Question:
Salam,
A question for Shaykh Gabriel:
I was wondering, if Shaykh Ahmad Zarruq said something to the effect that if a person has no shaykh then salat `alan Nabi sallallahualayhiwasalam is his shaykh. Is this his qawl or another shaykhs? Are there similar quotes from other shaykhs and could you share them ?
Could I trouble you for the exact words and references?
My second query was could you recommend any books on how to achieve nafs al mutmaina, nafs al kamila, nafs al zakiyya, nafs al nuraniyyah, nafs al safiyya and qalb al salim, aql al salim?
Also what books do you recommend for Islamic adaab and akhlaq? And what books for Islamic manliness (how to become a rijal)?I realize that d.i.y. tassuwuf is discouraged but nonetheless feel that a person needs to start somewhere.
Answer:
`Alaykum Salam,
“A person without a shaykh his shaykh is shaytan.” (Abu Yazid al-Bistami)
In the physical absence of the shaykh, however, the adab of being with him is to make salawat. This was said by Shaykh Muhammad b. Ja`far al-Kattani and Shaykh `Abd Allah Siraj al-Din also, with specific emphasis for the student of knowledge. It was also said that reading Ibn `Ata’Allah’s book al-Hikam is the murid‘s shaykh in the absence of the Shaykh. I heard this from Shaykh Muhammad al-Ya`qubi who heard it from his father, from Sayyid Muhammad al-Hashimi.
As for achieving what you asked, it requires suhba with an accomplished master (Murshid al-Kamil) according to all spiritual masters.
And Allah knows best.
Hajj Gibril Haddad
