Contemplation and Spiritual Connection with the Shaykh
Addressed to: Khwājah Muḥammad Ashraf and Ḥājjī Muḥammad Farkatī (may Allah have mercy on them both)
All praise is due to Allah, and peace be upon His chosen servants…
Your honorable and respectful letter was received, and the spiritual conditions and states you described were understood in detail.
Khwājah Muḥammad Ashraf wrote that the strength of the spiritual bond (nisbat-e-rābiṭah) has become so dominant that during prayer, he perceives the Shaykh as if he is the one being prostrated to, and even if he tries to remove this vision, he cannot.
O passionate seeker of love! This is the very gift that true seekers of ṭarīqah long for. It is granted to one out of thousands. A seeker with such a bond possesses perfect alignment with the Shaykh, and it is entirely possible that through even a brief companionship with a Shaykh-e-Kāmil, he may attain all the Shaykh’s spiritual perfections.
Why then do you reject the concept of rābiṭah? The rābiṭah is an object of spiritual direction (masjūd ilayh), not of worship (masjūd lahu). The latter belongs exclusively to Allah, Glorious is He.
Why do people not object to prayer niches (miḥrāb) and mosques, which also direct attention? This type of spiritual connection is a blessing reserved for the fortunate — so they may turn to the Shaykh as an intermediary in all states, never shifting the focus of their inner attention elsewhere.
Do not become like those unfortunate individuals who consider themselves self-sufficient and turn away from their Shaykh, thereby ruining their own spiritual condition.
Clarification:
When a seeker sets foot on the path of ṭarīqah, he should stay in the company and service of his Shaykh as much as possible and seek inner and spiritual progress through him. Any unveiling (kashf), ecstasy (wajd), or spiritual states that come to him during this process should be regarded as the grace of Allah through the medium of his Shaykh.
If he starts believing that these are the result of his own effort or spiritual discipline, this lack of belief will cut him off from the Shaykh’s spiritual blessings, and his inner progress will come to a halt. At times, this delusion may even lead to further spiritual loss — unless Allah wills otherwise.
Therefore, even during physical absence from the Shaykh’s company, the seeker should maintain inward connection and attention through rābiṭah and taṣawwur-e-Shaykh. This is a powerful and time-tested means of receiving spiritual benefit and carries no contradiction with Sharīʿah.
Those who declare it impermissible are only those who have never walked this path themselves.