Question and answer regarding something
The Question
Zaid claims: Apart from having a Leader (Peshwa) and a Sheikh, counting the rosary (Tasbeeh) and reciting Salawat (Durood) or litanies (Wazifa) is equivalent to wasting one’s life.
Bakr states: "I am not pledged (Bay'ah) to any person. I pray, I fast, and I accept the rulings of the Noble Shariah, the Glorious Quran, and whatever the Scholars of Religion say as the truth. However, I am not a disciple (Mureed) of any specific Peer or Faqir, though I do not consider becoming a disciple as something bad."
The Conflict: According to Zaid’s statement, in this scenario, no worship of any kind performed by Bakr is accepted in the Court of the Almighty. All of Bakr’s worship is wasted because he is without a disciplehood. Greeting Bakr is deemed impermissible, he is considered expelled from the circle of Islam, and he will be resurrected with the faction of devils.
In this situation, what should Bakr do?
The Answer
The Sheikh—meaning the Murshid (Spiritual Guide), the Leader, and the Conductor on the path of God—is of two types:
1. The General Guide (Sheikh-e-Aam):
This is the Word of Allah, the words of the Imams of Shariah and Tariqah, and the discourse of the scholars of the Exoteric (Zahir) and Esoteric (Batin) sciences. This operates on the authentic chain (Silsila Sahihah) such that:
The guide for the common people is the speech of the Scholars.
The guide for the Scholars is the speech of the Imams.
The guide for the Imams is the speech of the Messenger (Peace Be Upon Him).
The leader of the Messenger is the Word of Allah.
2. The Specific Guide (Sheikh-e-Khaas):
This implies that a person (e.g., Zaid) pledges allegiance at the hand of a specific servant of God—one who is a guide, is himself rightly guided, is worthy of leadership, and possesses the comprehensive conditions of Bay'ah. The disciple must then remain bound to this guide's instructions—which must align with the Shariah and Tariqah—in all his sayings, actions, movements, and states of rest.
The Verdict on the "Guideless" (Be-Peer):
The Sheikh or Murshid in the first sense (The General Guide/Chain of Knowledge) is mandatory for every person.
One who is "Be-Peer" (without a guide) in this sense is absolutely far removed from the circle of Islam.
His worship is ruined and rejected.
To initiate greetings (Salam) with him is prohibited and forbidden.
On the Day of Judgment, he shall be resurrected within the faction of Satan.
Allah Almighty says:
Yawma nad'u kulla unasin bi imamihim (Surah Al-Isra, 17:71)
"(Remember) The Day We shall call every group of people with their Imam."
When a person does not accept the Imams of Guidance as their Murshid and Leader, they have effectively become the disciple of the Imam of Misguidance—meaning the accursed Satan. Inevitably, on the Day of Judgment, they will rise in his group. Wal-Iyazu Billah (And we seek refuge in Allah).
However, among those who recite the Kalima (claim to be Muslims), there can be four groups who are "Be-Peer" (Guideless in this specific, deviating sense):
First: The Naturists (Nechari):
Those Kafirs who fundamentally do not accept the Quran and Hadith. For instance, the Naturists who explicitly declare Hadith to be rejected and useless, and who reject the certain, absolute meanings of the Quran, fabricating stories and riddles from their own hearts. May Allah curse them with a great curse.
Second: The Non-Conformists (Ghair Muqallid):
Those who outwardly accept the Quran and Hadith but consider the rulings of the Imams of the Religion and the bearers of the firm Shariah to be false and unreliable. They wish to break the chain of allegiance (Silsila Bay'ah) and shake hands directly with God and the Messenger.
"And the wrongdoers will soon know what kind of overturning they will undergo." (Surah Ash-Shu'ara, 26:227)
Third: The Wahhabi Conformists (Wahhabiyya Muqallideen):
Those who, although outwardly take the name of following Imams (Taqlid) in minor jurisprudential matters (Furu'), explicitly go against the Great Majority (Sawad-e-Azam) in Principles (Usool) and Beliefs (Aqeedah). They burn with jealousy at the mention of the stations, positions, powers, and ranks of the Noble Saints (Awliya).
Fourth: All Deviant Sects:
Similarly, all other misguided, bad-mazhab groups such as the Rafidi (Shia), Khariji, Mu'tazila, Qadriyya, Jabriyya, and others—may Allah forsake them. All of them abandoned the path of guidance, made their own desires their Imam, and went and connected their chain of allegiance to the accursed Satan.
Allah Almighty says:
"Have you seen him who has taken his desire as his god..." (Surah Al-Jathiya, 45:23)
In short, the comprehensive statement is that those who are the People of Desire—meaning the Opponents of the Ahlus Sunnah wa Jama'at—are truly the ones to whom the description "Be-Peer" (Guideless) applies, and they are rightly deserving of all those severe rulings.
"May Allah destroy them! How are they deluded (turned away)?" (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:30)
The Status of Bakr
A Sunni with the Correct Creed (Sahih-ul-Aqeedah), who:
Accepts the Imams of Guidance.
Considers the following of the Imams (Taqlid) necessary.
Is a true believer in the Noble Saints (Awliya-e-Kiram).
Is firm on the path of truth in all matters of creed.
Such a person is never "Be-Peer" (Guideless).
The four sacred Murshids—namely, the Word of God, the Messenger, the Imams, and the Scholars of Exoteric and Esoteric sciences—are his spiritual guides. If he remains in this state, his hand is in the hand of the Pure Shariah, just like millions of other Muslims of the Ahlus Sunnah, even if he has not been honored with the grace of Bay'ah (allegiance) at the blessed hand of a specific servant of God.
(A Persian couplet follows with its interpretation):
Our covenant was bound by God with sweet-mouthed people; we are all servants, yet these people are the Masters and Patrons.
The Role of the Specific Sheikh (Sheikh-e-Khaas)
However, even a Sheikh and Murshid in the second sense (the Specific Guide for Bay'ah) is unavoidable for the person who desires to undertake the spiritual journey (Sulook) on the Path of Tariqah. This path is not such that a person can navigate it based on their own opinion or merely by consulting books. Every individual encounters new difficulties which cannot be resolved without the special attention of a complete spiritual guide (Rahbar-e-Kamil).
Refuting Zaid’s Extremism:
But to impose those extreme, harsh rulings (of Kufr/doom) upon the mere abandonment of this path (Specific Bay'ah) is absolutely false, useless deceit, manifest oppression, and a pure fabrication against the Divine Religion.
Firstly, those who aspire to this path are few.
Secondly, even if one seeks it, finding a Perfect Sheikh is difficult in this dark age, especially amidst the throng of self-serving, hypocritical world-seekers.
(A Persian Warning Couplet):
"How many devils are there in the guise of human beings! Thus, one should not give their hand (in Bay'ah) into every hand."
Thousands of scholars and righteous people have passed away whose attachment to this specific Path of Bay'ah is not outwardly proven. God forbid, can they be described as the recipients of those harsh rulings? And even those who did pledge allegiance—did they all do so as soon as they attained consciousness? God forbid! Many were already Imams in exoteric knowledge before they took Bay'ah. To suggest they were deserving of those harsh rulings until that point is clear and glaring ignorance. We seek refuge in Allah Almighty.
Analysis of Zaid’s Narrations (Ahadith)
The First Hadith (Tasbeeh is Wasted):
This is not found in the speech of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH); rather, it is a saying of the Awliya (Saints).
The Second Hadith (Al-Shaykhu fi qawmihi ka al-nabiyyi fi ummatihi):
Translation: "The Sheikh in his nation is like the Prophet in his community."
Ruling: Although narrated by Ibn Hibban and Daylami, it was declared Mawdu' (fabricated) by Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani and Ibn Taymiyyah, and Batil (false) by Imam Sakhawi.
Counter-Argument: The esteemed Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti’s methodology suggests that he considered it only Da'if (weak), not false or fabricated, as he cited it in his Jami' al-Saghir and promised in the introduction:
(A concluding excerpt of the quote by Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti regarding his Hadith collection):
"I left the peel and took the kernel (essence), and I preserved it from anything narrated solely by a fabricator or a liar."
The Obligation of Obedience
However, what is fundamentally proven from all of this is that obedience to the guides of God is mandatory. There is no disagreement on this point. The following Noble Verse is sufficient for this purpose:
"Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you." (Surah An-Nisa, 4:59)
According to the most sound and prevalent opinion (Qawl-e-Asahh), "those in authority (Ulu al-Amr)" refer to the Scholars of the Religion, which includes the scholars of both Shariah (Islamic Law) and Tariqah (Spiritual Path).
To derive any meaning from this—such as claiming that whoever has not performed external Bay'ah (oath of allegiance) at anyone's hand is misguided—is absolutely not the import of the Hadith. This is a fabrication, a slander, or manifest ignorance and foolishness. We seek refuge in Allah Almighty!
The Hadith on Bay'ah (Political Context)
Yes, regarding the Bay'ah of the Grand Imamat (Caliphate), it is stated in an authentic Hadith:
"Whosoever withdraws his hand from obedience will meet Allah on the Day of Judgment having no argument (in his favor). And whosoever dies while there is no Bay'ah (pledge of allegiance) on his neck, dies a death of ignorance (Jahiliyyah). (Narrated by Muslim from Abdullah bin Umar)
Crucial Qualifier:
This ruling also only applies in the situation where the Imam (the Caliph/Ruler) is present and accessible (Mayssar). As is well known, otherwise:
"Allah does not charge a soul except with that within its capacity." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:286)
And Allah Almighty knows best.
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