Spiritual Guidance (Piri-Muridi)

Brothers in Islam! The meaning of Bay’ah (pledge of allegiance) is to be completely sold. Bay’at-e-Iradat means to completely step out of one’s own will and choice and to surrender oneself entirely into the hands of the Shaykh-e-Murshid (the guiding spiritual master), the true guide, the one who has reached Allah (i.e., one who has attained Allah), to walk the path of spiritual journeying under his direction, not to take a single step without his pleasure, to present every difficulty to him – in essence, to remain in his hands like a dead body in the hands of a living person. This is the Bay’ah of the seekers (Salikeen), and this is the objective of the masters and guides (Mashaikh-e-Murshideen); it is this that leads to Allah ﷻ.

Shari’ah, Tariqah, Haqiqah, and Ma’rifah

My respected brothers! While the true saints (Auliya-e-Kiraam) train their followers and devotees religiously, morally, and outwardly and inwardly through the Quran and Sunnah and their spiritual blessings, nowadays, some so-called fake pirs and faqirs, putting on a show of sainthood, are seen deceiving people, robbing them of their faith, and leading them astray. The condition of these fake pirs themselves is such that when they are asked about a Shari’ah matter, such as prayer, etc., they say (May Allah protect us!), “We are not bound by the Shari’ah; rather, the Shari’ah is bound to us.” Someone says, “You follow the Shari’ah; our path of Tariqah is separate from it. You practice the outward commandments, and we practice the inward sciences.” Some people even resort to this trickery: “Brother! We pray in Medina. Brother! Prayer is the name of spirituality; it happens in the heart. Our hearts are prayerful,” and so on. Such fake pirs are not credible. It is obligatory to protect one’s faith and beliefs from such pirs; lest these looters destroy our very faith! Because generally, their vile statements and beliefs comprise disbelief and misguidance. Furthermore, staying away from them is also necessary because Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah are unanimous on the fact that “Tariqah is not separate from Shari’ah.” Accordingly, the Great Reviver, Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Our Master A’la Hadrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan ﷺ states: “Shari’ah are the statements of the Most Holy Presence, the Master of the Universe ﷺ; Tariqah are His actions; Haqiqah are His states; and Ma’rifah are His unparalleled knowledge.”

Bay’ah (Spiritual Guidance) in the Light of the Holy Quran

Respected Beloved Ones! (1) Allah ﷻ says: “O you who have believed, fear Allah and seek the means [of nearness] to Him and strive in His cause that you may succeed.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:35)

Imam Hafiz al-Din al-Nasafi ﷺ, in his commentary on this blessed verse, says: “Every thing is a wasilah (means) through which the desired goal is reached, meaning those acts of worship, devotion, and abstaining from sins through which nearness to Allah is attained.”

Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi ﷺ says: “In this blessed verse, wasilah refers to the Bay’ah of a Murshid (guide).”

(2) The Noble Prophet ﷺ took various types of pledges from the noble male and female Companions on different occasions, as stated in the Holy Quran in the words of Allah the Almighty: “Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to you, [O Muhammad] – they are actually pledging allegiance to Allah. The hand of Allah is over their hands. So he who breaks his word only breaks it to the detriment of himself. And he who fulfills that which he has promised Allah – He will give him a great reward.” (Surah Al-Fath, 48:10)

Allama Khazin ﷺ, in his commentary on this verse, says: “…Because they sold their souls in exchange for Paradise. The essence of Bay’ah is a covenant through which a person obliges himself to obey the Imam and fulfills the commitment he has made. Here, Bay’ah refers to the Bay’at al-Ridwan that took place at Hudaybiyah.”

(3) Allah ﷻ says: “O Prophet, when the believing women come to you pledging to you that they will not associate anything with Allah, nor will they steal, nor will they commit unlawful sexual intercourse, nor will they kill their children, nor will they bring forth a slander they have invented between their arms and legs [i.e., attributing children to their husbands falsely], nor will they disobey you in what is right – then accept their pledge and ask forgiveness for them of Allah.” (Surah Al-Mumtahanah, 60:12)

Imam al-Baghawi ﷺ, in his commentary on this verse, says: “This happened on the day of the Conquest of Mecca, after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had finished taking the pledge from the men. The Most Holy Presence ﷺ was on (Mount) Safa, and Hazrat Umar was below the Presence ﷺ. He was taking the pledge from the women on the command of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and was conveying the words of the Most Holy Presence ﷺ to the women.”

Bay’ah (Spiritual Guidance) in the Light of the Prophetic Hadith

Respected Gentlemen! (1) It is narrated from Hazrat Sayyidah A’ishah Siddiqah Tayyibah Tahirah : “The Prophet ﷺ used to take the pledge from women verbally with the commandments of this blessed verse: ‘That they will not associate anything with Allah…’ (Surah Al-Mumtahanah, 60:12).” She  said: “And the hand of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ never touched the hand of a woman, except for a woman he possessed (i.e., his wives or female slaves).” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

(2) It is narrated from Hazrat Sayyiduna ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit  that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Pledge to me that you will not associate anything with Allah, nor steal, nor commit unlawful sexual intercourse, nor kill your children, nor bring forth a slander you have invented between your arms and legs, nor disobey me in what is right. Whoever among you fulfills this, his reward is with Allah. Whoever commits any of these and is punished in this world, that will be an expiation for him. And whoever commits any of these and Allah conceals it, then it is up to Allah: if He wills, He will forgive him, and if He wills, He will punish him.” The Companion said: “So we pledged to the Most Holy Presence ﷺ upon this.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

Bay’ah (Spiritual Guidance) in the Light of the Statements of Scholars

Respected and Honorable Gentlemen! Imam Malik ﷺ said: “Without outward knowledge, knowing inward knowledge is not possible.”

Imam al-Shafi’i ﷺ said: “Allah the Almighty has never made an ignorant person (non-scholar) His friend (Wali).”

The father of Hazrat Maruf Karkhi ﷺ said that Abu Yazid al-Bistami ﷺ said to him: “Come with me to see a person who has proclaimed himself a saint!” This person was known for being an ascetic, and people used to come from far and wide to visit him. We set off towards him. We saw him come out of his house and, before entering the mosque, he spat in the direction of the Qiblah. As soon as Hazrat Abu Yazid ﷺ saw this, he turned back and didn’t even greet him. He said: “This person cannot even observe one of the etiquettes of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, how will he be able to uphold his claim of sainthood?!”

Imam al-Qushayri ﷺ said: “It is also necessary for the murid (disciple) to learn the etiquettes of the Tariqah from a Shaykh; because whoever has no teacher in the Tariqah cannot be successful in this path. Accordingly, Hazrat Abu Yazid says: ‘Whoever has no teacher, his guide is Satan!'”

Imam al-Ghazali ﷺ said: “A seeker on the path of truth needs a Shaykh and teacher to follow, so that the Shaykh can guide him to the straight path; because the path of religion is very profound, and the satanic paths are many and also apparent/superficial (easily understood). Therefore, whoever has no guiding Murshid will surely be led by Satan onto his paths, just like a person who passes through perilous valleys without any protector – he is essentially throwing himself into destruction!”

Imam Shaykh Shihab al-Din al-Suhrawardi ﷺ said: “The wearing of the Khirqah (Sufi cloak) is a relationship and connection between the Shaykh and the murid, and it is a means of appointing an arbitrator from the murid’s side in the service of the Shaykh (i.e., the murid accepts the Shaykh as his ruler). When such arbitration (appointing someone as a ruler) is permissible and praiseworthy in the Shari’ah for worldly interests, then how can a denier of the Khirqah deny this?! It is worn by a Shaykh for a sincere seeker who comes to his Murshid with good faith and makes him his guide in religious matters, so that the Shaykh may set him on the path of guidance, grant him insight into the calamities of the self and the corruption of deeds, and teach him about the various ways from which the hostile self attacks.”

Conditions for a Pir and Shaykh

Honorable Gentlemen! The Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Imam Ahmad Raza ﷺ, while mentioning the types, conditions, and regulations of Bay’ah (Spiritual Guidance), states: “The specific Murshid, who is called Pir and Shaykh, is of two types:

First Type: Shaykh-e-Ittisal (The Connecting Shaykh), meaning one through whose hand of Bay’ah a person’s chain (silsilah) becomes connected to the Presence full of light, the Master of the Messengers ﷺ. For this, there are four conditions:

1. The Shaykh’s chain must reach the Most Holy Presence ﷺ through a valid, connected chain, not interrupted in between; because connection through an interrupted chain is impossible. Some people, without taking Bay’ah, merely assuming inheritance, sit on the prayer rug of their fathers and grandfathers. Or, they did take Bay’ah but did not receive permission (Khilafat), and they start taking murids without authorization. Or the chain itself is such that it was severed, no spiritual grace (Fayd) was maintained in it, but people, out of greed, kept giving authorization and successorship in it. Or the chain was good in itself, but someone in the middle was such who, due to the absence of some conditions, was not eligible for giving Bay’ah – the branch that came from him is interrupted in the middle. In these cases, connection will never be achieved through this Bay’ah. Asking for milk from a bull or a child from a barren woman is sheer folly!
2. The Shaykh must be Sunni in belief. The chain of a corrupt, misguided person will lead to Satan, not to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Nowadays, many open corrupt believers, rather even non-believers, and even the Wahhabis (who are fundamentally deniers and enemies of the saints) have spread the net of Piri-Muridi for deceit. Be cautious, beware! Precaution, precaution!!
3. He must be a scholar. I say: Knowledge of Fiqh sufficient for his own needs is required, and it is necessary that he is fully acquainted with the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah, well aware of the difference between disbelief and Islam, and misguidance and guidance. Otherwise, if he is not a corrupt believer today, he will become one tomorrow!
   There are hundreds of statements and actions from which disbelief necessarily follows, and ignorant people, out of ignorance, fall into them. Firstly, they are not even aware that their statement or action constituted disbelief, and without awareness, repentance is impossible, so the one affected remains affected. And if someone informs him, a well-intentioned ignorant person might get scared and repent, but the one who is seated on the seat of spiritual mastery, considering himself a guide and Murshid – the greatness they hold in their own hearts – how will it allow them to accept (the criticism)?!
4. He should not be an open sinner (Fasiq-e-Mu’lin). I say: The attainment of connection (Ittisal) does not depend on this condition; because mere sinfulness does not cause annulment. However, respecting the Pir is obligatory, and disrespecting a sinner is obligatory. The combination of both is invalid. In “Tabyeen al-Haqaiq” by Imam al-Zayla’i and others, regarding a sinner, it is stated: “Appointing him for Imamate involves respecting him, while in the Shari’ah, disrespecting him is obligatory!”

Second Type: Shaykh-e-Irsal (The Conveying Shaykh), who, along with the aforementioned conditions, is aware of the corruptions of the self, the tricks of Satan, and the snares of desires, knows how to train another, and has complete compassion for his devotee, so that he makes him aware of his faults, tells him their treatment, and solves the difficulties that arise on this path. He should not be merely a seeker (Salik), nor a mere ecstatic (Majdhub). It is stated in “Awārif al-Ma’ārif“: “Both of these are not fit for being a Pir.”

I say: This is because the first (i.e., the Salik) is still on the path himself, and the second (i.e., the Majdhub) is neglectful of the method of training.

I say: That one (the Majdhub) is the one sought (Murad), and this one (the Salik) is the seeker (Murid).

Then, Bay’ah is also of two types:

First Bay’ah: Bay’at-e-Barkat (Bay’ah of Connection), which is merely to enter the chain for blessings. Most Bay’ahs nowadays are of this type – that too for those with good intentions; otherwise, many take Bay’ah for corrupt worldly motives – that is outside our discussion. For this Bay’ah, a Shaykh-e-Ittisal (who fulfills the four conditions) is sufficient.

I say: This is also not useless; it is beneficial, very beneficial, and useful in this world and the hereafter. Having one’s name written in the register of the special servants of the Beloved of God, having one’s chain connected to them – this in itself is a blessing!

• Firstly, there is a resemblance in this matter to their special servants, the seekers of the path, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever resembles a people, he is from among them.”
• Secondly, it is to be linked in one string with these special servants. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that their Lord said: “They are a people whose companion never remains wretched!”
• Thirdly, the Beloved of God are a sign of mercy. They take the one who mentions their name as their own and keep their merciful gaze upon him. The unique Imam, my Master Abu’l-Hasan Nur al-Millati wa’l-Din Ali, in “Bahjat al-Asrar,” says: “It was presented to the Presence full of light, our Master Ghawth al-A’zam ﷺ: ‘If a person is one who takes your name, but he has not taken Bay’ah at your hand, nor has he worn your Khirqah, will he be counted among your murids?’ He ﷺ said: ‘Whoever attributes himself to me and includes his name in the register of my servants, Allah the Almighty will accept him. And if he is on an undesirable path, He will grant him the ability to repent, and he is among the group of my murids. And indeed, my Lord has promised me that He will admit my murids, my followers, and every one of my lovers into Paradise!'”

Second Bay’ah: Bay’at-e-Iradat (Bay’ah of Conveyance), which is to completely step out of one’s own will and choice and to surrender oneself entirely into the hands of the guiding Shaykh Murshid, the true guide, the one who has reached the Truth, to consider him absolutely one’s ruler, owner, and disposer of affairs, to walk the path of spiritual journeying under his direction, not to take a single step without his pleasure, to consider some of his commands regarding himself, or some of his actions, even if they do not seem correct to him, as similar to the actions of Khidr , to consider it a shortcoming of his own intellect, not to object to any of his statements even in his heart, to present every difficulty to him – in essence, to remain in his hands like a dead body in the hands of a living person. This is the Bay’ah of the seekers (Salikeen).

Muraqabah-e-Tasawwur-e-Shaykh (Contemplation of the Image of the Shaykh)

Respected Honorable Gentlemen! Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi ﷺ said: “When the Murshid is not present with him, he should constantly visualize the form of the Murshid with love and respect between his two eyes. Then, the imaginary form of the Murshid will give him that benefit which the companionship of the Murshid gives.”

Hazrat Shah Waliullah ﷺ further says: “If you have stopped progressing, then you should assume a subtle substance extending from your right shoulder to the heart, and bring the form of the Shaykh upon it and place it in your heart! It is hoped that you will attain the station of occultation and annihilation (Ghayb wa Fana).”

He ﷺ further says: “Our companionship is connected to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, even if these specific etiquettes and practices are not established (for everyone).”

Summary of the Discourse

Beloved and Honorable Ones! In the light of the Holy Quran, the blessed Hadiths, and the statements of the noble scholars, it has been proven that the purpose of being a murid is to reform one’s inner self, to become adherent to the commandments of the Shari’ah, and to rectify one’s world and hereafter. It is obligatory for every person to reform his inner self. For this, while there are other means, taking Bay’ah at someone’s hand is also one means. Therefore, it is permissible to strive for self-reformation by taking Bay’ah from someone, i.e., by adopting someone’s discipleship, and it is permissible to take Bay’ah at the hand of a Pir who follows the Sunnah.

A Reformative Aspect

My dear friends, brothers, and elders! I would also like to clarify that the reformation of ignorant, non-practicing, or even evil-acting Pirs is also necessary, who wish to enter Paradise without acting upon the commandments of the Shari’ah. Among their ignorance is this attitude of theirs: these people consider themselves free from the commandments of the purified Shari’ah and even mock the commandments of the Shari’ah in front of people. While some ignorant people have started the business of Piri-Muridi merely to earn worldly wealth.

Therefore, it is the responsibility of all of us to protect ourselves from such ignorant and evil-acting Pirs and to save our other Muslim brothers from their evil and corruption!

Dua

O Allah! Grant us the ability to act upon the teachings of the honorable saints , grant us a full share of their spiritual grace, and grant us Your friendship (Wilayah) along with Your love and obedience.

O Allah! Keep us faithful to the religion of Islam, make us true, steadfast, practicing lovers of the Prophet. Create an atmosphere of unity in our ranks, make us adherent to the five daily congregational prayers, protect us from laziness and negligence in them, grant us the wealth of sincerity in every good deed, grant us the ability to perform all obligatory and necessary duties in the best manner, protect us from stinginess and miserliness, grant us the ability to help the poor and needy with a cheerful heart.

Grant us the good fortune to serve and protect our country and nation, strengthen mutual unity, harmony, love, and affection even further, grant us the ability to act upon the commandments of the Shari’ah correctly. Accept our prayers in Your court of the Helpless’ Refuge. We ask You for Your mercies, we seek forgiveness from You, we seek safety and deliverance from every sin, we ask You for all good things, remove our sorrows, pay off our debts, cure our sick, fulfill our needs!

O Lord! Put blessings in our lawful sustenance, always protect us from the need of the creation, grant us the ability for true worship along with Your love and obedience, make our chests wide and our hearts soft for the creation of God. O Divine! Make our character good and our works excellent, accept our good deeds, protect us from all sins, grant freedom to our Palestinian and Kashmiri Muslim brothers and sisters, protect the life, wealth, honor, and dignity of the Muslims of India, resolve their problems for them with goodness and blessings.

And may Allah the Exalted send blessings upon the best of His creation and the light of His Throne, our Master, our Prophet, our Beloved, and the apple of our eyes, Muhammad, and upon his family and all his companions, and grant blessings and peace. And all praise is for Allah, the Lord of the worlds.