Pursuing the Spiritual Path On One's Own
The
following response was given to an individual who had taken initiation with a shaykh but,
then, decided to pursue the Sufi Path in isolation. The individual indicated that while
with the shaykh, there was longing and turmoil, but also forgiveness and peace. After
having left the shaykh, the individual wonders where the forgiveness and peace are, and
why only longing and turmoil remain.
I hope you
will receive the following comments in the spirit with which they are given - which is as
your sincere well-wisher. You indicate in your e-mail to me that after you left your
shaykh you "pursued the path of isolation determinedly, and met with some
success".
You can
accept or not accept the following, as you will, but in my opinion - consisting of, by the
Grace of Allah, nearly 30 years on the Path under the careful and loving guidance of a modern
Sufi saint, there can be no success away from one's shaykh - irrespective of what appearances
may indicate. Indeed, when one leaves one's shaykh, one leaves behind the only relevant
criteria for ascertaining one's degree of success in spiritual matters.
If human
beings were not in need of spiritual assistance and guidance, there would have been no
need for 124,000 Prophets to have been sent to humankind as a Mercy, a cure and a help.
Moreover,
there would have been no need for the Books of Divine Revelation to have been sent.
Finally, there would have been no need for silsilahs which - through the shaykh - are our
link with the Prophetic tradition.
When one
leaves one's shaykh - however appealing and attractive this may seem from some point of
view, one, in effect, leaves the Prophetic tradition and the essence of spiritual guidance
and assistance. This is so because there are no entry points for spiritual progress
without the help of those whom Allah has appointed for this specific purpose - after all,
did not the Qur'an counsel us to 'enter houses by their doors'? No one - absolutely no one
- can traverse this Path on her or his own, and this was as true for the prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) and all of the other Prophets of Allah (peace be upon them all), as it
is true for any of us lesser lights.
You indicate
in your e-mail that when you were with your shaykh you believed in the reality of
forgiveness. You also raise the question of where that forgiveness is now.
You don't
mention where your shaykh is or whether this individual is still in this world. But,
irrespective of whether the shaykh has or has not passed away, forgiveness is still a
reality, but it doesn't necessarily come on demand or because one needs it or because one
has hope of it. Forgiveness comes on its own terms, and you have to find a way of learning
what those conditions, if any, are.
Transgressions
against Allah are forgiven by Allah if we petition God with sincerity and do not return to
those sins again - and Allah is the warrant for what is being said here. However, if we
transgress against a human being, then Allah cannot forgive us for those mistakes. Rather,
we are in the debt of the one against whom we transgress, and we must seek the forbearance
of that individual directly.
If your
shaykh is in this world, then I would recommend going to that person as soon as you can
and begging the shaykh's forgiveness with respect to your mistakes concerning the adab(
spiritual etiquette) of the Path. If your shaykh is not in this world, then I would
suggest going to the grave Site or shrine and crying for forgiveness, since the Qur'an
clearly indicates that those who have been slain in the way of Allah, are not dead but are
alive and enjoying a sustenance from their Lord. And, quite frequently, a shaykh is even
more powerful, compassionate, loving and forgiving - by the Grace of Allah - after passing
away from this world, than may have been the case when he or she was on the face of the
Earth.
If your
shaykh is no longer in this world, then you have the choice of staying with him, or of
seeking guidance from another shaykh. But, this time, whatever you do, hold tight to the
rope which has been extended to you by the Grace of Allah, no matter with what turmoil the
rope may swing amidst the trials and temptations of this earthly existence.
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