BAI’AT-E-IRADAH

This means to totally abolish one’s desires and intentions and surrender one’s self at the hands of a true Guide or Spiritual Master. You have to sincerely obey and execute all his orders and methods entrusted on you by him.Never take a step without his consent even though some laws and orders may not suit you or make sense to you. The Murshid’s commands may cause great discomfort to you and at such moments the Mureed must regard this as the interference of the Cursed Shaitaan. Your every hardship and difficulty must be presented to him. In conclusion, the Mureed must totally hand himself over to the Sheikh like a corpse in the hands of a person performing Ghusal. This is known as Bai’at-e-Salikeen. Such Bai’at leads one to Allah Taala. It was Bai’at-e-Salikeen that was taken by the Ashaabs at the hands of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). Sayyiduna Obadah bin Samat (radi Allahu anhu) states: “We had taken Bai’at (at the hands of Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) on the following principles: We will await his command and execute it in times of every ease and difficulty, every form of ecstasy or displeasure. And when the Master commands us we will never disobey or cross question him”. The command of the Murshid is the command of Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and his command is the Command of Allah, the All Powerful, Who nobody dares disobey.

In “Awariful Ma’arif” Sheikh Shahaabudeen Suhrawardi (alaihir rahmah) states: “To be under the command of the Sheikh is to be under the Command of Allah and His Rasool (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and is the revival of a Sunnah – Bai’at. This is only applicable on those persons who imprison themselves in the hands of the Sheikh, discard all desires and dissolve themselves in the Sheikh (Fana-fi-Sheikh)”. Sheikh Suhrawardi (alaihir rahmah) also states: “Abstain from criticizing the Sheikh for it is a deadly poison for the Mureed. It is extremely rare for a Mureed who criticise his Sheikh to find serenity and success. In any action of the Sheikh, which does not seem correct to the Mureed, he should remember the events of Sayyiduna Khidr (alaihis salaam). This is because the actions performed by Sayyiduna Khidr (alaihis salaam) were apparently questionable (e.g. making a hole in the boat of the poor and killing an innocent child), but when the reasons for these actions were explained then it became obvious that the Sheikh should not be questioned”. Sayyiduna Imam Abul Kaasim Kasheeri (alaihir rahmah) states in his Kitaab, “Risalah”, that Sayyiduna Abu Sahal Sahlooki (radi Allahu anhu) states, “Any person who says ‘why’ to any word of his Sheikh will never achieve success.”

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