Seadet-i Ebediyye - Endless Bliss Sixth Fascicle

25 – LETTER from AN EXPERT of TASAWWUF
‘Tasawwuf’ means to make the heart pure, to cleanse it. And
that is accomplished by way of dhikr-i-ilâhî. Attainment of the
blessing of se’âdet-i-ebediyya by the entire humanity, i.e.
goodnesses in this world and in the Hereafter, is realizable only by
dhikring very much the Name of Allâhu ta’âlâ, our real Owner.
However, this dhikring has to have been taught and permitted by
a Walî or by a true and faithful follower of that Walî who has been
authorized by him and who does not change the adabs of Islamic
principles and truth or insert bid’ats into Islam. Dhikring done
without being taught by such an authorized person will give little
benefit, if any at all. For, dhikring done with a permission is the
business of (people called) muqarrabs, whereas (people called)
ebrârs will do dhikring without a permission. Hence the blessed
statement: “The ebrârs’ acts of worship and good deeds are sinful
acts and faults for the muqarrabs.” [Imâm Rabbânî
‘rahimahullâhu ta’âlâ’ states in his hundred and ninetieth letter,
and Abdullah Dahlawî states in his ninety-ninth letter: “Dhikr’s
being useful and effective is definitely contingent on obedience to
the Islamic principles. The person to do dhikring has to practise
the acts that are farz and sunnat and avoid committing harâms and
doubtful acts. And these things must be learned from sâlih scholars
of Ahl-as-sunnat [or from their books.]” A person who does
dhikring as we describe in our books will have done it with a
permission.]
I know that you are eager to know about dhikring. So I will
write openly. [1]
‘Dhikr’ is a word in the Arabic language. Its lexical meaning in
English is to ‘remember’. Remembering something is done with
the heart. It is not done with speech. As of today three sorts of
dhikr are known:
[1] It has been stated by authorities in this science that if a person reads
this letter and does dhikring willingly, he will have done so with a
permission. That dhikring and râbita are contingent on holding the
belief of Ahl-as-sunnat, doing the acts of farz, and avoiding the
harâms so that they may be useful, is written in the final sections of
the ninety-fourth and the hundred and ninetieth letters (of the first
volume) and in the forty-seventh and fiftieth letters of the second
volume (of Maktûbât-i-Imâm Rabbânî). The same blessed authorities
have added that “Otherwise the result will be harmful, let alone
useful.”
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