The Beauty of Tariqa

I've been so longing to share the beauty of something. Something that has become extremely close to my heart and a significant part of my life. It's something I once considered as being distant from Islam, but to my realization I was the one that was so far away. 

My practice of Islam had become a routine, a sort of doing things just for the sake of it, with no real knowledge of why I was doing it. I felt obscured, constantly searching for something to fill the emptiness I felt deep within the depths of my soul.This was a sad case of spiritual neglect and I knew there was countless things I had to uncover. During this time of bewilderment, the best thing one can do is to turn to Allah in totality and sincerely seek for his help and guidance. Allah guides whom he wills, and to be able to discover a Tariqa and become a part of it is a true blessing indeed. Alhamdulilah. We don't chose Tariqa, but the Tariqa choses us. 

Tariqa literally means "way" or "path" and places a much greater emphasis on spirituality (Tasawwuf). Being part of a Tariqa you find yourself surrounded by the most beautiful of people, who only have one goal in mind and that is Allah. Being in such company shows what it means to to truly love someone for Allah's sake, they are truly those friends who remind you of Allah and constantly remember you in their Duas.

It becomes so much easier to do regular Dhikr, read more Qur'an, seek knowledge and implement it because there are so many others striving for the same thing.

RasulAllah ﷺ said: "The deeds most loved by Allah (are those) done regularly, even if they are small". This is the Hadith that always reminds me of the beauty of doing all the prescribed awrad and Quran reading that comes with being in Tariqa. It places a great emphasis on consistency and SubhanAllah I will tell you, and for those of you who have ever gone days where you've missed your awrad, will know that doing so makes you feel so bitter and unhappy.

One thing I never actualized was how one needed to have such outpouring love for RasulAllah ﷺ. The implementation of his noble character, the singing of his praise, the practice of his sunnah are all things I have seen that are so greatly emphasized within Tariqa. Not forgetting to mention the Spiritual guide himself, the beloved Shaykh,Who you undoubtedly, will fall in love with. A man that truly knows Allah, who helps you along the journey and advises you in the best possible way. A sincere man of our time who has nothing but good that we can take from him.

Tariqa teaches you so many more things that I don't even have the time to write them all down, I just can't do it justice but I'll tell you walking along this spiritual path seriously changes you in a way that you can't even remember who you once were. Your life suddenly takes a turn, a sort of 360 degrees flip and you find yourself in a place you never thought you would ever reach and then you realize you haven't even reached anything yet! and you finally have this foreign strength and strive to keep going higher and higher.When you embark upon this spiritual journey amazing things happen. Allah grants you so many openings but with the condition that you, yourself, make the effort. Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of people until they change what is in themselves- Surah Ar-Ra`d [13:11]

So many people assume that the spiritual path is filled with butterflies, love hearts, drinking tea with saints, writing poetry, feeling warm and fuzzy inside and going on a journey to find a God that never left you in the first place. I know nothing, but do know that this is far from the reality. This path is about tears, sweat, blood, loss of family, friends, property, it’s about emptiness, loneliness and tests from those who claim to love you. This path will cut you down, smash the desires in your heart and break you into a thousand pieces. Allah can't put you back together if you already think you’re whole. Allah will send you the most difficult tests to destroy everything unpleasant about you because think about it-how can you sincerely call to Allah in the nothingness of the night unless you are hurting and aching inside. He will take things away from you just to show you that all belongs to him and turn everyone away just so he is the only one left to turn to.

Believe me its not easy, life was never meant to be easy otherwise the ultimate place of peace and tranquility, Jannah, would lose its meaning. This path is for the lover and the lover has to be brave. Brave enough to give their all, knowing they might lose it all for the sake of Allah, alone. May Allah give us Allah.

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ

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