11-20-2008, 09:41 PM
Bismillah
as salam alykom
Info seeker, to the best of my knowledge according to your description, this is a sufi sect. They heavily depend on the Prophet's lineage. As for people from this lineage, they are available yes, but they do not have merit over any other Muslim as the Messenger salla Allah a`lyhee wa sallam hiself told Fatima Radyallah a`na, work Fatima for I can not be of a merit to Allah for you.
As for the method they practice, let us break it into points:
1. Making Dua in a group is of course recommended, but usually we do this for example during Salat like in Ramadan when the Imam does Dua Qunut after Taraweek.
2. We dont need to impose dramatic effects like turning lights off.
3. Doing dkkir was never practiced in a group by the Messenger salla Allah a`lyhee wa sallam.
4. Yes doing dhikr is of course highly recommended, it is a way to get closer to Allah, to gain rewards, to have your heart polished. But you dont need to do it in this form.
5. Certainly crying after Dua is also good because it means INsh aAllah that the heart is not dead or hardended.
6. Thus, the only time Dua was made in a group is during Qunut, or may be if you have completed reading full quran, you may call whoever is available with u to make the dua.
7. But as to have somone repeat a special dhikr for certain time with lights off, I never read or heared this in Quran or Sunnah.