It is part of the character of our tariqah to aspire to precision in language, so it is fitting that there has been discussion concerning the use of the appellative “Shaykh” for Sidi Hasan. The term “Shaykh” is a title that is used in many different ways across the Islamic tradition, and it is important to clarify the context in which it is used on our tariqah.
In our understanding—in the context of our tariqah—the title is not the bestowal of some kind of authority, but rather a recognition of a role that is already in operation. I accepted this title explicitly because fuqara’ come to me for guidance concerning interior life and the practices of our Method (Invocation, Themes, Alchemy, etc.) as well as other esoteric/mystical matters. I discussed this in my mudhakarah on “The Renewal of the Tariqah” (October 20, 2020). Let me further explain:
For us, the use of the term “Shaykh” is above all the acknowledgment of a spiritual function.
Shaykh Hossein Nasr was not appointed to the position by Shaykh ‘Isa, and he was not called “Shaykh” because of his intellectual and academic achievements. He acquired the title precisely because those around him sought his guidance in their religious and spiritual life.
As for our brother Sidi Hasan, the appellation “Shaykh” is a recognition of the religious and spiritual guidance that he provides to those around him, as he has done for many years, and of his ongoing commitment to that role in our tariqah. This is not the conferral upon him of a new formal office but the recognition of his present function.
There are certainly other arguments that can be made about the use of terminology, but I will leave those to the scholars. I am a Shaykh of the Tariqah Maryamiyyah because I fill that function. So is Shaykh Hasan. So be it.
— Al-Bashir abd al-Majid abd al-Alim, Al-Qadiri-Shadhili-Maryami
