Super Shaykh to the rescue!

 Super Shaykh by my definition: A spritual guider and successor who strives only to achieve the love of the divine and the prophet.  (Amen to that! J)

 Do we need a super duper shaykh in our lives to guide us?

 For those who are unfamiliar with giving baya to a shaykh it may seem  obvious to ask why do we need a shaykh in the first place?  Some are under the view that we have all the knowledge and guidance already ordained for us by the prophetic sunnah and quran so there is no room to speak of relying upon the assistance of a holy other. In all fairness this view is valid and there are many muslims following this and living their normal day to day lives with the absence of a shaykh.

On the contrary some would beg to differ and would highly recommend the need for a shaykh Here are few short pointers as to why Sufis feel the need for a guide:

·         One cannot make this spiritual journey alone, the experiences and knowledge of a shaykh is most needed in order to travel this path correctly.

·         The shaykhs are blessed with esoteric knowledge handed down to them from their spiritual lineage.

·         There is a deep spiritual connection with the shaykh which can impact on our hearts, seek nearness to the divine.

The prospects of having a guide can be quite favourable yet at the same unnecessary for some (so I guess all those in favour of the latter I have lost your vote already!) It is crucial for us to question the legitimacy of shaykhs especially when it is solely involved with online contact. I mean how many of us have had encounters with dodgy, misleading fake shaykhs in the real world let alone in the web?

Some suggested sites for further reading:

1.      Do you need shaykh? Translated by Abdullah bin Hamid Ali  

2.      Shakyh & Mureed Relationship

3.      Tasawwuf-The Importance of a Sheikh