Sufism, Sufis, and Sufi Orders:  Sufism's Many Paths

Professor Alan Godlas, University of Georgia

Early Shaykhs  of Sufism : Abu Muhammad al-Jariri

Sulami stated the following concerning al-Jariri: It is said that his name was Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Husayn and that his father's patronymic was Abu al-Husayn.  Another report was that his name was Hasan ibn Muhammad.  Although it was said that his name was 'Abd Allah ibn Yahya, that is incorrect.  He was among the great men of those who associated with Junayd.  In addition, he associated with Sahl ibn 'Abd Allah al-Tustari.  He was among the scholars of the shaykhs of the Folk (al-qawm) [ie. the Sufis].  He was seated after Junayd in his gathering (majlis), due to the completion of his [spiritual] state and the correctness of his knowledge.  He died in the year 311 AH.

Sulami noted that Jariri said, "I dreamt that someone said to me, 'For God everything has its right.  And the supreme right, for God, is the right of wisdom (hikmah).  God will demand its right from whomever expresses wisdom to one for whom it is not suitable.  And whomever He demands its right from, he is opposed (khusima)."

Sulami also stated that Jariri said, "Whoever imagines that one's actions will enable one to reach [both] one's highest and most mundane hopes has indeed strayed from his path, because the Prophet (sala Allah 'alayhi wa-sallam) said, 'He will not save you by your actions.'  So how can that which will not save one from what is feared (makhuf) enable one to reach what is hoped for?!  Rather one who truly relies upon God's grace (fadl) is one for whom attainment becomes a fact (yurha lahu al-wusul).
 
 

---From al-Sulami, Tabaqatal-Sufiyah, selected from pp. 259-63.
(The full chains of transmission of these reports are included in
the original but have been omitted in the above translation.)

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Translations copyright©1988 by Dr. A. Godlas. Not for publication
in any media except by written permission of the translator.