ذِكْر

Zikr is the only form of worship that is neither limited by amount, place, or time. For example, fasting is forbidden on Eid days. Prayers are forbidden during sunrise and sunset and menstrual periods. Recitations of the Qur'an are not normally permitted in salats during bowing and prostrations. Likewise, Zakat and Hajj are limited to an amount and time of the year, respectively.

In the above, Allah (SWT) ordained us to make a lot of Zikr. What a lot is in the eyes of the poor is certainly little for the rich. What then do we understand when Allah the greatest and self-sufficient says a lot. Thus, the minimum we can do to at least come close to “a lot” in the sight of Allah (SWT) is to remember Him day and night, all day long, and throughout our entire life.

The best of all of the faithful, and mankind has exemplified this act, as was reported by his beloved wife in a Hadith: “Such was the Prophet (SAW) who used to remember Allah (Zikr) at all his entire time.” The Prophet (SAW) has declared in a good hadith reported by Anas (RA) “For me to remember Allah by making zikr with a group of people after the early morning prayer (Fajr) until the sunrise is more lovable to me than the whole world and its content. And for me to remember Allah by making Zikr with a group of people after the late noon prayer (Asr) until sunset is more lovable to me than the whole world and what it contains.”

Thus only the hypocrite and transgressor forget Allah, and in this case, Allah also forgets them. Because of their forgetfulness, it is doom after doom for them, day-in and day-out in this world. In the hereafter, their rightful place shall be hell. May Allah (SWT) save us from this (Ameen). But if you remember Allah, Allah remembers you; which means He will help you, assist you, and give you victory in both your spiritual and mundane affairs.

There are many ways of remembering Allah (SWT), but the best way is what Shaykh Ahmad Tijani has enjoined in calling Muslims to the path of the Prophet (SAW). The Prophet (SAW) himself has said: “The best that has been said by myself and the previous Prophets before me, is ‘La Ilaha Illa-llah’ There is no deity besides Allah”

In a Hadith, Allah (SWT) told the Prophet (SAW) “La Ilaha Illa-llah is my fortress (protection), whoever enters my fortress is saved from my punishment”. It is therefore abhorrent and disgusting for any Muslim to advise a fellow Muslim not to say La Ilaha Illa-llah. Thus the Tariqa that advises Muslims to practice this is simply putting them on the path of the Prophet (SAW) and towards obedience of Allah (SWT).

The above three articles are what make up the Litanies (Wird Or Essential Zikr) of Tijaniyya. But enemies of Islam have claimed that the Tariqa Tijaniyya mentions the names of their leaders in their Litanies or make Salatil Fatihi on other persons other than the Prophet (SAW). These are calculated lies and evil plans against Islam and its revivers.

For there is no Sufi order in which names of the Shaykhs are used in Litanies. Shaykh Ahmad Tijani (RA) in particular is a very pious Islamic reviver and grandson of the Prophet (SAW) who called Muslims to the path of the Prophet (SAW) by enjoining them on the aforementioned articles of the Tariqa. This effort of Shaykh is to save the Islamic community from the gloom of evil plundering, A product of forgetfulness. Those who hearken to this call, otherwise his students, became known and called Tijaniyya like other Sufi orders. The Qadiriyya for example is after Imam Abdul Qadir Jilani and the Shaziliyya after Imam Hassan Shazili, all of whom are grandsons of the Prophet (SAW).

The Tariqas are neither Sects nor Madhhabs. If the above articles are the basis for calling the Tariqa Tijaniyya a sect, then a sect of what? One should ask. If it is a sect of seeking forgiveness from Allah, making prayers (salat) upon the Prophet (SAW), and proclaiming the Kalima La Ilaha Illa-llah, then one wonders what sect the critics are of and it becomes puzzling what Islam is other than these.

Shaykh Ahmad Tijani himself was once asked, will false statements be attributed to you after you? he replied, “yes” and to this response, he was asked, what is the way out? He then remarked thus: “If you hear anything attributed to me, then weigh it with the scale of Shari`at. If it conforms to the Shari`at accept it, otherwise reject it.”

Unfortunately, people making judgments about the Tijaniyya these days neither have a scale to weigh nor have the knowledge of weighing. They, therefore, make conclusions based on their whims and caprices rather than the Qur'an and the Shari`at.

In a similar respect, the excellent student of Shaykh Ahmad Tijani, in person of the author, Shaykh Ibrahim Abdullahi Niasse of Kaolack re-echoes this call and advises his followers to uphold the Shari`at and the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW). The doing of all that has been enjoined by the Tariqa is ordered by Allah (SWT). Thus the Tariqa is based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah. The people of the TARIQA are true followers of the Qur'an and the Sunnah.