LAṬĀ’IF THEORY IN THE TAREKAT QĀDIRIYYAH WA NAQSYABANDIYYAH: With Special Reference to Kyai Muslih al-Marāqī’s Concep

Abstract

This article tries to unearth a concept of laṭā’if exposed by Kyai Muslih al-Marāqī, a prominent figure in the Tarekat Qādiriyyah wa Naqsyabandiyyah (TQN). To unfold his laṭā’if concept, this study proceeds in two steps: firstly, describing his concept of laṭā’if by referring  to  three  works  of him, viz.  ‘Umdah al-Sālik, al-Futūḥāt al- Rabbāniyyah, and Risalah Tuntunan  Ṭarīqah;  secondly, tracing  the sources of his laṭā’if concept by pointing to the previous works he referred to. Besides, this study also spells out the addition and modification of his concept compared to the previous concepts. Using the heretofore  mentioned procedure, this study comes up with the following findings. First, Muslih exposes five aspects concerning laṭā’if, namely, its number, its place in human  body, its relationship  with nafs, with dhikr, and with murāqabah. Second, in formulating  his laṭā’if concept, he refers to the works of Ahmad Khatib Sambas, al-Nawawi al-Bantani, and Muhammad Amin al-Kurdi. This means that  his laṭā’if concept has not only genealogical  root with the concepts of prominent  figures  from  the  same  Sufi Order  (TQN),  but  with  the  concept  of prominent figure from other Sufi Order as well (Naqsyabandiyyah). Finally, his laṭā’if concept—its number, its place, its relationship with nafs, dhikr, and murāqabah—in some cases is just the same with the previous concepts, but in some other cases is different from them. In this light, Muslih sometimes made addition and modification.