16 July 2014 Fenton Zawiya, Michigan
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Nawaytu 'l-arba`een, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu 'l-khalwah, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah,
nawaytu 'r-riyaadah, nawaytu 's-sulook, lillahi ta`alaa fee haadha 'l-masjid.
أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ
Atee`oollaha wa atee`oo 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.
Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (Surat an-Nisa, 4:59)
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.
The Ijaaza, the Inheritors, the Good Ones and Different Tariqahs
We have mentioned the four qualifications that the guide has to have through very severe training through his shaykh in order to become a guide and in order to get the license to go ahead and guide people to the teachings of the Prophet (s), the message of Islam. That is why in Arabic we call that license ijaazah, ajaztuhu, “I gave him permission, I authorized him to lead and to guide.” It is a certificate, a letter from the shaykh to his representative who is a guide. It says that he is now able to call people to Tariqah, to that Order, because between Tariqahs they don't mix; the awraad of Naqshbandi are different from Qadiriyya and from that of Chistiyya. Every Tariqah has its own way and this is according to their connection to the Warith al-Muhammadi, the Inheritor of Prophet (s) in each Tariqah.. That’s why you can see changes in dhikrullah, in a, changes in the way you follow and things shaykhs give to you will differ from one Tariqah to another.
The shuyookh of one Tariqah don't like their followers to move between Tariqahs, to jump from one to another, just as in Shari`ah you must take one Madhhab and follow it. This is the consensus of `ulama that you have to choose one school of thought and follow it; they don’t like it if you jump from one to another as it might cause fitna, so take one and follow it. Just as you have to follow one university through to the end, you cannot jump from one university to another as you might fail in one and jump to another, similarly, you cannot do that in Tariqahs, you must go all the way to the end. If you go to a clinic, you see many different certificates on the wall that show the doctor has finished this and this and this kind of practice, and now he is authorized to see patients.
It is also very important and very valuable to carry an ijaazah from your shaykh, for people to see what you have from your shaykh and what he authorized so their hearts will have satisfaction. Awliyaullah leave behind knowledge that shows their level of credibility in the presence of Prophet (s). That’s why Allah said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ
Yaa ayyuhalladheena aamanoo 'ttaqoollaah wa koonoo ma` as-saadiqeen.
O you who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are pious (in word and deed). (Surat at-Tawbah, 9:119)
“O People, Mu’mins!” He said ‘Mu'min’, He didn’t say ‘Muslim’, because Mu'min is a higher level. “O those who completed their Gnosis,” completed their struggle and reached the other side of the ocean. “Fear Allah and be with the Trustworthy Ones.” Allah (swt) called us to be with the good ones, and how do you know them? Through the four qualifications we mentioned previously. Also, when you sit with them you feel Nafkha Imaniyya, a Breath of Faith, you feel you are within the framework of faith: your `Aqeedah is strong, your love to Allah is strong, your love to the Prophet (s) is strong, your love to your murshid is strong, your love to mureeds is strong, you feel different and you love to come to sit with that shaykh as he is like a spotlight, a magnet and he attracts people!
What is that evidence? Look at one of the greatest Awliyaullah of today who left the dunya two months ago, Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani, may Allah bless his soul. He has followers from East to West. He did not run after them, they ran after him. He is like a magnet attracting people to him. When he gave advice, you felt the people are attracted and they don’t want the time to pass, they want to sit and listen; just like Sahaabah (r) sat with the Prophet (s) and did not want him to go, also the followers of Awliyaullah don’t want to go, they want to be with them.
Look from Whom You Take Your Religion
It is said that you must always sit with the one your shaykh assigned as a murshid and you will find your way and take your spiritual knowledge from him. Don't take your spiritual knowledge from books only, because then you will be called suhafee, “a book person” and you will not have real spiritual teaching. That’s why Ibn `Ajeeba (q), one of the scholars of 18th century, said, Al-`ilmu `ilmaan, `Ilm al-Awraaq wa `Ilmu ‘l-Adhwaaq, “Knowledge is of two kinds: the Knowledge of Papers (books) and the Knowledge of Taste.” More important is Knowledge of Taste.
Types of Knowledge
Knowledge of Papers is like one who wrote something but does not apply it to himself, so what is the benefit as there is no taste in it? The one with the taste will give you the food cooked and you will taste it very nice. If someone thirsty asked someone for the water in their cup, and all that one did was show them the cup and describe it and the water, still they wouldn’t taste the water! In Tariqah,the guide wants you to taste that water.
The Shaykh Must Have Sanad, a Chain, Going Back to Prophet (s)
That is why Ibn Sireen (r) said:
قال الإمام مالك وابن سيرين إن هذا العلم دين فانظروا عمن تأخذونه،
Qaal al-imaam maalik wa ibn sireen inna hadha ’l-`ilmu deenun f’anzhuru `amman taakhudhoonahu
Imam Malik and Ibn Sireen said: This religion, our deen is knowledge, so be careful from whom you are taking it.
“This knowledge we are after (Tasawwuf) is a religion by itself,” because it is part of Islam, it is Maqaam al-Ihsaan. It means, look to whom you are taking your religion from: is he connected from one shaykh to another shaykh to another shaykh to another shaykh until reaching the threshold of Prophet (s) or not? If he doesn’t, then find someone else. Like the Ahadeeth we mentioned yesterday, if it doesn’t have the sanad, the connection, the chain going all the way to Prophet (s), then that Hadith is considered fabricated or weak, and in Hadith we have to see who reported and also who narrated it. Did Prophet (s) say that and did the Sahaabah (r) hear it from the Prophet (s), and then generation after generation did they relate it? Thatis what we call the sanad, the chain. So if one link of the chain, one person ever lied in his life, they cancelled that Hadith, they didn’t take it, because perhaps he lied about the Hadith also. So that is why Ibn Sireen (r) said, “You have to look at who you are taking your religion from.” you cannot take your religion from anyone.
Today you see conferences and seminars where they teach Islam, but they don't give you the spiritual teaching behind the Ahadeeth or verses of the Holy Qur'an; that has been dropped, they don’t mention that. Throughout Islamic history, the Sahaabah and shuyookh were all scholars of Fiqh, Shari`ah and Tasawwuf.
عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَّ ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ : " يَا ابْنَ عُمَرَ دِينُكَ دِينُكَ ، إِنَّمَا هُوَ لَحْمُكَ وَدَمُكَ ، فَانْظُرْ عَمَّنْ تَأْخُذُ ، خُذْ عَنِ الَّذِينَ اسْتَقَامُوا ، وَلا تَأْخُذْ عَنِ الَّذِينَ مَالُوا "
fa awsaa ibn `Umar, deenuk deenuka innamaa huwa lahmuk wa damuk, fanzhur `amman takkhudhu. khud `ani’Lladheena astaqaamoo wa laa taakhudh `ani ’Lladheena maaloo.
The Prophet (s) advised Ibn `Umar: Your religion is your flesh and blood, so look to whom you are taking it from and take it from those who are on the right track, trustworthy ones, and don't take from those who deviated, slowly. (al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi in his al-Kaafiyyata fee `ilm ar-riwaayaat)
As it said in the ayah, Allah (swt) said for Mu'mins to be with the Trustworthy Ones (9:119), to take your religion from them. And some of the Sufi scholars said al-`ilmu roohun tunfakhoo laa masaa`ilun tunsakh, “Knowledge is something, rooh, a soul that will be blown in you, it is not something that you can take from pages or questions, and be careful from whom you are taking it.”
Some Teachers are Immersed in Dunya
If you are taking from the right person, alhamdulillah, but if you are taking from someone who is involved or immersed in dunya, that one is risky, on that one is a question mark. If you have love for dunya and change Tariqah, many `ulama said, “Don't make Tariqah or Tasawwuf a business.” If you made it a business then your teaching will not reach the hearts of people, it will only be on their tongues but with no taste. Now today you see too many people using the Tariqah as a business. The Tariqah people must be clear that it is not a business for them: they have to follow it because they have to taste the Reality of Akhirah.
Shari`ah people are also making Shari`ah a business. They tell you, “Come to this 2-day seminar for $2000.” Do you want to make that seminar for Allah (swt) or for money? If you take money for teaching, that will be thrown on your face on the Judgment Day. You cannot trade business with Qur’an and Hadith! Today that is what they are doing. You attend a seminar and for two days some of them even charge $5000, and if you want to sit with the shaykh directly they increase the price!
Qualities of the Real Teacher
The real one is teaching for Allah (swt), not for any other purpose. And that one is Tabaqaat al-ummah. Your teacher, your guide, you have to see that the people sitting around him and listening to him are representing all different classes and levels of Ummat an-Nabi (s): the rich, the poor, he doesn’t differentiate, he goes along with the Hadith of Prophet (s):
االناس سواسيه كااسنان المشط
An-naasu sawaasiyatan ka-asnaani' l-masht.
People are equal like the teeth of a comb.
“People are equal like the teeth of the comb are equal, there is no difference between Arab and non-Arab,” so there is no difference and in the shaykh’s eyes they are all equal, they are all coming to learn. But among them some are better in acquiring knowledge as Allah raised them, but the shaykh looks at them in the same way since they come and sit with him, so he considers them all equal, there is no difference.
He Shows Equality among Mureeds
And it is said that the Sahaabah (r) were from different levels of people. There were the rich ones, like Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r), Sayyidina `Umar (r), Sayyidina `Uthmaan (r), and there were poor among them. That is why zakaat came, to take from the rich and to give to the poor. That means in the time of the Prophet (s) there were rich and there were poor, but the Prophet (s) sat with all of them. If someone only sits with the rich, that shaykh...there is a problem there, so we have to be careful. Being with the shaykh will teach you how to treat everyone equal. It is not easy, but you have to show your sympathy to the poor ones, because Allah created them and there is no way for them to be rich themselves.
The Number of His Followers is not a Criteria
If the shaykh or murshid has too many or too few students, that is not a scale to measure him. Do not say he is better because he has many mureeds. There might be a shaykh who has one mureed, but he is better than all the other mureeds. Grandshaykh (q) told a story about Sayyidina `Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani (q), who was very famous in his time in Baghdad. Everyone went to Sayyidina `Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani (q) to become a mureed, a student. Haroon al-Rasheed (r) was in Baghdad at that time and some invaders were going to invade Baghdad and there was not enough of an army because everyone was going to Sayyidina `Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani (q) to become a mureed and the government could not take these people into the army as they were under his protection. So the king worried about what to do.
The minister said, “Give me permission, I will go see Sayyidina `Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani (q).” He went and said, “Yaa Sayyidee, we all love you, but the kingdom is under attack and we need those who are your mureeds to come and join the army.”
Sayyidina `Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani (q) said, “Give me some time.” The next day he said, “We are going to have a big event and all the mureeds must come.”
They filled the whole area. This is Grandshaykh's (q) story and teaching of how much they are attached to the shaykh and if it is real love or not. So they all came and Sayyidina `Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani (q) and they erected a tent at the top of the hill, and brought a big wrestler who announced, “To show his love to Allah (swt) like Sayyidina Ibrahim (a) was ordered to slaughter Sayyidina Isma`eel (a), Sayyidina `Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani (q) has been ordered to slaughter his mureeds! Who will be first?”
One mureed said, “I will be the first.”
Sayyidina `Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani (q) told him to come to the tent and the butcher was inside with a knife and a lamb, which the butcher slaughtered. They saw the blood flow out and one-third of the mureeds ran away.
Then Sayyidina `Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani (q) said, “Okay, now we will slaughter the next mureed.”
Then one lady came to the tent and Sayyidina `Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani (q) had the butcher slaughter another lamb and they saw the blood and everyone ran away. Only one man and this lady volunteered! That man was the husband of that lady. Sayyidina `Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani (q) went to the king and said, “I have one mureed and a half, so go take them all!”
Avoid Those Who Are Immersed in Dunya
So these stories, we call them faa’ida, give you benefit, they give you an example that it is not that simple when someone says, “I am following the shaykh, the guide, the murshid, the Inheritor of Prophet (s).” When you are immersed completely in dunya and you think Tariqah is a business, that will take you into this problem. It means your love to Allah (swt) and Prophet (s) is not real. I see many like that who offer seminars for money, but there is nothing for Allah! If you give them money they come, they appears at the conference and you have to give them money, an ‘honorarium’ $1,000 or $500, and sponsors give some scholars a lot of money, so that seminar inclined towards money (dunya) as they don’t teach unless they are paid. Avoid those shuyookh in order to be successful.
Follow the Good Guide and Baya` is to Allah
So when you find your murshid and you know he is a good guide who will take you in the right direction, you have to promise him that you will walk with him in that journey without takhali`an, deserting him. You cannot leave him as he gives you his confidence and you give him your attachment, but then in the middle of the way you get tired and you walk away. You cannot! So when you give your promise to him that you will be with him, it means you have to follow the good manners because shuyookh don’t like the bad manners, they like the good manners. So on that way there are a lot of obstacles, but you asked for it. Like a promise, `ahad, a covenant, or we call it baya`, tu`ahid `alaa ‘s-saraa'i wa 'd-daraa, you take an oath, a promise to the shaykh that you will follow for good and through difficulty, so you don't take back your promise as it is finished, you are committed.
That is why Allah (swt) said in Holy Qur'an:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ اللَّهَ يَدُ اللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَمَن نَّكَثَ فَإِنَّمَا يَنكُثُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَوْفَى بِمَا عَاهَدَ عَلَيْهُ اللَّهَ فَسَيُؤْتِيهِ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
Verily, those who swear allegiance to you (Muhammad) swear allegiance only to Allah. The Hand of Allah is above their hands, so whoever breaks his oath does so only to his soul's injury, while whoever keeps his covenant with Allah, on him will He bestow immense reward. (Surat al-Fath, 48:10)
Different Types of Baya`
A group of ten Sahaabah (r) came to the Prophet (s) under a tree and said, “Yaa Rasoolullah (s)! We want to take baya` from you.” Allah said to Prophet (s), “(Say) Yes, I will give you, but you have to know that your baya` is not for me, your baya` is for Allah,” and that is the ayah. “You are khalifah for Allah on Earth: you take from them their promise, but that will be for Allah.” That is pure tawheed, no shirk.
“Allah's Hand is above their hands.” When you put your hand under the Hand of Allah, and that is not literal but Allah's Hand is above your hand, how can you dare to pull your hand out? When you give baya` the matter is finished! We gave baya` to Grandshaykh and we gave baya` to Mawlana Shaykh and we give baya` to anyone for certain reasons, and Allah is saying in Holy Qur'an, “Those who gave you baya`, yaa Rasoolullah, that baya` is for Me and My Hands are over their hands!” faman nakatha fainnamaa yankuthu `alaa nafsihi, “Anyone who drops it will be in a problem,” wa man aw fee bimaa `aahada `alayhu ’Llaha fasayu’teehi ajran `azheema “and who will fulfill his promise,” because the Prophet (s) said, “A believer keeps his promise.”[1] Sio if a believer makes a promise, he fulfills it, so “if they promise you they have to fulfill it, they cannot pull their hands away,” wa man awfaa bimaa `aahada `alayhu ’Llaha fasayu’teehi ajran `azheema, “Who fulfills their promise, I will give them from Me a reward that is so great that no one can imagine!”
That is why baya` is so important, because it takes you to the Shore of Safety, where Allah will reward in Akhirah with the greatest reward that no one can imagine. Extend your hand as the Sahaabah (r) extended their hands to Prophet (s)! Since the the baya` is for Allah, the Prophet (s) is taking it and giving to Allah (swt), Allah has warned anyone not to drop it where, He said in Holy Qur'an:
وَأَوْفُواْ بِعَهْدِ اللّهِ إِذَا عَاهَدتُّمْ وَلاَ تَنقُضُواْ الأَيْمَانَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ اللّهَ عَلَيْكُمْ كَفِيلاً إِنَّ اللّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ
Fulfil the Covenant of Allah when you have entered into it, and break not your oaths after you have confirmed them; indeed you have made Allah your surety; for Allah knows all that you do.
(Surat an-Nahl, 16:91)
“Fulfill your promise to Allah (swt) and don't decline it after you have said ‘yes’ and after you admitted it.” Allah was kafeel, sponsoring you when you put your hand with the Prophet (s), then Allah put His Hand over everyone’s hand, so don't drop your promise to Allah (swt)! That is why in the Holy Qur'an many ayaat have been mentioned on baya` and from Sunnah the Prophet (s) gave baya` in groups, in private, in different categories, for men, for women, for children and for those who are not yet mature. So baya` is a principle of Islam that you have to follow.
Baya` with the Group
عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ ، أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو إِدْرِيسَ عَائِذُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، أَنَّ عُبَادَةَ بْنَ الصَّامِتِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ ، وَكَانَ سَدِيدًا ، وَمِنْ أَحَدِ النُّقَبَاءِ لَيْلَةَ الْعَقَبَةِ ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ ، وَحَوْلَهُ عِصَابَةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ : " بَايِعُونِي عَلَى أَنْ لا تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا ، وَلا تَسْرِقُوا ، وَلا تَزْنُوا ، وَلا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلادَكُمْ ، وَلا تَأْتُوا بِبُهْتَانٍ تَفْتَرُونَهُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَأَرْجُلِكُمْ ، وَلا تَعْصُونِي فِي مَعْرُوفٍ ، فَمَنْ وَفَّى مِنْكُمْ فَأَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ ، وَمَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا فَعُوقِبَ فِي الدُّنْيَا ، فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌ لَهُ ، وَمَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا ثَمَّ سَتَرَهُ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ إِلَى اللَّهِ إِنْ شَاءَ عَفَا عنه ، وَإِنْ شَاءَ عَاقَبَهُ " . فَبَايَعْنَاهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ .
`Ubaada ibn as-Saamit (r) said the Prophet (s) said, “Give me your pledge and oath not to associate anything with Allah, not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to kill your children, not to backbite, not to fall into sin; and who keeps his promise, then his reward is from Allah, Almighty and Exalted.” And then we gave our pledge to the Prophet (s) and our oath. (Bukhari and Muslim)
Al-Bukhari narrated that Prophet (s) said to a group of people, Baa`ioonee, “Promise me,” `alaa an laa tushrikoo billahi shayyan wa laa tasriqoo, “and don’t steal, don’t rob people,” wa laa tazinoo, “and don’t do adultery wa laa taqtuloo awlaadakum, “don’t kill your children.” So here he is giving a specific baya` that they cannot commit shirk, steal, commit adultery or kill their children, because in those times they used to kill children, especially daughters, because in the Time of Ignorance before Prophet (s), they felt ashamed if they didn’t have a boy, and Prophet (s) came and stopped that; he said there is no such thing in Islam. They buried the girl and poured sand on top of her, Prophet (s) prohibited that. So Prophet said wa laa taqtaloo awlaadakum, “don’t kill your children like that if you want to come with me as Muslims, then you give me your promise, you extend your hands and I will give you acceptance, and therefore, you cannot do these things. This was in the early stages of Islam.
Wa laa...arjulukum, “Don’t come with fitna.” Allahu Akbar! Today even when you eat or speak you make fitna (it is so widespread). The Prophet (s) said, “ I give you baya` on the condition that you don’t make fitna, that you believe in Allah as One, as the Creator with no partner, and that you do not steal or commit adultery, or kill your children, and don’tnot to do backbite.” So baya` is conditional and confitions change for different people.
Allah (swt) said in Holy Qur'an:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن جَاءكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَأٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَن تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ
O you who believe! If a corrupt person comes to you with something wrong, ascertain the truth unless you harm people unwittingly and afterwards become full of repentance for what you have done.
(Surat al-Hujuraat, 49:6)
“O you Believers! If a person comes to you with news, check it, verify it.” Today there are too many corrupted persons trying to make fitna between Muslims through rumors. Some think, “Because he is making money, I have to make more money,” so they plot against him and accuse him of something false so they can replace him, and Islam doesn’t like that; Prophet (s) said you cannot make false rumors.
Wa laa ta`soo fee ma`roof, “Don’t make sin when there is something good.” Fa man wafaa minkum wa ajarahu `ala Allah, “Who fulfills his promise, when I gave My Hand for all this, I mentioned your reward will be from Allah.”
What are these conditions of baya`? 1) Don't make shirk; 2) Don't steal; 3) Don't commit adultery; 4) Don't kill your children; 5) Don’t make false rumors against others; 6) Don’t make something good a sin; don’t backbite someone who is doing something good. “Anyone promising Me that, his reward is with Allah (swt).”
Fa baya`naahu `alaa dhaalik, “And we made baya` to the Prophet (s) like that.” (Bukhari in Kitab al-Iman)
Baya` with a Large Group
Also from Bukhari in Kitab al-Iman, transmitted by Ahmad and at-Tabarani, another form of baya` is with big group of people.
`Ubaada ibn as-Saamit (r) said, “We were in the presence of Prophet (s) and he asked us, ‘Is there is any stranger among you?’ (ya`aanee min ahlil-kitaab, that means from the People of the Book, Christian or Jew). Fa qulnaa laa yaa rasoolullah, we said, ‘No, there is no one else, we are all your Sahaabah.’ fa amranee bi ighlaaki ’l-baab, he ordered them to close the door and then he said, irfa`oo aydeekum, “Raise your hands!” And then, Bismillahi ‘-r-Rahmaani ‘r-Raheem:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ اللَّهَ يَدُ اللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَمَن نَّكَثَ فَإِنَّمَا يَنكُثُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَوْفَى بِمَا عَاهَدَ عَلَيْهُ اللَّهَ فَسَيُؤْتِيهِ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
Verily, those who swear allegiance to you (Muhammad) swear allegiance only to Allah. The Hand of Allah is above their hands, so whoever breaks his oath does so only to his soul's injury, while whoever keeps his covenant with Allah, on him will He bestow immense reward. (Surat al-Fath, 48:10)
Taking Baya` by Raising Your Hand
In that case, Prophet (s) said “raise your hands” because he could not reach them all at the same time.
“Raise your hand and say, ‘Laa ilaaha illa-Llah’, and we raised our hands and said, ‘Laa ilaaha illa-Llah’ and he (s) said, “Alhamdulillah, all praise be to you, yaa Rabbee, that You have sent me with this word of Tawheed and You ordered me to also keep it for anyone and You have promised me in another Hadith, “Whoever says ‘Laa ilaaha illa-Llah’ enters Paradise and You will never reject it because what You give and what You say You never take it back.” Then Prophet (s) said, “Good tidings for you! Allah has forgiven you and you are People of Paradise.”
So we say raise our hands and read the Ayat of Baya` and say “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah.” That is why in the Naqshbandi awraad you have to recite 100 to 1000 times “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah” per day, usually at Fajr. If you recite it one time you get Paradise, so what if you recite it 100 times? From Allah's (swt) Greatness and Grandeur, it is not too much as He can give you Heavens and Earth, everything!
And in another Hadith:
عن أمه سلمى بنت قيس - وكانت إحدى خالات رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - قد صلت معه القبلتين ، وكانت إحدى نساء بني عدي بن النجار - قالت : جئت رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - نبايعه في نسوة من الأنصار ، فلما شرط علينا : ألا نشرك بالله شيئا ، ولا نسرق ، ولا نزني ، ولا نقتل أولادنا ، ولا نأتي ببهتان نفتريه بين أيدينا وأرجلنا ، ولا نعصيه في معروف - قال : " ولا تغششن أزواجكن " . قالت : فبايعناه ، ثم انصرفنا ، فقلت لامرأة منهن : ارجعي فسلي رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : ما غش أزواجنا ؟ قال : فسألته فقال : " تأخذ ماله ، فتحابي به غيره " .
Salma bint Qays said, “I came to the Prophet (s) with many people from the Ansar and we gave him our baya` that we would not associate anyone with Allah, we would not steal, we would not commit adultery, we would not kill our children, we would not backbite and we would not disobey. We gave him our baya` and we went.” (Imam Ahmad in his Musnad)
May Allah (swt) forgive us. We will continue more on the subject of baya` and its importance in Shari`ah and Haqiqah, Tasawwuf, because Sahaabah (r) made baya` to the Prophet (s) and they promised they will follow, laa ilaaha illa-Llah, not to commit shirk, not to steal, not to commit adultery and not to spread bad rumors. So may Allah pull us out from all these sins and clean our hearts and fill our hearts with Tawheed and love to Allah (swt), love to Prophet (s) and love to our shuyookh!
May Allah forgive us.
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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[1] Abu Daud, Darqutni, al-Hakim.