Qasidah Adab al-Tariqa

The Ettiqute of the Way
A song by Abu Madyan Al Gawth



"This life has no sweetness save company of the mystics
They are the sultans, the masters, the princes

So keep their company and manners of their gatherings.
And leave your own fortune behind when they push you forward.

Take advantage of your time, attending always with them.
And know that Allah's pleasure singles out those who attend.

And hold fast to silence unless you are asked, then reply,
"I don't know anything," and hide yourself in ignorance."


Arabic Text of Qasidah...

Ya Latif!

O Gently Kind!

The Lattifiyeh Dhikr is one of the invocations of the Shadhili Order.

Download Audio file of Dhikr Here...

Read the English Translation and Transliteration of the Dhikr

Q. What’s the proof of latifiyya (saying ya latif 1000 times)? And why '' ya latif '' particularly?

Answered By Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim Kellar...


A. Reciting the Lattifiyeh and the question of good innovation...

The Hajj

Pilgrimage to Mecca



The Hajj Season is upon us, and many people are preparing their trip to the holy city of Mecca.

May Allah be with them and keep them safe and protected. May they come back safe and renewed in faith and spirit. Ameen.

Click here

On the right hand side of the page you will see this picture..





click on it to access a Virtual Hajj Tour!

What the Seeker Needs

Shaykh Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi

This is a beautiful article that i read before I knew who Ibn 'Arabi was... and was inspirational at the time and a constant reminder. I could read it over and over...

"This short guide is a response to one who wishes to take the path of faith, hope, and love so that he might become complete and perfect as he was created. It was written to answer his questions about what he should believe in and what he should do in the beginning, before anything else.

O you who yearn for eternal beauty, traveler on the path of the true wish, may Allah make you successful in knowing the true way, finding it, and being upon it. May He use you and us in actions that please Him and are done for His sake. For the beginning and the end and what is in between, and success in them all, belong only to Him."

Read Article Here...

Ibn Arabi's own signature

 

The Place of Tassawuf in Traditional Islam

Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim Keller



This article explains precisely what tassawuf is and clears alot of confusion that exists today about tassawuf or sufism..

"Tassawuf basically consists of dedication to worship, total dedication to Allah Most High, disregard for the finery and ornament of the world, abstinence from the pleasure, wealth, and prestige sought by most men, and retiring from others to worship alone. "

Read the Article Here...

Other Articles and Audio recordings of Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim Kellar Here...

And Here...



Rumi

Till man destroys "self" he is no true friend of God.

Once a man came and knocked at the door of his friend. His friend said, "who art thou. O faithful one?" He said, "'Tis I."

He answered, "There is no admittance. There is no room for the 'raw' at my well cooked feast. Naught but fire of separation and absence can cook the raw one and free him from hypocrisy! Since thy 'self' has not yet left thee, thou must be burned in fiery flames."

The poor man went away, and for one whole year journeyed burning with grief for his friend's absence. His heart burned till it was cooked; then he went again and drew near to the house of his friend. He knocked at the door in fear and trepidation
lest some careless word might fall from his lips.

His friend shouted, "Who is that at the door?"

He answered, "'Tis Thou who art at the door. O beloved!" The friend said, "Since 'tis I, let me come in, there is not room for two 'I's' in one house."

From Rumi's Mathnawi...

Audio: The Qasida Burda of Imam Busiri

The greatest poem in praise of the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings be upon him)

I received this in an email:

The Burda of Imam al-Busiri (Maghribi rendition) is available from DeenPort MP3. The direct link: Download the Qasida Burda - full Maghribi rendition.

A full rendition of the Burda by a Maghribi group. Ustadh Amin Tirmidhi gave this to Shaykh Diya' on tape, and said that he considers this one of the very best renditions he has heard.

Made available to DeenPort courtesy Sidi Faraz Rabbani

Qasidah: al-Mustapha al-Hashimy

This arabic qasidah about the prophet Muhammed is beautiful, especially if you understand its meaning..

I will try and get it translated soon and post it up, insha'Allah.

My arabic isn't too good... But this is the meaning (or an attempt at the meaning) of one of the verses from the qasidah:

"His light overpowers the moonlight

Like the morning sun in his illuminated face.."

Listen here....

Qasidah Burdah

The Poem of the Scarf
By Imam al-Busairi (Rahmatullah Alayhi)

The writer IMAAM AL-BUSAIRI had become paralysed. His doctors and physicians gave up all hope of his recovery. Eventually in this state of complete helplessness and despair he composed this poem expressing the grandeur and excellence of Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam. Using this as his sole means of asking Allah Ta'aala to cure him from his illness. He isolated himself in a quiet place one Thursday night and with complete devotion, concentration and sincerity began reciting this poem. While reciting it sleep overcame him. He had a vision of Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam. He told Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam of his illness whereupon Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu Alyahi Wasallam passed his blessed hand over Imaam Busairi's body. Through the barakat and blessing of Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, Allah Ta'aala granted him complete cure from his paralysis. When he awoke he found a scarf or shawl on his body which he had seen Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhl Wasallam place on his paralyzed limbs. This resulted in the poem being named "Qasidah Burdah" (The Poem of the Scarf).

Sheikh Ahmed ibn Mustafa al-'Alawi

Ahmed al-'Alawi is Ahmed ibn Mustafa Ibn 'Aliwa, Abu al-'Abbas al-'Alawi, born in Mostaghanem, Algeria, in 1291/1874. He was a Sufi, Maliki Scholar, Koranic Exegete, poet, and the sheikh and renewer of the of the Shadhili tariqa, of which he founded the 'Alawi-Darqawi order that bears his name.

Sheikh Ahmed al-'Alawi, whose order has spread to the farthest reaches of the Muslim world, certainly stands as one of the greatest Sufi Masters of Islamic History. He died in Mostaghanem in 1353/1934.

Sheikh al-'Alawi is the Grandsheikh of Sheikh al-Kurdi, who is the sheikh of Sheikh al-Shaghouri, who is the Sheikh of Sheikh Nuh Kellar.

More About Sheikh al-'Alawi (May Allah be pleased with him)...

Lord, I wish for nothing beside Thee...

A beautiful narration from Imam Al-Ghazzali's "Alchemy of Happiness"...

One of my favourite books written by Imam al-Ghazzali (May Allah be pleased with him)

Yahya Ibn Muaz relates,

"I watched Bayazid Bistami at prayer through one entire night. When he had finished he stood up and said, 'O Lord! some of Thy servants have asked and obtained of Thee the power to perform miracles, to walk on the sea, and to fly in, the air, but this I do not ask;some have asked and obtained treasures, but these I do not ask.'

Then he turned, and, seeing me, said, 'Are you there, Yahya?' I replied, 'Yes.' He asked, 'Since when? I answered, 'For a long time.'

I then asked him to reveal to me some of his spiritual experiences. 'I will reveal,' he answered, 'what is lawful to tell you.

The Almighty showed me His Kingdom, from its loftiest to its lowest; He raised me above the throne and the seat and all the seven heavens.

Then He said, "Ask of me whatsoever thing thou desirest." I answered, "Lord! I wish for nothing beside Thee."

"Verily," He said, "thou art My servant.'"

Anasheed: Salamun Salam

Ustadh Abul Hasan
With an opening from al Burdah of Imam al Busiri

This is a beautiful nasheed I remember learning during High School.

Download here...

Poetry: Rumi's Mathnawi

The Spiritual Couplets of Maulana Jalaludin Muhammed Rumi

Rumi's poems are testimony of his state... drowning in love.

Commentary of the Book of Wisdoms

Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim Kellar has written a beautiful commentary of the first verse of the book of wisdoms of Ibn Ata'illah:

"One of the signs of relying on deeds is loss of hope when a misstep occurs."

He is currently working on the commentary of the book of wisdoms in its entirety.

The Hikam of Ibn Ata'illah

The Book of Wisdoms of Ibn Ata'illah Iskandari is very close to my heart and has been a source of great inspiration to me.

One of my favourite quotes from the book:

"If someone's state does not lift you up,
and his words do not lead you to Allah
- then do not keep his company!

It may well be that you are in a bad state -
but to keep company with someone worse than you
would allow you to see good in yourself."

Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Shaghouri (1910-2004)

Light Upon Light in Damascus





by NUH HA MIM KELLER

Sheikh ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri left this world on Tuesday 8 June 2004 in Damascus after a lifetime of serving Islam and Muslims. Thousands came to his funeral on Wednesday at the mosque of Sheikh Muhyiddin Ibn al-‘Arabi in the Salihiyya quarter. Among the people who prayed over him and buried him were those who knew him as a father, friend, religious scholar, teacher, mystical poet and vocalist, and Sufi sheikh....

More here...