the process of inhaling and exhaling. Next is the
muraqabah,
or contemplation.
For this one has to focus entirely on some verse of the Qur’an or a Divine
Attribute and then become completely absorbed in contemplating it.
It is difficult to explain some of the rituals in which the later followers
of the Shaykh engage, as they seem to be influenced by local customs. For
example, the followers of the Qadri Order in North Africa, who are called
Gilanis,
practice the ritual of
khalwah
which actually refers to spiritual retreat,
in their own particular way. Certain symbolic items like reeds are fixed
between piles of stones, which are then called the
khalwah
.The local women
attach strips of cloth to the reeds and burn oil placed in little earthen vessels
in order to remove the ‘bad eye’. Both men and women visit this type of
khalwah
and pray for the fulfillment of their wishes.
In Morocco certain Qadris vocalize their remembrance of God
(dhikr
)
with a musical accompaniment. InTangier, when the Jilalah make vows, they
place white cocks in the
zawiyah
(centre for mystics)
.
These are called
muharrar
and their lives are spared.
On the 11
th
of the month of
Rabi’ath sani
, those who are connected with
the Qadri order celebrate the birth and the death anniversary of Abdul
Qadir Jilani, very often by cooking special food and distributing it among
the followers and neighbours. In Sindi folk tradition, the whole month is
often called
yarhin
, ‘eleven’, because it is sanctified by this memorial day. In
Ludhiana ‘his toothpick is said to have taken root’ and to have grown into a
tree near which an annual fair is held.
19
An almost unavoidable outcome of such practices was the raising of
19
T.W.Arnold, Saints, Muhammadan, in India, in Encyclopedia of Religions, ed. Hastings, Vol.
XI, pp. 68-73
