Giving Bay'ah to a Shaykh

[AbuZayd]

Assalamu alaykum,

Just interested if anyone on the forum has given bay'ah to a Shaykh. I would like to do so myself one day InshaAllah but I am not sure as to who and how!? Any suggestions/advice would be appreciated.


There is an interesting lecture on the topic by Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq:

http://www.inter-islam.org/Audio/ytc2k/ytc2k-18-01.ram

[Saleel]

:salam:

I haven't yet, though I know a few who have. I've seen that lecture by Shaykh Riyadhul Haq a few times but haven't heard it. I'l listen to it now, :insh:.

:jazak:

:salam:

[Mustafa]

Wa alaikum as salaam

I have baya't with a Shaykh, alhamdulilah.

'Who' depends on Allah as spiritual rizq is from Him. You might find the best Shaykh in the world, but if Allah hasn't written your spiritual rizq with him then you'll get no benefit. Once you find a Shaykh, pray istikhara.

'How' is simple. You just tell the Shaykh you want to take bayah with him, and then follow his instructions.

May Allah guide you to what's best for you and may He grant you tawfiq.

Wa salam
Your brother in Islam

[AbuZayd]

Akhi, do you have any suggestions? Also, could you summarise briefly what might be required of you once you give bay'ah?

[Mustafa]

It really depends on which tariq you take. They each have different methods. Even different shuyukh within the same tariq will have slightly different methods.

If you're really serious about taking a tariq, then drop me an e-mail, insha'Allah.

Wa salam
Your brother in Islam

[AbuZayd]

Thanks for your help Akhi. I have also found the following by Shaykh Zulfiqar

http://www.tasawwuf.org/audio.htm#bayah

[maaz]

interesting..........................for my humble knowledge, or lack there of. i would advise that we get into the habit of diong dhikr anyway, bayat or no bayat. obviously taking a shaykh mastered in the sciences would be accelerate the progress. but the simple dhikr regularly and with consistantly is also crucial. during the time you're looking for a shaykh continue to make your dhikr so you're already in habit of taking time out of your day. for ones who havent taken a bayat and aren't looking to, we should work on our dhikr anyway and stay steadfast upon it. purification of the heart is very HIGH stuff. its very advanced, deep, enjoyable, mashalalh its a very high level to be in in terms of closnesss to allah and really beginning to enjoy the deen. may allah help us in this often neglected path. tahts my take.

[Saleel]

:salam:

I agree with the importance of dhikr, but also important to remember it's not just the Sufi tariqas that have baya't. Some Shaykhs just tell their followers to read a certain amount of Quran a day, peform all their salaah in the masjid, etc. and that is all.

:salam:

[Abu Usama]

Salam,

in regards to zikr gatherings, i would recommend those of Shaykh Abu Bakr as-Sudani held every week in London. I've only been once to it (because i live all the way away in Birmingham) but I just thought it was brilliant. We did the sufi hadra there (my first ever time) and it was truly amazing.

Wasalam
Abu usaaama

[Aasiya]

Salamz

I've always wondered wot Bay'ah is? Is it the posh word for when you become a mureed of a peer/shaykh? like you pray something n stuff and then he gives you daily dhikrs to do??

Wasalam

[Abu Usama]

Salamz

I've always wondered wot Bay'ah is? Is it the posh word for when you become a mureed of a peer/shaykh? like you pray something n stuff and then he gives you daily dhikrs to do??

Wasalam

Salam,

bayah is to pledge your alleigance to someone. This can also be in other things than the pri-mureed scenario, such as the bayah of jihad, or of khilafa etc. Basically you agree to do what they say as long as it doesnt contradict the shariah. This is especially so in the bayah of tassawuf (which is beong discussed here) and is a means for a person to increase in iman and taqwa.
The shayk riyadh ul haq audio link (above) deals with this subject.

Wasalam

[abuhajira]

Salam,

bayah is to pledge your alleigance to someone. This can also be in other things than the pri-mureed scenario, such as the bayah of jihad, or of khilafa etc. Basically you agree to do what they say as long as it doesnt contradict the shariah. This is especially so in the bayah of tassawuf (which is beong discussed here) and is a means for a person to increase in iman and taqwa.
The shayk riyadh ul haq audio link (above) deals with this subject.

Wasalam
Assalam o Alaikum WarahmatAllah


tassawuf (which is beong discussed here)

Tasawaf as you stated is to increase iman and taqwa, but even then it is sometime looked down by some. The reason is because different names are used for the same purpose. I have heard Tazkiya tun Nafs, accepted by even some harsh stringent kind of brothers.

Purification of ones hear to attain taqwa, and reach the Marifat of Allah Subhanahu Watala is the aim.

Sheikh is the guide, and you pledge your allegience to him in taking his guidance on the Salook he has already fulfilled. InshAllah I will post some information about how to find a right shaikh..

Wassalam o Alaikum WarahmatAllah

[Aasiya]

Jazakallah for explaining :)

[Latifa]

Assalamu Alaykum....

I guess I'm pretty late at posting a response but I thought this would be useful anyway...

A year/two years (bad memory) before I gave bayyah to my Shaykh I knew that I needed to have guidance and I knew who I wanted to have as my Shaykh but I didn't know how to go about it. Someone advised me to wake up an hour before Fajr for Tahajjud and perform at least 2 nafls making sincere dua. I remember also doing Istikhara regarding the matter several times.

Anyhoo...

[maaz]

now here's another question: how does a sister give bayah to a shaykh? maybe i sound dumb but its the first i've heard of it, in my limited and humble knowledge.

[Abu Usama]

Salam,

the method varies from what i hear. However, the real question should be that should shaykhs take bayah from sisters? Especially, if the shaykh is not old in age? (and therefore the chance of fintnah is increased with the younger age).

[maaz]

well i dunno about that. dear brother, i don't make calls on ulema. they have their own ppl from within doing that, i think, plus i'm WAY too underqualified to judge what an ulema should do. may allah save me from those thoughts. but, my question still stands. how does a sis take a pledge?

[UmmIbrahimIsa]

assalamu alaikum wr wb

she stands behind a curtain, wearing niqab with either the shaykh's wife or some other sisters to support her.. the sheikh stands on the other side of the curtain and greets her, she replies back and then he asks her why she wants to join or a bit about herself and she tells him and then they make dua'ah and she joins and ppl give her congrats, as well as the shaykh's wife and then everyone has a takbirah celebration that she took it and pray that she keeps to it.


I've seen how it's done so that's how I know..

[maaz]

interesing, any more peronal accounts. i learn something new everyday here, at good ol' sunniforum......

[Mustafa]

When a brother gives bay'ah it's usual for him to hold the Shaykh's hand so that the baraka is physically passed on. When a sister gives bay'ah she passes her misbaha (tasbih) to the Shaykh, so the baraka is transferred to that, and then it is handed back to her.

It's also possible for both to take bay'ah over the phone.

Again, it varies from tariqa to tariqa, from shaykh to shaykh.

Wa salam
Your brother in Islam

[Sister Khadijah]

But the question is, how do you know who to give bayah to? Its so confusing out there, you don't want to pledge allegiance to the wrong person, and will you really go to hell if you don't?

[Mustafa]

As sister Latifa has mentioned, the answer is simple: You ask Allah sincerely to guide you to a true Shaykh, and when you find someone who you think fits, then pray istikhara.

I'm not sure what you mean by your second statement. It's not obligatory to take a Shaykh unless you genuinely wish to tread the path. If you're following your madhab in all its aspects (following what's fard, wajib, sunnah and avoiding what's haram and makruh) and in complete sincerity then you should be fine, insha'Allah.

If, however, you wish to pursue an Islamic discipline, whether it's tasawwuf, fiqh, etc, then you do need a teacher. You can't tread the sufi path without a teacher (there are rare exceptions to this, but they were extraordinary people), but it's not obligatory to take the path in the first place.

Wa salam
Your brother in Islam

[nnydd]

Bismillah.

Assalamualaikum,

This is taken from Hujjatul Islam al-Imam al-Ghazali kutayyib 'Ayyuh al-Walad', as his 15th Nasiha:

{start of quotation} The condition that the syeikh is fit to be the successor for the Messenger s.a.w. is that he be learned - still, not every learned Syeikh is suitable [to be the successor of the Messenger s.a.w]. So I will show you in general certain signs by which you may recognise the learned guide, so that not just anyone can lay claim to this position.

And we say:
1. He is one who turns away from love of the world and love of rank
2. He has been a follower of an enlightened Syeikh who traces his successorship to the Chief of the Messenger s.a.w.
3. He has excelled in disciplining himself in little food and sleep and speech and in much prayer and charity and fasting
4. He who, following the enlightened Syeikh, is making the good qualities of character his way of life - such as patience, prayer, thankful, reliant, generosity, contentmnt, and tranquility of th soul, moderation, humility, knowledge, truthfulness, modest, reliable, dignified, cool and similar qualities.

He who meets these requirements may be considered as a light of the lights of the Prophet s.a.w. and he is worthy to be followed as a role model. However the preence of such a Syeikh is rare [and if found] is more precious than the red sulphur <kibrit ahmar>. Whoever has the good fortune to find such a Syeikh, then it behoves him to respect him both outwardly and inwardly. {end of quotation}

Other teachers advise that one go and sit face to face with the Syeikh that one intended to follow and when one has spoken to him look upon one's heart and see if one feel at peace with the Syeikh or not. Bear in mind that a popularity of any particular syeikh is not a guarantee that he is to everyone liking. Just like when you go to see a doctor...

Oh, after something that happened a month ago, an 'alim confided that for every known syeikh, there is a multitude of unknown syuyukh, so do not go in drove to one syeikh only, but spread your net far and wide (i.e. attend as much gathering as possible).

Lastly, I really like what Syeikh Nuh had written, that 'the true student does not have to be told to make zikr and improve his soul by night and day. He already does this.'

WaAllahu muwafiq!

[nnydd]

The methods differ according to the teacher's age and preference. If he is old and does not mind then the sister can hold his hand and give the bay'ah, but honestly I have not seen this being done (yet).

What I know and have seen are these:
1. that the brothers hold the hand of the syeikh and others tapped on his shoulder. A husband/son of a woman then stayed at the back of the congregation so that his wife/mother could touch on his back and other sisters then tapped the shoulder of the woman. I say, quite practical for a large group giving bay'ah together, eh? And existing members of the group also renewed their bay'ah too by joining in.

2. Behind a curtain as mentioned

3. Using a rope, a string of clothes or a tasbih as mentioned

4. A basin of water is taken to the teacher's presence. He put his hand in the water while the sister did the same on the other side of the basin, and they recited the initiation prayer/zikr together witnessed by others.

WaAllahu Ta'ala a'lam bis sawab.

[Sister Khadijah]

Hmmm. Jazakh'Allah khair for trying to answer my question.

[UmmIbrahimIsa]

Assalamu alaikum wr wb

THough if she didn't have a misbaha (tasbih) she would either have a sister give her one to use or get one, and then she would go talk to him with the sister behind the curtain or from a distance with her niqab on.

[maaz]

facsinating..............i liked shaykh nuh keller's statement. sigh. may allah alway increase our love of islam, and increase our time with the pious ones. amen.

[AbuZayd]

Bro GenN, you mentioned you were considering giving bay'ah to a Shaykh. Do you mind if I ask which one?

[maaz]

yo so, why the different types of tariqahs and how, why did they originate, whats the differences?

[Mustafa]

All true tariqas have an isnad, a silsila, that leads back to the Prophet (upon him be blessings and peace) in an unbroken line. Meaning: that a shaykh alive today took his knowledge from a previous shaykh and was authorized, in the presence of witnesses, to teach the knowledge. This previous shaykh also took from a shaykh, and so on and so on, in a continuous chain back to the Prophet (upon him be blessings and peace).

Different tariqas arise depending on differences in the isnad. For example, in the Shadhili tariqa the isnad reaches the Prophet (upon him be blessings and peace) through Ali ibn Abu Talib. Another tariqa's isnad may reach the Prophet (upon him be blessings and peace) through Abu Bakr. Some isnad cross over with the other; for example, Shaykh Abdul Qadir al Jilani is in both the Shadhili isnad and, obviously, the Qadiri isnad.

As for why tariqas are specifically named after one person in the tariq (i.e. the Shadhilis after Abu'l Hasan al Shadhili, the Qadiris after Abdul Qadir al Jilani), I don't know the answer to that. I can guess, but don't want to mention it here. I'm sure someone with more knowledge may be able to fill us in.

As for differences, what applies to the madhabs applies to the tariqa, too. The goal of the madhabs is to teach how to worship Allah in a correct way, but their methodologies differ.

The goal of the tariqas is to reach ma'rifa of Allah - that is, to know Allah directly. It's only the methodologies that differ. One tariqa may put an emphasis on fasting as a means to ma'rifa, while another may put an emphasis on gratitude.

And Allah knows best.

I hope this helps, insha'Allah.

Wa salam
Your brother in Islam

[Tasmiya]

Assalamu alaikum wr wb

THough if she didn't have a misbaha (tasbih) she would either have a sister give her one to use or get one, and then she would go talk to him with the sister behind the curtain or from a distance with her niqab on.

Walaikum asalaam warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu,

Forgive me if this seems like a dumb question, so you're saying that the sister would actually have to be in the presence of the sheikh? This can't be done over the phone or such?

Thanks in advance
-Tasmiya

[Mustafa]

It can be done over the phone.

It can also be done in the presence of the Shaykh, but at a distance and with other murids present.