Tariqah, Shariah and Haqiqah

Sheik Zainuddeen explains in the above lines how to reach to the stage the Haqiqah with examples.

He also provoides examples for all three stages of Tawawwuf: Sharia, Tariqa and Haqiqa.

He compared Sharia with a ship and Tariqah with a sea and Haqiqah with a pearl.

There are three steps involved in finding a pearl :

1.     The man has to board a ship

2.     The ship has to move through the sea.

3.     The man has to dive into the sea to find a pearl

The three are interconnected.

1.     To go by sea, one needs a ship.

2.     For a ship to move, it needs the sea

3.     To find a pearl, he needs dive into the sea

This is the most beautiful way to understand the three basic articles of the Tasawwuf Sharia, Tariqah and Haqiqah.

One of the popular maxims of the Sufi is

كُلُّ حَقِيقَةٍ خَالَفَتْ الشَّرِيعَةَ فَهِيَ زَنْدَقَةٌ

Any Haqiqah that violates the law of Sharia is Zandaqa (atheism).

Malik t says: 

مَنْ تصَوَّفَ وَلَمْ يَتَفَقَّهْ فَقَدْ تَزَنْدَقَ، وَمَنْ تَفَقَّهَ وَلَمْ يَتَصَوَّفْ فَقَدْ تَفَسَّقَ، وَمَنْ جَمَعَ بَيْنَهُمَا فَقَدْ تَحَقَّقَ

“One who became Sufi (Islamic saint) but didn’t study the rules of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), he actually became (likely) a Zindeeq (heretic).

One who studied Fiqh and became Faqeeh (Islamic Jurist) but didn’t become Sufi, he actually became Fasiq (lecherous).).

One who has combined both (Tasawwuf  and Fiqh) has achieved a great goal (Haqiqah)”[1]

One of the masterpieces of Tasawwuf , Al Risala Al Qusheirya, says:

We went to a man who is known as Waliy.  When he entered the mosque, he spit out at Qibla (Makah). Abu Yazid then left the place and did not say Salaam to him. Abu Yazid told: He is not trustworthy with regards to one of the etiquettes of prophet r, then how will he be trustworthy of his claims?

Abu Yazid once said: if you look to a man given Karama ( Miracles) up to the extent that he is able to rise himself in the air, don’t be deceived (of his Karama) unless you check how he acts upon the commands and prohibitions of Allah[2].

In simple words: Whoever wants the pearl should go on board (the ship) and dive into the sea; and then he will get the pearl.

Likewise, the ways of Allah begin with Sharia and then enter Tariqa. Through Tarqia, he finds Haqaiah.

The author is trying to say that both Tariqah and Haqiqah cannot be obtained unless you follow Sharia.

He has to decorate himself with Sharia so as to light up his heart obviously and to remove the darkness out of it. So, Tariqah can stay in his heart.