Bay‘ah with Multiple Shaykhs

Question

A person becomes a disciple of a shaykh who follows the sunna. After that he becomes a disciple of another shaykh who [likewise] follows the sunna. Before the bay‘ah, the second shaykh asked him whether he was already anyone’s disciple. The man then lied and said no. (a) Was the man’s first bay‘ah annulled because of this lie? (b) And did the bay‘ah with the second shaykh become valid or not? (c) If the second bay‘ah is accepted [as valid], what will be the way to make amends for the sin of lying?

Answer

(a) Lying is a sin. At the time of bay‘ah, repentance is made for all sins and a pledge is given not to commit any sin, and also that if a sin does occur, one will repent of it. Committing a sin is contrary to that pledge, but through repentance the bay‘ah remains valid and is not annulled. So if the man mentioned has repented, his earlier bay‘ah remains valid. (b)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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