Anatomy of Sufism

Among the most profound subjects in the Tijani tradition is the question of Quṭbāniyyah and Khatm al-Wilāyah. What do these terms actually mean? How did Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani (RA) come to be associated with them? And what do the classical Tijani sources say? Before discussing Quṭbāniyyah, we must first understand Wilāyah (Sainthood). In Islam, a Walī (friend of Allah) is not someone who claims a special status, but one who is distinguished by sincere faith (īmān) and God-consciousness (taqwā). "Indeed, the friends (awliyā') of Allah—there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. Those who believed and were mindful of Allah." (Qur'an 10:62–63) Within the classical Sufi tradition, scholars speak of the Quṭb ("the Pole")—a title used for the foremost saint of an era, around whom the spiritual hierarchy is described. This is a technical term found in many works of Tasawwuf and should be understood within that scholarly tradition, not as a replacement for the teachings of the Qur'an and Hadith #SafarSeries #anatomyofsufism