Ruhul Adab

Commentary of Imam Hassan Cisse

        The Tarîqa Tijâniyya is an ocean of jewels and a treasure trove of satisfaction that puts Muslims on the path of the Prophet SAW. First by cleansing them of their faulty deeds using ISTIGHFAR, then by acquiring for them love with the Creator by the Salât on the Prophet SAW, and finally entering them into Paradise by the Zikr of La ilaha illa-Llah. The Prophet SAW has said in a Hadith of Ahmed Ibn Hanbal: “The word L ilaha illa-Llah does not leave any sin, nor is any work better than it.” In a healthy hadith reported by Al-Baraz from Abu Sa’eed: “Whoever says La ilaha illa-Llah sincerely has entered Paradise.” Note that in the above hadith “entering” is in the past tense, meaning that the person is already in Paradise. What more of (for) a disciple of Tarîqa Tijâniyya that says this at least three hundred times a day?

         The above three articles are what make up the litanies (wird), or essential Zikr of Tarîqa Tijâniyya. However, enemies of Islam have claimed that the Tarîqa Tijâniyya mentions names of their leaders in their litanies or make Salatil Fatihi on other persons other than the Prophet SAW. These are calculated lies and evil plans against Islam and its revivers. There is no Sufi order in which names of the Shaykhs are used in its litanies. Shaykh Ahmad Tijânî RA in particular is a very pious Islamic reviver and grandson of the Prophet SAW, who called Muslims to the path of the Prophet SAW by enjoining them on the aforementioned articles of the Tarîqa. This effort of Shaykh is to save the Islamic community from the gloom of evil plundering, a product of forgetfulness. Those who hearken to this call (his students) became known and called Tijâniyya, like other Sufî orders. The Qadiriyya for example is named after Imam Abdul Qadir Jilani and the Shadhiliyya after Imam Hassan Shadhili, all of whom are grandsons of the Prophet SAW. The Tariqas are neither sects nor madhhabs. If the above articles are the basis for calling the Tarîqa Tijâniyya a sect, then a sect of what? One should ask. If it is a sect of seeking forgiveness from Allah, making prayers (Salât) upon the Prophet SAW and proclaiming the kalima La ilaha illa-Llah, then one wonders what sect the critics are of … and it becomes puzzling what Islam is other than these?

(To be continued Insha Allah)