[absalih]

Imam Muhammad Ibn Yusuf al-Sanusi al Maliki.(d.895.Ah) wrote in his 'Aqidatul Kubra':

Quote

The ṣūfīs claim that their exercises (riyāḍa) are an activating-link for God's willing
(for them) an increase in understanding, as two Qur'ān verses show: "Those who struggle
for us we guide on our paths" [29:69] and "He wrote faith in their hearts and confirmed
them with a spirit from himself" [58:22]. These refer to God's creating in them knowledge
which is not demonstrable or expressable, but is given by way of pure and extraordinary
favor (in`ām) and inspiration (ilhām) which is known only by those who possess it, not by
anyone else, just as someone born blind (akmah) cannot see colors. It cannot be
communicated to others by speech (qawl), but only by the beckoning (ishāra) of one who
is aware (`ārif) to another who is aware. This knowledge is not an indwelling (ḥulūl), nor
an anticipated vision of God (ru'ya `ājila), nor as great as prophecy, nor is it a
comprehensive knowledge (`ilm iḥāṭa) of God. But as God creates in his servants a visual
perception (idrāk) of himself in the next life, so he creates now in their hearts a perception
of Himself, related to the Essence of God in one way or another (bi-wajhin) or to a
superior kind of knowledge (taraqq fī l-`ilm) of his Attributes and Names”.

Are Riyadas(spiritual exercises) always necessary to get the fruits?

[suleimanibnsalim]

I know certainly some turuq softened on their methods of riyadah during later years... Allahu a`lam

However, "Those who struggle
for us we guide on our paths" [29:69]

[absalih]

The subject is complex and delicate.
If interested read and understand in full:

Translation, by Huseyn Hilmi Isik.Rah.(d.1422.AH_Istanbul), of the Persian sufi text 'Irshad at-talibin'by Muhammad Thana'ullah al-'Osmani ad-Dahlawi.QS

End note:

Quote

Muhammad Parisa wrote in his work Risala-i qudsiyya, "People asked Yusuf al-Hamadani: 'What shall we do if we cannot find a perfect rehber?' He said, 'Read their books every day,' " Today, to attain salvation, one should read al-Imam ar-Rabbani's (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih) book Maktubat. [More than a hundred letters selected from Maktubat are translated in our Endless Bliss.] It is very beneficial for those who wish to attain happiness.

http://www.hizmetboo...slim/wah-33.htm