The Spiritual Guide Takes His Offering but Does Not Reform His Disciples

Question

In the state of Kashmir, respected spiritual guides have been appointed for every family for centuries. Some of them, after a certain period — once a year, or several times a year — come to the disciple’s house, eat and drink there, and after spending a few nights, receive a hadiya (gift) from that disciple and return home. Besides this, the disciples never ask the respected guide anything about Islam at all. All year round, their whole lives, the disciples remain without prayer, earning their living unlawfully.

Answer

A spiritual guide is chosen from among the righteous who follow the sunna and possess (adhere to) the sunna. The purpose of taking a guide is that the disciple’s soul (nafs) be reformed, that he repent of unlawful acts, accept every ruling of the Sacred Law, attend to the fara’id and wajibat, and bring his entire life into conformity with the sunna. It is obligatory (wajib)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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