Question:
Salam
Mashallah, without me thinking about it i had took baya with Sheikh Hisham while he was in town.
I m grateful but worried with the responsibility and have some qns
My source of knowledge-naqshbandi.org,
1) I always done salah my way – (short and brief) or must i follow the Naqshbandi way which is more long winded,futhermore I’m yet to be able to read the Quran.
2) Is it compulsory for me to do the dhikir, I understand this is done in a group once a week, also must i observe the naqshbandi etiquette during the holy months.
3) For the daily Awrad, alhamdulilah I,m able to do the it at the level of the initiated however can I just stick with this or must I strive for a higher level,,
Basically as you can see i can only do the awrad & I admit i,m very weak,
Wasalam.
Answer:
wa `alaykum salam, and congratulations on having entered this Most Distinguished Tariqah,
Nothing in tariqah is compulsory, for only Allah swt and His Authorized Deputy Sayyidina Muhammad (s) can legislate the fara’id. Rather all aspects of tariqah are optional, nawafil, voluntary worship.
Now that said, to progress in tariqah, one must follow the prescription of the Shaykh. For the initiate, the expectation is to practice the wird of the Initiate and to attend the weekly Dhikr as much as is possible. As to the adabs of the prayers and the months, that is for those more advanced in spiritual progress, who seek to improve further.
And Allah knows best,
Taher Siddiqui
