One of the masters of the Naksibendi Path, Sheykh Abdulhalik Gucdevani (ks) was learning the commentary of the Holy Quran from his hoja Sheykh Sadreddin and they came to this Ayat:

BismillahirRahmanirRahim
(O mankind) Call upon the Lord humbly and in secret. Lo! He loveth not aggressors (Surah Araf 7/55)

After Sheykh Sadrreddin finished the commentary on this ayat Abdulhalik Gucdevani asked him:

“Sir, how are the hidden prayers and dhikr performed that are described in this ayat? If the person performs and recites the prayer and dhikr openly, people can hear and see it. This situation has the danger of showing off. If he performs it from his inside then the devil notices because in the hadith-e-sherif it is said, “The devil circulates inside the human, like the blood circulates in the veins” (Bukhari). How is it possible to perform the dhikr of Exalted Allah without people and the devil taking notice?”

His teacher is filled with admiration for the question he asked.

“Oh my son! This is Ladune, a divine ilm (knowledge). If Allah wills, he will join you to one of the friends of thou and teach you the hidden dhikr. ”

Abdulhalik Gujdevani (ks) started to wait for this friend, in the end, Allahu Tala joined him firstly with Hz Khidr (as) and later with the great Arif Yusuf Hemadani (ks) who trained him spiritually in the end and graduated him, with permission for Irshad (guiding).

The famous Hoja Ahmed Yesevi (ks) is also calph of Yusuf Hemadani (ks) and also friend of Abdulhalik Gucdevani (ks) on this path. The training of these two great saints both originated from Yusuf Hemadani (ks). In history and until the present day most of the Turkish people join the spiritual training and fayd which comes from these two branches

– Edited and excerpted from Manners of Sufi Way