Dear Kay and others,
Assalamu 'Alaikum wr wb
Alhamdulillah. Solawat and Salam to our beloved Prophet Muhammad S.A.W, His lovely Ahlul- Bait, the Sahabah and the Noble Auli'a Allah throughout ages.
May Allah guide us to the true path of Rasulullah Salla-Allahu 'Alaihi WaSallam.
We are living in the end times of the world, surrounded by evil, diversions and confusion among Muslims. Thousands of interpretations. Thousands of deviated sects. Thousands of fabricators. Astonishingly they include the so called "Islamic scholars" with the name of "salafis", " Wahabbis", who has abundant knowledge in Shari'ah but total loss of the Spiritual light in their heart. They see and interpret everything from out of their thinking. They don't posses a single knowledge of Mukashafah which is the most essential qualification for looking into Kalam Allah and the words of Rasulullah Salla-Allahu 'Alaihi WaSallam. Some other deviationists are "ahlul batiniah" who claim to perform haqiqah but deny shari'ah. And many others already said by the leading Mashaikh.
This is the time aforesaid by our beloved Rasulullah Salla-Allahu 'Alaihi WaSallam that will emerge among Muslims after him. At this juncture you have two choices :
First Choice:
Find a true Shaikhul Islam, the Ulama' Billah who is the successor of Rasulullah Salla-Allahu 'Alaihi WaSallam. They are......beginning from the Khulafa' Ar-Rashidin Radhia-Allahu 'Anh, followed by Imams and Shaikhs until today and years to come after our ages. And the final successor will be Imam Al-Mahdi Alahis-Salatu Wassalam. They followed strictly the teaching of Rasulullah Salla-Allahu 'Alaihi WaSallam. They are the ONLY holders of truth. They are the holders of Maqamat An-Nubuwwah who will guide this Ummah to the right path. The true Shaikhs should posses the attributes below:
1. True Silsilah ,the chain of succession to Rasulullah Salla-Allahu 'Alaihi WaSallam.
2. He has attained the Maqam Ma'rifah
(which means he himself is a knower of Allah by direct knowledge and he posses the ability to lead others to Allah)
3. He posses sound knowledge of Shari'ah and practices and hold strongly to it. Performs Amr Bil Ma'ruf Nahi Anil Munkar.
4. He's not attracted to the luxury of the world. (Some of the Shaikhs may visibly live in luxury world but the true face is there's not a slight of their heart tilted towards to fume of the world)
6. He's very humble, loving and reflects the Akhlaq of Rasulullah Salla-Allahu 'Alaihi WaSallam.
7. He's well known to the world afar.
Second Choice:
If you couldn't find a Shaikh with those attributes, run far away from all the sects and groups and stick firmly to the principles of the Al-Qur'an and Hadith. May Allah give his guidance.
Here is the famous hadith Rasulullah Salla-Allahu 'Alaihi WaSallam which applies to the situation we are facing.
Narrated Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman: The people used to ask Allah's Apostle about good, but I used to ask him about evil for fear that it might overtake me. Once I said, "O Allah's Apostle! We were in ignorance and in evil and Allah has bestowed upon us the present good; will there by any evil after this good?" He said, "Yes." I asked, "Will there be good after that evil?" He said, "Yes, but it would be tained with Dakhan (i.e. Little evil)." I asked, "What will its Dakhan be?" He said, "There will be some people who will lead (people) according to principles other than my tradition. You will see their actions and disapprove of them." I said, "Will there by any evil after that good?" He said, "Yes, there will be some people who will invite others to the doors of Hell, and whoever accepts their invitation to it will be thrown in it (by them)." I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Describe those people to us." He said, "They will belong to us and speak our language" I asked, "What do you order me to do if such a thing should take place in my life?" He said, "Adhere to the group of Muslims and their Chief." I asked, "If there is neither a group (of Muslims) nor a chief (what shall I do)?" He said, "Keep away from all those different sects, even if you had to bite (i.e. eat) the root of a tree, till you meet Allah while you are still in that state."
Great Rahmah of Allah to us today as we are still in the world where we could find the true Shaikhs. They are from Naqsyabandiah, Qodiriyyah, Sammaniyyah, Shattariyyah, Tijaniyyah, Sazliliyyah, Jistiyyah, Shahruwardiyyah, and many others ....according to the recent approved list by Shaikhs around the world altogether 43 Toriqahs. Although these groups bring the name of a Toriqah, it doesn't mean they don't practice Shari'ah. In fact they are the true holders of Shari'ah and Toriqah. They are the true practioners of Al-Qur'an and As-Sunnah. The only reason which couldn't be claimed by other deviated thinkers is that this Toriqah Sufiiyah posses the Successor of Rasulullah Salla-Allahu 'Alaihi WaSallam,
the Noble Shaikhul-Islam, the successors who are the holders of maqamat An-Nubuwwah Wa-Risalah.. Allah Taala is the Sustainer.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
As for the words created by innovators like "muslim orthodox" ., "conversative muslims", "modern Muslims", it doesn't exists in the books of Shaikhs of the truth. It's feared these terms are created to make confusion among the general Muslims.
There are some Muslim sects calling themselves "sufis" and only keen in performing dances mixing opposite sex. This is absolutely against Islam and nothing to do with Toriqah Sufiyyah and the true path.
Some non muslims use the term "sufi" in their spiritual sect. This is totally nothing to do with Islam.
Wallahu A'lam
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The humble tiny servant of the Noble Shaikh from the Sacred Ahlul Bayyit