Conditions and Prerequisites
Special Conditions of Companionship between
the Sheikh and his disciple
Conditions for Righteousness of behavior
Conditions for the Validity of Wirds
Other Conditions & Confirmed Etiquettes
Conditions for the Validity of Permission
Special Conditions of Companionship between the Sheikh and his disciple
1.
He who seeks
Permission into the Tidjaniyah tariqa should be free of any other tariqa or
Wird. He should resolve to stay with this tariqa for life, without mixing it up
with any other tariqa or Wird; totally relinquishing all others. Otherwise, he
should be left with his Wird or tariqa, because the tariqas of other sheikhs
are all on the straight path guiding to Allah the Exalted.
Sidi Ahmed Tidjani said that, “Whomever I authorized
and instructed to dictate the Wird and confer our tariqa (to people) should not
give Permission to anybody except with this condition; and if he violates it
and acts otherwise I immediately revoke his Authorization, so it (the tariqa)
will not benefit him, personally, nor benefit whomever he gives it to.
Therefore, this condition must be strictly observed and acted upon
accordingly”.
2.
A visit to another
Sheikh, alive or dead, is not allowed (with the intention of benefiting from
him in any way); but love, respect and venerate them all, without believing
that their visit is illegal or prohibited.
This condition in stated by all masters of education
in every tariqa. It is a consensus. Thus, it should be carefully observed.
However, Sidi Ahmed Tidjani has given a general
permission to his disciples for visiting the Companions of the Prophet and his
own companions & brothers in his tariqa. And certainly, visiting all the
Prophets of Allah (peace be upon them all) is undoubtedly permissible.
3.
The Wirds must be
performed for life, without interruption. The obligatory Wirds in the tariqa
must only be given to the person who vowed to observe them for life. The vow
makes them obligatory, similar to all vowed acts of worship. If a person
intends to refuse the tariqa, the link between him and the Sheikh disconnects;
and becomes sinful for non-fulfillment of his vow.
4.
Do not insult, hate,
or be hostile to the Sheikh, or disregardful to him. Indifference to his
instructions is a sign of disregard.
5.
Continuously love
the Sheikh for life. He who no longer loves his Sheikh dissociates, even if he
does not intends any harm or feels any hatred towards him.
6.
Refrain from
criticizing the Sheikh. What is not understood or comprehended of his sayings
or deeds could have a face to the truth that one might have missed: The
Sheikh is more knowledgeable of the Shari’a and more adherent to, and compliant
with, it. One should endeavor to know what he could not understand through
legitimate means.
7.
Believe in the
truthfulness of the Sheikh (R.A.A) and in his words, as they comply with Qur’an
and Sunnah. The person who is in doubt but does not criticize or believe has
simply saved himself from disbelieving the men of truth, but cannot be a murid (disciple, follower). This is
because, the spiritual link is contingent on discarding doubtfulness and
accepting the word of the truthful one in what is possible.
Whoever violates or acts against one of these
conditions dissociates from his Sheikh, and the permission given to him is
immediately revoked. In this case, the link with the Sheikh will not
reestablish until he repents, renews
the Permission, and sincerely commits to observe it.
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Conditions for
Righteousness of behavior
1.
Perform the five
prescribed prayers in time, in congregation whenever possible, observing all
their conditions, pillars, submissiveness, and full restfulness - for a duration equal to moderate repetition of
glorification of Allah for three times - in bowing and in prostration.
Moreover, read the Basmalah (Bismillah El-Rahman El-Raheem: By the name of
Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) with El-Fatiha (chapter of the
Opening) in secret, in prayers of secret recitation, and loud, in prayers of
loud recitation, hence getting oneself out of the disagreement between the
scholars in this matter. In addition, know and abide, consistently, by shari’a
matters in general.
In congregational prayers, one should ensure that the
imam performs the prayers properly, and is one of the righteous people of
Sunnah, as the jurists dislike praying behind an innovator and a perverse.
2.
Feel no security
from Allah's plan: The believer should be afraid of his Lord, and should not
feel secure; his heart cannot rest from fear of punishment of Allah. Allah the
Exalted says, "Are they then secure from Allah's scheme? None deemeth
himself secure from Allah's scheme save folk that perish” Surah 7, verse 99.
And, He the Exalted says "And those who are fearful of their Lord's doom.
Lo! The doom of their Lord is that which none can feel secure", chapter
70, verses 27-28. Faith has two wings: fear and hope. Thus, pure absolute hope,
without fear, is security. And pure security from Allah's plan is a straight kufr (disbelief). On the other hand, pure
absolute fear is despair; and despair, without hope is a straight Kufr. Allah the Exalted says, "And
despair not from the spirit (mercy) of Allah. Lo! None despairs of spirit of
Allah save disbelieving folk", chapter 12, verse 87.
3.
Dutifulness to
parents: Allah the Exalted says, “Thy Lord hath decreed, that ye worship none
save him, and that ye show kindness to parents…” chapter 17, verse 23. Sidi
Ahmed Tidjani said that this tariqa would not be easy to keep by anyone who is
not dutiful & kind to his parents.
4.
Give nobody
Permission to the tariqa or a Wird without proper Authorization. It has been
narrated of some Sheikhs, as saying that: pretending sheikhdom, untruthfully,
is a sign of wretchedness; May Allah saves us all
5.
Respect all those
who are associated with the Sheikh (R.A.A.), especially those who are of high
standing.
6.
Avoid company of
criticizers of the Sheikh (R.A.A.).
7.
Do not desert people
and sever the relationship with them without a legitimate reason, especially
the brothers in the tariqa. The Sheikh (R.A.A) said, “Beware, and again beware
that none of you neglect the rights of his brothers of what might create good
heartedness or dispel suffering, or aid against distress".
8.
Gather for performance
of Wazifa, and Hailalah in Friday evenings, if there are brothers free from
exempting factors.
If one does not comply with one of these conditions,
he must immediately revert, and repent to Allah, so that his walk and endeavor
towards the divine may continue.
Persistence on noncompliance with one of these
conditions may lead to an act that will dissociate and cut one off the tariqa.
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Conditions
for the Validity of Wirds
1.
Intent: It is the aim
to perform the prescribed Wirds. So, one should aim to perform the morning Wird
or the evening Wird, as the case may be. The commitment makes the Wirds require
definite intent - similar to all vowed acts of worship - in order to
differentiate them from other general acts of worship.
Intent has two
parts: the first is the aim to do (perform), which is present within the
intender; and the second is the aim that the deed is done in conformity with
what is prescribed.
2.
Water or dust
(earth) purification as prescribed by Shari’a.
3.
Cover the private
parts, as defined by Shari'a for prayers, for both men and women.
4.
Refrain from talking
during the Wird. One may signal if necessary. If signal is not understood,
then, a word or two may be said. The parents are exceptions to this condition:
during the Wird, one must answer his father and mother; not doing so is a sign
of disobedience. In addition, the wife must answer her father, mother, and
husband as he has rights upon her.
Eating & drinking invalidate the Wird, no matter
how few that might be.
5.
Water ablution, and
a clean place that accommodates six people, are conditions for reciting the
Jouharah, even once! The Jouharah must not be recited on a back of an animal or
on a ship. If one uses stones for cleaning private parts, performs dust
ablution, or carries filth on his body or cloth that he is unable to remove,
then he may read, instead of the Jouharah, twenty times of Salat El-Fatih in
the Wazifa, as a substitute; and so does anyone who can not fulfill the conditions
of Jouharah.
If one does not comply
with one of these conditions, he must redo the Wird.
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Other
Conditions & Confirmed Etiquettes
6.
Sitting down for
performance of the Wird: One should not perform the Wird while resting on his
side or standing up. However, should there be any excuse, then one may perform
the Wird even while walking, on the condition that he avoids stepping on filth
as much as he can.
7.
Facing the Qibla,
except for a reason, such as on a travel, even for a short distance, during
which facing of the Qibla is not possible, or when in a group of people,
performing the Wazifa.
8.
In secret: but one
should hear himself and listen attentively to the words of dhikr. However, in a
group one may perform aloud the Wazifa and Hailalah (of Friday evening). Women
should not raise their voices.
9.
Recall the meanings
of dhikr as much as possible, with recitation and avoidance of incorrect
pronunciation.
10. Call to mind the Guide (R.A.A) from the beginning of the dhikr to the
end. However, more superior and better to this is calling to mind the Prophet صلى الله
عليه وسلم , as if one is sitting politely and solemnly before him,
getting aid and support from him صلى
الله عليه
وسلم - relative to one's a state and standing. If one is
unable to keep this a state throughout the Wird, he may call him to mind at the
start of the Wird, and then observes that from time to time as he proceeds. By
doing so, one would distract imagination away from false & wrongful
thoughts and help the mind to concentrate. It also helps taming the innerself
to learn to behave politely with them as if it actually sits before them.
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Conditions for the Validity of
the Permission
1.
Validity of the
Authorization of the Muggadam: He who gives Permission must have the aptitude
to be a Muggadam, and must have an Authorization from the Sheikh or someone who
has a valid Authorization from the Sheikh directly or through a correct &
valid chain of Authority.
2.
Validity of the
Permission: The Permission is valid if granted to a Muslim of valid belief,
sane, percipient, and free from all other tariqas and Wirds, who accepted all
the conditions, after they have been recited to him and he fully understood
them.
On wanting to embrace the
tariqa, it is preferable that a
man or a woman requests permission of his/her parents to do so, if they are
alive; and the wife requests permission of her husband.
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