Love for the Shaykh
Addressed to: Ḥāfiẓ Maḥmūd (may Allah have mercy on him)
After praise and blessings,
Your letter, sent through Mawlānā Mahdī ʿAlī, was received and became a source of joy. All praise be to Allah, Glorious is He, that your love for the people of dhikr among the poor — which is the foundation of both worldly and eternal success — remains firm and unshaken, even after a long period of separation from companionship.
There are two things that must always be preserved, and their protection is essential:
- Obedience to the Sunnahs of the Prophet ﷺ, the bearer of Sharīʿah
- Sincerity and love for one’s Shaykh and spiritual guide
If both of these are intact, then whatever is granted in terms of spiritual unveilings, states, and miracles is a blessing. And even if nothing is given outwardly, but these two are held firmly, then there is no cause for worry or sorrow. Eventually, the inward spiritual gifts will be bestowed.
But if — may Allah protect us — either of the two is compromised, even if spiritual states, unveilings, and inner pleasures remain, they should be viewed as istidrāj (a deceptive respite), and nothing but a cause for destruction and loss.
True steadfastness lies in holding fast to these two: the Sunnah and the love of the Shaykh.
And Allah, Glorified is He, is the One who grants success.
Wa-s-salām.