144

T R A D I T I O N S OF S P I R I T U A L
G U I D A N C E
Spi ri t ual Gui danc e in I s l am
A case study: Sharaf uddi n Ma ne r i
D i v i n e guidance
T
HE NOTION of gui dance is firmly established in I sl am at its most
f undament al level, t hat of God' s gui dance of his people. Thi s is done
t hrough divine revel at i on gr ant ed to the vari ous prophet s to enabl e t hem
to guide the peopl e al ong the pat h to God. The original Isl ami c notion
was very simple: there is onl y one religion (a~n) a which consists in
acknowl edgi ng and worshi ppi ng the one t rue God. Unf or t unat el y human
beings were cont i nual l y falling i nt o the sin of pl aci ng somebody or
somet hi ng on the same level as God (shirk). The popul ar expression of
this root sin was pol yt hei sm wi t h its consequent idol-worship. God was
thus moved to send prophet s down the ages to call peopl e back to the
one t rue religion, t hat of bel i ef in one God. Thi s was Mu h a mma d ' s
pristine underst andi ng, for he saw hi msel f as a pr ophet Sent by God to
call his own people, the Arabs, f r om i dol at ry to the worship of the one
t rue God, Allah. For hi m the vari ous monot hei st i c religions were mer el y
different forms of the one t rue religion. Onl y l at er on in Medi na, when
the Jews refused to acknowledge his prophet i c mission, did he begi n to
think of Isl am as a distinct religion. Thus it is the pr ophet Mu h a mma d
(d.632) who channels divine revel at i on to the Ar abs t hrough the Qur an,
the very word of God.
Anot her f undament al pi vot on which the whole not i on of gui dance
rests is found in the following Qur ani c verse: ' Your Lor d br ought forth
descendants f r om the loins of Ada m' s children, and made t hem testify
against themselves. He said: " Am I not your Lor d? " They replied: " We
bear witness t hat you a r e " . Thi s he did, lest you shouId say on the day
of resurrection: " We had no knowl edge of t ha t " ' (Q7, 172). Thi s covenant
is given the visual f or m of God' s summoni ng, as it were, every single
human bei ng before hi m for an i nst ant in order to establish in clear
t er ms the rel at i onshi p of his lordship ov@ each one of t hem. Thi s is the
common i nt erpret at i on, but it needs to be poi nt ed out t hat it is not a
domi neer i ng t ype of l ordshi p which is meant but one where the L o r d
looks after, cherishes, nourishes and educates those who are dependent
upon hi m. I t is a l i t erary expressi on of the ontological dependence
i nherent in the creat or-creat ure relationship and forms, as i t were, the
met aphysi cal backdr op for the ent i re spiritual life of the Sufis, the myst i c
saints of Isl am.
TRADI TI ONS OF S P I RI TUAL GUI DANCE 145
Prophetic guidance
Al t h o u g h Go d ' s r e ve l a t i on, as f ound i n i t s fi nal f or m i n t he Q u r a n ,
gi ves t he ge ne r a l f r a me wo r k of t he n e e d e d gui da nc e , a n d even pr ovi de s
s ome de t a i l e d i nj unc t i ons , a pi ous Mu s l i m wi l l have t o l ook el s ewher e t o
f i nd t he ans wer s t o a whol e hos t of pr a c t i c a l di ffi cul t i es t ha t ar i se i n
e v e r y d a y l i vi ng. Th u s oc c ur r e d t he g r a d u a l d e v e l o p me n t of I s l a mi c l aw
(sharFat) whi ch one Mu s l i m a u t h o r has de s c r i be d as ' t he wa y or r oa d i n
t he r el i gi on of Mu h a mma d , whi c h Go d ha s es t abl i s hed f or t he gui da nc e
of hi s peopl e, b o t h f or t he wor s hi p of Go d a n d f or t he dut i es of l i f e' . 2
Th e wo r d i t sel f or i gi na l l y r ef er s t o t he b e a t e n t r a c k l e a d i n g t o a wel l or
s p r i n g - - a n i ma g e whi ch l ends i t sel f t o poet i c de ve l opme nt . Suffi ce i t t o
say t hat one fol l ows t he b e a t e n t r a c k a l ong wi t h e v e r y b o d y el se: one does
not t r y t o f i nd a ne w p a t h f or onesel f . I n a d d i t i o n t o t he di vi ne gui da nc e
c ont a i ne d i n t he Q u r a n t he ot he r gr e a t s our ce is t ha t p r o v i d e d b y t he
e x a mp l e (sunna) of t he Pr o p h e t h i ms e l f a n d as f ound r e c o r d e d i n t he
Tr a d i t i o n s (hadith). The s e t wo s our ces wer e e l a b o r a t e d b y t he e a r l y j ur i s t s
who ma d e us e of a na l ogi c a l r e a s o n i n g a n d ge ne r a l cons ens us . Th u s was
b o r n I s l a mi c j u r i s p r u d e n c e (fiqh). 3 Becaus e of t he c o mp a r a t i v e s i mpl i ci t y
of I s l a mi c bel i ef , t he gr e a t mi n d s wer e mo r e i nt e r e s t e d i n a ns we r i ng t he
ques t i on, ' Wh a t is Go d ' s wi l l f or me i n t hi s p a r t i c u l a r s i t ua t i on? ' t ha n t o
gr a ppl e wi t h t heol ogi cal p r o b l e ms such as exer ci s ed t he gr e a t Ch r i s t i a n
t hi nke r s down t he cent ur i es , who h a d t he mys t e r i e s of t he I n c a r n a t i o n
a n d Re d e mp t i o n t o c ont e nd wi t h, not t o me n t i o n t ha t of t he Tr i n i t y .
Community guidance
Because of ge ogr a phi c a l a n d ot he r c ons e que nt di f f i cul t i es, di f f er ent
school s (ma.dhab) gr ew u p i n di f f er ent cent r es . Eve n t oda y o r t h o d o x Su n n i
Mu s l i ms - - wh o f or m t he va s t ma j o r i t y - - b e l o n g to one or ot he r of t he
f our gr e a t school s. Th e r e is no such t h i n g as a u n i f o r m l aw f or al l
Mus l i ms . I nt e r e s t i ngl y e n o u g h , t he r oot me a n i n g of madhab is a r oa d
e nt e r e d upon, f r om whi ch t he not i on of a school e me r ge s . We not i ce
once a ga i n t he cent r al i de a of goi ng a l ong a gi ven r o a d t oge t he r wi t h
ot her s a n d not s eeki ng t o bl aze a n e w t r ai l f or onesel f. Th e pi ous Mu s l i m
i n I n d i a , f or e xa mpl e , whe n c onf r ont e d wi t h a pa r t i c ul a r l y k n o t t y p r o b l e m
whi ch t he l ocal offi ci al s do not s eem t o know how t o ha ndl e , wi l l wr i t e t o
t he Da r u l - Ul u m i n De o b a n d f or a n offi ci al a n s we r - - k n o wn as a f a t w ~ - -
f r om a hi ghl y t r a i n e d speci al i st , a m u f i L Thi s deci s i on wi l l be gi ven
a c c or di ng t o t he Ha n a f i t e school , t he one c o mmo n l y f ol l owed i n I ndi a .
Co mp e n s a t i n g s o me wh a t f or t he l ack of due r e g a r d f or i ndi vi dua l i s t i c
b e h a v i o u r is t he p u r p o s e b e h i n d t he whol e e mpha s i s on l aw, n a me l y t he
hear t f el t des i r e t o do t he wi l l of Go d . No ma t t e r wha t act i on a pe r s on
ma y p e r f o r m t he mos t i mp o r t a n t as pect t hat has t o be c ons i de r e d is
whe t he r i t c onf or ms t o t he di vi ne wi l l or not . Fo r e xa mpl e , i f you ask a n
146 TRADI TI ONS OF SPI RI TUAL GUI DANCE
or di nar y I ndi a n Mus l i m why he is obs er vi ng t he a nnua l mont h- l ong fast,
t he mos t c o mmo n answer is si mpl y because it is Go d ' s will!
T h e Sufis
As I sl am spr ead i n t he ear l y cent uri es, here and t her e i ndi vi dual s were
dr awn t o a mor e per sonal r esponse t o t he di vi ne mys t er y. We r ead about
Ha s a n of Bas r a ( d. 728) , Mal i k Di n a r (d. 748) and Ra b i ' a , t he out s t andi ng
wo ma n Sufi (d. 801). By t he t ent h cent ur y we fi nd t hat Sufi Or de r s
(t.afiqat) have devel oped a r o u n d f amous Sufis, such as J u n a i d of Baghdad
(d. 910). Lat er on t he mo r e popul ar t er m was silsila (a chai n) because, by
this t i me, gr eat emphasi s was pl aced on bei ng able t o t r ace one ' s spi ri t ual
i ni t i at i on back t o Al i (d. 661), Mu h a mma d ' s first cousi n and son- i n- l aw
t o wh o m- - i t was c o mmo n l y b e l i e v e d - - Mu h a mma d had ent r ust ed special
esot eri c knowl edge and spi ri t ual power . Thi s was one exampl e of Sh i ' a
i nfl uence i n t he devel opment of Sufi sm. Th e wor d .targqat was still used t o
i ndi cat e a specific gr oup. Th e wor d itself means r oad, way or pat h. Sufis
wer e oft en called ' Th e peopl e of t he wa y ' while t he mor e c o mmo n t e r m- -
Suf i - - c ome s f r om t he ear l y pr act i ce of wear i ng wool ( #f ) i n i mi t at i on of
Chr i st i an ascetics.
I n so far as Sufis sought a mor e per sonal and i nt i mat e uni on wi t h Go d
t here was t ensi on wi t h t he j ur i st s who wer e concer ned wi t h obser vabl e
act i ons. On e class of Suf i s - - t hos e wi t hout t he l aw (b2 s h a r ' ) - - d i d not hel p
mat t er s, f or t hey consi der ed t hemsel ves t o be be yond t he law. Th e mos t
f amous Sufis, however , adher ed st ri ct l y t o t he l a w- - t hos e wi t h t he l aw
(ba s h a r ' ) - - a n d wer e i ndeed mos t scr upul ous i n its obser vance.
As ment i oned, t he out s t andi ng Sufis at t r act ed disciples and t hus t he
i nst i t ut i on of per sonal i zed gui dance devel oped i n I sl am. Thi s aspect was
especially pr omi ne nt in I ndi a, pr obabl y bei ng r ei nf or ced by t he Hi n d u
t r adi t i on of t he mast er - di sci pl e ( g u r u - - c h 2 l ~ ) rel at i onshi p. Wi t h this gener al
backgr ound, let us l ook at a r e nowne d I ndi a n Sufi spi ri t ual gui de, Shei kh
Shar af uddi n Maner i .
T h e life o f Sharafuddin M a n e r i
Before del vi ng deepl y i nt o what Shar af uddi n Ma ne r i has t o offer i n
t he line of spiritual" gui dance it will be hel pful t o dr aw a br i ef life-sketch
of t he ma n. 4 He was bor n i n Ma n e r , about 25 ki l omet res west of Pat na,
t he capi t al of Bi har state i n pr es ent - day I ndi a, a r ound 1290 C. E. Bot h
hi s fat her, Yahya, and his mot he r , Bi bi Razi a, bel onged t o families whi ch
wer e st eeped i n t he Sufi t r adi t i on. Th u s y o u n g Ah ma d - - a s he was
c a l l e d- - gr e w up i n a God- c e nt r e d mi l i eu f r om his ver y bi rt h. He had
t hr ee br ot her s and at least one sister, but hi s was t he speci al l y gr aced
nat ur e whi ch r es ponded t o t he i nspi r i ng exampl e of hi s pi ous par ent s.
He di d his ear l y school i ng i n Ma n e r but , when he r eached his t eens, a
f amous schol ar, Ma u l a n a Ab u T a u ' a ma , cal l ed in t o Ma n e r on his wa y
TRADI TI ONS OF S P I RI TUAL GUI DANCE 147
f r om Del hi t o So n a r g a o n , t he ol d capi t al of Eas t Bengal , s i t uat ed on t he
out s ki r t s of Dh a k a , t he pr e s e nt c a pi t a l of Ba ngl a de s h. Yo u n g Ah ma d was
e a ge r t o sei ze t he o p p o r t u n i t y t o p u r s u e hi s st udi es u n d e r such a n e mi n e n t
schol ar , whi l e Ab u T a u ' a ma saw wha t a p r o mi s i n g s t ude nt he was a nd
r e a di l y acceded t o hi s r e q u e s t - - ma d e wi t h hi s f a t he r ' s p e r mi s s i o n - - t o
a c c o mp a n y h i m t o So n a r g a o n , a r r i v i n g t he r e i n t he y e a r 1304.
He was a di l i ge nt a n d c a pa bl e s t ude nt a n d t hr e w hi ms e l f whol e-
he a r t e dl y i nt o hi s st udi es. Ye a r s of such u n r e l i e v e d i nt el l ect ual act i vi t y
e ve nt ua l l y put a s ever e s t r ai n on hi s he a l t h a nd we ar e t ol d t hat he fell
ill. Th e phys i c i a ns of t he l ocal i t y r e c o mme n d e d i nt e r c our s e , so he t ook a
sl ave- gi r l by wh o m he h a d a son, Za k i u d d i n . Thi s p r o b a b l y oc c ur r e d
when he was cl ose t o t hi r t y ye a r s of age. Th e a r r a n g e me n t was qui t e i n
a c c or da nc e wi t h I s l a mi c La w a n d Za k i u d d i n h a d t he ful l r i ght s of a
l e gi t i ma t e son. Wh e n Ah ma d l eft So n a r g a o n i n 1323 he t ook hi s y o u n g
son wi t h h i m t o Ma n e r . Sh a r a f u d d i n 5 hi ms e l f says a bs ol ut e l y not hi ng
a bout t he b o y ' s mo t h e r , a n d no a nc i e nt ma n u s c r i p t me n t i o n s he r na me .
Sh a r a f u d d i n coul d have exer ci s ed hi s r i ght t o ma r r y i f a nd whe n he
wi s hed, but he chose not t o do so a n d l i ved a cel i bat e l i fe f r om t he t i me
he l eft So n a r g a o n unt i l hi s de a t h on 2nd J a n u a r y , 1381.
Th e hi ghl y e d u c a t e d t hi r t y- t hr e e y e a r ol d Sh a r a f u d d i n coul d not set t l e
down i n Ma n e r , ye t i t was not a t hi r s t for knowl e dge t hat i mpe l l e d hi m
t o go t o Del hi , as he fel t a conf i dent s at i s f act i on i n hi s i nt el l ect ual
a t t a i nme nt s . Wh a t was s t i r r i ng wi t hi n h i m was a des i r e to gi ve hi ms e l f
c ompl e t e l y t o God, t o seek h i m al one, a n d he felt t he ne e d for gui dance.
Shei kh Ni z a mu d d i n Au l i y a was t he mos t r e n o wn e d Sufi Shei kh at t ha t
t i me so Sh a r a f u d d i n set out t o me e t hi m, i n t he s pr i ng of 1324, h a v i n g
e nt r us t e d hi s son whol l y i nt o t he car e of hi s own mo t h e r , Bi bi Ra z i a .
Th e me e t i n g p r o v e d t o be d i s a p p o i n t i n g . Ni z a mu d d i n r e c ogni z e d hi s
wor t h b u t he was an ol d ma n wi t h de a t h j u s t a r o u n d t he c or ne r (d. Ap r i l
1325), a n d Sh a r a f u d d i n felt no a t t r a c t i on t o b e c o me hi s di sci pl e. He t hen
set off t o me e t a n o t h e r f a mous Suf i of Pa n i p a t , Bu Qa l a n d a r , al so n e a r
de a t h (d. Se p t e mb e r 1324). He was i mpr e s s e d b y hi s hi gh s pi r i t ual
a t t a i nme nt s b u t not i c e d t hat he was not c a pa bl e of of f er i ng gui dance.
Di s a p p o i n t e d , he r e t u r n e d t o De l hi a n d was on t he poi nt of l e a vi ng when
hi s b r o t h e r p e r s u a d e d hi m t o me e t a l esser k n o wn Sufi , Shei kh Na j i b u d d i n
Fi r d a u s i ( d. 1332) , who l i ved qui t e cl ose t o t he Qu t b Mi n a r . I t was t hi s
me e t i n g whi c h c h a n g e d hi s l i fe a nd e n a b l e d hi m t o be c ome a gr e a t
s pi r i t ua l gui de hi msel f , f or he was i ns t a nt l y a t t r a c t e d t o Na j i b u d d i n a n d
e nt r us t e d hi ms e l f to hi s car e a n d gui da nc e . He r e ma i n e d wi t h h i m unt i l
hi s de a t h ei ght ye a r s l at er , h a v i n g e xpe r i e nc e d f or hi ms e l f wha t i t me a n t
t o be l ovi ngl y gui ded.
Wi t h t he de a t h of hi s gui de he no l o n g e r wi s hed to r e ma i n i n Del hi
a n d set out to r e t u r n t o Ma n e r but , on t he way, he t u r n e d as i de i nt o t he
j u n g l e of Bi hi a i n o r d e r t o be al one wi t h t he Al one. Af t e r a y e a r or so he
148 TRADI TI ONS OF S P I RI TUAL GUI DANCE
e nde d u p i n a cave i n Ra j g i r , a hi l l y l ocal i t y s out h of Pa t n a , not e d f or
i t s r el i gi ous as s oci at i on wi t h t he Bu d d h a , Ma h a v i r , a nd count l ess Hi n d u ,
Buddhi s t a nd J a i n ascet i cs. Hi s cave was n e a r a smal l s pr i ng a nd t he
spot is still a pl ace of p i l g r i ma g e t oda y. I t is k n o wn as ' Ma k h d u m Ku n d ' ,
for Sh a r a f u d d i n b e c a me known as ' Ma k h d u m- i J a h a n ' ( The t e a c he r of
t he wor l d) . T o d a y he is r e f e r r e d t o b y t he l ocal peopl e as ' Ma k h d u m
Sa hi b' . He ma n a g e d onl y a mo d i c u m of p r i v a c y i n hi s cave becaus e
some of Ni z a mu d d i n Au l i y a ' s di sci pl es c a me t o h i m f or gui dance, whi l e
t he o r d i n a r y peopl e c a me t o get hi m t o i nt e r c e de wi t h t he l ocal Mu s l i m
a d mi n i s t r a t o r b y h a v i n g h i m wr i t e pet i t i ons on t hei r behal f . Becaus e
Ni z a mu d d i n ' s di sci pl es wer e c o mi n g al l t he wa y f r om Bi ha r t own,
ei ght een ki l ome t r e s away, t o cons ul t hi m, he de c i de d it woul d be eas i er
for t he m i f he wer e t o go t o Bi ha r each F r i d a y f or t he c ongr e ga t i ona l
p r a y e r a n d peopl e coul d cons ul t h i m t her e. Gr a d u a l l y hi s s oj our n t her e
was e x t e n d e d t o Sa t u r d a y , S u n d a y a n d even l onge r as t he cr owds gr ew.
Fi na l l y he was s i mpl y f or ced t o r e ma i n t her e p e r ma n e n t l y . Thi s t ook
pl ace by 1336. He s pent t he r est of hi s l i fe t he r e unt i l hi s de a t h i n 1381.
He was b u r i e d next t o hi s mo t h e r i n a s pot not f ar f r o m hi s r es i dence.
Peopl e st i l l come da i l y t o hi s t o mb t o seek hi s i nt er ces s i on a nd, on hi s
f e a s t - d a y - - t h e da y he di ed, k n o wn as urs ( ma r r i a ge ) be c a us e on t hat d a y
he e xpe r i e nc e d t he he a ve nl y n u p t i a l s - - h u g e cr owds of peopl e come. Th e
wor d Sharif has be e n a d d e d t o t he n a me Bi ha r t o i ndi cat e t hat t he t own
has be e n h o n o u r e d b y hi s pr es ence.
Sharafuddin the guide
Th e fi rst t hi ng we not i ce a bout Sh a r a f u d d i n as a s pi r i t ua l gui de is t he
fact t hat he ne ve r s ought t o gui de a n y b o d y . He was e a r ne s t l y s eeki ng
i nt i ma t e uni on wi t h Go d i n hi s cave i n Ra j g i r when peopl e c a me t o h i m
for gui dance. Shei kh Bukha r i , hi s fi rst p e r ma n e n t di sci pl e, went t o hi m
first when he was i n Ra j gi r . Hi s pr act i ce of goi ng t o Bi ha r each Fr i d a y
was not i n o r d e r t o get mo r e d i s c i p l e s - - t h a t was an unf or e s e e n but not
u n e x p e c t e d d e v e l o p me n t - - b u t s i mpl y t o ma k e t hi ngs eas i er f or t hose who
wer e a l r e a d y c o mi n g t o cons ul t hi m. I t was one of count l es s expr es s i ons
of hi s exqui s i t e sense of cour t es y.
Sh a r a f u d d i n hi ms e l f t ook no i ni t i at i ve t o cons t r uct a ny bui l di ngs whi ch
woul d f or mal i ze a n d i ns t i t ut i ona l i z e hi s s t a ndi ng as a Shei kh, a s pi r i t ual
gui de. Hi s fi rst h u mb l e dwe l l i ng was p r e p a r e d f or hi m by t he chi ef
Chi s ht i di sci pl e who h a d be e n vi s i t i ng h i m i n Ra j gi r . Wh e n t he r e i gni ng
Sul t a n, Mu h a mma d bi n Tu g h l u q ( 1325- 51) h e a r d t hat he h a d e me r g e d
f r om s ol i t ude he sent hi m a Bu i g h a r i a n c a r pe t a n d o r d e r e d t he g o v e r n o r
of Bi har t o c ons t r uc t a l ar ge kh-~n~h ( hos pi ce) for h i m a n d hi s di sci pl es
t o l i ve i n, a n d di r e c t e d t hat c e r t a i n r e ve nue s s houl d be ut i l i zed f or its
upke e p. Al l of t hi s e mb a r r a s s e d Sh a r a f u d d i n . He was l oa t h t o accept
ei t her t he c a r pe t or t he hos pi ce, b u t h a d t o acqui es ce whe n t he gove r nor
TRADITIONS OF SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE 149
reminded what would probably happen to him if the Sultan' s order was
not executed! One cannot help but contrast his behaviour with that of
some others who are eager to set themselves up as guides and to collect
funds for an imposing establishment.
Li t erary product i ons
Sharafuddin left a number of Persian works behind him, in addkion
to several records ( ma l f ~ z ) made of his discourses. Was there a subtle
desire for fame at work here? One has only to examine the genesis of
each of his literary productions in order to scotch such an interpretation.
His first book is actually a collection of letters written to Q azi Shamsuddin
who, on account of his administrative duties, was unable to come for
personal guidance. Sharauddin began to correspond with him. His sec-
retary, Zain Badr Arabi, realized the value of the letters and asked
permission to make a collection of them. Sharafuddin continued writing
but made sure that he covered all the topics needed for anyone who
wished to follow the Sufi path. Thus was produced the collection known
as T h e hundr ed letters. 6 Similarly his other writings originated in the needs
of others, not his own.
Personal guidance
Three of Sharafuddin' s hundred letters--numbers 5, 6 and 7--deal
specifically with the topic of guidance, but the whole collection constitutes
a manual for guidance. For Sharafuddin, the desire for personalized
guidance, over and above what is available for all, is a grace from God.
It is a genuine call from God himself. A person cannot decide to travel
the Sufi way in a sincere, whole-hearted fashion, unless he or she is
called by God, for ' the seed is such that it requires nothing except the
divine grace in order to fall into the soil of one' s heart' (p 25). 7 He also
speaks of those who 'place their feet on the path of seeking due to the
irresistible attraction of the divine favour' (p 32). Without this inner
attraction, no guide can ' make an unruly novice into an earnest seeker'
(p 36).
Granted the presence of such an attraction, a novice, ' after undergoing
genuine repentance, should seek a spiritual guide. He should be perfect,
well-versed in the vicissitudes of the way, and firmly established in his
high state. In short, he should be a man who has experienced both the
horror of God' s majesty and the delight of his beauty' (p 25).
For the Sufis, the central image of the spiritual life is that of a path or
way (r~.h) leading to God. Playing upon this image, Sharafuddin under-
scores the need for guidance:
Remember, too, that an ordinary road is infested with thieves and
robbers, so that one cannot travel along it without an escort. As
150 TRADITIONS OF SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE
for the mystic way, the world, one' s ego, devils, men and jinn all
infest this way, thus making it impossible to travel along it without
an experienced, holy man as one' s escort. Remember, further,
that there are many slippery places where it is easy to fall. And
one can be plagued with misfortune and dangers from behind.
Many philosophers and worldly-minded people, as well as others
lacking faith, piety or any semblance of morality, have become
followers of their own base desires. They have gone without a
perfect sheikh or leader who has reached his goal on this way,
and have instead trusted in their own intellectual powers. They
entered the wilderness where they fell and perished, losing even
their faith (p 26).
Anyone who enters upon the Sufi way should not be surprised if
difficukies occur: quite the contrary[
In the course of his pilgrimage he should expect to be assailed by
spiritual crises. Also, various types of mystical experiences might
occur: some might be satanic; others might be produced by his
own ego; still others could come from the merciful one himself.
This is entirely new to the novice and he cannot discern the source
of these spiritual experiences. He needs the assistance of one well
versed in discerning these various spirits (p 27).
As the pilgrim passes through various spiritual stages (maim) he might
reach one ' when his soul is stripped bare of its outer garment and a ray
of the divine light will illumine it' . At this stage anything is possible--
even the power to perform miracles and to achieve such a sense of union
with God as to become proud of this fact. Unless he is guided by a
sheikh at such a time ' there would be great fear that he might lose his
faith and fall into the wilderness of imagining himself as God incarnate
or as one identical with God' (p 27).
Sharafuddin is very much aware of the heady wine of both spiritual
bliss and spiritual acclaim. It is not that he refers to them only once or
twice and then gives a couple of illustrative anecdotes. Rather, his Letters
and recorded discourses make it abundantly clear that he had drunk
deeply of these twin cups but had not been inebriated by them. This
treatment of both topics occurs in. many different situations and displays
both a surety of touch and an uncompromising attitude towards anything
less than God. Having passed through these temptations himself he is
able to guide others with a quiet certainty born of personal conviction.
The common period of training for a novice is three years, each
devoted to a particular aim: ' One year' s service on behalf of other people;
one year devoted to God; and another year spent in watching over one' s
TRADI TI ONS OF S P I RI TUAL GUI DANCE 15/
own h e a r t ' ( p 29). On e f e a t ur e of t hi s p e r i o d mi ght wel l be a f or t y- da y
r e t r e a t (chilla) for, s pe a ki ng of r e p e n t a n c e as ' a r a di c a l shi ft i n o n e ' s bas i c
n a t u r e ' , Sh a r a f u d d i n says t hat ' wh o e v e r c o mma n d s a novi ce t o u n d e r g o
a f or t y- da y r e t r e a t c o mma n d s i t f or t he sake of hi s char ge, i n or de r
t hat hi s ve r y n a t u r e mi g h t be t r a n s f o r me d ' ( p 23). Wh a t was me r e l y
' c o n v e n t i o n a l f ai t h' be c ome s ' r e a l f a i t h' . Le t t e r 96 is de vot e d t o t he t opi c
of such a r e t r e a t . I n i t he i nsi st s on t he ne e d f or t he ' pr ot e c t i on of a n
e xpe r i e nc e d s pi r i t ual g u i d e ' ; ' a p r o p e r l y c ons t i t ut e d f o u n d a t i o n ' ; ' f i del i t y
t o t he r equi s i t e c ondi t i ons of s i ncer i t y d u r i n g t he r e t r e a t i t sel f ' ; a n d
h a v i n g a r i ght i nt e nt i on, t hat is, ' i n o r d e r t hat t he i r f ai t h mi ght r est
mo r e secur e; t ha t t hey mi ght be e n a b l e d t he r e i n t o di s cer n t he va r i ous
st at es of t hei r soul s; a nd, f i nal l y, i n o r d e r t ha t t hey mi g h t be abl e to
pe r f or m al l t he i r act i ons s i ncer el y for t he sake of Go d Al mi g h t y ' . Ne a r
t he t o mb of S h a r a f u d d i n ' s gui de , Na j i b u d d i n , is a ve r y a nc i e nt o n e - r o o m
s t r uct ur e whi ch is obvi ous l y a pr a ye r - c e l l . A mo d e r n s cr awl ed not i ce ha d
chillag~h ( t hat is a pl ace t o p e r f o r m t he f o r t y - d a y r e t r e a t , as wel l as ot he r
pe r s ona l devot i ons ) . I t s eems t ha t Sh a r a f u d d i n ma d e hi s r e t r e a t t her e,
u n d e r t he gui da nc e of Na j i b u d d i n , a n d l e a r n e d f r om pe r s ona l e xpe r i e nc e
a bout t he f r ui t s of such a r e t r e a t .
A s i mpl e que s t i on f aci ng t he wo u l d - b e novi ce was: ' Wh e r e wi l l a novi ce
f i nd a shei kh? . . . By wha t me a n s can he r ecogni ze h i m as be i ng the
ma n ? ' ( p 31). Hi s a ns we r is s i mpl e, even s i mpl i s t i c, yet i t t oo is t he f r ui t
of pe r s ona l e xpe r i e nc e : ' Ea c h one of t hos e who seek Go d has be e n al l ot t ed
al l t hat is neces s ar y f or h i m' ( p 32). Go d wi l l pr ovi de . Thi s is an a ns we r
b o r n of f ai t h, not of h u ma n r e a s oni ng, a n d t he r e ar e count l es s seeker s
who woul d e ndor s e it.
Wh i l e due pl ace is gi ven t o gui da nc e b y me a n s of pe r s ona l i ns t r uct i ons ,
mu c h mo r e e mpha s i s is pl a c e d on t he f r ui t s of a n i nt i ma t e as s oci at i on
wi t h o n e ' s gui de, who is o n e ' s p i r - i suhbat ( gui de by as s oci at i on) . Thi s
ma ke s sense, f or n o wa d a y s we ar e mu c h mo r e a wa r e of t he wa y our
bas i c at t i t udes wer e c o mmu n i c a t e d t o us. As t he a da ge put s i t , ' va l ue s
ar e caught , not t a u g h t ' . Thi s is wh y ope nne s s of he a r t is so n e e d e d a nd
Sh a r a f u d d i n can wr i t e: ' Wh e n a r i ght e ous novi ce per cei ves , i n hi s own
hear t , t he b e a u t y of a shei kh, he be c ome s e n a mo u r e d of t he b e a u t y of
hi s sai nt l i ness, dr a ws pe a c e a n d c o n t e n t me n t f r om hi m, a n d begi ns hi s
s ear ch' ( p 32). We see i n t hi s t e a c hi ng a n echo of hi s r e l a t i ons hi p wi t h
hi s own gui de, Na j i b u d d i n . He kne w wha t i t was t o l ove hi s own gui de
a nd be c ome c ompl e t e l y ope n t o hi s i nf l uence!
Wh i l e Sh a r a f u d d i n knows t he va l ue of gui da nc e t h r o u g h books a nd
l et t er s whe n a pe r s on is not abl e t o c ome f or f ace- t o- f ace g u i d a n c e - - a s
hi s Letters t o Qa z i S h a ms u d d i n a mp l y i l l u s t r a t e - - n e v e r t h e l e s s he woul d
not a p p r o v e of a novi ce who t u r n e d to books as a s ubs t i t ut e for a gui de
whe n one was avai l abl e. He has s t r ong wor ds On t he t opi c: ' I f a novi ce
wa nt s t o l e a r n al l a bout t hese st at es f r om books , he be c ome s exact l y l i ke
1 5 2 TRADI TI ONS O F SPI RI TUAL G U I D A N C E
someone who associates with t he de a d- - a nd he too becomes dead at
heart ' (p 36)! Thi s is because the greatest enemy to be overcome is t hat
of human pride, and humbl e submi ssi on to anot her is the most effective
tool for the task. ' The novi ce should follow the wishes of the sheikh, not
his own! I n this respect it has been said: "Di sci pl eshi p is the abandonment
of all one' s own des i r es "' (p 32).
Sharafuddi n has five letters (81-85) devoted explicitly to the struggle
with one' s carnal or ani mal soul, also known as the lower soul. It is
one' s naf s , the source of all unr ul y behavi our, from the grossly i nhuman
to the most subtle expressions of huma n pride. Nat ural l y, dur i ng the
unr el ent i ng struggle agai nst one' s unr ul y soul one needs ' t he grace and
favour of Al mi ght y God, and the shade of the riches of a compassi onat e
spiritual mast er' (p 333). He teaches clearly t hat t empt at i on ' has to take
its ori gi n from a man' s i nner desi re' . It is only when such sinful desires
have ' begun to appear t hat Sat an pounces on t hem, drawi ng t hem out
into the full light of a person' s hear t ' . Thus ' Sat an depends on the reality
of the lower soul and the i nordi nat e desire of the servant ' (p 336). Thi s
is a very fine di st i nct i on for a Musl i m spiritual guide of medi eval Bihar!
Concl usi on
Sharafuddi n hi msel f was an i nspi rat i on to countless disciples while
his words, t hough pri mari l y devoted to gui dance, have also served to
communi cat e bot h i nspi rat i on and encour agement to countless readers
down the centuries. The Musl i ms of Bi har are under st andabl y grateful
to God for havi ng sent such an out st andi ng spiritual guide into their
midst.
P a u l J a c k s o n S . J .
NOTES
1 The word a~n means religion or 'the faith' as in the rifle 'Defender of the Faith' found
on British coins. It, as well as all other words quoted, is in the singular number.
2 Hughes, T.: Dictionary of Islam, p 285.
3 The classic work is Development of Muslim theology, jurisprudence and constitutional theory, by
D. Macdonald, pp 65-117.
For a detailed exposition see The way of a Sufi: Sharafuddin Maneri, by Paul Jackson (I.A.D.,
Delhi, 1986).
The word 'Sharafuddin' is actually a title meaning 'The honour of the Faith'. It gradually
replaced his given name, Ahmad. By the time he had become a renowned Sufi nobody
would have dreamt of addressing him as 'Ahmad'.
6 Sharafuddin Maneri: The hundred letters, trans, by Paul Jackson (Paulist Press, N.Y., and
S.P.C.K., London, 1980) in the series, 'The Classics of Western Spirituality'.
7 The page numbers refer to the work just quoted.