Question:
Two things spring to mind. In his recent video Shaikh Nazim criticizes Christians for following Jesus who preaches peace but as he put it themselves bring war.Surely the same could be said equally if not more so of the Muslims. My problem is you see that in tariqat all debate and critical thinking is stifled and the more I watch videos of the Shaikh for whom I have great affection I see his mureeds rendered into a state of infantalism in front of a beloved icon which may be nice wish fulfillment but does not promote either productivity, creativity or the future prosperity of the tariqat in the eventual event of the death of the Shaikh..Also thinking about the Shaikh’s denouncement of the French Revolution contrasted with the recurrent theme in the Qur’am of denouncing and rising up against oppressors. I would be grateful for your thoughts on these points and hope we can stimulate some healthy debate that will take the moral virtues and spiritual teachings of the Shaikh forward with a critical robustness in the 21st century West. [private] Phd student on the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Tariqat in the West. If I do not hear from you I am afraid I shall have to assume that the ideas endorsed by the Tariqat do not stand up to critical reasoning.
Answer:
Greetings of peace,
Our way is based on adab, good manners. Something essential to know about tariqa is that good manners are first and foremost.
Second, Mawlana Shaykh Nazim has spoken and warned many, many times about the “big blame” on the Muslims who commit murder and hypocrisy. Regarding the French Revolution, it is enough for student of history to know that it ended in killing all its founders.
There is a basic principle in tariqa: Tariqa consists of what the Shaykh says it is and is not something which is in need of “healthy debate” or discussion. God-Willing, you will do some investigating into the role and position of one who is a Shaykh (Sufi Master). Seek with your heart and you shall find. May Allah, Most High guide you.
We hope you will find some insight from Mawlana Shaykh Nazim’s suhbat, The Difference Between Scholars and Those Who Truly Know. Below is an excerpt from the transcript. You may read the transcript by clicking on the flag at the bottom of the page.
…”You are going to the pyramids, making research, asking to learn about them. They were so serious about looking for what is in them and for centuries, so many years, they tried to find a way in. Finally, there was an unchangeable judgment. Talabanaa wajadanaa, “Who seeks Me will find Me.” Anything that Mankind is asking, finally, an opening comes to them. They are searching a way into the pyramids and getting in. They are looking at their language and they are not knowing their letters, but Mankind has been granted such a big grant that if they are asking seriously, they will find. Those people are asking, looking, searching, researching, entering and finding mummies. Christian worlds’ researchers came.
We are Muslims, we are not in need to make such research. We must research something else! Jesus Christ (pbuh) was not saying “O Christians, go to Egypt and look at what is in the pyramids.” Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) (a) never approached the pyramids with that mentality. Ya`qoob (Jacob) (a) also was never looking and Sayyidina Musa (a) was not interested to look in it. But our Christian brothers have such a mentality, “We must look, we must learn everything.” And, talabanaa, wajadanaa, they are asking and Allah is giving. Opening and entering, looking, “What is that?” Covering their noses, “What is this? Who is that one?” Making a research on that cadaver, “Who is that one? Who is that one? Who bringing this one here? Who is that one? From where, coming? We must understand.” (Mawlana Shaykh laughs.) And so many hieroglyphic writings using every kind of animal, and they say, “What is this, what is that?”
There is a khaslat, habit, in Mankind to ask and to learn. SubhaanAllah. This habit is planted in their mentalities, not in their hearts. Hearts are knowing, but mentality must learn, must ask, must research, and then if their mentality is saying yes, then they are accepting what their hearts are saying.; if not, they are not accepting real news, real knowledge through their hearts. These people were coming and making a big research on a mummy, saying, “According to our research and this writing, that was Pharoah Ramses II.” They may find, but from that point I am angry with the Christian world. For what are they running and reaching the bottom of pyramids, finding such cadavers, making so much research and saying this?
O People! Why are you not making research on the real personality of the Seal of Prophets (s) who was born in unknown deserts? A boy was born in unknown deserts, growing up to be 40 years old and saying, “O People! I am the Seal of Prophets! I am the first one with Adam (a)! I am the last one also with my Lord! Come and say this and accept the reality of laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah (s)!” (Mawlana Shaykh stands and sits.)
Tawbah astaghfirullah. Why? And he was an orphan in Qawmu Jahiliyya, the Age of Ignorance. How was he standing up and saying that? “I have been sent from heavens to be the Seal of Prophets, to call people to the right understanding and right beliefs, that the Lord of Heavens sent before me 124,000 prophets and I am the Last One. And I am calling you to say, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah (s).” (Mawlana Shaykh stands and sits.) It is not suitable, that one, his mawjoodiyyah, his existence is not enough?”
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