Practices

Excerpt of talk on the rich history and current practices of of Qadiri Rifa'i Tariqa, given by Shaykh Taner Ansari Tarsusi er Rifa'i el Qadiri

From Call of the Divine, Publication of Qadiri Rifa'i Tariqa copyright 1994, 1995, 1996

The Path to Allah

Allah devised a plan for us so that we can go back to Allah to find peace and love in His presence, and that is called tariqa (the path). He taught this to many prophets, the last one being Muhammad (peace be upon him). So, why are we wasting our time in this world? There is a purpose to being here. What is that purpose? To practice; to earn our degree of closeness to Allah.

The Importance of Practice

Our job is not only to read books and learn about Sufism; our job is to act upon what we learn. That's what Sufism is all about: doing. The whole thing is the practice. If you don't practice, then you are not a Sufi. You've got to practice.

These practices are all designed to unfold the spiritual states in you. By engaging in these practices, you will demonstrate that you are choosing Allah. Because, each and every moment we are being tested. In every action we undertake, we are being tested. What is this test? Simple: Are you choosing Allah or are you choosing your nafs (self)? Are you pointing the finger toward you or are you pointing the finger toward Allah?

Muhammad's (saws) Angle

You have to understand things as Muhammad (saws) did. You have to look at things from the same angle as he did. From what angle did he look? There's only one angle--from Allah's angle. There is no other angle--not from my angle, not from my nafs's angle, not from my cousin's angle. Only from Allah's angle. When you look from Allah's angle, then you can understand how and why Allah is doing all this.

The Shaykh

What the shaykh tries to do is to clean the dirt off your heart so that you communicate directly with Allah and learn straight from Him. Everyone can achieve this. Then there will be nothing between you and Allah. That will be your secret.

Praise Allah Constantly

Our job is to praise Allah all the time. Allah will take care of us. Our job is not to praise ourselves. No prophet ever said, "Praise me." All the prophets said, "Praise be to Allah." And they all pointed to Allah, not to themselves. So, how can you get to this stage? By fighting against your nafs.

The Nafs

Your bad ego is your nafs. Of course, I respect Allah within you. I may not like your nafs, but it is no different than mine. I don't like my nafs either. But it is because of the nafs that we can attain this closeness to Allah that no other creature in the universe can attain. With the nafs, we can prove to the universe that we are sincere in our wanting Allah and His love. So we are fighting against our nafs to show that we are sincere.

Responsibility

You are responsible for yourself. Nobody can be responsible for you but you. So unless you practice, you will get nothing.

Qadiri Rifa'i Spiritual Practices

What are the main practices of our order? First, there is zikr. There are seven layers of nafs between you and Allah. By making zikr (remembrance of Allah), you may eliminate most of these ego problems. We have daily assignments, like verd (spiritual reading) and practicing tesbih (repeating the names of God on a rosary).

Second, there is diet. For beginners in our order, you have to diet for forty days. You just eat rice and vegetables--no animal products (except honey), no bread, and no other grains except rice. This is to clean you out.

Third, there is isolation. You go into seclusion and contemplate Allah for ten days. You don't talk to anybody; you just eat a limited amount of food and you sleep on the floor, not on the bed. In this way, you learn how to contemplate.

Fourth, there is contemplation. You have to become introspective and contemplate God. Allah says in the Holy Qur'an, "Oh believers, remember Me much while you are sitting, standing, and reclining. And look into space and contemplate Me." As it says in the Hadith, "One moment of contemplation is better than one-thousand years of praying without contemplation." So, Allah wants us to do these things knowingly, willingly and lovingly.