Five Qualities Which Preclude a Shaykh

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali said, in Uswul ath-Thariqa’, “Anyone who has one of five qualities is not valid to be a shaykh: ignorance of the diyn, failing to respect the Muslims, being involved in what does not concern him, following passion in everything and bad character without concern.”  So the company of someone like this is pure harm.  He indicates this: “It may well be that you are in a bad state - but to keep company with someone worse than you would allow you to see good in yourself.”




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