I have heard Hazratwala daamat baraktuhum say that humbleness is the key to success in this path of sulook. He said, “Apnay aap ko mitaa do, bas…” One should just simply annihilate himself.

In other words, the mureed should just work and self-annihilation, to destroy his ego that ‘I am also somebody’.

If the mureed gets angry when the shaikh reprimands him or becomes annoyed or agitated, then this is a major sign of arrogance. The mureed must check himself before he wrecks himself! Yes… all jokes aside, but it should clearly be said without beating around the bush.

That mureed, which causes the slightest bit of takleef to his shaikh, will be dangerously heading to his own destruction.

Just look at shaytan’s objection to Allah Ta’ala, when the Almighty commanded him to prostrate to Adam (alaihis salam). No one can argue that shaytan did not have a point. He was logically making sense. “You created me from fire and Adam from dust, so how does it make sense for a superior thing (like fire) to prostrate to something inferior (like dust)?” Sounds pretty I.Q. right? WRONG!

Shaytan was making excuses before the command of Allah because he had his own ego and selfish opinions before his eyes. If the zaalim would have annihilated his selfish ego, and would have put the command of the True Beloved before his eyes, then he would have never objected and disobeyed. Thus, he would have never been eternally cursed.

From this we see that objection, rebelliousness, and questioning the order of righteous authority is actually the innate habit of iblees the accursed and this rises from self-conceit.

Hazratwala (daamat barakaatuhum) also said about self-conceit… this disease actually effects the foolish and naive people. The fool who thinks his shaikh is on his case should ponder for a moment and think, “Will the shaikh ever stop him from something beneficial, or will he prevent him from doing something which is detrimental to him?”

What need does the shaikh get out of going behind anyone’s case? Does the shaikh have no other occupation other than trying to make the mureed’s life miserable? If so… then what does he get out of it?

Subhanallah. In actuality, the shaikh should be looked at with the reverence and esteem that he is the inheritor of the Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) who has been described by Allah Ta`ala to be:

حريص عليكم، بالمؤمنين رؤوف رحيم

“Ardently anxious for you (to be guided and to attain everlasting success through spiritual rectification)…”

“Kind and merciful for the believers.” (Surah Taubah)

May Allah Ta`ala grant us such hearts to see.

-Based on comments from Maulana Tameem Ahamd Sahib, Khalifah of Hazrat Hakeem Sahib (DB)