Stations of Tariqah

Tariqat is the pathway to Allah. To travel on this path the successful

Mureed/Disciple is required to adorn and adopt certain
qualities/stations. Tariqat also comprises of 10 stations.
These are as follows:

First Station: Repentance

The first station is Tauba (repentance) which requires the seeker to
keep turning to his Lord (Allah) for forgiveness of the sins and acts of
transgression.

Second Station: Virtue

Next to Tauba are the acts of virtue and piety. The soul of which is good
conduct and morality embracing all praise-worthy practices and
attributes, because goodness of conduct and morality magnifies the
virtues and good deeds.

Third Station: Endearment

Following virtue is Mujahida (endeavour), Taqwa (Fear of Allah) and
Piety. These are the traits which endear the devout Mureed to the holy
Prophet (s.a.w). It is an established fact that the man who endeavoured
and improved his standing with Allah and His Prophet (s.a.w) set
himself on the path of righteousness. He who failed, in this respect,
remained roaming in the wilderness of despair without vision and hope.

Fourth Station: Fear & Hope

Apprehensiveness and optimism generate fear and hope. Fear and
hope are interconnected and together they protect the seeker from
despair of Allah's Mercy and resolve against falling indifferent to the
fear of Allah.

Fifth Station: Renunciation of Sensual Desire

Renounce and abandon all sensual desires stemming from sexual
urges, longings and cravings of mundane nature. The pursuit of these
blackens and hardens the heart.

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 Sixth Station: Safeguard
Abstain from using anything that causes you doubts and suspicions.
These include food, clothing and wealth in which the line of distinction
with regard to Halal and Haram cannot be drawn. Regarding this, a
serious, strict and scrupulous stance should be taken to avoid every
thing doubtful.

Seventh Station: Dedication

To devote, meditate and supplicate before almighty Allah with tearful
eyes. Turning to Him in repentance and asking for His forgiveness of all
sins with humility, submissiveness and self-negation. This should entail
sincerity of heart and earnest desire for seeking shelter in Allah from
the sinister designs and manoeuvrings of Shaitan (Satan).

Eighth Station: Appeasement

Win the pleasure and satisfaction of your Murshid in every matter. This
state, of Murshid's satisfaction and pleasure, can be achieved by virtue
of obeying him in word and deed without wavering of mind or
sceptism.

Ninth Station: Pleasant Focus

Give patient ear for listening to the sermon delivered by one's Murshid.
Aiming thereby to act upon the advice administered. When the Mureed
goes out for this purpose, it is important to exercise the utmost
courtesy, cheerfulness, amiability, politeness and chastity.

Tenth Station: Reliance

Forsake every thing save Allah Almighty. This state calls for the heart
to completely disengage from all the reliance of creation because
indulging in them harms the proximity and nearness to God and erects
an impenetrable curtain before his eyes.

Stations of Haqiqat

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 Having travelled the path of Tariqat you will eventually arrive at
the station of Haqiqat (Truth). The Station of Haqiqat also also has ten
key stations. These are as follows:-

First Station: Humbleness

Humility, humbleness, modesty, meekness, self-effacement and self-
negation are the attributes of the Mureed. One should prefer to keep
concealed one's physical and spiritual strength from the public eye.

Second Station: Belief

One should not belittle or underestimate any of 72 sects or the
individuals belonging to these sects but acknowledge that only one of
them i.e. Ahle-Sunnah wal-Jamat is on the unerring path of
righteousness. Only the one having this belief and conviction will
succeed in getting near almighty Allah.

Third Station: Contentment

One should eat and drink whatever is offered to him and not hanker
after delicious, palatable and spicy dishes. It is better one content
himself with the first served food.

Fourth Station: Steadfastness

One should exert and strive along the right path without ever deviating
from that under any circumstance. One should extend help, succour
and assistance to every one among the creatures of Allah without
trying to harm any body.

Fifth Station: Forgiveness

One's heart should not harbour malice, grudge enmity and animosity
against anyone. Rather he should return good for evil endured and try
one's utmost to restore terms and links with whom one's relations have
been severed or broken off in the past. It is all the more advisable that
one should forgo claim of any compensation from the person who has
done you wrong and damaged you financially or otherwise.

Sixth Station: Graciousness

One should not deal harshly or inhumanely with fellow Mureeds,
indigent and poor people. On the contrary, one's attitude towards them
should be characterised with love affection, kindness and sympathy.

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 Seventh Station: Divine Pleasure
One's every step along the path of righteousness and truth must be
taken to win divine pleasure rather than trying to win the good will of
all and sundry. One should eschew the evils of hypocrisy, pretence and
dissimulation.

Eighth Station: Trustworthiness

One should conceal the secrets of his heart from the people by and
large. If some confidential information about others is passed on to
you, one should not divulge it to anyone. If you witness someone's
sinful act, one should take care that it is not disclosed.

Ninth Station: Commitment

One should keep oneself engaged in prayer, supplication and hymns in
praise of Allah' scrupulously avoiding the mention of worldly matters in
the divine remembrance, except that their mention may be for
furthering the cause of religion and providing felicity to those, afflicted
with hardships.

Tenth Station: Advice & Knowledge

One's looking askance ought to be for moralizing and administering
some advice or admonition. One should also acquire knowledge that
may be beneficial and useful as directed by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w)

Stations of Marifat

After Haqiqat, Ma'rifat (Stations of Marifat) is realised. This entails

recognition of the being & attributes of Allah (swt). Ma'rifat is also
recognised & consists of ten stations:-

First Station:
One should respect & rever all wise and sagacious men known as the
Friends of Allah. Showing reverence will also fully make one well-versed

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in the mode of shariah.

Second Station:
One should bear all hardships and rigours with patience and constancy
and have no grudge against one's prosecutors. One should try to
alleviate others sufferings and forget & forgive the wrongs done to him
by them and be not revengeful in the least.

Third Station:
One should try to extinguish the flames of iniquities and injustice,
keeping distance from feuds and riots. One should be happy adopting
the company of the virtuous.

Fourth Station:
One should render service to the Murshid sincerely and selflessly. One
should befriend those who are at his beck and call, always giving them
good piece of advice and develop true friendship with them.

Fifth Station:
One should not waste even a single moment in negligence but remain
engaged in worship and remembrance of Allah. One should be on the
look out for His effulgence and splendour in everything of the universe.
It behoves the worshipper to realize that he is seeing his Lord-Allah,
and if he is not capable of that, Allah is seeing him definitely.

Sixth Station:
One should be generous and liberal according to his means and
without giving himself preference over others.

Seventh Station:
One should be possessed of qualities of fortitude and forbearance; not
be impatient when confronted with coercive and oppressive people.
One Should be tolerant, forbearing, firm and stead fast in his dealings.

Eight Station:
One should wipe out the rust and black spots that collect in the heart
by the luminosity of the remembrance of Allah. To this effect the Holy
Prophet has stated:
"The people's hearts get rusty and blackened like the iron. So they
should remove this rust through repeated divine remembrance."

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 Ninth Station:
One should constantly strive to get nearer and closer to Allah by all
kinds and modes of worship and meditation.

Tenth Station:
One should look down upon oneself as the worst and meanest of the
creatures and think others to be one's superiors. Oneshould be mindful
of what Allah has stated.

"That is the grace of God which He bestows on whom He pleases and

God is the Lord of grace abounding." (al-Hadid, 57:21)

Fanaa wa Baqa

Fanaa is the Sufi term for extinction. It means to annihilate the

self, while remaining physically alive. Persons having entered this state
are said to have no existence outside of, and be in complete unity with,
Allah. Fanaa may be attained by constant meditation and by
contemplation on the attributes of God, coupled with the denunciation
of human attributes. It is a sort of mental, yet real, death. The man of
the "Way" experiences it freely; it is the final passage which leads to
the summit of the Stages. It liberates man from all contingency outside
of his spiritual quest; his ultimate aim is the Truth. Three degrees may
be distinguished here: fan' of acts, attributes and essence.
The Sufi fan in its triple manifestation does not have an
exclusively negative effect or action; it is the annihilation of everything
contingent, whether this be in the form of action, attribute or essence;
more precisely, it is the annihilation of everything that is not God, and
God is the supreme object of all good, all beauty. Fan' thus conceived
is an internal state which requires from the Sufi a sustained and
permanent effort of concentration to break his fetters and take on the
demands and calls of truth, by his acts, his moral virtues, his whole
being. That implies perfect control of himself: in words, deeds and
thoughts. It is at this price that he attains an interior spiritual state
where he becomes the pure and clear mirror in which the lights of

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Truth are reflected in all their splendor.

There are three ways in man's journey towards God:

The first is the way of ignorance: through which each must

travel. It is like a person walking for miles in the sun while carrying a
heavy load on his shoulder, who, when fatigued, throws away the load
and falls asleep under the shade of a tree. Such is the condition of the
average person, who spends his life blindly under the influence of his
senses and gathers the load of his evil actions; the agonies of his
earthly longings creating a hell through which he must pass to reach
the destination of his journey. With regard to him the Qur'an says, 'He
who is blind in life, shall also be blind in the hereafter.'
The next way is that of devotion: which is for true lovers. Rumi
says, 'Man may be the lover of man or the lover of God; after his
perfection in either he is taken before the King of love.' Devotion is the
heavenly wine, which intoxicates the devotee until his heart becomes
purified from all infirmities and there remains the happy vision of the
Beloved, which lasts to the end of the journey. 'Death is a bridge, which
unites friend to friend' (Sayings of Mohammed).
The third is the way of wisdom: accomplished only by the few.
The disciple disregards life's momentary comforts, unties himself from
all earthly bondages and turns his eyes toward God, inspired with
divine wisdom. He gains command over his body, his thoughts and
feelings, and is thereby enabled to create his own heaven within
himself, that he may rejoice until merged into the eternal goal. 'We
have stripped the veil from thine eyes, and thy sight today is keen',
says the Qur'an. All must journey along one of these three paths, but in
the end they arrive at one and the same goal. As it is said in the
Qur'an, 'It is He who multiplied you on the earth, and to Him you shall
be gathered.'

Contents
1 Grades _ Perfection is reached by the regular practice of
concentration, passing through three grades of development:
1.1 Fanaa fis sheikh :Fan -fi-Shaikh, annihilation in the astral
plane,
1.2 Fanaa fir rasool :Fan-fi-Rasul, annihilation in the spiritual
plane,
1.3 Fanaa fillah : Fan-fi-Allah, annihilation in the abstract.

Baqaa, with literal meaning of permanency, is a term which

describes a particular state of life with God, through God, in God, and
for God. It is the summit of the mystical manazil, that is, the

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destination or the abode. Baqaa comprises three degrees, each one
referring to a particular aspect of the divine Theophanous as principle
of existence and its qualitative evolution, comprising of faith,
knowledge, and grace.

Contents

Aspects
1.1 First aspect: the level of acts
1.2 Second aspect: the level of qualities and attributes
1.3 Third aspect: the level of the essence

First aspect: the level of acts :

The first aspect of the Sufi permanency is situated at the level of

acts. The action of the Sufi is here united with the divine action
acquiring its order, harmony and durability. This specific degree of Sufi
baq' is the result of the shooting forth of the divine thespian as
existential principle and the lights of nature as source of knowledge

Second aspect: the level of qualities and attributes :

The second aspect of permanency is situated at the level of

qualities and attributes. Here human virtues are raised to the level of
the divine Attributes, acquiring their perfection, dignity and durability:
such that the man's heart attains to a spiritual abode where it is the
pure and clear mirror on which the characteristics of the supreme
Creator are engraved. In its turn, the power of acts in the abode of
permanence becomes a docile instrument by which the divine plans in
the world and within the living person are realized. This particular form
of baq' is a reflection of the divine existential Theophanous at the
level of the Attributes and Qualities, and the effect of the lights of the
intellect as principle of knowledge.

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Third aspect: the level of the essence :

The last degree of baq' is permanency of the essence. In this

domain the essence of the servant is raised to the height of the divine
Essence in its Unity, Sublimity and Universality. He is totally absorbed
by the divine Life. It is through God that he sees, through Him that he
hears, through Him that he expresses his will, through Him that he
contemplates. This is the most perfect form of Sufi baq', the final
stage of the hero's quest. This particular abode is in its turn acquired
by the effect of the Theophanous of the Essence on the existential
plane and by the effect of the Theophanous of Light at the Gnostic
level.

***

WILAYAT
(SAINTHOOD)

Wilayat (Sainthood) is a very special rank and position of

acceptance given by Allah to His beloved servants. A Wali (Freind of
ALLAH) is a pious Muslim who attains this position of wilayat. Wilayat is
deduced from the root word "Wila", which means closeness. The source
of Wilayat is Nabuwat, but we should have a clear picture in the mind
that wilayat has been given to Hazrat ALI (Karam'allah waj'ho). The
first Wali or Sufi is Hazrat ALI (K.w), as we invocate in Naade-ali "wa be
wilayat-e ka ya ALI ya ALI ya ALI". Some attain this position due to their
sincere devotion and worship. Some attain this position from birth but
ultimately, it depends on Allah's mercy and kindness. Wilayat is a
shadow of Nabuwat (Prophethood). A Wali, no matter how great his
status, cannot reach the status of a Prophet. All the Awliya (Friends of
ALLAH) Allah belong to the Ahl as-Sunnah wal Jamaat and anyone
belonging to any other sect cannot be Awliya because they have
beliefs contrary to the teachings of Hazrat Mohammed S.A.W. The
following narration explains the status of the Awliya:

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Hazrat Umar (Radi Allahu taala Anhu) said:
I heard the Beloved Prophet (S.A.W.) saying that there will be certain
worshippers of Allah who will not be Prophets, nor martyrs, but the
Prophets and martyrs will envy them on the Day of Judgement.

The Companions then asked, "O Prophet of Allah, who are these
people?"
Then the Most Beloved Prophet (S.A.W.) explained to them the qualities
of the Awliya.
The Prophet (S.A.W.) read to them the verse:

"Beware, verily on the friends of Allah, there is no fear, nor shall they
grieve."
(Surah Yunus, Verse 62)

There are two types of Wilayat

Wilayat-e-Amma & Wilayat-e-Khaas.
(1) Wilayat-e-Amma (general closeness to Allah) - This is the closeness
of Allah to every believer, as Allah declares in the Qur'an al-
Kareem: "We are closer to him, than his own jugular vein." (Surah Al-
Kaaf, Verse 16).

(2) Wilayat-e-Khaas (special closeness to Allah) - This closeness is

exclusive to the Awliya. This is a speciality of those who have travelled
on the path of Tasawwuf and attained nearness to Allah. This is
declared in a Hadith-e-Quddsi, where Allah says to the Most Beloved
Prophet (S.A.W.), "Among the things that bring My servant close to Me,
the ones I love best, are the things that I have made fard (compulsory).
When My servant does nafil ibaadat (Supereogatory prayer) he gets
very close to Me. So much so, that I love him very much. When I love
Him, I become his hearing ear,seeing eye, holding hand, and walking
foot. I give him whatever he wishes. When he invokes Me for help, I
protect him." Allah's closeness is not like material closeness that can
be understood by reason, or perceived through the sense organs. It
can only be comprehended through the knowledge of Ma'rifa (gnosis)
bestowed by Allah upon the Awliya. From the Awliya of all the ummahs
(of the previous Prophets), the greatest Awliya are from the ummah of
Sayidina Rasoolallah (S.A.W.). There have been Awliya Allah in every
era and there will always be Awliya Allah in every era. However, their
recognition may be difficult.

The Qur'an al-kareem divides those that are favoured by Allah into 4

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groups:

(a) The Prophets - This cycle has ended after the appearance of
Sayyadina Rasoolallah (S.A.W.).

(b) The Siddeeq (The Truthful) - This rank is next after the Prophets.
The greatest Siddeeq was Hazrat Abu Bakr (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu).
The meaning of Siddeeq is Truth. Such a person recognizes truth in all
its manifestations.

(c) The Shuhada (Martyrs) - One need not actually be killed in the
battlefield to prove one's self as shaheed (martyr). One in this stage
feels satisfied by sacrificing everything that he has for the Creator.

(d) The Salih (Pious) - This is the lower grade that one can attain by
devotional activities. In this stage, one cleanses himself from all
spiritual impurities such as jealousy, hatred, hypocrisy etc.

From the Awliya of the ummah of Sayyadina Rasoolallah (Salla

Allahu ta'ala Alayhi wa Sallam), the most superior Awliya are the four
Khulafa-e-Rashideen (The Righteously guided Caliphs), namely Hazrat
Abu Bakr Siddique (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu), Hazrat Umar Farooq (Radi
Allahu ta'ala Anhu), Hazrat Uthman Ghani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu),
and Hazrat Ali Murtaza (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu), and then all the other
Sahaba. All the Sahaba were Awliya, BUT
all Awliya are not Sahaaba.

Amongst the Awliya are the following groups:

At any given time, there are 4000 Awliya living on Earth. They
are not recognized by the general public. In fact, amongst them, one
does not know the other, and they themselves are not aware of the
validity of their actions and devotion.

300 from this group are statesman, involved in the administration of

this world. They control all transactions that take place. They are
known as the "Akhyaar".

Amongst these 300, 40 are known as "Abdaal".

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 Amongst the 40, 7 are "Abraar".
Amongst this 7, 4 are "Autaad".
Amongst these 4, 3 are "Noqabah".
From these 3, 1 is the "Ghaus" or "Qutub". He is the most senior of
them all, and head of the spiritual assembly.

In reference to the Abdaals, Imam At-Tabarani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu)

quotes a Hadith Shareef in which the Beloved Prophet (S.A.W.)
declares, "There will always exist 40 persons on the Earth, each of
whom is blessed like Hazrat Ebrahim (Alaihis Salaam). It rains because
of their barakah. Allah appoints another when one of them dies."

In another Hadith Shareef, Abu Naeem (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu)

reports that the Beloved Prophet (S.A.W.) said, "There always exist 40
persons among my ummah. Their hearts are like that of Hazrat
Ebrahim (Alaihis Salaam). Allah Ta'aala redeems His human servants
from disasters for their sake. They are called Abdaal. They do not
attain to that degree by performing salaah, fasting, or giving zakaah."

Ibn Mas'ud (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) asked, "Ya Rasoolallah (S.A.W.), by
what means do they attain that degree?"

"They attain it by being generous, and by advising muslims," said the

Beloved Prophet (S.A.W.).

Do remember that although all the Awliya Allah are equal as far as
Wilayah is concerned, they differ as far as status is concerned.
The heart is divided into five parts:
1.THE DEAD HEART: This is the heart of the unbelievers.
2.THE ILL HEART: This is the heart that is full of passion for the world
(earthly passions).
3.THE IMPUDENT HEART: This is the heart that is unsettled between
the world and the hereafter.
4.THE AWAKE HEART: This is the heart that is busy with Zikr (Dhikr).
5.THE ALIVE HEART: This is the heart that puts the states of the
Prophet, his companions, and those that are loved by Allah ahead of
the others.
As a matter of fact, the elders used to day: Praying leads to
heaven. Praying with utmost respect causes one to reach
Almighty Allah.

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May our Lord protect our hearts, which He keeps in His view, from all
kinds of love for the world and from the wickedness of our nafs and
from evil.

11 principal Naqshibandi teachings

Known as the Eleven Naqshbandi principles, the first eight were
formulated by Abdul Khaliq Gajadwani, and the last three were added
by Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari.

Remembrance (Yad kard): Always orally and mentally

repeating the dhikr.

Restraint (Baz gasht): Engaging in the heart repetition of the

al-kalimat at-tayyiba phrase - "La-ilaha il-allah muhammadur rasul-
allah".

Watchfulness (Nigah dasht): Being conscientious over

wandering thoughts while repeating Al-kalimat at-tayyiba.

Recollection (Yad dasht): Concentration upon the Divine

presence in a condition of dhawq, foretaste, intuitive anticipation or
perceptiveness, not using external aids.

Awareness while breathing (Hosh dar dam): Controlling

one's breathing by not exhaling or inhaling in the forgetfulness of
the Divine.

Journeying in one's homeland (Safar dar watan): An

internal journey that moves the person from having blameworthy to
praiseworthy properties. This is also referred to as the vision or
revelation of the hidden side of the shahada.

Watching one's step (Nazar bar qadam): Do not be

distracted from purpose of the ultimate journey.

Solitude in a crowd (Khalwat dar anjuman): Although

journey is outwardly in this world, it is inwardly with God.

Temporal pause (Wuquf-I zamani): Keeping account of how

one spends his or her time. If time is spent rightfully give thanks
and time is spent incorrectly ask for forgiveness.

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 Numerical pause (Wuquf-I adadi): Checking that the heart-
dhikr has been repeated the requisite number of times, taking into
account one's wandering thoughts.

Heart pause (Wuquf-I qalbi): Forming a mental picture of

one's heart with the name of God engraved to emphasize that the
heart has no consciousness or goal other than God

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