Dalael-us-Suluk

CHAPTER 22

DEVOTEES’ CODE OF BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS

THE SHAIKH

T here are numerous ways of living in this world, yet life is rendered far more purposeful and pleasant if lived with due decorum and dexterity. Every business in life has its own principles which must be observed in order to ensure success. Education and training is a delicate and exacting task which calls for constant endeavour. The slightest carelessness may cause considerable damage that is why ALLAH, in His infinite mercy, laid down explicit instructions for receiving education and training from the greatest benefactor and patron, Prophet Muhammad.

O you who believe! Lift not up your voices above the voice of the
Prophet, lest your works be rendered vain while you perceive it
not. ( 49:2)

(As for) those who call out to you from behind private chambers,
most of them have no sense. And if they had patience till you came
forth to them, it would certainly be better for them. (49:5)

From these commands, the authors of al-Abraiz (p: 243) and ‘Awarif al-M‘aarif (vol: I, p: 59) conclude:

While in the company of his Shaikh, the devotee should bear the spirit of these instructions in mind. He should pass from self while in his presence and work in consultation with and at the behest of his Shaikh. The responsibility of the Shaikh as an accredited rep­resentative of the Holy Prophet is the reformation and spiritual growth of his disciples. The duty of devotees, on their part, is to draw beneficence by following the ways of the Companions. These etiquettes form the basis and constitute the authority of Is­lamic mysticism.

T hey continue:

The learned sufis follow the way of the Prophet and his Com­panions, and a true follower becomes ALLAH’s beloved accord­ing to the following declaration in the Qur-an,

Say (O Muhammad) to mankind, if you love ALLAH follow me,
ALLAH will love you. ( 3:31)

 

T his commandment is elaborated in al-Bukhari and al-Muslim. ALLAH declares: “In no way does My servant draw so near to Me as when per­forming those duties which I have imposed on him. My servant continues to draw near to Me through supplemental works until I love him, and when I love him, I become his ears so that he hears by Me, and his eyes so that he sees by Me, and his hands so that he receives by Me, and his feet so that he walks by Me. Indeed I act through him.”

T he sole aim of a slave’s life is to attain His nearness. The way to do so is to be resolute in the obligatory commands of the Shari‘ah and to in­crease supplemental works according to the Sunnah; as a result, he be­comes ALLAH ’sbeloved.

A t this stage, his will and wishes merge with those of ALLAH. Appar­ently he is working, but in reality, ALLAH is behind his every action as illustrated in the Qur-an,You didnot throw when you threw but ALLAH threw. Undoubtedly, ALLAH has revealed the code of conduct before the Prophet. We have now to see how his students (the Companions) practiced and obeyed these rules, their conduct or etiquette constitute a branch of the Faith and must be followed by the devotees of a Shaikh. Had their conduct been outside the pale of Islam, the Prophet would have cer­tainly forbidden it.

H ere are some illustrations of how the Companions sat in the audience of the Holy Prophet.

The Companions’ Conduct

Narrates Bara bin ‘Azib,

Once the Prophet took his seat facing the K‘abah. We all sat around him, quiet and motionless, as if birds were perched on our heads.

T his state of the Companions has been highlighted in many a Hadith as mentioned in Ash‘at al-Lam‘at. Such a state is reached when:

The Companions achieved this status because they regarded the Holy Prophet as the fountainhead of all guidance and themselves as utterly needy. Keeping this in view, the seeker should sit in the company of his Shaikh in such a manner that:

The Companions’ Obedience of the Prophet

States Jabir:

The Prophet (once) took his seat on the pulpit and bade every­one to sit down, at that moment Ibn-e Mas‘ud was at the gate of the mosque, on hearing the Prophet’s words he instantly sat down where he was. The Prophet saw him sitting at the gate and beckoned himto come forward.

Writes ‘Allama Sayuti in his Khasais al-Kubra vol: I, p: 165,

On a Friday, as soon as the Prophet took his seat on the pulpit he asked everyone to sit down. When the call was heard by ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah Ansari he was in the Bani Ghanam tribe and instantly sat down.

These two incidents indicate the extent to which the Companions obeyed the Prophet. They did not try to find out the occasion or the reason for the Prophet’s command, they heard it and instantly complied with it.

T he conduct of the Companions provides the guidelines to mystics, i.e., if an order of the Shaikh is not against any categorical injunctions of the Shari ‘ah,it should be complied withby his devotees immediately. A devotee cannot be expected to comprehend the motive of every act of the Shaikh as proved by the account of Prophet Musa and Hadhrat Khidhar in the Qur-an.

The Companions’ Reverence of the Prophet

• Nasim ar-Riyadh Sharah Shafa vol: II,p: 265

Amir M‘uawiyah died in Syria in 60 A.H. at the age of 76-78 years, while a Caliph. He possessed two coverings, some hair and nails of the Prophet. His body was wrapped in those sheets while the hair and nails were placed in his nostrils and mouth in accordance with his will.

• ‘Awarif al-M‘aarif vol: I, p: 106.

One covering was purchased by Amir M‘uawiyah from the de­scendants of K‘ab Bin Zahir for twenty thousand Dirhams (approximately five thousand rupees). Details of the incident are as follows;

When K‘ab embraced Islam, the Prophettook off his covering and gifted it to him. Hadhrat M‘uawiyah wanted to purchase it from K‘ab but the latter flatly refused saying, “I think no one has a better right to possess it than myself.” After K‘ab’s death, Amir M‘uawiyah, purchased it from his descendants for twenty thou­sand Dirham. This sacred covering kept changing hands over the generations till it reached an-Nasir lid-Din, the Governor of Egypt, during Shaikh Shahab ud-Din’s time.”

T his anecdote has a moral, i.e., that the Shaikh’s garments should also be respected. This is what love and good manners dictate.

N asim ar-Riyadh vol: III,p: 157 and Raudh al-Anf vol: 11, p: 321 make mention of a letter of the Prophet written to Caesar of Rome. He was a Christian but conversant with the status of Prophets. He left a will, advis­ing his descendants to look after this letter with utmost reverence. Caesar had preserved the Prophet’s letter in a golden tube with great care and adoration, which passed down the chain of Roman kings in heritage.

A ccording to Fatah al-Bari,

The Christian king said: “This letter is the same as written by your Prophet to my ancestor, Caesar; this has come down to us in heri­tage. Our forefathers had left a will that the kingdom would be preserved so long as this letter remained in our custody. That’s why we look after it, respect it and keep it in the most secret and safest custody in order to ensure the integrity of our empire.”

 T his passage of Fatah al-Bari refers to the account of Nur ud-Din Bin Sa‘igh of Damascus: “I was sent as an emissary of Khalifah Mansur ‘Abbasi to a Christian king. The king brought out a golden tube wrapped in silken handkerchief from a box, from this tube he took out the aforesaid letter. I wanted to kiss it but the king forbade it on the grounds that it was already worn out and might be further damaged in the process. He be­lieved that his kingdom would perish if the letter was destroyed.”

T he aulia conclude that the care and reverence shown to the letter of the Shaikh guarantees the safety of a seeker’s spiritual kingdom, just as the re­spect shown to the Prophet’s letter guaranteed the safety of a worldly kingdom. On the contrary, the disrespect shown by Chosroes (Khusro Parvez by tearing the Prophet’s letter) resulted in the destruction of his kingdom.

H ow painfully amazing that Muslims today take pride in naming their sons after this insolent infidel, out of sheer ignorance, a practice which must be thoroughly discouraged.

The Companions’ Love for the Prophet

• al-Bukhari vol: I, p: 31

The Companions would leap to procure the water falling from the Prophet’s ablution.

• al-Bukhari vol: I, p: 38

The Companions never let the spittle of the Prophet fall on the ground. They would take it on their hands and rub it on their hands, faces and bodies.

These actions indicate the extent of love they had for the Prophet

The Companions’ Regard for Each Other’s Status and Deference for the Prophet’s Teachings

H adhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas used to visit the house of Hadhrat Ubayy bin K‘ab to receive instructions in the Qur-an, he never knocked at the door but would quietly wait outside and this weighed heavily on the lat­ter’s mind. One day bin K‘ab told himto knock at the door to announce his arrival, Ibn-e ‘Abbas replied, “A learned scholar has the same status with his people as a Prophet with his Ummah. Referring to the visitors who arrived at the Prophet’s house and summoned himby name, ALLAH commanded, If they had patience till you came forth to them, it had been better for them. I witnessed this when I was young and have since behaved with my elders in accordance with this Divine injunction.”

As regards the etiquette of a student for his teacher, the scholars of Hadith, Tibrani, and al-Ghazali (in his Ahya ul-‘Ulum)have quoted this incident from Imam Shabi: Once Hadhrat Zaid bin Thabit after leading a funeral prayer was about to ride his horse, when ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas caught hold of the stirrup: Hadhrat Zaid requested the cousin of the Prophet not to bother, Ibn-e ‘Abbas said, “We have been educated to respect our ‘Ulama and elders in this way.” Hadhrat Zaid kissed his hands in return and added, “We have been similarly instructed.”

W hen a seeker calls on his Shaikh, he should remember the above quoted Divine command and the Companions’ practice and refrain from knocking at his door. He should wait till the Shaikh comes out to meet people in his usual routine. However, in case of an urgency he should send in a word but should neither raise his voice nor insist on an early meeting.

A study of the Companions’ code of behaviour shows that they were the ideal disciples. In their love, respect and devotion to the Holy Prophet, they set brilliant standards which will remain a beacon for the devout through the generations. They attained such perfection in this field, as is impossible to acquire, but worthy of imitation.

Tasawwuf is Decorum Personified

T he relationship between the Shaikh and the seeker apparently resem­bles that of a teacher and a student, but in fact it is different. A student having no respect for his teacher in his heart may still acquire knowledge from him. But in the case of a seeker, the slightest lack of devotion towards the Shaikh shall preclude the beneficence. As the Shaikh turns his Tawajjuh to a devotee, he is receiving ALLAH’s Mercy and approval, si­multaneously transmitting to the seeker. No matter how high a stage in the Path is attained by a seeker, like a kite in the hands of its flier, he remains under the absolute control of the Shaikh who retains the control irrespec­tive of the height attained by the kite. Presently satellites aptly illustrate this point.

T his relationship has been elaborated in ‘Awarif al-M‘aarif vol: II, p:16:

Tasawwuf is decorum through and through, at all times, in all conditions, and at each stage. Whosoever holds it fast becomes a beloved of ALLAH ,while whoever defaults is an imbecile, de­prived of His Mercy.

T here is yet another difference between conventional knowledge and Tasawwuf. The former can be acquired to some extent without a teacher, butit is impossible to tread the Path without the guidance of an accom­plished Shaikh. Imam Razi in his commentary on a verse of al-Fatihah, namely: “Show us the right path, the path of those whom You have fa­voured ” observes.

T his verse implies that one cannot tread the right path unless he follows the illustrious pioneers. Books are of little use in the pur­suit of the Path. It proves that in order to acquire enlightenment and virtue of manifestations, a seeker should follow an accomplished Shaikh who will guide himon the right path and protect him from every evil. This is so because the majority of mankind is imperfect, and human intellect alone is not capable of discovering Divine truths and distinguishing right from wrong. Therefore, it is imperative to find and follow an accomplished guide who will, by virtue of his mature wisdom, brighten the intellect of the novice and help him to attain heights of perfection and Divine blessings.

T his comment highlights that without the guidance of an accomplished Shaikh the stages of the Path cannot be attained. The goal of a devotee is his communion with ALLAH Who has declared, “And those who believe, love ALLAH the most.” hence, ALLAH is the beloved of a true believer. The result is that ALLAH becomes the beloved of the devotee and vice versa on the analogy: “He loves them and they love Him. ” As the Shaikh causes this connection, he too becomes the beloved of the devotee. However, manifestation of love for the Shaikh must remain within the limits of the Shari‘ah.

T he devotee should not take his Shaikh forGod, which is polytheism, nor prostrate before him,which is strictly forbidden by the Shari‘ah.

I t is not necessary for a Shaikh to excel the seeker in knowledge and pi­ety. However, it is essential that he should be an accomplished mystic. The account of Prophet Musa and Hadhrat Khidharprovides a fitting exam­ple. The former was far ahead in these two aspects but to acquire a particu­lar knowledge he had to visit the latter.

I t is important for the Shaikh to ensure that his devotee strictly follows all the norms of Shari‘ah, because to think of Tariqah devoid of the Shari‘ah is nothing short of hypocrisy and infidelity.

A ccording to Jam‘a-e Karamat-e Aulia ALLAH, vol: I,p: 511 Shaikh Abu ‘Abbas declares that it is impossible to attain the high offices of Wali, Autad and Qutb without perfect devotion to the Prophet and without following the commandments of the Shari‘ah.

W here a seeker, despite a long association with his Shaikh, does not cultivate familiarity with the Shari‘ah, fails to harbour respect for the ten­ets of Islam, and is not enthusiastic about following the commands of the Shari‘ah, be sure that both of them are victims of self-deceit and are trying in vain to deceive God.

B esides discharging the basic responsibility of enforcing the commands of the Shari‘ah with all its obligations and impositions, and creating en­thusiasm to follow the Sunnah, the Shaikh should evaluate the seeker’s heart to assess its capacity and accordingly, coach him spiritually. The beginning should be made with especially the zikr of His personal Name i.e., ALLAH. When a farmer sows healthy seed in prepared soil, he reaps a bumper harvest. Similarly, when zikr of His name is securely embedded in the heart of the seeker, the Shaikh guides him to the various stages of the Path. Keeping in view the different dispositions and capacities of his disci­ples, the Shaikh puts some of them on Zikr-e Lisani, others on and yet oth­ers on Fana-o Baqa and higher stages of the Path. However, an accom­plished Shaikh is competent to put all the disciples on from the very out­set. But the attainment of higher stages of the Path will depend on individ­ual capacity and effort. This will be exactly in conformity with the precept of the Prophet: “Talk to the people according to their intellect.”

W rites Shaikh Shahab ud-Din in his ‘Awarif al-M‘aarif, vol: I, p: 44:

The status of a Shaikh is very high in Tasawwuf, because he deputises the Prophet in inviting mankind to ALLAH .There­fore, it is obligatory on himto extend his call to all and sundry.

T he spiritual uplift should be carried out with fatherly affection, nay, with still greater affection. Imam Razi in his Tafsir-e Kabir vol: VI, p: 261 comments:

The Shaikh ranks higher in status than the parents because the latter protect their children from worldly afflictions while the for­mer offers safety against the Hell-fire.

‘Allama Ibrahim in his book ‘Umdah at-Tahqiq fi Bashar as-Siddiq p: 330 asserts:

Progeny is either lineal or spiritual. According to enlightened sufis the latter takes precedence over the former.

T he reason is that a father looks after the physical upbringing and mate­rial provision of his children both mortal, while a Shaikh provides spiritual food through, both eternal and immortal; the relative superiority of the immortal is obvious. This discussion brings out that the Shaikh is a spiri­tual father besides being a teacher and above all, a transmitter of the leg­acy of Prophets.

Etiquettes for Drawing Beneficence

T his is conceivable only where the Shaikh is accomplished and the seeker earnest. When an earnest seeker follows an imperfect Shaikh and consequently receives no spiritual benefit, he should separate and search for an accomplished man. Otherwise he will be guilty of indulging in per­sonality worship, however, if the Shaikh is not accomplished and the seeker is not earnest, their relationship is a farce, far removed from Tasawwuf and the Path. An accomplished Shaikh must be judged from the spiritual benefit his devotees are receiving. If the Shaikh has thousands of disciples but none is progressing spiritually, he is surely an impostor; it is obligatory for the seeker to leave him. An accomplished Shaikh, on the other hand, would retrieve and reform the delinquents bedeviled by the perversities of moral debasement and lift them to celestial heights.

S haikh Shahab ud-Din in his ‘Awarif ai-M‘aarif asserts:

S imilarly, to kiss the hands of a teacher or a Shaikh is permissible but not the hands of a person, who has never washed them! However, to bow down or prostrate before a Shaikh is strictly forbidden.