the prayers and commit grave sins such as highway robbery and murder. They believe that this disciplines their souls and gives them a pleasure that keeps them from committing forbidden acts and major sins, and moves them to pray, fast, and perform Hajj.

This is the justification used by many shaykhs who invite people to their path through innovated listening practices in their various forms. Some invite people through frame drums and dancing; others add flutes. Some conduct these sessions with women and boys, others with frame drums and handclapping, and others with gatherings for remembrance, glorification of Allah, standing, recitation of poetry, and the other forms these practices take. Sometimes they add to this the company of women and beardless youths, and similar things.

They say, “These people whom we have brought to repentance used neither to pray, perform Hajj, nor fast. Rather, they committed highway robbery, murder, and fornication. We brought them to repentance from all this through these listening sessions.” They maintain that none of them could have brought these people to repentance by any other means.

They may acknowledge that what they have done is a religious innovation that is prohibited or unlawful. Yet they say, “We had no other means available. If we do not engage in this small measure of forbidden conduct, the result will be involvement in things even more strictly forbidden, and the neglect of obligations—a greater sin than this forbidden practice, which is slight compared with the many forbidden acts they used to commit.”