Imām Abū Hamīd
Al-Ghazali – Rahimahullāhu
said:
The Qualities of a Pious Mentor.
Oh beloved Son, know that, a pious Shaykh or mentor is the one who follows the Sunnah and characters of the Rasūl Salallāhu’alayhi wasallam and can serve as his khalīfah thereof.
Some of those qualities are:
1). He must be a Shaykh who possessed a sound knowledge. Only that, not every knowledgeable person have the characteristics to become a successor of the Rasūl Salallāhu’alayhi wasallam.
2). He should be Shaykh who has shunned away from the luxuries of Dunya and the love of reputation.
3). He should be a Shaykh who follows the path of the precedessors.
4). The shaykh should be someone who eats little, speaks and sleeps less, gives sadaqah, fasts much.
5). He should be a Shaykh who have the characteristics of patience, gratitude, tawakkul, Yaqīn generousity, contentment, humility, forbearance, knowledge, modesty, reverence.
Hence, a Shaykh with the aforementioned qualities is as though a light which guides others to the path of Allāh Ta’āla and such Shaykh is suitable to be emulated. However, such Shaykh are rarely and hardly found in this era of ours.
But whoever is opportuned to find a Shaykh with the qualities we mentioned, then he should attach himself to him, respect and honour him secretly and apparently.
To respect him apparently, is for him not to argue with him and should respect his opinion even when he has an opinion which is different from that of the shaykh. Also, he should not debate with him even though he upheld a wrong view except to correct him in the best manner.
He should not observe prayer in his presence except when it is time so that it will not serve as a form of insinuation and should not observe much Nawāfīl in his presence also. Moreover, he should obey the advice of the Shaykh.
Whereas to respect him secretly, is for the student not to kick against the actions or words of the Shaykh secretly so that it will not be a form of nifāq. And if that is not possible, then he should leave the companionship of the Shaykh till his hidden become same as the apparent.
And he should beware of sitting with bad companions so that he can be far from the shaitān amongst the men and jinn and his heart will be pure from their evils thereof.
Allāhu A’alām.
Bārakallāhu fīkum.
Jazākumullahu Khayran.
13th Ramadhān, 1441H.
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