Q: What is Sufi Tariqa? I have a friend, a learned scholar, who has tried to get me involved with this type of religious order, but I am not so sure because I have learnt that the basis for their forms of thikr originates from certain phrases which a Sheikh claims to have been given by our Prophet Muhammad (allallahu alaihi wa sallam in 1784 (tijaniyah). Surely everything that is of goodness in our deen (religion) has been related to us from the Quran and the Sunnah. Why should we follow these ideologies? What is the ruling on joining a Sufi Tariqa?
A. While the Tijaniyah Sufi Order may have been founded by pious and saintly people, some of the claims attributed to them are completely against Shari’ah. For example, the claim by its founder of receiving special types of zhikr from Allah’s Messenger that no one else has, or that his zhikr brings more rewards than recitation of the Qur’aan, are claims not consistent with Shari’ah.
One of the biggest dangers we face with these lesser known Sufi orders is the corrupt beliefs taught to them by their leaders.
A Sufi Tareeqah based on Qur’aan and Sunnah, and teaching the Qur’aan and Sunnah to assist disciples in attaining spiritual rectification within the framework of the Shari’ah is permissible and praiseworthy. This is the Shar’ee Tasawwuf which we subscribe to and support. We advise people to stay away from groups and Sufi orders that make weird claims that are in conflict with Shari’ah. A clear sign of the departure from Sunnah of senior Tijaani members is their discarding of the beard, a foremost Sunnah of Our Master (Sallallaahu Alayhi wa Sallam).
Allah Ta’aala knows best.
Mufti Siraj Desai