however, respect all the saints of Allah. The reason for this is that Tijaniya, being the fountain-head of all the orders, is their summation and therefore nothing is in any other order that is not found within the Tijaniya. Why then will one go out to beg for what he has in excess in his house?

The fourth of the conditions is that one must at all times establish the five daily prayers in congregation, except for excusable reasons. It has been related from the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) that prayers offered in congregation are twenty seven times better than those said singularly. In another narration, twenty five times better. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be satisfied with him) also narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) that: "There are no prayers for the neighbours of the mosque, except they offer the prayers in the mosque." When the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) was asked who is considered neighbours of the mosque, he replied "forty neighbours away from the mosque." 

The fifth and the final condition is that a disciple must respect his parents to the utmost possible. Allah always brings together the command to worship with dutifulness to parents. Allah says in the Quran: "Don't worship other than Allah, and with parents be nice" [2:83]; "And worship Allah without joining Him with anything. And with parents be nice” [4:36]; "Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him; and do good- to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbours who are near, neighbours who are strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and what your right hands possess: For Allah love not the arrogant, the vainglorious” [31:14]; “And We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents: in travail upon travail did his mother (during pregnancy) bear him, and in years twain/toil was his weaning: (hear the command), "Show gratitude to Me and to the parents.

"Wird" versus "Fath"

"The ways to God are as numerous as the souls of men"

Rule 

Sidna Shaykh Abil Abbas Ahmed Tijani (may Allah sanctify his precious secret) says,

“Oh Seeker on the Path to Allah, Oh the One who yearns for Divine Love and Divine Presence, know that this Path has three stations; Islam (submission), Iman (faith) and Ihsan (perfect adoration). Islam is the worship of Allah, Iman is turning towards Allah and Ihsan is the contemplation of Allah. These three stations represent the various degrees of our pursuit on the Path to Allah, and which correspond to Sharia (the Law), Tariqa (the Path) and Haqiqa (the Truth).  Knowledge is the result of these three stations because whoever achieves Haqiqa surely arrives at Allah, and he is called Gnostic ('Arif billah). The word Sharia encloses all stations since it represents every knowledge revealed to us by the Prophet (Peace ne upon him). On this Path, the 1st category of people are those who remains satisfied with the first station and think that it is the only one that exists, thus they are called the adepts of the exoteric dimension (Ahl Dhahir). The second category are those who reached the 2nd station, and thus combine the practice of the Sharia and that of the Path Tariqa. They are called Sufis. The third category includes those who reach the 3rd station, after completing the first two, they are called Gnostics (al-‘Arifin).

Wird = Nawafil 

Should observance of the daily ritual (salat) at prescribed times be among the most comprehensive conditions of the Tijani Path then celebration of obligations (faraid) is due on before the performance of Nawafil (pl. of nafila; “supererogatory”), ex. recitation  of the Wird and non-obligatory litanies.

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger (peace and blessing be upon him) said,

“Verily Allah Most High has said: Whosoever shows enmity to a Wali (friend) of Mine, then I have declared war against him. And My salve does not draw near to Me with anything more loved to Me than the religious duties I have obligated upon him. And My salve continues to draw near to me with Nawafil deeds until I Love him. When I Love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, and his sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to seek refuge with Me, I would surely grant him refuge. (Related by al-Bukhari)

In a similar tradition, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) said,

"Allah said, 'I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a friend (wali) of Mine. And the most beloved things with which My servant comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined (fard) upon him; and My servant keeps on coming closer to Me through performing nawafil till I love him. So I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks. And if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection (Refuge), I will protect him; and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I hate to disappoint him."

To restate this doctrine in more Tijani terms, Allama Sidi Mohammed ibn al-Mishri Sibai al-Hassani (d. 1224/1809) asked Sidna Shaykh Sidi Ahmed Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him) on the meaning of the Hadith as reported in the second part of “Al-Jami’a li-Maa Iftaraqa min ‘Ulumn al-Qutb al-Maktum” (The Absolute in What Has Separated from the Sciences of the Concealed Pole). Sidna Shaykh with cognition and certitude answered,

“The Servant approaches Allah by means of nawafil. And nawafil are superfluous deeds besides obligations (faraid). Invocation (dhikr), prayer (salat) and fasting with the known conditions (sawm bi-shurutih) are the finest forms of nawafil. He said: “My Servant continues to draw near to me with Nawafil deeds until I Love him.” The nawafil are hereby the observance of the spirit in wayfaring. Which means the accomplishment of deeds for the sake of Allah awed by complete sincerity without any intention to gain anything in the forms of benefit, lusts or greedy desires. The servant is thereby like a person stained with filth (mulattakh bi-najasa) all over his body. And he is trying to remove filth from his body to appear pure and purify before Allah. Stained with filth, he would look for purification, not for benefits. And knowing that the spirit has become thrilled to hold off from Allah Most High; having such thrill as an abode and residence, cutting it off of all its attachments is the lone exit for the servant to relinquish his plight. The state of this spirit has been described by the Sufis as a crow. There is no white in it. The servant at this point is very far from Allah Most High. Therefore the purpose of nawafil is the return to Allah Most High with good deeds in a state of purity (mukhlisan lillah) free from any aspiration for rewards (thawab). Only then the servant is able to purify his spirit by the means of striving (mujahada), exertion (mukabada), repression against its lust, and abandonment of customs and desires. And as invocation (dhikr) is the powerful method for striving and as purity (safa’a) is the only mean to chucking out the servant’s plight and  enter into the Holy Divine Presence, and since (purity) occurs through the “flow of lights” (Fayd al-Anwar) from the Holy Presence (‘Hadrat al-Quds), then the main source of the flow of lights is invocation. Thus lights are poured into the heart of the servant when he performs invocation and cuts off from his heart when he finishes from it, but influx of the lights still create in him a sort of purity. And as lights are poured into the heart and cut off; and poured again staying two minutes or three before cutting off, and poured again staying an hour before cutting off, and poured again until lights reside enduringly in the heart creating in the servant a special feeling of strength during invocation, longing in standing at the Door of Allah, as well as pain of the heart in mingling with people from the confusions he sees in them. Lights will inspire him to remember Allah in the evening and in the morning finding in his heart a special attainment of satisfaction with predestination (Qada’Allah), facing hardships with patience without worry, a firm reliance on the will of Allah (tawakkul) in financing and its matters, and distance from the greedy pursuit of life and its acquisition. Tranquility (tuma’nina) will then come forth. When the heart is tranquil by invocation, the latter becomes an adobe for the servant to the point that he could not retard from it aninstance. The servant hereby tastes the first fruits of People of Certitude (Bakurat Ahl Tahqiq), perceives the gleams of the states of the Special Elite (Lawami’a min Ahwal al-Khassa al-‘Ulya), witness the greatness of proximity (qurb), and recognize in his heart the divine sciences. The servant will then detach himself from all things expect Allah performing the funeral prayer over universes and entering into Allah from the door of observance (muqaqaba). Should he looks for a desire he would find none but Allah Most High.  

Nawafil = Sincerity

The meaning of everything set forth above is also indicated by a passage from a speech that was dictated by the Chieftain of Existence and the Emblem of Witnessing, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him), to the Most Noble Intermediary, Sidi Mohammed ibn al-Arabi Tazi Damrawi (may Allah be pleased with him), the companion of Sidna Shaykh (may Allah be pleased with him) in a state of wakefulness, not of sleep. He was instructed to take it to Sidna Shaykh (may Allah be pleased with him) as reported in Jawahir al-Maani,

"Allah's Messenger has said: “Tell him,” meaning Sidna Shaykh Tijani: "Here is the explanation of worship, which is subdivided into four parts:  The first consists of detachment (from the world) and dedication to Allah with perfect deeds and complete sincerity. This dedication must be spontaneous, and what he intends by this dedication must be to extol Allah, magnify Him, glorify Him and sanctify Him, and to praise Allah according to the condition he is in. He must not intend to gain anything by his worship, nor expect anything from it, so that his actions will ascend to Allah, enter the opened door, and become preoccupied with transformation in the manner we have mentioned at the beginning. There must be no pause in the study of His saying (in the Quran) Those who believe, and do righteous deeds, they are the best of creatures. (Quran 98:7) For the people of righteous conduct are those who do not intend to gain anything by their deeds, in the form of benefit or profit. He must ask in his worship for nothing except the assistance and perfect well being that he requests for his afterlife. Tell him the best request! If one of them asks, let him ask for pardon and well being. If his intention in his detachment and dedication is attainment to a station, or if he is seeking knowledge or a secret, his deeds will ascend until they arrive at a door that is locked, so they will sit there, expecting it to be opened in a while, and hoping that their owner will return and say: "My worship is for Allah. I do not seek any object of need." Then, if he is inspired and says this, they will go back and enter the opened door, but if he does not say what has been mentioned, those deeds will go back scattered, like the gusting of the wind in the air. They will wander about until they come to rest, in the sense what they will return against him in desperation, until the Prophet says (peace and blessing be upon him): "Tell my beloved Tijani that all of these meanings are in the Glorious Quran, and say to him: "This book will guide you to what I have commanded you to do. I have told you not to aim at anything, nor strive in greedy pursuit of anything. You must exert yourself in worship and opposition to the lower self, for greedy desire for what the human being aims at in worship cause the postponement of opening (fath)." You must tell him: "It cause the postponement of illumination (fath)," and tell him "It is the impediment to illumination," up to three times."

Sidna Shaykh had this to add on the subject   

Know that spiritual opening (fath) and arrival to Allah (al-wusul ila Allah) are reached merely at the hands of the holders of “special authority” (as’hab al-idhn al-khass), similar to the matter of Messengership (risala).There is no opening or unity without such authority, and as such one’s efforts are going in vain (without them). As for he who is attached to Sufi textbooks and took it as a source to reach the Divine Presence, he shall certainly end empty-handed and get in return but exhaustion and failure in reaching the Presence of divine gnosis and eliteness (‘Hadrat al-ma’arif wa al-ikhtisas). As far as reward (thawab) is concerned, he will attain it based on his sincerity (ikhlas). For the signal of receiving openings, however, is to be found only in rectitude (al-istiqama) through continuous obedience (taa’ah); and obedience and worshipful devotion (‘ibadah) are not accessible save through gnosis (ma’arifah). And whoever missed gnosis missed (along with it) all kinds of goodness and benefits.

Then know that worshipful devotion (‘ibadah) is not valid unless it is based on seven elements: that is intention (niyya), knowledge (’ilm), gnosis (ma’arifah), law (shari’a), reality (’haqiqa), tradition (sunna) and the Master (shaykh).

Hence, one who worships Allah with niyya but without ’ilm, surely he is an ignorant of the nature of ’ilm.

And the one who worships Allah with niyya and ’ilm but without ma’arifah, surely he is an ignorant of the nature of ma’arifah.

And the one who worships Allah with niyya,’ilm and ma’arifah but without shari’a, surely he is an ignorant of the nature of shari’a.

And the one who worships Allah with niyya,’ilm, ma’arifah and shari’a but without ’haqiqa, surely he is an ignorant of the nature of ’haqiqa.

And the one who worships Allah with niyya,’ilm, ma’arifah, shari’a and ’haqiqa but without sunna, surely he is an ignorant of the nature of sunna.

And the one who worships Allah with niyya,’ilm, ma’arifah, shari’a, ’haqiqa and sunna but without the Master, surely he is an ignorant of the nature of Master.

And one who worships Allah with niyya,’ilm, ma’arifah, shari’a, ’haqiqa, sunna, and the Master is truly on the right evidence of his Lord. Verily it is the correct method and the straight path and the way of gnostics and method of the righteous and the spring of the drinking of the loving. (Risalat al-Fadl wal Imtinan ila kaffat al-Ashab wal Ikhwan)

It is about that very precise matter that Sidna Shaykh (may Allah sanctify his secret) said:

“Allah is not worshipped for a precise need but for the fact that HE is a deserving God, because of HIS Divine Essence, HIS Character, HIS lofty and praiseworthy Qualities, HIS glorious Names, and it is in those that our noble adoration is based. In the same manner, one should not be with the Shaykh to get earthly goods but thanks to his alliance with him, the disciple can be drawn towards Allah’s alliance”.

Shaykh = Awrad = Tarbiya

On the difference between the Shaykh and the Wird and the Fath, Sidna Shaykh Abil Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 

"Know that arrival to the Divine Presence is accessible only through the Gate of the Messenger (peace and blessing be upon him), and no one may reach the Divine Presence save through him. This applies the following of his law, pursue of his footsteps, realization of his characters, acquire of his virtues, and being sincere in all of these traits in the sight of Allah Most High. The master, on the other hand, is the guide who is familiar with the path and its hazards, and he who prepares to each stage what it deserves of rest and provision. For spirits and hearts, he is the adroit healer who is perfectly knowledgeable of: (a) provisional illnesses, (b) the origin of their quiddity, (c) method of healing in quantity and quality, (d) and cognition of the exact nature of medicines needed in order to turn hearts and spirits to their original states. This is the farthest advance position of the master. As what is behind this in terms of the flows (fuyud) and epiphanies (tajallilat) and lights (anwar), 'That is the bounty of Allah and He gives it to whomever He wills.' Creation and execution is reserved for Allah and guidance is reserved for the masters."  

The order’s literature says little about the TARBIYA (spiritual training) or the preconditions for Fat’h. These matters are TAKEN FOR GRANTED. Al-Khalifa Sidi Abul Hassan Ali Harazem Berrada al-Fasi (d. 1212/1797) said in “Risalat al-Fadl wal Imtinan ila kaffat al-Ashab wal Ikhwan” (The Epistle of Bounty and Gratitude Forwarded to all the Companions and Confidants),

Almighty Allah has bestowed upon ( Mawlana Abul Abbas Ahmed ibn Mohammed Tijani) the Qutbaniya of spiritual education and eye glance (nadra) leading the disciple to the perfect knowledge, direct perception, certitude, oneness, courtesies, science, and straightforwardness. He can lead him to Allah from his initial walking to his desire in an eye glance. And promote his heart with his secret (sirr) not in attitude. He makes him reach in a quick eye glance (nadhra) extracting him (as a result) from the obstacles of the stage of Islam (maqam al-Islam) and the stage of faith (maqam al-iman) and the stage of beneficence (maqam al-I’hsan) so that he can embellish him with that ONE eye glance (nadhra) with the three above stances leading him (to reach), with it (nadhra), in drunkenness (sukran) and awakening (sa’hwan) and subsistence (sa’hwan) and annihilation (baqa’an); as he sees no one with his heart in a remote place and in spite of the fact he is an unbeliever or a despot king and by the Master’s eye glance he will be a complete knower in God (‘arif kamil). All these achievements need no companionship or spiritual education, but the Shaykh can only look at him through his heart whenever this disciple who is an unknown element is based, and therefore turns him immediately into to a perfect knowledgeable man.   

Yes. Chapter Four of "Jawahir al-MaanI” presents the litanies and prayers and supplications of Sidna Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him) in explicit terms. Opening and arrival to the Divine Presence however is only reached through the obligatory litanies of the Tijani order; namely, the Wird, Wadhifa, and the Friday Haylala after the Asr Prayer. The prayers of Salat al-Fatih, “Jawharat al-Kamal fi Mad’hi Sayyid Rijal” (The Jewel of Excellence in the Praise of the Chieftain of Men), “Salat al-Ghaybiya fi al-Haqiqa al-Ahmediya” (The Divine Prayer in the Ahmedi Reality), and “Yaqutat al-Haqaiq fi-Ta’ariif bi-Haqiqat Sayyid al-Khalaiq” (The Jewel of Realities in the Definition of the Reality and the Master of Mankind) are instrumental to mystical illumination. 

The illustrious Shaykh and venerable Qutb, Sidi Mohammed ibn al-Arbi Sayeh (d. 1309/1894) had so little to say on the subject in his Bughyat al-Mustafid (Aspiration of the Beneficiary),

“The sphere of training and purification in this noble Mohammedian Spiritual Path of ours is centered on the performance of the well-known basic wird, without which entry into the Path is not permissible for anyone, neither among the elite nor among the common folk. The same applies to its adjuncts, i.e. remembrances (adhkar) that are necessarily connected with it: namely the well-known daily office (wadhifa) and the remembrance of the Haylala in the wake of the evening ritual prayer on Friday. In all of that, there must be careful observance of the stipulated conditions and the proper modes of conduct, which are dependent on the utmost excellence and the ultimate perfection. Of all the stipulations, that which is most imperative and most important is careful observance of the five daily prayers with their customary practices, to the extent prescribed for them by the Divine Law (Shari’a), as far as possible, as well as the perfect fulfillment of their stipulations and their customary practices, and the complete performance of all their basic elements. Then comes the dedication of the moments and the hours, to the maximum extent possible, to the invocation of blessing upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him), especially the invocation of Salat al-Fatih Prayer, which is one of the most exalted treasures and the most radiant commodities. This training consists of loving affection, thankfulness (SHUKR), and reliance on the sheer grace which is the only reliable support in the domain of realization, without the necessity of secluded retreat, a great deal of strenuous exertion, and other methods of training adopted after the earliest period.”

Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh also mentions in al-Jawab Shafi (The Reply of Remedy):

“For someone who is driven by force of good fortune to enter this Ahmedi Spiritual Path, and who is attracted by the attraction of providence to embark on the course of the people of this Mohammedian line of succession (silsila), and whom Allah has made fit by His gracious favor to experience this superb peculiarity, and whom He has admitted by His generosity to this mightiest treasure and most splendid store, his only remaining option is to yoke himself to this sublime teacher. He must set himself at his door and cling to his threshold, by means of loving affection, submission, surrendering his will to him, and accepting his judgment. He must apply himself with diligent perseverance to his noble Mohammedian wird with complete observance of its stipulated conditions, and making the utmost effort to keep within it precise limits, so that Allah may permit him to achieve success, while he remains in his normal state without secluded retreat, or strenuous exertion, or conventional spiritual exercises of other kinds. If he perseveres with diligence in the manner described, success will either come upon him suddenly or take him by surprise. Allah will favor him by removing the veil from the eyes of his heart, so he will begin to unite with the spirituality of the Shaykh (may Allah be pleased with him) or with the spirituality of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and his training will thus be directed by the flow of abundant grace from one of them, or from both of them together. "Such is the grace of Allah, which He gives unto whom He will, and Allah is All Embracing, All Knowing (Quran 5:54)"