Question:
I am interested in taking Bay’ah to a Shaikh but cannot find any Shaikh in my area. I commit a sin and repent and repeat the sin again. How can I change my situation? I feel ashamed. Outwardly, I pray and wear Sunnah clothing but commit the same sin again and again. I would like to take Bay’ah in the Chisti Tariqah and reform myself, but its difficult for me to find a Shaikh in my area. Can Mufti Saheb advise?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-sal?mu `alaykum wa-rahmatull?hi wa-barak?tuh.
We commend your enthusiasm and sincere intentions to enter the path of Tasawwuf and Sulook. May Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) grant you his Ma’rifat and elevate you to the rank and stage of Ihsan. Ameen.
Islaah e Nafs (spiritual reformation of the soul) is the objective. Islaah (reformation) is Fardh (compulsory), whereas, Bay’at is Sunnah.
Our Akabireen (elders) placed tremendous and significant importance to Islaah e Nafs. This is understood from the many incidents and narrations recorded in the books of the Akabireen (elders).
Hadhrat Mufti Mahmood al- Hasan Gangohi (Rahmatullahi Alayhi), the late grand Mufti of India and spiritual mentor of many people around the World was asked as to why he had chosen Hadhrat Sheikh al- Hadeeth, Moulana Muhammed Zakariyya Saheb (Rahmatullah alayhi) as his Sheikh whereas there were so many other senior Masha’ikh alive at that time, Hadhrat replied that “When I sat in the Majlis (gathering) of Hadhrat Shaykh al-Hadeeth, my faults became more apparent to me. That is why I chose Hadhrat Sheikhul Hadeeth as my Sheikh”.
We advise you to search for a Sheikh e Kamil with whom you have Munasabah (congeniality) and with whom you feel that your Islaah (spiritual reformation) will be made.
In the meantime, we advise you to practice on the following daily practices:
1. Perform the five Fardh (obligatory) Salaahs with Jamaat (congregation).
2. Read some portion of the Qur’an daily.
3. Be sensitive to the rights of others at all times.
4. Read the following Tasbeehaat daily:
4.1) Durood Shareef (100 times daily)
4.2) Istighfaar (100times daily)
4.3) Third Kalimah (100 times daily)
When reciting the above Tasbeehaat, try as much as possible to focus the mind on the greatness and grandeur of Allah (Ta’ala) and if you can’t do that or find that difficult, then focus the mind on the waves of the ocean, a particular mountain, e.t.c so as to focus your mind on the Qudrat (power) of Allah (Ta’ala).
5. Abstain from sin as far as possible. I f you do commit as sin, immediately make Tawba (repentance) to Allah (Ta’ala) for committing such a sin. Remember that one of the most significant ways of refraining from sin is by determination and resolute courage.
We advise you to submit a report of your spiritual condition/state after every ten days so that we may advise you accordingly.
And Allah knows best.
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Mahmood | darulmahmood.net