The Shaykh's gathering: the order of the verses

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
May prayer and peace be upon the noblest of the Messengers, upon his family and upon all his companions.

The Shaykh’s gathering: the order of the verses
25 January 2016

This text is an attempt to transcribe a dars of Sidi Shaykh. It is therefore not a literal translation of what our Shaykh said, but the transcription of pointers for understanding certain verses of the Qur’an. It is thus an indication for the seeker of Truth to investigate by himself the elements that will be given. The intelligent one will take these elements of an answer and reconstruct the puzzle in order to push understanding beyond what can be written in this article. Know, then, that what follows is not the fruit of chance and that each element has its importance…

Let us begin this transcription with this information that Sidi Shaykh gave us. He informed us that the order of the verses, and the order in which they were revealed, indicates a path to follow… and this from the moment the shaykh transmits the star to us: “By the star when it descends! Your companion has not strayed, nor has he erred” [53:1-2]. This star, as well as the spiritual elevations that manifest on the disciple’s heart in the last third of the night, one or two hours before the subh prayer. Thus communal prayer raises the believer by 27 degrees, looking at the Ka‘ba raises by 500 degrees, praying before it raises by 1,000 degrees, and contemplating the frequented house (“And by the Frequented House (bayt al-ma‘mur)!” [52:4]) raises by an infinite number of degrees. Understand this, then!

Then Sidi Shaykh gave us the indication that in Surat Ar-Rahman verse 33, Allah, Exalted be He, says: “If you are able to pass beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth, then pass; but you will not pass except by authority [unlimited power]”. This power in question is transmitted to the disciple at the oath of allegiance with Sidi Shaykh Mohamed Faouzi Al-Karkari (may God sanctify his secret), for as long as it (the oath) is kept, as Allah, Exalted be He, mentions: “Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to you are actually pledging allegiance to Allah. The hand of Allah is over their hands. So whoever violates his oath only violates it to the detriment of himself, and whoever fulfils what he has promised Allah – He will give him a great reward” [48:10].

See then how verses that seem to have no relation to the journey give precious advice to the seeker of Truth… Further on in Surat Ar-Rahman (verse 35), Allah reveals to us: “There will be sent upon you a flame of fire and smoke […]”; when the traveller contemplates the Light, he tends to look around it, whereas the important thing is always to remain concentrated on the point at the centre of the Vision of the heart. If the disciple turns away from this centre, Allah, Exalted be He, tells us in the same verse: “[…] and you will not defend yourselves”. Let the disciple not be destabilised by “a flame of fire and smoke”; let him remain firmly on the centre until he realises the next verse “And when the heaven is split open and becomes rose-coloured like oil”. In Arabic the word “warda” is used, which translated means “rose”: “when the heaven is split open and becomes like a crimson rose”. When the seeker of the True reaches this stage, it is said to him: “Then on that Day neither man nor jinn will be asked about his sin” [55:39]. This verse indicates, of course, the great station of those who reach it… It also reminds us that people who claim to walk the path without passing through the Door of the Prophetic heir (qaddasa Allahu sirrahu) may see lights and also have visions, but in no case can they reach this station… This station which is reserved solely for those who follow the prophetic path and the authentic Light revealed in the Qur’an. Their visions are in reality limited to the world of the nafs in which Iblis the accursed has free rein to whisper his waswas. The person then thinks he is walking the path whereas on the contrary he only strays further and further from it. Do you want to know a distinguishing sign by which to recognise these people? Just tell them that the Knowledge of Allah is accessible only by passing through the Waliy whom Allah has established, and observe their answer…

Let us advance progressively in this riddle and look at the next indication that Sidi Shaykh gave us… As said above, everything has a meaning in what the Shaykh gives us, and here Sidi Shaykh speaks to us of the way in which the criminals will be recognised on the Day of Judgement. Allah, Exalted be He: “The criminals will be known by their marks […]” [55:41]. Sidi Shaykh Mohamed Faouzi Al-Karkari then asks us: “What is the face of one who seeks the Light, of one who contemplates the Light every day, morning and evening?”

A brother answered: “Of Light.”

And Sidi Shaykh went on: “And what is the gaze of one who contemplates only darkness every day, who is caught up in the affairs of this world and does not seek the Light, looking thus only at the darkness?”

…It is dark, and it is by this that they will be recognised!

“[…] and they will be seized by the forelocks and the feet. So which of the favours of your Lord would you deny? This is Hell, which the criminals deny” [55:41-43], followed a few verses later by: “And for he who has feared the standing before his Lord there are two gardens” [55:46]. Sidi Shaykh said about this verse: “A garden in this world and a garden in the next.” If you are a seeker of the True – subhanahu wa ta‘ala – ask yourself, then, which garden is meant here below…

Then Sidi Shaykh addressed the first verse of Surat “Al-Qamar” (The Moon): “The Hour has come near, and the moon has split”. Sidi Shaykh explained to us that some who have reached this vision and see a wonder turn away from it and say “[…] a continuing magic” [54:2] and “[…] they denied and followed their inclinations […]”; Allah, Exalted be He, says about them: “And there has already come to them of information that in which there is deterrence – wisdom perfected”. These are the ones most inclined to establish the existence of their nafs. But why are they so attached to wanting to establish the reality of these darknesses that they contemplate?

Such is the difference between the one who desires Allah and the one who desires the life of this world. Each desires to contemplate what his heart aspires to. The one who strays will aspire to the contemplation of darkness and the well-guided one to the contemplation of the Light of his Lord. This is what is told us in the first verse of Surat “at-Tur”, which refers to the request of Sayyiduna Musa to see Allah, Exalted be He. See, then, what a Prophet aspires to! Allah answers his request and tells him to look in the direction of the mountain, which exploded, causing Sayyiduna Musa to faint. After that, he immediately repented… Our Shaykh informs us that it is this Light that the Karkari disciple sees that made the mountain explode. However, Sidi Shaykh transmits it progressively (it increases more and more) so that we can bear the weight of its contemplation. Sidi Shaykh thus compares the mountain to the zawiya; so make the link yourself, seeker of the True, to know how the mountain and the zawiya are linked in this request for the Vision.

Finally, Sidi Shaykh spoke to us of the importance of rising in the last third of the night, referring to Surat “al-Qadr”: “The Night of al-Qadr is better than a thousand months”, which corresponds to 83.33 years. He who does not rise during the last third loses 83 years of blessings in the worship of Allah. “In it descend the angels and the Spirit […]”; the Ruh (the Spirit) is the Spirit of Muhammad, but this is valid only for those who see the Light. That is why the Karkaris are the children of the night, because during the night they give up a part of sleep to ask forgiveness of Allah, Exalted be He, and to invoke His Supreme Name “Allah”. For is it not in the midst of complete darkness that the Light is most visible?