Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani, may God be pleased with him, on following a living Shaykh. He said, may God be pleased with him: “You should know that God, Blessed and Exalted, decreed, in His preeternal will, that the support which reaches His creation, from the outpouring of His mercy- in every era, should circulate among the Elite Exalted people among His creation, from among the Prophets and the Champions of truth. So whoever takes refuge with the living Elite Exalted people of his era, keeps their company, follows them and seeks assistance from them, will succeed at attaining the support which outpours from God. But whoever rejects the People of his era, sufficing himself with the words of those who preceded him among the saints who had passed on, he is stamped with the stamp of deprivation. His likeness is that of those who rejected the Prophet of their time and his legislation, sufficing themselves with the legislations of the Prophets who came before him, so they were recorded with the stamp of disbelief. We seek refuge in God from that. The proof that companionship is only to the living is his saying, may God bless him and give him peace, to Abi Jahifah: “Ask the scholars (al-‘ulama), associate with the wise (al-Hukama) and keep the company of the Great ones (al-Kubara’).” The guidance of the scholar (al-‘alim) is in general matters, commanding and prohibiting, according to what brings about praise from God and prevents the suffering of the slave. The end of that is Paradise. The guidance of the wise person (al-hakim) is towards drawing near to God, the Exalted, by purifying oneself from the passions of the ego and from following one’s desires. The end of that is the different levels of nearness. The guidance of the Great one (al-Kabir) is to God, the Exalted, by way of erasure of the ego and becoming free from self-direction in all that brings about its rectification in this world and the next, and all that distances from it harm in this world and the next. The end of that is God. What is taken from this is that companionship is only to the living, since the dead do not keep company, do not speak and do not mix with others.” He also said, may God be pleased with him: “You should know that the Prophet, may God bless him and give him peace, during his life used to transmit general verdicts to all, meaning if he prohibited something, he prohibited it to everyone. And if he made something obligatory, he made it obligatory on everyone. Likewise, with all of the verdicts of the outward law. However, he, may God bless him and give him peace, used to transmit the special commands to the special ones. And he used to choose some matters for some of his companions apart from others. This is widespread and well-known in his traditional reports, may God bless him and give him peace. Then, when he had been transported to the abode of the Hereafter- and he is, there, alive just as he was in the world, he began to transmit to his nation the special matters to the special ones. But, there is no entrance to the general matters here, since that was cut off by his death, may god bless him and give him peace. Yet, his outpouring of the special matters to the special ones remains. Whoever assumes that all of his support for his community, may God bless him and give him peace, was cut off, just as is the case with all other dead people, is ignorant of his station, may God bless him and give him peace, and has bad manners towards him. And it is feared for him that he will have a bad ending. We ask God for safety, sufficiency and to die with the best of endings.” -Risalat al-Fadl wal Imtinan @Sidi Talut Tijani
Posted on: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 05:37:20 +0000
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