The External Etiquettes are as follows:-
Heading towards one’s sheikh:
Make wudhu
Wear clean clothes
Apply attar (perfume) onto your clothes before going to visit your sheikh’s
When entering your sheikh’s abode you should make no prior intention of leaving.
Turn off your mobile phone / pager / watch alarm before sitting in your sheikhs
gathering
Remove your shoes and socks before meeting your sheikh
On arriving do not stare in all directions looking for a space to sit. Instead
sit wherever you find available space
Sitting in the presence of one’s Sheikh:
It is important for the mureed not to busy himself in respecting or honouring
any other sheikh or person in the presence of one’s own sheikh.
Do not look at or sit in the presence of your sheikh without wudhu.
Do not sit in the shadow of your sheikh
Do not sit in a place where your own shadow falls upon your sheikhs’ shadow
or upon your sheikhs’ clothes.
Do not position your back towards your sheikh
Lower your gaze and sit in a humble position.
Do not fiddle with your feet or any other part of your body
Do not sit leaning against a wall or in any other laid back position.
Do not position your feet in the direction of your sheikh
Do not crack your fingers or make any other avoidable sound.
Do not play with your clothes or watch or any other item
Do not clean your nose in the presence of your sheikh.
Sit silently & listen attentively
Do not speak or respond to anyone
Free your mind from all worldly thoughts and allow faiz to enter your heart.
Whatever your sheikh utters, believe it to be 100% true
Do not object to any of his speech either by physical expression or by internal
thought.
Commit to memory all that you learn and observe from your sheikh.
*Do not drink water in the presence of your sheikh
*Do not eat in the presence of your sheikh.
Before doing anything always ask permission from your sheikh
Turn your hearts attention wholly upon your sheikh
Walking with one’s sheikh:
Lower your gaze and walk humbly behind your sheikh
Be alert and ready to remove any object in the pathway of your sheikh
Be ready to open any closed doors in the pathway of your sheikh
Do not walk on the shadow of your sheikh
When walking behind your sheikh, do not walk in your sheikh’s footsteps
Do not walk in front of your sheikh or directly to his left or right side.
Speaking with one’s sheikh:
If need arises to speak to one’s sheikh, look for an appropriate time to speak.
Do not disturb your sheikh in the middle of his speech nor distract him if he
is contemplating.
Speak when spoken to
It is important for the mureed not to utter something from the mouth which
will nullify the bait either by joke or by sarcasm
Do not raise your voice above the voice of your sheikh
Khidmat of one’s sheikh:
In the Khidmat of your shike do not busy yourself with Zikr or Nafl prayers.
Without first gaining permission from your sheikh.
Cooking for one’s sheikh:
Ensure you have wudhu before you begin to cook
Wash all utensils before using them to prepare food
Cook a simple dish both halaal and pure
Try to prepare or have a sweet dish or savoury for after the main course.
Items belonging to one’s sheikh:
Do not use the items, utensils, towel etc of your sheikh
Do not wear your sheikhs’ clothes, shoes, topi, etc without permission from
your sheikh
Other important etiquettes:
Do not stand upon the prayer mat of your sheikh
Refrain from all those things, which your sheikh has prohibited for you
Do not position your back towards your sheikh
If you are not in the state of wudhu, do not look at your sheikh’s face or
sit in his presence.
Don’t do your wudhu where your sheikh performs his wudhu
Do not position your feet in the direction of your sheikhs’ house of residence.
Whatever emanates from your sheikh accept this to be the best even though it
may look externally not good.
Upon being questioned whom is your sheikh always give your own sheikhs name
not a prominent name within your silsila.
Whatever faiz you receive you must acknowledge that all the faiz has come from
you own sheikh.
If you are requested to become an imam then after salaat either offer a small
prayer and recourse back or better still recourse back and request your sheikh
to make the prayer.
Do not sit with those who are enemies of your sheikh
.
Whatever you learn from your sheikh, on arriving home, note it down on a piece
of paper
If a mureed happens to come across some water left by his peer, he should stand
up and drink it.