Shaykh Ibrahim Niass wrote extensively, in both his letters and his books, on maʿrifa, tarbiyya, and suluk.
Among the best-known examples are the sections of Kashif al-Ilbas, in which he devoted entire chapters to these two central dimensions of the Tariqa Tijaniyya.
At that time, opposition to his approach to suluk and tarbiyya was widespread, and it was therefore appropriate to respond to his critics with concise refutations.
Sadly, fifty years after his passing, new critics have emerged, and their views have become increasingly widespread—due to ignorance and, perhaps, a lack of qualified deputies of the Bringer of the Flood.
Yet we are still far from the state described by Shaykh al-Zarruq:
“Spiritual education has ceased. All that remains is to follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah.”
Shaykh Ibrahim has made it very clear: in the third letter of Jawahir ar rasail, he states: it is known that there are two who are neither of me nor of the Tariqa in anything:
the enraptured one (majdhub) who is not wayfaring, and a wayfarer (salik) who has not been enraptured; if they remain as they are and persist in their course.
إثنين ليسا مني ولا من الطريق في شيء، مجذوب لم يسلك وسالك لم يجذب إن بقيا على حالها ووقفا على سيرهما،
He explains the possible four states of the Tijani Disciple:
Know that the people of the tariqa are of four categories:
A wayfarer who is not enraptured, whose wayfaring has prevailed over his attraction; he is outward and formal.
And a enraptured who is not wayfaring, whose attraction has prevailed over his wayfaring; he is cut off.
And the wayfarer that becomes enraptured, whose wayfaring has led him to the station of attraction; he is one who may be among the gnostics, if there is someone who takes him by the hand.
And the enraptured who is wayfaring, whose attraction coincides with his wayfaring; he constitutes the majority of the companions of the Seal al-Tijani, and they are the eminent ones.
And there remains a fifth category, for whom there is no share in the tariqa: those who are neither wayfaring nor enraptured. We seek refuge in Allah. Thus, even if they take the tariqa, their taking makes them not Tijanis. Perhaps Allah will have mercy upon them if they are granted love for our master, the Shaykh, may Allah be pleased with him.
أَعْلَمْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الطَّرِيقَةِ عَلَى أَرْبَعَةِ أَقْسَامٍ :
سَالِكٌ غَيْرُ مَجْذُوبٍ، غَلَبَ سُلُوتُهُ عَلَى جَذْبِهِ، وَهُوَ ظَاهِرِيٌّ رَسْمِيٌّ ،
وَمَجْذُوبٌ غَيْرُ سَالِكٍ، غَلَبَ جَذْبُهُ عَلَى سُلُوكِهِ، فَهُوَ أَبْتَرُ،
وَسَالِكَ مَجْذُوبٌ ، أَدَّى سُلُوكُهُ إِلَى مَقَامِ الْجَذْبِ، فَهُوَ وَأَصْلٌ يَكُونُ مِنَ الْعَارِفِينَ إِنْ وُجِدَ مَنْ يَأْخُذُ بِيَدِهِ،
وَمَجْذُوبٌ سَالِكٌ تَقَارَنَ جَذْبُهُ مَعَ سُلُوكِهِ، وَهُوَ غَالِبُ أَصْحَابِ الْخَتْمِ التِّجَانِيِّ، وَهُمُ الْأَكَابِرُ.
وَبَقِيَ صِنْفٌ خَامِسٌ لَا نَاقَةَ لَهُمْ فِي الطَّرِيقَةِ وَلَا جَمَلٌ، وَهُمْ مَنْ لَا سُلُوكَ لَهُمْ وَلَا جَذْبَ ، نَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ، فَهُمْ وَإِنْ أَخَذُوا الطَّرِيقَةَ فَأَخْذَةٌ لَا تِجَانِيُّونَ، عَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَرْحَمَهُمْ إِنْ رُزِقُوا مَحَبَّةَ سَيِّدِنَا الشَّيْخِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ .
As for the wayfaring in the divine attraction, it is the very wayfaring. For when the gnostic of Allah stands with Allah in the stations at which we have referred, if he does not die, he awakens or returns to the world of metaphor, to the witnessing of the effects, and to the world of images. Then he sees the two addresses: the address of His, Most High, will, and the address of His wisdom. He indicated them in His, Most High, saying: “And you do not will unless Allah wills, Lord of the worlds.”
Thus, he follows a path in which he combines acting in accordance with the implications of both addresses.
Outwardly, therefore, he adheres to the laws of Islam, and these constitute the implication of the address of wisdom in the world of al-nasut.
Inwardly, however, he has neither movement nor stillness, nor any action; and this is the implication of the address of divine will, through iman, certainty, and irfan.
Thus, he fulfills the commands of Allah: from Allah, through Allah, and for Allah.
No movement or stillness remains for him except that he is standing therein by the command of Allah, for Allah, through Allah.
His actions therefore become, all of them, obligatory duties and obligations, whether in respect of the rights of Allah or the shares of the soul.
فَأَمَّا السُّلُوكُ فِي الْجَذْبِ فَهُوَ عَيْنُ السُّلُوكِ الْمُتَقَدِّمِ الذِّكْرِ، لَا بِمَعْنَى وَاحِدٍ، فَإِنَّ الْعَارِفَ بِاللَّهِ إِذَا وَقَفَ مَعَ اللَّهِ الْوَقَفَاتِ الَّتِي أَشَرْنَا إِلَيْهَا، إِنْ لَمْ يَمُتْ يَصْحُو أَوْ يَرْجِعُ إِلَى عَالَمِ الْمَجَازِ وَمُشَاهَدَةِ الْآثَارِ وَعَالَمِ الْمِثَالِ، فَيَرَى الْخِطَابَيْنِ : خِطَابَ مَشِيئَتِهِ تَعَالَى، وَخِطَابَ حِكْمَتِهِ، أَشَارَ إِلَيْهِمَا : قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى : ﴿وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ ، فَيَسْلُكُ طَرِيقًا يَجْمَعُ فِيهَا بَيْنَ الْقِيَامِ بِمُقْتَضَى الْخِطَابَيْنِ ، لَيْسَ جَبْرِيًّا مَحْضًا وَلَا قَدَرِيًّا مَحْضًا، فَيَقُومُ بِظَاهِرِهِ بِشَرَائِعِ الْإِسْلَامِ وَهِيَ مُقْتَضَى خِطَابِ الْحِكْمَةِ فِي عَالَمِ النَّاسُوتِ، وَهُوَ بِبَاطِنِهِ لَا حَرَكَةَ لَهُ وَلَا سُكُونَ ، وَلَا عَمَلَ ، وَهُوَ مُقْتَضَى خِطَابِ الْمَشِيئَةِ إِيمَانًا وَإِيقَانًا وَعِرْفَانًا، فَيَمْتَثِلُ أَوَامِرَ اللَّهِ مِنَ اللَّهِ ، بِاللَّهِ، لِلَّهِ ، لَا تَبْقَى لَهُ حَرَكَةٌ وَلَا سُكُونَ إِلَّا وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ فِيهَا بِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ ، لِلَّهِ ، بِاللَّهِ ، فَتَصِيرُ أَعْمَالُهُ فُرُوضًا وَاجِبَاتٍ كُلُّهَا، سَوَاءٌ فِي ذَلِكَ الْحُقُوقُ الْإِلَهِيَّةُ وَالْحُظُوطُ النَّفْسَانِيَّةُ.