The significance of the Chishtiyyah Sufi dhikr: analysis and explanations

Abstract

This is a modest attempt to explain the significance of Chishtiyyah Sufi dhikr which is known as Maqālid as-Samāwāti wa’l-Ard, The Keys of the Treasures of the Heavens and the Earth. The analysis and explanations are conducted in accordance with semantic analysis of the keywords and the elaborations of the dhikr formula. The Chishtiyyah Sufi Order is one of the oldest and the biggest order in India founded by Mu‘īn ad-Dīn Chishti (1142-1236A.D.) A Sufi makes constant attempt at recollection and remembrance of Allāh, so that by His Grace, eventually, he is, as it were, “effaced” in the One Remembered. Sufism is the inward or the esoteric dimension of Islam, while the sharī‘ah is its exoteric order. A Sufi who has arrived at the required spiritual stations (maqāmāt) passsing the various established stages in the purification of his soul is usually called “wali”, meaning “beloved friend of Allāh.” Before achieving such stations of spirituality, the seeker is required to possess a very high degree of spiritual commitment and extremely intense concentrations in his spiritual devotions. Of course, success is in the Hand of Allāh.The study attempts to examine and explain the significance of dhikr as properly known in the Chishti spiritual order. This involves the study of the dhikr formula, its focus word and keywords and its implied weltanschauung which has transformed Shaykh Mu‘īn ad-Dīn Chishti from a seeker of Truth to the station of the “beloved friend of Allāh.” The objectives of the proposed research are: to consider Sufism and its doctrine, to study the life of Shaykh Mu‘īn ad-Dīn Chishti and his thoughts, to study one of the most important aspects of Sūfi ritual, the dhikr, and to study the weltanschauung implied in the keywords of the dhikr formula. Regarding the methodology of the study, only one technique is used, namely library research. Books and materials on Sūfism in general, the Chishtiyyah dhikr order and other relevant data will be gathered and examined in the analysis and explanations of the study.