Why Are We in Ṭarīqah?

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّن قَضَىٰ نَحْبَهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَنتَظِرُ

(Qur’an 33:23)

“Mina l-mu’minīna rijālun ṣadaqū mā ‘āhadū Llāha ‘alayhi fa-minhum man qaḍá naḥbahu wa-minhum man yantaẓir”

“Among the believers are men true to what they pledged to Allah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his chance].” Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘aẓīm

Allāh ﷻ praises these men who stand behind their promise; what they promised Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla and Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. And they don’t break this promise. They keep this promise their whole life until death. Their word is like men’s word; not changing.

Sorry for the ladies, but we can say this. Now everyone has become not men. Many of them say something after that say no. When it doesn’t suit them, they say, “No. No. I just said that. I don’t care about the promise anymore.”

Why are we saying this? AlhamduliLlah most of you here are from this area – maybe half of the Jamā’ah are from here and others are coming to listen from London or from the other side. Every time we come to this city, before coming here, we used to go to Shaykh Walīd. He is Palestinian. He was here in this area, spreading ṭarīqah among English, Pakistani, Arab and so. I’ve known him since 1985.

At that time, he was small coming to Peckham to meet Mawlānā Shaykh. From that time, he never changed his way. He can be a Shaykh by himself. He can say “Ṭarīqah Walidiyyah.” It can be. Because nobody asked him to take him to Shaykh Nāẓim. He had knowledge, he had everything. And people were all the time with him. But he didn’t follow his ego and say, “I am Shaykh. I am like this. I am like that.” He was strongly after his promise.

And when Mawlānā Shaykh changed worlds, he also didn’t change. Mawlānā ordered me. I am also not happy to be Shaykh. But Mawlānā ordered, “This man will be Shaykh for you.” So, he also didn’t say, “No, I don’t accept. I am Shaykh. I am like this, like that. No need to follow whom Mawlānā ordered to be Shaykh. I am also Shaykh. I am older in ṭarīqah than this Shaykh. I know better than him.” No, he just accepted.

And he gave the same love because he was very clever, very wise. He had wisdom. And he knows: this way is not for the Shaykh, this way is for the way. The Shaykh is coming and going. But the way stays the same. The love for this way mustn’t change. The Shaykh who comes, you follow the order. Especially those who say, “I love the Shaykh. I am a Murīd for 50-60 years.” And after that when the Shaykh orders something they say, “No, I don’t accept this. I must be Shaykh.” So this man was a good man.

For this, Allāh ﷻ praises these people. Allāh ﷻ says, this is a Man. Even women are Men if they are standing firm behind their promise. They are stronger than men who don’t stand behind their promise. This is very important in ṭarīqah. Because you cannot find a real Shaykh, a real ṭarīqah. And if you are fifty years in ṭarīqah and you don’t know about this, you are nothing.

By accident, you found yourself in ṭarīqah. After that, your whole life you’re saying, “What am I doing here? Who am I? What am I doing here?” You are here because you must – everybody must know this also for the barakah of Shaykh Walīd: you are in the ship of salvation. Mawlānā Shaykh was saying many times, as Sayyidina Nūh. When you are in his ship, you will be safe in this world and in the other world also. So you must know. Don’t be unsure. Be sure you are in safety, don’t object and don’t say something Allāh ﷻ is not happy with. Just follow.

AlhamduliLlah our way is clear. Many times they say, you have agents in your place. AlhamduliLlah we are very open for everybody. Our door is open. Not like others; when going inside they close the door. Our door is open. Who comes, welcome! Who’s not happy, bye bye. We are not catching people. But our way is to make people safe and to know; not to be wondering, “Why am I here? Why am I in this dunyā?”

Many people become crazy shouting at their mother and father, “Why did you bring me to this world, to dunyā!” The father and mother didn’t bring you, Allāh ﷻ did. Allāh ﷻ created you and He ﷻ sent you here. So when you know this, you be satisfied and happy. No way to run away. Just wait, wait, wait, wait. When your time comes, you will meet your Lord, in shā’a Llāh. Don’t be anxious or worried, “How will I leave!” When your provision finishes, you will die.

Even if you have billions, you won’t be able to put one more food in your mouth, or one drop of water. You cannot take this. So don’t worry. Be happy. Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla promised everybody’s rizq, everybody’s life. It will be for a certain quantity or a certain time. When the time comes, you will go. So, many people are making their lives like hell. Before going to ākhirah, the are making their lives hell. Every day worrying. Every day worrying. When you are not happy, quickly make wudu’ and pray that day’s prayer.

And it is important for all human beings to pray. Because praying is the time when we are the nearest to our Lord Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla, Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla says. Allāh ﷻ is everywhere, of course. But when you pray, He ﷻ will be in your heart. Because He ﷻ said, “ما وَسِعَني أرضي ولا سَمائي، ولكنْ وَسِعَني قَلبُ عبدي المُؤمِنِ”, “Indeed my earth and my heavens could not contain Me but the heart of my believing servant can.” It is a small heart but Allāh ﷻ said when you pray He ﷻ will be in your heart, and all your problems will go, in shā’a Llāh.

This is very important. And to not follow anybody who claims they will teach you better than this way. Because our way, from Mawlana Shaykh ‘Abdu Llāh ad-Dāghestānī, Mawlānā Shaykh Muḥammad Nāẓim al-Ḥaqqānī, all Mashāyikh are the same as from our ‎Prophet’s ﷺ time. What Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam is saying, they are following his ﷺ Sunnah and showing people every goodness.

The best thing, the most good teaching from Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam: is to be humble. All Mashāyikh were humble. Nobody was making himself better than others. They say, we are only serving. We are in khidmah. We are servants for the Ummah of Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. When you see somebody, a ālim or other saying, “I am like this. I am like that”, don’t follow.

AlhamduliLlah, may Allāh ﷻ bless Walīd Efendi. He was such a humble one, such a good one. And alhamduliLlah his seeds are also all continuing. This is an important thing. To see something continuing is very important. Even if you’re doing a small thing, don’t leave it. Don’t leave this way. Don’t be cheated by others. It is very rare in this time to find good people to follow.

You follow some of them who make you go out of the way. They say, “There’s no need for praying,” and they are misunderstanding big Mashāyikh, big Awliyā’u Llāh. As the Efendi was saying, Mawlānā Jalaluddīn Rumi says, to be with a saint or Shaykh is better than a hundred years of ‘ibādah. Somebody maybe understands to not pray, to not do anything; No. When you are with the saint, he will show you how important it is to worship, how important it is to follow the right way, way of Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam.

All Awliyā’u Llāh are upon the Sharī’ah of Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. Ṭarīqah and sharī’ah are together. Without sharī’ah no ṭarīqah. Because that time, everybody will do what his ego likes. They will say, “Why shall we pray. We’ll sit and make tasbih and dhikr. There’s no need for praying.” Others will say about hajj, “Why are we going when it’s so crowded. We can go another time.” Others will say, “Why are you fasting in summer, it’s too long and hot. Fast like in these days, it’s very short and very easy.” So, this is what will happen. So, without sharī’ah, there cannot be ṭarīqah.

This is very important. You find every Awliyā’u Llāh very strict for ṭarīqah. And all these Awliyā’u Llāh, not one of them is outside of sharī’ah. Not one. You cannot find anyone of those outside of sharī’ah and madhāhib who has a mazār, a maqām. Only for those who follow sharī’ah and ṭarīqah. You can see this around the world; in Türkiye, Arab countries, Syria, Pakistan, Iraq.

There are maqāms everywhere for those following sharī’ah. Those who don’t follow sharī’ah don’t have any place for people to come to take blessings from them. To go and ask Allāh ﷻ for the sake of these people is important also. Because you take barakah. Allāh ﷻ is all the time sending, showering the places of those beloved to Allāh ﷻ, and you can take from this. You are not going to ask from this person. For their sake, you ask from Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla to give you want you want. Allāh ﷻ gives everything.

Many people are mixing this up and after that, it becomes a problem for them. May Allāh ﷻ save us from our ego. May He ﷻ make us follow the right way, and not be cheated by people who are claiming this and that and not listening to Awliyā’u Llāh, not listening to the will of Awliyā’u Llāh. The will of Awliyā’u Llāh is to be together, not to be away from the way of Mashāyikh, in shā’a Llāh. May Allāh ﷻ bless you. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

•⁠ ⁠Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

26 January2026/ 07 Sha’ban 1447

Loddon Hall – Reading, UK

As Mawlanaق is currently on his UK tour, he is giving a number of sohbahs daily. To avoid flooding your inbox, we have shared only the latest sohbah. You may click here to access all of his sohbahs.

---