What is khilafah, and how is a successor appointed in a Sufi order?

The basis for a shaykh nominating a successor, khilafah, can be authenticated by the hadith in which the Prophet told a woman who asked, 'And if I do not find you?', to go to Abu Bakr. As it is important to nominate a successor, it is equally important that the person be qualified for the role, and where a son, a brother or a close relative is chosen because of the relation rather than the qualifications, it jeopardises the sanctity of the order.

Does being a great shaykh’s disciple save a person?

Some so-called pirs proclaim that they are disciples of the great masters and deem themselves above the Shariah, yet no one is above the law: the Prophet told his daughter Fatimah to save herself from the Hellfire, because he did not have the power to save her from Allah. When Kirkirah, who was in charge of the Prophet's baggage, died, the Prophet said that he had gone to the Fire, and the Companions found among his possessions a cloak he had misappropriated from the spoils of war.

Why was Abu Bakr’s affinity with the Prophet the strongest?

Abu Bakr, whose quality was Sadiq, the truthful, wept when the Prophet told the people of a slave who had been given a choice, as he understood what the Prophet meant, and when Umar asked a question at al-Hudaibiya, Abu Bakr responded just as the Prophet did. This shows that he had the strongest affiliation with the Prophet, and the affinity he had is the fourth stage, called associative affinity.

Why is bad company worse than a disbeliever’s company?

The disbelief of a disbeliever is obvious, whereas the heedless will corrupt the heart of those who keep his company, and a seeker has to make sure to find the company of the righteous. Following a heedless man whose heart is indulged in worldly desires arouses the same in the heart of his follower, and the Prophet taught that a man's religion is like that of his close friend.

Why does keeping company (suhba) matter so much in Tasawwuf?

The word the Qur'an uses for following in Surah Luqman is ittiba, which implies keeping the company of the teacher and following his example, the fundamental method of teaching in Tasawwuf. The Prophet compared good company and bad to a musk seller and a blacksmith's bellows, and Mujaddid Alf Thani wrote that on the path of Tasawwuf the benefit depends on the company, and that saying and writing are not enough.

Can women take the path of Tasawwuf?

The question is often posed whether women can join the tariqa, and the answer is simple: bay'ah, the pledge, is proven from the Qur'an, and women have every right to take the path of Tasawwuf and reach the level of ihsan. Rabia Basri and the mother of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Gilani are among the many great women who reached the level of excellence, and even nowadays there have been women who have taken the path of Tasawwuf and reached the stations of Walaya.

Does loving your shaykh matter spiritually?

The Prophet's reply to a question from Abu Dharr clearly indicates the virtue of those who love their teacher, and a hadith narrated by Abu Musa indicates approval of loving the shaykh for the sake of Allah. Quite often a shaykh would initiate someone lesser in spiritual development solely because he possesses the requisite desire. The readiness and enthusiasm with which a seeker absorbs and practises his shaykh's teachings will determine his progress on the path of Tasawwuf.

Does a writer’s spiritual state affect the reader?

A writer's state affects the one who reads him, and the scholars hold that a pure-hearted author's book on worldly matters may do more good than a religious book whose author's heart is still engulfed in darkness. Writers may write long passages, but it is the one who drinks from the fountain that knows the taste of the Divine Love. Modern Sufis who claim authority on Tasawwuf by reading books stand at the ridge, without any knowledge of the worlds beyond.

Can a seeker diagnose his own spiritual ailments?

The nafs never agrees that it has any ailment and tries to hide behind self-praise. The inner ailments that remain unnoticed and undetected can be recognised and diagnosed only by an accomplished shaykh, who prescribes the cure through spiritual exercises and disciplines such as dhikr and muraqaba. The disciple has to adhere to the inner and outer aspects of the Shariah and engage in constant remembrance.

Must a shaykh renounce the world and live as an ascetic?

It is the way of the Prophet to have a family and earn the living while keeping worldly desires at bay, and a shaykh is not required to have denounced and abandoned the world. His heart should be void of worldly affairs and firmly attached to Allah and His Last Prophet, and among the few attributes the scholars describe, a true shaykh does not seek this world by his religious learning and declines luxury in worldly affairs. The Prophet told the believers to stay close to a person endowed with abstinence in this world and the trait of speaking less.