The Companionship of the Shaykh Is more beneficial than making spiritual efforts
Addressed to: Khwājah Muḥammad Qāsim Bukhshī (may Allah have mercy on him)
After praise, blessings, and salutations, and the conveyance of good wishes, let it be known:
From your letters and words, the warmth of spiritual yearning and the fragrance of inward collectedness (jamʿiyyat) are evident. Undoubtedly, this blessing is the fruit of nearness to spiritual companionship.
However, idle and unnecessary engagements did not allow you to remain in the company even for a full week. It is uncertain whether your total days of companionship even amount to ten.
Is it not a matter of shame before Allah that one cannot spare even a single day out of a thousand for the sake of what pleases Him? And yet, one cannot break free from worldly preoccupations?
The proof upon you has been completed — and you yourself have practically observed and experienced that one moment in the company of the Shaykh is better than many retreats and spiritual exercises (chillas and mujahadas). Yet you continue to distance yourself from this company, making excuses and delaying.
Your natural aptitude is exceptionally precious, but what benefit is there when it is not being put to actual use? Your potential is lofty, yet your resolve is weak — like a child who leaves behind priceless pearls and becomes content with worthless shards of glass.
Poetic verse:
When morning arrives, it will become clear to you
Whose love it was that occupied your dark night.
Still, time has not slipped entirely from your hands. Direct your concern toward your real purpose — and the best means for achieving it is the companionship of the friends of Allah (awliyā’).
And if the companionship of a Shaykh is not available, then busy yourself with that dhikr which you have received from a true man of Allah. Do not begin litanies and practices from your own invention, and avoid anything that becomes an obstacle to your dhikr. Be extremely cautious with what is permitted and forbidden according to Sharīʿah — negligence in this is not acceptable.
Pray all five daily prayers regularly in congregation, ensuring full adherence to taʿdīl al-arkān (proper completion and stillness in each posture). Also, be punctual in performing prayers at their recommended times.
“Our Lord, complete for us our light and forgive us; indeed, You are over all things capable.” (Qur’an 66:8)
Clarification:
In this noble letter, Imām Rabbānī (may Allah have mercy on him) firmly admonishes those who, after witnessing firsthand the spiritual environment of a true Shaykh — filled with adherence to Sharīʿah and Sunnah, purification of the self, and sincere guidance — become heedless due to worldly distractions. Though they pledge allegiance (bayʿah), they fail to continue in that companionship, resulting in gradual neglect of religious discipline.
At the end of the letter, he stresses taʿdīl al-arkān in prayer — meaning to perform each movement of prayer with full stillness and composure. According to Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (may Allah be pleased with him), this stillness for at least the duration of one tasbīḥ is wājib (obligatory); remaining longer is mustaḥabb (recommended). According to Imām al-Shāfiʿī, it is farḍ (obligatory) — without which the prayer is invalid.