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Spiritual Illnesses Require Spiritual Doctors
Just as we consult a physician for the diagnosis and cure of our physical illnesses, similarly we need to "consult" a Shaykh who is a fully trained "Doctor" for our spiritual illnesses. No one consults books to diagnose and treat themselves. We need expertise in every field. One calls a plumber when plumbing is required and we consult a painter/decorator when our homes needs decorating and for our wordly needs we will of course consult the best there is. Now since spiritual illnesses will affect out our Hereafter should we not show concern and consult the best?.
Spiritual doctors are know as Mashaikh (Plural of Shaykh). One such "Doctor", Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad Naqshbandi explains:
Medical students are put through rigorous schedules under their teachers and, even after passing, are not allowed to prescribe until they complete their residency supervised by more experienced personnel. Only after successful completion of residency are they certified to treat patients. Hence these doctors passed through a predetermined system where they first had to learn medical knowledge under teachers, and then had to perform practically under the supervision of trained doctors already in practice before they were deemed ready to be able to treat people on their own.
The training of spiritual doctors follows the same course in which students start by learning religious knowledge of the Holy Qur'an and hadith from trained scholars. After this stage the student stays in the company of the mashaikh who train and test him further to determine his value and skills. The student is then endorsed after this long association with his elders just like the resident is endorsed after his long residency. Only now if his elder mashaikh deem him ready is he certified to teach dhikr and become a spiritual healer of people.
(Tasawwuf.org)
Hence the need for a qualified Shaykh of Tasawwuf!
Every traveller travelling the unknown needs a guide who is familiar with the terrain and is aware of its pitfalls. There is safety in having a guide who knows the path well. Similarly on the path of Sulook the Saalik (seeker) is in need of guide who is aware of the pitfalls as he himself has traversed the path under the guidance of another qualified guide.
The company of the Shaykh is the means of attaining proximity to Allah Most High as this is the ultimate goal. If one wishes to acquire meat one will go to a meat seller (meat wala) and if one wishes to acquire fish one will go to a fish monger (fish wala). Similarly if one desires Allah ta'ala then one has to go to an Allah wala, the Ahlullaah (Friends of Allah)!
Allah subhaanahu Wata'ala) says:
يا ايها الذين امنوا اتقوا الله و كونوا مع الصادقين (التوبة
"Oh you who believe, Adopt the fear of Allah and be in the company of the truthful ones" (At Tawbah)
This points toward the importance of keeping the Suhbat (company) of the Saadiqeen, the Truthful Ones.
The above verse links the quality of Taqwa with that of the companionship of the truthful ones. This clearly advocates and demonstrates the importance of Suhbat (companionship of the pious). Allah (Ta'ala) has given us the prescription of Suhbat in order to develop Taqwa.
Shaykh Ashraf Ali Thanwi (An expert in this field) Rahmatullah says:
"What! Has anyone attained perfection by only books? It is simple to understand that one cannot become a carpenter without sitting in the company of a carpenter; one cannot become a tailor without the companionship of a tailor; one cannot become a calligraphist without the company of a calligrapher. In short, one cannot attain perfection or become an expert without the companionship of an expert."
The companionship of a pious man will induce piety just as the companionship of an evil man will induce evil in a person.
