Is Complete Rectification Possible Without Bay‘ah?

Question

Can complete spiritual rectification not be attained by directly practising the Sacred Law, without establishing a connection with some pious elder?

Answer

Without establishing a connection with a perfect wali, firstly, the rulings of the Sacred Law are generally not practised fully; secondly, sincerity (ikhlas) does not arise in it. For this very reason, the noble Companions ﵃, after the passing of the Noble Prophet ﷺ, established a connection first with Hazrat Abu Bakr al-Siddiq ﵁, then with Hazrat ‘Umar ﵁, and so on in…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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