SŪFĪ PEARLS AND GEMS

Author: Sīdī Muḥammad Fāl ibn Bāba ibn Aḥmad Bīb ibn ‘Uthmān al-‘Alawī (Brother of the Author of Munyat al-Murīd) Translated by: Sīdī Tālūt Dawood  نظم سيدي محمد فال في السلوك １- إِعْلَمْ بِأَنَّ ذِكْرَ هَذَا الوِرْدِ = نَهْجٌ إِلَى الوُصُولِ عَيْنًا يَهْدِي 1- Know that invoking this litany, Is a method that truly guides to arrival, ２- بَلِ الـمَدَارُ عِنْدَهُمْ عَلَيْهِ فِي = تَصْفِيَةِ النَّفْسِ بِلَا تَوَقُّفِ 2- Indeed, with them, it is the axis of, Purification of the soul, undoubtedly, ３- وَهَذِهِ الطَّرِيقَةُ سَيْرُهَا بِالقَلْبِ = وَالتَّمَسُّكِ بِالكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ 3- And this path, its wayfaring is with the heart, And through adhering to the Book and the Sunnah, ４- وَشَرْطُهُ الحُضُورُ وَاسْتِحْضَارُ = قُدْوَتِنَا أَوْ تَنْقَضِي الأَذْكَارُ 4- Its condition is presence and bringing to mind, Our exemplar, otherwise, the remembrances are cut off, ５- وَأَنْتَ حَيْثُمَا اعْتَقَدْتَهُ مَعَكْ = عَلَى الدَّوَامِ تَقْفُ نَهْجَ مَنْ سَلَكْ 5- As long as you believ...

"The Tariqah is divided into two paths. The first is the path of ma'rifah (gnosis), which is by means of a specific murabbi (spiritual guide) in the path, by a method that is specific to said murabbi. The second is the path that leads to 'Illiyin above the eighth Paradise, which is the general path that is in the hands of all Muqaddams. It (the second path) is the universal path and is easiest. However, it is the least desirable of the two because they (the people on that path) worship Allah seeking, in exchange for their worship, the pleasure of Allah or His love. Nevertheless, if He loves him, He will isolate him (for Himself). Thus, this (second) path is a good path because it is a means to obtaining the (Divine) love, which will lead to being dedicated to Allah alone. However, the first path contains what is better because, from the start, it is bereft of the desires and aspirations (of the nafs). That is the path of annihilation with complete sobriety, pur...