Welcome to al-Salik, the virtual home of Khanqah Imdadiyyah Ashrafiyyah – 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.

The Value of Life & Importance of Good Deeds

A local masjid recently invited Hadrat Mawlana Tameem Ahmadi here in California to give a talk to the community, specifically for the sisters of the community. This is the audio from that recent talk in which Hadrat discusses the value of this life from the perspective of a believer and how to maximize our time in acquiring and doing good deeds. The book referenced in the talk is ‘Treasures and Gems from the Qur’an and Hadith’ published by Nur Publications. See link below for the talk.

Reforming Progressive Misconceptions: Understanding Positive and Negative Worldly Progress

Excerpt from a section of Furu al-Iman There is a lot of talk nowadays about worldly advancements and progress in our society. However, if we take a closer look at these calls for worldly advancement, we can see that it is purely driven by false aspirations, greed, and a desire for name & fame. It is apparent to those who sincerely follow this path that such advancements contradict the teachings of our Beloved Messenger. Despite that, many of the proponents of this worldly progress claim that their aim for progress is based on the progress of Islam. They argue that

An Islāhī-Letter

The Murīd writes: “My revered master! I am very weak and have little to no knowledge. I can also not claim to have great passion and love for Allah. However, I did experience a river of passion and love when I initially took the bay’ah . I felt the intensity of love in those days, feeling touched by the love for Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessing be upon him, as well as love for you. Unfortunately, that intensity and passion are no longer here.” Reply Our beloved murshid, Hadrat Mawlana Shah Muhammad Hakim Akhtar Sahib رح responds:

Having Patience (Ṣabr) and Hoping for Allāh’s Reward (Iḥtisāb)

Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه وسلم mentioned in a ḥadīth: فلتصبر ولتحتسب “be patient and hope for reward from Allāh…” [Sahih Bukhari 1224] We are told to ‘have ṣabr!’, but what is ṣabr? Ṣabr is iḥtisāb. Iḥtisāb mentioned in this hadit̄h of Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه وسلم reveals that if we rely solely upon Allāh as we should, with full reliance, Allāh will grant us ajr (rewards) according to our good opinion and expectation of Him. Exercising patience and ‘hoping for its reward’, knowing that Allāh is rewarding us, is a ‘method’ of ṣabr. What really makes ṣabr (patience) tolerable

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Common questions regarding tasawwuf

What is Tasawwuf?

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

What is a Shaykh of Tasawwuf?

(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

What is Bay’ah?

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

What is a Khanqah?

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

What is a Tariqah?

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 Thanwi Silsila?

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

A Sign of Nisbat Ma’Allah

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

Spiritual Congeniality (Munasabah) Explained

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

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