There are two types of knowledge necessary for one to become a human in the true sense; “Thaahiri ‘Uloom” (External Knowledge dealing with the rulings of daily life) and “Baatini ‘Uloom” (Inner knowledge which deals with the inner states of the heart).

And for the attainment of these two types of knowledge there are two things which are necessary, “Suhbat” and “Khidmat”.

Suhbat is spending time with the expert of a particular field as in the case of one who wishes to become a doctor. He will have to attend university where he will attain the knowledge from experts before being issued with qualifications to practice and this is so with every field, be it carpentry, teaching etc. So it is with the attainment of both the external and internal knowledge of Deen.

For one to attain the knowledge of the rules of performing the Hajj one will attend courses on this subject or consult an ‘Aalim or Mufti and for one to attain the knowledge of the states of the heart one will spend time with a qualified Shaykh who has been given a “certificate” of his qualifications by his Shaykh (the chain of which goes right up to the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam). One cannot attain this knowledge from the internet, Islamic TV channels or from books alone. Only a foolish person will trust or consult a doctor who does not have a certificate showing his qualifications. Similarly only a foolish person will trust a Shaykh whose qualifications are dubious.

Khidmat is the second necessity and is taken to mean just serving the Ustaadh (Teacher) / Shaykh or giving gifts and invitations to dinners. This is a misconception. In simple terms it is such behaviour which does not cause any inconvenience whatsoever to the Ustaadh or Shaykh. One should not become a thorn by being argumentative and delaying in following instructions. One’s behaviour towards one’s Ustaadh / Shaykh should be such that their hearts feel tranquil towards the student because this knowledge comes straight from Allah subhaanahu wata’ala and enters the hearts of the Ustaadh/Shaykh and is then transferred to the heart of the student. A teacher who inclines towards a student or feels affection will go out of his way to make sure the student achieves high standards just as in the case of a doctor who will indeed do his duty to all his patients but will be extra caring and attentive to a patient who is co-operative and respectful. Many people ask their Shaykh for “Tawajjuh” (Special attention). This tawajjuh is nothing but heartfelt du’a from the depth of the Shaykh’s heart!

For full benefit both Suhbat and Khidmat should be done with utmost humility and “Adab” (keeping in mind all the etiquettes). Every great Scholar/Shaykh of the past adopted Suhbat and Khidmat.

From the Majlis of Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat (Hafizahullah)