Summary of the Qadiri Suluk (Spiritual Wayfaring)
سلوک قادریہ
The following is a concise summary of the practices and principles of the Qadiri suluk, as summarised in the Khatimah:
Dhikr Practices (Summary)
(1) Two-stroke Dhikr (Do Zarbi): Draw 'La ilaha' from the heart to above, and strike 'illa Allah' down upon the imaginary heart, and affix the strike of 'Allah' to the physical heart.
(2) Three-stroke Dhikr (Se Zarbi): Draw 'La ilaha' from the word (la) to the letter of the alphabet (la) to the brain until the level of the tongue — draw it down and 'illa Allah' to the physical heart, and affix the strike of 'Allah' to the imaginary heart.
(3) Four-stroke Dhikr (Chahar Zarbi): Sit cross-legged, breathe 'La ilaha' through every vessel of the body from the letter of the breath (la), hold the breath and draw 'illa Allah' outward and affix the stroke of 'Allah' to the heart.
(4) Dhikr-e-Haddadi: Sit cross-legged, breathe 'La ilaha illa Allah' through the breath from the letter, hold the breath and draw outward and affix 'Allah' to the heart and strike upon the heart.
(5) Dhikr-e-Jaroob (Broom Dhikr — i.e., Dhikr-e-'Ayni): That is, Dhikr-e-Haddadi with the motion of the eye's little finger — draw the little finger of the hand's right side close to the eye, and move the little finger of the right hand from above to the left side, from the level of the forehead to the eye — and draw from below to above 'till the forehead level' and strike 'Allah' upon the heart.
(6) Dhikr-e-'Ayni: Close the eyelids at the time of making dhikr and visualise 'Allah' at that moment.
Principles (Usul) of the Qadiri Suluk
(1) Pas Anfas (Guard of the Breath): With every breath taken, draw the imagination of 'la ilaha' to the innermost (khafi) and 'illa Allah' — with this breath draw from the heart to every part — so that not a single breath goes by in heedlessness.
(2) Barzakh Aala (Higher Barzakh): The mureed should contemplate that just as the outward form of the Shaykh is apparent, so too is the Shaykh's inner (batin) form — the inner form of the Shaykh is the form of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in reality, and the inner of Hazrat the Prophet is the divine Unity.
(3) Barzakh Awsat (Middle Barzakh): At the time of muraqabah, the mureed should contemplate and visualise that the Shaykh is wherever he is seated in the prescribed posture — the mureed's attention is directed toward the Shaykh.
(4) Barzakh Adna (Lower Barzakh): The mureed should contemplate and visualise all his own actions as the actions of the Shaykh.
(5) Shughl-e-Hamyan: Just as the way a traveller keeps steady, attention is held completely — without distraction — toward the divine Reality.
(6) Contemplation of the Name of the Essence (Tasawwur Ism Dhat Badal): Make a form of the imaginary heart upon a paper and place the Name of the Essence upon it or write it by hand — and include the Name in its form in the imagination.
(7) Fana' in the Name of the Essence: Contemplate the Name of the Essence upon your own existence and visualise your entire body as the Name, and witness the entire body as the divine Essence itself.
Contemplation of the Name of the Essence upon the Horizons: Contemplate inanimate objects, plants, animals, and letters and shapes of the Name of the Essence upon them.
Shughl-e-Juz' La Yatajazza: The body itself is the composite of all the constituent elements — imagine from the body moving parts to pieces (smaller elements) and from pieces to the particle (juz') — and reach the indivisible particle (juz' la yatajazza) — and contemplate the divine Essence without measure.
(8) Annihilation of the Four Elements: The four elements are divine manifestations — just as water is 'damp', fire is 'manifestation', air is 'vast', earth is 'solid' — see these four manifestations with the eye of a witness and set up the manifestation of all the divine Names and Attributes in them — and submerge all things, divine names, in the imaginary soul — and all of them merge as one.
Muraqabat (Contemplations) — Summary
(1) Muraqabat of 'Allah Shahidi, Allah Naziri, Allah Ma'iya, Aynaما Kuntu' — practise this until the divine witnessing becomes a felt reality. (2) Muraqabah of the heart's address: speaking to the soul from within — 'Where are you going? The destination is the divine Essence alone.' (3) Muraqabah of Fana' al-Ta'at wa al-Ma'siyat: contemplating the annihilation of one's will in all its aspects — doing all things for the sake of Allah and considering all of creation as belonging to the divine Reality. (4) Muraqabah of Fana' al-Af'al: contemplating all things in motion and at rest as belonging to the divine Reality — not ascribing them to any created being. (5) Muraqabah of Fana' al-Wujud: taking oneself from the annihilation of the outer form and establishing the reality of genuine existence as the divine Reality alone. (6) Muraqabah of Taslim: visualising oneself as lying prostrate on a smooth plain, exposed to all elements — and no force of heat or cold able to reach one.
Dhikr Sultan
With both hands place the thumbs on the ears, both index fingers on the corners of the eyes, both middle fingers on the nostrils — press the little fingers shut from the little fingers, clamp the teeth together — and the entire body at each moment, maintain the remembrance of Allah — and strike the dhikr on the entire body. In the imagination, picture a person of the Shaykh's spiritual station — visualise his face and features — with this focused attention of all one's being, directed to the totality — so that one becomes certain of whatever the mind has indicated of the divine encompassment of the entire universe.
Surah Mutakhayyilah (Imagined Form): Visualise any person's form in the imagination with full power — their face, their eyes, the clarity of their vision — and reach the level of the Shaykh's perfection — direct all attention to the totality — so that one becomes certain from whatever the mind has presented that it is the limitless encompassment of Allah Most High of the entire universe — this is how the divine Presence is indicated. Shughl Basir: Contemplate this blessed Name.
Shughl Nusayra wa Mahmudah: Press the nose's bone with the flute (bamboo) or a bamboo stick — and the heart is established and maintained — first call one and the other.
Shughl Aftab (Solar Practice)
At the time of sunrise, face the disk of the sun on the horizon — imagine the radiant lines (rays, khutut sha'sha'i) — understand the multiplicity of Absolute Being.
Three Annihilations (Fana'-e Thalathah)
(1) Annihilation of Actions (Fana'-e Af'al): Consider your own actions as the manifestation of the divine actions rather than as separate from them. (2) Annihilation of Attributes (Fana'-e Sifat): Consider your own attributes as the manifestation of the divine attributes. (3) Annihilation of Essence (Fana'-e Dhat): Consider your own self and all selves as the manifestation of the divine Essence.
Tajdid Amthal (Renewal of Similitudes)
With certainty, contemplate that the entire world is going into non-existence at every instant and coming into being anew — like a fire and the water of a river and a canal.
Wahdat al-Wujud (Unity of Being)
That is, existence is one — between the Creator and the creation, there is real identity (huwiyya) and illusory otherness (ghayriyyah).
Al-Kull fi al-Kull (The All is in All)
In every thing there is — the manifestation of all the Essence's attributes is in every thing — and the attributes of everything's Essence are present.
Wilayat (Sainthood) — Four Degrees
Wilayat 'Amma (General Sainthood): Whoever has recited the Kalima has entered into sainthood — its group's dhikr is 'La ilaha illa Allah'. Wilayat Khassa (Special Sainthood): That is, being inwardly and outwardly with the divine Reality alone — knowing it and its practice is all of it. Wilayat Akhass (More Exclusive Sainthood): That is, knowing the divine Reality and going beyond it and beyond its shadow — holding onto nothing in existence. Wilayat Akhass al-Khawass (Most Exclusive Sainthood): The mind is emptied of the divine Reality and of all that is other than it — and its practice goes beyond and beyond and is beyond — and the divine Being is beyond.
Completed. [End of the text — the word 'Tamam' (completed) appears in the original]