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

Tasawwuf is knowledge, as distinct from information, and it has to be learnt in company, by means of ittiba, the following of a teacher. Allah gives this injunction in the Qur'an: "And follow the path of him who turns unto Me" [Qur'an, Luqman 31:15]. The word used in this verse is ittiba, meaning follow, and it implies following as in keeping the company and following the example of the teacher, which is the fundamental method of teaching in Tasawwuf.

There is no doubt that after the Prophets, the status of the Companions of the Beloved Prophet ﷺ is the most exalted, and it was awarded to them only because of his blessed company, which illuminated their hearts, and not because of their deeds. One sight of the Beloved Prophet ﷺ was enough to cleanse the hearts of the believers. Although we do not have that privilege, yet we can keep the company of those who held the chain and performed the journey.

This company is called suhba in Tasawwuf, and the Beloved Prophet ﷺ said, "The example of good company in comparison to a bad one is that of a musk seller and the bellows of the Blacksmith; from the first you would either buy musk or enjoy the good smell while the bellow would either burn your clothes or your house, or your clothes would stink." [Sahih al-Bukhari 2101]

In the path of Tasawwuf, keeping the company is of immense importance, and it is a saying that a breath spent other than in the company of the pious men, dhikr or prayers is spent in vain. Tasawwuf is a path where one keeps the company of those who have achieved the Divine love, and it is not the path of seclusion some believe it to be. The good fragrance of the Divine love from those who had a sip from the amphora of Maárfa is enough to give passionate longing.

Mujaddid Alf Thani rahimahullah reiterated in his letter: "In this path, the benefit depends on the company, saying and writing is not enough." [Imam Rabbani, Maktoob 69, vol. 3]

Shaykh Sa'di rahimahullah described the effects of company in a parable: "I picked up a sweet-smelling lump of soil. I asked it whether it was musk or ambergris. It replied that it was plain sand; however, the company of a sweet-smelling rose left its impression on it."