Allah Describes Someone Who Learns Directly From His Presence
Here we will mention some of the verses, when Sayiddina Musa (as) met with Sayiddina Khidr. Allah ‘Azza wa Jall, describes this meeting eloquently:
“fawajadu ‘abdan min ‘ibaadina ataynaahu rahmatan min ‘indina wa ‘allamnaahu min ladunna ‘ilma. Qala lahu Musa, hal attabi’uka ‘alaa an tu’alimmanee mimma ‘ullimta rushda? Qala innaka lan tastati’ ma’aya sabra.” (Kahf, 66,67).
“So they found one of Our servants on whom we had bestowed mercy from Ourselves and whom we had taught knowledge from Our Own Presence. Moses said to him, ‘may I follow you on the condition that you teach me something of the Higher Truth which you have been taught?’ The other said, ‘Surely you will not be able to have patience with me.'”
From these verses, we see that even though Sayiddina Musa (as) was a prophet, and was the only prophet to speak with Allah directly (Kalimullah), nevertheless Sayiddina Khidr possessed knowledge which Musa did not have, and which Musa sought to obtain from him, because Sayiddina Khidr was receiving knowledge directly from the Presence of Allah (‘allamnaahu min ladduna ‘ilma). And that person was one of Allah’s Friends, as described in the verse above. From these verses, as well as the ones mentioned above, we see one of the many daleels for following a guide, or shaykh at-tarbiyya, in the technical terminology of Tasawwuf.
Allah Almighty Promises to Guide Aright The Muhsineen
And Allah says:
“wal-ladheena jaahadu feena la-nahdi-annahum subulana wa ann-Allaha la-ma’a al-muhsineen.” (al-‘Ankabut, 69)
“those who are striving in Our Way, we will guide them to Our paths, for verily Allah is with those who do right.”
Most of the great scholars of Islam were practicing tazkiyyat an-nafs and trying to reach the state of Ihsan. They are the ones who spread Islam in Central Asia, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Bosnia, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Indo-China, Spain, Eastern Europe, and most of Africa. All of these scholars who were practicing Tasawwuf spread Islam through these countries through their states of zuhd, wara’, taqwa and tazkiyya, which made them so attractive and so appealing to the people with whom they associated, that they were automatically drawn to Islam.
