Welcome to al-Salik, the virtual home of Khanqah Imdadiyya Ashrafiyya – located in Union City, California. This website is dedicated to those matters which deal with Tasawwuf, Suluk, Purifying the Heart, and Attaining Closeness to Allah Ta’ala. Our Murshid & Shaykh, Hadrat Mawlana Tameem Ahmadi (damat barakatuhum) is the Khalifah of the late Hadrat Mawlana Shah Hakim Muhammad Akhtar (qadasallahu sirrahu) (1928-2013) & Hadrat Mawlana Qammaruzaman Illahabadi (damat barakatuhum). Seekers will find a vast array of malfuzat, audios, islahi letters, questions & answers, and other articles on this website for their benefit as they traverse the path. Before asking a question, please take due diligence to search through the archives and index to see if your matter has been answered already.
Hakim al-Ummah, Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Allah have mercy on him) said, The treatment of spiritual ailments (blameworthy moral characteristics) is not possible without disclosing information about them. Some of them are so hidden and complicated that the one who is
ʿAbdullah b. Masʿūd said, “The deep sorrow and regret one feels due to sin, is tawba.” Let us try to understand this in a simpler way: When someone wrongs a person of prominence, then to what lengths does he go to
As we see our elders and righteous scholars departing from our midst, one by one, the students of these illustrious souls must realize that a great burden of responsibility is being laid on their shoulders, whether they like it or not.
Do not underestimate the value of a tear that is shed for Allah’s sake; either in yearning for His love, or in regret of your sins. Sometimes when you are lost for words, let your tears communicate your feelings to Him.
Opened up the Jalā al-Khawātir this morning, seeking advice from the heirs of the Prophets and this what Shaykh Abdul-Qāder al-Jaylānī رح said: “Do not devote your energy to the pursuit of something that has been allotted by destiny…. It means
Suffering is a spiritual journey similar to the journey of Hajj. You can’t complain, you can’t be impatient. All you can do is just go with the flow. You have to submit to Allah’s decree and get through it without becoming
Mulla Abdur Rahman Jāmī رح explains the reality of Allah’s commandments. Why does He command us certain things & prohibit us other things? The commands & prohibitions that are in the Quran are nothing but indicators to what gives us proximity
The Asrār Nāmah (The Book of Divine Secrets) of Shaykh Farīd al-Dīn Attār (may Allah have mercy upon him) was gifted to the father of Mawlana Rūmī, Bahā’uddīn Walad, by Shaykh Attar himself, when they were passing by Nishapur. Dawlat-Shah writes,
Tasawwuf is commonly referred to as suluk (traveling the path to Allah) or also tazkiyah (purification of the nafs). The reality of tasawwuf is to adorn both the outward
(Read “What is Tasawwuf?” first) A shaykh of tasawwuf is someone who has been traveling the path of Din for a considerable amount of time, with knowledge and practice
Renewal of One’s Repentance and Commitment One of the traditions associated with the path of taṣawwuf that is often misunderstood is the institution of bayʿah or ʿahd. It is
A khanqah is a place dedicated to the dissemination of the teachings of the science of the heart (Tasawwuf, Tazkiyah). It was separate from the Masjid due to the
After the era of the Sahaba, from the beginning of the end of the time of the tabi’in and the beginning of the tab’tabi’in there were zuhhad and ubbad,
The silsilas of four mashayikh are more well known and recognized (in the Indian sub-continent). The silsilas of these four pious saints (may Allah enlighten their graves) became more
Nisbah literally means “relationship” or “connection.” A nisbah is a two-way process. It has two ends. In our context, nisbah ma’Allah (connection with Allah) means Allah’s connection with the
Experience has proven that for gaining spiritual benefit (fuyudh-e-batini), mutual munasabah (compatibility/congeniality) between the Shaykh and murid is a natural condition. Normally benefit is dependent on affection which is
