What is the meaning of paying homage to the Sheikh?
It means to repent from your sins and ask Allah for forgiveness. It also means to decide to do all kind of good deeds; either they are ordinances or supererogatory. In addition, you should resolve to be on good morals with your Lord and with His creatures.
What is its evidence?
Muslim, Abu Dawood and Annisa’e narrated from ‘Auf Ibn Malik Al Ashga’ey said, “We were with the Messenger of Allah (Prayers and peace be upon him). We were nine, or eight, or seven people. He said: won’t you pay homage to the Messenger of Allah? We had recently paid homage to him before; so, we said: we paid it, Messenger of Allah! He said: won’t you pay homage to the Messenger of Allah? Again, we said: we paid it, Messenger of Allah! He said: won’t you pay homage to the Messenger of Allah? We opened our hands and said: we paid it, Messenger of Allah! On what will we pay homage to you? He said: to worship Allah and not to take a partner to Him; to carry out the five prayers, and to listen and obey. Then, he lowered his voice (as if he didn’t want it to be a general order for all people) and said, “And don’t ask people for anything.” I have seen some of those people who didn’t ask anyone to hand over their sword to them when it fell down.”
It is proven that the Messenger of Allah (Prayers and peace be upon him) used to take homage from disbelievers to get into Islam. Sometimes, he used to take homage from people to go to Al Jihad (the Islamic sacred war). But this time, he took it from his Companions, who are Muslims, of course, to obey Allah and not to make sins. The Sufi scholars understood from this Hadeeth that it is permissible for the Mureed to pay homage to his Sheikh to repent from his previous sins and to resolve not to commit any sins again.
Imam Ahmed narrated from Jarir Ibn Abdellah, may Allah be pleased with them, said, “I paid homage to the Messenger of Allah (Prayers and peace be upon him) to perform prayers, to pay out Alms and to give advice to all Muslims.”
Attabarany narrated from Jarir who came to the Messenger of Allah (Prayers and peace be upon him) who said to him: give me your hand to promise me. Jarir said: promise you to do what? He said: to submit to your Lord and to give advice to all Muslims. Then, Jarir, who was a very sensible man, said: as far as I can.” This last sentence is a licence to us to behave according to our abilities.
Attabarany narrated from Jarir who came to the Messenger of Allah (Prayers and peace be upon him) who said to him: give me your hand to promise me. Jarir said: promise you to do what? He said: to submit to your Lord and to give advice to all Muslims. Then, Jarir, who was a very sensible man, said: as far as I can.” This last sentence is a licence to us to behave according to our abilities.
Attabarany, Ahmed and Annisa’ey narrated from Abu Omama that Thawban paid homage to the Messenger of Allah (Prayers and peace be upon him) not to ask people for anything. Abu Omama said that they saw Thawban afterward in Makka and his sword fell down while he was on his horse but he didn’t ask anyone to get it for him. He got off his horse and took it himself.
Al Bukhari Narrated from ‘Obada Ibn Assamet, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah (Prayers and peace be upon him) said to a group of his Companions, “Promise me not to take a partner to Allah, not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to kill your children, nor fabricate slander between your hands and your feet, nor disobey Allah in any honorable thing. He, who does some of such things and is punished for it (in life), it will be a penance to him. He, who does some of such things and is veiled, Allah will be in charge of him: He may forgive him or punish him; so, we swore loyalty to him upon such things”
Annisa’e narrated from Anas that the Messenger of Allah (Prayers and peace be upon him) asked some women of Al Ansar to swear loyalty not to wail over their dead.
Thus, we see that this homage is not upon Islam or Jihad but upon the pillars and the ordinances of Islam; and this is what Sufis do with their Mureeds. Almighty Allah says,
Those who swear allegiance to you swear allegiance to Allah. The Hand of Allah is above their hands. He who breaks his oath breaks it against his self, but for he that keeps his covenant made with Allah, Allah shall give him a mighty wage. [Al Fat-h 10]
Is it necessary for a Muslim to pay homage to a certain Sheikh?
No, it is not necessary. It is only advisable. There is no evidence that he who doesn’t pay it, is sinful, and all the righteous Imams agree that it is not necessary.
If I pay homage, is it necessary to be to a perfect, righteous Sheikh? Why?
Yes, because no one can treat the heart diseases save a perfect Sheikh, who, in his turn, was treated of these diseases under the charge of a perfect Sheikh, and so on to the Messenger of Allah (Prayers and peace be upon him). It is because he, who doesn’t possess a thing, cannot give it to anyone. This Sheikh must also have a licence from his Sheikh to be a guide. This matter is so serious becuase so many people have slipped into it, which may lead to serious consequences.
My grandfather, Sheikh Mohammad Amin Al Kordy, may Allah sanctify his soul, said “If a man falls into this bad situation, he needs the care of Almighty Allah to guide him to a perfect Sheikh to help him to get rid of the situation and to reach the real road to Allah.”
Reference : See: Guidelines on Sufism and the Naqshabandi Tariqa (Questions and Answers) by Counselor Dr. Mohammad Najm Addin Al Kordy, Translation: Taha Ibrahim Badr