Know, my brother in heart, that what I have said to you in the last meeting about Tasawwuf, the Sufi way, is one of the most important things in life, and the greatest thing in knowledge – the science of His light. This knowledge, Tasawwuf, illuminates the knowers like the sun. It is the source of all the lights and of all the secrets. How could this not be, when it is the heart-mind of the way of the Prophets? It is the way of the courtesy, the love, the knowledge of God, from Him to Him. It is the way one can reach God, Who is his Master. Jibra’il and all the angels and all the believers will be his support and his guidance if he wants to follow the way of God and to realize the secrets of His knowledge. For this, he must be ready to make his heart the house of God, filled with love, to be present at God’s table, and to know by God, in God. On that day, he will be helped by Him. Tasawwuf is the way of wool (as-suf) because the Sufi is like wool between the hands of God. The wool has no will of its own. It is soft and easy and it goes with the waves of the will, whichever way the breath blows.

God knows all the secrets of the Sufi, as the Sufi knows the secrets of God which He has taught him. He is the reflection of the qualities of God, refusing all the qualities which are not of the truth. He is empty of everything but God, forgetting all of the unnecessary sciences. As he is following the way of the truth, he is subsisting (al-baqa’) in the presence of God. The Sufis are sitting in the first row seats, face to face with the immediate presence of God. This knowledge is transmitted by the masters of the earth, the Prophets, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon them all, with whom God speaks.

History of Sufism

coming soon

Abu-l-Hasan was born in the village of Ghumara in Morocco in 593/1196.
His early education was by his mother, father and a local imam. Around puberty he went to study with Abu ‘Abdallah M. b. Harazim (d. 633/1236), who himself was a pupil of Abu Madyan, one of the great medieval Sufis.

He went east in 615, where he was drawn to the Rifa‘i school, accepting Abu-l-Fath al-Wasiti as his shaykh in 618.
While here he became obsessed with the search for the Qutb (Pole) of the time. Abu-l-Fath told him to return to the west where he would find him. He returned and eventually found the Qutb in ‘Abd as-Salam ibn Mashish of Fez who, after some trial, gave him bay‘ah, marking, as Abu-l-Hasan states, “the end of my beginning”.

Later, on the advice of ‘Abd as-Salam, he left Morocco to go into retreat in a cave near a village of Ifriqiya called Shadhila.
Although Shadhuli sounds like Shadhila, our shaykh Abu-l-Hasan received his name from Allah, the Blessed, Who told him in a vision, "O ‘Ali, you are ash-Shâdhdhu-lî, meaning one who is set apart (shâdhdhu) for Me (lî)".

The final words of Ibn Mashish to Abu-l-Hasan, may Allah hallow their secrets, were, “O ‘Ali, Know that Allah is Allah and people are people. The remembrance of Allah will live in your heart. The guidance of Allah will always be with you. Do not refer to people other than as Allah commands you. Refrain from dependence on them and keep your heart from inclining to them.
Your spiritual sovereignty (wilaya) has been perfected by Allah”.

In Ifriqiya, he periodically went out on preaching and teaching tours, thereby incurring the hostility of the Tunisian ‘ulama.
So bitter did the persecution become that, in spite of the support of the sultan, Abu Zakariyya al-Hafsi, he was driven to take refuge in Egypt where he spent most of his years and won great renown.

Abu-l-Hasan made a practice of going on hajj every year. He was told in 656/1258 that he would die while on hajj.
Abu-l-Hasan had idea that he may die on during pilgrimage, going as far as order a shovel and shroud be
packed as he and his followers were preparing to leave.

When they reached the midway point, which is a well in a place called Humaythirah,
he spoke to all his students and gave them the reading of Hizb ul-Bahr (The Litany of the Sea) saying,
“Teach it to your children for in it is the greatest name of Allah”.
He talked in private with Abu-l-‘Abbas al-Mursi and told all of his students,
“When I am dead look to Abu-l-‘Abbas for he is the khalifa to succeed me”.

That evening, Abu-l-Hasan asked one of his murids to bring him a jug of water from the well.
The student said, “Sidi, it is salty”. Abu-l-Hasan said, “My intention is other than what you think".
So the murid brought him a jug of water from the well. Abu-l-Hasan drank some, rinsed his mouth and then spat into the jug,
saying, “Put it back in the well”. He put the water back and it turned sweet, fresh and abundant.
To this day the water in that well is sweet.

Abu-l-Hasan spent that whole night in dhikr. Many of students heard him, and at fajr, he was still.
Thinking he was asleep one of the students shook him, finding him dead.
From there he was washed, wrapped in the shroud, prayed over and buried in Humaythirah. His murids continued on hajj.

The existence of a Shadhuli tariqa is mainly due to Abu-l-‘Abbas al-Mursi, the successor of Abu-l-Hasan ash-Shadhuli and his successor, Taj ad-din ibn ‘Ata Allah al-Iskandari, may Allah hallow their secrets & perfume their tombs. Ibn ‘Ata Allah was the first in the Shadhuli line to write books. Included in his works is an account of the life and sayings of both ash-Shadhuli and al-Mursi. He also wrote the Miftah al-Falah, "The Key to Salvation", a manual on invocation and the Kitab al-Hikam, "The Book of Aphorisms".

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Sidi Shaykh Muhammad al-Jamal says:
“This is the Promise to Allah (God). This is a great Order and a secret Order. Not every one can taste the real meaning
of the Bay‘ah if he does not walk. One who has walked through all the stations and is complete can really taste the meaning of the Bay‘ah. It can only be fully understood with the Order from Allah. Many students come and do not really taste the meaning of Bay‘ah. It is a very holy Order because this is a very special Way. Allah has made everything in this Way for the student to walk straight, cleanly, and quickly. There is no way like this Way. The meaning of the Bay‘ah is:

"I am a slave and I believe that You are my God.
I believe in all the Orders that You have sent with all the Prophets.
I do not make a difference between any of them.
I promise to walk straight and not to make mistakes.
I promise to give the Mercy to everyone and to send the Love and the Peace to everyone.
Help me, my God, to be special for You.
This is what I promise.”

Ibrahim Jaffe, a Muqqadam (spiritual teacher) - says: “In this Bay‘ah, or Promise to God, you consciously choose first and foremost to commit yourself to God. This promise is very special and important. You promise to follow the way of the Prophets, from Adam through Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. You commit to living purely, and walking in a sincere and truthful way. You are then accepted into the Shadhiliyya spiritual lineage. The Bay‘ah of the Sufis is handed down directly from the Prophets. Like Abraham, who was asked by God to sacrifice his beloved son, you are also asked to sacrifice yourself for God. As Abraham's son was spared his death and a sheep exchanged for him, from you, too, a sheep is asked. This sacrifice, like that in the Bible and Qu’ran, is considered one of the most holy and sacred ways of giving yourself to God. You are asked to donate something for the sacrifice. In Israel, the cost of a sheep sacrifice is $500. If you can give this amount, it is good. If you cannot, please look into your heart and give what you feel is the right amount for you. Any sincere offering is accepted. Again, this sacrifice is a sacred ritual that has been given by God to us and carries very deep and holy meanings. The meat from the sheep is used to feed the poor. This is symbolic of you sacrificing your self/ego to live completely in God and to live for the people. I hope you can look deeply into this and understand the inner meaning behind this practice.”

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In this time, if you want to walk in the way, the way of the Prophet, you must be a real believer. What I mean by this word is one who gives everything to be a slave for his God. This is the doorway to the stations. In the religion of Islam, anyone who wants to be a Muslim must first say, "Ash-hadu an lâ ilâha illa-llâh wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasûlullâh. There is no god but God and Muhammad is the Prophet of God."

This means, I believe there is no god, only one God. He is Allah. And I also believe that the Prophet Muhammad, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, was sent by God and he, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, carries all the religions from Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Jesus and from all the prophets. There are twenty-five main Prophets.

Muhammad carries the message. If anyone wants to be a Muslim, then he must believe in all the prophets. All of the prophets believe and say, "There is no god but He, and He is Allah." Muhammad also carries the religion, and this religion says to the people that they must walk in the way to know the truth. If you search for the truth and you find this knowledge, God says that you must speak about this message to anyone who wants to know. Every Prophet had a special group of people that followed him, but the message of Muhammad is for all the people, in all the worlds. God sent Muhammad to all the people of the world.

(excerpt fromThe Religion from Sidi's book Music of the Soul. Courtesy of Sidi Muhammad Press.)

AL-ISLAM

The Five Pillars of Islam

1. The Testimony of Faith: Ash-shahadah

When anyone wants to be a Muslim, he must say, "I believe that one God exists and there is no other. He has no son, nor wife, nor father because He is not born. There is only He in this world." You must believe that Muhammad was the sincere servant and apostle sent by God, and he carries the message from all the prophets before him. This is the first order of al-Islam.

2. The Ritual Prayer: As-Salat

Each time you pray, you are speaking with your God. When you pray, you pray from yourself to yourself. Allah does not need your praying, but He loves to hear your voice. Each prayer cleans your heart so that you may be closer to Him. This is necessary for the student to know how to walk in the way. So God sends the order for the student to pray five times a day. This is special for the student who believes in the message of all the prophets and wants to know God. This prayer is called the salat and has deep inside meanings.

3. Charity: Az-Zakat

The third order sent by God is az-zakât. This is the giving of charity to help the poor and the needy. Two and a half percent of one's yearly income (on all assets) should be given to help the poor, the orphanages or hospitals, or the family of one who is in prison. Give to anyone who is in need or is sick because their asking is only of God. First give to a brother or sister who is in need within the family. When you give to a brother or a sister, you are giving to yourself.

4. Fasting: As-Sawm

The fourth order sent by God is as-sawm during the month of Ramadan. From the adhan (call to prayer) at al-fajr (the dawn prayer) until sunset, you cannot eat or drink. The body is like a machine and it needs this time to rest. This is the month of God, and for the family of God there is special prayer. Do not lose a minute during this time because each day is like a month of walking to know God. This is the month of the soul. Remember the Name of God throughout the day and read from the Holy Qur'an and pray at night. The holiest time to pray is during the night until sunrise. This month, the body needs to rest and you cannot make love with your wife or husband during the day. This is also the month of the poor. it is a special month to help those who are hungry and do not have enough for their families. When you feel hungry, you feel what the poor feel and you are moved to give help to any of your brothers and sisters who are needy.

5. Pilgrimage: Al-Hajj

The last order sent by God, and the highest order, is the hajj. If your body is physically fit and you have the means, it is necessary to go during the time of pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina to visit the Ka‘bah and the tomb of Muhammad and all the other holy places. There you wear simple clothes made of white cloth. At this time you return to your origin, like a child born with a white soul. When you reach the Ka‘bah you pray and remember the Name all the time. This is a special place, the place of love. It is necessary to know the true meaning of al-hajj before making this holy pilgrimage in order to feel the meaning of the high love when you stand on the holy mountain of ‘Arafat, where Abraham and Muhammad stood and spoke with God, and also to see the light that comes from the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him. He is the guide of the love and when you look with the eye of your heart you can see everything from this light. When anyone from the family makes this holy journey, he knows the true meaning and sees the light coming from everywhere, and this light has no beginning and no end. This is from the meaning of al-hajj.

AL-IMAN

God has given these first five orders to anyone who wants to follow the way of Islam. This is the first station (al-islam) in the way for the self in the outside religion. When you understand the inside meaning of every order, then you come to see the second station in the way, al-iman (belief).

In this station your belief deepens. You believe in all the Prophets and in the message that every Prophet carried until Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. God gave the Prophet Muhammad another message, the message of the inside and of the outside. This is a deep message and few can understand the inside meaning of God.

God says, "I sent the Prophet Muhammad, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, to give My message to everyone to believe that there is no god but Me. But know that I am inside everything. It is not enough to know Me on the outside, you must know Me on the inside. You can see My reflection in everyone, and hear My voice in every sound. Everything is from Me and I have given you My qualities, so that you may know Me. I have sent you holy books to hear My words and to know Me. All the holy books are in the last book, the Holy Qur'an. All the messages from all the Prophets, from Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all the prophets are in the Holy Qur'an. I have given you everything to know Me. Why do you wait? Leave everything and come to Me. My message is the message of love. Know Me in every face and do not make a difference between anyone because I am in every face. I have sent all the prophets to give you My message. Know that there is no difference between any of the prophets; they are all My reflection and carry My message of love. Believe in everyone I have sent you because they are all My picture. All these messages are in the last message sent to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel (Jibrail). The work of all the angels is to pray for you and to help you to know Me. Know that the angels are your servants and are also reflections of Me. I want everyone to wake up, to wake from their sleep and to come to live in My garden. When you do this you will come to live in the station of al-iman and to know My heart.

"If you believe in Me today, you will be in the garden, the garden of love and peace and happiness. Do not refuse any order I have sent you because I know the meaning behind everything. Trust Me and believe in Me, and I will help you to change from station to station. Give of yourself and you will see Me beside you."

This is from the second station, al-iman -the station of the heart. Continue and do not stop, and He will take you to the third station, divine insight (al-ihsan).

AL-IHSAN

When you give everything to God, leaving behind all the sciences, you hear only the voice of God and come to the realization that there is nothing in this world but God. Everything falls away but Allah. You begin to live in a high station, the station of the soul, al-ihsan. You see God in everything and pray only to love God. You stand facing God at each prayer, a humble slave at the will of his Master. You are like the wool flowing easily between the hands of your God, having no will of your won. You do not love the love for love's sake. You want only to see the face of your Master. In this station you become silent with an understanding of what God is because you live with the soul of God. As you continue, you walk to a fourth station, the illuminated knowing (al-itqan).

AL-ITQAN

In this station you are totally absorbed in God. You live with the secret of the soul of God. You move with the order of God and speak with the voice of God. You listen and watch for everything as a message from your Master. You remember the Name throughout the day and in the night. In every breath, you sigh, Allah. Your heart and soul are cleaned of everything but God. Again and again, you have given everything to God and your soul has returned to the soul of God. You feel the secret love inside your heart and live in a different garden. This is the garden of the high courtesy. You know who you are and why God made you. You are more polite with everyone because you see God in everything. You have lost your body and you live with the soul of God. You speak to God with the language of the soul. This is from the station of al-itqan.

These are the stations of the way. They are given by God to help you walk through every station to reach a high station, to be with Him. This is enough now, I can't explain any more.

(excerpt fromThe Religion from Sidi's book Music of the Soul. Courtesy of Sidi Muhammad Press.)

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Dhikr, or the remembrance, is the essential and foundational practice of a Sufi. This practice consists of simply remembering Allah, usually by repetition of His Name or qualities. The principal effect of dhikr is to bring the heart back to awareness of God.

Allah says: “To Allah belongs all the beautiful names, so call out to Him with them” (Surat al-A’raaf verse 180).

Dhikr and the resulting awe and awareness of Allah, blessed and exalted is He, underlies describes the process of surrendering one’s ego-self to God's Will. Dhikr is fundamental in prayer for forgiveness, protection, insight and peace.

Dhikr is the remembrance itself as well as the various practices of remembrance. In the Shadhuli Way, dhikr is done by a group standing in a circle, fingers interlaced, chanting the name of God to evoke His light and allow Him to open and clean the participants' hearts, minds, and spirits. This is a very powerful experience that brings the community together in celebration of Allah’s creation. Typically this form of dhikr is held every Sunday and Thursday night in communities around the nation.

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’A‘ÚDhU BI-LLÁHI MINA-Sh-ShAYTÁNI-R-RAJÍM
I seek refuge with Allah from the evil one, the rejected.

BISMI-LLÁHI-R-RAHMÁNI-R-RAHÍM
In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate

O Allah, send blessings and peace in all the affairs of the revealed and the hidden,

Upon the one from whom the secrets, which were hidden in his lofty essence, were cleft apart,

And the lights, which are hidden in the sky of his lofty qualities, dispel the shadows of night as full moons,

And in him ascended the truths, for him to Him;

And the sciences of Adam descended through him and upon him.

Rendering the entire creation unable to comprehend that which was entrusted to him of the secret,

And before him understanding is diminished; yet each one’s inability to understand suffices him.

This is the preserved secret that has not been grasped by any one of us in its existence.

And none who comes after him will reach his pre-existent witnessing.

Magnified is the Prophet whose glowing beauty blossoms the gardens of the dominion [al-Mulk] and the world of the kingdom [al-Malakut].

And the reservoirs of the world of al-Jabarut pour forth in profusion the lights of his dazzling secret.

And there is nothing which is not dependent on him,

And which is not encompassed by his all-pervading Secret.

Because if he were not the Mediator in every aspect and descent,

Then, as it is said, the mediation would disappear.

Bless him, a blessing worthy of You, from You to him.

And that is an unceasing and constantly renewed creation pouring out abundantly upon him.

And grant him peace in accordance with this blessing, as he is worthy of its abundance and favor,

And on his family, who are the suns of the heavens most high,

And his companions and followers and those who came after.

Oh Allah! Surely he is Your secret, which unites all secrets,

And Your light encompassing all lights;

And your guide who leads through You to You;

And the leader who rides Your worlds to You;

And Your great veil who stands before You,

So that no one reaches except through his noble presence,

And no straying person can be guided except by his shining lights.

Oh Allah! join me to his spiritual line,

And make his praised noble descent true through me.

And let me know him with a knowledge with which I can witness his existence,

And I become his mirror

In the way that he likes and which pleases him

Through which I am freed from the sources of ignorance, through his deep knowledge.

And I drink directly from the watering places of the bounty, through his knowing.

And carry me on swift noble mounts of Your subtlety,

And on carriers of Your love and Your tender mercy,

And lead me on his upright path,

The straight path to his presence, which is connected to Your holy presence

And which shines with the revelations of his human virtues.

A carrying surrounded by the soldiers of Your victory

Accompanied by the worlds of Your family.

And use me, to throw me (like a stone) upon falsehood in all its manifestations, in all its places,

So that I refute falsehood by the truth, in the face of the most true.

And plunge me into the seas of oneness which encompass the totality of things both complex and simple.

And pull me out of the morass of metaphorical unity, of words and speech, into the unlimited freedom of uniqueness,

Which is beyond either releasing or binding (freeing or limitation).

And drown me in the spring of the sea of the unity of witnessing,

Until I do not see, and I do not hear, and I do not sense, and I do not feel, except through it, while descending and while ascending.

As it is, and like this, it never ceases to exist (as it truly is and continues without ceasing).

O Allah! make my absorbtion commended by him and praised by You.

O Allah! make the Great Veil the life of my spirit by unveiling and eyewitnessing.

Since the order is like this – a mercy and a kindness from You.

And O Allah! make his spirit the secret of my reality through tasting and through state.

And may his reality unify all my worlds in the places of knowledge, both now and forever.

And make this true to me, according to what it with you.

By the realization of the first truth and the last truth, and the revealed and the hidden.

Oh First One! Nothing comes before You,

Oh Last One! Nothing comes after You,

Oh Revealed One! Beyond You there is nothing.

Oh Hidden One! Beneath You there is nothing.

Hear my calling in my subsistence and in my annihilation, even as You heard the calling of Your slave Zakariyya.

And make me contented with You, and You contented with me.

And help me by You and for You, over the worlds of the jinn, the human beings and the angels.

And strengthen me, through You and for You, as you strengthen those who travel on the way, and who master it, and those who master it and return to travel it.

And join me to You

And remove Your veil from my eye.

And place a barrier between me, and between everything other than You.

And let nothing come between me and You.

And make me one of the leaders of Your goodness and caring.

Allaaaah Allaaaah Allaaaah (hold the 'aaaa' for 12 counts)
Allah! Allah! Allah!

From Allah the order begins,

And to Allah the order returns.

Allah is the essential requisite of existence, and nothing exists that is not He.

Surely He who ordained for you the Qur’an will bring you home again.

In every approaching and every going away, in every standing up and every sitting down.

Oh Lord! give us, from You, mercy, and provide for us straight forwardness in our conduct.

And make us of those who are rightly guided.

So guided until no slightest glance falls upon anything that is not You;

Until we have no desire, except for You.

And guide us in the places of mounting up.

Verily Allah and His angels send prayers upon the Prophet.

Oh you how believe! send your prayers upon him, and greet him with your deep surrender.

Oh Allah! send Your prayers upon him from us, the most befitting prayers, and greet him with the most perfect peace,

For surely we cannot estimate his great degree.

Nor do we know what befits him of respect and glorification.

The Prayers of Allah, exalted is He, and His peace, and His mercy and His blessings be upon our master Muhammad, Your slave and Your Prophet and Your Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, and upon his family and his companions, peace.

To the number of the even and the odd, and the complete and blessed words of our Lord and Sustainer.

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