THE SYSTEM OF BAY’T
The system of Bay’t – pledging fealty or allegiance – in vogue among the Sufiyah Kiraam has been labelled by some persons as a bid’ah. They have claimed it to be bid’ah since according to them, this system of the Sufiyah (Auliya) is not proven on the basis of Rasulullah’s (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) Sunnah.
It is argued that the bay’t system in vogue during the age of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) envisaged the acceptance of the pledge of allegiance only from kuffaar who embraced Islam and from Muslims enrolling in Jihad. However, this claim is not corroborated by the Ahadith of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam).
The following Hadith appears in Abu Dawood and Nasa’ee:
“Hadhrat Auf Bin Maalik Ashja-i narrates:
We were by Nabi (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam). We were a group of nine, eight or seven persons. He (Rasulullah – Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said:
‘Do you not make bay’t (swear allegiance) to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam)?’
We then stretched out our hands and asked:
‘Regarding what shall we make bay’t to you, O Rasulullah?’
He (Rasulullah – Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said:
‘On that you will worship Allah; not associate with Him anything; perform the five Salaat; you will hear and you will obey.’”
The audience of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) on this particular occasion was a group of Sahaabah. This bay’t was therefore, assuredly, not a bay’t on Islam. It was not a bay’t of kuffaar embracing Islam nor was it a bay’t on Jihad as the practices enumerated by Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) in this Hadith, clearly indicate.
This group had already embraced Islam and were practising according to the Commands of Allah. What then was the purpose and the meaning of obtaining the bay’t (pledge of allegiance) from Sahaabah on practices such as Salaat, Imaan, obedience, etc. which they were engaged in offering daily?
The clear import of the Hadith is that the purpose of this bay’t was for the strict adherence and regulation of the practices of Deen. And, the purpose of the system of bay’t in vogue by the Sufiyah is precisely the same, viz., strict adherence and regulation of the esoteric demands and the esoteric commands of the Shariah.
(To be continued, Insha Allah)
