The Treatise on the Good Manners of the Spiritual Disciple’s Wayfaring.
Author of the Book: Imam Abdallah ibn Alawi al-Haddad
One of Imam al-Haddad’s students asked him for advice and this is what he gave i.e. the treatise.
Chapter One : The Beginning of the Path is a Powerful Urge of Divine Origin Which should be Strengthened, Protected and Responded to.
Some people are given an “urge” that Allah is more important than the dunya (temporal world). There are 2 ways for people to get that urge. (1) he listens to people who stir in him the taqwa of Allah (God Consciousness) or (2) he looks at the men of Allah and they look at him.
You can’t just get this urge without seeking, you have to put yourself in a situation to receive it. There are 4 times to receive Allah’s blessings: at suhoor (just before fajr); at fajr; just before maghrib and between mahrib and isha.
A wayfarer should:
- strengthen the urge by :
- remembering Allah often,
- reflecting upon what he has (from the blessings Allah has given him) and
- keeping the company of the people of Allah,
- protect the urge by:
- keeping away from those who are veiled (they only speak about the dunya)
- ignoring the whispers of the devils
- respond to the urge by:
- hastening to return to Allah
- sincerely seeking His nearness by not procrastinating, delaying or waiting.
The urge is like an open door which you have been invited to enter and so you need to try and walk through it whilst it remains open. Don’t use excuses to delay entering saying I am committing sins and need to be at a certain level – carpe diem (seize the day), don’t wait until tomorrow as it may never come.
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