PRISTINE SUFISM: 24 QUALITIES OF A MUQADAM

SUBLIME QUALITIES A TRUE MUQADAM MUST POSSESS

Compiled by: Sayyidi Aliyyu Uthman Bashir Niasse (Otori ozodu)

Muqaddam is a person who is authorised/licensed to give tariqa and to hold a mureed's hand (i.e. guide the mureed) during his travel on the path to the door of Allah.

There are two types of Taqdeem/Muqadamship;

1-Muqayyid (Limited)

2-Mutlaq (Unlimited)

1. Muqayyid (Limited):- is a type of taqdeem in which a sheikh or khalifa authorises someone to be a muqaddam, but he will tell you to give tariqa to a certain number of people only, this may vary from 50, 100, etc. or lesser than that, without giving such person any asraar(secrets) of the tariq(spiritual path).

2-Mutlaq (Unlimited):- is kind of taqdim that your sheikh gives you permission to give tariqa and it's Asraar (secrets), and even to authorised someone else to a limitless number of people.

These are the classifications of muqaddam, but to be a true, a worthy, or deserved muqaddam.....There are certain criteria and sublime qualities that you must possess.

24 QUALITIES OF A TRUE MUQADAM

Sheikh Muhammad Al Ameen Ash Shafi'iy stated 24 qualities of A muqaddam in his book entitled "Tanweerul Qulub fi mu'amilat Al Allamul ghuyub" (llluminating the heart in the relation with the knower of the Unseen (Allah)).

The author said there are 24 qualities that a muqaddam must observe they are:-

1-You must become an Alim/Scholar with both Fiqhu(Islamic Jurisprudence), Aqaa'id (Fundamental Principles of Islam), at least he can be able to differentiate some shubhaat that can occur to a murid(follower/disciple) in his beginning, so that he will not go fetch another muqaddam (who is learned).

2. He must know the completeness of Hearts, the evil of Soul(Nafs), and its weaknesses....and the methodology of how to cure them all.

3. He must have pity on all the muslims, most especially his mureeds. If he sees that they engage in evil and they can remove themselves from it...he should call and do Naseeha (Advice)them in a polite manner. -Allah says “Ud'uu ilaa sabeel Rabbika bil hikmati wal mau'izatul hasanah(Call unto the way of your Lord with Wisdom and Gentle/Good Preaching)".

He should not curse them due to their evils. Rather, he must continuously treat them in a polite manner without bias.

4. He should not admire anything from the wealth of his mureed.

5-He should make sure he doesn't engage in any bad things...before calling people (away) from it.

6. He must make sure his preaching is based on shari'a(islamic law) and fiqh at-tariqah (jurisprudence of the spiritual path).

7. He must not put his personal interest in his sermon to mureeds.

8. He should not impose on them burden/amount of money or anything that they can not afford...and he should not leave his presence in “inbisaat(simplicity)" or "inqibaadh(harshness)".

And, all the time with them...you must give them some little imtihaan(examination).

9. If he sees among his mureed he can't control his jazbu(spiritual attraction) with him, he should put him in khalwa....(But that khalwa should not be for many days and not few days).

10. If he sees that mureed is going out of shari'ah after all the nasseha(advice)he gives...he should be more assertive and stern in warning him (fayanbaghi lahu an yusarrifhu bi rfqin)

11. He should not be tired...in his Guidance (Irshaad).

12. If a mureed dreams, or see something via unveiling(mukashaafa) and tells him, he should not tell the mureed all the excellence of that dream or kashfu....rather to give him some Work (Amal) and Secrets(Asrar) that will protect him against the imtihaan(test) of that level he acquired and the work that will uplift him to the next rank....because when he tells him everything he may sees himself (with pride), which is bad.

13. He must be a person that will forbid his mureed from narrating to others the miracles (karamats) he acquired...because shaitan can do his work in their heart...(La taqsus ru'uyaka ala ikhwatika fayakidu laka kaida/do not reveal your dream to your brothers, or else they will arrange a plot against you). He should urge them...to hide their sirr(secret) and that, with time shall come will burst it out.

14. He must (at times) observe khalwa(total seclusion) or riyaadha(semi-seclusion) for him to be closer to Allah all the time....and for his light to increase.

15. He must put his mureed in heart to the extent that if anything Bad happens to the mureed he (naturally) feels it, as if he was the one it happened to.

16. He should not eat too much with his mureed...because he is the role model of the mureed.

17. He should forbid his mureed not to visit other auliyas/saints of another tariqah (with the intention of seeking blessing).

18. He shld be organizing time with mureeds teaching them some basic books of hadith, tafseer, fiqh, and tasawwuf.

19. He should not beg from diplomats or kings, he should beg/ask from Allah...because his mureed will follow his foot steps. "Man sanna sunnatan sayyi'atan fa'alaihi wazraha wa wazra man amila biha" - Muslim and Tirmidhi

20. He must talk with them, in respectful manners and words, not arrogantly.

21. If mureed calls him, he should Answer him with patience.

22. If he sits down with the murideen(murids), he should sit in good manner and attentiveness, he should not sleep in front of them, and he should not raise his voice with them, because in reality they will be copying all your attitudes.

-If any thing comes to your mind via (waarid), you should first measure it with shar'iah, if it's equivalent to it, It's nice(fani'ima),if not you should know that there is waarid ash-shaitan (satanic misconception).

23. If mureed comes to your place in an inconvenient time, you should not show it in your face....And if you are going to your mureed's place you should go there at a convenient time.

24. If you spend many days and you didn't see one of your mureedeen(murids), it's compulsory for you to ask after their whereabout, and the reason why he is absent in the zawiyyah, then if he is ill visit him, if he seeks your help then help him, as much as possible.

SUMMARY:- In conclusion, A muqaddam must uphold the sunnah of Rasulillah (saw).

And once, the khalifa at Tijaniyyah of Ebira land As Sayyid Ash Sheikh Ahmad Rufa'i added a point to these 24 qualities.

25. A good Mukaddam receives visitors (especially the learned ones) with utmost respect and hospitality. He is humble before his visitors and treat them like kings. He doesn't maltreat his visitors before his disciples, rather he raise their maqam in order for his disciples not to look down on the visitor.

Sayyidi Aliyyu Uthman Bashir Niasse

Written by: Sayyidi Aliyyu Uthman Bashir Niasse (Otori ozodu)

SUFI LITERATURE AND PRAYER BOOKS COLLECTION (AVAILABLE FOR ORDER)

*SALAT ALA NABIYY (PRAYER UPON PROPHET) COLLECTION/SERIES*

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1. It'haful muhtaaj bi tarfat al hajj fi salvation alaa saahibi taaj....by Shaikh Abubakar Atiku

2. Majmuu' kutubu thalatha....by Sheikh Aliyyu Harazim (kano).

3. Jaami'u salawaat alaa nabiyy....by Sheikh Aliyyu Harazim (kano).

4. Sullamu l muhibeena ilaa hadrat khairul mursaleen....by Sheikh Aliyyu Harazim (kano).

5. Salat qadaa'i l hawaa'ij....by Sheikh Aliyyu Harazim (kano).

6. Sirrul asraar fii salaat alaa Jaami'u l anwaar....by Sheikh Aliyyu Harazim (kano).

7. Mataalib al abd fii salaat alaa afdal mash'had....by Seyyid Hussein ibn Ilyas al-harazimi.

8. 'Awaa-idu l barakat fi fawaaidul waraqaat min hadrat Mawlana al-Arif billah Shaykh Aliyyu Harazim

9. Jihazu Sarih of Sheu Gibrima

10. Hizbu suwar al maneehi....by Sheu Gibrima

11. Nataij safar....by Sheu Gibrima

12. Itbaau tazyeel....by Sheu Gibrima

13. Sidratul muntaha....by Sheu Gibrima

14. Tazyeel wa tahaqeeb....by Sheu Gibrima

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NEW BOOKS AVAILABLE

1. Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse's Annual Mawlid Nabiyy Lectures at Senegal - Arabic text & English Translation.

2. Selected Prayer Poems (Qasaa'id) of Shaikh Ibrahim Niasse from Kanzul Masun - Arabic, Transliteration & English Translation.

3. Jawahir Rasail (A Collection of Priceless Expositions via Letters "Letters 1 to 10"): Diamond Sparkles - Arabic text, English Translation and Commentary by Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse

4. Tahniah (Congratulatory Ode) of Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse to the Prophet Muhammad (Part 1) – Selected, Transliterated & Translated by Alhaji Abdul-Quadri Okeneye

5. Handbook for Every Tijaniyyat - (Compiled by Sayyid Ahmad Bello As-Suufi Harazimi)

FODIO LITERATURE

1. Selected Writings of Shaykh Usman Dan Fodio (Mukhtarat min Mualafaat Sheikh Usman Fodio) 3vols.......in English, Hausa and Arabic

2. Selected Writings of Shaykh Abdullahi Dan Fodio (Mukhtarat min Mualafaat Sheikh Abdullahi Fodio) 3vols.......in English, Hausa and Arabic

3. Selected Writings of Shaykh Muhammad Bello ibn Usman Dan Fodio (Mukhtarat min Mualafaat Sheikh Muhammad Bello ibn Usman Fodio) 2vols.......in English, Hausa and Arabic

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4. Diya at-Ta’wil fi Ma’ani at-Tanzil (hafs)...Published copy the tafsir by Abdullahi bin Fodio
5. Shifaa Qadi Iyadh (warsh)

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CLASSICAL QUR'ANIC CALLIGRAPHY & MANUSCRIPTS (Available for order)

1. Qur’an (warsh) - Handwritten, with Barnawi/Kanawi calligraphic style (neatly wrapped in a leather skin-bag)

2. Qur’an (warsh) - Handwritten (Over centuries old manuscript, loosely bounded in leather case)

3. Qur’an (warsh) - Electronic print

4. Dalail al-khayrat (warsh) - Electronic print

5. Shifaa of Qadhi Iyadh (warsh) - Electronic print

6. Fii Riyadh Tafsir of Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse (7volumes)

7. Majmuu’at at-ta‘areef bi Shaikh Ibrahim Niasse (7volumes)

1. Dala'ilu l khairat of Shaikh Sulaiman Jazuli (Arabic text, Translation, Transliteration by Imam Marooph Raji)

2. Hizbu Sayfi & Hizbul Mughni (Arabic text, Translation, Transliteration by Imam Marooph Raji)

3. Hizbul Bahri (Arabic text, Translation, Transliteration by Imam Marooph Raji)

4. Hizbu Suwar al Manee'hi – ‘Arabic (composed like Hizbu Sayfi)’ (by Shk. Muhammad Gibrima)

5. Sidratul Muntaha ad-daa'een– ‘Arabic’ (by Muhammad Gibrima)

6. Jihazu Sarih – ‘Arabic prayer book on Salatul fat’hi’ (by Shk. Muhammad Gibrima)

7. Tibbul faa'ihi – ‘Arabic prayer book on Salatul fat’hi’ (by Shk. Abdul-Waahid Nazeefii)

8. Nataa'ij Safar – ‘Arabic prayer book on Salatul fat’hi’ (by Shaikh Muhammad Gibrima)

9. Itbaau Tazyeel – ‘Arabic prayer book on Salatul fat’hi’ (by Shaikh Muhammad Gibrima)

10. Sirrul Jaleel fii l Khawaas 'Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal Wakeel (by Shaikh Abul Hassan Shadhili)

11. Afdalu Salawaat ala Sayyidi Saadaat – ‘Arabic collection of Salat upon the Prophet’ (Shaikh Yusuf ibn Ismaa'eel an-Nabahani)

12. Kanzul Masun wa luuluu l Maknuun – ‘Arabic collection of prayers written by Shaikh Ibrahim Niasse. Compiled by Imam Hassan Cisse’.

13. Ahzab wa Awrad (Litanies) of Shaikh Ahmad Tijani

1. Vessel of Spiritual Flood, Translation of Goran Faydah by Shaykh Balarabe Haroon Jega - (Translated by Khalifah Awwal Baba Taofiq)

2. Rihlat Konakriyah (A trip to Conakry), Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse - (Translated by Khalifah Awwal Baba Taofiq)

3. Shariah and Haqeeqah: In the Light of the Qur'an and the Prophetic Traditions (Compiled by Khalifah Awwal Baba Taofiq)

4. The Icon of Mystics: Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse Al-Kawlakhy (Compiled by Khalifah Awwal Baba Taofiq)

5. Kano Conferences (Majlis Kano) and the khutba titled (Hadiqat al-Anwar fii ma ihtawa alayhi qawaaid al-Islam minal hikam wal asrar) - (Translated by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)

6. Katsina and Kaduna Conferences (Jadhbul ahbab ila hadrat Rabbil arbab) and Mecca Conference - (Translated by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)

7. A Brief Biography of the Shaykh al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse (Compiled by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)

8. Risalat at-Tawbah (Epistle of Repentance) of Shaykh Ibrahim Niyass al-Kawlakhi" – (Translation & Commentary by Dr. Razzaq Solagberu)

9. Islamic Law of Inheritance, by Sayyid Ali ibn Abubakar al-Muthanna ibn Abdullah Niasse (Translated by Dr. Sulaiman Shittu)

10. Muassasah Nasr al-'ilm Int. (AAII) Magazines No. 13, 14 & 15 (with Articles like Outline of Life of Sufi Heros & Heroines like Shaikh Ibrahim Niasse, Shaikh Abdus-Salam Oniwiridi Pakata, Shaikh Muhammad Bello Eleha, Shaikh Ahmad Rufa'i Nda Salati, and others...this magazines also features other interesting Articles).

11. Numerous “English” Sufism & Tijaniyyah Tariqah E-books/Journals/Articles (soft copies - to be sent via email)

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