Sufi Letters of Sheikh Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri

Nafs, the desire-nature.

Some say the desire-nature is a substance, placed in the body, similar to the soul. Others say it is a quality of the body, similar to life. But all take it as the source of evil qualities and acts. These evils are grouped into: (a) sins, (b) qualities,

Knowledge

Knowledge is to purification and asceticism what ablution is to prayer. No practice is possible without knowledge, as no prayer is possible without ablution. …

Death

The are three classes of men: (1) the man of desire, (2) the beginner who is just turning back. (3) the advanced knower of god. The first does not recollect

Hell

Every man is liable to suffer in hell, and it is difficult to be certain of exemption there from. According to the prophet, there are 70,000 apartments in hell, each apartment containing 70,000 doors, each door having 70,000 serpents and 70,000 scorpions;

The steps of a disciple.

The steps of a disciple. The first step is religion (Shariat.) When the disciple has fully paid the demand of religion, and aspires to go beyond, the path (Tariqat) appears before him. It is the way to the heart. When he has fully observed the conditions

Discipline of the desire-nature. (continued.)

The discipline of the desire-nature is recommended by all creeds and nations, and is known by sages as a means of developing the super sensuous faculties… but thy business lies with the discipline only, it is god's to grant super sensuous faculties.

Alienation from the desire-nature

Alienation from the personality is the first step to acquaintance with god. The one is a necessary condition for the other. All aspirants find fault with, and impose tasks on, the desire-nature, so that this wall of separation be pulled down, and a way

LETTER 4: THE RENEWAL OF REPENTANCE

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate! Brother Shamsuddin, may God bless you with the special blessing granted to the penitent! Many requests have come that something should be written on a variety of topics and that some warnings be given.

Magnanimity

Magnanimity. A disciple lacking in magnanimity makes no progress at all. One whose aspiration does not go beyond heaven, is not fit for this battle. The wise hold that the desire to have everything in the world according to one's own wishes, befits a

LETTER 3: RECONCILING OFFENDED PARTIES

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate! Brother Shamsuddin, may Almighty God grant you eternal peace and the perfection of His grace! Prayers and greetings! Study the words that follow and try to grasp their meaning, namely that, after

Hidden differences of stages

Men differ, in the gradations of their progress, as heaven from hell, though they are so similar in their outer forms. All men- whether in the past, the present or the future-are the centers of mysteries. Each body treasures a divine secret; each heart

The final doom

There are two classes of travelers, the noble and the wicked. Each class has its peculiar speed, path, and doom. Noble souls are divided into

Pursuit and renunciation

Sufis differ as to whether they should follow or renounce worldly pursuits. Complete renunciation is only permitted at a very high stage, i.e. that of absolute unity and perfect trust in god.

LETTER 12: LIGHTS

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate! Dear brother Shamsuddin, may God Almighty illumine your soul with the lights of his knowledge! When the mirror of the heart is thoroughly cleansed of the rust of human nature and selfish qualities, it

LETTER 7: DISCIPLESHIP

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate! Brother Shamsuddin, discipleship is a matter of wanting something from the heart. Our inner musings are related to some particular thing. As a result of our thinking about it, a certain uneasiness

The descent from Adam

The pilgrim justifies his descent from Adam when he enters the heart. Now he has finished the turning, and begins his pilgrimage. By the virtue of his complete turning, anything coming in contact with him undergoes a change. This is the power of transmutation.

Self-toleration.

He who is on good terms with the self is dead, thought apparently living; he whose life is in god is really living, though apparently dead. Death is not of the body alone: the inner man may die in the same way as the outer. Men are perishing in the sea

LETTER 8: SAINTHOOD

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate! Dearest brother Qazi Sadruddin, may the blessing of God and the love of the saints be yours! [A depiction of sainthood with reference to Arabic grammar is set forth.] A saint, then, is a person

Heedlessness

Heedlessness is blamed by all creeds and sets. It is heedlessness that lies at the root of all failures. It has been said. When a man heedlessly approaches the path, the devil warns him, saying: "i was the teacher of the celestial

The discipline of the desire-nature

The desire-nature is the worst foe. It is very difficult to be armed against it, since, firstly, it is an internal foe, and it is almost impossible to guard the house against a thief co-tenant; and, secondly, it is a lovely foe, and a man is blind to

Confidence

The Sufi trusts in God. Khwaja Yahya observes: "he who does not trust god cannot receive divine illuminating." explanation: god deals with a man according to his expectations. One who suspects him cannot receive any light. Again, it is a friend who is

Conduct

An act not permitted by the Quran is fruitless; a desire not sanctioned by the prophet is vain. To wish for any help on the path save that from the path is forbidden. The Quran permits nothing save sincere conduct, and sincerity springs from the heart

LETTER 2: REPENTANCE

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate! Dear brother Shamsuddin, God’s bounty be upon you! Realize that sincere repentance is like a beautiful carpet on which you perform your devotions. God has said: ““Turn toward God in repentance, believing

LETTER 13: UNVEILING THE MYSTERIES

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate! Dear brother Shamsuddin, may God grant that many mysteries will be disclosed to you! The meaning of manifestation is “to come from behind a curtain.”29 An initiated person perceives things that previously

Seeking the path

Seeking the path. The aspiration of the seeker should be such that, if offered this world its pleasures, the next with its heaven, and the universe with its sufferings, he should leave the world and its pleasures for the profane, the next world and its

LETTER 10: THE MIRACLES OF SAINTS

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate! 'N.B. For the sake of convenience, the word used to denote a prophetic miracle (mujizat) is translated with a capital M, whereas the word for the miracle of a saint or the miraculous in general (karamat)

LETTER 9: SAINTLINESS

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate! Dear brother Qazi Sadruddin, may you be honored by God! You should know that commonplace saintliness is rooted in faith. Every person who embraces the Muslim faith becomes a member of the congregation

LETTER 13: UNVEILING THE MYSTERIES

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate! Dear brother Shamsuddin, may God grant that many mysteries will be disclosed to you! The meaning of manifestation is “to come from behind a curtain.”29 An initiated person perceives things that previously

LETTER 1: BELIEF IN THE UNITY OF GOD

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate! May the bounty of God be upon you, my brother Shamsuddin, both in this world and the next! It should be known, at the very beginning,! that belief in the unity of God can be divided into four

Desire

Desire' is a term covering all the qualities of nafs. It prevents union, tortures the disciple, and stands against the seeker. It is to be opposed and not to be gratified. "he who follow it is ruined; he who opposes it attains his object."

Renunciation of the world

Service of the lord is impossible without renunciation of the world. When thy body works for the world and thy heart longs for it, how canst thou serve him? The heart is one; it cannot attend to two things at the same time. The world and the lord are

The heart.

There is a treasure buried in the heart of the knower. It is love. A single jewel out of it is worth a thousand heavens. The guardian of heaven is an angel named Rizwan, whereas the guardian of the treasure of love is god himself.

The way to god.

The way to god. Khwaja Bayazid was asked, "what is the way to God?" he replied: "when thou hast vanished on the way, then hast thou come to God." mark this: if one attached to the way cannot see god, how can one attached to self see God?

The evil of the world

The world and all things therein are to be avoided, save as needed for the lord's sake. The world may be classed under three groups:- (1) the first group is purely worldly, and cannot

Seeking god

Nothing is more binding upon you than to seek god. If you go to market, seek him. If you come home, seek him. If you enter a tavern, seek him. If the angel of death come to you, take care not to neglect the seeking. Tell him, "do thou thy work, i do

The company of the saints

Holy company is an important discipline for the pupil. It is very effective in conquering nature and habit. Hence is it laid down by the holy saints as binding upon a disciple. The rationale of it is this. The desire-nature consists of certain ingrained

The soul (ruh).

People differ in their opinions on the soul- some call it a body, some an essence, some an accident; some regard it as eternal, others as created. Orthodox Islam declares its existence, but is silent on its nature and quality. God says: "if questioned

Origin of theosophy

The origin of theosophy. The institution of theosophy (tasavvuf) is ancient. It has been practiced by the prophets and the saints. As evil impulses predominate in the world, the theosophist (Sufi) is looked down upon by men. The theosophist is one who

LETTER 11: THE STATES OF THE RIGHTEOUS

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate! Dearest Brother Shamsuddin, the states of the righteous are an ocean of purity, though it has been said, “If they be an ocean, how can one grasp their meaning?” Those whose souls have alighted at

LETTER 5: SEARCHING FOR A SPIRITUAL GUIDE

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate! My brother Shamsuddin, may God honor you in both worlds! You should know that according to the unanimous opinion of famous saints of the Way, a novice, after undergoing genuine repentance, should

Heaven

Heaven contains apartments made of various gems, the outside of which is visible from the inside, and the inside from the outside. They abound with pleasures and comforts not tasted or conceived by men (on earth)… heaven is a vast palace made of a single

Seclusion

A man not wanted by the world for its intellectual or theological education, may isolate himself from others, and avoid company save on necessary occasions, such as those of the Friday and the id prayers, a pilgrimage to Mecca, and other useful meetings.

Sorrow

No reading is so useful as that of the diary of sorrow… the goal is unattainable save through the destruction of the desire-nature. Either be ready to kill it out and tread the path, or withdraw your-self from the rank of the seekers-so that others may

Pillars of the path

The pillars of the path. Their words enliven the heart; their deeds liberate men; their compassion is universal; they do not care for feeding and clothing themselves, but feed and clothe all; they do not look to the evil of others, but stand as their

LETTER 6: THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A SHEIKH

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate! Dear brother Shamsuddin, may God honor you in both worlds! It should be noted that the foundation of the qualifications and claims to rank of a sheikh or religious leader rests, in brief, on five

Sheikh Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri