Bay'at

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Bay’at – Meaning and reality

THIS SUMMARY IS BASED ON EXTRACTS FROM THE DISCOURSES OF SHAFIQUL-UMMAT HAZRAT MOULANA MUHAMMAD FAROOQ SAHIB (RAHMATULLAHI ALAYH) SENIOR KHALIFA OF MASEEHUL-UMMAT HAZRAT MOULANA MASEEHULLAH SAHIB (RAHMATULLAHI ALAYH)

Before the initiation of anyone into the Path of Sulook via the Bay’at procedure, Hazrat wala (radhiyallahu anhu) would always advise would-be mureeds of the nature and reality of this practice. This was in order to make the whole procedure easy and simple to follow, and make people realise the position of Bay’at and what this program entails. There are a number of false notions, misunderstandings, and misconceptions that plague people as regards the practice of Bay’at. Questions such as taking Bay’at from two Shaikhs, renewing an old Bay’at, the next step after demise of one’s Shaikh, etc. are just a few of the many troublesome issues affecting people. It is therefore essential that people who intend entering into Bay’at with a Shaikh fully understand what they are undertaking. This treatise is intended to provide that understanding.

The literal meaning of this word is ‘to sell or exchange’. In Tasawwuf it means a pledge or promise. The one who takes the Bay’at actually makes a promise that he or she will abide by the laws of the Shariah.

The meaning of ‘selling’ is also found in Bay’at, because one who undergoes the Bay’at ceremony has sold himself to the Shaikh in this sense that he promises to fully abide by the teachings of his spiritual guide. This pledge and promise envisages complete adherence to the teachings of Shariah in accordance with the guidance of the Shaikh.

The practice of Bay’at was started by Rasoolullah sallallahu alaiahi wasallam himself, and is therefore a sunnat practice. Rasoolullah sallallahu alaiahi wasallam took the Bay’at from the Sahabah on several occasions. Once he instructed the Sahabah to stretch out their hands, and he subsequently took the Bay’at from them. This was not a Bay’at for jihad, since that had already been taken. Instead it was a Bay’at for Islah or spiritual reformation.

Rasoolullah sallallahu alaiahi wasallam also took Bay’at from ladies as well. However, he never touched the hands of females at the time of Bay’at. There were two ways in which females took Bay’at:

1) with a lengthy piece of material, held on one end by the Prophet of Allah sallallahu alaiahi wasallam and on the other end by the ladies;

2) with a pot of water. Rasoolullah sallallahu alaiahi wasallam would place his hands in the water, then send the pot to the ladies telling them to do the same. In either case he would verbally announce that the Bay’at has taken place. A third method for Bay’at of ladies is via correspondence.

As for the menfolk, Bay’at is enacted by the Shaikh taking the right hand of the mureed into his right hand. If more than one person is taking Bay’at at one time then a cloth is used. One end is held by the Shaikh while all those taking Bay’at grab hold of the other section of the cloth. Men too can take Bay’at through a letter when they are far from the Shaikh.

Bay’at is a sunnat practice, not faraz (compulsory). It therefore follows that one who does not take Bay’at has not committed any sin and cannot be condemned. However, what is faraz is islahun-nafs or reformation of the soul and spirit of man. This is proven from the following verses of the Glorious Quran:

"And I swear by the nafs and He who created it;
And then He instilled into it its evil and its good;
Successful indeed is he who has purified it (the nafs);
And destroyed is he who has corrupted it."

(Surah Shams, verses 7 - 10)

This purification of the nafs is termed Islahun-nafs by the Safiyaa, and in the light of the above verses, it is a compulsory practice, for the verse clearly states that one who has failed to cleanse and purge the nafs is destroyed. Such a term denotes compulsion.

The example of Bay’at and islahun-nafs is that of the sunnat and faraz namaaz. If someone offers the two raka’ts sunnat of Fajr salah, but does not perform the faraz, it cannot be said that such a person has performed Fajr Salah. His salah is still incomplete. However, if he leaves out the sunnat of Fajr but does perform the faraz, we will say that he has performed Fajr namaaz. (Although one should not leave out the sunnat without a strong, valid reason.) In like manner, Bay’at is the sunnat and isl~h is the faraz. If one takes Bay’at but does not resort to the process of islah, his Deen is still incomplete. On the other hand, if someone does not enter into the Bay’at procedure at all, but is occupied in the islah of the nafs, such a person’s Deen is strong and on the road to perfection.

When taking Bay’at one should have a twofold intention:

one, to please Allah, and two, for the sake of islah (which we mentioned earlier is faraz upon every Muslim).

Furthermore, the purpose of Bay’at is to reach Allah. This is known as Maqsoode Tareeq or the purpose of Tasawwuf. In this noble path one’s goal and objective is to reach Allah. And this aim is normally achieved through the companionship of a Shaikh or spiritual guide. This companionship is also called ta-alluq or relationship. Such a relationship can be with or without Bay’at. The important thing is islah or spiritual reformation.

The Shaikh or spiritual guide is like a spiritual father and the mureed (the one who has taken Bay’at) is his spiritual child. Thus the mureed hands himself over to his Shaikh for spiritual guidance. Such a relationship makes it easy to reform oneself, for the helping hand of the Shaikh is always nearby. Alone one would find it extremely difficult to fight the nafs and shaytaan. Furthermore there is a special barakat or blessing that envelops such a relationship through which the reformation of the mureed becomes easy.

At the time of Bay’at the Shaikh issues certain instructions to the Mureed. These instructions, which the new mureed is made to repeat after the Shaikh along with some duas, contain important Shar’ee teachings and practices to be observed, as fulfilment of the pledge just given. These teachings are as follows:

1. Taubah or repentance over past sins and promise not to revert to the same, whether the sins relate to the rights of Allah or the rights of His servants. Renewal of Ieman through repetition of Kalimah Tayyiba and Shahadat.

2. Fulfilment of five daily salah; fulfilment of zakaat if by the means; observing the fast of Ramadan; performing Hajj if by the means. Similarly, fulfilling other wajib acts such as Qurbani, Sadaqatul-Fitr, etc.

3. Qadha of salah that were missed during the past.

4. Fulfilment of rights and dues of others.

5. Protection of the eyes, ears and tongue from haraam or evil. Lower the gaze, keep the tongue busy in zikr, and adopt polite, well mannered, and cultured speech.

6. Regard yourself as the lowest of Allah’s creation.

7. While walking, talking, sitting, eating, working, etc., always keep in mind the thought that Allah is watching. At all times envisage the Omni-presence of Almighty Allah. The fear that the Master is watching should pervade your thoughts to such an extent that disobedience no longer remains in one’s life.

8. After every namaaz read Ayatul-kursi once and the Tasbeeh-e-fatimi.

9. Recite Surah Yaseen every morning, one section of The Holy Quran, and one manzil (section) of the Munajate Maqbool. The latter may be read in Arabic, Urdu, or even English if one has the English translation.

10. Before sleeping do the following:

Muhasabah: Reflect over the day’s doings. Make shukr (Thanksgiving) for the good deeds and ask Allah for taufeeq to do more. Feel ashamed over sins committed and promise to abstain in the future.

Muraqabah of death: Contemplate your moment of death. Imagine the Angel of death has arrived, the soul is being removed from the body, etc. Also contemplate the stages of life after death.

Istighfar: Make one tasbeeh of Istighfar.

Recite the Kalimah Tayyiba, Ieman Mufassal and the duas before sleeping.

11. Three tasbeeh of durood shareef daily. The simplest form of durood shareef is:

sallallahu alaiahi wasallam

Reciting this durood once brings the reward of 80 good deeds.

12. After Zohar, Asr and Esha read one tasbeeh of the third Kalimah.

13. On Fridays recite Surah Kahf.

14. If possible observe the following nafl salah daily:

Tahajjud - 8 raka’ts.

Ishraq - 4 raka’ts

Chasht - 4 raka’ts.

Owwabeen - 6 raka’ts

Salatul-lail - 4 raka’ts after the two sunnat of Esha, and before the Witr salah.

Salatut-Tasbeeh on Friday, before or after the Jumu’ah salah.

15. Promise not to hurt any Muslim verbally or physically. Utmost respect to all.

16. In the case of women, they must respect and obey their husbands, serve them and dedicate their lives to rearing children in the Islamic way.

17. Besides the above a’maal (deeds), firmly resolve to mould your entire life according to the Sunnat of the King of both worlds, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa sallallahu alaiahi wasallam.

18. Write at least one letter a month to the Shaikh. Even if he does not reply, keep on sending off a letter each month, and this is the minimum. A woman should write her letter in her own hand, but a mehram or the husband must sign it. Further, the letter should be addressed by the male mehram or husband.

Note:

# Even though Hazrat Shafiqul-Ummat Moulana Muhammad Farooq sahib belongs to the Chishti Spiritual Order, his Bay’at is always enacted in all the four Orders of Tasawwuf, viz., Chishtiyya, Qadiriyyah, Naqshbandiyyah, and Suharwardiyyah. These are four Schools of Thought in Tasawwuf.

# When Hazrat Moulana Muhammad Farooq sahib (May Almighty Allah perpetuate his spiritual effulgence) enacts the Bay’at of anyone, he enunciates the following:

a) I am accepting this Bay’at purely upon the instructions of my Shaikh, Qutbul-Alam, Maseehul-Ummat Hazrat Moulana Muhammad Maseehullah rahmatullahi alaihi.

b) Taking Bay’at at my hands is actually Bay’at on the hands of Hazrat Maseehul-Ummat himself.

c) Now that you have given me your hand in Bay’at, and, I trust, your heart as well, I promise to fulfill my responsibility and do my utmost to assist and benefit you in your journey on the Path of Sulook, and to achieve your goal of Wusool ilallah (reaching Almighty Allah).