Summary of the Principles of Teachings and Practices of the Noble Gonabadi Order

Extracted from the book Bab-e-Velayat va Rah-e-Hedayat (Article Nine)
Written by Haj Sayyed Hebatollah Jazbi Esfahani (Sabit Ali)

1. They adhere strictly and meticulously to fulfilling religious obligations and duties. Beyond performing obligatory acts and avoiding prohibited ones, they also strive to perform recommended actions (mustahabbat) and avoid disliked actions (makruh). Furthermore, the elders advise refraining even from permissible acts (mubah) if there’s a risk of falling into disliked or prohibited actions. These religious duties remain obligatory for life, regardless of spiritual advancements; in fact, the higher one ascends in spiritual ranks, the greater their effort in worship, obedience, humility, and devotion. In spiritual practices, some recommended acts are mandated, such as maintaining constant purity (wudu), praying mandatory prayers at the earliest time, waking up before dawn for worship (especially during the time between dawn and sunrise), reciting portions of the Holy Quran after the morning prayer, and reciting the Great Salawat (Salawat Kabirah) after morning prayer and before sleeping.

In gatherings of the faqirs (dervishes), after congregational prayers—if an authorized person is present—one of the books containing religious duties and ethical/spiritual instructions is read aloud, followed by poetry from great mystics. The attendees remain silent, reflecting on God and listening attentively.

2. From Thursday evening until after the midday Friday prayers, in accordance with the holy verse: إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِن يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ("When the call is made for prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of God and leave business.") , worldly affairs are set aside. They cease their work and worldly activities, engaging in religious matters such as attending gatherings of the fuqara (plural of faqir, darvish in Persian), visiting brothers and the graves of saints, visiting the sick, helping the needy, supporting the oppressed, and other such acts—or they dedicate themselves to worship and prayer.
3. Individuals addicted to opium or other narcotics such as hashish, bhang, intoxicants, etc., are not accepted in this order. The use of opium is considered forbidden according to the fatwas of most scholars, and such individuals do not exist within this order. Even many elders refrain from using hookahs and cigarettes due to their harmful effects on health.
4. All followers of this order must meet their living needs through work and business. Even the elders sustain themselves through activities like farming, digging canals, and reviving barren lands, avoiding laziness and idleness. Unemployed individuals relying on begging, street-performing, or imposing themselves on others are not accepted and do not exist within this order.
5. They do not criticize or speak ill of any spiritual orders or sects. Instead, they treat everyone with love and kindness. Speaking ill of leaders and elders of any order or sect is considered forbidden according to the verse: وَلَا تَسُبُّوا الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَيَسُبُّوا اللَّهَ عَدْوًا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ("Do not insult those whom they invoke besides Allah, lest they insult Allah in enmity without knowledge.") . Praise or criticism is based on the principles of the Quran, focusing on actions rather than the individual. The general instruction is to serve God through worship and obedience, treat everyone with kindness and compassion, and behave humbly and helpfully toward fellow believers.
6. Polygamy is not permitted except in rare cases of necessity due to legal reasons, based on the verses: فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً ("If you fear you cannot maintain justice, then marry only one.") and وَلَن تَسْتَطِيعُوا أَن تَعْدِلُوا ("Even if you strive, you will never be able to maintain justice.") . Divorce is also discouraged, except in cases where reconciliation is impossible or it disrupts religious or spiritual matters, as per the hadith: اِنَّ اَبْغضَ الاشياء عِندى الطّلاق .
7. They hold great respect for prominent scholars authorized to narrate and teach religious rulings. Followers are instructed to refer to religious authorities for guidance in their duties, as Sharia is the foundation and prerequisite for spiritual practices. Without fulfilling religious obligations through proper imitation, inner and spiritual matters are deemed ineffective.
8. Engaging in any religious matter—such as leading congregational prayers, collecting religious funds, issuing judgments, or giving fatwas—without permission from an authorized person whose authority is connected to one of the infallibles (peace be upon them) is considered impermissible. They compare this to government affairs, where no one can interfere without authorization, regardless of their knowledge of administrative or legal matters. Similarly, in religious matters, mere knowledge of rulings does not suffice; proper authorization is required.
9. Followers of this order are not allowed to engage in proselytizing or preaching. Instead, they should resolve doubts through good deeds and virtuous conduct, inspiring people to embrace religion. They emphasize that the spiritual path (tariqat) is a matter of the heart and inner self, while preaching pertains to external and religious aspects. Whoever is favored with divine guidance—since guidance is exclusively from God, as stated in the verse: اللَّهُ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ ("Allah guides whom He wills.") —will be inspired to seek the truth. When one strives earnestly and prays to God for guidance, He fulfills His promise in the verse: وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ("Those who strive in Our cause, We will surely guide them to Our ways.") , leading them to His representative. Consequently, this order does not engage in promotional activities or public gatherings beyond the usual meetings of the Faqirs held on Thursday and Monday nights and Friday mornings. These gatherings focus on remembering God, discussing religious matters, and highlighting the virtues of the elders, and they are open to non-followers.
10. Followers of this order are not permitted to engage in politics (although government jobs are considered part of one’s livelihood) or join political parties and groups. Political discussions are strictly prohibited in gatherings of the Faqirs, and even worldly and material matters should not be discussed in such gatherings. Instead, these gatherings are solely dedicated to the remembrance of God and spiritual and moral matters. At the same time, followers are required to respect and comply with the laws of the country, avoid exceeding personal responsibilities, focus on their own work, refrain from judging others, and strive to improve themselves as much as possible.
11. One of the characteristics of this order is that most of its elders and authorized representatives are scholars who have attained the highest levels of formal and academic knowledge and are either mujtahids or close to the status of ijtihad. After completing all levels of academic achievement and gaining formal respect, they turned their attention to perfecting their inner selves, acquiring spiritual knowledge, and advancing spiritually—reaching the ranks that the secret companions of the Imams (peace be upon them) possessed. They abandoned all formal ranks and positions, even subjecting themselves to the criticism and condemnation of superficial observers, choosing to follow the path of this order and submit to the divine representative. (For reference, see the states of the elders of this order in the book «نابغه علم و عرفان» (The Genius of Knowledge and Mysticism)).
12. This order, in terms of outward practices and religious duties, has no differences in actions and beliefs with prominent scholars and the true Twelver Shi'a. They exhibit no distinction in appearance, attire, or place of worship—which is the mosque—and they do not believe in establishing a specific location such as a khanqah (Sufi lodge), which they consider a cause of division and fragmentation. They view the creation of various sects within Islam as the greatest reason for the decline and weakness of Islam and emphasize that all Muslims should unite and work together to elevate the name of Islam and address the corruption and dangers that have arisen. They believe that the spiritual path (tariqat) is a matter of inner reform, purification of the soul, and spiritual refinement, which does not require any specific outward form. The duty of followers is to resemble and align with other Muslims, who are their Islamic brothers, in outward appearance and practices, without adopting any unique traits that set them apart. Instead, they should strive to excel in performing their religious and ethical duties and, in their spiritual responsibilities, always remember God and never neglect His remembrance. According to the noble hadith: الذِّكرُ طاعةٌ والغفلةُ مَعصية , neglecting and forgetting the remembrance of God is considered a grave sin. While engaging in worldly affairs, they must keep God in their hearts, as the well-known saying goes: "Hands at work and heart with the Beloved."

In every place, with every person, in every task,

Keep the eye of your heart secretly focused towards the Beloved.

Do not be heedless of that King for even a blink of an eye,

He may glance at you while you remain unaware.

13. In this order, there is no obligation to grow a mustache, and the elders have stated that religion is not tied to a strand of hair. However, none of the scholars have issued a fatwa declaring it forbidden or disliked; rather, they consider it recommended. This recommendation has also been accepted by Shi'a scholars based on leniency in the evidence for religious traditions. Otherwise, most of the narrators of these reports are not considered reliable.
14. The elders consider the mystics to be representatives of the Truth, deputies of the Imam (peace be upon him), authorized in wisdom, and tasked with the refinement of souls, improvement of ethics, purification of the spirit, and guiding people toward God. They connect their authorization through valid intermediaries back to the Imam (peace be upon him) and regard obedience to their commands as obedience to divine directives. Similarly, they consider prominent scholars to be representatives of the Truth and deputies of the Imam (peace be upon him) in propagating religious rulings and obligations. Their authorization for narration must also be connected to the Imam (peace be upon him) through unimpaired intermediaries.
15. Religious rituals and acts of worship must be performed under the command of the divine authority, as actions carried out without such a command will not yield eternal rewards or benefits. However, if they are done with sincerity and purity of intention, without any trace of hypocrisy or selfish motives, the Almighty God, as stated in the noble verse: وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ("And those who strive for Us, We will surely guide them to Our ways.") , will guide the individual to the divine authority. After submitting to His command, the reward and merit for their past actions will also be granted to them.
16. The guardianship (Wilayah) of Ali (peace be upon him), according to authentic and frequent narrations, is considered a condition for the acceptance of deeds and entry into the gate of knowledge. Beyond simply expressing affection, love, and devotion, true guardianship requires belief in the immediate succession of his caliphate. Otherwise, thousands of individuals from non-Islamic religions also express love and devotion toward this great figure, but that does not mean they possess true Wilayah. Furthermore, according to the noble hadith: بُنِيَ اَلْإِسْلاَمُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ؛ اَلصَّلاَةِ وَ اَلزَّكَاةِ وَ اَلصَّوْمِ وَ اَلْحَجِّ وَ اَلْوَلاَيَةِ ("Islam is built upon five pillars: prayer, zakat, fasting, hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), and guardianship.") , Wilayah, which is a spiritual and heartfelt matter, has been mentioned alongside physical acts of worship. Otherwise, Tawhid (monotheism), prophethood, and belief in the hereafter should have been mentioned as well. The physical act that has no leniency is the covenant of faith; until a person performs this covenant, even if they spend their entire life in worship and obedience, God will throw them face down into the fire of Hell. This covenant of faith and Islamic allegiance was manifest during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). After him, opponents forcibly took Islamic allegiance from people, but the covenant of faith was secretly taken by Ali and the Imams (peace be upon them) after the Prophet's passing, up until the time of the Major Occultation. Due to fear of oppressive rulers, this covenant was taken covertly from those whom God guided. Clear Quranic verses, indirect narrations and traditions, and historical records all establish and affirm this matter. There is no evidence from verses or narrations to suggest that during the Occultation of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance), this important act—which, according to the noble verse الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي ("This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you.") , is the completion of religion—has been annulled or abrogated. Therefore, logically, traditionally, and spiritually, this act must be carried out even during the Occultation. Those who are authorized in wisdom and the great mystics, with authorization connected through intermediaries to the Imam (peace be upon him), take this covenant from those who are prepared. However, it is necessary that those who take the covenant possess a valid and unimpaired authorization connected to the Imam. The covenant is a transaction with the Truth, as stated: إِنَّ اللَّهَ اشْتَرَى مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ ("Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their wealth in exchange for Paradise.") . Thus, this transaction must be conducted with a representative of the Truth who holds valid authorization.
17. Attaining the blessing of serving the representative of the Truth and one who holds authorization is dependent, first and foremost, on divine guidance. God guides whomever He wills to His representative. Secondly, recognizing those who hold true authorization based on outward criteria involves two factors: "Nass" (explicit designation) and "Athar" (effect). "Nass" refers to authorization given directly and uninterruptedly, either in writing or verbally (not in dreams), and connected to the Imam (peace be upon him). Investigating this requires careful scrutiny and deep study of the states and writings of mystics and elders. As for "Athar," it involves meeting and accompanying them in accordance with the instruction given by Jesus (peace be upon him). When asked, مَن نُجالِسُ؟ ("Whom should we sit with?"), Jesus replied: مَن يُذَكِّرُ اللّهَ رُؤيَتُهُ، و يَزيدُ في عِلْمِكُم منطِقُهُ، و يُرَغِّبُ في الآخِرَةِ عَمَلُهُ ("The one whose sight reminds you of God, whose words increase your knowledge, and whose actions incline you toward the Hereafter."). Thus, the person you meet and accompany should remind you of God, increase your understanding through their speech, and inspire you toward the Hereafter while detaching you from worldly attachments. Such a person is worthy of your submission. Additionally, their actions, behavior, and beliefs must fully align with the noble Shariah. If they neglect any aspect of Shariah or hold beliefs contrary to the Holy Quran and authentic narrations, they are not worthy of obedience or following. Of course, this evaluation applies at the beginning. Once one submits to their command and follows their instructions, they will feel, day by day, that their soul is being refined, their negative traits are transforming into virtuous qualities, and a sense of clarity and luminosity is arising in their heart. At that point, they will be certain that they are on a righteous and truthful path.