Simple and concise criteria to differentiate real sufis from fake sufis

[SeekerOfGuidance]

Allama Ibn Qayyim, in Al Waabil Sayyib Minal Kalim Tayyib, states the conditions of being a shaikh. One of them is that if a person wants to take bayah at the hands of a shaikh, he should first see if the person is amongst the people of dhikr and is not amongst the people of ghafla (heedless of Allah). He should be strict on the Sunnah, not a follower of the self, and should be cautious in his matters.

Hakim al-umma Mawlana Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) commenting on Shaykh Mian who abstained from doubtful matters.

“This indicates the degree of his respect and regard for the post of Imam. He abstained from even an ikhtilaaf (an act which some say is permissible and others say is impermissible). This was a real Sufi who cared so much for the Shariah.” Tarikh Mashaikh e Chisht, page 94

Hadhrat Baayazid Bustami (rahimahullah):

Do not be fooled if you observe a person bestowed with karamaat (ability to perform supernatural feats) even if he flies in the sky unless you see he is strict upon the
commandments, in avoiding the forbidden acts, and meticulous in staying within the boundaries of the Shari’ah.

Shaikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taimiyah (rahimahullah) wrote extensively on the actions of the heart in his booklet, Al-Tuhfat-ul-Iraqiyah fil A’malil Qalbia:

The one who surpasses others in goodness, is one who struggles to his utmost to gain nearness to Allah. He is not content with fulfilling the wajibat and avoiding muharammaat only, he strives to perform all the sunnan and avoid all the mustahabat (doubtful matters) and the makruhaat (disliked acts).

[SeekerOfGuidance]

The Mujaddid of the second millenium, Mujaddid Alf-e-Thani (rahmatullahi alayhi) extolled the virtues of his elders who would respect the bounds of the Shariah and refrain from doubtful matters:

Also, today's men of tasawwuf should come to reason and, realizing that Islam is so weak and concocted things have turned into faith and worships, they should not imitate those actions of their master Darwishes which are not suitable with the Sunnat. They should not adopt those things that are not in the din as faith and worships for themselves only because their masters did them.

Holding fast to the Sunnat will certainly rescue you and will make you attain blessings and happiness. Imitating the things other than the Sunnat will lead you to dangers and disasters. Our duty is to inform you of what is right. Everybody may do what he likes, and will get the deserts of what he has done.

May Allahu ta'ala greatly reward our superiors who educated us in order to protect us, the ignorant, against bidats. They did not lead us, who were following them, to dark dangers or an abyss. They did not show us any way other than the Sunnat. They guided us to no way but that of obeying the owner of the Shariat and avoiding even the doubtful acts as well as the harams.

For this reason, the blessings of these great people are considerable. The grades which they attained to are very high. They did not even turn to music and dancing, nor did they pay any attention to raptures and ecstasies. They deemed the hals, which others saw and found through the heart and considered great, as far from the purpose and other than what is desired; they expelled and refused the fancies which others fell for. Their deeds are not the kind which can be understood by seeing, finding or learning. They are above knowledge, fancy, tajallis, zuhurs, kashfs and views….

(SECOND VOLUME, 23rd LETTER)



Hadhrat Mujaddid (rahmatullahi alayhi) lamenting the state of the Ulama in his age (four centuries ago):


“As long as man does not abstain from such ‘bid’ah hasanah’ which is in reality ‘bid’ah sayyiah’ evil innovation, he will be deprived of fragrance of this wealth of Imaan. Today, the comprehension of the tenth has become most difficult because the entire world is drowning in the ocean of bid’ah. People are reclining and taking comfort in the darkness of bid’ah practices. Who today has the ability to eliminate bid’ah and revive Sunnah? The majority of the Ulama of this age are engaged in establishing bid’at and eliminating Sunnah….”

[Maktoob 54, Daftar 11, addressed to Sayyid Shah Muhammad]

[SeekerOfGuidance]

Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah discussing the Path of Sufism in his commentary of the futooh

"The upright among the followers of the Path - like the majority of the early shaykhs (shuyukh al-salaf) such as Fudayl ibn `Iyad, Ibrahim ibn Adham, Ma`ruf al-Karkhi, al-Sari al-Saqai, al-Junayd ibn Muhammad and others of the early teachers, as well as Shaykh Abd al-Qadir [Gilani], Shaykh Hammad, Shaykh Abul Bayan and others of the later masters - do not permit the followers of the Path to depart from the divinely legislated command and prohibition, even were that person to have flown in the air or walked on water."

Describing true sufism:

"The lawful is that by which one approaches near to Allah. It is the way of Allah. It is righteousness, obedience, good deeds, charity, and fairness. It is the way of those on the path (al- salikeen), and the method of those intending Allah and worshipping Him; it is that which is travelled by everyone who desires Allah and follows the way of self-denial (zuhd) and religious practice, and what is called poverty and Sufism and the like."

"As for the Sufis, they affirm the love (of Allah), and this is more evident among them than all other issues. The basis of their Way (tariqa) is simply will and love. The affirmation of the love of Allah is well-known in the speech of their early and recent masters, just as it is affirmed in the Book and the Sunna and in the agreement of the salaf."

And:

"as-Sufi hua fil-haqiqa naw'un min as-siddiqeen. Fahua as-siddiq alladhee ikhtassa bil-zuhadiwal-'ibada."

which translates:

"And the Sufi is in reality a kind of Siddiq (Truthful One), that Siddiq who specialized in zuhd and worship."

He continues about the Sufis,

"some people criticised Sufiyya and Tasawwuf and they said they were innovators, out of the Sunnah, but the truth is they are striving in Allah's obedience[mujtahidin fi ta'at-illahi], as others of Allah's People strove in Allah's obedience. So from them you will find the Foremost in Nearness by virtue of his striving [as-saabiq ul-muqarrab bi hasab ijtihadihi]. And some of them are from the People of the Right hand [Ahl al-Yameen mentioned in Qur'an in Sura Waqi'ah], but slower in their progress. For both kinds, they might make ijtihad and in that case they might be correct and they might be wrong. And from both types, some of them might make a sin and repent. And this is the origin of Tasawwuf. And after that origin, it has been spread and (tasha'abat wa tanawa'at) has its main line and its branches. And it has become three kinds:

1. Sufiyyat il-Haqa'iq - the True Sufis
2. Sufiyyat il-Arzaaq - the Professional Sufis (those who use Sufism for personal gain)
3. Sufiyyat il-Rasm - the Caricature Sufis. (Sufi by appearance only)."

[hamzzzz]

the most simple criteria is to see if he is in adherence of shariah and sunnah.....a lot of fakes are present today..most of them have something missing by which they can easily be identified as a fake..but this is for someone who himself has knowledge about shariah and sunnah...those who dont are easily trapped by these fakes and biddati's..how would one not well educated identify or differentiate the real from fake?

[SeekerOfGuidance]

Shaykh Uthman Dan Fuduye’ in his Usuul ‘l-Wilaayat defines the science of tasawwuf and then cites the opinions of the teachers and guides of the path of tasawwuf:

Realize my brother that the foundations for becoming a protected friend of Allah and the preconditions are built upon:

[1] adherence to the Book and the Sunna;
[2] avoiding corrupt passions and heretical innovation (bid`a);
[3] elevating the sanctity of the shaykhs;
[4] examining destructive character;
[5] persistence in the litanies; and
[6] avoiding compromise.

Abu ‘l-Qaasim al-Junayd, may Allah be pleased with him said,

‘All the spiritual paths (at-turuq) have been closed except following the footprints of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace
‘Our foundations (for tasawwuf) are six:

[1] the Book of Allah and the sunna of His Messenger;
[2] eating what is halaal;
[3] refraining from insults;
[4] avoiding sins;
[5] repentance; and
[6] discharging obligations.’

Abu Hamza al-Baghdadi, may Allah be pleased with him said:

‘Whoever knows the path of the Lord of Truth, There is no guide to the path of Allah ta`ala (tareeq Allah) except by following the Beloved, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Whoever adjoins himself to the conduct of the sunna, Allah will illuminate his heart with the lights of inward knowledge. There is no spiritual station more noble than following the Beloved, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in his commands, deeds, words and character.'

Shaykh as-Shayban was once asked, ‘What is tasawwuf?’ He responded:

“It is imitation and following the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace’.”

[SeekerOfGuidance]

Ahmad Zarruq, the fifteenth century Maliki scholar and Muhaddith, commenting on the indispensability of both sufism and the Shariah:

"So there is no sufism except through comprehension of Sacred Law or Shariah, for the outward rules of Allah Most High are not known save through it, and there is no comprehension of Sacred Law or Shariah without sufism, for works are nothing without the sincerity of approach, as expressed by the words of Imam Malik (Allah have mercy on him): 'He who practices sufism without learning Sacred Law or Shariah corrupts his faith, while he who learns Sacred Law or Shariah without practicing sufism corrupts himself. Only he who combines the two proves true.'"

(Iqaz al-himam fi sharh al-Hikam, Ibn Ajiba, Ahmad ibn Muhammad, and Ahmad ibn Muhammad Ibn Ata Illah, Mustafa al-Babi al-Halabi wa Awladuhu, Cairo, 1972, pp. 5-6).

[SeekerOfGuidance]

Izz ibn Abd al-Salam, the Shafi'i scholar and mujtahid Imam, writes:

If one sees someone who can fly through the air, walk on water, or inform one of the unseen, but who contravenes the Sacred Law or Shariah by committing an unlawful act without an extenuating circumstance that legally excuses it, or who neglects an obligatory act without lawful reason, one may know that such a person is a devil Allah has placed there as a temptation to the ignorant. Nor is it far-fetched that such a person should be one of the means by which Allah chooses to lead men astray, for the Antichrist (al-Dajjal) will bring the dead to life and make the living die, all as a temptation and affliction to those who would be misled

Al-Junayd, ìthe master of all the sufis' (Shaykh al-ta'ifah) was once told, There is a group who claim they arrive to a state in which legal responsibility (such as salaat, siyam) no longer applies to them.' They have arrived,' he replied, but to hell'

[Habib1968]

Salam alaikum,

it is very interesting but how much shuyukhs are hafiz today? and there are a lot of Muslims who want to have daily litanies and to be in a tariqa following a sheikh and his teaching, who are spiritual persons. We are actually a lot who are weak and to perform these litanies are very helpful to keep the love of the religion in the heart. It is normal that all the turuqs should follow the sharia. The point is that most of the muridins are maybe starting or are trying to be good Muslims and this is taking time. We can not be holy or try to be it or at least good Muslims before starting, making mistakes, being weak.

Wa salam

[London786]

our scholars have defined tasawuff perfectly. ALLAH bless them. In every field they were balanced and ALLAH took immense work from them.

[SeekerOfGuidance]

In the introduction to the Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio's Ihya as-Sunnah, the description of two ideological tendencies which seem to exist throughout the Ummah.

These innovations emerged from two groups: those who are ignorant and make false claims to the path of tasawwuf; and those who reject the science of tasawwuf altogether.

In his Mirat ‘t-Tullaab, the Shehu describes the character aberrations of the two groups. He says, “The scholars have said that whoever does not have a share of this science of tasawwuf, it is feared for him and evil ending. And the least share a person should have from it is acceptance of it and surrendering its knowledge to its people. Whoever has two traits will never receive opening into this science: heretical innovation (bid`a) and arrogance (kibr). It is said that whoever is a companion of this world’s life and is persistent in following his corrupt passions will never realize this science.”

These two groups have become prevalent during these times. The first group, the ignorant sufis and charlatan shaykhs, have been responsible for all of the misrepresentation which revolves around the people of tasawwuf. It is because of them that the second group, the munkiruun (rejecters) have emerged slandering the people of this science and condemning their noble path.