What is a Shaykh?

Unless a shaykh attains the following twelve virtues in himself, he cannot sit on the sajada (prayer rug) of annihilation and wear the sword of being a helper. Two virtues are from Allah, two are from the Prophet (peace be upon him), two are from Abu Bakr, two are from Umar, two are from Osman, and two are from Ali, may Allah be happy with all of them.

The virtues from Allah are:

• settar (covering of shame or shortcomings)
• gaffar (forgiving much).

The virtues from the Prophet are:

• shafiq (extreme kindness, mercy)
• rafiq (extreme softness)

The virtues from Abu Bakr are:

• saddiq (loyalty)
• mutasadduq (much alms giving).

The virtues from Umar are:

• amri maruf (strongly enforcing right action)
• nahy-i-munkar (forbidding ill deeds).

The virtues from Osman are:

• hospitality
• praying during the night when everyone else is sleeping.

The virtues from Ali are:

• alim (knowing)
• courage.

If a shaykh doesn't have the following five virtues, he will lead the people into ignorance:

Outwardly, he should know Sharia, the spiritual laws of conduct. Inwardly, he should be researching Haqqiqa, the divine truth. He has to serve his guests with a smiling face. He must treat the poor nicely, saying nice words to them. This is the praised shaykh who knows haram and halal, the forbidden and the permisable. Futhermore, he knows how to tame his own nafs and how to tame the nafs of the wayfarers to Haqqiqa.

The person who is going to be a shaykh has to know the religious and natural sciences, and the terminology of the Sufi masters. If he doesn't know these, he cannot be a murshid, a master. Junaid (radyallahu anh, may Allah be pleased with him) says, "Our knowledge depends on the Book of Allah and Sunna of the Prophet. The one who doesn't memorize the hadith and write it, who doesn't know the great Book and the terminology of the Sufi masters, who doesn't have any knowledge of the religion, is not a person among those who do irshad, or teach enlightenment. As for me, the person who takes the responsibility of training and raising the murid must do this for Allah's sake, not for his nafs. When he is raising him, and inviting him to fight against his nafs, he must be kind, caring, and soft, as a father and mother treat their children. First, he has to show him the easy ways, and not give him or her a load he cannot carry. After he takes a word from him that he's going to leave his ill deeds and start praising Allah, then he can slowly, step by step, give him heavier assignments."

In the Hadiths it is seen that the Prophet (saws) took a word from his sahabe that they were going to obey Allah. Thus taking one's word, i.e., making a pact (biat), is modeled after such occasions, and is what makes it legal. Ali (r.a.) asked the Messenger of Allah (saws),

"Which is the easiest and the most revered path in the presence of Allah, for those servants who wish to be close to Allah?"

"Ya, Ali, you must continue making zikr of Allah in private."

" So, the merit of zikr is this high! Everybody is making zikr of Allah!" Upon this the Prophet said,

"Don't go too far, Ali. Allah is not going to destroy the world as long as there are people who are saying 'Allah'."

"O, Messenger of Allah, can you teach me how to make zikr?"

"Let me say it three times, and you listen. Then, you say it three times, and I will listen." He closed his eyes and raised his voice and said, "La ilaha il Allah" three times, and Ali listened.

Then Ali (r.a.) closed his eyes and raised his voice and said, "La ilaha il Allah" three times.

This is the origin of inculcating zikr in the murid. May Allah make us reach this.

If a person doesn't get used to making zikr, it will be hard for him to remember it at the time of death.

The person who wants to train himself without a shaykh is actually trying to raise a building without a foundation. A person who is not raised by masters, and did not get sacred milk from them is like a child left in the middle of the street. If a person doesn't wear the clothing of taqwa (avoiding sins, fearing Allah) in the hands of an alert and authoritative master, he will fall into the trap of his nafs, and his nafs will play with him as it wants, and it will lower him to baseness. On the other hand, the one who holds a strong handle will be able to see the secret of his existence, and he will be submersed into endless favors and pleasures of Allah. The murid who follows his nafs and who doesn't listen to his shaykh is really denying himself his portion in life.

Excerpted from Secret of Secrets
By Abdul Qadir al-Geylani
Translated by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak.

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