Abdu Shaheed Azhary

Following the path of the prophet  is very important in the life of a Muslim. His acts and sayings should be strictly followed. The famous book compiled by Imam Nawawi , Riyadu Saliheen, is a popular one with regard to the study of prophet’s sayings. One should not forget to perform Fard (Wajib), because Fard is better than Sunnah. Even performing an act of Sunnah a thousand times is not equivalent to performing an act of Fard.

One can maintain Zuhd in all walks of life. Doing activities such as business, marriage, job, and socialization are not against maintaining Zuhd. The substance of Zuhd is to consider wealth as nothing and to make sure that his heart is not connected in any way with his health. Neither having money nor a lack of money bothers him. It is a state of love for Allah that makes him neglect everything other than Allah.

According to the author, only Faqeeh (jurist) is entitled to be a Sheikh. His knowledge of Fiqh should be applied practically throughout his life. Tariqah is meant to be an easy way to enforce and apply the knowledge of Fiqh in his life. Eventually he may reach Haqiqah, the core of Tasawwuf . One of the major misconceptions about Tariqah is that it is a shortcut way towards Allah, without giving much importance to Fiqh rules. In fact, Tariqah is the shortcut to applying Sharia in practical life.