Is bay’ah enough without attending the shaykh’s gatherings?

At times people take the pledge, bay'ah (also written bai'at, bay'at, baiat or bayt), but never attend the meetings of the shaykh, neither listen to his words nor inform him of their states, and in that case tarbiya, or training, cannot take place. Tarbiya happens best when one attends the meetings of the shaykh or listens to his words, whilst keeping him updated with his state.

It has been the tradition that the shaykh organises lectures based on the books written by great Awliya, such as Futuh ul-Ghaib by Abdul Qadir Gilani rahimahullah or Maktoobat Mujaddid Alf Thani rahimahullah. These lessons benefit the seeker when taught by his own shaykh.

It is incumbent for the seekers living in the same city to attend the gatherings regularly. Of a missed gathering, Hazrat Shaykh Yousuf Aja'mi rahimahullah said, "The seeker who missed his Shaykh's gathering without a valid excuse shall condemn himself in front of his brothers in oath."

In case the seeker lives in another country or city, still an effort is to be made to visit the shaykh when possible. Nowadays, recordings of the shaykh's lectures may be available, so one must listen to those recordings if unable to attend the gatherings due to distance.