The Four Pillars of the Tariqa By: Abdelhameed Babiker

The Four Pillars of the Tariqa
By: Abdelhameed Babiker

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• The English Translation of the Qasida no. 3 Sharab Alwasl of Sidi Fakhreddin

We know the Tariqa means “way”. It is the way to travel from where you are, no matter how you are, through cleaning from egos (seven egos), called (Sayr ila Allah) travel to Allah, then travel in the ninety nine most beautiful names of Allah, called (Sayr fi-llah) travel in Allah, because you step from one name to another, till you reach the major name (Allah) which comprehends all the names. The sheikh guides you from the very first step (even if you took Tariqa in a far place) till you go all the way. The Sheikh is the expert of the way for he went all the way and was given permission to bring the people up, to connect with syidina Mohamed (P.P.BU.H.), who then sells you to Allah. (Lo! Allah hath bought from the believers their lives and their wealth because the Garden will be theirs: they shall fight in the way of Allah and shall slay and be slain. It is a promise which is binding on Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur'an. Who fulfilleth His covenant better than Allah? Rejoice then in your bargain that ye have made, for that is the supreme triumph.) verse 111 surat 9 Al-Tawba.

The travel is described in verse of old Sufi sheikhs, saying:

Travel, you will be addressed by the outstanding beauty *** Towards the beloved, as all the universe is travelling

Safir, yukalimuka aljamalu assaifir *** nahowa-l ahibati fa-l wojodo musafir

Now, we address an important matter of the Tariqa, the four pillars that it is built on.

In verse no. 46 Qasida No. 1. Sidi Fakhreddin says:

Liwaiya Maagoodun wa Ahdiya mawthigun *** wa yastalimu-l-arkana man zara kaabati

In Arabic:

لِوَائِيَ مَعْقُودٌ وَعَهْدِيَ مَوْثِقٌ *** وَيَسْتَلِمُ الأَرْكَانَ مَنْ زَارَ كَعْبَتِي

(By the way: This verse is written in the inner panels of Maqam)

Translation:

My flag is given hold of to Me and my contract is a commitment **** and, that who visits my Ka’aba holds the pillars

Here, as we know the Ka’aba (Bait Allahu al-Haram) is formed of four pillars which the pilgrim has to hold during circling (Tawaaf. Other Arabic word for holding “the pillars” is committing. Yes, it is not just holding the four pillars but also committing to contract of belief in Allah. The Qassaid follows the Quran in their structuring wording and the meaning of the Qassaid is always to be sought from the inner meaning of the Quran, as said by sidi Fakhreddin (r.a.a.). That is a Hadith narrated by Syidina Abdullahi ibn Masoud (one of the most companions who narrated Hadith of the Prophet), he said: ((The Quran came into seven accents and every accent has outer (meaning) and inner (meaning) and every outer and inner has an escalator and a limit)). To make the outer meaning is Tafseer and the inner is Ta’weel. We will explain more on this when coming to elaborate about the Qasaid. However, we need to use Ta’weel to reach what we are behind here, the Tariqa Pillars.

It is like the Ka’aba with four pillars, the Tariqa also has four pillars. Getting back to the above verse:

My flag is held and my contract is a commitment **** and, that who visits my Ka’aba holds the pillars

Maulana. Sidi Fakhreedin, when says (my Ka’aba), actually means the (Tariqa), people come to the Tariqa to lead them direct to Allah. And as the (Ka’aba)has four pillars, we know, what are the four pillars of the Tariqa?

The four pillars of the Tariqa, are:

(1) Belief (Ageeda), The Ageeda is the basis. That without Ageeda, all what you can do of good deeds will be useless. Belief that you have the right sheikh to lead you to Allah.

(2) Awrad (Customary prayer, it is a plural of the Arabic word (wird) and it means a certain regular time, people or their livestock has the chance to reach to water to drink. Award in the Tariqa is a basic matter also and distinguishes a Tariqa member from the rest of the people, right like (salat) five prayers in Islam.

(3) Service (khidma): This compares to Fasting and Zakat, where one pays to support religion and community by body or by wealth or knowledge … it is a wide venue and it is essential to a Tariqa follower. For example paying subscriptions is service, singing Qasidas to encourage brothers and sisters, paying in occasions, helping each other, doing physical work, praying for others, …. The least is to give out kind words to others. One time sidi Fakhreddin was asked: What is that a Murid can do to pay a thanking to the Sheikh? He said: To serve his brothers (and sisters) in Tariqa. Also in Qasidas he had encouraged the disciples (Mureedeen) to play a role in the establishment of the Tariqa Complex in Khartoum and all the kinds of service that can help doing good.

(4) Qasidas of (Sharab Al-Wasl) in English (The Connection Drink), this is the poetry (let us say) of sidi Fakreddin and his major miracle. In fact two words differ Poetry (Shi’ir) and Composition (Nazm), for they are both similar in their rules, such as keeping a regular rhyme, the music, and the verse balance. But the Nazm differs from poetry in that it contains important knowledge to deliver and to make it easy to learn by heart. Many religious scholars and sheikhs has created Nazm in Figh (Shai’a) and Sufism. Sharab Al-Wasl is Nazm. It is the beauty and completion of knowledge to study Sharab Al-Wasl, Qasidas. Brothers and sisters can assemble in any place and study together Sharab Al-Wasl. During that and as well during listening to sung Qasidas, the soul gets the drink and the heart increases in knowledge of the Truth. It is also advisable that one do read from Qasidas daily as award.

And, that who visits my Ka’aba holds the pillars, second part of the verse, holding the Ka’aba pillars is done during circling (Tawaf) around the Ka’aba. It is called holding or grasping. So the Tariqa brother or sister, should grasp firmly these four pillars. All the four constitute a full Tariqa follower.

Finally, we recite the verse no. 78 Qasida no. 35, saying:

Wa ya nadiyya-l akuffi-l bidha min karamin  *** tajamat indakum arkanu ka’abatina

وَيَا نَدِيَّ الأَكُفِّ الْبِيضِ مِنْ كَرَمٍ *** تَجَمَّعَتْ عِنْدَكُمْ أَرْكَانُ كَعْبَتِنَا

Translation: 

Oh, the dewy white palm-handed by virtue of generousity *** At You has gathered the pillars of our ka’aba

To remind: our ka’aba here is the Tariqa.

Salam

By: Abdelhameed Babiker

Khartoum - Sudan

• English translation of Qasida no. 48 from Sharab Alwasl of Sidi Fakhreddin r.a.a.
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