On the Living Saints and Masters of the Age and Saints of Disposal and Special Authority 

Sidna Shaykh, the Concealed Pole,  Mawlana Abil Abbas Sidi Ahmed Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him) clarifies in  Jawahir al-Maani

"As for how to discover and find the guide whose nature we described then the answer is that such guides are plenty and most will be in major cities as it is their residence. As for discovering and knowing so one can be connected to them then that is more arduous than finding Red Sulphur (al-Kibrit al-A’hmar). Reason being is that they have mixed and confused their image within the general public and they would repel and send away anyone who may inquire about them and swear an oath that they have nothing of what the seeker is searching for. The purpose that necessities them to act this way is because of the worldwide corruption of the universal system which occurred by the will of the Most High and Mighty, a will that nothing else can appose - and it is that each person only strives for his own vain-desires and needs turning away from the Divine Presence and what it dictates from devotion, rights and manners, in today's world. Generally, a person would not seek the saints (awliya) except for corrupt purposes ranging from wanting to enjoy this world and its pleasures, desires, be rescued from ordeals and hardships during which they insist on living in greatly sinful deeds leading to disastrous situations, sins so obscene their results would be no other than ending up in hell, they do not exit this sphere nor return to enter the divine presence. 

So as these saints (awliya) and gnostics ('arifin) have known this situation that befits most people they veiled their selves and expelled people away from them in every way and manner, the wilderness and far away lands would be proper for these saints to live in because of this situation how ever it is the divine desire that imposed on them that they stay in the cities and amongst people for certain purposes the Almighty wanted of them and decreed and nothing stands in the way of what He decrees. Their situation is that they can not break away from being with people and go to the wilderness because of this Divine Decree nor can they find a way to reform people and turn them back to the Divine Presence. So they are like someone who has been made to stay with a group of foolish people who stone him. However they have to be patient and carry on living amongst them that is why there are in pain and suffering and veiled themselves and expelled people in all possible ways.

Now it happens at times that people may notice some signs despite these veils and signs that make them comprehend who these people really are or may be therefore they rise to be with them but only for worldly purposes and needs at which these saints will confuse these people to veil themselves by displaying things like fornication, obscene dishonesty, drinking alcohol, killing and other disastrous actions that decrees on one nothing else than divine resentment and anger - these sins which they seem to be doing are in reality images these saints bring into existence from the world of the unknown so in reality they did not exist and are merely imagined images others see as if they really happened - by these images they display what in Shari'a are indecencies but in reality they did not do none of these actions and this is how they veil themselves to protect their maqams. 

Now since you know this now know also that in this domain the true ones and false ones have become mixed up and one wouldn't know this one from that one and there is no poly to discover the accomplished gnostic except in one very rare situation which is a perfect guide who may appear in a perfect Shari'a form. So if one appears in that form and claims to be a guide and source of knowledge and teaches the way to Allah Almighty and how to turn back to him and be an ascetic and be less interested in this world and its people plus you can see the signs of spiritual openings on his followers then the disciple should surrender completely to such a person upon meeting him and what is compulsory on the disciple to do is not surrender to some one until receiving many accounts from people he trusts about this person people who have been with that sheikh and close to him if this is so then one should accompany such a shaykh other wise no.

If any one in these times seeks to be connected to a perfect guide however could not find one and may fear falling victim in the hands of liars and impostors he/she should turn his heart towards Allah with the necessary sincerity with continuous supplications and imploration that he Almighty uncovers for him the perfect guide fit to take him out of this calamity and that the Almighty guides him toward this guide and help one surrender and be obedient to such a guide when uncovered and met. There is no other way this is the only way how ever a better and more beneficial and recommended and helpful method in achieving this goal is to dedicate every possible time for prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) hand in hand with full respect and a present heart while reciting (peace and blessing be upon him), picturing the presence of the prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) as if he was seated in front of the person.

If one continues doing this method with his mind set to reach the divine presence as firm as one is so firm in finding water when thirsty - Allah Almighty will take that person's hand and attracts that person towards him either by making available for him a perfect guide to take the person's hand or make his beloved prophet available to train that person or may open the gates for this person and lifts all veils due to his continuous effort of making prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is the greatest of means that enables one to reach to Allah Almighty and never ever one held the method of Salatu ala Naby firm so to reach the Almighty and ever failed." 

Beware from the People of the Lower Opening and Users of the Letters and the Names

From the letters of the Qutb, Sidi Mohammed ibn Ahmed Akansus (d. 1294/1856), may Allah be pleased with him: He dispatched it to the Knower of Allah (Arif bi Allah), the possessor of serious states (ahwal al-khatira) the Great Muqaddam, our Master al-Hajj Sa'id al-Darariki al-Miskini al-Susi, may Allah be well pleased with him (one of the descendants of Sayyidina al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, may Allah be pleased with him): 

"If it were necessary to dispose of affairs (al-Tasarruf) by use of the Names and supplications, then the nearest and most effective means is the disposal “al-Mukhammas al-Khali al-Wasat” ("Mukhammas al-Ghazali"). Whoever has obtained its secret, then none of the creatures can oppose him. And it is a great door of Sainthood (al-Wilayah). And in it is the external opening (al-Fath al-Dhahir). However, the successful Knower (Arif) is not satisfied, in his determination (himma), remaining in that place; and that that should be his share in the Presence of Allah, the Exalted. 

And the Complete One (al-Kamil) does not worship Allah for any motive, except one or, if necessary two. The first is that one worships Allah, the Exalted so that Allah, the Exalted will love him for his following his commands and adhering to what he was created for. For, if Allah, the Exalted, loves him, He will subject all of the universe to him and everything will obey him. If he says to it, “Be,” then it is; by the indication of His saying, [When I love him, I am his hearing by which he hears] (hadith Qudsi). However, he does not say to anything, “Be,” out of courtesy with his Lord, and in light of the station of slavehood (al-Ubudiyya). Because, verily, the slave does not exceed his degree by giving orders. And his station is only to receive orders; unless his Lord gives him permission; so that he speaks with the tongue of his Lord, not with the tongue of his self (nafsihi). And the second purpose is that one worships Allah, the Exalted, for the sake of (seeing) His Honored Face in the place of eternal bliss (Dar al-na'im al-muqim). 

And whoever does any deed for other than these two reasons, it is returned to him without any benefit from him; except what arrives by the particularity of the remembrance (khasiyyat al-Dhikr); since for every Name there is a particularity, just like for every plant is likewise a particularity; such as this one being cold, and this one moist, and this one hot, and this one dry. And this particularity arrives to everyone whoever does it; to any pious (baarr) or corrupt (Fajir) person. So, let the believer not be deceived when he sees the reflection of disposal (al-tasarruf) [e.g. fame, wealth, miracles, numbers of students, authority, power] by means of the letters (al-Huruf) or the Names (al-Asma') on the hands of anyone. For that does not prove any position with Allah, the Exalted. 

This is the well-established tradition between the one who disposes by means of the letters and- other forms- and the one who disposes by means of spiritual states (al-Hal). For, the former may be far away from Allah, the Exalted, and from His Holy Presence- by (the distance of) many journeys (marahil). And the latter is from the people of the Presence (al-Hadrah), since he does not dispose by himself, as we had mentioned, and Allah is the one who enables (al-Muwaffiq). 

And this can be explained more simply than this. However, the intent is to warn from this slippery slope, which most of the people that use it are from the ["Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they thought that they were acquiring good by their works" (Qur'an, 18:104)]. May Allah protect us and you all and make us his slaves in all states. Ameen." 

The Qutb Sidi Abdellaziz b. Masoud Dabbagh (may Allah sanctify his secret) said about the difference Way of thankfulness (shukr) and the way of exertion and spiritual exercises (mujahadah), which is loftier?,

"(..) In the first (Shadhili) Path, the Opening (Fath) is only obtained by the believer (mu’min) knower (‘arif) beloved (habib) close one (qarib), in distinction with the second (Ghazali) Path, in which one hears of certain monks and rabbis undertaking physical acts of spiritual striving through which they attain to some degrees and ranks. In all of this we speak of physical and spiritual acts of striving and exertion in an absolute sense, regardless if they come from someone on the Path of truth or falsehood, and we are not referring specifically to the Riyadah of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (may Allah be pleased with him), for he is a true leader and a real saint." (Kitab al-Ibriz)

Fourteen Misleading Veils  

It is reported in Kitab al-Ibriz (The pure gold in the sayings of Sidi Abdellaziz Dabbagh), 

“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 (Sidi Abdellaziz Dabbagh) said—God be pleased with him: 'That man gained great profit?'

Yet from the veils that prevent the unlucky people from the identification and belief of the Friends of God so that the wise pays attention to them are the following: 

Warning: Beware of the Veil of Contemporaneity (‘Hijab al-Mu’asara) 

It has come to us in “Tijani al-Ghawani fi Shar’h Jawahir al-Maani” (The Crown of the Melodious Singers in the Explanation of Jawahir al-Maʼani) by Abil Abbas Sidi Ahmed Skirej al-Fasi

The Main Reason for the Rejection and Exclusion of the the Disciple from the Sufi Guide

Al-Khalifa al-Akbar Sidi al-Haj Ali inn Sidi al-Arabi Harazem Berrada al-Fasi (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Mawlana Abil Abbas Sidi Ahmed Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him) said in the Epistle of Bounty and Gratitude to all the Tijani Companions and Confidants,

Be informed that the things that are behind the disciple’s exclusion are of four kinds:

1. The first case is the genuine objective of the disciple;
2. The second is the disciple’s objection through the tongue and the heart;
3. The third is the disciple’s dilemma from the human appearance of the Shaykh;
4. The Shaykh sacredness’ decline from the murid’s heart.

In a detailed manner, whether the objectives or aims are to be worldly or spiritual ones, it is obvious that the Shaykh accompanies only what is for Allah the exalted and companionship can be divided in two distinct things: First the disciple is to give allegiance to his Shaykh on Allah’s terms saying: this Shaykh is a saint of Allah and I am to give him my allegiance on the basis of the Prophet’s (peace and blessing be upon him) Hadith: “I will declare a war to those who oppose or become hostile to my friend (wali)”, and  it goes without saying that  the above Hadith has another deep meaning regarding those who make allegiance to the true Wali who has been  selected and chosen and here resides the great secret of the Divine presence to the disciples. The second issue is that the disciple is to know that the Shaykh belongs to the Servant‘s presence ('hadhra) and he should be well aware what is needed from courtesy and ethics within this presence and what are the elements harming such presence and in respect to that he is to accompany the Shaykh for guidance and making him close to the Lord and in another terms companionship is only for these two attributes. Moreover, and once the disciple is duly informed about the genuine belief that Almighty Allah is to be worshipped not on a determined aim but rather as a Lord deserving such worship, likewise the Shaykh is also to be accompanied not an worldly aim but on a Divinely based allegiance, and for such reason the Shaykh is to punish and harass the disciple who is  to follow his lust and wicked whims, as in this case the disciple in doing so, he is certainly rejecting the teachings of Islam and thus becoming a disbeliever in view of his wrong doings.

 

The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) in a Hadith: “There is no God being worshipped under the dome of the sky beside Allah than lust following”, on this basis it is crystal clear for the disciple not to be angry in case his tendency and aim do not match that of the Shaykh, as the Shaykh is surely much better knowledgeable about the disciple own interests, otherwise and if the disciple is still stubborn towards the Shaykh’s wisdom and bright guidance, then no alternative is left for the Shaykh but to dismiss and exclude this disciple from the Divine presence. Furthermore, the opposition through the heart and the tongue is like a sword cutting the existing rope between the Shaykh and the disciple it may sound to the disciple that the Shaykh is over crossing some limits in terms of the inner and outer side of this knowledge, but still the Shaykh is on the Sharia path although some of the disciples and other people do not and in any way know the gist of the matter.

 

As for the dilemma and incomprehensive attitude that may be reserved by the disciple to the human appearance of the Shaykh, such attitude emanates from the disciple‘s ignorance on the principle that Almighty Allah can appear “Attajali” in different forms either on the perfect or the missing forms towards his servants and that is the Divine will and destiny. Hence, it is quite an obligatory pattern for every Shaykh or man of knowledge to accommodate a certain paradox within his self and surely the missing or shortcoming side is to be elevated to the perfect one, and it may appear to the disciple that he sees a shortcoming in the person of his Shaykh whether from the Sharia side or from some general ethics, in this context he has to recall what has been earlier mentioned from deep meanings, and generally speaking and  whatever the disciple may think about his Shaykh, still the Shaykh remains within the “Al-'Hadhra al-Ilahia” (divine presence) and does not at all exclude him from God’s closeness. As it is, the disciple once he knows such paramount features related to his Shaykh, he is not to scornfully despise the human side of his Shaykh, as it is a common view that the disciple always seeks the righteous rank so as to be closer to God’s circle, and whenever he is looking forward to this sublime rank, it is normal that he does not want to see on his path discrepancies and shortcomings, but in terms of spiritual logics perfection cannot be seen in its deep meaning free from some flaws unless it is located in the three following higher ranks: the Divine Message, the Prophethood and the poleness (qutbaniya) for those who entered its presence, hence as for these three sublime attributes, no shortcomings or flaws are to be ever found. But still, it may appear to some that they are still some shortcomings that are basically calculated though flagrant ignorance, for that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said in a Hadith: “What is the matter with some people who disdain the thing I do, by Allah I am most knowledgeable and most God fearing”.

The worst thing that can happen to the disciple is the fall of the Shaykh’s sanctity ('hurma) in his eyes, such false vision is surely a barrier from Almighty Allah and this sanctity’s fall is a result of his indifference to God’s prescriptions, as the real and effective conditions linking the disciple to his Shaykh reside in the exclusive and primary respect and love towards his master as likewise those equalling the love and respect of our Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) to that of the former Prophets of Allah are indeed in a stray path. Acknowledging such prophethood rank, the disciple is not to equal anyone other than his Shaykh from the rest of people and what may cause dismay and ingratitude is any opening (al-fath) upon the disciple is not to be reckon on the Shaykh’s credit, as whatever glad tidings or spiritual knowledge or opening are  indeed emanating from the Divine presence. It is indeed a clear issue that anyone denying the opening or spiritual light to any other corner than that of the 'Hadra, consequently this light will return to its original place, likewise the Holy Quran has informed us to impute sons to their fathers as it is clearly stated: “Call them by the names of their fathers, that is juster in the sight of Allah” (Quran 33:1). On this basis the one who deliberately impute such a light or opening other than to the Divine presence, this person has indeed violated the adab (courtesy) and has lied upon Almighty Allah, whereas the Divine presence cannot accommodate lies and calumny, therefore exclusion and dismissal are the only answer to this ill fated person. Be informed that all these above conditions which were duly laid down by Sidna Shaykh (may Allah be satisfied with him) have been mainly ignored by the other Shaykhs in their books, and as a result of this shortcoming, it is the disciple who eventually paid on the expenses of his faith and thus becomes a lightless man, thus it is imperative to all disciples to have a very close range regarding these conditions.

Limitation of Sufi Hagiographies

The great scholar Sidi Ahmed Ibn Moubarak al-Lamti (d. 1156/1741) reports in  Kitab Al-Ibriz that his shaykh al-Qutb Sidi Abdellaziz ibn Masoud Dabbagh (d. 1132/1717) said,

And I heard him say—God be pleased with him: 'Those who compile writings about the thaumaturgic gifts of the Friends of God—God be pleased with them—though they benefit the people by informing them about the Friends, also do them great harm because they confine themselves to relating miracles and relate nothing of the ephemeral things that are done by the Friends who possess these gifts. Anyone reading their words and seeing miracle after miracle, one case of the power of free disposal after another, and one unveiling after another, will imagine the Friend of God has no lack of power when it comes to something he desires and that nothing in the way of offenses ever issues from him, not even on the level of appearances. Thus the reader falls into grave ignorance, thinking the Friend of God is characterized by one of the qualities of divine Lordliness, namely that he can do whatever he wishes and is unaffected by any incapacity. And the reader thinks the Friend is characterized by one of the qualities of prophethood, namely sinlessness (‘isma).

Now the first matter belongs to the special attributes of Lordliness and God the Sublime didn't confer it on his noble apostles, so bow would he confer it on his Friends? God the Sublime said to His Prophet—God's blessings and peace be upon him: "None of the matter is to do with you, whether He turns toward them or punishes them. For they are evildoers.” (Quran 3:128) “And He said: "You don't guide whomever you please but God guides whomever He wishes" (Quran 28:56)

And the Prophet said—God's blessings and peace be upon him: “I asked my Lord—He is mighty and glorious—for two things and He bestowed them on me. And I asked him for two more things but He refused them to me.” God the Sublime said: "Say: 'He is able to send punishment upon you from above you..." (Quran 6:65) And I (the Prophet) exclaimed: I seek protection [from this) with Your noble face”, and God said: "I have granted it." "...or from under your feet.." (Quran 6:65). And I exclaimed: "I seek protection [from this] with Your noble face", and God said: "I have granted it" "...or to confuse you in sects.." (Quran 6:65). And I exclaimed: "I seek protection (from this] with your noble face", but God said: "It has already been decreed." "..and to make you taste the violence of one another" (Quran 6:65). And I exclaimed: “I seek protection [from this) with Your noble face", but God said: "It has already been decreed.”

God the Sublime replied to Noah's request to save his son from drowning [as follows]: "And Noah called lo his Lord and said; 'My Lord, my son is of my family and Your promise is surely the truth. You're the most just of those who judge.' God said: 'Oh Noah, he isn't of your family. It isn't a righteous deed. Don't ask Me what you have no knowledge of. I admonish you lest you should be among the ignorant"' (Quran 11:45). And God the Sublime said: "God has formulated a similitude for the unbelievers—the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot- They were under two of Our righteous bondsmen bat they betrayed them so they were of DO avail at all for them against God" (Quran 66:10).

Today if people see that a Friend of God invokes God but his prayer isn't answered or they see that his son isn't on the right path or that his wife isn't godfearing, they say: “He isn't a Friend of God. For if he were a Friend of God, God would answer his prayer. And if he were a Friend of God, he'd set right the people of his house." They think the Friend of God can set right someone other than himself, even though he isn't able to set himself right. God the Sublime has said: "If not for God's generosity to you and His mercy, not one of you would ever have been pure but God renders pure whom He wishes" (Quran 24:21).

As for the second matter, namely sinlessness (‘isma), it's one of the characteristics of prophethood, and Friendship with God doesn't compete with prophethood. He said—God be pleased with him: The food which appears on the part of the Friend of God is actually due to the blessing of the Prophet—God's blessings and peace be upon bun—since faith (iman) which is the cause of that good has come to him through the mediation of the Prophet—God's blessings and peace be upon him! As for the body of the Friend of God, it's like all bodies, with the exception of the prophets—blessings and peace be upon them! The prophets are naturally disposed to sinlessness and in their nature is knowledge of God the Sublime and fear of God. Therefore they have no need of a law to follow and no need of a teacher to benefit from. The truth residing in their bodies—which is the letter (‘harf) of prophethood inherent in them—conducts them along the proper track and the righteous path.'

He said—God be pleased with him: 'Were it the intention of those who compile writings on thaumaturgic gifts to explain the state of the Friend of God they write about, if they recounted what occurred to him after Illumination in the way of enduring upright matters as well as ephemeral matters, people would come to know the Friends of God in reality. They'd know the Friend of God sometimes raises up a prayer of supplication and it's answered, but sometimes it isn't answered. He wishes for something and sometimes it's granted, but sometimes it isn't granted. This is just as happened with the noble prophets and the apostles—blessing and peace be upon them! What's additional in the case of the Friend of God is that sometimes obedience appears upon his limbs and sometimes wrongdoing appears upon them like with alt people. But the Friend of God is distinguished from them by one thing, namely the divine insights (ma'arif) God the Sublime has assigned him and the illuminations He's conferred on him. Despite that, disobedience manifests itself in him but this is (only] according to what appears to us and not in reality. For the vision (mushahada) be experiences rejects disobedience and it binders sin, though not in a way that goes as far us sinlessness so that Friendship with God competes with prophethood. Hindrance to sin in the prophets is essential (dhati), where in the Friends of God it's contingent ('aradi). It's possible for it to disappear in the Friends of God but it can't disappear in the prophets.

The secret behind this is what was previously explained, namely that the good of prophets comes from their bodies (dkawSi), whereas the good of the Friends of God comes from other than their bodies. Thus the sinlessness of the prophets is essential, whereas the sinlessness of the Friends of God is contingent. So if the perfect knower of God commits an act of disobedience, it's only to do with appearances (surati), not with reality (haqiqi). His intention is to use it to test and examine the person who witnesses it. This involves secrets. We beseech God the Sublime to give us success in believing in His Friends, the way He has given us success in believing in His prophets—blessings and peace be upon them!'

And he said—God be pleased with him: 'Whoever knows the life (sira) of the Prophet—God's blessings and peace be upon him—with regard to his food and drink, his sleep and his waking, and all his circumstances in his house, and knows his life with regard to his wars and military expeditions, how fortune at times favored him and other times turned against him, and how people requested a group of his Companions from him but then went and betrayed them as in the case of the expedition of al-Raji’ and the expedition of Bi’r Ma'una, and whoever knows what happened in the incident of Hudaybiya and other similar cases— and all of this involves Lordly secrets about which God the Sublime informed our Prophet—God's blessings and peace be upon him—for such an individual acquaintance with the Friends of God is easy. He won't consider important the ephemeral matters and the human characteristics that he sees in their exterior.

It's incumbent on an intelligent person who loves goodness and the people of goodness to read frequently the life of the Prophet—Cod's blessings and peace be upon him! This will guide him to acquaintance with the Friends who are knowers of God and nothing from their affairs will be obscure for him. This then is how much the pen is capable of clarifying. A hint to the sensible and the wise is sufficient! God alone confers success!'

And I heard him say—God be pleased with him: 'A man may hear of a Friend of God in a distant country and create for himself an image of the Friend that corresponds to the miracles reported about him. If he then finds him to be different from the image previously formed in his mind, be harbors doubt about whether the person is a Friend of God.

Then be related—God be pleased with him: 'A man in Algiers heard about a Friend of God in Fez. Many miracles by the Friend were reported to him. He created for himself an image of the Friend as being a great shaykh with an awe-inspiring presence and he set out to meet him to acquire some of his secrets. When he reached the city of Fez, he asked for die Friend of God's house and was directed to it He thought the Friend would have doormen stationed at the entrance to his house. He knocked at the door and the Friend of God came out. The visitor said: "Oh Sayyidi, I'd like you to advise me as to the whereabouts of my lord the shaykh—for he thought the person who came out to him was the doorman. The Friend said to him: "The person you've come from your country to see and for whose sake you've journeyed for a month or more is none other than myself." The man said: "Oh Sayyidi, I'm a foreigner and I've come to the shaykh in great longing. Direct me to him and may God have mercy on you!" He spoke like this because when he looked at the Friend of God, he didn't perceive any sign in him or an awesome appearance. The Friend said to him: "Oh poor wretch, I'm the one you seek. The visitor said: "I tell you I'm a foreigner. I've asked you to anew me to the shaykh but you're mocking me.” The Friend said to him: "As God is my witness I'm not mocking you!" At that the visitor exclaimed: "God is your sufficiency!”, and he departed. This was because he found the Friend different from the image he'd formed of him in his thought.

I, Shaykh al-Lamati, would add that many a person has railed for this reason. If someone reads books written about the miracles of the Friends of God, he pictures the Friend more or less in accordance with what he's heard in the books. If he then compares this image with the Friends of God of his own era, he has doubts about all of them due to the characteristics be sees in them that aren't recorded in the books. Had he witnessed the Friends of God whose miracles have been recorded before their miracles were recorded, he'd have perceived some characteristics in them that he disapproves of in the people of his own era. In some persons ignorance may reach the point that they deny Friendship with God to anyone among the people of their own era because of the constraints established in their minds concerning Friendship with God and its actualization by means of rules. If someone applies these rules to a person among the people of his own time, he finds they don't fit that person and so he denies Friendship with God to him. The result is he comes to believe in a general Friend of God who has no existence in the external world. He doesn't know that Friendship with God is purely a question of God the Sublime choosing His bondsman and no creature among created beings is capable of defining it precisely.

Ulama 

A story connected with this subject took place between a jurist from the people of the present day and age, and myself (Shaykh Lamti). What happened is he brought me one of the books of the Sufis in which the conditions and the rules of Friendship with God are recounted as well as what the Friend of God who's adopted as a shaykh should be like. He said to me: “I want you to hear from me what's said in this book about Friendship with God and the conditions for being a Friend.' I knew what he was hinting at and that he intended to denounce someone who was referred to as a Friend of God. He wanted to read me what was in the book and if I acquiesced to it. He'd force me to accept the denial and objection in his interior against the Friends of God—He is mighty and glorious! So I said to him: 'Don't read me what's in the book until you answer a question for me. Once you've answered me, read me whatever you wish. Tell me whether the author of this book has folly comprehended God's treasure-chambers. His bestowal of gifts and His awesome sovereignty? Or is be as al-Khadir said to Moses'—peace be upon him: "Compared with God's knowledge the smallness of my knowledge and your knowledge is surely like the smallness of this sparrow's sip of water from the sea."?

Now if you say: "He fully comprehends God's sovereignty and His treasure-chambers" “declare it so I may hear it from you.' The jurist said: 'God forbid we should say such a thing.' [And I said:] If you reply: "He's like what al-Khadir said to Moses—peace be upon them!”', then silence would be more appropriate for him. He's like the ant that had a liny hole where he took refuge and dwelt. Coining forth from it, he found a grain of wheat and was delighted with it. He brought it into his dwelling and his delight led him to begin shouting and calling out: "Oh all you ants, no one but me has a place of refuge? J alone am well-off!'"

Then I said to him: 'Really, you're tiring your throat and causing pain to your head without profit How is it right for someone who knows that the knowledge of Moses and al-Khadir compared with God's knowledge is like a sparrow's sip of water from the sea, to make a decision about the noble Lord and say: To this person He doesn't show mercy and on this one He doesn't confer illumination, and this fellow isn't a Friend of God, and the rules of Friendship don't apply to this one, nor do they fie this fellow."? Now if God the Sublime shows mercy to a bondsman who's an infidel and gives him faith, and then straightway confers illumination on him, what principle still remains pertaining to Friendship with God? If you're told that the sultan who's contingent, weak and has been put in charge of the people, makes his slave So-and-so rich, obstructs the noble free-man So-and-so, and rewards the Jew So-and-so in this way and that, you wouldn't regard it as implausible because you believe no one rivals him when it comes to his sovereignty. If you believe this with regard to a contingent king, how can you deny it to the eternal King—He is exalted—based on your rules and your principles? For surely you believe that He is: "An accomplisher of what He wishes" (Quran 85:16) and: "One Who prevails in His purpose" (Quran 12:21).

 And the jurist replied: 'What you say is correct. By God, it's the truth!” Then folding up his book, he added: 'If we were to say these authors comprehend God's knowledge, how wretched would be what we said! And if we said they don't comprehend even a trifle of His knowledge, we must necessarily not pot a restraint on God on the basis of their principles. So if they were silent, it would certainly be more appropriate for them. The rightly guided one is he whom God guides, and how many persons have been rightly guided before these principles nod rules existed! God alone confers success!'

Another debate occurred between myself and a man of poverty (faqir) devoted in service to the godly men—God be pleased with them! What happened was that both I and he often frequented one of the Friends of God. When that Friend of God died, I began to frequent another Friend. He, on the other band, remained in the retreat (zawiya) of the first one. One day he met me and said: “Oh So-and-so, I'd like your advice.” I replied: 'Gladly! I'm at your service: But I already understood his purpose. He said: 'You were previously with Sayyidi So-and-so and his Friendship with God wasn't doubted by [even] two people. Nowadays you've gone to someone else. You're like a person who abandons pearls and rubies, and exchanges them for stones.' I asked: 'Are you speaking on the basis of a deeper insight (nostra) or on the basis of something other than a deeper insight? If your words are based on a deeper insight, tell It to us so we may tell you what we possess. If what you say is based on other than a deeper insight, tell us its proof: He replied to me: 'It's as evident as the sun.” I said to him: 'If someone says to you: "Your words distance you from God and bring you closer to Satan", you'd reply to him: "What's your proof?” If he says: It's as evident as the sun”, what would you answer him? He fell silent and didn't know what to say.

I said to him: 'I've thought about your proof and occupied my mind with your demonstration. But there's only one thing I've found as proof for you.” He asked me: 'And what's that?” I said: 'You believe you're a partner with God in His sovereignty inasmuch as He doesn't bestow anything and doesn't confer illumination except with your permission. Conferral of illumination on a man you disapprove of doesn't occur with your permission and God the Sublime isn't able to confer it except with your permission. In this way it's possible for you to deny the upright bondsman of God. if you believed chat God has no partner in His sovereignty and no one competes with Him in His bestowing gifts, you'd acquiesce to those good things God's bondsmen have had bestowed on them by their Lord—He is mighty and glorious!” At that the man of poverty exclaimed: 'I turn to God the Sublime in repentance? I turn to God the Sublime in repentance! I turn to God the Sublime in repentance! What you say is the truth. By God., we're no more than meddlesome prattlers. Whatever we denied was done in falsehood. God alone confers success.

And understand—God give you success—that the Friend of God who's received illumination knows the truth and what's correct, nor is he confined to any one school of religious law (madhhab). If all the schools of religious law were nullified, he'd be able to bring the divine law (shari’a) back to life. How could this be otherwise? The Prophet—God's blessings and peace be upon him—is never absent from him for the blinking of an eye, nor does he ever emerge for an Instant from the vision of God— great is His glory! Consequently, he knows the purpose of the Prophet—God's blessings and peace be upon him—and the purpose of God—great is His glory—with regard to His religiously binding prescriptions and other things. Now if this is so, he's proof against others and no others are proof against him, for he's closer to the truth than someone who hasn't received illumination. So how is it permitted to deny someone of this description and to say he's offended against So-and-so's school of religious Jaw in such-and-such a matter? If you hear the latter, then whoever wishes to deny the Friend of God endowed with illumination necessarily falls into one of the following categories:

Either he is ignorant of the divine law which is most often the case with people of denial—and this person isn't fit to express denial, for the blind man can never deny someone with sight and it would be better for him to occupy himself with removing his ignorance.

Or he's a scholar of one particular school of religious law who's ignorant of the other schools, and he'd only express denial if he believed truth was exclusive to his school and he wouldn't go beyond it to any other school, and this belief isn't held by anyone among the Assenters (al-musawwiba) or among the Faultfinders (al-mukhatti'a).  As for the Assenters, they believe that truth is in every school of religious law and all of the schools are correct in their view. God's judgment (hukm) in their view is as numerous as the opinions of independent scholars of jurisprudence (mujtahid). Whoever holds the opinion that something is forbidden with regard to a legal judgment, for him that's God's judgment. Whoever holds the opinion that the very same thing is permissible, for him this is God's judgment. As for the Faultfinders, in their view God's judgment is one, not multiple, and only one position is correct However, they don't confine what's correct to one school of religious law. Rather the truth in a particular legal judgment is the opinion of a leading authority (imam). In another legal judgment it's the opinion of a different authority, it would thus be better for the denier to occupy himself with removing this false belief.

Or he's a scholar of the Four Schools of religious law. Yet it isn't possible for him to express denial either, unless he believed the truth had been banned from the ways of following schools of jurisprudence (madahib) other than the four established schools of the religious scholars, ways such as that of al-Thawri, al-Awza'i, 'Ata, Ibn Jurayj, ‘Ikrima, Mujahid, Mamar, Abd al-Razzaq, al-Bukhari and Muslim, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Khuzayma, Ibn al-Mundhir, Tawus, al-Nakha”i, Qatada, and others among the Followers as well as their adherents back to the Ways of the Companions—God be pleased with them one and all! But due is a false belief. Occupying himself with a remedy for it would be better than occupying himself with denial of the Friends of God who've received illumination. Now if you've reached this point, you've understood that in reality denial is only permitted to someone who's thoroughly comprehended the divine law (thari'd) and the only one who's thoroughly comprehended the law is the Prophet—God's blessings and peace be upon him—and his perfect heirs such as the Supports in every age—God be pleased with them! As for anyone else, their silence would be better for them, if they had any understanding. And what we're talking about is denial of the people of truth among those who've received illumination. As for the people of darkness and error, their circumstances are clear to whoever examines them.

Someone asked permission from his shaykh to deny the Friends of God who possess the truth and have received illumination. He said to the shaykh: 'Oh Sayyidi, I'll only deny them on the basis of the scales of divine law. Anyone I find who's upright I'll accept and anyone I find deviating I'll deny.' His shaykh replied to bun: I am afraid you won't have all the weights [as a counterpoise] necessary for weighing. If you only have some of the weights and not others, your scales won't be correct.' Here he's referring to what was previously mentioned about expressing denial while being ignorant.

I was with a person endowed with cleverness and intelligence and he heard someone pose a question to a Friend of God who'd received illumination. The Question was about the surah that follows the Fatiha (Umm al-Quran), namely; 'If someone performing the ritual prayers forgets the surah and arranges prostration as compensation' for it but then forgets the prostration up to the point that he says salam and much time has gone by, are his prayers then invalid because of omitting the compensatory prostration—on the basis that the surah contains three customary observances (sunan)? Or is this not the case, on the basis that the surah doesn't contain three customary observances? The shaykh al-Hattab and others as well hold the tint view, whereas the commentators on the Risala [of Ibn Abi Zayd] hold the second view. And the questioner asked this Friend of God who'd received illumination to specify for him what was the truth in God the Sublime's view. The Friend replied quickly: The truth in God the Sublime's view is that forgetting the surah in no way obligates one to perform a prostration and if someone performs a prostration because of it, his prayers are invalid.” And the Friend of God was a common person with no formal education. The questioner knew him and knew the elevation of his rank with regard to illumination. So when he heard his answer, he knew it was the truth without any doubt.

As for the man with cleverness and intelligence, he experienced doubt and uncertainty. He said to the questioner after they'd left the Friend's presence: 'Surely this man—i.e. the Friend of God—'is ignorant and knows nothing. Look how ignorant he is about God's judgment in this obvious matter. He says: "If someone omits the surah, he doesn't have to perform a prostration. But Ibn Rushd (d. 595/1198) considers the surah to be among the confirmed customary observances, just as he considers reciting it out loud or silently to be among such observances.” The questioner replied: "The Friend who's received illumination isn't restricted to a school of religious law but he circulates with the truth wherever it circulates.” The clever man, who was a scholar of religious learning, said: “We never go beyond the teachings of our Imam Malik.

The questioner replied: 'What the Friend endowed with illumination said is what Ashhab transmits from Malik, the way the latter reports it in the Tawdif” He transmits from the imam that the surah is recommended but it isn't a customary practice (sunna). Moreover, this is the teaching (madhhab) of al-Shafi’i— God be pleased with him—whose view is that the surah is one of the external forms that impart [additional] good but isn't one of the customary practices. If someone performs a prostration in its place, his ritual prayers are invalid. Now our question to the Friend of God was that he specify the truth without any restriction. This isn't exclusive to what's known in Malik's school of religious law. He's specified what we asked him about This accords with a particular report transmitted from Malik and it's also the way (madhhab) followed by al-Shafi’i”—God be pleased with the two of them! So what responsibility rested with the Friend of God with regard to his answer?

This was the reply the questioner gave. When the clever man heard it, he was cut off and he didn't know what to say. I would add that such is the manner and the habit of the deniers. All you find in their case is sheer deficiency!

I had a discussion on this same subject with one of the eminent jurists among our shaykhs—God be pleased with them! He said to me one day: 'Oh So-and-so, I'd like to give you some advice out of affection and complete friendship toward you.” I replied: 'Oh Sayyidi. please do. I should be glad to hear it-” Then he said-—God be pleased with him: The people are on one side and you're all alone on the other side, concerning a man whose unveiling and Friendship with God you acknowledge. The people are critical in his regard, whereas you believe in him. But it's impossible that you're right all by yourself. And he spoke along these lines, this being the gist of what he said.

I replied: 'Your advice to me would be complete, oh Sayyidi, if you'd answer me what I'm about to ask you. Answer this and your advice will be complete and your reward will be with God.' He said to me—God be pleased with him: 'Ask whatever you wish.' I asked: “Oh Sayyidi, have you met the man, heard his words, and discussed any matters, with him so that what the people say became clear to you?' He replied to me: 'I've never met him and I've never seen him.” Due to the affection and friendship between us I cast aside shame and modesty, and I said to him: 'It surely seems to me, oh Sayyidi, that you've done the reverse of what's correct. You've sought certainty in the domain of opinion where no certainty is possible and in the domain of certainty you've let yourself be satisfied with opinion or even with doubt, nay but even a lie and falsehoods.' He replied to me—God be pleased with him: 'Explain to me what you mean by these words.

I said to him: 'When you study religious jurisprudence (fiqh) and passages are cited for you from the Mudawwana or the Tabsira of al-Lakhmi (d. 478/1085) or the Haydn of Ibn Rushd (d. 520/1126) or the Jawahir of Ibn Shas (d. 610/1213) and from a compendium of jurisprudence like these, if it's possible to consult these sources and to see them for yourself, surely you don't rely on the quotation of an intermediary, even if the intermediary is someone such as Ibn Marzuq (d. 564/1169) and al-Hattab and the Tawdih and others like that. This is the domain of opinion but it's as if you're seeking certainty and so you aren't satisfied with the quotation of trustworthy, established witnesses but you approach the matter directly for yourself. Yet in this area certainty is never possible. What you do is master stronger opinion against opinion which is weaker than it. After all, quotation by the said intermediaries is closer to what's correct 1) because they're closer in time to the authors of the Six Compendia [of the canonical hadiths]. Indeed, they're closer to them than we are without a doubt. And 2) because the manuscripts available to the intermediary on these principles of jurisprudence (usul) have been transmitted by one of the paths for transmitting reports. But in our case we have no direct report about them and no sound manuscripts dealing with them. It's even possible that your manuscript copy contains additions and omissions. So with what certainty do you reject al-Hattab's quotation from them, given that he benefits from the two points mentioned, whereas you don't?

As for your being satisfied with opinion in the domain where certainty is possible, this man, about whom you've heard what you've heard, exists, is alive and is present with you in the city and no great distance separates the two of you. Coming to know him is a felicity not followed by wretchedness, if God bestows success in loving him and according him leadership. It's perfectly possible for yon to go before him and then to believe in him, know happiness and win profit, or to criticize him and go away. You'll experience certainty with regard to one of these attitudes and the darkness of doubt will disappear from your heart. But in this profitable matter and likely good, whose benefit is assured and whose possessor attains success, you're satisfied with the transmission of godless men and liars. It's been your regular practice, in the domain of opinion and little profit, not to be satisfied with the transmission of trustworthy, reliable men but to engage in the matter directly for yourself. So shouldn't you proceed the same way in this domain which is the domain of certainty, the benefit of which is pure felicity? Isn't your behavior—God be pleased with you—the reverse of what's correct?'

The jurist said—God be pleased with him: 'You've silenced me with this argument By God, I'll never be able to give an answer to it- Bear witness that I turn to God in repentance—He is mighty and glorious! I said to the shaykh in question: 'In that case you must follow my example for two particular reasons. Firstly, you know my deeper vision concerning things. Secondly, you know I've kept company with the said man for many years. So I know what no one else knows about him. As for those liars and godless persons, most of them like yourself have never met him. They depend instead on hearsay which has no basis to it and the cause for this is that they're excluded and forsaken [by God]. We beseech God for success, through His grace. His generosity and His nobility!” The jurist said—God be pleased with him: 'There's nothing to add to what you say.'

Next another jurist met me and he was one of the shaykhs of the previous jurist He said to me: 'So-and-so tells me you have a cogent argument for every opponent.” Then he looked at the previously mentioned jurist and said: 'Didn't you tell me So-and-so said this and that to you?” He replied: 'Yes, I did.' The two of them then said together. 'With those words you've severed our back.

I would add that these two jurists are the very top of their category among the people of this day and age. No one in their era has attained their level. As for the people of denial below these two, most of them depend on hearsay which has no basis to it as previously indicated. The most clever among them, with regard to his denial, relies on saying: 'We used to know Sayyidi So-and-so and he wasn't like this”—he means here that the person being denounced wasn't like Sayyidi So-and-so. He doesn't know that flowers are of many kinds, and as for the palm-tree: “Palms in pairs and palms single, watered with one water. And some of them We give preference above others with regard to fruit Surely there are signs in that for a people who understand” (Quran 13:4).

I entered a garden in the season of spring with the Shaykh— God be pleased with him! For a white he looked at the variety of its flowers and its blossoms. Then he lifted his head to me and said: 'Whoever wishes to know the variety of the Friends of God and the difference between them in halting-stations and states despite their being rightly guided and correct end their sweetness in the hearts of the people, let him look at the variety of these blossoms and flowers with their sweetness in hearts: But if he says: 'Sayyidi So-and-so whom I knew wasn't like this', confining God's mercy to the Friend of God he was acquainted with, then he's rendered narrow what's spacious. When the bedouin who urinated in the mosque said: “Oh Lord God, have mercy on me and on Mohammed but don't have mercy on anyone besides us! The Prophet—God's blessings and peace be upon him—said to him: 'Verily, you've fenced in what's spacious.”  And if what [the critic} said is because he thinks all who've been shown mercy must be like the Friend of God he was acquainted with, it's been previously stated that they consist of a variety of kinds. Moreover, the criticism would have to be uniformly applied. Thus this objection would also apply to the Friend of God he knew. Surely he wasn't like the Friend of God who went before him. If it's objected that the third wasn't like the second, it's objected that the second wasn't like the first who went before him.

I've discussed this subject at length and recounted these debates that took place between myself and the jurists—God be pleased with them—out of a desire that good should come to the group of jurists and students of religious learning, and out of love for them and by way of sincere advice. For they've been afflicted with denial of the pious, virtuous and pure lords in all the generations and the ages throughout all the rural districts, villages and big cities. But their denial doesn't go beyond what I've mentioned on this subject. Indeed, whoever among them is just and thinks over what we've written here will change his stance. The truth will become evident for him and what's correct will appear to him. I've so often engaged in debate with the jurists on this subject, thinking (hat they based their denial on genuine matters. But when I examined them I found the matter as I've described it to you. But God is the guide to what's correct. There's no Lord except Him and no good except His good' “In Him I have put my trust and to Him I turn in repentance.” (Quran 11:88)

Exterior of the Friend of God

And I heard him say—God be pleased with him: 'One shouldn't look at the exterior of the Friend of God and weigh (matters] in accordance with it. Whoever does so will forfeit this world and the world to come. Wondrous and marvelous things are contained in the Friend of God's interior. He can only be compared to a piece of wool with a piece of silk inside it that's only revealed in the hereafter. It's the reverse with anyone who isn't a Friend of God. They're like a piece of silk that contains a piece of woof inside it God protect us from this situation!'

And let's write down the many reasons we've heard from the Shaykh—God be pleased with him—for the appearance of offenses in the exterior of the Friend of God. These were scattered (remarks) that we've collected together here, And so we say the following:

I heard him say—God be pleased with him: 'One of the strictly truthful (siddiqin) Friends of God had a sincere disciple who loved him very much. God caused the disciple to be aware of the secrets of his Friendship with God so that be exaggerated his love for him. He almost considered his shaykh to be in the halting-station of prophethood. God then made the shaykh appear to have committed the sin of fornication, as a mercy on behalf of the said disciple. When the disciple saw this, he renounced that exaggeration in belief and accorded his shaykh his rightful place. God then bestowed illumination on the disciple.' Shaykh Sidi Abdellaziz Dabbagh said—God be pleased with him: 'Had the disciple persisted in his first belief, he'd have become one of the infidel apostates. We beseech God for protection from this!

He said—God be pleased with him: 'This is one of the secrets regarding things that appeared in connection with the Prophet— God's blessings and peace be upon him—such as in the case of pollinating the palm-trees when he said: "If you didn't do it they'd [still] turn out well." So then they omitted the pollination and bad dates resulted, i.e. the dates were no good.

Another one was that he said—God's blessings and peace be upon him: "I beheld in a dream that we entered the Holy Mosque [in Mecca] in safety, having shaved and cut our hair.” Then he came forth—blessings and peace be upon him—with his noble Companions—God be pleased with them—but the polytheists drove them off and they only entered a year later. And there were other cases hike chat. God—He is sublime and exalted—did these things with his noble Prophet lest the Companions believe he was endowed with divinity. And that's why God the Sublime said: "You don't guide whomever you please, but God guides whomever He wishes" (Quran 28:36). And God the Sublime said: "You have no part in the matter" (Quran 3:128), and other things like that. And the purpose in all this is concentration on God—He is exalted! But God knows best!

And I heard him say—God be pleased with him: The perfect Friend of God varies in accordance with the hearts and intentions of those who seek him. Whoever has a pure intention will see him in perfection itself. Miracles appear to him from the Friend and what's pleasing. But whoever has a bad attention will experience the opposite of this. In reality, what appears to each (106) individual is only what's attractive and ugly in his own interior. The Friend of God is like a mirror in which attractive and ugly images are revealed. For whomever perfection and guidance toward God appear from the Friend, let him praise God—He is blessed and exalted! For whomever something other than this appears let him seek the cause with himself.'

Shaykh Sidi Abdellaziz Dabbagh said—God be pleased with him; 'If God wants the wretchedness of a group and their lack of benefiting through the Friend of God. He employs him in the wickedness and disobedience they're engaged in and they think the Friend is like themselves. But that's not how he is. As a result, the Friend, in his state of Friendship with God, is represented as sitting with a company who drink wine and ax drinking wine with them. And so they think he's a wine-drinker. In fact, his spirit has taken on a particular form and makes appear what it makes appear. In reality, the form is non-existent. Actually, it's the shadow of his body. It behaves as they behave, like an image that appears in a minor. Thus if you begin to speak, it speaks and if you start to eat, it eats. If yon begin to drink, it drinks. If you sum laughing. It laughs and if you undertake motion, it moves. It imitates you in everything that comes forth from you. But in reality neither eating nor anything else comes forth from it because it's the shadow of your body, not something real. So if God wishes the wretchedness of a group, the Friend of God appears with them by means of the shadow of his body and begins to practice whatever they practice. But God alone confers success!

And I heard him say—God be pleased with him: The Friend of God considers the interior of the persons who seek him. As for their exterior, it's of no consequence to him. The seekers comprise four categories. One category has an exterior that's equal to its interior with regard to belief. This is the happiest category. Another category has an exterior that's equal to its interior in disapproval. And this is the most far afield. Another category that a believing exterior but its interior is disapproving.  This is the most harmful of the categories for foe Friend of God, as was the hypocrite in connection with the Prophet—God's blessings and peace be upon him—because if the Friend looks at his exterior and wishes to benefit him, the interior obstructs hint And if, having seen his interior, he wishes to be distant from him, the person's exterior gives him hope.'

He said'—God be pleased with him: “The Friend of God hears the speech of the interior. Just as he hears the speech of the exterior. For the Friend this category is like someone with whom two men have sat down, the one inside the other. The visible man says: "You're my lord, I submit to your command and your prohibition. I'll be obedient and follow your direction." But the one on the inside says: "You aren't a Friend of God. The people are mistaken in what they think about you. I'm in doubt about your affair and what the people say about you." And other things like this.

Now an ignorant person who isn't familiar with the interior considers this category to be equal to the first category. So if he sees the first category gain profit—and this category does obtain much good from the Friend of God—he says to himself: "Why doesn't the third category gain profit? After all, this person behaves properly and performs service himself and complies with commands and prohibitions like the first category.” Then he says to himself: "Maybe mere's some flaw and deficiency on the part of the Friend of God?" This is a wide door to discussion about shaykhs and for the intrusion of doubt about them. As for the fourth category, it has an interior which is believing and an exterior which is disapproving. One can only imagine this as coming from envy. We beseech God for protection and well-being, through His grace and His nobility—amen!"

And I questioned him one day—God be pleased with him— asking him: These sciences that emerge from you and that you speak about, do you have need of "seeking” (qasd)" and "being made use of (isti’amal)" as far as they're concerned, or not?

He replied'—God be pleased with him: The perfect Friend of God is absent in the vision of the True—He is sublime and exalted—and isn't veiled from Him for the blinking of an eye. His exterior is with mankind, and the True—He is exalted— makes use of hit exterior with the seekers according to what's been divinely preordained for them. Someone whom God has assigned mercy from a Friend, God designates that exterior for him and makes the Friend utter sciences and makes appear for him good things that are beyond description. As for someone whom God wishes ill and hasn't assigned anything from the Friend's hand. He withholds the Friend from him and prevents him from uttering divine insights. I can only make a comparison between the Friend of God with the seekers and the rock of the Israelites." If the rock were in the presence of the Friends of God the Sublime, twelve springs would gush forth from it, whereas if it were in the presence of His enemies He is exalted—not a single drop would emerge from it.'

I; al-Lamati, would add that I witnessed this numerous times in the Shaykh—God be pleased with him! If someone was before him who didn't believe in turn, not one instructive point would emerge from him. He'd be unable to talk about any of the sciences directly imparted from God (laduni) and the Lordly insights until that person got up and left And he'd counsel us, saying: 'When someone like this man is present, don't ask me anything until he gets up and leaves.' Before this counsel we were ignorant of the matter. We'd question the Shaykh and want to extract precious things and Lordly secrets from him so the man who was present would hear and repent. But when we questioned him—God be pleased with him—we found him to be like a different man whom we didn't know and who didn't know us. It was as if the sciences that appeared from him had never been of importance to him. That was until he told us what the cause was and we understood the secret behind it Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds!

And I heard him say—God be pleased with him: The great Friend of God (al-wali al-kabir) sins as far as matters appear to people but he isn't a sinner. In fact, his spirit veils his body and appears in its form. Thus, if the body engages in sin, it isn't sin. For instance, if it eats something forbidden, as soon as it places it in its mouth, it can cast it anywhere it wishes. The cause of this apparent sin is the wretchedness (damnation) of those present—God the Sublime protect us from this! Likewise, if you see a great Friend of God perform a miracle, bear witness that God the Sublime wishes good to those who are present. If he commits a sin, bear witness to their wretchedness (damnation). Just as their spirits have charge over their thaumaturgic gifts, they also have charge over their apparent sins. But God knows best!'

And I heard him say—God be pleased with him: The Friend of God may be overwhelmed by direct vision (mushahada) and fear that his earthen body will be destroyed (talashi). He may then make use of things which return him to his senses, even if they entail what's reprehensible, in accordance with: "If two harms present themselves, you undertake the lesser one."  Now if someone saw him do this and didn't know the explanation for it, he might rush to denounce him and be deprived of his blessing (baraka). It's stipulated in law—that is in the pure shari'a—that if a limb is afflicted with a gangrenous sore and this causes fear for the body, it's permitted to amputate the limb to save the body. This is the case even though a limb isn't to be harmed. But this is in accordance with: "if two harms present themselves, you undertake the lesser one.” Similarly, if a person fears perishing from intense hunger, it's permitted to eat carrion (mayta), both to consume one's fill and to provide oneself with provisions from it And there are other such applied rules which fall under this principle. These things which cause the body of the Friend to return to its senses were habitual practices before illumination. And every body has its own habits. Now understand this on the basis of a hint, for a detailed explanation and explicitness would prove disagreeable. But God knows best!

And I heard him say—God be pleased with him: 'If the private parts (‘awra) of someone other than a Friend of God are exposed, the noble angels flee from him because they're overcome with shame (‘haya’). And the meaning of "private parts'“ is the physical private parts which are visible, as well as the mental (ma’nawi) private parts which consist of bawdiness (mujun) and shameless language (alfadh safah). But in the Friend of God's case, the angels don't flee from him if he behaves like this because he does so for a proper reason. He ceases to cover his private parts for the sake of something more worthy. After all: "One carries out the stronger of two benefits.” Moreover, he's rewarded for covering his private parts, even though he didn't do so. For it was only because something stronger impeded rum that be failed to do it If it hadn't been for that something stronger, he'd have done it. So it's as if he did the two together and he's rewarded for both of them.”

I asked: 'What's this stronger thing for the sake of which he abandoned covering his private parts or for the sake of which he spoke using bawdy language?”

He replied—God be pleased with him: 'Everything that causes the body to return to its world of the senses and causes its reason to return. So if for one person exposing his private parts achieves this, that's what be does. If for someone else bawdy speech and shameless words bring it about, that's what he does. And if for a third person something that from among ephemeral things achieves this, then that's what he does. And so on and so forth.'

Then I said: 'Why does the body have need of something that makes it return to the world of the senses? Can it be absent from that world?'

He replied—God be pleased with him: "Yes, a person can be absent from it.” And he made use of a similitude to explain the absence in question. He said: 'It's like a man who has six hundred qintars [of silver]. He's grown old and become blind. He's completely cm off from managing affairs (tadbir). None the less, he has innumerable children and they're all small and incapable of anything. Then he sends the money for the purpose of trade with people who travel the sea at a time when the sea is terrifying, highly destructive and unsafe. He hasn't set aside a single cent (fits) for himself and his children. And don't ask about the state of the man's reason. It departed with the people of the ship and has become completely separated from his body. It's then that two afflictions befall him.

The first of them is the blocking of the orifices of the arteries that bring nourishment to the body. This takes place because they're burned by the heat that arises when his thought becomes preoccupied with the matter of the ship.

I, al-Lamati, would note that I beheld a man, one of those who know the glorious Quran by heart and a man of religious learning, whose reason was damaged—we beseech God for protection from this—because of a desire for predicting affairs (tadbir). alchemy and treasures. This concern settled in his reason and his thought was engaged with it day after day. His complexion became sallow, be sat very little with people, and eventually he only ate a small amount of food. His situation went on getting worse until he soon died—we beseech God for protection from this! And the secret behind this was what the Shaykh Indicated—God be pleased with him—regarding the blockage of the orifices of the arteries which nourish the body. This causes the body to suffer damage, and a man's bloom and freshness disappears. He succumbs to a yellow pallor and languishing until be wastes away and dies.

[He said:] 'And the second affliction is that if reason departs with the people of the ship and is cut off from the body for a long absence, the spirit will then come forth from the body and never return to it. For when it was breathed into the body in the first place, it entered grudgingly and unwittingly. So once it finds a way to come forth, it will come forth and never return to the body again. Now if God decides mat the body's appointed hour has elapsed, this is the start of its illness and the appearance of its infirmities until God's command arrives. But if God—He is sublime-—decides the body is to linger for a while, the spirit will come forth from it along with the reason, which is the spirit's innermost secret, and take charge of managing the body, despite being separated and cut off from it. This is the beginning of feeble-mmdedness. If the man in question were to find a means to return his reason to its first situation and to remove the people of the ship from his reason, he'd remain safe from these two afflictions.'

He said: 'Friends of God the Sublime experience absences the same way. Thus if you see them making use of some bawdiness and laughter and things like that which causes their reason to return to them and preserves the continuance of their bodies for them, don't act in haste and deny them. Indeed, they only avail themselves of such things for this proper purpose, and people have benefit from them during the period their bodies remain.'

I, al-Lamati, would note that there were many times when we were with the Shaykh—God be pleased with him—and he said: 'Roar at us because much good will arise for you from that. And one time he said to me: “I would only compare the person who experiences vision (mushahada) to an eagle that's flying in the air and has risen very high in its flight. Then you must suppose the sky is filled with winds and that a man holds in his hand a thin string joined and tied to the eagle's body. If the man sees the eagle rise very high in its flight and the winds are about to carry it off to a place from which it will never return, he begins to draw in the string tittle by little, fearing it may break. Then, little by little, the eagle descends until it returns to the hand of its owner. Now it's the same with these ephemeral things that the earthen body is accustomed to. They bring the body back to its world of the senses.'

I should add that were it my intention to relate some of these things that happen to the knowers of God—God be pleased with them—I'd be departing from my subject. But God knows best.

And I heard him say—God be pleased with him: The purpose of the Friend is to point the way to God the Sublime and bring people together with Him, and induce renunciation of everything but God. So if the one who seeks the Friend sets about asking him for this matter, he'll surely find profit with him. But if he sets about asking him to fulfill wishes and desires and doesn't question him about his Lord and how to know Him, the Friend of God will come to hate him and detest him. On the other hand, he will be safe if he manages to avoid a calamity afflicting him for any of the following reasons. One reason is that his love of the Friend of God isn't for the sake of God the Sublime's face but is wavering. Wavering love entails manifest loss. The light of truth will never descend on it Another reason is that the Friend of God sees him in his attachment to other than God the Sublime as being in the essence of estrangement and wishes to release him from it, whereas the bondsman wishes him to increase his estrangement. The Friend of God sees that he's left the date (tamara) and picked up the hot ember (jamra). Now the date is knowledge of God the Sublime and engagement before Him. The hot ember is estrangement from Him and grasping what's other than Him, along with an inclination for the world and reliance on its vanities. Still another reason is that if the Friend helps him in fulfilling some of his desires and confronts him with some unveilings, the bondsman sometimes thinks this is what knowledge of God (ma’arifa) should be about and what people desire, and there's nothing to strive for beyond it But all this is error and leads to the Friend of God hating him.

I, Lamati, would add that it's because he hates him and deceives him that the Friend causes certain offenses to appear in his own person or tells nun something that won't actually happen so as to drive him off in this way. But God knows best!

And I heard him say—God be pleased with him: The hearing (sama’) of the people of divine knowledge (irfan) is based on their vision of the True—He is sublime! The things they hear are like a ship with which they cleave the seas of vision (mushahada). They rely on these things and by means of them they arrive at visions that are beyond description. This is because the object of their vision—He is sublime—is living and eternal without equal and peer. All that this body can rely on is what's possible in contingent expression from among the things the body is accustomed to and has grown up with.'

He said: If their vision expands and they come to be among the great, their love (‘ishq), as it appears to people, approximates the love of those given to jesting. Such is the case because of the delight, joy and rapture that they experience during their vision of God's action among His creatures—He is sublime and exalted! When they behold this, their spirit experiences delight that can't be described. It even happened to one of them—God be pleased with him—that he saw a cat rubbing its chin with its paw and then the Friend of God began to weep. His rears gushed forth and he prostrated himself before the cat so that his tears drenched the ground in front of the cat.” I asked him: 'What's the secret behind this?” He replied—God be pleased with him: 'The spirit beheld the True—He it sublime and exalted—doing this movement and began to prostrate itself before Him, abasing itself and weeping before Him—He is sublime and exalted! And the body, which complies with the spirit, began to do what the spirit was doing and to imitate it in this. To the people his prostration appeared as if it was on behalf of the car. But the Friend of God, while weeping and prostrating himself, only beheld the True —He is sublime? He was weeping because of Him, and abasing and humbling himself for His sake.  

He said—God be pleased with him: 'This happens to them continually. But if the body is absent from its reason. It complies with the spirit. If the body isn't absent from its reason, reason slops it from this for the sake of maintaining appearances. Then you note that if the Friend of God observes a branch swaying among the trees, he experiences what has just been described. That's why they say: "If my Lord strikes me with stones, they're dearer to me than fruits"—due to the delight and joy he experiences when beholding action on His part—He is mighty and glorious! But God knows best!

 And I heard him say—God be pleased with him: 'If God the Sublime bestows illumination on a slave and the latter is in a particular situation—whatever situation it may be—he remains that way, even if the situation is of a reprehensible nature as in the case of being a butcher and other such reprehensible professions. Thus he remains in his situation and doesn't leave it. Because he considers leaving it to be affectation before the people. Affectation before the people is a greater sin in the view of someone who's received illumination than drinking wine and similar sins.

He said—God be pleased with him: “I know a man In Ramla in the land of Syria on whom God bestowed illumination and he was in situation that caused people to laugh at him, like the situation of the man known in the city of Fez as M’izou. And he remained in his situation after illumination and didn't leave it.” I, al-Lamati, would note that the situation of the said  M’izou was that boys and others among the dimwitted would follow him around all day long and jeer at him. He said—God be pleased with him: "And I know another man on whom God bestowed illumination and before this he'd been a drummer. He remained in his situation after illumination and didn't leave it.”

Al-Qutb al-Maktum Sidna Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani (1150/1735 -1230/1815): When Sidna Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him) moved from Ain Madhi to Fez at the age of 21 (1171/1756), he busied himself with meeting Sufi teachers. He started searching throughout the kingdom in order to meet with and learned from almost all the available poles or masters of his day. This took him to Fez and Wazzan. There he met with the poles Moulay Tayyeb ibn Mohammed Wazzani (d. 1181/1766) and Sidi Ahmed ibn Mohammed  Siqilli al-Hussayni (d. 1177/1763), although he never took from them, for two reasons: firstly, he was engrossed in his own spiritual self-development, and secondly, he was not sure of their exact position in the spiritual hierarchy at the time for they appeared men of great wealth and glory. 

Al-Qutb Sidi Abd al-Wahhab al-Sharani (d. 973/1565): One day while he was entering a mosque, al-Sharani observed a humble man with unkempt clothes braiding palm leaves. He ordered the mosque keeper not to permit the disheveled and illiterate man in the mosque. When he found the same man on the following day, he questioned the guard who recounted that the man (named Sidi Ali al-Khawwas) was a wali and a man of baraka. When al-Sharani dismissed the idea that he was a wali, the man whispered some words that made al-Sharani rethink the matter. The man’s words indicated that he had knowledge of the private life of al-Sharani as related to an incident that happened between al-Sharani and his wife the previous night. The lesson implicit in this narrative is that people should not be judged based on appearance, and that mystic knowledge should be respected and never dismissed. It is also interesting to note that an unlettered man became a spiritual leader of such a renowned scholar as al-Sharani.

Al-Qutb Sidi Abu Yaaza Yalnour (d. 572/1157): Sidi Abu Ali ibn Tamagurt said: "I used to carry a load of raisins for Abu Yaaza every year from Nafis to Jabal Iruggan. One year, I went to him with a load of raisins, and gave them to the muezzin, who left them in a room. I sat down to talk with [the muezzin] and he said: "Would that the words of Abu Yaaza hide the faults of humankind rather than disclose them! For the man is ignorant and without knowledge. He says to those who come to him, "You have stolen from someone, you-so-and-so! You have done such-and-such, you so-and-so!" And he tells everyone what he has done.' Suddenly, his words were cut off. I examined him and [found that] he had been prevented from speaking. When I addressed him, he did not answer me. I had been with him like this for some time when Abu Yaaza  approached, staff in hand. He greeted him and asked about my situation and that of my family. The he went to his muezzin, placed his hand on the [man's throat], rubbed it, and said: 'My son, you have spoken the truth. Indeed, I am ignorant. I have no knowledge other than what my Lord has made known to me.' A drop of blood fell from the [muezzin's] throat so that he spoke, and he started to say: "I seek the forgiveness of God the Exalted! But Abu Yaaza said to him: "Why are you remorseful, my son, since you have spoken the truth? I am ignorant. I know nothing but what my Lord has made known to me ('arrafani mawlaya).'"

Sidi Abu Abdellah Daqqaq (d. 544/1129): Although he was supported by Sidi Ahmed Ibn al-Arif Tanji (d. 536/1121) and Sidi Abul Hakam ibn Barrajan Ishbili (d. 536/1121), Sidi Daqqaq was at times criticised by other mystics. This can be seen in the following satirical poem, which was written against Sidi Daqqaq by one of his Fasi Sufi contemporaries:

 Say to the little man among the powerful,

 

"Poverty is the most excellent trait of the free."

Oh complainer to man about the poverty granted by his Lord,

                Can you not complain about a [truly] heavy load?

Oh, what vestments of piety you profess to wear!

                If your Lord had only wished, you would come before Him naked"

Despite this rebuke, which accuses Shaykh Sidi Au Abdellah Daqqaq of the very un-Sufi practice of denying poverty and piety-oriented style of Sufism, later hagiographers claimed that his status as a holy man was confirmed in repeated dreams of the Prophet Sidna Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him). Although neither the date nor the circumstances of his death have been recorded, it is likely that Sidi Au Abdellah Daqqaq also met his end at the hands of the Almoravid authorities.    

Sidi Ali ibn Maymun al-Fasi (d. 917/1502 in Beirout)   

In the words of Sidi Ali b. Maymun al-Fasi, himself the teacher of the Khatm Sidi Shihabuddin Ahmed al-Qushashi al-Madani (d. 1074/1661), the shaykh who is mentioned in  the book of "Rihla al-'Iyyashiyya",of the Moroocan saint Sidi Salim al-'Ayyashi (d. 1909/1679),  

(…) “I reached the noble Haram and performed my religious duties. Then I reached Syria and its provinces and Baghdad and its districts. Then I returned to the noble Haram, and while I was sleeping one night at the Haram of Mecca (may God Most High exalt it and increase it in nobility), lo and behold I had reached the throne and arrived in its presence and there were sinning lights and pure secrets and striking (bashiqa) results and extraordinary stations. Then there was a light which overwhelmed those lights and a secret which began to surpass those secrets and I was amazed at how much it made manifest and humbled by its clarity. I said in the utmost depths of my heart (ghamiq sirri) and in the most hidden recesses of my mind: I wonder for whom comes this sinning light and this pure secret and for whom these truths spread out? Then a voice called out to me: In these clear lights and these dazzling secrets are the truths of the greatest succorer (ghawth), the red sulfur, the yellow antidote, the vicegerent of God among His servants, His mercy to His lands, the quintessence of His sincere friends from among the people whom He loves. If you are longing for him and passionately desire to reach him, take the radiant pearl, the red ruby! Then suns shone which spread his lights from green Ifriqiya (Tunisia). Then I awoke and I was drawn to Ifriqiya. I sought out everything in Ifriqiya from Tripoli to Constantine, but I did not find a trace [of him] or anyone who could give me news of him. I met many noble men who were not of that station. I went to its coasts and entered its villages and its desert regions, but I did not find anyone who could tell me about the one who had called out to me. I rolled up my trouser legs, took my staff and decided to journey by night towards the Jarid and the deserts. I visited every saint {watt) described to me, and I sought every faqir who was mentioned to me. Then when I arrived in the land of Nafzawa, I slept after performing my awrdd. Then lo and behold, I had reached the throne and arrived at that light. I arose happy and overjoyed and said: the Ghawth is in it, and by the Lord of the Ka'ba he is veiled (mastur) in it. I asked the people of a village called Bishri about who there was among the men of Nafzawa. I was told of many men and I said: To whom of these should I go and from whom among them are spread the pearls of divinely bestowed knowledge? Then I went to the village of Turra and I was told that [Ahmad al-Tabbasi] had just left that day for Qibili. I passed through, hurrying on account of what I had experienced of splendid glad tidings, and desiring to attain the link to the one who would connect me to the Divine presence and the most sacred stations. I met my Shaykh [Ahmad al-Tabbasi] (but God knows best) in the beginning of Jumada II in the year 902 and it was in this [same] month that I had left Fez in the year 901.

When I arrived, I asked his permission to enter and he gave it, and the lights of the Ghawth became visible before I reached him. I said: God is Greatest, God is Greatest! When I laid eyes upon his blessed visage (tat), joyously he looked at me, laughing and smiling and said to me: Oh young man! The voice of the throne in the station of its terrestrial counterpart (al­maqam al-farsht) has roused you. You have reached us and by means of us attained the star of your spiritual capacity (istidad) which has risen in accordance with your desire.

When I reached Sidi the Shaykh Ahmad al-Tabbasi (may God be pleased with him), I stayed with him for fourteen days. I don't know what he said - that is to say with respect to the meanings of the truth and the symbols of the secrets of the allusions of the tariqa - except that he made gestures and made signs with some of the fuqara' and my heart was convinced that what he said was the truth, although I thought to myself that he would not open anything of that for me

Ali apparently recognized that Ahmad al-Tabbasi was a holy man, but he nevertheless had initial doubts about his ability as a teacher and a guide on the Sufi path. He was also a little taken aback by some of the Shaykh's rather unconventional practices. He was surprised, for example, to find al-Tabbasi wearing not the traditional patched frock or some other coarse and simple clothing as was customary among sufis, but rather magnificent clothing made of fine linen. According to Mas'ud b. Mohammed al-Maghribi al-Sanhaji, another disciple of Ahmad al-Tabbasi, Ali told him that when we entered to Sidi Ahmad al-Tabbasi, we found him wearing magnificent clothing and fine linen garments (thiydb tunisi) while talking about the Tariq of the gnostics and describing the stations of arrival (mandzil al-wusuf) for those who follow the path. I sensed in myself astonishment at him and was critical of him and I said: How could this man dress in these clothes and talk of the Tariq of the sagacious gnostics? The reason for that is that in our country (Morocco) its Sufis (fuqara) are very ascetical in their clothing and very modest in their appearance, and I thought that the truth of the matter could only be thus...until God granted to me that I be his companion and servant, and as it turned out, the matter was contrary to what I had thought,...this because Sidi Ahmad al-Tabbasi was very poor.

Sidi 'Alwan al-Hamawi, the student of Sidi Ali b. Maymun al-Fasi, said

“If a novice is sincere in his search, God will send someone right to the door of his house who will guide him. Indeed we witnessed this through God's generosity and munificence. God cast into my heart the desire for a guide and an educator because I saw and heard in books and from the mouths of men that it is necessary for a novice to have a Shaykh who is a perfect guide. I did not know the truth of that or its meaning until I determined to submit myself to various [sufi] Shaykhs, even if they were from among the common people and not from among the accomplished scholars. I began to think of traveling in search of well tested, pious, and famous spiritual guides, and it was said to me: so-and-so and so-and-so. I requested guidance from whoever set himself up as a Shaykh from among the notability, but I only saw those who claimed to be of that [stature] until it became clear that he was not [to be found] here. I even gave the pledge (‘ahd) to one of the famous Shaykhs in our own town, but the outcome was that we did not succeed in our desire. It was said to me: In Aleppo there is so-and-so and so-and-so, perhaps they are of the stature that you seek. I decided to seek them out, but God did not permit it, and what God chooses is best; He is the Returner of each thing and its Originator. This, and the Hand of Power, and the Sender of Destiny roused my Shaykh and teacher [Ali b. Maymun] from his country with the impetus of travel (wazi al-safar) until he came to my door. For every event there is a term. We praise God greatly for that and we thank Him. Indeed, we ask Him that He pay in our stead the thankfulness for His blessings; Indeed, He continues to receive us kindly and be a Protecting Friend."

Sidi Ali ibn Maymun made a profound impression on those around him that was truly amazing. Not only were people eager to help him, but his great kindness and humility greatly moved them, and in some strange way, because of his presence, it seemed that God allowed good things to happen that might not have happened otherwise. Although Sidi Ali did not see himself as a preceptor (Shaykh al-tarbiya), others saw his presence as a blessing. They saw him not only as a potential Shaykh, but sensed that he was a saint. According to Shaykh 'Alwan:

“He came to us and because of his blessing (baraka), the restoration of our congregational mosque came about. It was a small mosque and at the time when his blessed foot alighted and he stayed in it for a while, it was cramped because of all the people. Then when he resolved to travel to his Shaykhs [in the Maghrib] by way of Rum, it occurred to the souls of some good people to help him with something that he could make use of on his journey. About three hundred dirhams were collected for him, and I asked his permission to turn it over to him. He smiled and said: "Two dirhams will suffice to get me to the city of Aleppo from Hama. Keep the rest and divide it in half, half for you to finish enlarging the mosque, and half to finish bringing water from the river to the quarter." Then he departed, and instead of [keeping the two dirhams for himself], he sent it and ordered that that amount be used to bring water. By the blessing and greatness of his aspiration, God willed that water come to the quarter and the mosque was restored and the Friday prayer was performed in it.^”

You should know that caliphate (khilafa) is a term for the delegation of a deputy (khalifa) to succeed the Shaykh (i.e. Mawlana Abil Abbas Tijani) who was the deputy before him, because he will transmit to the pupils what the previous Shaykh used to transmit to them, including the remembrances (adhkar), the litanies (awrad), the incantations(ahzab) the secrets (asrar), the techniques of contemplation(tawajjuhat), the goals (maqasid) the spiritual retreats (khalawat), the rules of proper conduct (adab), the sciences (ulum), and the intuitive cognition (ma'arif). In short, he will do for them, and with them, what the previous Shaykh used to do, and he will be endowed with all the rights over them with which the Shaykh was endowed, by virtue of deputyship and delegation. 

Suppose that you ask: "What is the difference between the deputy (khalifa) and the appointee (muqaddam)?" The answer is the following: The appointee (muqaddam) is someone who is commissioned by the Shaykh -or by someone authorized to authorize him, and so on and so on, until Allah inherits the earth and those upon it -to teach the obligatory remembrances as well as some of the remembrances peculiar to the elite, and whose appointment is for a limited term. Every genuine appointee has a lofty degree, by which he is entitled to obedience and respect. As for the deputy (khalifa), he is not like that. He is a representative of the Shaykh without restriction. The appointees and their pupils are therefore included among the subjects of the deputy. Obedience to the deputy is incumbent upon them, because the duty of compliance with the deputy and the prohibition of opposition to him are incumbent on all the people of the Spiritual Path. Someone who is taught by the deputy in on an equal footing with someone who is taught by any other, because of the degree of khalifa. 

You must know this and act upon it, so that you may be rightly guided. Allah guides whomever He wills to a straight path! If you understand this you should know that I spent a very long time in the company of Sidi Mohammed al Ghali al-Fasi (khalifa of Mawlana Abil Abbas Tijani in the Hijaz). By His pure grace, Allah instilled love of me in his heart, so I acquired all the contents of his heart and his inner core, and I captured his heart and his outer form. He chose me as a companion and cast other people aside from him. He preferred me as a servant and a doorman, and I became for him an intimate friend and a pupil. I cast aside all the branches of science that I had been memorizing and recording, and stripped myself of the cognitions and facts that I had been collecting and acquiring because of my knowledge that all that is useful to the narrator and others. In spite of this, whenever I requested anything from him with regard to the secrets of the Path, he would scold me to be repentant of the request, until Allah prepared me and assisted me to obtain what I was eager to acquire. 

While we were in the Prophet's Mosque, he said to me at the time of the forenoon prayer: "You must not make the people muqaddams in the granting of the litany, as for you, you are a khalifa among the caliphs of Shaykh Tijani, not one of the muqaddams." After that, he informed me that Shaykh Tijani said "I have given Shaykh Omar ibn Said everything he needs from this (Tijani) Path, meaning the secrets and remembrances, so there is nothing for you to do except to transmit it." He would often look at me after that, while we were sitting together, and he would say: "I swear by Allah that you love Shaykh Tijani!" He would also say: "I swear by Allah, the One other than whom there is no god that I shall stand for a long time in the presence of Allah's Messenger and nothing will come from my mouth except supplication on your behalf!"

I saw Sidi Mohammed Ghali by chance after we had parted and I said to him: "O Sidi, you said that I am a khalifa among the caliphs of the Shaykh, not one of the muqaddams?" He said to me "Yes, you are a khalifa". 

Since this had been confirmed you should know that I have evidence to prove that his ancestor, our master Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) loves me, and that I am one of his inheritors and one of his caliphs. I also have evidence to prove that Shaykh Tijani loves me with a perfect love, and that I am among those who attain to him and among his caliphs ( may Allah the Exalted be well pleased with him). 

As for the evidence related to Allah's Messenger, it includes the following: Allah has graciously bestowed on me--by His pure and noble generosity--knowledge of the sciences of the Sacred Law and Reality that I cannot possibly conceal. Allah has said: “O you who truly believe, obey Allah and His Messenger, and those of you who are in authority, and if you have any dispute about any matter, refer it to Allah and the Messenger if you are believers in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more seemly in the end” (Quran 4:59) According to Ibn Abbas and Jabir, those in authority are the jurists and the scholars who teach the people the knowledge of their religion. This is also the opinion of al-Hassan, Dahhak and Mujahid. Allah has also said. “He is the One who has made you earthly deputies and has exalted some of you in rank above others, so that He may try you by what He has given you. Your Lord is Swift in prosecution, and He is All Forgiving, All Compassionate.” (Quran 6:165)

And according to the commentary entitled al-Arais, He is saying in effect: "I have made you the deputies of the world, after the passage of the time and the ages, and the conclusion of the rotating sphere and the passing centuries, so whatever was allotted to your predecessors in the form of Messengership, Prophethood, dominion and honor, and whatever was at the disposal of those in authority, it will belong to you, O deputies of the Prophets and Champions of the Truth" He is the One who has made you deputies on the earth, like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, and who has increased you honor over the masses with the honor of your Prophet. 

As for His saying: “And Moses said to his brother Aaron: ‘Be my deputy among my people’" (Quran 7:142) Mohammed ibn Hamid said: "The Prophets and the saints have always had deputies to succeed them, among their companions and the members of their community who came after them. Their deputies provide guidance in accordance with their guidance, preserving their exemplary customs when the members of their community neglect them. Abu Bakr was the holder of this station after the Prophet, and I praise be to Allah am one of those who hold it". 

‘Further evidence is provided by the following points: -Praise be to Allah! I have not consorted with the rulers, and I do not love those who consort with them. As recorded in Tabyin al-Maharim, on the authority of Anass, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said: “The best of the commanders are those who promote the scholars, and the worst of the scholars are those who promote he commanders. The scholars are the trustees of the Messengers in charge of Allah's servants, so long as they do not consort with the rulers, for if they do that they betray the Messengers. You must beware of them and stay away from them!” 

Praise be to Allah! I observe the enjoining of what is right and proper, and the prohibition of what is wrong and improper. As reported in as-Siraj al-Munir, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) once said: “If someone enjoins what is right and proper, and forbids what is wrong and improper, he is Allah's deputy on His earth, the deputy of His Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), and the deputy of His Book.” I once happened to see the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him), and he said to me: "Allah has made you one of the best of its people," meaning the best of my Community". I drew near to him, because my heart was filled with joy and delight at that saying, and I said to him: “I have accepted and been well pleased, O Messenger of Allah!" One of the brethren said the he saw the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and he said: "Persist in what you are committed to, and obey your Shaykh Omar, for what you are committed to is true and correct. 

-One of the brethren sent me a letter in which he had written: "You should know, O our Shaykh, that I saw you in my sleep, wearing a white shirt, and I heard a speaker say ' This is Allah's Messenger. He has drawn near!' I headed toward the place where I had seen you, and found that the pair of you had met together. You were both shrouded by a mist, so I could not see you clearly. I heard the Prophet addressing you calmly, and I memorized these words" 'I love you with a genuine love, in spite of those around you.' The mist then cleared, and I saw you on an elevated place. You were trying to get down from it, but you were stuck there, as if you had a tremor. Someone else said to you 'Are you awestruck by good tidings?" You said: 'Yes', and you availed yourself of my help in order to climb down." 

-One of the brethren mentioned to me that he had seen in his sleep, a person on a throne in a house with two doors, and that person had said to him "O so and so, do you recognize me?" "No", said he, and that person said: "I am Mohammed, the best of humankind!" Then he went on to say (Allah bless him and give him peace)"I am sending you to your Shaykh Omar. Tell him that I am greeting him with the salutation of peace, so he must summon Allah's servants to the religion of Allah. Let him make clear whatever he seeks to achieve, for I am his guarantor, and let him pay no attention to dodgers, for they are perfidious." He repeated this three time.

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

"There are 165,000 veils (‘hujub) between the individual and the Sacred Presence (Hadrat al-Quds); 167,000 stations...[More]