The Ruling on a Spiritual Guide Who Commits a Major Sin

Question

A certain spiritual guide acts contrary to the Sacred Law: that is, he does not observe the prayers, or sits unclothed, or curses people, or consumes cannabis and hashish, or smokes cigarettes. If someone tries to stop him from these acts, he replies: “This is impermissible in the Sacred Law, but we are people of the tariqa; in the tariqa it is permissible, for our connection is not with the Sacred Law but with ma‘rifa (gnosis).” From such a guide extraordinary occurrences (khariq al-‘adat)

Answer

Such a guide is indeed a guide, but he is by no means a representative of the Blessed Prophet ﷺ; otherwise he himself would act upon Allah’s obligatory duties and the Sunna of the Noble Prophet ﷺ, and would urge others to do the same.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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