not having a shaykh as a guide

[mustaq]

salam.

Maulana sahib,

Can you tell me what Islam says about those who say you dont need a pir or shaykh.

i know lots of people who are naik but they dont have a pir.

[Imam]

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Wa'alaykum 'Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu


All Praise be to Allah who is the Lord of the Worlds, and may Endless Blessings be showered upon His Most Beloved, and Final Messenger of Islam, Hadrat Muhammad Mustafa Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam


Islam does not detest the possibility of having a shaykh, but encourages it. This is clearly shown in the verses:

'Certainly Allah was pleased when the believers swore allegiance to you under the tree'
(Qur'an, 48;18)

and:

'Sure those who swear allegiance to you, indeed swear allegiance to Allah'
(Qur'an, 48;10)

Both of these verses clearly state the benefits of swearing allegiance [bayt]. Allegiance maybe sworn to a person who is a true representative of the religion of Islam, and He who conforms to the religion of Islam. Usually, it is a shaykh who has the qualification of khilafah, or even ijazah, which has been passed down to him from previous religious servants of Allah.


Since these two verses are used in support of having a murshid, pir, [spiritual guide] or a shaykh, they nevertheless do not exempt people from having a pir or a shaykh. Rather those people who are pirs or shaykhs have communicated what the dangers are, of those people who follow Islam, without a guide. (The guide here, refers to a pir or a shaykh), and it is common practice, that every Muslim has been guided onto the religion of Islam, by a shaykh, or an authoritative person, someone whose word is to be trusted.


Imam al-Ghazali Radi Allahu anhu, and indeed others have stated the dangers of travelling the paths of the shar'iyyah and the tariqah, without having a shaykh, and have stated at some point; ''that a person who does not have a shaykh, then it is the shaytan who is his shaykh.''


This comment simply means, that you can be misled into following Islam, if you have not been provided with the knowledge, or have not been guided through, what is important in Islam, and what is not so important. For comprehensive details on these issues, books such as the 'Book of Assistance', 'Reliance of the Traveller', 'Risala-t'al-Qushayriyyah', and indeed The 'Ihya' 'Ulum 'al-Din' will be of great assistance.


May Allah the Almighty make the shadow of our scholars and shaykhs last as long as possible upon us, and may He prevent us from being deviated, into the wrong direction. (Amin)


Jazak'allah for your question.



Wallahu A'lamu Biththawaab



M. Waseem Ashrafi