Reality of Baya…

Baya has been at the heart of a much heated debate mainly due to the fact that the masses are unaware of this allegiance and its purpose. This post will attempt to shed light on the grounds for which baya is given and the reality of what is encompasses.

Based upon the following Quranic verse we come to establish the pledge of baya as the prophetic sunna.

“Lo! Those who plight their fealty to you, their fealty are actual fact with Allāh and the Hand of Allāh is over their hands.” [al-Fath: 10]

From this quotation we can comprehend the essence of baya…

Allah   < == Prophet Muhammad  < ==  Shaykh  < == Disciple

Baya works progressively as a spiritual transmission chain, the verse alludes to this connection through the Prophet in order to attain the ultimate reality. Unfortunately we cannot directly connect to the Prophet hence we require intermediary means (a pir/teacher/shaykh) to assist us in this journey which forms the ultimate goal for mankind. Once the pledge has been given the disciple is bound to that particular shaykh in terms of total annihilation and obedience. Immediately, I can sense a tension, you must be thinking why the shaykh assumes so much authority and reverence. Surely if we simply loved the Prophet we can attain nearness with God without requiring intermediary assistance. The Sufis would answer that the shaykh is an exemplar of prophetic sunnah and esoteric knowledge. It is through their barakah and spiritual inheritance that they are able to guide the disciple accordingly. Take for example learning the Quran, surely learning how to read the Quran from an experienced teacher is better than to teach oneself? In the same mode attaining nearness with the divine is far more beneficial through the guide of a shaykh.

I hope this short but meaningful post has enlightened our non- baya audience of the true essence of baya. Don’t worry I’m not trying to convert you to pro Sufism and drop everything right now to give baya! Just shedding a little light on the reality of baya…:) Now that we've come to understand the nature of baya let us put this in the context of the online world. If baya is a deep spiritual bond can the same level of spirituality be attained behind the computer screen? What are the implications of 'cyberfying' such a physical spiritual bond?

My next post will snoop around for evidence for online baya systems. Arguably the only legitimate tradition to offer this is the Naqshbandi group so I shall see how their online allegiance works.


Check out this brief video on images of the well known Naqshbandi Shaykhs....