The Reality Of Bay'at (The Pledge)

[ummtaalib]

 Is this life? The one who becomes free from the limits of Allah has a cursed life. And the one who is pious is actually sold on the hand of the saints. Allah has kept His representatives on earth who ‘buy’ the people and make them reach Allah.


An Example of Bay’at

If the prime minister wants to send some wheat somewhere, he does not go himself to the farmers. He appoints a commissioner as his representative in every area to contact the farmers, buy the wheat and pay them using official money. Then they must send the commodity to Islamabad, the capital city.

Similarly, the Ahlullah are the representatives of Allah. They ‘purchase’ people and ‘send’ them to Allah, that is, they show the path of becoming a saint. By treading this path, one becomes a waliullah. They do not purchase them for themselves.

The Ahlullah make bay’at to teach the worship of Allah. The meaning of bay’at is to be sold. He is actually sold to Allah. The hands of the Ahlullah are representatives just as Allah says that those who make bay’at on the hand of Rasulullah ?, that is actually not the hand of Rasulullah ?. It is the hand of Allah. The hand of the Nabi (saw) is a representative. The one who makes bay’at is sold on the hand of Allah. He then joins the group of the Ahlullah and becomes a waliullah. Do not be perturbed by the urge to sin. These urges are steps to your sainthood. The one who does not have these urges becomes a hermaphrodite. He can never attain sainthood.
 

http://www.khanqah.org/books/part/187/what-is-taqw
 

[ummtaalib]

 

A Valuable Analogy in understanding Bay`ah

Bay`ah can be described as a kind of captivity, with a unique outcome. That outcome is Freedom. Strange as it seems, it is a reality, and it will be the experience. Reflecting over this point, we will come to understand that there certainly is freedom in captivity. We will also come to realize that there is captivity in freedom. As an example: If a student is in the 5th year, and lives in ‘captivity’ of his studies: strictly attending classes, diligent in completing his homework and sincere in his efforts, that student gets “freedom” - meaning, he is the successful one because he passes ‘with flying colours.’ As for the student who lives in freedom: He does not attend classes, he is indifferent to his studies, and makes no effort to complete his homework, then he becomes ‘captive’ in that same class : meaning, he fails. He does not make the grade, and does not qualify.

In a similar vein, the captivity of Bay`ah will free us – will be the means and medium of our success, in both worlds. Moreover, Bay`ah serves to remind us of our captivity to Allah Ta’ala and Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), since our bay`ah has already been established with the Kalima, with “La ilaaha illallaah Muhammadur Rasoolullah”.

We should not fear losing our freedom with Bay`ah, rather, we should trade our freedom for this ‘captivity’. And experience true freedom. Moving outside this example, we find the well-known Hadeeth, which conveys this reality, on a different level; in the context of dunya :

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: The world is a prison for the Believer and a paradise for the disbeliever.

Here again, we find that choosing ‘captivity’ (in dunya) opens the Door to everlasting freedom (in Aakhirah, i.e. Jannah). Choosing ‘freedom’ (in dunya) leads to captivity (in the Aakhirah; i.e. Jahannum).

May Allah Ta’ala give us the understanding.
http://khanqahashrafiaislamia.co.za/malfoozaat/