Sufi-Terminology

Whenever Hazrat Khawaja Abu Ahmad Abdaal Chishti was present in a sama, anyone lucky enough to

Quote

Certain Sheikh or dervishes have

Certain Sheikh or dervishes have, enumerated 100 stages on the path of Truth and they say

Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti

Did You Know

Dara Shukoh was the first one to break his silence by describing techniques of Zikr in a written text. Shah Kalimullah wrote Kashkol as an answer to Dara Shukoh's treatise is an attempt to demonstrate the all encompassing nature of his own practical teachings.

Sufi-Terminology

Shaikh are of three categories:
(i) Shaikh-e-kaamil (a perfect guide) is perfect in himself, but cannot take others to perfection. Nevertheless he can initiate the seekers (salik) on the Sufi path.

Did You Know

Each year Shaikh Shahabuddin Suhrawardi would leave Baghdad to perform Hajj. But when he grew old and infirm, food prepared for him on the journey did not please him. He no longer eat cold food. His disciple Sheikh Jalaluddin Tabrezi then devised a way to carry a hearth and a pot on his head and to keep the hearth lit without burning himself. Whenever the Sheikh wished to eat, his disciple would then serve him hot food.

Kalaam

shaiKH-jii tashriif yuu.n bahr-e-ziyaarat le chale
lab pe tauba un buto.n kii dil me.n ulfat le chale

Aughat Shah Warsi

Sufi-Terminology

An important principle: A murid has to love his Shaikh more than his life, property and

Pad

tan mein KHirqa pahan riya ka ghar par shaiKH kahae

tan me.n KHirqa pahan riyaa kaa ghar par shaiKH kahaa.e
va.az nasiihat kar sabho.n ko jaal me.n apne laa.e

Sant Kavi Dildar

Persian Sufi Poetry

ai ze-kasrat bar ruKH-e-wahdat naqab andaKHti

kiist dar a.alam ki dar dil taalib-e-diidaar niist
tuKHm-e-ishq andar dil-e-har-shaiKH-o-shaab andaaKHtii

Fazihat Shah Warsi

Persian Sufi Poetry

mantiq-ut-tair - hikayat-e-shaiKH-basra bar-sar-gor-e-murda

dafn mii-kardand marde raa ba-KHaak
shaiKH-e-basrii shud ba-pesh-e-aa.n maGaak

Shaikh Fariduddin Attar

Nazm

dar bayan-e-urs hazrat-salim-chishti

rashk hai gulshan-e-bahishtii kaa
urs hazrat-'saliim'-chishtii kaa

Nazeer Akbarabadi

Sufi-Terminology

Khilafat-e-kubra (major) is when a Shaikh receives repeated Divine inspirations to award khilafat to someone and the Shaikh cannot ignore these inspirations. This kind of khilafat is also known as khilafat-e-asli and niabat-e-mutliqa, by which the khalifa inherits everything belonging to the Shaikh including (tabarrukat) the reliecs.

Ghazal

ai shaiKH qadam rakhiyo na is raah me.n zinhaar
hai sajda shikan rishta-e-zunnaar-e-mohabbat

Bedar Meer Mohammad

Ghazal

ai shaiKH qadam rakhiyo na is raah me.n zinhaar
hai sub.ha-shikan rishta-e-zunnaar-e-mohabbat

Bedar Meer Mohammad

Sufi-Terminology

An important principle: A murid has to love his Shaikh more than his life, property and

Ghazal

dekhūñ jo tujhe ḳhvāb meñ maiñ ai mah-e-kan.āñ
aisā to mirā tāla-e-bedār kahāñ hai

Abdurrahman Ehsan Dehlavii

Ghazal

jalā huuñ ātish-e-furqat se maiñ ai sho.ala-rū yaañ tak
charāġh-e-ḳhāna mujh ko dekh kar har shaam jaltā hai

Abdurrahman Ehsan Dehlavii

Sufi-Terminology

These are etiquettes of discipleship (muridi) along with those mentioned at length in Sufi literature. Disregard of these etiquettes results in shortage of inspiration (faizaan) from the Shaikh. The murid receives faizaan from the Shaikh which is commensutate with his love for him and this determines the murid’s status in the eyes of God. Therefore, it is incumbent on the murid to keep his Shaikh satisfied with his behavior, obedience, service, adaab, sacrifices and self ahnegation.

Sufi-Terminology

Shah Waliullah Mohaddis of Delhi has said in his book Altaf-ul-Quds:- matter of tafsir (exegesis), e.g. Arais-al-Bayan (of Shaikh Ruzbahan Baqli), Haqaiq of Salmi, most of Ibn Arabi’s works and of the grand Shaikh, Shahabuddin Suhrawardi.”

Persian Kalam

niist ai shaiKH-o-barhaman kaar-e-Gair az yaad-e-uu
KHvaah andar ka.aba baash va KHvaah dar but-KHaana baash

Hasan Bihari