The Murid Guards the Boundaries of His Station

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Imam Mahmud ibn ‘Ali al-Qashani (q.s.) wrote, in Miswbah al-Hidayah wa Miftah al-Kifayah, “The Lamp of Right Guidance & the Key to What is Sufficient,” that the murid should guard the boundaries of his own spiritual station.  The murid should, when asking questions to the shaykh, preserve the limits of his or her own station.  Only when something is hidden to ourselves concerning our own spiritual state, should we ask for an explanation.  We do not ask questions about other things, and this is also true regarding things not related to our station nor to our state.  So, we do not speak about these things, as it is not useful to do so and possibly even harmful.  We ask about those things which are necessary because of your spiritual state.  The Qur’an, while Forbidding superfluous questions, Gave the following advice: 

سُوۡرَةُ المَائدة

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَسۡـَٔلُواْ عَنۡ أَشۡيَآءَ إِن تُبۡدَ لَكُمۡ تَسُؤۡكُمۡ وَإِن تَسۡـَٔلُواْ عَنۡہَا حِينَ يُنَزَّلُ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ تُبۡدَ لَكُمۡ عَفَا ٱللَّهُ عَنۡہَا‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ۬ (١٠١) 

O you who believe!  Ask not questions about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble.  But if you ask about things when the Qur’an is being Revealed, they will be Made plain to you: Allah will Forgive those: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing. (Surah al-Ma’idah:101) 

The profitable word is that which we utter to the degree of the understanding of the hearer.  The profitable question is that one which corresponds with the station of the hearer of the response.