The Murid Never Criticises His Shaykh

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 never criticise his shaykh.  The murid should never occupy himself, neither inwardly nor outwardly, with criticising the choices and decisions of his shaykh.  Each time, when something is unclear regarding the behaviour of our shaykh, then we should think of the story of Moses (a.s.) and Khidhr (a.s.) in Surah al-Kahf, wherein Moses (a.s.), in spite of being a prophet, his great knowledge and his passionate devotion to Khidhr (a.s.), criticised several of the acts of Khidhr (a.s.), but he changed his ideas after hearing an explanation of their inner meanings.  If our shaykh does something which we cannot understand, then we should say that it is because of our limited understanding and knowledge and in no way, has it to do with a wrong behaviour of our shaykh.  Thus, we will be free of the possibility that the relationship with our shaykh will suffer and that love may diminish.  A murid of Imam Abu al-Qasim al-Junayd ibn Muhammad al-Baghdadi (q.s.) asked him a question and then criticised his answer.  Imam al-Junayd (q.s.) then said: 

سُوۡرَةُ الدّخان

وَإِن لَّمۡ تُؤۡمِنُواْ لِى فَٱعۡتَزِلُونِ (٢١) 

“If you believe me not, at least keep yourselves away from me.” (Surah ad-Dukhan:21)



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