Following the Sunnah
To: Shaykh Darwīsh (may Allah have mercy on him)
نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلِّي عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِ الْكَرِيمِ
Letter translation: As long as a person is polluted by the filth of worldly attachments that scatter his thoughts, he remains deprived and distant from the True Beloved. It is essential to purify the mirror of the comprehensive reality (ḥaqīqat-e-jāmi‘ah) from the rust of love for anything other than Allah. And the best tool for removing this rust from the heart is strict adherence to the radiant Sunnahs of Muhammad al-Muṣṭafā (peace and blessings be upon him).
This is because the very foundation of following the Sunnah lies in removing egotistical habits and erasing harmful cultural practices. Glad tidings, then, to the one who is blessed with the great gift of following the Sunnah! And sorrowful is the state of the one who is deprived of this exalted fortune.
Lesson:
Allah the Exalted has declared in the Holy Qur’an:
“Say: If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you.”
(Qur’an 3:31)
Thus, He has made the following of the Messenger ﷺ a necessary command and a means to attain His divine love.
And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself said:
“‘Alaykum bi sunnatī” — Hold firmly to my Sunnah.
He also gave this glad tiding:
“Whoever holds fast to my Sunnah during the time of corruption in my Ummah will receive the reward of one hundred martyrs.”
This is why the masters of all spiritual orders (ṭuruq) have themselves adhered to the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ and consistently encouraged their disciples to do the same.
Wa-s-salāmu ʿalaykum wa ʿalā man ittabaʿa al-hudā.