ISLAM AND TASAWWUF
26th Roohani Workshop 2020
Silsila Azeemia
Qalandar Shaoor Foundation Karachi
Dr Waqar Yousuf Azeemi
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
واَلصَّلٰوۃُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلیٰ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولَ اللَّهِ رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ
On the occasion of the annual Urs celebrations of the founder of Silsila Azeemia, Hazrat
Muhammad Azeem Barkhiya Qalandar Baba Auliya (RA), the spiritual workshop 2020 will
discuss the topic of
I prepared this booklet for this workshop with the permission of my respected father and
Murshid-e-Kareem, Hazrat Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi and read it to him.
Abba made the necessary corrections and amendments after which he approved it for
printing.
I am presenting this booklet for all members of Silsila Azeemia, students of Tasawwuf,
teachers and the general public.
Dr Waqar Yousuf Azeemi
What is Islam?
There is a word in the Arabic language which is spelt s-l-m, making the word ‘salam’. From
this the word, Islam is derived. ‘Salam’ has many meanings. Technically, Islam is the name of
a religion. The final Prophet of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) made mankind aware of
the principles and details of religion. Allah revealed His book to his beloved Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) in the form of revelations. This book is known as the Quran.
There are five pillars of Islam.
1. Shahadah (Declaration of faith)
2. Salaat (Prayers)
3. Sawm (Fasting)
4. Zakaat (Charity)
5. Hajj (Islamic Pilgrimage)
There are also six pillars of faith, which require having faith in:
1. Allah
2. Angels
3. The Divine Books
4. Allah’s Messengers
5. The Day of Judgement
6. Faith in Destiny
By understanding Islam and faith, man has been bestowed guidance from Allah about how
to live their life on earth. More detailed advice has been given about how this guidance
should be acted upon. Man has been given free will to either follow this guidance or not.
One main requirement of Islam is the training and purifying of the nafs (self). By purifying
the nafs, we can recognise our Lord and Creator Allah, and be close to Him.
From Allah’s words in the Quran, we know that the guidance which has been bestowed
upon mankind consists of three main parts and these parts consist of many phases.
All of the offspring of Prophet Adam (PBUH), i.e. every single person to be born on earth,
has been made aware of Allah’s Lordship before being sent here. Mankind accepted Allah’s
greatness. This special gathering of mankind that took place in Allah’s presence has been
mentioned in the Quran in Surah Al-A’raf.
This shows us that this acceptance of Allah’s Greatness is preserved inside man’s soul or
inner. In modern day terms, this would be called our DNA. With this, it becomes clear that
the love for Allah and the requirement of worshipping Allah is within man’s nature.
With reference to this, the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) give us further
guidance that:
overcome, then a person’s connection is established with the realm where they accepted
Allah’s greatness at the beginning of time.
After sending mankind onto earth, Allah gave them guidance through his messengers and
prophets. In this guidance, the prophets and messengers invited people to have faith in
Tawheed (belief that there is only One God), worship Allah, deal with mutual matters with
goodness, kindness and justice, contemplate upon the signs of Allah, and be aware of the
life before birth and the life after death.
People have been encouraged to avoid shirk (associating partners with Allah), oppression,
evil, violence and all those actions which are disliked by Allah.
From Prophets Adam, Idris, Noah, Saleh, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Ilyas, John,
Jesus, all the way until the final prophet, Muhammad (PBUT), the message of all Prophets
and their invitations to mankind has been the same; which is to have faith in Allah’s
Oneness and only worship Allah – La illaha illallah (There is no god, but Allah).
The third type of guidance has been built into mankind’s inner. Man has been given the
choice of whether or not to act upon this guidance. There are different ranks to these deeds
or actions.
Allah states:
Every person to come to earth is in an exam. The way in which the person performs in the
exam, including their good or bad deeds, influence their individual life as well as society as a
whole. Man has been given superiority and free will. Therefore, the good and bad effects of
a person’s actions will affect the thousands of creations living on the earth, land and sea. In
this way, the exam is undertaken on both an individual and communal level.
On an individual level, every person will see the results of their actions. Good actions will
have good effects and bad actions will have bad effects. Regardless of whether they are
good or bad, some of these effects will be seen in this worldly life.
In the hereafter, all of a person’s actions will be presented before them, however significant
or insignificant they may seem.
Allah can result in the form of Nafs-e-Mutmaina (Contentment of the Self).
Allah has given man the status of being His deputy on earth.
To properly fulfil this responsibility of being Allah’s deputy, Allah bestowed Ilm-ul-Asma (The
Knowledge of the Names) to Adam.
understand His attributes. According to this ability, Allah has given man control and
authority over other creations. There are different objectives of the intelligence and
understanding given to man by Allah, as well as qualities.
Mankind has been given a lot of help in order to achieve all these objectives. Allah has given
us a body that has more beauty and versatility than all other creations. The hands and feet
of man have unique abilities. By having hands with four fingers and one thumb, mankind
can do lots of things which have made agriculture, construction, crafts and fine art possible.
Because of the presence of the heel bone, mankind can stand upright on two feet without
falling backwards.
Man has been given the intelligence to gain knowledge so that they can have a greater
understanding of matters in the world. Because of this intelligence, man is capable of
thinking, understanding, remembering, analysing and concluding.
All of knowledge and arts that have come into being in this world are there because of the
intelligence of man. For better use of this intelligence, man has also been given wisdom*1,
sagacity*2 and vision*3.
In the Quran, Allah has said that wisdom is very good. For the spread of goodness in this
world, it is necessary for intelligence to be used alongside wisdom and according to Allah’s
will.
For mankind to have success in every exam, whether it is individual or communal, it is
necessary to be obedient towards Allah, abide by the laws and orders made by the Creator
of the universe, remain in a state of taqwa and adhere to the system of Allah (i.e. be a
Muslim).
Allah’s laws and orders have reached mankind through two main methods.
All systems active in the universe have been created by Allah and all laws that are
present are operative by Allah. The earth and the skies and all that exists in between has
been appointed to man by Allah. Man has been given abilities to have control over all of
Allah’s creations.
Act upon the will of Allah, adopt the state of taqwa and achieve beneficial results for
mankind and all other creations.
Using their God-given abilities to remain immersed in attaining, seeking and researching
knowledge.
For these things to occur, a path needs to be determined in which we strive to reach the
goal. To have favourable results, it is necessary for human intelligence to be used
according to/ in line with the guidance received from Allah, or the revelations. (When
intelligence is used in line with the revelations, people are kept safe from thoughts like,
“Is there or is there not a God?” and other mental obstacles such as the theory of
evolution).
A person who possesses the qualities described above can be called a ‘Muslim’.
The best guidance that can be given to understand the system of nature, and learn the
methods of obeying Allah, has been given in the Quran. It is necessary to try to
understand the Quran alongside its recitation. Allah has said:
findings and development of technology have made life much easier for mankind. Yet
despite these, man faces difficult challenges and newer problems. Man’s physical body is
in danger and there is a great pressure of impurities on the spiritual body. Mankind’s
activities to earn a living are becoming a danger to not only our existence, but the
thousands of other creations in the world too. Because of this, things have reached a
point where the earth is facing grave danger. The situation is telling us that man, Allah’s
representative on Earth, is not fulfilling his physical and spiritual role properly. The
worsening conditions on earth are due to the fact that the majority of wealth is being
controlled by just a few hands, and because of this, millions of people are in poverty and
deprivation – these are signs of failure in this exam.
Allah has provided resources in abundance for all of His creations to be able to live their
life on earth. Allah gives His creations daily sustenance. Whether its human beings or
other creations, they all must make an effort for the attainment of sustenance on earth.
This is necessary because Allah has made the system so that the creations remain active.
All other creatures live their lives according to the laws of nature. For the attainment of
their sustenance, apart from humans, no creature goes against the laws of nature. It is
only humans who use their God-given abilities to be disobedient.
There is serious danger on earth today and the biggest reason for this is man’s deviation
from the laws of nature in his activities and the committing of sins. Success that is
achieved by deviating from the laws of nature can of course become a means of
acquiring a large amount of wealth for a few people, but it does not lead to the
prosperity and continuance of mankind and other creatures.
The Murshid (Spiritual Mentor) of Silsila Azeemia, Hazrat Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi
says:
To save the world from this terrifying ending and for the continuation of Allah’s
creations that are living on earth, or for success in the exam, it is necessary for mankind
to abstain from their wrongdoings, and deal with matters of sustenance and society
whilst obeying Allah (being a Muslim).
The founder and leader of Silsila Azeemia, Hazrat Muhammad Azeem Barkhiya (RA),
gives the following advice to save people living in the current times from these
impending problems:
How should mankind pass their exam in this world, and how should they perform their
role in the best way, both individually and within society?
The teachings of Tasawwuf are very useful in order to understand this, help prepare for
the exam, and to train one’s character.
Tasawwuf is the inner perspective of Islam. The most important objective of Sufi training
under the guidance of heirs to the spiritual knowledge of the Holy Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH), is to reach the reality and to attain cognition of and closeness to Allah. The
exceptional training received from an Auliya Allah (Friend of God) gives a student the
understanding of taqwa, helps with the purification of their soul, gives them the pleasure of
worshipping Allah, and helps them reach the stages of Martaba-e-Ehsan. A person who has
been trained by Auliya Allah contemplates upon the teachings of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) and tries their absolute best to act upon the biography of the Holy
Prophet (PBUH) as much as possible, and by being close to and under the merciful watch of
the Holy Prophet (PBUH), endeavours towards closeness to Allah. A traveller on this path, by
following guidance and training from the Quran, causes the spread of goodness in society
and becomes a means of goodness for all of Allah’s creations.
The Murshid of Silsila Azeemia, Hazrat Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi states that:
there will be no more prophets or messengers. The Quran is Allah’s final book. Inviting
mankind towards believing in the Oneness of Allah and spreading the teachings of the Holy
Prophet (PBUH) have become obligatory upon the Muslim Ummah (Community). After the
companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), the blessed family of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), and
the Tabaeen (followers of the disciples of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)), this responsibility
has been taken care of by Sufi Orders with the establishment of institutions, preaching of
Islam, explaining of the purpose of worship, taqwa, purification of the soul, and providing of
training for the cognition of the self as well as the cognition of Allah. Silsila Azeemia is a
continuation of these centuries old Sufi orders.
Silsila Azeemia, which was established by Hazrat Muhammad Azeem Barkhiya, Qalandar
Baba Auliya (RA), and the objectives of its educational curriculum and teachings is to
understand the thinking pattern that is linked to a person’s spiritual and physical
dimensions. The purpose of this system that has been established in light of Quranic verses,
teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the advice of Auliya Allah, is to train and educate
a person in both the inner and outer senses. Training of the inner has been given more
importance however.
Qalandar Baba Auliya’s (RA) righteous student, and Murshid of Silsila Azeemia, Hazrat
Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi says that:
The curriculum for the training of the students of Silsila Azeemia has been designed using
guidance from the Holy Quran, the biography of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the
teachings of the heirs to the spiritual knowledge of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The
origin of the teachings of Silsila Azeemia are the Holy Quran and the teachings of the Holy
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi says that:
There are two types of habits; physical and mental.
Physical habits: the urge to eat or drink something at a specific time, e.g. having tea the first
thing in the morning, one’s manner of walking, sitting or standing, going for walks or exercising, reading before going to sleep at night, going to sleep late and waking up late, or
lots of other such habits that become normal for a person.
Mental habits: those emotions and qualities which overcome a person’s thinking to become
a part of their personality. These can be both negative and positive. The negative has been
mentioned here first because controlling negative emotions is a very important part of Sufi
training.
Negative feelings are selfishness, lust for wealth and other material things, the desire for
fame, stinginess, malice and spite, jealousy, pride, self-love, etc.
Positive feelings are selflessness, well-wishing, kindness, contentment, being impartial,
being soft natured, humbleness and modesty.
Both positive and negative emotions can be identified by a person’s behaviour, speech and
actions. Sometimes the effects of positive or negative actions can be seen after quite some
time. It is also possible that previously hidden negative emotions cannot be seen because of
a person’s external efforts. This is often how hypocrisy arises. Tasawwuf educates its
students towards having sincere intentions and keeping a balance of the outer and inner.
In the training and educational syllabus of Tasawwuf, the spiritual mentor or teacher makes
their student, associate or follower aware of the need to correct their thinking pattern.
Under these circumstances, a spiritual teacher has two main objectives:
There are three phases to the correction of a person’s thinking pattern and actions. This
correction can either be done very quickly or it can take a lot of time.
After meeting Amma, I went home to Nazimabad. Abba was not home at that time. The
next day I was returning home again from somewhere and Abba was sat in his room at his
desk, writing an article for the newspaper. On one side of the table, there was a cigarette
and an ash tray. At that time, Abba was smoking whilst writing. I remembered the message
that Qalandar Baba Auliya (RA) had asked me to give and I told him straight away that
Amma had told him to quit smoking.
Abba had smoked about half a cigarette. Smokers know that there’s a lot of satisfaction in
the last puff of a cigarette. On hearing what I said, Abba replied, “Okay,” and put the
cigarette out. After that, Abba never smoked a cigarette again.
Afterwards, I contemplated upon this event repeatedly. I thought about how Abba could
have at least finished the cigarette he was already smoking at that time if he wanted to. This
memory is etched in my mind that upon hearing the order of Qalandar Baba Auliya (RA),
Abba threw the cigarette out of his room immediately. The other thing that I kept thinking
about was how Abba managed to quit straight away, even though he had been smoking out
of habit for many years. Smokers will know how difficult it is to give up smoking.
From this event, I gained the observational understanding that due to the good training of a
spiritual mentor, and the student wholeheartedly following their teacher’s instructions
alongside many great characteristics, there is an enhancement in will power and
steadfastness. My respected father, Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi is a clear example of this.
In human beings, there is the existence of both good and bad or positive and negative
emotions. One of the main objectives of the teachings of Tasawwuf is to explain and teach
students to continually try to increase the good within them and minimise the bad as much
as possible. An important point to note is that, even by increasing the good in you as much
as possible, you cannot be neglectful of the bad.
Remember! Any small negligence is like a spark causing a fire and has the ability to destroy a
vast jungle.
In the development of science and technology along with many other things, people have
learnt that safety comes first.
Any slight problem in the quality of electrical wires or any slight mistake of a technician can
cause a short circuit and a destruction in the installations.
Satan is a known enemy of mankind. He can attack us in many ways. Satan can put doubts
into a person’s mind, or can sometimes distract them with fear. Sometimes, temptations
take over a person. To divert a person from the straight path, Satan doesn’t just use
emotions such as fear to help him, he can also use temptations. Allah has warned mankind
from the time of Adam’s (PBUH) creation to save themselves from the evil of Satan.
Worshippers of Allah and people who are engaged in the quest of finding Allah are Satan’s
main target. Satan uses many methods to make them believe that they have received lots of
blessings, that they have become very special and that they are entitled to a lot of honour.
One famous event from the life of Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA) tells us that Satan
tried to trick him many times, and every time Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA) sought Allah’s
refuge and asked Allah for help.
To be safe from the tricks and deceit of Satan, a person needs to perform Muraqba (Sufi
meditation) regularly to have control over their Nafs-e-Amara (Soul enjoined unto Evil).
Through the use of physical knowledge, people can have success in economics and society,
and science and technology. Using artistic knowledge (fine arts), a person’s personality
flourishes, and societies attain features such as balance and harmony. Through spiritual
knowledge, a person’s spiritual sight is awakened and activated. The strength of faith in
Allah, sincerity of intentions, treating others well, and self-accountability – all of these
qualities are enhanced. The teachings of Tasawwuf can be a means of the combination of
these three types of knowledge.
By prospering in these three types of knowledge, many people who have been trained by
the elders of Sufi Orders, have brought people towards Allah, completed the requirements
of creativity, and whilst contemplating upon the signs of Allah, played the role of facilitating
and leading the progression of knowledge and arts in society.
In Tasawwuf there are different phases. These consist of 7 main ones.
In this phase, the basis of association with a spiritual mentor is usually the request for
spiritual help with worldly or family problems, or it can just be firm belief.
Any person (man or woman) can be associated with a Sufi Order for any outer objectives,
including those with an interest in metaphysics, awakening of the inner qualities, the
attainment of wealth, progression in employment, the desire for closeness to a man/
woman, or to stay in the shade of duas (prayers) from a murshid.
In this phase, peace can be attained by the presence of an elder, visiting shrines, Urs
ceremonies, attending qawalli (devotional music) sessions or other similar gatherings,
performing daily rituals, performing chillas (spiritual programmes), amulets, or wearing a
ring with a specific stone. Most of the people associated with Sufi orders spend their whole
lives in this phase.
Such people can have a lot of love and faith in their elders, but usually they are not
submissive and their respect is usually just superficial. It should remain clear that the
description of respect includes respect and compliance with your murshid’s advice, respect
of the Sufi Order, trust/ dependence in members of the Sufi Order and respecting them, and
observing etiquettes within their families and societies.
In this phase there are only a small percentage of people from Phase 1. They acquire a
deeper interest in learning Sufi teachings. Such a person wants to read books on Tasawwuf -
related topics, they want to understand the terminology of Tasawwuf, and want to
understand the hidden messages within Sufi poetry. They listen with interest to things about
the world’s instability but their heart is attached to the world. Stories of warning or
admonition influence their ‘mind’ but no changes occur within them as a result of these
stories. And so, the suppression or control of negative emotions is limited in this phase.
For a person associated with a Sufi Order or spiritual elder in this phase, limited feelings of
obedience and submission begin to awaken.
People who take an interest in the teachings of Tasawwuf begin to temporarily have an
awareness of their mistakes.
People who enter this phase strongly feel the need to make changes to their thinking
pattern and in the matters of their daily life. The training from their murshid and the change
to their thinking pattern which occurs under their supervision begins, along with the early
results in the awakening of the inner sight and self-cognition. After the awareness of your
mistakes and weaknesses, you have the courage to acknowledge them. In this phase, a
person begins to acknowledge the physical and spiritual losses they face due to their
negative emotions. They become inclined towards accepting the undervaluing of time. They
begin to avoid exploiting the rights of others, correcting their mistakes, and asking Allah for
forgiveness. Because of these conditions, the person feels the rank and honour of their
murshid and feels a great amount of respect towards them. In this phase, positive emotions
begin to overpower the negative emotions. Therefore, any slight carelessness can turn their
ascending journey towards a descending one.
In a spiritual order, a murshid makes their student aware of the meaning of having trust and
dependence on Allah and the methods from which this can be achieved. A student is passed
through many phases of training for their observations and faith. Usually, most people know
that the higher the status of a person, the greater their responsibilities. A student has strict
training to fulfil these responsibilities in the best way possible. This means that the greater
the responsibility, the more they are taught and the more vigorous the training becomes.
After exiting from the zone of impurities, a person who enters the fourth phase has their
mind greatly inclined towards worship. They begin to think more seriously in order to have
control over their negative emotions. Alongside their obligations, they turn more towards
voluntary prayers. They have a great desire to become immersed in the ‘colour’ of Allah.
During this phase, their concentration in Muraqba increases, and there is more focus.
Through the activation of their dreaming senses, a person begins to see true dreams
consistently. Understanding of the subconscious language begins. Students who enter this
phase feel their heart and mind searching for the reality, and for the cognition of the
abilities of the soul, as well as the need for a greater understanding and support from the
Quranic verses and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
A student who reaches the fifth phase, with training from their murshid and their continual
attention, to some extent begins to have control over the suppression of their negative
emotions and on their Nafs-e-Amara. Their heart becomes more inclined towards the
attainment of Nafs-e-Mutmaina. A person who remains engaged in worshipping Allah and
contemplating upon Allah’s signs develops a greater desire for the mercy of and affinity to
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The desire for attaining Martaba-e-Ehsan becomes very strong. It should remain clear that
in this phase, the pressure of temptations from Satan also becomes greater with respect to
the previous phases.
It is necessary to know and understand that in every phase of development, greater levels of
discipline are required. To keep safe from Satan, one must continue to seek refuge from
Allah. Otherwise, you will be in great loss.
With the progression of Tasawwuf in society, there is also an increase in brotherhood,
respect for humanity, forgiveness, praise and encouragement, gratefulness of Allah, love of
Allah, and love and obedience for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The heirs of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Auliya Allah, carry out the training of their
spiritual children in such a way that their hearts overflow with Allah’s love.
Whether it is people who are new joiners to Silsila Azeemia or older members, for their
physical and spiritual education and training alongside continual guidance from the Quran
and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), they must always keep in mind and act upon
the aims and objectives, and rules and regulations of Silsila Azeemia.
According to the requirements of the current times and the mental level of mankind today,
the founder of Silsila Azeemia, Huzoor Qalandar Baba Auliya (RA) and Khawaja Shamsuddin
Azeemi have formulated the curriculum so that a person can become capable of fulfilling
their spiritual requirements alongside fulfilling their physical and artistic requirements. A
person can attain cognition of their soul, fulfil their individual responsibilities with elegance,
as well as properly undertake their responsibility as Allah’s deputy on earth.
The true purpose of human life is the honest and sincere worship of the Lord and Creator,
Allah – the only one worthy of worship – and to attain cognition of Him.
Muhammad Azeem Barkhiya Qalandar Baba Auliya (RA), the spiritual workshop 2020 will
discuss the topic of
Islam and Tasawwuf (Sufism)
as selected by Murshid-eKareem, Hazrat Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi.I prepared this booklet for this workshop with the permission of my respected father and
Murshid-e-Kareem, Hazrat Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi and read it to him.
Abba made the necessary corrections and amendments after which he approved it for
printing.
I am presenting this booklet for all members of Silsila Azeemia, students of Tasawwuf,
teachers and the general public.
Dr Waqar Yousuf Azeemi
TOPIC 1:
Islam
There is a word in the Arabic language which is spelt s-l-m, making the word ‘salam’. From
this the word, Islam is derived. ‘Salam’ has many meanings. Technically, Islam is the name of
a religion. The final Prophet of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) made mankind aware of
the principles and details of religion. Allah revealed His book to his beloved Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) in the form of revelations. This book is known as the Quran.
There are five pillars of Islam.
1. Shahadah (Declaration of faith)
2. Salaat (Prayers)
3. Sawm (Fasting)
4. Zakaat (Charity)
5. Hajj (Islamic Pilgrimage)
There are also six pillars of faith, which require having faith in:
1. Allah
2. Angels
3. The Divine Books
4. Allah’s Messengers
5. The Day of Judgement
6. Faith in Destiny
By understanding Islam and faith, man has been bestowed guidance from Allah about how
to live their life on earth. More detailed advice has been given about how this guidance
should be acted upon. Man has been given free will to either follow this guidance or not.
One main requirement of Islam is the training and purifying of the nafs (self). By purifying
the nafs, we can recognise our Lord and Creator Allah, and be close to Him.
From Allah’s words in the Quran, we know that the guidance which has been bestowed
upon mankind consists of three main parts and these parts consist of many phases.
Source 1 :
The guidance given to mankind directly from Allah before coming to earth…
has been made aware of Allah’s Lordship before being sent here. Mankind accepted Allah’s
greatness. This special gathering of mankind that took place in Allah’s presence has been
mentioned in the Quran in Surah Al-A’raf.
وَاِذْ اَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنْ بَنِىٓ اٰدَمَ مِنْ ظُهُوْرِهِـمْ ذُرِّيَّتَـهُـمْ وَاَشْهَدَهُـمْ عَلٰٓى اَنْفُسِهِـمْۚ اَ لَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوْا بَلٰىۚ شَهِدْنَاۚ اَنْ تَقُوْلُوْا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ اِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هٰذَا غَافِلِيْنَO اَوْ تَقُوْلُـوٓا اِنَّمَآ اَشْرَكَ اٰبَـآؤُنَا مِنْ قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا ذُرِّيَّةً مِّنْ بَعْدِهِـمْ ۖ اَفَتُـهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَـعَلَ الْمُبْطِلُوْنَ O
" And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes, we have testified." [This] - lest you should say on the day of Resurrection, "Indeed, we were of this unaware. Or [lest] you say, "It was only that our fathers associated [others in worship] with Allah before, and we were but descendants after them. Then would You destroy us for what the falsifiers have done?"
[Quran, Surah Al-A’raf – 7:172-173]
inner. In modern day terms, this would be called our DNA. With this, it becomes clear that
the love for Allah and the requirement of worshipping Allah is within man’s nature.
With reference to this, the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) give us further
guidance that:
كلُّ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ
Every child is born in a state of Fitrah (nature)
[Abu Hurairah. Bukhari, Muslim]When positive attributes are more powerful inside a person and negative attributes are
overcome, then a person’s connection is established with the realm where they accepted
Allah’s greatness at the beginning of time.
Source 2 :
The guidance given to mankind from prophets…
prophets. In this guidance, the prophets and messengers invited people to have faith in
Tawheed (belief that there is only One God), worship Allah, deal with mutual matters with
goodness, kindness and justice, contemplate upon the signs of Allah, and be aware of the
life before birth and the life after death.
People have been encouraged to avoid shirk (associating partners with Allah), oppression,
evil, violence and all those actions which are disliked by Allah.
From Prophets Adam, Idris, Noah, Saleh, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Ilyas, John,
Jesus, all the way until the final prophet, Muhammad (PBUT), the message of all Prophets
and their invitations to mankind has been the same; which is to have faith in Allah’s
Oneness and only worship Allah – La illaha illallah (There is no god, but Allah).
شَرَعَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الدِّيْنِ مَا وَصّـٰى بِهٖ نُـوْحًا وَّالَّـذِىٓ اَوْحَيْنَآ اِلَيْكَ وَمَا وَصَّيْنَا بِهٓ ٖ اِبْـرَاهِيْمَ وَمُوْسٰى وَعِيسٰٓى ۖ اَنْ اَقِيْمُوا الدِّيْنَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُوْا فِيْهِ ۚ
He has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus - to establish the religion and not be divided therein.
[Quran, Surah Ash-Shuraa – 42:13]
Source 3 :
Understanding entrusted to mankind…
choice of whether or not to act upon this guidance. There are different ranks to these deeds
or actions.
Allah states:
فَاَلْهَـمَهَا فُجُوْرَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَاOقَدْ اَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَاOوَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّاهَا O
And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness, He has succeeded who purifies it, And he has failed who instills it [with corruption]
[Quran, Surah Ash-Shams – 91:8-10]
اِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيْلَ اِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَّاِمَّا كَفُوْرًا
Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful
[Quran, Surah Al-Insan – 76:3]
Mankind coming onto this earth is in actuality, them entering an examination.
اَلَّـذِىْ خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ اَيُّكُمْ اَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيْزُ الْغَفُوْرُ O
[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed - and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving –
[Quran, Surah Al-Mulk – 67:2]
exam, including their good or bad deeds, influence their individual life as well as society as a
whole. Man has been given superiority and free will. Therefore, the good and bad effects of
a person’s actions will affect the thousands of creations living on the earth, land and sea. In
this way, the exam is undertaken on both an individual and communal level.
On an individual level, every person will see the results of their actions. Good actions will
have good effects and bad actions will have bad effects. Regardless of whether they are
good or bad, some of these effects will be seen in this worldly life.
In the hereafter, all of a person’s actions will be presented before them, however significant
or insignificant they may seem.
فَمَنْ يَّعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْـرًا يَّرَه O وَمَنْ يَّعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَّرَه O
So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.
[Quran, Surah Az-Zalzalah – 99:7-8]Living your life according to Allah’s will, and contemplating upon your Self and the signs of
Allah can result in the form of Nafs-e-Mutmaina (Contentment of the Self).
Allah has given man the status of being His deputy on earth.
اِنِّىْ جَاعِلٌ فِى الْاَرْضِ خَلِيْفَةً ۖ
When your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successiveauthority."
[Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah – 2:30 ]
Knowledge of the Names) to Adam.
وَعَلَّمَ اٰدَمَ الْاَسْـمَآءَ كُلَّهَا
And He taught Adam the names - all of them.
[Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah – 2:31]
One meaning of Ilm-ul-Asma is that Allah has given man the wisdom and ability to
understand His attributes. According to this ability, Allah has given man control and
authority over other creations. There are different objectives of the intelligence and
understanding given to man by Allah, as well as qualities.
- One objective is for man to become someone who is obedient to Allah, and in submission, only worship Allah.
- By having high levels of taqwa, become a means of peace and good for others.
- The most important objective is for man to reach the reality and attain cognition of Allah.
us a body that has more beauty and versatility than all other creations. The hands and feet
of man have unique abilities. By having hands with four fingers and one thumb, mankind
can do lots of things which have made agriculture, construction, crafts and fine art possible.
Because of the presence of the heel bone, mankind can stand upright on two feet without
falling backwards.
Man has been given the intelligence to gain knowledge so that they can have a greater
understanding of matters in the world. Because of this intelligence, man is capable of
thinking, understanding, remembering, analysing and concluding.
All of knowledge and arts that have come into being in this world are there because of the
intelligence of man. For better use of this intelligence, man has also been given wisdom*1,
sagacity*2 and vision*3.
Source:
- “knowledge” is the name of attaining information and keeping up to date with matters.
- *1“Wisdom” is using the knowledge and experience which you have gained to have a better
- understanding.
- *2“Sagacity (insight)” is to have an in-depth understanding of the outer and inner aspects of
- any matter and using that to move towards betterment.
- *3 Using knowledge, wisdom and sagacity, and understanding the times which are to come
- is “vision”. Someone with vision is called a visionary.
world, it is necessary for intelligence to be used alongside wisdom and according to Allah’s
will.
For mankind to have success in every exam, whether it is individual or communal, it is
necessary to be obedient towards Allah, abide by the laws and orders made by the Creator
of the universe, remain in a state of taqwa and adhere to the system of Allah (i.e. be a
Muslim).
Allah’s laws and orders have reached mankind through two main methods.
- Through the divine books revealed upon Allah’s messengers. In these are contained Allah’s Oneness, faith, worship of Allah, taqwa, religious obligations, matters of Shariat (Divine Law), awareness of life before death and life after death, the rights of other human beings and other creations, and more. One quality of the Quran is that it verifies, collects and preserves the divine scriptures that have been revealed before it.
- Through the signs of Allah on earth. Mankind is becoming aware of these signs through physical and spiritual knowledge. This includes both natural sciences and Tasawwuf.
present are operative by Allah. The earth and the skies and all that exists in between has
been appointed to man by Allah. Man has been given abilities to have control over all of
Allah’s creations.
اَلَمْ تَـرَوْا اَنَّ اللّٰـهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُمْ مَّا فِى السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِى الْاَرْضِ وَاَسْبَغَ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعَمَةُ ظَاهِرَةً وَّّبَاطِنَةً ۗ
Do you not see that Allah has made subject to you whatever is in the heavens andwhatever is in the earth and amply bestowed upon you His favors, [both] apparent andunapparent?
[Quran, Surah Luqman – 31:20]
Further references: [Quran, Surah An-Nahl – 16:12; Surah Al-Jathiyah – 45:13]Now it is the responsibility of man to:
Act upon the will of Allah, adopt the state of taqwa and achieve beneficial results for
mankind and all other creations.
Using their God-given abilities to remain immersed in attaining, seeking and researching
knowledge.
For these things to occur, a path needs to be determined in which we strive to reach the
goal. To have favourable results, it is necessary for human intelligence to be used
according to/ in line with the guidance received from Allah, or the revelations. (When
intelligence is used in line with the revelations, people are kept safe from thoughts like,
“Is there or is there not a God?” and other mental obstacles such as the theory of
evolution).
A person who possesses the qualities described above can be called a ‘Muslim’.
The best guidance that can be given to understand the system of nature, and learn the
methods of obeying Allah, has been given in the Quran. It is necessary to try to
understand the Quran alongside its recitation. Allah has said:
وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْاٰنَ لِلـذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِنْ مُّدَّكِرٍ
And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will
remember?
[Quran, Surah Al-Qamar – 54:17]In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, with the use of human intelligence, scientific
findings and development of technology have made life much easier for mankind. Yet
despite these, man faces difficult challenges and newer problems. Man’s physical body is
in danger and there is a great pressure of impurities on the spiritual body. Mankind’s
activities to earn a living are becoming a danger to not only our existence, but the
thousands of other creations in the world too. Because of this, things have reached a
point where the earth is facing grave danger. The situation is telling us that man, Allah’s
representative on Earth, is not fulfilling his physical and spiritual role properly. The
worsening conditions on earth are due to the fact that the majority of wealth is being
controlled by just a few hands, and because of this, millions of people are in poverty and
deprivation – these are signs of failure in this exam.
Allah has provided resources in abundance for all of His creations to be able to live their
life on earth. Allah gives His creations daily sustenance. Whether its human beings or
other creations, they all must make an effort for the attainment of sustenance on earth.
This is necessary because Allah has made the system so that the creations remain active.
All other creatures live their lives according to the laws of nature. For the attainment of
their sustenance, apart from humans, no creature goes against the laws of nature. It is
only humans who use their God-given abilities to be disobedient.
There is serious danger on earth today and the biggest reason for this is man’s deviation
from the laws of nature in his activities and the committing of sins. Success that is
achieved by deviating from the laws of nature can of course become a means of
acquiring a large amount of wealth for a few people, but it does not lead to the
prosperity and continuance of mankind and other creatures.
The Murshid (Spiritual Mentor) of Silsila Azeemia, Hazrat Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi
says:
“The emphasis of scientific developments is for one nation to become powerful and for
the rest of mankind to become their slaves, or to amass a large amount of resources
from inventions, so that one specific nation or country can become rich and the rest of
mankind becomes poor and destitute. In this type of success/ progression, there is no
betterment for humanity, so all of this development being made for the whole of
mankind, and for those nations themselves who made effort and strived to make new
inventions, has fallen into calamity and misery, which will one day turn the whole world
into a hellfire.”
[Reference: Book ‘Kashkoal’]
creations that are living on earth, or for success in the exam, it is necessary for mankind
to abstain from their wrongdoings, and deal with matters of sustenance and society
whilst obeying Allah (being a Muslim).
The founder and leader of Silsila Azeemia, Hazrat Muhammad Azeem Barkhiya (RA),
gives the following advice to save people living in the current times from these
impending problems:
“The terrifying conflicts of the future, whether they are economical or ideological, they
will force mankind to do something for its survival at any cost, and this means survival
cannot be found anywhere except in the Tawheed of the Quran.”
[Reference: Book ‘Loh-o-Qalam’, by Qalandar Baba Auliya Page 209]
role in the best way, both individually and within society?
The teachings of Tasawwuf are very useful in order to understand this, help prepare for
the exam, and to train one’s character.
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TOPIC 2:
Tasawwuf
under the guidance of heirs to the spiritual knowledge of the Holy Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH), is to reach the reality and to attain cognition of and closeness to Allah. The
exceptional training received from an Auliya Allah (Friend of God) gives a student the
understanding of taqwa, helps with the purification of their soul, gives them the pleasure of
worshipping Allah, and helps them reach the stages of Martaba-e-Ehsan. A person who has
been trained by Auliya Allah contemplates upon the teachings of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) and tries their absolute best to act upon the biography of the Holy
Prophet (PBUH) as much as possible, and by being close to and under the merciful watch of
the Holy Prophet (PBUH), endeavours towards closeness to Allah. A traveller on this path, by
following guidance and training from the Quran, causes the spread of goodness in society
and becomes a means of goodness for all of Allah’s creations.
The Murshid of Silsila Azeemia, Hazrat Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi states that:
“Tasawwuf is based on love, tawheed, taqwa and self-awareness.”
[Reference: Book ‘Ehsan-o-Tasawwuf’]Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the final messenger of Allah. Until the Day of Judgement,
there will be no more prophets or messengers. The Quran is Allah’s final book. Inviting
mankind towards believing in the Oneness of Allah and spreading the teachings of the Holy
Prophet (PBUH) have become obligatory upon the Muslim Ummah (Community). After the
companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), the blessed family of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), and
the Tabaeen (followers of the disciples of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)), this responsibility
has been taken care of by Sufi Orders with the establishment of institutions, preaching of
Islam, explaining of the purpose of worship, taqwa, purification of the soul, and providing of
training for the cognition of the self as well as the cognition of Allah. Silsila Azeemia is a
continuation of these centuries old Sufi orders.
Silsila Azeemia, which was established by Hazrat Muhammad Azeem Barkhiya, Qalandar
Baba Auliya (RA), and the objectives of its educational curriculum and teachings is to
understand the thinking pattern that is linked to a person’s spiritual and physical
dimensions. The purpose of this system that has been established in light of Quranic verses,
teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the advice of Auliya Allah, is to train and educate
a person in both the inner and outer senses. Training of the inner has been given more
importance however.
Qalandar Baba Auliya’s (RA) righteous student, and Murshid of Silsila Azeemia, Hazrat
Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi says that:
“When a Sufi is acquainted with their inner, they are able to observe Allah’s attributes. The Unseen world is open to them. Not only do they instruct others on how to purify their souls, but they teach them that the whole universe exists inside them; the universe is not outside, it is within.”
[ Reference: Book ‘Ehsan-o-Tasawwuf’: 39]
The origin of the teachings of Silsila Azeemia:
guidance from the Holy Quran, the biography of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the
teachings of the heirs to the spiritual knowledge of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The
origin of the teachings of Silsila Azeemia are the Holy Quran and the teachings of the Holy
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Religion and Tasawwuf:
- “Tasawwuf is the essence of religion.”
- What is religion?... Religion gives rise to belief in its followers that Allah is watching them.
- Religion gives people the awareness that Allah provides wealth, and that whatever is spent is from that which Allah has given.
- Religion keeps a person steadfast on the Right Path.
- When a person completes the pillars of religion, they become acquainted with the reality of the soul and enter into the zone of the ‘Believers of the Unseen’.
- Religion gives the lesson of equality and leads its followers to believe that Allah is present everywhere and at all times.
- Religion teaches that an honest person never exploits the rights of others.
- Religion is a platform to collectively hold onto the rope of Allah and to refrain from creating differences.
- Without acting upon Allah’s orders, a person cannot gain cognition. So, a person who follows parts of these teachings but does so without acting on Allah’s orders cannot be called a Sufi. We can instead call them a philosopher or debater.
[Reference: Book ‘Ehsan-o-Tasawwuf’]
Habit:
Physical habits: the urge to eat or drink something at a specific time, e.g. having tea the first
thing in the morning, one’s manner of walking, sitting or standing, going for walks or exercising, reading before going to sleep at night, going to sleep late and waking up late, or
lots of other such habits that become normal for a person.
Mental habits: those emotions and qualities which overcome a person’s thinking to become
a part of their personality. These can be both negative and positive. The negative has been
mentioned here first because controlling negative emotions is a very important part of Sufi
training.
Negative feelings are selfishness, lust for wealth and other material things, the desire for
fame, stinginess, malice and spite, jealousy, pride, self-love, etc.
Positive feelings are selflessness, well-wishing, kindness, contentment, being impartial,
being soft natured, humbleness and modesty.
Both positive and negative emotions can be identified by a person’s behaviour, speech and
actions. Sometimes the effects of positive or negative actions can be seen after quite some
time. It is also possible that previously hidden negative emotions cannot be seen because of
a person’s external efforts. This is often how hypocrisy arises. Tasawwuf educates its
students towards having sincere intentions and keeping a balance of the outer and inner.
In the training and educational syllabus of Tasawwuf, the spiritual mentor or teacher makes
their student, associate or follower aware of the need to correct their thinking pattern.
Under these circumstances, a spiritual teacher has two main objectives:
- Spiritual teachers help and guide their students to gain awareness of their own abilities and help them take these abilities to the highest level
- A spiritual mentor plays the role of a teacher, a guardian and a purifier. Their wish is for a student’s self-purification to be ongoing. For this objective to be met, it is necessary for the student to have a comprehension of the negative feelings and qualities that they possess.
correction can either be done very quickly or it can take a lot of time.
Stage 1 : To identify your own mistakes, weaknesses or negative emotions. People caught up
in something bad are usually not even aware of their mistakes or weaknesses.
in something bad are usually not even aware of their mistakes or weaknesses.
Stage 2: The next stage is acknowledgement. Some people feel that they have a certain
weakness or negative emotion, but instead of admitting to it, they make excuses and give an
explanation. Without acceptance of your weakness or problem, it’s not possible to rectify it.
Examples of this in society are the mistreatment of girls and women, disinterest towards
education, not looking after personal health and the negligence of worship.
weakness or negative emotion, but instead of admitting to it, they make excuses and give an
explanation. Without acceptance of your weakness or problem, it’s not possible to rectify it.
Examples of this in society are the mistreatment of girls and women, disinterest towards
education, not looking after personal health and the negligence of worship.
Stage 3: The initiation of correction. After identification and acceptance, correction can
begin. This can be a very difficult process for most people.
The habit of waking up late, gluttony, smoking, etc. most people know that these habits are
not good. They admit to their mistakes but find themselves unable to stop. Gaining
advantage from your good qualities is also a weakness. Challenging your laziness to increase your qualities is also an act of correction. Strong will power is needed. Alongside
strengthening their student’s faith, murshids also strengthen their student’s will power.
Following orders makes the job of correction easier for the student.
Regarding this, I remember an event from the seventies. One day, I (Waqar Yousuf Azeemi)
was present in front of Huzoor Qalandar Baba Auliya (RA) and he said quite a few things.
During the conversation, Amma* said,
“Tell Khawaja Sahib*1 to quit smoking.”
begin. This can be a very difficult process for most people.
The habit of waking up late, gluttony, smoking, etc. most people know that these habits are
not good. They admit to their mistakes but find themselves unable to stop. Gaining
advantage from your good qualities is also a weakness. Challenging your laziness to increase your qualities is also an act of correction. Strong will power is needed. Alongside
strengthening their student’s faith, murshids also strengthen their student’s will power.
Following orders makes the job of correction easier for the student.
Regarding this, I remember an event from the seventies. One day, I (Waqar Yousuf Azeemi)
was present in front of Huzoor Qalandar Baba Auliya (RA) and he said quite a few things.
During the conversation, Amma* said,
“Tell Khawaja Sahib*1 to quit smoking.”
Source:
- *me and my siblings used to call Qalandar Baba Auliya (RA) Amma. My parents have told me that since my childhood, Qalandar Baba (RA) used to call me Bhai Jaan. After that, my parents, Qalandar Baba’s (RA) family, Abba’s fellow students, and eventually everyone who entered Silsila Azeemia afterwards has called me Bhai Jaan.
- *1 my father, Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi (Abba).
next day I was returning home again from somewhere and Abba was sat in his room at his
desk, writing an article for the newspaper. On one side of the table, there was a cigarette
and an ash tray. At that time, Abba was smoking whilst writing. I remembered the message
that Qalandar Baba Auliya (RA) had asked me to give and I told him straight away that
Amma had told him to quit smoking.
Abba had smoked about half a cigarette. Smokers know that there’s a lot of satisfaction in
the last puff of a cigarette. On hearing what I said, Abba replied, “Okay,” and put the
cigarette out. After that, Abba never smoked a cigarette again.
Afterwards, I contemplated upon this event repeatedly. I thought about how Abba could
have at least finished the cigarette he was already smoking at that time if he wanted to. This
memory is etched in my mind that upon hearing the order of Qalandar Baba Auliya (RA),
Abba threw the cigarette out of his room immediately. The other thing that I kept thinking
about was how Abba managed to quit straight away, even though he had been smoking out
of habit for many years. Smokers will know how difficult it is to give up smoking.
From this event, I gained the observational understanding that due to the good training of a
spiritual mentor, and the student wholeheartedly following their teacher’s instructions
alongside many great characteristics, there is an enhancement in will power and
steadfastness. My respected father, Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi is a clear example of this.
Good and Evil:
emotions. One of the main objectives of the teachings of Tasawwuf is to explain and teach
students to continually try to increase the good within them and minimise the bad as much
as possible. An important point to note is that, even by increasing the good in you as much
as possible, you cannot be neglectful of the bad.
Remember! Any small negligence is like a spark causing a fire and has the ability to destroy a
vast jungle.
In the development of science and technology along with many other things, people have
learnt that safety comes first.
Any slight problem in the quality of electrical wires or any slight mistake of a technician can
cause a short circuit and a destruction in the installations.
Satan is a known enemy of mankind. He can attack us in many ways. Satan can put doubts
into a person’s mind, or can sometimes distract them with fear. Sometimes, temptations
take over a person. To divert a person from the straight path, Satan doesn’t just use
emotions such as fear to help him, he can also use temptations. Allah has warned mankind
from the time of Adam’s (PBUH) creation to save themselves from the evil of Satan.
Worshippers of Allah and people who are engaged in the quest of finding Allah are Satan’s
main target. Satan uses many methods to make them believe that they have received lots of
blessings, that they have become very special and that they are entitled to a lot of honour.
One famous event from the life of Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA) tells us that Satan
tried to trick him many times, and every time Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA) sought Allah’s
refuge and asked Allah for help.
To be safe from the tricks and deceit of Satan, a person needs to perform Muraqba (Sufi
meditation) regularly to have control over their Nafs-e-Amara (Soul enjoined unto Evil).
Through the use of physical knowledge, people can have success in economics and society,
and science and technology. Using artistic knowledge (fine arts), a person’s personality
flourishes, and societies attain features such as balance and harmony. Through spiritual
knowledge, a person’s spiritual sight is awakened and activated. The strength of faith in
Allah, sincerity of intentions, treating others well, and self-accountability – all of these
qualities are enhanced. The teachings of Tasawwuf can be a means of the combination of
these three types of knowledge.
By prospering in these three types of knowledge, many people who have been trained by
the elders of Sufi Orders, have brought people towards Allah, completed the requirements
of creativity, and whilst contemplating upon the signs of Allah, played the role of facilitating
and leading the progression of knowledge and arts in society.
In Tasawwuf there are different phases. These consist of 7 main ones.
Phase 1
spiritual help with worldly or family problems, or it can just be firm belief.
Any person (man or woman) can be associated with a Sufi Order for any outer objectives,
including those with an interest in metaphysics, awakening of the inner qualities, the
attainment of wealth, progression in employment, the desire for closeness to a man/
woman, or to stay in the shade of duas (prayers) from a murshid.
In this phase, peace can be attained by the presence of an elder, visiting shrines, Urs
ceremonies, attending qawalli (devotional music) sessions or other similar gatherings,
performing daily rituals, performing chillas (spiritual programmes), amulets, or wearing a
ring with a specific stone. Most of the people associated with Sufi orders spend their whole
lives in this phase.
Such people can have a lot of love and faith in their elders, but usually they are not
submissive and their respect is usually just superficial. It should remain clear that the
description of respect includes respect and compliance with your murshid’s advice, respect
of the Sufi Order, trust/ dependence in members of the Sufi Order and respecting them, and
observing etiquettes within their families and societies.
Phase 2
deeper interest in learning Sufi teachings. Such a person wants to read books on Tasawwuf -
related topics, they want to understand the terminology of Tasawwuf, and want to
understand the hidden messages within Sufi poetry. They listen with interest to things about
the world’s instability but their heart is attached to the world. Stories of warning or
admonition influence their ‘mind’ but no changes occur within them as a result of these
stories. And so, the suppression or control of negative emotions is limited in this phase.
For a person associated with a Sufi Order or spiritual elder in this phase, limited feelings of
obedience and submission begin to awaken.
People who take an interest in the teachings of Tasawwuf begin to temporarily have an
awareness of their mistakes.
Phase 3
pattern and in the matters of their daily life. The training from their murshid and the change
to their thinking pattern which occurs under their supervision begins, along with the early
results in the awakening of the inner sight and self-cognition. After the awareness of your
mistakes and weaknesses, you have the courage to acknowledge them. In this phase, a
person begins to acknowledge the physical and spiritual losses they face due to their
negative emotions. They become inclined towards accepting the undervaluing of time. They
begin to avoid exploiting the rights of others, correcting their mistakes, and asking Allah for
forgiveness. Because of these conditions, the person feels the rank and honour of their
murshid and feels a great amount of respect towards them. In this phase, positive emotions
begin to overpower the negative emotions. Therefore, any slight carelessness can turn their
ascending journey towards a descending one.
In a spiritual order, a murshid makes their student aware of the meaning of having trust and
dependence on Allah and the methods from which this can be achieved. A student is passed
through many phases of training for their observations and faith. Usually, most people know
that the higher the status of a person, the greater their responsibilities. A student has strict
training to fulfil these responsibilities in the best way possible. This means that the greater
the responsibility, the more they are taught and the more vigorous the training becomes.
Phase 4
mind greatly inclined towards worship. They begin to think more seriously in order to have
control over their negative emotions. Alongside their obligations, they turn more towards
voluntary prayers. They have a great desire to become immersed in the ‘colour’ of Allah.
During this phase, their concentration in Muraqba increases, and there is more focus.
Through the activation of their dreaming senses, a person begins to see true dreams
consistently. Understanding of the subconscious language begins. Students who enter this
phase feel their heart and mind searching for the reality, and for the cognition of the
abilities of the soul, as well as the need for a greater understanding and support from the
Quranic verses and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Phase 5
attention, to some extent begins to have control over the suppression of their negative
emotions and on their Nafs-e-Amara. Their heart becomes more inclined towards the
attainment of Nafs-e-Mutmaina. A person who remains engaged in worshipping Allah and
contemplating upon Allah’s signs develops a greater desire for the mercy of and affinity to
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The desire for attaining Martaba-e-Ehsan becomes very strong. It should remain clear that
in this phase, the pressure of temptations from Satan also becomes greater with respect to
the previous phases.
It is necessary to know and understand that in every phase of development, greater levels of
discipline are required. To keep safe from Satan, one must continue to seek refuge from
Allah. Otherwise, you will be in great loss.
Phase 6-7
The expected results of this phase will be discussed another time.
respect for humanity, forgiveness, praise and encouragement, gratefulness of Allah, love of
Allah, and love and obedience for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The heirs of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Auliya Allah, carry out the training of their
spiritual children in such a way that their hearts overflow with Allah’s love.
Whether it is people who are new joiners to Silsila Azeemia or older members, for their
physical and spiritual education and training alongside continual guidance from the Quran
and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), they must always keep in mind and act upon
the aims and objectives, and rules and regulations of Silsila Azeemia.
According to the requirements of the current times and the mental level of mankind today,
the founder of Silsila Azeemia, Huzoor Qalandar Baba Auliya (RA) and Khawaja Shamsuddin
Azeemi have formulated the curriculum so that a person can become capable of fulfilling
their spiritual requirements alongside fulfilling their physical and artistic requirements. A
person can attain cognition of their soul, fulfil their individual responsibilities with elegance,
as well as properly undertake their responsibility as Allah’s deputy on earth.
The true purpose of human life is the honest and sincere worship of the Lord and Creator,
Allah – the only one worthy of worship – and to attain cognition of Him.