How do you tell a genuine shaykh from a fake pir?

Bayazid al-Bustami rahimahullah gave the test plainly: "If you see a man who has been given the ability to perform miracles, so much so that he can fly in the air, then do not be deceived by him until you see his state with regards to observance of Shariáh."

That is the right test because some ignorant, so-called pirs (also written peer) proclaim that they are the disciples of the great masters and deem themselves above the Shariah requirements, as if being a disciple of a great master were the means for redemption. The idea that a man on the path of Tasawwuf stands above the Shariah law, or need not follow the rulings of Islamic jurisprudence, is complete heresy and has no place in Islam. Anything forbidden in the Shariah is forbidden for every Muslim, and there are no exceptions.

When Junayd al-Baghdadi rahimahullah was told of a group who claimed they had arrived at a state in which Islamic injunctions such as Salah or fasting no longer applied to them, he said: "Indeed! They have arrived, but to Hell" [Ibn Ajiba, Iqaz al-himam fi sharh al-Hikam 210].

The Beloved Prophet ﷺ warned of these men directly: "In the later days, people will emerge who will deceptively acquire the world in exchange for their religion. They will wear the skins of sheep and their tongues will be sweeter than sugar, while in their hearts they will be wolves. Allah says, 'Are these people deluded by Me? Or are they displaying their audacity against Me? I take an oath on Myself; I will subject them to tribulation which leave even the most forbearing among them in trauma.'" [Jami at-Tirmidhi 2404] The hadith warns of the fake spiritual pretenders, and of the tribulation to be faced in case one deviates from the true path of the Shariah. Allah also says, "By no means follow the way of those who do not know" [Qur'an, Yunus 10:89].

Set against that, a true shaykh is recognised by what can be seen in his conduct rather than by wonders. He has knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah, and refers to the Qur'an and Hadith for guidance. He follows the Sunnah to the best of his ability, abstains from major sins and does not persist in minor ones.

His heart is void of worldly affairs and firmly attached to Allah and His Last Prophet ﷺ. He commands the lawful and prohibits the unlawful, and he is not obstinate, characterless or unmanly.

He is not required to display supernatural feats, and he is not required to give up earning a living. A shaykh who fulfils these conditions will not ask his disciples to do anything that is not permissible in Islam.

There have been false guides and pretenders in Tasawwuf, as in any discipline, but this cannot undermine the discipline itself. The responsibility for checking sits with the seeker. Imam al-Razi rahimahullah said, "Avoid the company of three classes of men: the heedless (Ghaafil), the hypocritical Qurán reader and the ignorant pretender to Tasawwuf" [Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub].

One may not allow an imposter to look after his wealth, so how can a pretender be the custodian of one's Iman?