Urging the Muqaddamat to Guide & Lead the Brethren

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is an extract of Letter #15, from the discourses of Shaykh Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah Niyas al-Kawlakhi (q.s.): “Urging the muqaddamat to guide and lead the brethren.” 

“I advise all of you, in the spirit of, love and compassionate mercy, and only for the sake of Allah, that you diligently work hard to convey right guidance to the brethren and to always advise each other in the diyn and in the thariqa’.  This advice should be given after you have begun with yourself.  In other words, do not order someone to do something until after you have already done it yourself.  Also, do not prevent or check someone until after you have already restrained and checked yourself.  Do not be lazy or slack in this as you will lead many people astray, because nothing is more harmful to the common folk than the blunder or mistake of the superior or high-ranking person.  May Allah Pardon all of us. 

Do not cut off the link between the muridun and their exemplar, for to do so will sever the connection of spiritual support from them.  I advise the senior muqaddamat to have regular attendance in the zawiyah for the five daily swalah and the evening wazhifah, even if you happen to be the only one.  If you act in accordance with this, perhaps Allah will Decree that others will join you by His Might and Power.  I also advise you to keep the secrets, even those related to the dunya, for whosever conceals his secret will become the master of his affair.  Persist in having patience and contentment with Divine Decree. 

I advise you to guide each other, love one another, and visit each other for the sake of Allah.  Sacrifice for one another, and continue to make service to the shuyukh and to have love for them, for they have said, ‘Whosoever serves us, we grant him ascendancy.’  Do not hate one another, do not be jealous of one another, do not desert or boycott one another, and be servants of Allah as brethren to one another.  Every senior muqaddam should strive to build or establish a zawiyah in a city with a lot of Tijani brothers, in accordance with his ability and the situation, to establish the five daily swalah and when it is easy they should congregate with the beloved companions after every dzikr, yawm al-jumu’ah or whenever people have the ability to do so, to help and assist one another in the proper upkeep of the zawiyah, such as its furnishing.  I give you all the command and permission for that. 

I advise you all to be on guard against having a bad opinion of Allah and His servants or with the vicissitudes of time, for He is Time.  There is no difference between the past and the future with Him.  I advise each of you to increase your standing at the Door of Allah with supplication for yourselves and for your loved ones, and especially for the common worshippers. 

I advise you all to offer plenty Swalawat al-Fatih and the least amount which a senior muqaddam should make is six thousand in the morning and another six thousand in the evening.  The minimum amount of your nafilah swalah should be fifty raka’at between the morning and evening.  I advise you all to offer one hundred Swalawat al-Fatih as a gift to our master Rasulullah (s.a.w.), and one thousand ‘Ya Lathif’ morning and evening.  I advise you to offer two hundred Swalawat al-Fatih on every Friday night.  I recommend you to give away some swadaqah every day, even if it is only a piece of bread.  I advise you all to honour the shurafah the people of Allah, the saints, the shuyukh, the ‘ulama and the students of knowledge. 

I advise you all to honour the muqaddamat of your shaykh, because that is a part of honouring him.  Honouring the shuyukh is a part of honouring Allah, and is a cause for your success in this life and in the Hereafter.  Be a good cheer, for Allah Says: 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

وَلَنَبۡلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىۡءٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡخَوۡفِ وَٱلۡجُوعِ وَنَقۡصٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡوَٲلِ وَٱلۡأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٲتِ‌ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ (١٥٥) ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتۡهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ۬ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيۡهِ رَٲجِعُونَ (١٥٦) أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ عَلَيۡہِمۡ صَلَوَٲتٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡ وَرَحۡمَةٌ۬‌ۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُهۡتَدُونَ (١٥٧) 

Be sure We shall Test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives and the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. ― who say: when afflicted with calamity, “To Allah we belong and to Him is our return.”  They are those on whom (Descend) Blessings from their Lord and Mercy and they are the ones that receive Guidance. (Surah al-Baqarah:155-157) 

So, perhaps the loss of fruits will be the last of the Tests, which we have been witnessing in the last two years.  All thanks and praise Belong to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.  Be of assistance to one another in achieving your goals, for the jama’ah is a mercy and dissent and discord is a punishment.  I ask Allah to Look After us all, for He is Guardian of the righteous.  Salaam.”