True Meaning of Rabitah

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Mankind has travelled the world through many means. Some took arduous, long routes by foot, while other lucky ones travel in the comfort of a jet aircraft, flying to their destination in a small fraction of time.

No matter the mode of transport, a traveller needs a means, a wasilah, to arrive at the destination.

Mureeds in this Tariqah are fortunate ones who travel comfortably on ‘Wasilah Airways’ piloted by Mawlana.

Once in the airplane, the mureed no longer sees the vessel but is in it, traveling towards the destination.

Rabitah (connection) with a murshid is the means towards constant connection with Allah (ﷻ). It is a heart-to-heart feeling of affection, longing and missing the murshid that cannot be seen. It is far from acquiring mystical powers of seeing the unseen.

The purpose of Rabitah is to bring one to an Endless Treasure, Allah (ﷻ).

Such one is immersed, every moment in zikrullah - pondering, reciting, working, doing good deeds - completely aware that The Treasure, Allah (ﷻ), is with the one who remembers Him (ﷻ).

This otherwise difficult connection to establish is made easy by the murshid through the Golden Chain of Masters.

He connects us to the heart of our Holy Prophet (ﷺ), who is in reality, the true ka’aba, House of Allah (ﷻ), in constant connection with The Divine.

‘Seeing’ the Shaykh is not a prerequisite to an established connection and having iman (faith).

Some mureeds are obsessed with wanting to be kashaf (unveiled- able to see the unseen). This brings one away from the true meaning of rabitah.

Rabitah is a heart connection through the Shaykh and not to him.

Having a heartfelt nearness to the Guide, firmly believing in the guidance of one’s murshid at every moment, is all a sincere student needs to progress to the Ultimate Destination.

A’ūdhu bi-Llāhi mina sh-shayṭāni r-rajīm. Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm:

الٓمّٓۚ‏ ذٰ لِكَ الۡڪِتٰبُ لَا رَيۡبَ ۛۚ ۖ فِيۡهِ ۛۚ هُدًى لِّلۡمُتَّقِيۡنَۙ‏ الَّذِيۡنَ يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِالۡغَيۡبِ وَ يُقِيۡمُوۡنَ الصَّلٰوةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنٰهُمۡ يُنۡفِقُوۡنَۙ

(Quran: Surah Al-Baqarah V1-3). Allah (ﷻ) says that for those who sincerely believe, they have no doubt in the existence of the ghaib (unseen), even if they don’t see it.

There is no need to look for or announce that one has supernatural powers of seeing the unseen. It is not the purpose of Tariqah and is nothing more than an egoistic-power-hungry-desire to be someone special, better than others.

To progress in this journey, be as you were when you came into this world, weak, humble and without will.

May we be of those who reach our destination of Endless Treasure in sincerity with firm faith in the handhold of our Guide.