Deux Traites Ibn Idris

TWO SUFI TREATISES OF AHMAD IBN IDRIS by Bernd Radtke, R. Seén O’Fahey, and John O’Kane (Utrecht) (Bergen) (Amsterdam) For Franz Rosenthal on his eightieth birthday I. Introduction The two brief works we present here are of interest both because of their subject matter per se and in particular as a specimen of the spiritual teachings and practices of their author. The author, the mystic and traditionist Ahmad b. Idris (1163-1253/1749-50-1837), was one of the most influential figures of nineteenth-century Islam.' During a long lifetime devoted to teaching and preaching first in his native Morocco, then in Egypt and the Hijaz and finally in the Yemen, he made a considerable and longlasting impact on his contem- poraries. Among his principal students were Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Sandsi (1202-76/1787-1859),? founder of the Sanisiyya order; Muhammad ‘Uthman al-Mirghani (1208-68/1793-1852),> founder of the Khatmiyya; and Ibrahim al-Rashid (1228-91/1813-74),* from whom stem the Rashidiyya, Salihiyya and Dandarawiyya. One branch of Ibn Idris’ family established a state in the ‘Asir region of the Arabian peninsula that survived until its incorporation into Sa‘ad! Arabia in 1932,5 while another branch based in Egypt and the Sudan eventually established an Idrisiyya order. The Texts 1. Kuniz al-jawahir al-niraniyya ft qawd‘id al-tariga al-Shadhiliyya The translation of the present text? is based on three manuscripts. A: which a section taken from an unpaginated majmii‘a or miscellany in the posses- » On the life and works of Ibn Idris see O'Fahey, Enigmatic Saint; ALA I, 124 f. 2 ALA I, 166 ff. 3 ALA I, 187 ff. 4 ALA I, 153 ff. 5 Enigmatic Saint 119-25, ° Enigmatic Saint 125-9. 7 ALA T, 129, no, 20.144 Bernd Radtke, R. Seén O'Fahey and John O'Kane sion of the Adarisa family of Omdurman. See facsimile, p. 171. In a colophon at the end of the majmii‘a, the copyist’s name is given as Ahmad b. Taha b. Sa‘d b. ‘Isa b. ‘All b. Hamad and the date of completion as 15 Rabi‘ II 1296/8 April 1879.—B: which is an undated manuscript located in the National Records Office, Khartoum.’ This is an incomplete copy consisting of five folios that breaks off after giving the complete silsila of Abi’l-Qasim al-Wazir. In general the text appears to be better preserved than in A.—C: The Kuniiz is quoted by name in ‘Aydariis b. ‘All al-‘Aydaris al-Nadiri al-‘Alawi, Bughyat al-a‘mal (fi ta’rikh al-Simal, Mogadishu 1954, 221-22. The author gives no indication of the provenance of his source, simply citing the silsilas from it in abbreviated form as part of his discussion of the spread of the Ahmadiyya (sometimes called the Idrisiyya) fariga in Somalia.” Although there can be no certainty that the work as we have it represents the ipsissima verba of Ibn Idris, there is as yet no reason to doubt its authenticity. It is quoted by Ibrahim al-Nawwab, a student of Ibn Idris’ student Ibrahim al-Rashid, under its present title.!° On the other hand, one may doubt whether this title is correct, since in fact the book not only discusses the Shadhili rule but the Khalwati rule as well.!! It is perhaps worth noting that, in striking con- trast to the dhikrs and litanies of Ibn Idris, the Kuniz, apart from the brief excerpt in C, has never been printed in its entirety. It would appear that the leadership of the Idrisiyya tariga in the Sudan regards the Kuniiz as something of an esoteric document, since A has on the title-page, in what is probably a later hand, the phrase: “Not to be given to anyone except a khalifa authorized by the shaykh” (/d yu‘ta illd li-khalifa ma’dhiin min qibal al-shaykh). Although, like the other writings ascribed to Ibn Idris, the Kuniz al-jawahir is undated, it must have been composed after Ibn Idris’ first arrival in Egypt in 1213/1798-9 since it includes the Khalwati initiation he underwent there at the hand of Husayn b, Hasan Bay al-Qina’i,!? an otherwise unidentified Upper-Egyptian student of Mahmad al-Kurdi (1130-95/1717-80).!3 2, Nubdha fi sifat dukhil al-khalwa The word nubdha employed in the title indicates that the work is a condensed resumé dealing with the subject of entering spiritual seclusion. It may well be § Miscellaneous 1/218/2764; Bergen, no. 434. ° According to an oral communication from Ali Salih Karrar, there is another manuscript of the Kuniiz in the al-Azhar Library. "© Hadiyya 42; ALA I, 157, no. 2. "See here p. 145. "2 Enigmatic Saint 53 13 Here p. 152Two Sufi treatises of Ahmad ibn Idris 145 that one fixed form of the text never existed but that Ibn Idris formulated a new personalized version on each occasion that he transmitted the text to a student. Other authorities recommended such a procedure.'* In any case, that a text by Tbn Idris on the rules for retiring in seclusion (khalwa) did exist is attested in his letters. He saw to it that the relevant concepts were written down and sent to his students. It appears that only two manuscripts of this work exist, one of which is in the possession of the Adarisa of al-Zayniyya but has not been accessible to date. The second manuscript comes from Omdurman and was copied in 1387/1959.'° It is this latter manuscript which forms the basis for the present translation. The Contents 1. Kuniz al-jawahir After an exordium in which he sets out some fundamental views concerning man’s situation vis-a-vis God, Ibn Idris gives a short explanation of his purpose in writing the treatise. What then follows is divided into six sections or principles (qawd‘id).—{1) The First Principle: Here Ibn Idris presents the rather lengthy statement of both his Shadhiliyya chain of initiation with separate branches which make up the Madyaniyya and Qadiriyya, and his Khalwatiyya chain of initiation. His Khadiriyya silsila, on the other hand, consists of no more than two links—(2) The Second Principle: Ibn Idris gives a brief description of the procedures of initiation into the Shadhiliyya and Khalwatiyya for both male and female aspirants, and a description of the various forms of dhikr practised by the two orders.—(3) The Third Principle: Here the progressive stages of the soul’s development are described, as well as the dhikr formulas which are to be employed at each stage. By way of conclusion, general advice is given to both the initiator and the aspirant concerning the latter’s progress on the path.—(4) The Fourth Principle: Communal dhikr as practised by the Khal- watiyya is described —(5) The Fifth Principle: Advice is given concerning how the people of the path should behave towards their fellowmen.—(6) The Sixth Principle: In this final section, Ibn Idris describes how he received the dhikrs employed in the Shadhiliyya tradition, as well as those prayers and invocations which eventually came to constitute the Idrisiyya corpus. This event took place during a meeting with the Prophet after the death of Ibn Idris’ last spiritual master, Abi’l-Qasim al-Wazir. On that occasion the Prophet instructed al-Khadir Khulasa 44b. 'S Letters 86-7. "6 ALA I, 130, no. 24146 Bernd Radtke, R. Seén O'Fahey and John O'Kane to teach Ibn Idris the dhikrs and then the Prophet himself taught him addition- al invocations, “without any intermediary”. The special significance of the Kumzz lies in the Sixth Principle. Whereas Principles One through Five are quite traditional and can be traced back to earlier sources, the Sixth Principle presents Ibn Idris’ own mystical legitimization. Here he describes his intiation through direct contact with the Prophet himself. 2. Nubdha fi sifat dukhil al-khalwa To begin with, this short text discusses the preparations one must undertake before retiring in spiritual seclusion: a preliminary withdrawal from men at large, decreasing one’s food intake, and the method by which to regulate the decrease, Next comes the description of entering into seclusion: what one recites at the outset, the recitations that accompany ritual ablutions, as well as the dhikrs employed throughout the period of seclusion. Advice is also given about choos- ing a suitable location for retirement and if one is to have a servant, what his qualities should be. Some references concerning the significance of withdraw- ing apart from the world are cited from the Qur’an and the Traditions of the Prophet. In conclusion, it is noted that one may be attended by ones’s wife and a practical piece of advice is given about using the privy. The Kuniz al-jawahir and the Khalwa resumé are examples of a common genre of Sufi writing. Both works present a brief account of rules of behavior. Their brevity is an indication that they were intended to be used as practical manuals. On the other hand, from a contemporary scholarly viewpoint their brevity invites comparison with more extensive works that treat the same or similar subjects in greater detail. Thus, they may profitably be compared with such works as:'7 Al-Qushayri (376-465/ 986-1072), al-Risdla (cf. Gramlich, Sendschreiben).—Abw’l-Najib al-Suhrawardi (died 567/1168), Adab al-muridin (Milson, Sufi Rule 10 ff.; Sobieroj, Zon Hafif).— Shihab al-Din al-Suhrawardi (539-632 /1145-1234), ‘Awarif al-ma‘arif (Gramlich, Gaben 1).—Taj al-Din Aba’l-‘Abbas Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Sharishi (581-641/ 1185-1243), Qastda ra’iyya (GAL, S I, 802. With commentary by 1. Ahmad b. Yosuf al-Fast (died 1021/1612}; 2. [partially] ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Dabbagh [died 1132/1719], Toriz II, 119-163).—Najm al-Din al-Kubra (probably died 618/1221), Risala ila'l-ha’im (On the date of his death cf. Meier, Kubra 58-60; on the text ibid. 48 f)— Najm al-Din al-Kubra, Fawa’ih al-jamal (Meier, Kubra 49 f.)—Najm al-Din-i Daya (died 654/1256) Mirsad al-‘ibad (Meier, Kubra 245; Algar, Bondsmen 8 ff.)—Sayf al-Din-i Bakharzt (585-658/1189-1260), Waga’i* al-khalwa (Meier, Kubra 42; 243 f.; not an actual handbook but accounts of visions).—Nar al-Din-i Kasirqi-i Isfarayint (639-717/1242-1317-8), Risala dar rawish-i farig wa khalwat-nishini (Landolt, Révéla- teur 14)—Jibril al-Khurramabadhi (probably died after 709/1309), a risdla without "7 The list that follows is by no means exhaustive.‘Two Sufi treatises of Ahmad ibn Idris 147 title (Landolt, Révélateur 30; Von Iran 50 f.)—‘Ala’ al-Dawla-i Simnani (659-736/ 1261-1336), in his various works, e.g. Musannafat-i farsi, nos. 8, 9, 10 (Cordt, Simnant 2.83 No. 8: al-Fath al-mubin li-ahl al-yagin, 251-275; no. 9: Salwat al-‘ashigin wa-sak- tat al-mushtagin, 277-300; no. 10: Niiriyya, 301-311).—Yahya Bakharzi (died 736/ 1335-6), Awrad al-ahbab (Waley, Kubrawi Manual 298 ff.)—Ibn al-‘Arabi (560-638/ 1165-1240), Risdlat al-Anwar (Yahya, Histoire 162, no. 33).—Ibn ‘Ata’ Allah al-Sikandari (died 709/1309), Miftah al-falah (Nwyia, Naissance 18 ff.; Meier, Kubra 247 f.).—Yasuf al-Karani (died 768/1367), Rayhanat al-qulitb (Von Iran 58).—Zayn al-Din al-Khwafl (757-838/1356-1435), al-Wasaya al-qudsiyya (Von Iran 43 £.)— Shams al-Din al-Madyani (died 881/1476), al-Khuldsa al-mardiyya (Von Iran 49).— Muhammad Demirdash (ca. 858-938/1454-1532), Tuhfat al-fullab (Bannerth, Demir- dasiyya, especially 125-128)—‘Abd al-Wahhab al-Sha‘rani (died 973/1565), al- Anwar al-qudsiyya fi ma‘rifat qaw4'id al-sifiyya = Sha‘rini, Anwar (GAL, G Il, 337, no. 25; § II, 466).—‘Abd al-Wahhab al-Sha‘ram), al-Anwar al-qudsiyya fi bayan adab al~‘ubiidiyya = Sha‘ranl, Bayan (GAL, G Il, 336, no. 13; S If, 464)—Qasim b. Salah al-Din al-Khani (1028-1109/1619-1697), al-Sayr wa ‘I-sulak (GAL, G II, 344; S Il, 472; cf. also ALA I, 247, no. 4)—Ahmad b. al-Mubarak al-Lamati (died 1155/1742), al-Ibriz min kalam sayyidt al-ghawth ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Dabbagh (Lamati)—Ahmad al-Dardir (1127-1201/1715-86), Tuhfat al-ikhwan fl tariq ahl al-‘irfan (Bannerth, Khal- watiyya 14; 19)—‘Abd al-Karim al-Samman_ (1130-1189/1718-1775), Risdlat al-nafahat al-ilahiyya fi kayfiyyat sulik al-tariga al-muhammadiyya (ALA I, 93, no. 14),—‘Abd al-Rahman b. Hasan al-Jabarti (1167-1237/1754-1822), ‘4j@'ib I, 341- 347 (GAL, G II, 480; S Il, 730; the text found in the biography of Muhammad b. Salim al-Hifnl)—‘Alt Harazim Barrada (died 1272/1856), Jawahir al-ma‘ani (Von Iran 39),— Al-Hajj ‘Umar b. Sa‘id al-Fati (1794-1864), Rimah hizb al-rahim (Von Iran 39 ff)—Muhammad b. ‘Al al-Sanast (1202-1276/1787-1859), al-Salsabil al-ma‘in (Vikor, Sanist 229) Muhammad b. ‘Alt al-Sanast, al-Manhal al-rawi (Vikor, Sandst 231).—Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Sanasi, al-Masa’il al-‘ashr = Sanisi, Mas@'il (Vikor, Samist 224 f,)—Isma‘ll al-Wali (1207-1280/1792-3-1863), al-Tawali* al-jaliyya fi kay- Sivyat sifat khalwat al-Isma‘iliyya = Isa‘ al-Wall, Tawali* (ALA 1, 236, no. 58a; Lehrer 126-9) IL. Translation The Treasures of the Radiant Jewels in The Principles of the Shadhiliyya Order In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Praise be to God, Who deposited within man all His secrets,'* and Who is concealed from him out of kindness by the radiance of the veils! of His lights. '8 jami‘ asrariht should not be taken to mean all the secrets about God’s nature, An innermost secret exists in all men. As Ibn Idris says in ‘Igd 166, the sirr is God Himself: wa-lubb jamt‘ al-kawn wa-sirrukit huwa’llah (“God is the core of all existence and its innermost secret”). See also the wide range of usages of the term sirr in eatlier works such as the /briz. ' On the Aujub see especially Third Principle below; Khanl, Sayr 40a ff., Chapter Three: ft148 Bernd Radtke, R. Sein O'Fahey and John O'Kane Then that which is other than God intervened between man and God’s lights. The curtains before them multiplied so that no trace of the lights is visible, nor is any knowledge about them discernible. And blessings and peace be upon the form of all existent things, our lord?” Muhammad, the spirit of life in all living beings?! and upon his family and Companions. Indeed, they lifted the gloom- laden curtains of that which is other after he had guided them to knowledge of the reality of divine Unicity. And they passed (as well) though the veils of light by the purity of their deeds and penetrated unto the feast of glory from the tables of the divine secrets. And so they dispensed with the lust of their here and now and what is therein, in exchange for the eternal of their hereafter and what is therein. Now to our purpose. Ahmad b. Idris al-Maghribi” says: Although I? beheld in the Shadhiliyya order?* matters of exalted import which surpass the bounds of compilation as regards their glory and beneficence, yet the order does possess (a fixed number of) principles upon which it is founded. Thus, I have gath- ered together these principles and conferred on them the title, The Treasures of Radiant Jewels in the Principles of the Shadhiliyya Order. The First Principle On the Links in the Chain of Spiritual Transmission Know that it is the duty of every person to know to whom”6 he is related by birth?” so as not? to fall into the category described by the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace: “He who enters a client relationship with other than his patrons and traces his origin to other than his father, may the curse of God, the angels and men—all of them—be upon him.””? As for someone whose father is not known, he is a foundling.3 But when it comes to fathers, they are of two kinds, the father of the body and the father of the heart?! and the latter is the aya al-hujub allatt bayn al-‘abd wa-rabbiht, as well as 83b; 124a; Rimah Il, 182 (taken from the Jawahir al-ma‘ant); see also Ibriz 1, 395; Il, 172; 265; 266 2 sayyidina, not in A. 2) The same designation, i.e rth al-hayat, occurs in Jawahir al-ma‘éni I, 111; I, 134 ® ql-Maghribi, not in B. 25 This is one of the few texts ascribed to Ibn Idris, apart from his letters, in which he refers to himself in the first person. 28 Hi-tariga: li -tariq, A. 2 al-rariga: al-tarig, A; concerning this ttle see Introduction. % alladhi, not in A. 2 yantasibu: li-yunsaba, A. 28 Yalta: wala, A 2 Canonical hadith; cf. Concordance VII, 4; also cited in Jawahir al-ma‘éni I, 31 39 Von Iran 53; as well as Rimah 1, 176, taken from Khuldsa 49b, 2; Tashi, Jaysh 106. % al-galb: al-ruh, C.Two Sufi treatises of Ahmad ibn Idris. 149 more noble, the better, the greater, because whereas the father of the body is the educator of the coarse gloom-laden body which is the cause of man’s death, the father of the heart?? is the educator of the spirit, the luminous framework which is the cause of man’s life.>> The spirit is more excellent than the body. No one disputes this. And the shaykh is the intermediary between the traveller and his Lord, as it is said: “If not for the educator, I would not have known my Lord.” If it were not for the intermediary, the one placed in the middle*>— as it is said—would have perished.>° If this much has become clear to you,?” then know that I have taken the path from many shaykhs. The last of them was my lord, my teacher, the educator of my spirit, Shaykh Aba’l-Qasim al-Wazir al-Tazi.>8 He was? one of the perfect spiritual guides who had reached the goal and experienced reality. I was his student and attended upon him for some time until through him God illumined the path for me, so that I became a mature adept “who can separate and join”. Then he passed away after he had made me a khalifa authorized in all the matters for which one may receive authorization. He, may God Most High have mercy on him, had taken (the path) from ‘Alt b, ‘Abd Allah (probably ‘Ali b. ‘Abd Allah al-Sijilmast, student of the following; cf. Ahmad al-Sharif al-Sanasl, al-Anwar al-qudsiyya 35; Sandsi, Manhal 77: ‘Ali b. ‘Abdallah aL-Filali)—from Shaykh Ahmad b. Yosuf*! (probably Ahmad b. Yasuf al-Rashidi al-Milyani, died 931/1524-5, founder of the Rashidiyya/Yasufiyya; Trimingham, Orders 87; Rinn, Khouan 272 £3 Depont-Coppolani, Confréries 461-3; cf. also Jawahir al-ma‘ani 1, 48; Sanisl, Manhal 77)—from Shaykh Ahmad Zarrag (died 89/1493; van Ess, Yasrutlya 36, no. 26. The silsila from Zarrig to the Prophet is identical with that of the list in van Ess, Yairutiya 32-38)—from Shaykh Ahmad b. ‘Ugba al- Hadraml (died 895/1495; van Ess, Yasrutiya 36, no. 25; Gril, Sources 115 f.)—from Shaykh Yahya al-Qadiri (van Ess, Yasrutiya 36, no, 24)—from*? Shaykh ‘Ali b. Muhammad Wafa’ (died 807/1404; van Ess, Yasrufiya 36, no. 23; Gril, Sources 111 3 al-galb: al-rith, C. 53 A passage with similar ideas already occurs in the writings of a student of Najm al-Din al-Kubra, al-Muwaffaq al-Khas! (died 634/1236-37); Meier, NaqSbandiyya 19.—For the shaykh as 4 spiritual second father: Jawahir al-ma‘ani I, 31; Rimah I, 171, taken from Sha‘rant, Lawagih al-anwar; Khulasa 43a — Von Iran 50.—On the necessity of the shaykh: Von Iran, passim; Neo-Sufism 59; Lehrer, passim; as well as Khant, Sayr 79b f.; 83a; Jawdhir al-ma‘ant 1, 32; 81; 128 £3 Rimah I, 21; 30; 111 3 fawla: wa-lawta, A. 35 ql-mawsit: al-muwassat, A. 36 The same sentence occurs in Rima I, 20; Ibriz U1, 200. 3 “arafta: ‘urifa, A. 38 For more information on him see Enigmatic Saint 44-46. % From kana min kummal up to fi kull ma yw'dhan not in C. “© Letters 67 f. From al-Wazir to Zarrag the silsila is defective. Yunus, C. “an, not in A,150 Bernd Radtke, R. Sen O'Fahey and John O'Kane £)—from his above-mentioned father (Muhammad Wafa’) (died 765/1363; van Ess, Yasrufiya 35, no. 22)—from Dawad al-Bakhilli® (van Ess, Yasrufiya 35, no. 21; Gril, Sources 112)—from Ahmad b.“ ‘Ata’ Allah al-Sikandart® (died 709/1309; van Ess, Yairufiya 34, no. 20; Nwyia, Naissance 18 ff.}—from Abo’l-‘Abbas al-Mursi (died 686/1287; van Ess, Yairufiya 34, no. 19)—from Abd’l-Hasan al-Shadhili (died 656/1258; van Ess, Yairufiya 34, no. 18)—from Sayyid al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-Salam b. Mashish (died 625/1228; van Ess, Yairutiya 34, no. 17)—from ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Madant (van Ess, Yairutiya 34, no, 16)—from Tugayy al-Din al-Fuqayyir (died 594/198; van Ess, Yasrutiya 33 f., no. 15)—from Fakhr al-Din (van Ess, Yairutiya 33, no. 14, not identified)—from Nor al-Din (van Ess, Yasrutiya 33, no. 13)—from Taj al-Din (van Ess, YaSrutiya 33, no, 12)—from Shams al-Din (van Ess, Yasrutiya 33, no, 11)—from Zayn al-Din (van Ess, Yasrufiya 33, no. 10)—from Ibrahim al-Bagri (van Ess, Yairufiya 33, no, 9)—from al-Marwant (van Ess, Yairutiya 33, no. 8)—from Sa‘td (van Ess, Yasrufiya 33, no. 7)—from Fath al-Sa‘ad (van Ess, Yasrutiya 32, no. 5; no. 6 in van Ess’ list, Sa‘d, is missing in our text)—from Sa‘ld (van Ess, Yairutiya 32, no. 4)—from Jabir (van Ess, Yasrutiya 32, no, 3)—from “the grandson” may God be pleased with him (van Ess, Yairutiya 32, no. 2)—from his father, ‘All b. Abi Talib, may God honour his countenance (van Ess, YaSrufiya 32, no. 1)—from the lord of creation, Muhammad, the Messenger of God, God bless him and grant him peace. About this chain, al-Mursi has said: “This, our path, has been validated from ‘Pole’ to ‘Pole’ all the way back to the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace; thus it is known as ‘The Path“ of the Poles’.” Furthermore, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Madant also took the path*” from Ahmad b. Munabbih (not identified)—from Aba Madyan “al-Ghawth”,* (died 1198; cf. El, s.v.; Trimingham, Orders 46-48)—from Aba Harazim,*? (Rin gives Abou Hassen Ali ben Ismail ben Mohammed ben Abdallah ben Harzihoum; it is most likely that the reference is to Abi Hasan ‘All b. Hirzihim [died 559/1164])—from Aba Ya‘azza (died 572/177; El, s.v.; Meier, Sadaft 67 f./Bausteine 1, 449 f.)—from Muhyi al-Din b. al-‘Arabt (the famous Ibn al-‘Arabi, died 638/1240; but this is impossible historically; most likely this is a mistake for Abu Bakr b. al-‘Arabt (died 43/1148), a student of Muhammad al-Ghazali [Meier, Auferstehung 40])—from al-Ghazali (Rinn, Khouan 217, gives Abou Ahmed el-Ghazzali; the intended reference was apparently to Ahmad b, Muhammad al-Ghazalt, the brother of Muhammad, On him see Gramlich, Gedanken 2. He died 520/126; Gramlich, Gaben 2 f.; but probably his brother Muhammad al-Ghazali [died 55/1111] is meant here)—from al-Juwaynt® (Abi’l-Ma‘all al- Juwaynl, the famous Imam al-haramayn; GAL, G I, 388; died 478/1075)—from Abo Talib al-Makki (died 386/996; author of the Qut al-quli; cf. Gramlich, Nahrung 1, al-Bakhilli: al-Balkhi, A. “ Ahmad b., not in A. al-Sikandari, not in A. “6 bi-tariga: bi-tariq, A +” For this silsila of. Rinn, Khouan 216 f.; Sandst, Salsabil 62 f. The chain is totally unhistori- cal. 8 al-ghawth, not in A. °® Hardzim: HY’, A. $8 al-Juwwayni: al-Jwit, A.‘Two Sufi treatises of Ahmad ibn Idris 151 11-13)—from al-Jurayrt®! (Rinn, Khouan 217, has Abou Mohammed Djari; this is Abo Muhammad al-Jurayri, a famous student of al-Junayd; died 311/922-3; Gramlich, Send- schreiben 81, no. 41)—from Aba’l-Qasim al-Junayd* (died 298/910; cf. Gramlich, Derwischorden I, 6). Likewise, the said Aba Madyan also took the path from? Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilami (died 561/166; the alleged founder of the Qadiriyya)—from al-Qadi Aba Sa‘ld (this is probably Aba Sa‘ld [or AbO Sa‘d] al-Mukharrimt; Braune, op. cit. 6)— from al-Qurashi (Braune, op. cit. 6; Sanit, Manhal adds al-Hakkarl; MS A has al-Hnkdri)—from Abq’I-Faraj al-Tarsast (Braune, op. cit. 6; MS A has al-Tartisshi; Manhal 65 al-Tartiist and Manhal 70 al-Tarsiist) —from Abu’ mentioned in Braune, op. cit., but cf. Rinn, Khouan 180; Sanisl, Manhal 70)—from al-Shibli (the famous Baghdadian Sufi; died 334/946; Gramlich, Sendschreiben 89, no. 53; for the chain from al-Junayd to the Prophet cf. Trimingham, Orders 261-63; also Gramlich, Derwischorden 1, 5 f.)—from Aba’l-Qasim al-Junayd*—from Sari al- Sagati (died 251/865 or later; Gramlich, Derwischorden I, 6)}—from Ma‘raf al-Karkhi (died 200/815-6; Gramlich, Derwischorden I, 5)—ftom Dawad al-Ta’l (Gramlich, Sendschreiben 47-9\—from Habib al-‘Ajami (died 156/772; Reinert, Tawakkul, Namensregister 303)—from al-Hasan al-Basri (died 110/728, the famous vir religio- sus of early Islam; van Ess, Theologie Il, 41-121)—from al-Hasan b. Abi Talib, may God be pleased with them both—from his father ‘All, may God honour his countenance.5$ Likewise, the said Ma‘raf al-Karkhi also took the path®* from ‘Al b. Masa al-Rida—from his father, Masa—from his father, Ja‘far al-Sadiq—from his father, Muhammad al-Bagir—from his father, ‘All Zayn al-‘Abidin—from his father, al- Husayn—from his father, ‘All, may God honour his countenance and be pleased with them all.57 Among my shaykhs from whom I took the path was also Shaykh®* ‘Abd al-Wabhab al-Tazi (on him see O’Fahey, Enigmatic Saint 39-44) who°® took the path® from Sayyid ‘abd al-‘Aziz al-Dabbagh (on him see O’Fahey, Enigmatic Saint, 39-44; Lamati)— from®! al-Khadir (cf. El, s.v. al-Khadir)—from® the lord of the two worlds and the imam of men and jinn,* our lord Muhammad, God bless him and grant him peace. 51 al-Jurayri: Jryr, A. 5° The Madyaniyya silsifa is missing in C. 5 The following chain is the Qadiriyya silsila; for a historical evaluation see Braune, ‘Abd al-Qadir 6 f; cf. also Saniisl, Manhal 65 f.; 69 f. 5 See above, 58 The Qaditiyya silsila is missing in C. 56 See above; for the following silsila of the Shi'ite Imams see Trimingham, Orders 262. 57 The silsila from Ma‘raf to ‘Alt is missing in C. 58 al-shaykh: sayyid, B. 5° wa-huwa, not in C. © This chain, the Khadiriyya silsifa, is also quoted in Letters 64-7; parallels: Jawéhir al-ma‘ant 1, 118: author (‘Alt Hardzim Barréda)-Ahmad al-Tijanl-Mahmad al-Kurdi-Khadir; similarly Jawéhir al-ma‘éni Il, 162: Tijani receives litanies orally (mushafahatan) from Khadir; cf. the Sixth Principle of the present work.—Sanisi, Manhal 59 f.: Sanasi-Ibn Idrts~Dabbagh; cf. fbriz 1, 51 £5 Traditionalismus, Lamati. 8! wa-huwa ‘an: ‘an, C. & wa-huwa ‘an: ‘an, C. © imam al-thagalayn, not in C.152 Bernd Radtke, R. Sean O’Fahey and John O’Kane And I took the Khalwatiyya tariga® from Shaykh Husayn b. Hasan al-Qina’1® (on him see O’Fahey, op. cit. 53 and fin. 6)—who took the Khalwatiyya tariqa® from Shaykh Mahmad al-Kurdi (mentioned in K, no. 186; died 1195/1780; de Jong, Turug 22)—from Sayyid Muhammad b. Salim al-Hifml (mentioned in K, no. 171; D; J; died 1181/1767; de Jong, op. cit. 22; Gril, Sources 113 f.)—from Sayyid Mustafa al-Bakri (mentioned in K, no. 170; D, $ 1; $ 2; J; died 1161/1749; de Jong, op. cit. 22)—from Sayyid Shaykh ‘Abd al-Lafif al-Halabi (mentioned in K, no. 145; D; $ 1; $ 2; J— from Mustafa Afandi al-Adirnawi® (mentioned in D; S 2; J)—from Shaykh ‘Ali Qarabash (mentioned in K, no. 121; D; S 2; J; died 1007/1598)—from Shaykh Isma‘tl al-Jarami® (mentioned in K, no. 96: Isma‘tl Qudsi, Corumlu; D; $ 1; S 2; J—from Shaykh ‘Umar al-Fu’adi® (mentioned in K, no. 84; D; S 1; S 2)—from Shaykh Sha‘ban al-Qastamant (mentioned in K, no. 37; D; S 1; S 2; J; died 976/1568.— Between no. 8 and 9 D; $ 1 and $ 2 have one further link: Muhy! al-Din al-Qastamani = K, no. 75)—from Khayr al-Din (mentioned in K, no. 24: Chejr ed-Din Togati; D: Hayr al-Din at-Toqadi; § 1: al-Twq”; $ 2: al-Bwq"1; J: Khayr al-Tagad!)—from Shaykh Jamal al-Din Shalabi (mentioned in K, no. 14: Gemal ed-Din Chalveti [Celebi Efen- di]; D: Tchelebi Soltin al-Afshida’t qui est connu sous le nom de Jamal al-Khalwatl; S 1: Aqrf’; S 2: Jalabi Sultan al-Aqra’i, known as Jamal al-Khalwati; J: Jalabl Sultan, known as Jalabi Khalifa; died 899/1493 or later)—from Muhammad Baha’ al-Din al-Arzinjam”° (mentioned in K, no. 10: Mehmed Erzingani; D: Muhammad b. ‘Imad ad-din al-Erzingani; S 1: al-Aznjani; $ 2: al-Arzajant; J: Bir (= Pir] Muhammad al-Arzanjani)—from Yahya al-Bakabi, author of the Hizb al-sattér (mentioned in K, no. 5: Yahya al-Shirvani. Stifter der Chalvetijje (founder of the Khalwatiyya); see ibid. pp. 238-241; D: Yahya al-Bakibi; S 1: Baka’, S 2: Aba Zakariyya al-Shirwant, also known as al-Bakibi. Bakab belongs to the a‘mdl of Shirwan; J: Yahya al-Shirwani— He died 869/1464 [K, p. 241]; cf. Shaga’ig 270-72)—from Sadr al-Din al-Khalwati”! {mentioned in K, p. 283: al-Chalweti; D: al-Khayali; $ 1: Sadr al-Din; 2: Bir Sadr al-Din; J: Sadr al-Din al-Khayahi; cf. Shagd’ig 270, reads al-Khalwati)—from al-Hajj jin (mentioned in K, p. 283; D; $ 2; J: ‘Izz al-din al-Khalwati; according to the °iq 270, ‘Izz al-Din was a student of Sadr al-Din al-Khalwati)—from ‘Umar al-Khalwati (mentioned in K, p. 283; D; S 1; S 2.—Between no. 15 and 16 the five sources have a further link; K, p. 283 Achi Miram al-Chalvati; D: Mohammed Bayram; $ 1: Muhammad; $ 2: Muhammad Bayram al-Khalwati; J: Akha Bayram al-Khalwati $ 2 adds: He was the brother of Muhammad al-Bilisi, Balis being a village near Qazwin)—from Muhammad al-Khalwati (mentioned in K, p. 283: Ahmed al-Chal- veti; D: Abi Muhammad al-Khalwati; S 1: Muhammad; S 2: Muhammad al-Khalwati; © For the silsila of the Khalwatiyya we have consulted five sources: (1) Kissling, Chalwetije, abbreviated as K; (2) Bannerth, Khalwatiyya, abbreviated as D (= Dardir); (3) Muhammad b, ‘Abd al-Karim al-Samman, Nafahdt 18-20; this is a qasida (metre tawil) on the silsila of the Khalwatiyya; abbreviated as S 1; (4) Muhammad b, ‘Abd al-Karim al-Samman, Nafahdt 16-18; abbreviated as S 2; (5) Jabarti, ‘Aja’ib I, 345-47; abbreviated as J.Further sources for the Khalwatiyya silsila: Khuldsa 59a — Von Iran 56 £.; Jawahir al-ma‘ant 1, 36 £.; Rimah I, 199 f.; Sandsi, Salsabil 106; Saniist, Manhal 86. © al-Qina’s: al-Qrt, C. © tariga: tariq, A. © ql-Adimnawi al-Jierimt: a I ® ql-Fu'adt: al-Nadt, A. 7 ql-Arzinjant: al-Shrwani, A. 71 al-Khalwati: al-Jbawt, A.Two Sufi treatises of Ahmad ibn Idris 153 J: Bir Muhammad al-Khalwati.—Is this Muhammad al-Balisi?)—from Ibrahim al-Zahid al-Jilani (mentioned in K, p. 283; D; S 1; $ 2; J.—Between no. 17 and 18 only Jhas Akha Muhammad al-Khalwatl.—Ibrahim was also the shaykh of Safi al-Din, the alleged founder of the Safawiyya; cf. K, Tafel 1, after p. 282; Von Iran 38; Gronke, Derwische 291—The following chain is also discussed by Erika Glassen, Die frithen Safawiden 121. There it runs: Zahid-i Gilant—Sayyid Jamal al-Din—Shihab al-Din Mahmiid al-Tabrizi—Abii'I-Ghana’im Rukn al-Din al-Sijasi—Qutb al-Din al-Abhart Abi’ l-Najib al-Suhrawardi, etc.)—from Jamal al-Din al-Tabrizi”? (mentioned in K, p. 283: Gemal ed-Din al-Azharl; D: Jamal al-din al-Tibrizi; $ 1: Jamal al-Din; $ 2: Jamal al-Din al-Ahwazl. Ahwaz is a town near Tabriz (sic); J: Jalal al-Din al-Tabrizi)— from Shihab al-Din Muhammad al-Shirazi (mentioned in K, p. 282: Sihab ed-Din at-Tebrizi; D; $ 1 Tabriz; $ 2: al-Tabrizi; J: Shihab al-Din al-Shirazi)—from Rukn 17> (mentioned in K, p. 283: Rukn ed-Din an-Nagail; D: Muhammad al-Najajt; S 2: Rukn al-Din Muhammad al-Najaal; J: Muhammad al-Najast; but see Mandgib-i Awad al-Din-i Kirmant, the editor's introduction, 15 f.)—from Qutb al-Din Muhammad al-Abhart (mentioned in K, p. 283: Qutb ed-Din al-Abhari; D: Qutb al-din al-Abhari; S 1: Abharl; S 2: Abhari. Abhar is a town near Qazwin; J: Abharl; cf. also Gramlich, Derwischorden I, 9; and Managib-i Awhad al-Din-i Kirmani 18)— from Aba’-Najtb al-Suhrawardt (mentioned in K, p. 283; D; S 1; $ 2; J; died 567/168; Gramlich, Derwischorden I, 9; Gramlich, Gaben 2)—from (here the Khalwatiyya silsila meets with the Suhrawardiyya. For the latter see also Rinn, Khouan 204 f.; Sanast, Salsabil 107; Sandst, Mankal 57, 98; Karant, Rayhdna 3b, 10 ff. Sha‘rant, Anwar 30 £.; Von Iran 56 £.; usually it runs: Abi’I-Najib al-Suhrawardi—his uncle al-Qadt Wajth al-Din al-Suhrawardi—his father Muhammad al-Suhrawardi, called ‘Ammiya—Ahmad al-Aswad al-Dinaw: famshad al-Dinawarl)—‘Umar al-Bakri (mentioned in K, p. 283; D; S 1; $ 2; J; this is probably Wahid al-Din ‘Umar b. Muhammad al-Suhrawardt, died 532/1137 [= no. 26]; Gramlich, Gaben 1, ftn. 3; see also Rinn, Khouan 205)— from Wahid al-Din al-Qadi (mentioned in K, p. 283: Velt ed-Din al-Qadi; D: Walt al-din; $ 1: Wajth; $ 2: Wajth; J: Wajth)—from Muhammad al-Bakri (mentioned in K, p. 283; D; $ 1; $ 2; probably the father of no. 24 [= 25]; ef. Gramlich, Gaben 3)— from Muhammad al-Dinawari (mentioned in K, p. 283; D; S 1; S 2; J. Rinn, Khouan 205, has Ahmad; is he Aba’l-Abbas Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Dinawari (died 340/951)?; Gramlich, Sendschreiben 101 £; Von Iran 56, fin. 134)—from Mamshad al-Dinawari (mentioned in K, p. 283; D; S 1; $ 2; J; died 299/911; Gramlich, Send- schreiben 86 f. On the form of his name see Meier, Abi Sa‘td 322, fin. 22)—from “al-Sa‘id” al-Jumayd al-Baghdadi, the master of the Sufi community’“—from al-Sari al-Saqati—from Ma‘raf al-Karkhi—from Da’ad al-Ta’l—from Habib al-‘Ajami— from al-Hasan al-Basri—from al-Hasan—from his father, ‘Alt b. Abt Talib, may God honour his countenance and be pleased with them all. The Second Principle On Administering the Covenant and its Conditions Parallels: For the Suhrawardiyya: Sanisl, Manhal 70 f.; Khalwatiyya: Jabarti, “4 1, 344 f; Bannerth, Khalwatiyya 45 ff. = Dardir, Tuhfa 18 f.; Samman, Nafahat 13 f. Tbn Idris, Risdlat al-Asds; translated in O’Fahey, Enigmatic Saint 204-8; for the % ql-Tabrizi: al-Br2t, A. B al-Sigast: al-Najashi, A. 74 See above p. 151154 Bernd Radtke, R. Sein O'Fahey and John O'Kane Isma‘lliyya: Lehrer 126-28.—Trimingham, Orders 185 ff.—For Iran cf. Gramlich, Der- wischorden III, 74 ff. Know that only one who has reached the goal, who is familiar with the rules of the covenant and who knows how to induce spiritual presence can adminis- ter the covenant. And he must be authorized to do this by his shaykh. As for the implantation (talgin) of the dhikr, both the initiator (mulaggin) and the novice must be in a state of complete ritual purity.” Then the initiator, turning towards the gibla, witnesses the presence of the Prophet and seeks support from him.” Then he asks God’s pardon three times inwardly. Then he recites: “In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Surely We have given thee a manifest victory, that God may forgive thee thy former and thy later sins”, up to “All-knowing, All-wise”, as well as “Those who swear fealty to thee”, up to “A mighty wage” (48/1-10). Then the initiator says /@ ilaha illa ‘lah (There is no god but God) three times out loud, with the novice listening. Then the novice repeats the formula after him three times, while the initiator listens. Then the initiator says: “I authorize you in the path”, and at this moment each of them has his eyes closed. Then the initiator prays for the benefit of the novice and for his protection from the evil of his carnal soul and passion. And the three” formulas are, /4 ilaha illd'llah, allah, huwa.”® As for administering the covenant of the Khalwatiyya”® order: the shaykh places his right hand in the right hand of the novice—if it is a man—and grasps his thumb, both participants being in a state of ritual purity and keeping their eyes closed. And the shaykh says to the novice three times: “I seek pardon of God, the Great.” Then after this the shaykh recites: “Oh you who believe, turn to God in sincere repentance; it may be that your Lord will acquit you of your evil deeds, and will admit you into gardens underneath which rivers flow” (66/8) and “Fulfil God’s covenant, when you make covenant, and break not the oaths after they have been confirmed, and you have made God your surety; surely God knows the things you do” (16/91). Then the shaykh lowers his head and prays inwardly for the novice, saying something like: “Oh God, aid him and guard him, answer his prayers, and open for him every door of bounty that You opened for Your prophets, Your messengers and Your Friends whenever they uttered an appropriate prayer.” Then he says: “Hear from me the dhikr, which is /a ildha illa’llah, three times! Then repeat it after me three times so that I 75 General rules; e.g. Lehrer 126; Saniist, Manhal 71; Jabarti, ‘4ja’ib 1, 344. 7 General rules; ¢.g. Jawahir al-ma‘ant I, 92; Lehrer 128; Von Iran 46. For mote on the presence of the Prophet see the Sixth Principle below. 7” ql-thalatha: al-thaladth, A. 7 For the Shadhiliyya cf. Sikandari, Mifiah 40; dealt with extensively in Khani, Sayr; and see Third Principle below. 79 See above p. 144,Two Sufi treatises of Ahmad ibn Idris 155 may also hear it from you!”—while seeking support in the heart from the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace, from the people of the path, and from all the prophets, messengers, Friends and believers. And if the novice is a woman,® the shaykh places his hand in her hand with something in between, and a large basin containing water*! is brought. Then they both place their head in the basin, without him looking at her, but he looks at her reflection in the water. And he administers the covenant to her the same way he did to the man. Then before the novice leaves, the shaykh commends to him pious fear of God*? inwardly and outwardly, perseverance in the dhikr and the frequent rep- etition of /a ilaha illa‘ilah as much as possible at night and throughout the day in obedience to God’s command and seeking only His satisfaction—whether in the state of ritual purity or not. In a state of ritual purity is better because ritual purity is a light and the dhikr is a light, and the recurrence of the lights makes the journey of the traveller on the mystic path quicker. Nor does it matter whether he uses a rosary® or not. But a rosary is better since it is a reminder for the beginner. Nor does it matter whether he recites with a fixed number or not. But a fixed number is better since it is an incentive to the novice. Nor does it matter whether he recites out loud or inwardly. Out loud is better, although inwardly is better for someone who has reached the final stage.8° And it is the same whether he is standing or sitting or on his side.*° Nor does it matter whether he is by himself or with a group, or whether he is in retreat or not. Such is the situation of the novice and so he persists until he encounters God, but without considering the virtue of his actions, nor does he act like this in order to attain the stations of the “men of distinction”.®” And this is confirmed by the Prophet in the Tradition from al-Bazzar** and * Trimingham, Orders 232.—For Iran cf. Gramlich, Derwischorden Ill, 78. %" gast (otherwise tasht), a basin made of copper or brass to hold the water poured from an ibrig or ewer; ef. E.W. Lane, Manners (many editions), chapter “Domestic Life” for a description and illustration; ef. also O’Fahey, Enigmatic Saint 201 ® A virtue of the greatest significance to Ibn Idris; see e.g. Letters 26-31; Erleuchtung $8, quot- ing from the Risdlat al-Radd by Ibn Idris; similarly Birkawi (929-981/1523-1573), Tariga 35 ff., gives special emphasis to the importance of tagw. © In general cf. Venzlaff, Rosenkranz 80 ff. 4 For examples of a fixed number cf. Lehrer 126-28; O’Fahey, Enigmatic Saint 204-8 (translation of the Risdlat al-Asas by Ibn Idris); also Jawahir al-ma‘ant I, 97 ff, see also Meier, Die segenssprechung 375-78/Bausteine Il, 848-51. 8 For Iran: Gramlich, Derwischorden I, 381; for the Khatmiyya and the Isma‘liyya see Lehrer, passim; for the Nagshbandiyya cf. Meier, Nagibandiyya 42-4, 8 An allusion to Quran 3/191. ® Referring to the great Sufi masters. 5 The primary source for this Tradition is Karanl, Rayhdna Sb; cf. Von Iran 58. Most later authors took it from Karan: Khuldsa 59b f.; Sha‘rant, Anwar 27; Jabarn, ‘AJa’ib |, 345 £; Samman, Nafahdt 16 ff.; Rimah I, 195; Sanisi, Manhal 87; Sandsi, Salsabil 87.—On al-Bazzar cf. GAS I, 162, no. 111 (4. 292/905).156 Bernd Radtke, R. Sein O'Fahey and John O'Kane from others, that the Prophet implanted the dhikr in his Companions as a group and individually after he had first recited the formulas himself and affirmed them. And he said: “Likewise did Gabriel, on whom be peace, implant the dhikr in me, and the dhikr is a means to God—He is exalted! And see that you seek the means to God!” Moreover, for this reason it has been said: “Whoever doesn’t occupy his carnal soul with the true, his carnal soul will occupy him with the false.” As well as: “Whoever doesn’t have a shaykh, his shaykh is Satan.”*? Consequently, receiving instruction from shaykhs is a link between the bondsman and God.°°— Then he leaves the novice for a period of time until he comes to know the novice’s situation The Third Principle The Ranks of the Soul, and Advancing Along the Mystic Path by Means of dhikrs and Meditation Khani gives the most detailed description of this subject, structuring his text according to the system based on the seven forms of the soul. He deals with the nafs ammara 5la, the nafs lawwama 59a, the nafs mulhama 81a, the nafs mutma’inna 102b ff., the nafs radiya 108 ff., the nafs mardiyya 11a ff., the nafs kamila 114a f.; and cf. Jawahir al-ma‘ani Ul, 57 f, 11, 127; Jabarti, ‘Aja’ib I, 345; Bannerth, Khalwatiyya 49-51; cf. also Lehrer 105.—The three forms of the soul postulated by the Shadhiliyya (ammara, lawwama, mutma’inna) are dealt with in Sikandarl, Miftah 10.—For Iran ef. Gramlich, Derwischorden II, 71 £—On muragaba see Meiet, Nagsbandiyya 40, 42, 44-6 and passim, Know that the ranks of the soul are seven, namely: (1) the soul which incites to evil, (2) the self-admonishing soul, (3) the inspired soul, (4) the tranquil soul, (5) the contented soul, (6) the approved soul, (7) the perfect soul. These are the veils the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace, was referring to”! when he said: “Between the bondsman and his Lord are seventy thousand veils of darkness and light.” These veils constitute the distance in the relationship between you and God Most High. You can only pass through them by means of the three formulas of the Shadhiliyya.” The first formula /d ilaha illa'Ilah is for the gloom-laden veils in which the soul that incites to evil and the self-admonishing soul reside. This formula cuts through them both. The second formula is allah, which cuts through the inspired ° Cf, Neo-Sufism 59. % Cf here p. 148 fs Lehrer, passim; Von Iran 50 f¥.; Meier, Nagibandiyya, passim. °' ilayha: lahd, A. % Isfardyint, Risdla 2, 10; Introduction 111-13, note 176. % See above.‘Two Sufi treatises of Ahmad ibn Idris 157 and tranquil soul, and the third formula is Auwa, which cuts through the contented, approved and perfect soul. The two latter formulas are for the luminous veils which are the veils consisting of the divine Names and the Attributes of God.* Or one may employ the seven formulas of the Khalwatiyya®S which are: (1) la ilaha illa’lah, (2) allah, (3) huwa, (4) hagq, (5) hay, (6) qayyiim, (7) qahhar, proceeding by degrees when the (appropriate) signs appear in the novice. The first formula is for the soul which incites to evil; the second for the self-admonishing soul; the third for the inspired soul; the fourth for the tranquil soul; the fifth for the contented soul; the sixth for the approved soul; and the seventh for the perfect soul. In both orders it is permitted to bestow all the names at once® upon whoever is suited for them and has previously undertaken service and self-mortifi- cation, or who is on a journey or is prevented by some preoccupation from proceeding by degrees, or for other reasons the initiator judges are appropriate. However, if after a while it turns out that the novice has only entered the covenant for the sake of blessings?” and does not display effort, zeal and striving after the ranks of the Sufis, then the initiator leaves him alone and lets him go his way. If, on the other hand, he finds that the novice, after the implantation of the dhikr, has been assiduous in repeating the dhikrs and in seeking the stations of those devout who are close to God and in imbibing the undiluted beverage of the wine jars of union, adorning himself with the most beautiful states, hoping to extract the pith from the husks, rejecting the world and its splendours, aban- doning its palaces and its joy, and loathing everything in it because of its tran- sitoriness, and striving after the pleasures of the world to come because of its permanence—the initiator guides the novice in how to engage in meditation”? and spiritual presence by degrees and how to fight against his soul and his evil passion, and to renounce his Satan and his world, and it is then that he reveals to him® what evils and enmities the soul contains. To begin with he teaches him to evoke the two “parties”.' They are the image of the one who has implanted the dhikr in him directly because he is an important foundation for travelling and advancing on the mystic path, and the % On the hujub nardniyya and zulmaniyya see here p. 147 f. 85 Here p. 144. % Usually a procedure by degrees (tadri/) is recommended and practised, e.g. Bannerth, Khal- watiyya 45-7 or the complete description by Khan} % On the sense of tabarruk see for example Lehrer, passim; Lerters 128-9; Meier, Abit Sa‘td 357, 360, % For muragaba see here p. 156. % yuzhiruhit “ald ma: yuzkir ma, A. 400 Samman, Nafahat 23; Lehrer, passim; for the Naqshbandiyya cf. Meier, Nagsbandiyya 117 ff158 Bernd Radtke, R. Sein O’Fahey and John O'Kane image of the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace, because he is the greatest intermediary. Thus, the novice first seeks help from the initiator and then he sees that his seeking help from the initiator is seeking help from the Prophet.!9! And the novice remains like this for a certain time engaged in effort, striving, firm resolve, sincerity, opposition to his soul and expelling from his inte- tior that which is other than God until his inner senses become purified. He is strengthened and he sees, hears, tastes, smells and is capable of being addressed by God'? and of conversing with Him, in accordance with the degree of his purification—all this without limitation (tahayyuz), separation (infisal), union (ittisal), indwelling (hulil), and alighting (nuzil). God’s relationship to the created realm is described by these five terms. Whereas God is “with” creation (ma‘a; on this point see Meier, Bahd, passim, as well as Ibn ldris, ‘Igd 241 f.), he is not fully joined with it (ittisal, for this term see also Ibn Tufayl); He does not incarnate Himself in it (huliil), nor does He allow Himself to alight or set- tle in the world (muzil). On the other hand, God is not completely separate from His creation (infisal), for He is constantly exercising an effect within it. For God, He is sublime and exalted, created exterior senses in man which are partial and limited, and interior senses which are neither partial nor limited.!°> Now in these words there is contained a boundless sea. As for what the novice experiences of the two forms of revelation,'* namely the revelation of dreams! or the revelation of khatar or ilham, In general Meier, Kubrd 127 ff.; Gramlich, Derwischorden II, 217-226, where much detail is also given about the different forms of stray thoughts (khawatir).—Khuldsa 79a ff (cf. Von fran 63) recognizes five kinds, according to Kubra —» Meier, Kubra 128 £8; Jawahir al-ma‘ani Il, 111 distinguishes four kinds of khawatir: shaytani, nafsani, malaki, rahmani, as does Samman, Nafahat 42; but Samman refers to angelic thought as ilham; cf. Meier, Kubra 131. One also finds four kinds in Sikandari, Miftah 54.— Ibn Idris himself distinguishes in the ‘Igd 131 f. between a thought from God and one from the devil whether it be something good or bad, he informs his initiator and does not conceal anything! so that the latter can guide him on the path. Nor does he 101 Here p. 155; Meier, NagSbandiyya 136, fin. 2. 10 The most famous early example for hadith in this sense occurs in Hakim Tirmidht, Sira; cf. also Letters 94-5. On muhddatha see also Ibriz Il, 70; on mukdlama (= khitab) see Ibriz 1, 407. 103 Tn Idris wishes to say that direct experience of God occurs by means of the purified inner senses, But he adds nothing further to these brief allusions.—Isfarayini, Risdla 131, 12. also speaks of activating the five inner senses. 404 An unusual usage of the word wahy; in his Risdlat al-Radd Ibn Idris uses wahy with refer~ ence to the Qur’an and the Suna, 15 On the role of the dream in Sufism in general cf. Meier, Kubra 98 ff; Gramlich, Der- wischorden Il, 213-17.—For an early example see Tirmidiana Minora. 106 General rules; for some examples see Khant, Sayr 68a; Khwafl, Wasdya 32b —> Von Iran 47; Isfarayint, Risdla 147; see also Ibriz Il, 153 and 157.Two Sufi treatises of Ahmad ibn Idris 159 ask the initiator for an explanation about what he tells him, but he sees himself as being at fault and accepts it as his duty to be sincere in his intention and his loyalty, those two means for attaining to the rank of the elite, until he becomes one who can “join and separate”. The Fourth Principle On the dhikr of the Khalwatiyya!” On dhikr-ddab in detail: Isfarayim, Risdla 129 ff.; Kirani, Rayhdna 7a, 8 ff.; Khwafi, Wasdya 10b-13a —» Von Iran 47; Khuldsa 60b ff.; 63b ff. +> Von Iran 59 f.; 61 f.; Khan}, Sayr 65b ff; Bannerth, Khalwatiyya 29; Samman, Nafahat 23 > Rimah I, 241; Dardir, Tuhfa.—The transmitted reading dhikr al-khalwa doesn’t make any sense in view of what follows. One may conjecture that the original reading was khalwatiyya which later became altered for some reason or was simply miscopied. Know that the person who is not a confirmed adept in the assembly of dhikr should close his eyes and recall God (with the formulas), not for the sake of reputation and not out of hypocrisy, but humbly and submissively, seeking the contentment of his Lord and observing the presence of the Prophet or witnessing the Prophet along with whichever of the people of God! are present at the assembly. 1 As for the performance of the dhikr in the assembly, the leader of the assembly begins by saying out loud while the others are seated: “In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Oh God! Pray for our lord Muhammad, the unlettered Prophet, and for his family and Companions, and grant them peace.” Then: “I seek pardon from God the Great. There is no god but He, the Living, the Everlasting, and I turn to Him in repentance”, three times. Then: “Oh Most Merciful of the merciful, have mercy on us!”, three times. Then in a drawn-out voice three times: “Know that there is no god but God.” Then he repeats: “There is no god but God”, beginning on his right side! with the negation!"! and in the negation seeing the exclusion from his heart of everything other than God, and ending on his left side with the affirmation! ? and in so doing seeing in his heart the affirmation of God’s majesty and omnipotence—and this without 107 ql-khalwatiyya: al-khalwa, A. 108 The phrase “the people of God” apparently refers to the advanced Friends of God who lived in previous generations. The /briz II, 5-45 deals in detail with different aspects of their on-going posthumous influence. 10 Concerning the actual presence of the Prophet cf. Sixth Principle. "0 For further description of dhikr: Gramlich, Derwischorden Il, 395 ff.; Khwafi, Wasdya 10a Yon Iran $9 ff; Samman, Nafahat 25 £; Sandsl, Mankal 82.—Sikandan, Miftah 27 f the fa:160 Bernd Radtke, R. Seén O'Fahey and John O'Kane hulil, ittisal, nuzil and infisal. And he does this as if he were before God! in accordance with the Divine Tradition: “Neither My heaven nor My earth can ‘encompass Me, but the heart of My bondsman who is a believer encompasses Me.7!4 Then the assembly continues reciting with a drawn-out movement for a period of time. Then the leader changes the recitation to a less slow movement for a time and then again he changes to a fast movement for a while. Then he changes to the formula allah, allah! twice, once on his right side and once on his left, with the three movements described for the formula /a ilaha illa'llah, i.e, the drawn-out, the in-between and the fast movement. Then he changes to the formula allah huwa on the right and on the left for a while, likewise with the three movements. The assembly follows him in everything that has been mentioned. Then the assembly stands up because now its members have been “taken” and are immersed in the delight of the dhikr and permeated by the divine breaths. Then the leader begins with allah hayy; then he shifts to gayyim; then to allah qahhar, from the lower parts of the body to the higher; then to allah haqq,''S also from the lower to the higher parts of the body. Now the leader has incited everyone’s innermost heart to God and caused them to long for what is with Him. Then the assembly sits down again, seeking God’s pardon three times, asking for His acceptance of the dhikr and of their prayers, and that He should not reproach them because they had not recalled Him as He should rightly be recalled: “And they did not value God according to His true value” (6/91). This is the description of a complete dhikr session, but an assembly may not include as much as this, depending on the circumstances. However the best is the inward dhikr because it is nearer to meditation by means of concentrating the senses. The Fifth Principle On the People of the Path and How they Treat Men at Large Sikandari, Miftah 71 ff.; Samman, Nafahdt 45-53.—Lehrer, passim; see also /briz 1, 82. 133 For bayna yadayhi in earlier times cf. Tirmidhl, Sira, passim. 114 For an earlier example of this hadith qudst being quoted cf. Tirmidht, Stra 34, 8-10; Isfarayint, Risdla 128, 3-5; of. also Qari, Mawda‘at 310, no. 423, 115 On the dhikr-formulas of the Khalwatiyya see Third Principle above.‘Two Sufi treatises of Ahmad ibn Idris 161 Know that if one of the people of the path sees someone doing something contrary to the Shari‘a and the rules of the path, he must advise him with friend- liness, kindness and gentleness and with a cheerful mien, and not with rancour, arrogance or contempt so that the person will the more readily accept his good advice. Every novice travelling the mystic path is obliged not to harm a person who has harmed him, with insults or abuse, or blows or suchlike, or even by means of an inner command.''¢ Instead, he realizes that his lower soul deserves this as a punishment from the Creator because of its shortcomings in those things for which it was created. He is convinced that the agent is in reality God Most High, and that the apparent agent is in fact the pen moved by the omnipotence of God. Thus, he asks pardon from God and turns to Him in repentance; he does not feel angry at this outwardly or inwardly; nor does he ask why or appor- tion blame; and he does not consider himself to be important, or religious, or pious. Indeed, he considers himself to be absolutely the basest of God’s crea- tures, the greatest of all sinners, the very least at following the straight path and conforming to the Book and the Sunna. The Sixth Principle On the Muhammadan Gifts That Have Been Bestowed on Me Parallels: Jawahir al-ma‘ant 1, 23: the Prophet Muhammad speaks to Ahmad al-Tijant; ibid, I, 37: Tijant’s initiation by Muhammad; ibid. I, 91: Tijant receives the litanies of his order directly from Muhammad; Ehrenrettung.—On this subject: Meier, Auferstehung; Ijtihad 915 f.; Neo-Sufism 64 ff.; Traditionalismus. Know!” that (my telling you what follows is in conformity) with the words of God Most High: “And as for thy Lord’s blessings, speak out about them” (93/11).When I had become a firm adept on the path at the hands of my shaykh, the previously mentioned Abi’l-Qasim al-Wazir, God Most High have mercy on him, and advanced under his attentions to the world of the unseen so that through him I became a believer in the true sense, after his death,''® God Most High have mercy on him, I met the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace, together with al-Khadir, upon whom be peace, in a corporal meeting.!!? And 'N6 Meier, NagSbandiyya 270 ff. ‘07 What follows is also in part translated in Enigmatic Saint 48. ‘8 jbriz II, 294 states clearly that real enlightment (fath) only occurs after the death of one’s shaykh, and it consists in meeting the Prophet in the flesh and blood. On this point see /briz II, 54 ff '19 Grima‘an suriyyan; concerning the theory about the continuing existence of the Prophet ‘Muhammad that underlies these words, cf. Lamati; see Meier’s treatment of the question in Aujer- stehung; the most important primary source regarding the subject is fbriz I, 280; translated in Lamatt162 Bernd Radtke, R. Sein O’Fahey and John O'Kane the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace, ordered al-Khadir to implant in me the dhikrs of the above-mentioned Shadhiliyya order, and he implanted them in me in the Prophet’s presence. Then the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace, said to al-Khadir, upon whom be peace: “Oh Khadir, teach him that which joins together all the dhikrs, invocations, and prayers for forgiveness of sins, and is superior as to reward, larger as to number, more exalted in worth and greater in obtaining assistance. Al-Khadir asked him: “What is that, oh Prophet of God?” The Prophet replied: “Say three times: ‘There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God—in every glance and every breath, to the number that only God’s knowledge can comprehend.”"!2 Then al-Khadir repeated it; then I said it after them both. Thereafter the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace, repeated it three times. Then the Prophet said to al-Khadir: “Say:'?! ‘Oh God, I ask You by the light of the Face of God the Great, Which filled the pillars of the Throne of God the Great And caused to arise the worlds of God the Great, To call down blessings upon our lord Muhammad, whose dignity is great, ‘And upon the family of the Prophet of God the Great, In proportion to the majesty of the Essence of God the Great, In every glance and breath to the number contained in the knowledge of God the Great; As an invocation which is perpetual in the perpetuity of God the Great, And in homage to the truth of your message, oh lord Muhammad, Who possess a nature that is great. And likewise, grant peace to him and to his family. And join him with me, just as You joined the spirit with the soul, Outwardly and inwardly, in wakefulness and in sleep. Dabbagh claims to have received his chief litany directly from al-Khadir, /briz I, 52. The Arabic text of the litany is as follows: allahumma ya rabbi bi-jah sayyidina Muhammad b. ‘Abdallah si‘m, ijma‘ baynt wa-bayna sayyidina Muhammad b, “Abdallah sl'm fi'l-dunya qabl al-akhira. It is clear that the above words form the basis for the more elaborate formulation which occurs in the following part of the Salat ‘azimiyya ijma‘ bayni wa-baynahii kama jama‘ta bayna'l-rith wa'l-nafs zahiran wa-batinan yagzatan wa-mandman, wa-j‘alhu ya rabbi richan li-dhati min jamt' al-wujith fi'l-dunya ‘gabl al-akhira. '20 This variation on the tahlil has become the distinctive hallmark of the Idrisiyya and other Idnisi-inspired traditions. As one may observe, it has also been incorporated into the invocation pre- sented below. '21 What follows is the famous and much-printed Salat ‘azimiyya; also translated in Enigmatic Saint 194-5Two Sufi treatises of Ahmad ibn Idris 163 And make him, Lord, a spirit for my body'? in every respect, In the here and now before the world to come, oh God the Great!” And I repeated this after them both. Then the Prophet said to Khadir: “Say:!29 ‘I seek pardon of God the Great, concerning Whom there is no god save He, the Real, the Everlasting, the Forgiver of sins, the One possessed of exalted- ness and generosity. And I turn to Him in repentance from all acts of disobedience—every one of them—from sins and offenses and from every sin I have committed inten- tionally and unintentionally, openly and in secret, in word and in deed, in my every action and inaction, in my thoughts and in my utterances, every one of them—always and forever and eternally; from the sin I am aware of and the sin I am unaware of, to the number that His knowledge has encompassed, the Book has registered, the Pen has written down and to the number that His omnipotence has created and the divine Will and the Ink of God’s words have stipu- lated; as it befits the majesty of the face of our Lord, His friendly kindness and His perfection, and as our Lord wishes and as He pleases.”” And so I repeated this after them both and I was clothed with lights and Muhammadan power and was nourished with the divine springs.!24 Then the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace, said to me: “Oh Ahmad, you have been given the keys to the heavens and earth, which are the dhikr, the invocation (on behalf of the Prophet) and the prayer for forgiveness of sins. If you say them once, they are equal to the world and what is in it many times over.” Compare this with the statements in Jawdhir al-ma‘ani I, 103 ff. about the particular wird of the Tijaniyya, the Salar al-fatih. Ibn Idris’ consciousness of being chosen and destined for salvation was in no way inferior to that of Ahmad al-Tijant; but this feature of his thought does not appear to have impressed itself on the public awareness and to have provoked hostility as was the case with the Tijaniyya. Of course, the Kuniz had never circulated in printed form. In a work entitled Daw’ al-nahar li-dhawi'l-absar by one of Ahmad b. Idris’ fol- lowers (ALA I, 143), it is stated that the Prophet said to Ibn Idris: “Were there to be another prophet after me, he would be my son Ahmad (Ibn Idris)” (Daw” 37). For further remarks of the Prophet concerning Ahmad Ibn Idris’ privileged status see ibid. p 48.—The above statement of the Prophet follows the pattern of an old tradition. Already in the 9th century the Prophet is represented as saying the same thing about ‘Umar b 2 rah and dhat are two fundamental concepts in the anthropology of the Jbriz; in this regard ef, Lamatt; on dhat see also Neo-Sufism 64-71; Projection 74; Erleuchtung 59; Meier, Auferste- hung 43. "3 Printed versions of al-Istighfar al-kabir customarily open with the basmala—The Istighfar is also translated in Enigmatic Saint 206. 4 Compare this with Jbriz Il, 277 ff. where a description is given of beholding and meeting the Prophet in a waking state; see also /briz I, 361.164 Bernd Radtke, R. Seén O'Fahey and John O'Kane al-Khattab (Tirmidhi, Sira, § 77); and in the 11th century (Ansari, Tabagat 263) about the mystic Abi Bakr al-Warraq al-Tirmidhi (died 294/906-7). Then he implanted them in me without any intermediary and dictated to me The Encomia,'5 The Litanies,"°6 and The Invocations.!27 And I wrote them down just as he implanted them in me and I arranged The Litanies and The Invocations in seven portions, so that for each day of the week there was a seventh.!?5 These are recited with humility and obedience by the person who has not arrived, but with spiritual presence, mystical experience and direct witnessing by the person who has arrived. Thus, after the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace, initiated me I began implanting in the novices what he had implanted in me, while observing the conditions that have been mentioned and adopting, in the case of a person whose felicity has been foreordained, the procedure by degrees with regard to what has been said about spiritual presence and meditation, until he attains the furthest limit. A BRIEF SKETCH BY SAYYID AHMAD IBN IDRIS DESCRIBING ENTRY INTO SPIRITUAL RETREAT In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Praise be to God alone. As for our topic: This is a blessed short piece describing entry into spiritual retreat Some parallels one may mention are: Suhrawardi, ‘Awarif, Chapters 26-28; Ibn al-‘Arabi, Risdlat al-Anwar; Isfarayini, Risdla 129 ff.; Sikandari, Miftah 51 ff.; 53; Simnanl, Fath 256; Kuranl, Rayhdna 7a ff.; Khwafl, Wasdya 24b ff. > Von Iran 46 £.; Khuldsa 60 b ff., 63 b ff.; > Von Iran 59 f.; 61 f.; Sha‘rani, Anwar 36; Bannerth, Khal- watiyya 29; Samman, Nafahat 23 ff., 33 ££; Jawahir al-ma‘ani Il, 168; Rimah I, 2-5; especially Il, 176-184 —> Von Iran 48, 60; II, 184-86; Sanisi, Manhal 62 £.; Sandsi, Salsabll 56 f.; Isma‘ll al-Wall, Tawali* —Meier, Nagibandiyya 33 ff. which has been transmitted to us from our shaykh, the divine gnostic Abu Muhammad, our lord, the Hasani Sharif, the dear friend of the Muhammadan presence, Ahmad b. Idris al-Maghribi—God watch over him! 228 4l-Mahdmid, a reference to a group of eight short ejaculatory prayers, al-Mahdmid al-tha- maniya, which are to be found in all printings of Ibn Idris’ prayers; ALA I, 137, no. 48. 126 The five Ahzab; these are the most conceptually rich of Ibn Idris” devotional writings; ALA 1, 134f. "2 Presumably a reference to The Fourteen Invocations (al-Salawat al-arba‘ata ‘ashara), ALA 1,135. "28 Worked out in detail by Ibn Idris in his Majmii‘at ahzdb 185-196; ef. ALA I, 137, no. 50.Two Sufi treatises of Ahmad ibn Idris 165 When the novice intends to enter into spiritual retreat, he must discipline his soul for some days by abstaining from the company of people!?? and from much talk and food.'39 Some (masters of the Path) think that the manner of reducing the intake of food should be as follows: They weigh out a quantity of green pomegranate wood corresponding to the amount of food that satisfies them. Then they place the wood in the shade and proceed to measure their evening and morning meal with it because they are fasting. And when that wood has dried out, they weigh an equivalent amount of the same kind of green wood, then they weigh a second amount until it dries out and then a third amount. And they go on like this until they reach the point where their body is not harmed but they are not distracted from worship by moisture.!3! In any case, he may follow this procedure or he may simply reduce his food as much as he can. What is desirable is moderation in decreasing one’s food, in accordance with the words of the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace: “The best of things are those in the middle.”'>? And decreasing the amount one drinks is more certain than decreasing one’s food. Some have even said: “Eat whatever you wish, but do not drink.”!33 The novice, in his food, avoids land and sea animals and anything that comes from them, such as milk and fat, for these foods induce the carnal lusts!34— except honey, as honey induces gnosis because there are traces of revelation in it: “Your Lord gave revelation to the bees” (16/68). Indeed, the sweetness of the divine address became infiltrated into bees and has remained in their progeny who inherit it from generation to generation. They eat bitter things which become sweet in their stomach, as one observes. Moreover, God has said: “Therein is a remedy for men” (16/69), i.e. both physically and spiritually because its fundament is the divine address which is the Qur'an, the word of God. And the Qur’an is a remedy for what is in man’s breast, and right guidance and mercy for the believers.!35 When the novice has finished disciplining his soul and intends to enter into the spiritual retreat, to begin with he performs a major ritual ablution.'36 "29 General mules; e.g. Jawahir al-ma‘ani II, 168; Rimah IU, 177. 130 General rules; e.g. Jawahir al-ma‘ani Il, 168; Rimah 11, 177; also Simnani, Fath 257; Jawahir al-ma‘ant 1, 120 £.; Sikandar!, Mifiah 51; Samman, Nafahat 33 ff. 131 This practice is also mentioned by Meier, /6n Taymiyya 78/Bausteine Il, 700. 132 Also Khani, Sayr 64a f.; 118b f.; Rimah I, 10; Il, 177. ‘33 General rules. 134 Samman, Nafahat 41, recommends rice soup; Ibn al-‘Arabi, Risdlat al-Anwar 6, on the contrary recommends oily foods but not from animals. 135 Honey is also recommended by Ibn al-‘Arabi, Risdlat al-Anwar 8, and Samman, Nafahat 36; see also Ibriz I, 257. 136 General rules.166, Bernd Radtke, R. Sean O’Fahey and John O'Kane The time for entering the retreat is after the morning prayer but before sunrise. There is no appointed day for it.!37 When he is about to enter, he recites this noble Qur’anic verse: “My Lord, make me enter in sincerity and make me come forth in sincerity, and grant me a sustaining power from Yourself” (17/80). Then he enters the retreat. If he can perform a major ritual ablution every day, that is desirable. If this is not possible, it does not matter. When he performs a ritual ablution, he recites: “My God, cleanse me of every crime and of every ritual impurity, of every defect, of every sickness, of every sin, of every affliction, of every act of negligence, of every act of injustice, of every evil, of every estrangement and of every veil as You cleansed Your Prophet of all this, our lord and master Muhammad, God bless him and grant him peace—outwardly and inwardly, oh Lord of creation!” The novice perfumes the retreat with incense and perfumes himself as much as possible with any perfume at hand,!8 for indeed perfume pleases the angels and strengthens one’s spirituality.!9 His dhikr-formula during the retreat is the one that Ahmad b. Idris has transmitted to us: “There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God— in every glance and every breath, to the number that only God’s knowledge can comprehend.”"4° He recites this dhikr-formula equally with the Salat ‘azimiyya.'4! He devotes himself exclusively to these two formulas except for a brief recitation by way of safeguarding himself in the morning or the evening, something like: “I take refuge in all God’s perfect words from the evil of creation”, three times, and: “In the name of God beside Whose name nothing is exalted and powerful on earth or in heaven, and He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing”, three times, or something else similar to this. The period of his stay in the retreat is forty days. If he wants to stay longer, he may do so.'4? And perhaps he will attain illumination before this within a short space of time. Sometimes it has even come after three days, sometimes after five—God gives success in accordance with what is right—sometimes it has only come after the forty days. This depends on the high-mindedness of the novice, the intensity of his concentration!*} and the purity of his manliness and his sincerity. 137 Compare this with the information given in Lehrer 126. 138 A general recommendation: Sikandari, Mifidh 27 f.; Sha'rani, Anwar 37; Bannerth, Khal- watiyya 29; Samman, Nafahat 23; Rimah Il, 3 > Von Iran 59; see also Ibriz I, 157, 468. 19 Spirituality, spiritual dimension (ruhdniyya): Meier translates Geistigkeit, Geistwesen (Nagi- bandiyya 129). \40 On this formula see here p. 162. 141 Here p. 162. 142 Compare this with the views of Isma‘il al-Wali, Lehrer 129 f. +43 On tawajjuh see Meier, Nagsbandiyya 44-6 and passim.‘Two Sufi treatises of Ahmad ibn Idris 167 Furthermore, it is required that the retreat be at a place'*4 where no one knows the novice. Indeed, if somebody serves him it is even preferable that it be a sim- pleton or a foreigner. No one should be aware of what he is doing or what his state is; whether he is in spiritual retreat'*5 or is afraid of somebody or whether his purpose is to withdraw from people. If anyone becomes informed about him, even the person serving him, then the retreat will be spoiled. But God gives success in accordance with what is right. With regard to the retreat, there are so many secrets they can scarcely be told. God said of Abraham: “So, when he withdrew apart from them and what they were worshipping to the exclusion of God, We bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob” (18/49); and of Moses: “And when Moses came to our appointed time and his Lord spoke with him” (7/143); and of Mary: “And she withdrew from her people to an eastern place and then We sent to her Our Spirit” (19/16-17). Here God says “eastern” meaning in the direction of the light. ‘And our lord and master, Muhammad the Messenger of God, God bless him and grant him peace, was accustomed each Ramadan to withdraw to be alone with his Lord for the last ten days of the month,|*° If he missed this seclusion during Ramadan one year, then he would go into retreat the next year for twen- ty days. Moreover, he was appointed by God to give guidance and he never neglected any aspect of his being a bondsman of God and never stopped lov- ing his Lord. ‘As for serving the novice (his food) during the retreat, whoever wishes may serve him, even his wife, as it does not cause any harm to him if his sight falls upon her. And he goes out to the privy at night if there is no place near to him which is suitable for that purpose.'47 But success comes from God.—The End. Bibliography ‘Abi’L-Najib al-Suhrawardi, Adab al-muridin—see Milson, Rule. ‘Aba Talib al-Makki, Qu al-qulub—Abi Talib al-Makki, Qit al-qulib. 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Deux Traites Ibn Idris

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