The Sufi Way

The one who is seeking the Face of God must apply themselves to a school that is based on perfect teaching. The late Sidi Hamza, predecessor to our current teacher, said: “Our Tariqa is based on the Quran and Sunnah.  ‘And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)’ (Al Quran, al-Hashr) 59:8”.

The Tariqa Qadiriyya Boutchichiyya is thus based on correct instruction where the living Shaykh educates and lifts his disciples to high stages of gnosis and appropriate stations of mysticism, promotes them in the Divine and Muhammadan love, and helps them to overcome the power of their ego (‘nafs’) by means of invocation (‘dhikr’), love (‘mahabba’), and generosity (‘karam’).

Invocation (‘dhikr’) is the invocation with the tongue, and remembrance by the heart, of the Divine, through repetition of specific litanies which may include the names of Allah, chapters of the Quran, or prayers of blessings on the Prophet Mohamed, peace be upon him.

The disciples practice regular morning and evening invocations (dhikr), on their own, referred to as the ‘Wird’. The format of this Wird is prescribed by the master, Sidi Jamal-ad-Din, and is the means by which the teacher uses to educate the disciple.

“Beware of the limits of mental comprehension. There exists a sensible intellect and a luminous intellect. The first intellect has a limit. To transcend this limit, we have to cultivate ourselves and seek the company of the men of God. Only God can transform the intellect from sensible to luminous, an intellect illuminated by the light from the heart.”

As the disciple progresses, more elements are added to the litanies that make up the Wird, including verses of the Qur’an and prayers on the Prophet, peace be upon him. The first fruit obtained from this discipline and perserverance are a feeling of peace and serenity, as well as the convicton that this tariqa is an authentic one.

“Wisdom is in the heart. He who wants to find water in his well must dig. The deeper he digs, the more abundant the water; if he stops digging, the water will not exceed the initial amount. The one that digs this well should not say nor believe that all the water has been found; he must continue to dig, for this well has no limit.”

The transformation and education experienced by the seeker’s heart is due to the spiritual authority (idhn) of Sidi Jamal, who prescribes dhikr appropriate to the student and his time: the living shaykh.