Religion and Islam is very structured, always with a leader in place. Our Holy Prophet Muhammad Salal lahu Alayhe wa salam is the final prophet with the final book, Al Quraan. The pious people after him are called the Aulia Allah (Friends of Allah) and they are supposed to be the leaders.
With the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, ever Merciful.
From the time of Hazrath Imaam Hussein AS the political and spiritual leadership was separated. The Prophets and the Aulia Allah are the true leaders of the ummah and Muslims are supposed to pledge allegiance to them and follow them.
These true leaders are blessed with Divine guidance. The Prophets received ‘wahie’ while the Aulia Allah receive “ilhaam”. Towards the end of time, the political and spiritual leadership will once again be merged in Imaam Mahdi.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad Salal lahu Alayhe wa salam has said: “the prophets ruled over the children of Israel. Whenever a Prophet died, another Prophet succeed him, but there will be no prophets after me. There will soon be caliphs and they will number many. He said: fulfil allegiance to the first and then the first. Give them their dues. Verily Allah will ask them about what He entrusted to them.” Al Hadith 2:26:2:26
The Islamic leadership is determined in one of two ways. The best one is when a leader is chosen by Allah SWT. This is when a current Aulia Allah chooses his successor. The other way is; if the previous Aulia Allah did not choose his successor then the people can gather together and choose a leader.
The Prophets (AS) and the Friends of Allah SWT (the Aulia Allah) play a very important role – the most important role in our religion. Apart from Allah SWT, nothing else is as important as them. They are the closest and best link to Allah SWT and we all know that it is only through them that revelation has came down to humanity. These Chosen ones of Allah SWT are not only responsible for bringing down revelation but they also do so much more.
“Verily, Allah has bestowed a favour on the believers when He has raised amongst them a great Messenger from amongst themselves who RECITES to them His Messages, and PURIFIES them and TEACHES them the Book and the WISDOM; although before this, they were steeped in flagrant error.” Al Quraan 3:164
So Allah’s chosen ones also TEACH people about what Allah SWT has revealed. In the case of our Holy Prophet Muhammad Alayhis Salaam the Holy Quraan was revealed through him but he still had to teach it.
His companions recorded his teachings (hadith) which amounted to volumes and these teachings are absolutely necessary to understand Islam. As an example: The Holy Quraan commands us to pray but the details of how to pray can only be found in his teachings.
Even to understand crucial teachings, such as those dealing with Faith (imaan), we need the hadith. The bottom line, Islam without the teachings of the Holy Prophet Alayhis Salaam would be incomplete or it would have been very difficult for his Companions to understand.
Now for us, living today – Although we have the Holy Quraan and the Hadith, we still need the Aulia Allah. The Aulia Allah continue this role of teaching. It is reported that the Holy Prophet Muhammad Salal lahu Alayhe wa salam had said that Allah SWT will ‘take away knowledge by taking away the lives of the learned’ (Aulia Allah). Al Hadith 1:4:2:31. Towards the end times people will have the Divine scriptures but it would still not be enough to guide them because there will be no one to teach it to them. Can you see how important the Aulia Allah are?
Moving on, according to this verse, the Messenger also “PURIFIES” his followers. When Amr RA wanted to pledge allegiance to the Holy Prophet Salallahu Alayhe wa salam he wanted that all his past sins to be forgiven. The Holy Prophet Muhammad Salal lahu Alayhe wa salam replied that O Amr! Don’t you know that when you accept Islam and when you migrate for the sake of faith and when your pilgrimage is accepted then all the past sins previous to these acts are forgiven. Al Hadith 1:1:4:63. Our Pir O Murshid RA has said that taking ‘baith” (pledging allegiance) is ‘Fard ul Ain’ and in this too all our past sins will be forgiven. This is the way that Allah’s chosen ones purify.
The companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad Alayhis Salaam also pledged allegiance to him and this verse is evidence of this:
“(O Prophet!) Allah was well-pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance to you (known as Bai`at al-Ridzwan) under the tree (at Hudaibiyah)…. Al Quraan 48:18
Thats not all. The Messenger teaches wisdom as well. There are many such verses in the Holy Quraan wherein ‘the Book’ is coupled with ‘wisdom’. Its two different things. It is only after one takes “Bai’at” that one can learn wisdom.
The spiritual guide, in teaching wisdom would impart some knowledge and when you join the dots to come up with the rest of that branch of knowledge then you are gaining wisdom.
Or, you can think of wisdom as transfer of knowledge from chest to chest ‘ilm e ludini’. Wisdom is a whole level of growth on its own and it is essential because it protects one against the misguidance from shaitaan.
Read through Sura Al Fatiha. It teaches that guidance can be attained by following Allah’s Chosen ones. We have to find Allah’s chosen ones in our life time and follow them with utmost dedication in order to walk the ‘siratul mustakim”
Our Pir O Murshid, Hazrath Poona Wale Shah Saib RA, said that when prophethood came to an end then ‘wiliath’ started. He said that they are ‘salak kie paygambar’ meaning that they will have the abilities of the prophets. This is actually a hadith narrated by Abu Darda RA in the section on knowledge. Its a lengthy hadith but the point being stressed is that the Prophet Alayhis Salaam said that ‘the learned of my ummah are the heirs of the prophets’, they will continue with the work of the prophets but there would be no more revelations.
Then, according to hadith there were three gifts that were given to the Holy Prophet Muhammad Alayhis Salaam on the holy night of miraj. We all know that one is the five daily prayer, the other is the last verses of Sura Al Baqara and the third is Wiliath (Aulia Allah) which is described in the hadith as
“A person who will not set up a partner with Allah, who will be a source of forgiveness.” Al Hadith 4:44:6:100.
What all this boils down to is that it is very important to interact, obey, follow and love the friends of Allah or His chosen ones, especially a current one. In studying the Holy Quraan, the Hadith and the Mathnawi we would come accross this same message; follow Allah’s chosen ones with obedience and respect.
The greatest thing about having a spiritual guide is the opportumity to love a chosen one of Allah for the sake of Allah. This boils down to loving Allah. It’s so easy to say I love Allah or I love the prophet SAW because it’s idealistic and there are no trials but when we have to interact with someone and grow to love them then it is not so easy.
On the contrary, it is very difficult. So these are the valuable lessons we can only learn and expierience by having a spiritual guide.
“And those who obey Allah and this perfect Messenger, it is these who are with those upon whom Allah has bestowed His blessings – the Prophets, the Truthful, as well as the Martyrs, and the Righteous, and how excellent companions they are!”
Al Quraan 4:69
The opening verses of the Mathnawi is about love, Sufi poetry is all about love. Our Pir O Murshid related the following story to illustrate the importance of loving the spiritual Guide.
There was a king that told his people to take whatever they wanted from his castle. Everyone rushed around grabbing something or the other but this one old lady caught hold of the king. The King asked in surprise ‘what are you doing’. She replied, “be just my king, you are in the castle and I will take you.” The king said: “but why”. She replied; ‘you see, if you are mine then whatever else you own and whomever you rule over will all be mine.” When we give our hearts to the spiritual guide for the sake of Allah then he too would love us in return. We would be His and He too would be ours. This is having everything but it still means nothing to the lover. The beloved is all that matters.
“He alone whose garment is rent by a mighty love is purged of covetousness and all defect
Hail O love that brings us good grain – you are the physician of all our ills.
The remedy of our pride and vainglory, our plato and our Galen!
Through love the earthly body soared to the skies: the mountain began to dance and became nimble.” Mathnawi
Allah SWT is not made up of matter and love is the the way of knowing Him. Love transforms us – our earthly bodies soars to the skies . And in spirituality we will see the Truth.
Peace & Salutations be upon Allah’s Habib, Muhammad Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam.
Published by Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi.
Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi was founded by Dr/Hakim Hazrath Khwaja Sayed Shareef Ahmed Ali Shah RA, (lovingly known as Hazrath Poona Wale Shah Saib RA).
Author: Mahomed Hassan Gaffoor WhatsApp: +27 84 910 1486