Translated from Spanish
Mark: Peace be upon you, Sheik Omar! I hope you remember me, I’m Mark (a Mexican guy who visited the Dargah about five years ago). How are you?
Omar Ibrahim: Peace be upon you. I’m well, thank you... To be honest, I don’t remember you... Affectionate greetings.
Mark: I’m not surprised, it was a long time ago. Rafa Millán and Mardia referred me to you. I’d like to visit the Dargah if you are still there and willing to receive me. Kind regards.
Omar Ibrahim: The Dargah no longer exists... I’m no longer in the order either, I left two years ago... I wish you the best on your spiritual journey... Best wishes.
Mark: Thank you very much, my best wishes to you as well. You received me with great hospitality back then, and I’m very grateful for that. I wish you all the best. A hug.
Omar Ibrahim: Good afternoon, if you have any concerns or a question about a spiritual path that I can share with you, don’t hesitate to ask me on WhatsApp. On my path, the path without a path, we’re here to help each other.
Mark: I really appreciate it (should I keep calling you Omar?).
I’ve heard from people I respect that the path without a path is full of traps, yet I’ve been searching for a master for ten years, but I haven’t found one yet. So far, my teachers have been the difficult people I’ve encountered in my life. Even though I try to act with humility, I can’t tell if this is due to my own pride or if this is simply the path that’s meant for me.
I’d like to know, especially coming from you, if it’s necessary to follow an established path (as you did with Sufism) before embarking on the path without a path.
Thank you very much for your help.
Omar Ibrahim: I’m glad you’re writing from the heart. First, let me tell you that I prefer you to call me Rafael. Learning from difficult people is an impossible task because their egos make them unstable and irritating, and learning from the harm they do is not the way.
I spent thirty-two years walking the Sufi path, only to realize, after having several masters in my life, about the failure ahead. When I stopped searching, the master found me, but for that, you must ask God, just as you’ve asked me now through your heart.
Maybe you’ve already asked God, and that’s why we’re having this conversation...
Ah, because the master is, in reality, a companion who helps you become the master of your own life. It’s the path to freedom, but to find that full freedom, you need a companion, whom we consider as a master. But deep down, he’s a companion, and he teaches you through the freedom that is the path beyond the path toward the goal, which is your heart.
Rafael (formerly Omar Ibrahim): Human masters, because they are human, when they have too much power, they become corrupted—corrupted by ego, money, fame… corrupted by sex. But when your master is beyond form, then you can walk with a firm step. In the meantime, the brothers on the path without a path are the ones who, with their support and advice, can help you see reality.
Rafael (formerly Omar Ibrahim): Breaking free from the protocol of spiritual paths and their paranoid traditions is the first key, which is why I left the order.
Rafael (formerly Omar Ibrahim): And I followed the essential truth that God has planted all over the world.
Mark: Can you clarify this for me: "when your master is beyond form, then you can walk with a firm step"... Does this mean the master is not in flesh and blood? Or that the master is free from forms of corruption?
Rafael (formerly Omar Ibrahim): To answer that, you’d need to walk with me for a while... Such deep knowledge can’t be conveyed in just one message. It takes day-to-day change within us to become better. I can accompany you through this process for a while.
Rafael (formerly Omar Ibrahim): To start, I recommend you watch the movie The Peaceful Warrior. You can find it on YouTube.
Rafael (formerly Omar Ibrahim): You can also watch the movie Baba Aziz: The Wise Sufi.
Mark: Thank you very much, Rafael. In your message, I understand that we need a master, but we must also be aware that they are companions on the path and human beings. I’ll start by watching the movies you recommended, and I’m sure more questions will come up for me. I hope, with time, you’ll also see the sincerity and honesty in my search. God has taught me much humility over these years and has cleared many ideas that only hinder our path. I’m very grateful for your guidance.
I’ll get in touch with you again once I’ve done my homework. Thanks. A hug.
Rafael (formerly Omar Ibrahim): 🤗♥️