What is initiation? Initiation is a sacred trust given by Murshid to the mureed and a trust given by the mureed to Murshid. No wall should exist from the moment of this initiation. For if there is a wall, then the initiation is no more an initiation. When the wall is removed by the mureed and Murshid, then the next step is that the wall will be removed between God and the worshipper.
The Sufi Order is the order of mysticism, and there are certain thoughts and considerations that should be observed: One consideration is that once a certain secret is entrusted to a mureed, it must be kept as a most secret and sacred trust. A second consideration is that all the teachings that will be given to a mureed are taken, whether bitter medicine or sweet medicine, the patient takes it all.
Another consideration is that everything has a time, and so illumination has a time. But progress, the real progress, depends upon the patience of the student, together with their eagerness to go forward. Al-Ghazali, the great Sufi says, “To journey in the spiritual path is like shooting an arrow, not knowing where it goes and what it hits.”
A last consideration is that the path of initiation is a path of tests: tests from the initiator, tests from God, tests from self, and tests from the world. To go through these tests is the sign of real progress of the mureed, and the one who will not observe these tests will be wasting their time. The word Order itself suggests that there is a certain form of initiators and of the Pir-o-Murshid, that they must be regarded and respected as those who have gone further in that direction.
The law is not any different from the law of nature and of life. A child, who is disrespectful to their parents, will find when they become parents themselves that their children treat them disrespectfully. A soldier, who does not observe discipline under the captain or colonel, will also find the same experience when they become a captain or a colonel. But the question is whether they will ever arrive at that state of leadership after not having considered and observed respect for their leaders. For those who have gone further in any line of music, poetry, thought, or philosophy, have always gone in a humble way, greeting at every step those who have gone further.
Then there are three stages for the student, for the mureed, to tread on the spiritual path. The first stage is receptivity: to take all that is given without saying, “This I will take and this I will not take.” The second stage is to assimilate. And the third stage is to put it in the mind and let the mind see the reason of things, but only after the assimilation.
The person who will divide these three stages, the stage of receptivity, the stage of assimilation and the stage of consideration, and go through them securely and with regard, will be the successful mureed on the path.
Although, on the surface, the Sufi Message’s form might appear hierarchical, it leads to true democracy. It promises attainment of the goal for which every soul yearns. This promise of attainment for every soul is the principal thing in spiritual democracy; and this promise can be given because the Sufi believes the divine spark to be in every soul. If the mureed will step forward with trust and confidence in God and the Murshid and in that divine spark which is in their heart, then the mureed is assured of success in their life.
Undated
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