A Persian Tarîkatnâme for the Ni’metullâhiyye Sect: Tarîka Fî Âdâbi’s-Sülûk

Abstract

Tarîkatnâme is a genre that explains the series of rules that must be followed during
the spiritual journey called seyr-u sülûk. After the emergence of dervish lodges and sects,
the number of tarikatnâmes increased rapidly. The risalah called Tarîka Fî Âdâbi’s-Sülûk,
written by Fakîrullah el-Huseyni, a sufi member of the Ni’metullâhiyye sect, is an example
of the genre of tarîkatnâme. The only copy of the work that we can identify is registered
as a detached work in the Süleymaniye Manuscript Library. The current copy consists of
forty-nine leaves. In his prose work, which consists of five chapters, Fakîrullah el-Huseyni
explains in detail the tekke customs of the Ni’metullâhiyye sect. It deals with the issues
that a person who is accepted to the Ni’metullâhiyye sect should pay attention to when
communicating with the master and the ikhvan. In addition, it explains the services that
the disciple must perform both inside and outside the lodge, under headings. Accordingly,
the disciple is brought to the services regarding restroom, shoe holder, kitchen, sweeper,
water, furnace, lamp burning, servant, and serhalka respectively. The author notes that
each of these challenging tasks requires patience and emphasizes the importance of the
disciple fulfilling every task assigned to her with love. The author states that these duties
will be instrumental in getting rid of immaturity and reaching the rank of teacher. In this
study, information about the tarîkatnâmes and the Ni’metullâhiyya order is given, and
then the content of the work is emphasized.