Ya Hazreti Ali!
Tariqat is the path of return to our Source through returning to our own heart. Tariqat invites us into our heart, and there we meet our Lord, Allah, the Beloved, Love. This is the Hidden Treasure, the goal and essence of life, the priceless pearl. The journey there requires us to be holy warriors of Love as we encounter the lands of the limited self—the biological, survival and psychological self—which has projected illusory forms of seeing and responding to the life experience. These knots of negativity are to be unmasked, confronted and dispelled by the sword of light given to the dervish at hand-taking—La ilaha Ilallah Muhammad Rasulullah, wielded with the compassion and love of Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim.
Sometimes we become bewildered at the degree of negativity and distortion projected by the limited self, and we may tend to read this as real. The antidote is La ilaha Ilallah Muhammad Rasulullah—knowing and affirming the radiance and beauty of our own soul as none other that the radiance of the One Reality—“blazing, blissful, unity of pure Being.”
“I am the Secret of Humanity and humanity is My Secret.
Humankind is My Wealth and I am its wealth. I am humanity and humanity is I.”
Shaykh Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Tariqat is the blessed way of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah shower him with sublime peace.
Tariqat is the sacred community of humanity centered around living teachers of truth.
Tariqat is the bond to a living shaykh who connects us to the great friends of Allah.
Tariqat is the life of the heart, always consulting the heart and following the heart.
Tariqat is polishing the mirror of the heart, cleansing the lens of perception.
Tariqat is to take complete responsibility for one’s life and actions.
Tariqat is speaking the truth from a sincere heart.
Tariqat is knowing that Allah dwells within the heart.
Tariqat is true knowledge.
Tariqat is dying before dying and resurrecting before the resurrection.
Tariqat is returning to innocence and becoming Paradise.
Tariqat is universal sisterhood and brotherhood.
Tariqat is the great wedding of all souls with the Beloved.
Tariqat is the way of the beloved Jesus, the Living Gospel.
Tariqat is feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, and rejoicing the downhearted.
Tariqat is the banquet table to which all humanity is invited.
Tariqat is to offer good in return for wrong, transforming darkness into light.
Tariqat is universal forgiveness.
Tariqat is the life of ceaseless prayer and praise of the One.
Tariqat is abandoning oneself to Love, lovingly submitting to Allah alone without the slightest coercion.
Tariqat is disappearing into Allah, reappearing with the beautiful attributes of Allah, and becoming the servant of humanity.