Sufism and secret knowledge

wa alaykum as salaam wa rahma!

Thank you for your question! As for the Zaydi position regarding Sufism, as you mentioned, we have written on and answered this question before. However, I think it bears repeating that Zaydis have no problem with Muslims pursuing spiritual or mystical understandings as long as it is within the dictates of the mind as well as consistent with Zaydi theology and jurisprudence. Having said that, it is unfortunate that many Sufi sheiks have taken advantage of their positions in terms of manipulating their followers in respect to their resources or psychological emotional dependency, and this is one of the aspects of Sufism that we have a problem with.

However, as you mentioned regarding this secret knowledge, according to Zaydi thought there is no esoteric knowledge that is inaccessible to the who seeks it. In other words, there is no exclusive, hidden baatini knowledge that is possessed by a person, whether it be a sheikh or imam, that cannot be access to anyone who makes the effort. Much of our works dedicated towards spiritual purification are those works that can lead a person towards the spiritual path of indifference or Zuhud as it is called, as this is the primary purpose of the spiritual path in Zaydism. 

So I would say that the 'secret knowledge' as it is called, is not considered the final destination in Zaydi spirituality. Rather, the final destination or the final goal or purpose is for the worshipper to have this firm realisation (ma'rifa) in his or her Lord. This realisation will lead such aspirant to eschew the temptations and ephemeral nature of the life of this world. This, I would say, is the goal of Zaydi spirituality. 

And Allah knows best!

IRS

wa aaykum as salaam wa rahma!

Thank you for your questions! There are some awraad that are narrated from our imams, such as ayat al-kursi (Q. 2;255) after each prayer. There are also a host of daily supplications related from our imams. If you would like for me to forward you some of them, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

As for works on zuhd translated into English, we have a chapter dedicated to this in our most recent published translation of the Ahkaam, which can be purchased from any major book distribution company or directly from the publisher, Dar alNadhiri. We also have a whole section dedicated to spirituality in our forthcoming translation The Luminary of the Prophet's Family: The Collected Works of Imam al-Qaasim b. Ibraahiim. In the meantime, you can refer to the last section of our translation of Al-Mukhtasar al-Mufeed .  

And Alah knows best!

IRS