Objecting
to one’s Murshid leads to ruin
Undoubtedly, the Islamic student and
the disciple objecting to his Islamic teacher and Murshid remain deprived of
the blessings of knowledge and gnosis and fall into the abyss of ruin.
A’lā Ḥaḍrat, Imām of Ahl-e-Sunnat,
Reviver of Sunnah, Eradicator of Bid’ah, Scholar of Sharī’ah, Guide of Ṭarīqah,
‘Allāmah, Maulānā, Al-Ḥāj Al-Ḥāfiẓ, Al-Qārī Ash-Shāh Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ الرَّحْمٰن has narrated: ‘A
disciple must not object to his Murshid as this is a deadly poison for him.
There would hardly be any disciple that manages to attain salvation in spite of
objecting to his Murshid. If he ever fails to comprehend the wisdom of any act
on the part of his Murshid, he should recall the events of Sayyidunā Khiḍr عَلَيْهِ الصَّلٰوةُ وَالسَّلَام as he عَلَيْهِ الصَّلٰوةُ وَالسَّلَام did such acts that
apparently seemed to be highly objectionable (like damaging the ship of a
destitute person and killing an innocent boy).
However, when he عَلَيْهِ الصَّلٰوةُ وَالسَّلَام justified his acts, it would
become clear what he did was right. Likewise, the disciple should have a firm
belief that his Murshid has an irrefutable proof for the permissibility of the
act that does not seem to be right to the disciple.’ Sayyidunā Imām Abul Qāsim
Qushayrī رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ
has written in the booklet ‘Risāla-e-Qushairiyah’ that he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ heard Sayyidunā Abu
‘Abdur Raḥmān Sulamī عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْقَوِی
say, ‘His (Abu ‘Abdur Raḥmān Sulamī’s) Murshid, Abū Saḥal Sa’lūkī رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ said to him, ‘Anyone
who says ‘why’ in any matter to his Murshid will never be able to attain
salvation.’
(Risāla Qushairiyah, p. 362) (Fatāwā
Razawiyyah, Vol. 21, pp. 510-511)
Perfect
and imperfect Murshid
Dear Islamic brothers! The foregoing
blessed Fatwa of A’lā Ḥaḍrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى
عَلَيْهِ appertains to only a perfect Murshid. As for the so-called
‘Murshid’ who is not only a blasphemer of the Holy Prophet and his companions
but also an apostate and a religious bigot, it is impermissible and sin to
become a disciple of such a person. Similarly, the person committing major sins
with impunity or committing minor sins repeatedly is Fāsiq-e-Mu’lin (open
sinner). For instance, the one committing such sins as missing Ṣalāh openly,
taking drugs, abusing, meeting and talking with unveiled women freely, allowing
women to kiss or press his hands or feet, watching films and dramas openly,
shaving his beard or trimming it less than a fist-length – such a person is an
absolute open sinner and, thus it is not permissible at all to become his
disciple. One should be careful and cautious before becoming disciple.
Therefore, it is stated on page 278
of the first volume of Bahār-e-Sharī’at, a masterpiece of Ṣadr-ush-Sharī’ah,
Badr-ut-Ṭarīqah, ‘Allāmah Maulānā Muftī Muhammad Amjad ‘Alī A’ẓamī عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْقَوِی, ‘There are four
preconditions for a Murshid (spiritual guide). These preconditions must be
fulfilled before Bai’at:
1. The Murshid must be a Sunni Muslim
with correct Islamic beliefs.
2. He must have adequate Islamic
knowledge that he can find out necessary rulings from books.
3. He must not be a Fāsiq-e-Mu’lin (an
open sinner).
4. His spiritual order must be
connected with the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى
عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.
(Bahār-e Sharī’at) (Fatāwā
Razawiyyah, Vol. 21, pp. 603)
If a Murshid fails to fulfil even a
single of the foregoing four preconditions, it is not permissible to become his
disciple. If someone unknowingly became a disciple of such a Murshid who is not
of the above-mentioned calibre, it is mandatory for the disciple to break his
Bai’at (i.e. no longer remain the disciple of such a person). For this, he does
not have to inform that ‘imperfect Murshid’. Instead, just saying that he has
broken his Bai’at is enough.
Further, losing belief in one’s Murshid
automatically leads to the termination of Bai’at. He can now become a disciple
of any perfect Murshid. Furthermore, it is also not necessary to inform the new
perfect Murshid about the termination of previous Bai’at with so-and-so person.
The
perils of terminating Bai’at of perfect Murshid
By Sharī’ah and Ṭarīqah, it is
strictly prohibited to break Bai’at of a perfect Murshid, without a valid
Shar’ī reason. In this regard, a number of sayings of saints have been narrated
in different authentic books.
The reason of its prohibition in
Sharī’ah is that one should at least be grateful to the person who has shown
benevolence to him. By virtue of doing Bai’at with a perfect Murshid, a
disciple attains a lot of blessings such as spiritual link with the friends of
Allah, ease in the path of Ṭarīqah and, at times, occurrence of a complete
Madanī transformation in life. Breaking Bai’at instead of being grateful to
Murshid in return for such great blessings is nothing but an utter
ungratefulness that is prohibited by Sharī’ah. Therefore, a Ḥadīš says:
مَنْ لَّمْ يَشْكُرِ النَّاسَ لَمْ يَشْكُرِ
اللهَ
The
one who has not expressed his gratitude to people, in fact, has not expressed
his gratitude to Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.
(Jāmi’ Tirmiżī, Vol. 3, pp. 384,
Ḥadīš 1962)
Further, when a person becomes a
disciple of a perfect Murshid, he attains many blessings, though sometimes, he
may not observe it. So, when he is attaining blessings, he should let it
continue as stated in the following Ḥadīš:
مَنْ رُزِقَ فِيْ شَيْءٍ فَلْيَلْزَمْهُ
One
should stick to the means whereby he gets sustenance.
(Shu’ab-ul-Īmān, Vol. 2, pp. 89,
Ḥadīš 1241)
It should also be kept in mind that
the termination of the Bai’at of a perfect Murshid without Shar’ī reason
usually leads the disciple to committing many sins. For instance, the disciple
breaking his Bai’at usually looks down upon his former Murshid, which is an
extremely Ḥarām act leading to one’s ruin.
Similarly, the termination of Bai’at
amounts to deliberately hurting one’s Murshid, which is also Ḥarām. Likewise,
those breaking Bai’at indulge in backbiting and having ill opinion about their
former Murshid, opening the door of many other sins. Therefore, it is better
and safer to stick to only one court as it is fruitless to wander hither and
thither on the path of Ṭarīqah.
صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيْب! صَلَّى اللهُ
تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد
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