Topic
The Company of the Righteous
keeping good company
39 entries
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When may a seeker leave his shaykh?
There are conditions under which a seeker may leave his shaykh and perform the pledge with another: the shaykh deviates from the path of Tasawwuf, or the seeker gets no improvement in his state despite following every instruction, or the shaykh passes away, or the shaykh is found not to follow the Shariah. Where the seeker is simply getting no benefit, he discusses it with his shaykh and finds another with his permission. Leaving without any justification is a different matter, and the seeker who does that is called Murtid fil Tariqa.
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Can a disciple follow more than one shaykh?
Going from one shaykh to another retards the progress of the seeker, and the rule that keeps a disciple with one guide is called Tauheed e Matlab. Usually there are many doctors in a town, but a sick person would only consult one. All the Mashaikh are honoured and respected, but training and purification are taken from one guide, and another shaykh is visited only with the permission of one's own.
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Should a seeker consult his shaykh about marriage, travel and work?
A seeker brings his major decisions to his shaykh, marriage, travel and profession among them, and follows the advice given in worldly matters as well as spiritual ones. A seeker cannot reach his destination on his own accord, and it is the duty of the shaykh to connect him with Allah. One major hindrance on the way is the seeker who weighs his shaykh's judgement against his own.
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What is adab with a shaykh?
Adab means respect, and in Tasawwuf it covers every aspect of a seeker's life: respect for the Word of Allah, respect for the Sunnah of the Messenger, and respect for one's shaykh. It matters because the benefit of a shaykh passes through a connection between hearts, and a doubtful heart restricts the flow of knowledge. What follows are the etiquettes the seeker abides by, from consulting the shaykh on major decisions to praying for him.
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What are the conditions of a true shaykh?
He must hold a valid Aqida, know the Shariah, follow the Sunnah closely, keep clear of major sins, and have travelled the path of Tasawwuf himself under an authorised guide. What he does not need is a formal degree, a display of marvels, or a life without work.
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How do you find a true shaykh?
Look for the truthful, because the Qur'an commands the believer to keep their company, and that command holds for every generation. Where a seeker cannot judge truthfulness himself, the guide is the man whom most of the pious of his own time hold to be righteous.
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What is bay’ah (bai’at), the pledge to a shaykh?
Bay'ah is an oath taken to the path of Ihsan, binding the heart of the seeker to his shaykh and the soul to the Awliya of the chain reaching back to the Prophet. Its substance is to keep religion above worldly affairs and the Shariah above the intellect. Taking the pledge is a Sunnah.
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How do you tell a genuine shaykh from a fake pir?
Judge him by his observance of the Shariah, never by marvels. A true shaykh follows the Sunnah, keeps clear of major sins, and asks nothing of a seeker that Islam forbids. The pretender gives himself away by claiming to have passed beyond the Shariah.
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Do I need a spiritual guide, or can I learn the path from books?
True Tasawwuf has to be learnt and practised under the guidance of someone who has learnt and received it from another shaykh, linking the chain back to the Companions and ultimately to Allah's Last Prophet. Books are a great source of information, but it is when they are combined with tálluq, the connection with a living shaykh, that the information becomes knowledge.