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The Role of Khanqah
in Esoteric and Exoteric Training
In today’s fast-paced era of science and technology, humanity has made remarkable advancements, unraveling the mysteries of the universe. However, alongside this progress, people are increasingly neglecting themselves. They pay little attention to self-improvement, purification of the soul, or the realization and fulfillment of their life’s purpose. It is easy to notice the flaws and shortcomings in others, but recognizing one’s own mistakes and sins becomes a challenge.
We focus solely on equipping our children with worldly knowledge and teaching them how to navigate life’s challenges, often overlooking their moral and spiritual development. A person who deceives others, uses cunning as a tool, and responds to an insult with an even harsher retaliation is often considered a successful individual today. Deception and dishonesty have become so normalized that lying to protect one’s self-interest is no longer seen as shameful.
If achieving personal success and happiness comes at the expense of destroying someone else’s peace, it is deemed acceptable. But is this what true progress looks like? Neglecting oneself, disregarding morality, and being unaware of the Creator—such is the state of many today. People tirelessly strive for worldly and external progress but remain indifferent to spiritual and esoteric development. We constantly seek “the best” for ourselves, but the standard of “the best” varies from person to person. The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) defined the ultimate pursuit as seeking closeness to Allah, whereas, for most of us, it revolves around accumulating wealth and material possessions.
Sense of Self-Accountability
In this age of chaos and self-centeredness, is it not imperative to guide our youth towards both external and internal refinement? Should we not instill in them the principles upon which the Prophet guided his companions? They must understand that true inner peace lies not in an abundance of worldly blessings but in the remembrance of Allah.
We need to awaken their sense of self-accountability, encouraging them to focus on self-reform and self-assessment before criticizing the flaws of others. After all, we are accountable for our own lives and deeds, not those of others.
This requires an environment that fosters such growth, a place where individuals can truly become human in the fullest sense. Such an environment must provide the opportunity for self-reflection and spiritual purification. With the awareness of self-accountability and the blessing of a purified soul, both esoteric and exoteric aspects of a person will align. For when the inward and soul are pure, only then can outward actions and deeds be righteous and virtuous.
A pure and spiritual environment can only be found in the presence of a perfect spiritual guide, a Wali-e-Kamil. Such a mentor, a Murshid-e-Kamil Akmal, possesses the unique ability to purify the soul through their profound spiritual insight. He guides the seekers of Allah by following in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet. For this purpose, they establish a special institution known as the Khanqah.
The Khanqah
In the Khanqah, the focus is placed on the purification and reformation of the inner before addressing outward refinement. It is a place where individuals are measured against the standard of taqwa (piety), emphasizing the purification of the soul and inward as the foundation for exoteric righteousness. The Khanqah stands as a sanctuary where spiritual growth and moral excellence are cultivated under the guidance of a perfect spiritual guide.
During the time of the Prophet Mohammad, there was a Khanqah on the mount of al-Suffah where the Companions, known as the “Ashab-e-Suffah,” (Companions of al-Suffah) would gather. These Companions were dedicated to remembering Allah, forsaking worldly concerns and distractions. After the Prophet’s lifetime, the Sufis continued the tradition of establishing Khanqah, maintaining the Sunna and legacy of these gatherings.
However, over time, the perception of Khanqah began to change in the eyes of the people.
This shift was due to several factors that altered the purpose and nature of these spiritual centers. Originally, the goal of the Khanqah was to invite people towards Allah, turning their attention away from worldly pleasures and desires. But when the revered saints and spiritual leaders, who had founded these Khanqah, passed away, worldly opportunists took control of these centers. Their un-Islamic and reckless actions led to the decline in the prestige and significance of the Khanqah in the eyes of the people.
Iqbal says:
Utha main madrassa aur khanqah se ghamnaak
na zindagi, na mohabat, na marifat, na nigah
Explanation: Iqbal highlights the plight of pseudo Khanqah in these verses. He says, I left the madrassa and the khanqah with a heavy heart. I did not get any spiritual beneficence. My inward remained unchanged.
The System of Spiritual Training in the Khanqah
The following outlines several factors that play a crucial role in the training of disciples and seekers of Allah within the Khanqah. These elements significantly contribute to their spiritual development and guidance.
Company of the Perfect Spiritual Guide
The environment of the Khanqah holds the utmost importance, as it is a place where seekers of Allah can distance themselves from the distractions and pleasures of the material world. In the Khanqah, their focus is redirected from worldly concerns towards the Divine, allowing them to immerse themselves in the love and remembrance of Allah.
Seekers of truth, who wish to attain the presence of the Mohammadan Assembly, regularly attend the gatherings of an accomplished Murshid. These sessions, where the Murshid’s illuminating words and spiritually enriching conversations take place, light up the inward of the disciples, purifying them and filling them with divine light. However, the true spiritual training of a disciple can only be achieved through prolonged stay in the Khanqah, where many followers and lovers of the Divine come for their spiritual education.
Just as one must enroll in a school, college, or university to acquire worldly knowledge, it is equally necessary for seekers of Allah to spend time in the Khanqah for their spiritual development. Even if this stay is brief, it remains essential for their growth.
During their time in the Khanqah, disciples frequently meet and engage with their Murshid, benefiting from the blessings of his enlightening presence. Through these encounters and the Murshid’s guidance, the worldly attachments in the hearts of the disciples are removed, replacing them with a deep love for Allah and His Messenger. This process purifies their souls, instills obedience to Allah and His Messenger, and ignites a passion for serving the religion of Islam.
Feelings of Brotherhood and Selflessness
In the Khanqah, people from diverse backgrounds and environments come together for spiritual training. Their different temperaments and ways of living inevitably influence those around them. Living together in such a setting requires patience, as individuals must learn to tolerate differences in temperament, speech, and behavior. However, this environment also fosters examples of brotherhood and selflessness, where mutual respect and compassion are cultivated among them.
Discussion on the Secrets of Divine Gnosis
Disciples of the path, based on their varying intellectual abilities and spiritual levels, engage in discussions on different topics related to the journey of Faqr and Divine gnosis. These discussions provide them with a fresh perspective, expanding their minds and reshaping their way of thinking. While the human mind is often preoccupied with thoughts of wealth and material gain in the worldly life, the environment of the Khanqah redirects this thinking. During their stay in the Khanqah, the focus of the seekers shifts towards higher spiritual concerns. As a result, the disciples remain protected from negative traits such as gossip, slander, idle talk, lying, and other trivialities, maintaining their inner purity and discipline.
Fulfilling Various Duties
During their time in the Khanqah, disciples are assigned various duties and responsibilities. These include tasks such as maintaining the cleanliness of the Khanqah, preparing food for the communal kitchen (langar), and engaging in other developmental activities like spreading knowledge through books and monthly magazine, as well as carrying out duties related to the preaching (dawah and tabligh).
By performing these tasks with sincerity and a pure intention, the disciples not only purify their souls but also remove the layers of worldly desires and distractions. This process helps to cleanse their inner selves, allowing them to develop a deeper spiritual connection and focus.
Avoidance of Trivialities
In the Khanqah, activities such as dancing, music, and tobacco consumption are strictly prohibited, as they only serve to disturb the mind and thoughts. During their stay, seekers are deeply engaged in the remembrance (zikr) and contemplation (tasawwur) of Allah’s Personal Name, as these practices are readily accessible within the spiritual environment of the Khanqah. The blessings of this environment also enhance the peacefulness of other acts of worship.
The constant invocation and contemplation of Allah’s Personal Name not only protect the seekers from spiritual ailments but also refine their character, aligning them with divine attributes. This practice fosters qualities such as patience, self-reflection, humility, modesty, integrity, piety, divine awe, love for Allah, and obedience to His will, all of which shape the seeker’s behavior to reflect the noble character of the Prophet Mohammad.
Self-Accountability
During their stay in the Khanqah, disciples are provided moments of solitude and reflection, which allow them to engage in self-accountability (mahasba-e-nafs). This practice encourages them to reflect on both their outward and inward actions, guiding them towards self-improvement and spiritual correction. Through this process, they actively work to abandon unethical behaviors that may provoke Allah’s anger or displeasure, striving instead to live in a way that aligns with divine will and moral integrity.
Familiarity with the Ancestors
During their time in the Khanqah, disciples become acquainted with the traditions and struggles of the great spiritual predecessors. By learning about the efforts and sacrifices these ancestors made for the sake of the true religion and their closeness to Allah, disciples develop a similar passion and love for the path. This connection fosters a deeper longing for divine union, inspiring them to dedicate themselves more fervently to the pursuit of divine closeness.
Freedom from Spiritual Diseases
The spiritual environment of the Khanqah is so transformative that it helps disciples overcome both worldly and spiritual ailments. By staying in this environment, they are able to rid themselves of negative traits such as hatred, jealousy, arrogance, falsehood, gossip, and other harmful tendencies. Furthermore, the Khanqah frees them from harmful thoughts, doubts, and satanic whispers about others. This environment nurtures a shift towards positive thinking, cultivating a mindset focused on purity, compassion, and spiritual well-being.
Outcome of the Discourse
Despite the negative actions of fake Sufis and false spiritual leaders, true and accomplished Murshid spiritual guide have continued to establish the foundations of the Khanqah throughout history. Seekers of truth have always found their way to these Khanqah, where they received authentic Divine guidance.
In the present time, Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman has established the expansive Khanqah Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen, where seekers from across the country come for both outward and inward training, the purgation of the Self and purification of the soul, and to benefit from the sacred company of the Murshid.
We invite you to also stay at this Khanqah, where you can benefit from the guidance of the perfect spiritual guide. The Khanqah is the blessed and spiritual place where the filth of the inward is cleansed and filled with Divine light. Only through staying in the Khanqah can true ethical and spiritual development be achieved. While we may travel far and wide in pursuit of worldly gains, businesses, or jobs, seeking the company of a perfect spiritual guide for our own spiritual growth and correction often feels like a difficult task.
But now is the time to make this challenging journey easier. Stay in the company of the Murshid, illuminate your inward, and strive with all your might to attain the recognition and closeness of Allah. For it is a universal truth that whoever exerts effort in pursuit of something, ultimately attains it — but of course effort is the essential condition.
Note:
This is English translation of Urdu blog ظاہری اور باتنی تربیت میں خانقاہ کا کردار which appeared in December 2024 issue of monthly Sultan-ul-Faqr Magazine. Sultan Mohammad Ahsan Ali Sarwari Qadri wrote the original article. Zuhaa Fatima has translated it in English.
Summary
Are you seeking spiritual growth and a deeper connection with Allah? This article helps you explore the transformative power of staying in a Khanqah, where seekers undergo profound change. Learn about the guidance of a perfect spiritual guide, the practice of self-reflection, and the purification of the soul (tazkiyah) that takes place in this sacred environment. Discover how the Khanqah helps disciples overcome negative traits, find inner peace, and move closer to divine love. Join us in uncovering the blessings and practices that can guide you on your own journey toward spiritual fulfillment and a stronger bond with Allah.
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