The Need of a Guide

Purification of the Self A guide is essential for the attainment of tazkiya, but the importance of the guide is practical rather than a matter of creed. The importance of a guide, in actual fact, relates directly to the general way (sunnah) of God. This way has been described in the following verse of the Quran: “It is We who distribute among them their livelihood in the life of this world, and raise some of them above others in rank, so that they may take one another into service.” (43:32). This verse shows that it is not the way of God to bestow on everyone the qualities required for a guide. It is the way of God to give leadership qualities to particular persons and others are required to follow them. This is the natural system of life according to the way of God. The case of a religious guide also relates directly to this way of God, for God grants special help to those who have to perform this role. The duty of tazkiya-seekers is to recognize them, and receive guidance from them in order to achieve their objective. Those who fail to do so will be treated as failures in this test of nature. There is nothing mysterious about this. It falls within a known and natural sphere and can be understood upon reflection. What is received from a religious guide is not something mysterious in nature: it is the same as what in general terms is called a training course. A religious guide is a living guide rather than a sacred personality in some mysterious sense of the word.