Baiyat-i-taqwah (allegiance of spiritual purification)

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Similarly, baiyat-i-taqwah remained discontinued during the period of the immediate successors of the Holy Prophet, because that period was full of light and the people were already rich with spiritual wealth. Moreover, the successors of the Holy Prophet were extremely busy in the administration of vast areas and the promulgation of shariah in the newly conquered countries.

Even after this period the tradition of spiritual baiyat remained inoperative, for fear of its being misunderstood as political allegiance (baiyat-i-khilafat), which the rulers had reserved for themselves. What the sufi Shaikhs did under the circumstances was to award a turban or robe (kharqab) as official endorsement of baiyat-e-taquah. But when the rulers and sultans gave up the tradition of pilotical baiyat, the Sufi Shaikhs revived that tradition and baiyat-i-taqwah became operative. Since baiyat-i-taqwah necessitated the detachment from everything other than God, it assumed the name of baiyat-i-tassawwuf.

Objections

One of the objections against baiyat-i-tassawwuf is that the word wasilah (intermediary) given in the Quran does not mean a spiritual guide. This objection has been replied to adequately.

The second objection is that baiyat has nothing to do with shariah. This objection is based on absolute lack of knowledge.

A study of authentic sayings of the Holy Prophet tell us that the Prophet took baiyat for various purposes ranging from migration (hijrat), jihad and steadfastness in jihad, obedience to shariah, holding fast to the sunnah of the Prophet, avoiding innovation (bida’at), love for voluntary worship, hatred of greed, and on the part of the destitute mohajreen, not to ask for anything from anyone, and prohibition of wailing and crying on the part of the Ansaar women on the death of their relatives. It is recorded in history, that the Holy Prophet took baiyat from Jarir who would consider it his duty to help all Muslims. The Ansaar community took baiyat not to fear other than God, when being censured by non-Muslims, and to always tell the truth. It is for this reason that some Muslims would boldly refuse to obey the unlawful commands of their rulers. It is clear from the above, that apart from political baiyat, all kinds of baiyat relating to purification of the sould and illumination of the heart can be included in baiyat-0i-tasawwuf. Shah Waliullah Mohaddis Dehelvi has said in his book Qaul-al-Jameel:-

“The Porphet, peace be upon him, was khalifah of Allah on

Earth, knower of Divine Secrets, teacher of Quran-i-Aziz

And reformer of the ummat. So whatever he did in the

Department of Khilafat became sunnat for his Khulafa, and

Whatever he did for their teaching and training, became

Sunnat for the Ukma-i-Raasikheen.”

Ukma-iRaasikheen means those who are blessed with both inner and outer knowledge (ilm-i-zaahir-o-baatin).

The third objection against baiyat: What is the need of a Shaikh (spiritual guide) when you have the Quran with you? This amounts to saying, what is the necessity of praying and fasting when the Quran is with you. If praying and fasting is compulsory in the Quran, the order to seek wasilah to God is also compulsory in the Quran. It is said in another ayah:

Ask the followers of the

Remembrance if ye know not

(Al-Nahl, 16:43)

This also is a Quranic command. This amounts to believing in some parts of the Quran and disbelieving in others, which is forbidden in the following ayah:

Believe ye then part of the Book,

And deny part? (Al-Baqana, 2:85)

Islamic scholars (ulema-e-Islam) are unanimous in saying that one who disbelieves any part of the Quran, disbelieves the whole of the Quran.

Undoubtedly, God Almighty has revealed the Quran for guidance of mankind, but that being not sufficient, he also sent the Holy Prophet as a guide, who lived with the people, recited the word of God to them, explained its meanings to them, and acquainted them with the Divine secrets and mysteries (hikmat). Not only that, he presented a living example of Islam, of the Quran, and purified their hearts by his personal influence:

It is He who hath sent to the

Pagan folk an Apostle from

Among themselves, to rehearse

His signs to them, and to purify

Them, and to impart to them a

Knowledge of “the Book” and

Wisdom. (Al-Juma’a 62:2)

It shows, the Book alone was not sufficient, a teacher was sent along with it, just as the medical prescription is useless without the medical doctor. In fact, it is the doctor who comes first and the prescription is provided through him. then the word, (wa yuzakkihim) ‘purifies’ means the doctor’s duty is to cure all the physical and spiritual diseases of the Ummat. The phrase, “and teaches them” means that the doctor is also responsible for training others, so that they too may be able to cure the physical and spiritual ailments of the people as well as purifying them.

No rational person will deny the fact that the patient stands in need of the prescription and the doctor. In fact, he is more in need of the doctor than the prescription, which is useless without the doctor and is sometimes injurious as well. It is a matter of common experience, that when a doctor who knows his profession well falls, he also is in need of a doctor. His own knowledge and all the medical literature is of no use to him, until another doctor acts as a medium for him. Papers and words written on them cannot fulfil the need of a guide. In the science of spirituality too, a suitable connection between the teacher and the taught is imperative, says Allah:

And if we had appointed an

Angel, we should certainly have

Appointed one in the form of a

Man. (Al-Ana’am, 6:9)

None of the works of God Almighty are without meaning. “He is the Exalted in power, Full of Wisdom” (16:60). If He had desired to reveal the Quran without the Holy Prophet, He would have done so. But none can dare to say that a heavenly book could work such a great revolution on earth, as wrought by the blessed personality of the Holy Prophet of Islam, who is the most perfect man and the greatest manifestation of God on earth. Is it not amazing that illiterate Arabs of the age of paganism became a leading nation in a short time by the guidance of the Holy Quran? The same Quran is with us without the slightest change. The literary circles in Europe and America read the same Quran, translate it into various Languages and interpret it according to their level of intelligence, but cannot get guidance from it. When the scholars and the scientists of the modern age can invent instruments of overall destruction, and can measure the sun and stars and know their speed and movements while sitting on earth, why can they not be equal to the illiterate Badouins of Arabia in intelligence and comprehension of the Quran, and who transformed from the worst to the best nation on earth. Despite scientific knowledge, huge telescopes and X-rays, the West is unable to understand the Quran and benefit from its large reservoirs of wisdom and spiritual heights. What is the reason for this inability? The reason is that while the Arabs had the benefit of a spiritual guide among them, the European scholars and scientists are bereft.

The reason for the spiritual superiority of the Companions of the Holy Prophet over the ulema and auliya of the ummat is the fact that they enjoyed the benefit of the company and personal teachings of the Holy Prophet. Those who came after the Companions, had the same Quran and worked very hard to understand it and to make it easy for subsequent generations, by writing extensive commentaries on it. But they could never reach the status of the Companions. Next to the status of the Companions, is the status of their companions known as tabiyin, who enjoyed the company of the Companions of the holy Prophet. After the tabiyin the next highest status is that of the companions of the tabiyin known as taba’ tabiyin because they had the benefit of the company of the tabiyin. This demonstrates the importance of the personal element in learning Islam. To avoid instructions from a competent teacher, depending on books and on one’s own intelligence and to claim the status of a mujtahid (reviver of faith) is like a patient who avoids the doctor and prescribes treatment for himself by reading books on medicine. This can only result in death.

Of the seventy-two sects of Islam presently causing so much damage, each claim to be on the right path and provide proof for its righteousness from the Quran and hadis. The sects were initiated by leaders who were arrogant in their own knowledge and having gathered a large following, succeded only in leading them astray. The reason for this erring from the straight path was that it was considered enough to understand the Quran only through language and grammar and base the interpretation on one’s own intellect. The tools to gain true insight, correct understanding and perfect perception were done away with. Allah says:

Many will He mislead by such parables and many guide; but none

Will He mislead thereby except the wicked (Al-Baqara, 2:26)

The key to understanding the Quran accurately is purification and spiritual illumination, as stated by Allah:

Let none touch it but the purified. (Al-Waqi’a, 56:79).

This indicates that it is forbidden to touch the Quran without physical purification as it is to touch and reach its inner meanings without spiritual purification. So long as heresy and polytheism, selfishness, arrogance, jealousy, love of wealth, love of position, love of the world and dependence on other than God continue to pollute and contaminate one’s heart, the correct understanding and sweetness of the inner meanings of the Quran is not achieved, and these are the spiritual diseases for which one needs a spiritual doctor, without whom it is not possible for man to benefit from the blessings of the Glorious Quran.

God Almighty sent the Quran to mankind alongwith the teacher, the Holy Prophet who also prepared and left behind competent teachers along with the Quran, to guide mankind. He declared during his last Hajj, seated on a camel,

Beware O’ people, I have left for

You the Holy Book and my ahl-e-beyt

(progeny). You will never go wrong

If you hold fast to them.

In another hadis it is said,

“My ahl-e-beyt are like Noah’s ark.

He who embarks in it is saved

And he, who does not, is

destroyed.” (Tirmizi)

Apart from this, the Holy Prophet had given the tidings of a mujaddid in every century in the following words:

“Indeed every hundred years Allah raises from this Ummat one who Revives the religion.”

Besides this, the Holy Prophet also declared the ulema of the ummat as his successors (waaris). They inherited all the outer and inner knowledge as well as the ability to guide from the Prophet.

In short, the necessity of a guide for the guidance of the ummat has been felt throughout the ages. The real guide of mankind is the Holy Prophet himself, while his khulafa and wursa only deputise. This organization of deputyship will continue upto the time of Imam Mehdi (the Imam).

Lame excuse

Some people say, “We agree that the world has never been without aulia-Allah but it is extremely difficult to fine them, because the hypocrites and charlatans have spread their nets everywhere. How can it be possible to distinguish the genuine from the fake guide without spiritual insight?” This is quite true. How can one submit one’s faith upon a doubtful and untrustworthy person? But hypocrisy and deception are prevalent in every walk of life. There is no dearth of false advertisements from fake healers. It will become exceedingly difficult to obtain the things of daily use, because of dishonesty and deception on the part of the seller. Even in the civilized cities in India, it has become nearly impossible to get pure butter and milk. Traders deceive the people by selling goods which are not according to approved samples. But we have not stopped buying pure food inspite of these hypocrisies and dishonesties. We never give up the practice of consulting doctors, nor do we stop buying pure bread, butter and milk. On the contrary, we try our best to find genuine doctors and buy pure butter and milk, whatever difficulty we may have to encounter. The real thing is to feel the necessity of getting something. In the pursuit of worldly affairs, no obstacle stands in our way, and we continue to search for the desired object even after many failures. Is the search for a spiritual guide such a useless thing, that we give up the search on encountering minor obstacles, inspite of the conviction that the world is never without aulia-Allah? If we inspect the mischief of our nafs (lower self) we will discover that our basic desire to find a genuine guide is weak, and this necessity has not yet been fully realized. People do not like to make as much effort in this respect as they would in locating a missing notebook. Their excuses are all lame.

The necessity of a spiritual guide

The way of God (Sunnat-Ullah) are such, and human nature has been formulated in such a way, that a teacher is necessary for every brach of science or knowledge. In a foreign country, a guide is needed to show the way. One’s knowledge and familiarity with other paths is not enough to show the way. Particulatly when the way is infested with thieves, murderers and beasts. A well wisher will certainly advise:-

Do not travel to the fountain of life in the dark cave without

The guidance of Khizr. Otherwise you may encounter destruction.

When it is so necessary to have a guide in physical affairs, how can you rule out the necessity of a guide in the spiritual journey, which is beyond the scope of the five physical senses?

Apart from verbal guidance, the seeker is greatly in need of the spiritual influence of a spiritual guide. When animals are influenced by company, why should man not be influenced to a greater degree? The Companions would invite one another to sit together and refresh their faith. They would say:- “Sit with us for a moment to refresh our Imam.” Maulana Rumi has said:-

A moment in the company of the aulia-Allah (friends

Of God); Is better than hundred years of sincere worship

Khwaja Ahrar says:-

The obligatory prayer can be re-offered if missed;

But the company of the Shaikh cannot be regained

When missed

Qazi Sanaullah Panipati has said in his book ‘Irshaad-ut-taalibeen,’ “Once a Shaikh advised a person to keep the company of Bayazid. He said, “I am already in the company of God”. On this the Shaikh said, “Bayazid’s company is better than God’s company because you get inspiration (faizaan) from God according to your own capacity but in Bayazid’s company you will receive Divine inspiration (faizaan) according to his own high spirituality.”

Selection of a spiritual guide

After realizing the necessity of a spiritual guide, it is not difficult to find one. Ordinarily, it is not possible for a novice to know the spiritual qualities of a guide, nor is it necessary for him. He only has to keep the following conditions in mind:

1. You should mark a change in your heart at least during the time you sit with the Shaikh. That is to say, if inclination towards worldly affairs has been replaced by inclination towards God and the Holy Prophet, at least while with the Shaikh.

2. Look at his pupils (murids), or some of his murids, to sec whether any change has taken place in them. What was their condition before becoming murids and what is it currently.

3. When you are in his company, you should observe if the Shaikh says something which relates to your personal affairs. Moreover, you should feel a sense of ease during his speech and find solutions to your problems.

If you find these three sings in him, you should at once take baiyat at his hands, for your guidance.

Qualififcation of a guide

In order to be a perfect guide, the Shaikh must have the following qualifications:-

1. Obedience to the Quran and tradition of the Holy Prophet (hadis), personal piety and virtuousness are necessary qualifications. Says Allah in the Quran:

Follow the way of him who turneth

Unto Me. (Luqman, 31:15)

Allah has also said:

Obey not the wicked among them

And the unbelieving. (Al-Dahr, 76:24)

In this ayah the sinner has been mentioned first and the heretic afterwards, because the company of a sinner is more harmful than that of the heretic. Allah has also said:

Neither obey him whose heart

We have made careless of the

Remembrance of Us, and who

Followeth his own lusts, and

Whose ways are unbridled.

(Al-kahf, 18:28)

2. He should be a man of spiritual insight, as said by Allah:

Say: This is my way: resting on

A clear proof, I call you to

God, I and whoso followeth

Me: and Glory be to God! I

Am not one of those who add

Other deities to Him.

(Yusuf, 12:108)

3. The Shaikh should have had the company of a genuine Shaikh, and should have received spiritual training from him, having been declared his deputy (khalifa0 in the chain of spiritual successors leading upto the Holy Prophet. The necessity of these successors (khalifas) has been emphasized in the following words of the Quran:a

And one who, through His own

Permission, summoneth to

God, and a light-giving torch.

(Al-Ahzab, 33:46)

In Sufism, the Permission, order or designation is a necessary condition for appointing one as a khalifa (spiritual guide). The phrase ‘light-giving torch’ (siraj-an-muneera) means that billions of lamps can be kindled from it, but this is not the case with the sun or the moon. The sun or moon cannot create another sun or moon. The also means that, in the invitation to reach God, only that person deserves to guide people, who has inherited the quality of (siraj-an-muneera) illuminating lamp from the Holy Prophet. That is to say, he should possess a communicable quality (nisbet-e-muta’addi) because a Shaikh of non-communicable quality may be very good himself, but he cannot guide others, because he is incapable of moulding and inspiring the seekers.

Those who lack above qualifications are not fit to give baiyat to people, inspite of the fact that they belong to families of high standing, grand spiritual orders, have great Shaikhs as their ancestors, are the heads of huge convents or madrassa, and are always surrounded by thousand of followers:-

Anyone who powders his face cannot be a beloved;

Nor can every glass maker be Alexander.

Anyone who wears a crown on his head and sits arrogantly;

Cannot be a ruler or a king.

Anyone who shaves his head cannot become a saint;

Because to be a saint requires knowledge of high secrets

And mysteries.

Oneness of purpose (Towhid-e-matlab)

An important principle: A murid has to love his Shaikh more than his life, property and everything else in the world. There may be thousands of Shaikhs in the world, but a murid should regard his own Shaikh as the only key to his success. This is known as towhid-e-matlab, which is the most necessary factor in receiving maximum inspiration (faizaan) from the Shaikh. Proper flow of faizaan is not possible without this kind of relationship with the spiritual guide (Shaikh). It is not permitted in the spiritual path (tariqat) to look to any other Shaikh for guidance so long as his own Shaikh lives. Nor in baiyat to any other Shaikh during the life time of his Shaikh valid. It is no more than merely shaking hands. The real baiyat is the one he has alredy taken with his own Shaikh and the murid cannot cancel his baiyat with the previous Shaikh at will. Because baiyat means selling yourself to somebody else. When he has sold himself once, he cannot sell himself again, like a slave who cannot go to any body else without permission from his master. If he does, he is guilty of breaking the commitment.

During is regarded as heresy in the religion of the lovers;

God is one, the Prophet is one and the Shaikh is one.

The spiritual significance of this verse is that a pupil (murid) should regard God, the Holy Prophet and the Shaikh as one authority.

Renewal of Baiyat: In the spiritual path (tariqat), baiyat is considered as sacred as wedlock. The rules of baiyat are the same as the rules of wedlock. To look to a Shaikh other than his own Shaikh for guidance is like looking at a person other than her husband, by a wife. However, renewal of baiyat is justified in the following cases:

1. When the Shaikh has died and the murid has not completed his spiritual course, nor has he developed the spiritual capacity to receive guidance from his Shaikh after his death. In this case the seeker is not only allowed, but is duty bound to renew his baiyat.

2. When the Shaikh has disappeared or migrated to another country unknown to the murid, or the baiyat was taken during a journey and the Shaikh was not heard of anymore. In this case too, the renewal of baiyat is permissible.

3. If the murid comes to know after baiyat that the Shaikh is nor genuine, or has not completed the spiritual course properly, he is at liberty to take baiyat with a genuine Shaikh.

4. When a murid is the victim of continuous carelessness on the part of his Shaikh to impart proper training to him, the Shaikh becomes like a husband, who fails to provide livelihood to his wife, who is justified in seeking divorce. In such a case, a genuine Shaikh is permitted to accept that person as his murid and give him correct spiritual training.

5. When someone takes baiyat with a Shaikh without reaching the age of puberty at the behest of his parents. This kind of baiyat is known as baiyat tabaraak, and it can be renewed with some other Shaikh on reaching the age of puberty.

The etiquette of discipleship (adaab-e-muridi):

In Sufism, adaab (good manners) is of paramount importance. It is said by a Sufi Shaikh: “Tasawwuf is wholly adab.” IN the realm of love, etiquette and good manners (adaab0 are of utmost importance except of course, when the seeker is overwhelmed with spiritual intoxication.

Mir sits far from this heart-burning.

Love is not gained without good manners.

The Shaikh is a medium between man and god. He is visible to your physical eyes. But God Almighty is not. In the beginning, a murid is the prisoner of time and space, but he ends up in timelessness and spacelessness. It is the Shaikh who is the manifestation of the Divine Name Ya Hadi (The Guide). So by giving his hand in the hands of the Shiakh, the murid starts receiving faizaan from the Divine Name Ya Hadi, and the Shaikh withdraws from between as soon as the murid reaches Divine nearness and union. This is a tremendous success for the murid, achieved through the medium of the Shaikh, who deserves the greatest respect and honour. The murid should be grateful to him for this kindness, love him with all his heart, and think that no one in the world is better than his Shaikh in bringing him to his Goal. The Shiakh Should be regarded as a physician and nothing kept secret from him, nor should a murid doubt the Shaikh’s genuineness or ability to guide, and obey the Shaikh in every way. Without giving any other interpretation to the Shaikh’s words, he should obey him, even if he is unable to understand the wisdom of the Shaikh’s orders. He should regard himself a dead body in the hands of the one who bathes the dead (ghassaal). However learned the murid may be, he should regard himself less knowledgeable than his Shaikh. He should not disclose the Shaikh’s secrets of supernatural deeds without his permission. He should behave like the most humble servant of the Shaikh with gaze lowered and neck bent down. When talking to the Shaikh, keep his voice as low as possible. He should not step on the prayer mat of his Shaikh, nor should he seat himself on a prayer mat before the Shaikh. The murid should not offer naffil prayer in the presence of the Shaikh, nor should he talk with familiarity as an equal. Unless the Shaikh himself lifts the veil on a spiritual secret, the murid must not ask the Shaikh to disclose it. He should know that when the Shaikh finds the murid receptive, he himself will disclose it. In this connection the murid should remember conversations between Hazrat Musa (Moses) and Khizr. Hazrat Khizr admonished Hazrat Musa (Moses) about questioning what he did. The murid should avoid any thing which is contrary to his Shaikh’s nature or temperament. He should not raise any topic without the Shaikh’s permission.

These are etiquettes of discipleship (muridi) along with those mentioned at length in Sufi literature. Disregard of these etiquettes results in shortage of inspiration (faizaan) from the Shaikh. The murid receives faizaan from the Shaikh which is commensutate with his love for him and this determines the murid’s status in the eyes of God. Therefore, it is incumbent on the murid to keep his Shaikh satisfied with his behavior, obedience, service, adaab, sacrifices and self ahnegation.

Taqwa

Aversion and disgust of anything which engages the heart or hinders in the way to God. It differs in different situations. Broadly speaking it is of four kinds;

Taqwa-e-awam: For common people. This means dislike for heresy and polytheism (kufr-o-shirk).

Taqwa-e-muttaqi: Taqwa of the pious. Means abstaining from sins and crimes.

Taqwa-e-khawas: For the elite. Rooting out stray thoughts (wasawis) during prayer and worship.

Taqwa-e-khwas-ul-khawas: For the elite among the elite. This means remaining absorbed in God every minute and always keeping the heart free of other-than-God.