The Purposes of Bay‘ah

Question

What is the meaning of being in bay‘ah to some pious elder?

Answer

Bay‘ah has several purposes. (1) Tawba (repentance): the essence of this is that the seeker (talib) places his hand in the hand of a pious elder and repents of his sins, vowing not to sin again; he makes that elder a witness to his repentance and seeks his du‘a and spiritual attention (tawajjuh), through whose blessing he remains steadfast in his repentance. (2)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.