People of Knowledge in Quran & Sunnah ( Ulama ) What is Siraat-e-mustaqeem? صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ  Surah Al-Fatiha (6-7)  The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.

Who are the favored ones? الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّـهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ  Surah Nisaa (4:69)  Allah Subhan’uhu Ta’ala has bestowed favor on the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous.  Add allazeena

People of Spirituality in the Quran & Sunnah (Mashaa’ikh) Who are the Awliya-ullah? إِنْ أَوْلِيَاؤُهُ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقُونَ  Surah Anfaal (8:34)  The Awliya are not but the righteous.

أَلَا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّـهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ  Surah Yunus (10:62)  Unquestionably, [for] the friends of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve قَالَ الْبَزَّار حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيّ بْن حَرْب الرَّازِيّ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّد بْن سَعِيد بْن سَابِق حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوب بْن عَبْد اللَّه الْأَشْعَرِيّ وَهُوَ الْقُمِّيّ عَنْ جَعْفَر بْن أَبِي الْمُغِيرَة عَنْ سَعِيد بْن جُبَيْر عَنْ اِبْن عَبَّاس قَالَ : قَالَ رَجُل يَا رَسُول اللَّه مَنْ أَوْلِيَاء اللَّه ؟ قَالَ " الَّذِينَ إِذَا رُءُوا ذُكِرَ اللَّه  (Ibn Katheer, Tafseer ul-Quran ul-Azeem, Chapter on Surah Yunus)

Who are the People of Zikr? الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّـهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ  Surah Ale-Imran (3:191)  Those people who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth. رِجَالٌ لَّا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلَا بَيْعٌ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ ۙ يَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ الْقُلُوبُ وَالْأَبْصَارُ  Surah Nur (24:37)  Those men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from remembrance of Allah and performance of prayer and giving of zakat. They fear a Day in which the hearts and eyes will [fearfully] turn about.

Command to keep the company of the Saadiqeen: وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ  Surah Taubah (9:119)  Be with those who are true.

وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا  Surah Kahf (18:28)  And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart we have made heedless of our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.

Existence of Ibaadullah: فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إن من عباد الله من لو أقسم على الله لأبره  Allah’s Messenger (Saws) said, "There are some people amongst Allah's slaves whose oaths are fulfilled by Allah when they take them."  صحيح البخاري » كتاب الجهاد والسير » باب قول الله تعالى من المؤمنين رجال صدقوا ما عاهدوا الله عليه فمنهم من قضى نحبه ومنهم من ينتظر وما بدلوا تبديلاصحيح البخاريكتاب الجهاد والسير

Status of Awliya-ullah: حدثنا زهير بن حرب حدثنا جرير عن سهيل عن أبيه عن أبي هريرة قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إن الله إذا أحب عبدا دعا جبريل فقال إني أحب فلانا فأحبه قال فيحبه جبريل ثم ينادي في السماء فيقول إن الله يحب فلانا فأحبوه فيحبه أهل السماء قال ثم يوضع له القبول في الأرض وإذا أبغض عبدا دعا جبريل فيقول إني أبغض فلانا فأبغضه قال فيبغضه جبريل ثم ينادي في أهل السماء إن الله يبغض فلانا فأبغضوه قال فيبغضونه ثم توضع له البغضاء في الأرض  صحيح مسلم » كتاب البر والصلة والآداب » باب إذا أحب الله عبدا حببه إلى عباد

Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (Saws) said: When Allah loves a servant, He calls Gabriel and says: Verily, I love so and so; you should also love him, and then Gabriel begins to love him. Then he makes an announcement in the heaven saying: Allah loves so and so and you also love him, and then the inhabitants of the Heaven (the angels) also begin to love him and then there is conferred honor upon him in the earth; and when Allah is angry with any servant He calls Gabriel and says: I am angry with such and such and you also become angry with him, and then Gabriel also becomes angry and then makes an announcement amongst the inhabitants of heaven: Verily Allah is angry with so-and so, so you also become angry with him, and thus they also become angry with him. Then he becomes the object of wrath on the earth also.”

Benefit of keeping the company of Ahl-e-zikr:  حدثنا قتيبة بن سعيد حدثنا جرير عن الأعمش عن أبي صالح عن أبي هريرة قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إن لله ملائكة يطوفون في الطرق يلتمسون أهل الذكر فإذا وجدوا قوما يذكرون الله تنادوا هلموا إلى حاجتكم قال فيحفونهم بأجنحتهم إلى السماء الدنيا قال فيسألهم ربهم وهو أعلم منهم ما يقول عبادي قالوا يقولون يسبحونك ويكبرونك ويحمدونك ويمجدونك قال فيقول هل رأوني قال فيقولون لا والله ما رأوك قال فيقول وكيف لو رأوني قال يقولون لو رأوك كانوا أشد لك عبادة وأشد لك تمجيدا وتحميدا وأكثر لك تسبيحا قال يقول فما يسألوني قال يسألونك الجنة قال يقول وهل رأوها قال يقولون لا والله يا رب ما رأوها قال يقول فكيف لو أنهم رأوها قال يقولون لو أنهم رأوها كانوا أشد عليها حرصا وأشد لها طلبا وأعظم فيها رغبة قال فمم يتعوذون قال يقولون من النار قال يقول وهل رأوها قال يقولون لا والله يا رب ما رأوها قال يقول فكيف لو رأوها قال يقولون لو رأوها كانوا أشد منها فرارا وأشد لها مخافة قال فيقول فأشهدكم أني قد غفرت لهم قال يقول ملك من الملائكة فيهم فلان ليس منهم إنما جاء لحاجة قال هم الجلساء لا يشقى بهم جليسهم رواه شعبة عن الأعمش ولم يرفعه ورواه سهيل عن أبيه عن أبي هريرة عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلمقتيبة بن سعيد جرير الأعمش أبي صالح أبي هريرة أبي هريرة

 Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "Allah, the Exalted, has teams of angels who go about on the roads seeking those who remember Allah. When they find some people remembering Allah they call to one another and say, `Come to what you are looking for;' and they surround them with their wings till the space between them and the lowest sky is fully covered. Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, asks them (although He is best informed about every thing): `What are my slaves saying?' They say: `They are glorifying Your Tasbih, Tahmid, Takbir, Tamjid, (i.e., they were declaring Your Perfectness, praising, remembering the Greatness and Majesty of Allah).' He asks: `Have they seen Me?' They reply, `No, indeed, they have not seen You.' He asks: `How would they act if they were to see Me?' Thereupon they reply: `If they were to see You, they would engage more earnestly in worshipping and glorifying You and would extol You more.' He would say: `What do they beg of Me?' They say, `They beg You for Your Jannah.' Allah says, `Have they seen My Jannah?' They say, `No, our Rubb.'

 He says: `How would they act if they were to see My Jannah?' They reply, `Were they to see it, they would more intensely eager for it.' They (the angels) say, `They seek Your Protection.' He asks, `Against what do they seek My Protection?' They (the angels) say, `Our Rubb, from the fire of Hell.' (He, the Rubb) says, `Have they seen the fire of Hell?' They say, `No. By Your Honour, they have not seen it.' He says: `How would they act if they were to see My Fire?' They say: `If they were to see it, they would more earnest in being away from it and fearing it. They beg of Your forgiveness.' He says: `I call you to witness that I hereby grant pardon to them and confer upon them what they ask for; and grant them protection against what they seek protection from.' One of the angels says: `Our Rubb, there is amongst them such and such slave who does not belong to the assembly of those who are participating in Your remembrance. He passed by them and sat down with them.' He says: `I also grant him pardon because they are the people by virtue of whom their associates will not be unfortunate'.'‘  Saheeh Bukhari, Book of Prayers, Chapter on the Virtue of Allah’s Remembrance

Allah swt’s Love for His Awliya: عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَالَ: مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا، فَقَدْ آذَنْتُهُ بِالْحَرْبِ، وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ، كُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا، وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَإِنْ سَأَلَنِي لَأُعْطِيَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنْ اسْتَعَاذَنِي لَأُعِيذَنَّهُ، وَمَا تَرَدَّدْتُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ أَنَا فَاعِلُهُ تَرَدُّدِي عَنْ نَفْسِ عَبْدِي الْمُؤْمِنِ، يَكْرَهُ الْمَوْتَ وَأَنَا أَكْرَهُ مَسَاءَتَهُ “  Saheeh Bukhari, Book of Riqaq (Melting the Heart), Chapter on Humility

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (Saws) said: "Allah (Subhan wa Ta’ala) said: Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him.

Seeking Knowledge from Scholars of Spirituality (Mashaa’ikh) فَاسْأَلْ بِهِ خَبِيرًا الرَّحْمَـٰنُ  Surah Furqan (25:59)  The Most Merciful, so ask about Him one well informed. أي : استعلم عنه من هو خبير به عالم به فاتبعه واقتد به  “That is, seek knowledge from the one who is well- informed of it, has knowledge of it, so follow him and take guidance from him”  (Imam Tabari, Jami’ al-Bayan ‘an taweel ay al-Quran,Chapter on Surah Furqan)

Ibn Mas'ud r.a.'s advice for People in Doubt حدثنا عثمان بن أبي شيبة حدثنا جرير عن منصور عن أبي وائل قال قال عبد الله رضي الله عنه لقد أتاني اليوم رجل فسألني عن أمر ما دريت ما أرد عليه فقال أرأيت رجلا مؤديا نشيطا يخرج مع أمرائنا في المغازي فيعزم علينا في أشياء لا نحصيها فقلت له والله ما أدري ما أقول لك إلا أنا كنا مع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فعسى أن لا يعزم علينا في أمر إلا مرة حتى نفعله وإن أحدكم لن يزال بخير ما اتقى الله وإذا شك في نفسه شيء سأل رجلا فشفاه منه وأوشك أن لا تجدوه والذي لا إله إلا هو ما أذكر ما غبر من الدنيا إلا كالثغب شرب صفوه وبقي كدره  (Saheeh Bukhari, Book of Fighting for the Cause of Allah, Chapter on the leader giving orders according to the ability of people)

Narrated Abdullah Ra: Today a man came to me and asked me a question which I did not know how to answer. He said, "Tell me, if a wealthy active man, well-equipped with arms, goes out on military expeditions with our chiefs, and orders us to do such things as we cannot do (should we obey him?)" I replied, "By Allah, I do not know what to reply you, except that we, were in the company of the Prophet and he used to order us to do a thing once only till we finished it. And no doubt, everyone among you will remain in a good state as long as he obeys Allah. If one is in doubt, he should ask somebody who would satisfy him, but soon will come a time when you will not find such a man. By Him, except Whom none has the right to be worshipped. I see that the example of what has passed of this life (to what remains thereof) is like a pond whose fresh water has been used up and nothing remains but muddy water."