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Hidyat al-Tlibeen

Guidance for SeekersH a d r a t H a f i d h S h a h A b u

S a e e d D e h l a v i (1196 AH - 1250 AH)

6/7/2013

Translated by Safwan Ahmad

This English translation is based on the Urdu version of Shaykh Abu Saeeds magnum opus Hidayat al-

Talibeen (published in 2011 by the Khanqah Sirajia Kundian Sharif, Mianwali, Pakistan). As with all

translations, the goal is to carry over the source content to the target language minimizing the loss of

the message. However, when Sufi technical terminology is at the core of the content localization,

faithfully carrying over the message is much more difficult and an element of personalized

interpretation is unavoidable. In many such instances, original Persian or Urdu phrases have been

quoted within brackets.


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Introduction

Verily, on the Friends1of Allah is no fear nor are they amongst the grievers.

Th constantly guard against evil.

After praise and salutations, it is stated that this worthless dervish, or rather the

shame and disgrace of dervishes, Abu Saeed (Mujaddidi2 by virtue of spiritual lineage) was

approached by some of his close associates with the request to compile an account of thespiritual transformations I encountered while traversing the Path3, divine visitations and

mystical secrets unveiled through mediation of our venerable spiritual masters4 and the

various invocations5 and contemplative meditations6 this servant benefited from on this

journey, so that it may serve as a precedent to be employed for benefit.

This servant, in return, referred them to the Maktubat7of Imm Rabbn Shaykh Ahmad al-

Sirhind and the many works authored by his successors which comprehensively deal with

issues relating to the Sufi way, and are a chest of spiritual treasures for both the common

people and the elite to take benefit from, and also journals of the temporal pole8 our

Grandshaykh Abdullah Shah Ghulam Ali, though concise, are sufficient for seekers of Truth.

1Awliya, sing. wali. This term, which in Arabic means close friend or protg, is usually translated into Western

languages as saints; in what follows we shall translate this word as friend(s) of God. 2

The Mujaddidi sub-order of the Naqshbandi Chain traces its spiritual lineage through Mujaddid Alf-i- Thani

Shaykh Ahmad al-Sirhind (15641624)3

The path consists of journey towards God (Sair illallah), journey in God (Sair f il-lah) and journey from God (sair

min Allah).4Shuyukh; sing. shaykh. In what follows this term will be translated as either elder or *Sufi+ master.

5Dhikr, literally remembrance or recollection *of God+, a common spiritual practice among the Sufis involving

the repetition of the Names of God, formulas taken from hadith texts and verses of the Qur'an. Dhikr is usually

done individually, but in some Sufi orders it is instituted as a ceremonial activity.6Muraqaba; This Sufi term may mean both self-examination by the Sufi of his inner thoughts and intentions and

his constant awareness of God observing him. See Chittick, Sufi Path of Knowledge, p. 348.7

Maktubat refers to a collection of letters8

Qutb al-Aqtaab: Pinnacle of the Sufi cosmographical hierarchy. The station of the temporal pole is occupied by

the saint most fully manifesting the Muhammadan Reality in every era and therefore, perfected in divine attributes

(al-insan al-kamil). The Qutb of the age is the axis around which the spiritual universe revolves.


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But, due to their close devotion to this worthless one, they insisted and said : O our Shaykh!

Amongst the traditions is that people take back relics from their elders as tabarruk9 after a visit

and we would like to take this [the manuscript under discussion] as a token of blessing from

you when we return to our homes.

They kept on insisting and I saw no way out; however, due to busy schedules, this request

could not be entertained at that time. Coincidentally, when I moved to Lucknow for a short-

stay, I managed to take out time for this endeavor. Therefore, whatever has been granted to

this weak one through spiritual transmission10 by the elders is being put down in writing as a

token of gratitude, expressing thankfulness itself being a religious duty11. Whatever is

written in this journal are the spiritual unveilings manifested on this servant through divine

grace and through the spiritual focus10 of Hadrat Pir Dastgir (Grandshaykh Abdullah Shah

Ghulam Ali); but in some places where Ive gone into details, Ive also written from my own

knowledge. However, these should also not be considered mere imitation and book-

knowledge; And verily, Allah is my witness on this point and He is the best Guardian.

Initiation & the first PresenceOn 7th of Muharram 1225 AH divine grace sparked on this servant in Delhi Sharif when he got

the opportunity to kiss the feet [literal translation] of the King of Perfected Guides, the

Reviver of religion in this Era and the Revealer of the Secret of the Path; the Verifier of the

State of Perfection, the Inheritor of Prophetic Knowledge, Hadrat Ghulam Ali Shah Dehlavi

Naqshbandi Mujadidi [May Allah sanctify his secret]. Hadrat blessed us immensely by

initiating us in his circle of lovers and instructed us in the Dhikrof the personal divine name

(Ism al-Dhat12) and recollection using negation & affirmation (Nafi wa-l Ithbat13) and also the

meditations of Divine Oneness (Muraqaba al-Ahadiyya) and Divine concomitance (Muraqaba

al-Maiyya) and he activated my five subtle-energy faculties (lataif14) belonging to the realm

of command (alam al-amr) by making spiritual concentration on them.

9Source of blessing

10Tawajjuh ; a concentrated Sufic transmission from a teacher to a student during which the master affects a

seeker by his inner states. In what follows this term will be translated as either spiritual transmission or

*spiritual] focus.11

The Messenger of Allah is reported to have said: He who does not thank people does not thank Allah. (Abu

Dawud; Tirmidhi)12

Dhikr Ism al-Dhat: By orally reciting and silently remembering the name of the divine essence i.e. Allah13

Dhikr Nafi wa-l Ithbat: By mentioning la-ilaha illa allah There is no god but God; negating the false reality of the

ego while mentioning no god and the affirmation of but God to submit to the Divine Reality14

These subtle centres of psychospiritual consciousness on the human chest are responsible for extrasensory

perception.


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Journey towards the Source beginsIn just a few days, my lataif started attracting [and absorbing] divine energy (jadhba

ilhiyya), thus, beginning journey to their origin, which is related to a non-spatial dimension

located above the Divine Throne and I was exalted to a state of annihilation (i.e. non-

existence) through divine attraction. After completing my journey in the sphere of universal

possibilities (daira-i imkan), I ascended towards the origin of the origin (asal al-usul) which

lies in the sphere of lesser sainthood (daira-i wilayat al-sughra); I attained the states of

annihilation (fana) and subsistence (baqa) and became a receptacle to the secrets of both

spheres and their divine lights engulfed me to the full of my capacity. Wal-hamdulillah ala

dhaalik.

Now that the journey in these two spheres has been outlined, it becomes important to

explain the mechanism of the lataif (subtle-energy centers) in some detail.

The - Faculties of psychospiritual experienceAccording to [the cosmological & psycho-spiritual model developed by] Mujaddid Alf-i-Thani

and his followers, the human being comprises of 10 subtle energy centers. 5 of these belong

to the realm of command (alam al-amr) and the other five to the realm of creation (alam al-

khalq).

Lataif of the metaphysical Realm of Command

The spheres of consciousness belonging to the realm of command in order of increasingsubtlety are:

Heart (Qalb) Spirit (Ruh) Secret (Sirr) Hidden (Khafi) and The Most Hidden (Akhfa);

Lataif of the physical Realm of Creation

The rest of them belonging to realm of creation are: individual consciousness of self (Nafs)

and the four cosmic elements (water, fire, air, earth) collectively denoted by Latifa Qalib.


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The Two Realms & the Circle of universal possibilitiesThe realm of command is metaphysical and was created by

resonance of the divine command: Kun (Be!) while the realm of

creation is temporal [exists within spacetime] and was created inphases.

Added together, the

realm of command and

the realm of creation

form the complete

sphere of universal possibilities (daira-I imkan)

which contains within it the sum total of all

present, past and future possibilities.

The lower hemisphere of the circle of possibilities

extends from the Divine Throne to the lower

limit (and covers the lataif of the realm of

creation) while the upper hemisphere extends

from the Divine Throne to the upper limits (and

cover the lataif of realm of command) [refer to figure].

Mapping the Lataif to the human bodyWhen Allah fashioned the physical body, He caused each of the five energy centers from the

realm of command to be intimately linked to a general area of the human body.

Therefore, the Heart latifa was linked to the

area approximately two finger widths below

the left nipple, the Spirit latifa to the area

approximately two finger widths below the

right nipple, the Secret latifa is located in level

with the left nipple approximately two finger

widths towards the center of the chest, the

Hidden latifa is located level with the right

nipple approximately two finger widths

towards the center of the chest and finally the

Most Hidden latifa is located at the mid-point of

the chest.


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This intimate link evolved to such an extent that these lataif, along with their heavenly

origin, which is in fact, nothing but unfathomable oceans of divine lights [of different energy

vibrations], formed a bond of extreme love (taluq ishqi) with the material body and

exhausted their spiritual aspirations on this murky model of dust (the human physicality).

Activating the Lataif Core spiritual excercisesWhen the Truth decides to favor any servant, He guides them to the threshold of one of His

friends. Then that Wali, according to the capacity of the seeker, instructs him on striving

with exercises of spiritual purification that assist reformation of the inner-self (tazkiya nafs),

assigns invocations (adhkar) and contemplative exercises (afkar) to set the lataif spinning

towards their origin.

Naqshbandi Principle of moderateness in worship

Because spiritual determination (himma) of seekers in this era have become diminished,

therefore, Naqshbandi guides usually instruct them in dhikr immediately after initiation andinstead of difficult spiritual exercises and excessive worship, instruct them to be moderate in

their religious deeds and take care to set appropriate limits for moderation in all times and

states, and they [the teachers] use their power of spiritual transmission [which they have

attained at the expense of lengthy seclusions] to advance the spiritual progression of their

disciples.

Naqshbandi preference for silent Dhikr

And [the Naqshbandi Shaykhs] stress the importance to follow the Prophetic traditions and

avoid reprehensive innovations and dont allow exceptions to this rule. They employ silentremembrance (Dhikr al-Khafi), as hadith traditions establish the unambiguous superiority of

silent dhikr over loud dhikr by 70 times (Musnad Abi Yala) and there there are three

prominent spiritual practices prevalent in the [Naqshbandi] way.

DhikrThe first spiritual practiceThe first core exercise is remembrance of God (Dhikr); it consists of the dhikr using

Essential Name (Ism al-Dhat i.e. Allah) and dhikr of negation & affirmation (Nafi wa-l-

Ithbat i.e. la-ilaha illa allah). First, the disciple is instructed in the Dhikr of the Essential

Name. Its method is that the seeker should empty his heart from all attentions,

imaginal conversations and thoughts about the past and the future and invoke the

Lord in a humble manner. To expel other thoughts, the seeker should visualize the

face of the spiritual guide. Visualizing the Shaykh in front of the heart or inside the


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heart reaps the full effect [of spiritual attraction] and visualization in this manner is

also known as bonding (Dhikr Rabita).

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