Types of Seekers and Disciples

Seekers of hereafter focus on making the hereafter a better place for themselves. For them, success means saving themselves from hellfire and getting the bounties of paradise and its castles and houris. This is why all their devotions, mystic exercises, good deeds, fasting, salat, hajj, zakat, invocations and glorifications are meant only to gain a happy life in the hereafter. They believe that this is the only purpose of life.

A self-concieted seeker acts according to his own will and follows his own intellect and understanding. He does not feel the need to act upon the guidance of his spiritual guide, nor does he consider it important. He also does not follow the etiquettes of a disciple. His stubbornness to follow his own will signifies that he did not actually pledge allegiance to the spiritual guide to begin with.

The intellect of a self-conceited seeker is limited to the present, while the perfect spiritual guide knows about the future as well. Sometimes, the spiritual guide in his conversation gives a hint about the future. Since the self-centred seeker follows his own will, he neither understands nor believes the words of his spiritual guide, consequently suffers loss.

The spy seeker comes to the Saints or the perfect spiritual guide with an intention to learn or steal some kind of recital or spiritual exercise from them that he can use to achieve his certain purpose or to earn money making a business out of it.

The imperfect seeker is the one who pledges allegiance to the perfect spiritual guide and enters his circle but seeks the materialistic world instead of Allah.

Untruthful seekers adopt Faqr because of some problem or compulsion, or to deceive others. Such people could not accomplish anything in their life nor could attain a single triumph in any domain. Therefore, they just with the intention of having fame, riches or necessities of life, enter the circle of a Saint who is accomplished in Faqr.

The perfect spiritual guide recognizes the fake and untruthful seekers instantly, from the very moment they pledge allegiance. Yet he enters them in the circle of his disciples so that they cannot claim on the Judgment Day that they went to the spiritual guide to seek guidance but he refused. However, such seekers leave the spiritual guide as soon as their objectives are achieved.

True seekers of Allah seek nothing but Allah. The purpose of all their struggle, devotion and worship is only to seek vision, closeness and union with Allah. Neither do they seek the pleasures of this world, nor do they aspire to have bounties of paradise in the hereafter. They are the sincere seekers and lovers of Allah only.

True seekers of Allah are also of two kinds; an aspirant is the one who searches Allah, while the aspired is the one whom Allah Himself calls towards Him.