Q. Certain groups in my country say that one cannot be admitted to heaven unless he follows the guidance of a Pir who shows him the way, and plead with God to make such admittance possible.
Z. Nayeem
A. A unique feature of the Islamic faith is that it has no clerical order, or priesthood. The relationship between every individual and God is direct, with no intermediary in between. The only intermediary was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who delivered God’s message to us complete. God has undertaken to preserve it intact, so that everyone may have direct access to it at all times. On the Day of Judgment we are held to account, but each will be on his or her own. No one will speak for anyone else. God says in the Qur’an: “Not one of all (the beings) that are in the heavens or on earth but shall appear before the Most Gracious as a servant. Indeed, He has full cognizance of them. He has kept a strict count of their numbers, and every one of them will appear before Him all alone on the Day of Judgment.” (19: 93-95)
I suppose this is very clear. There are numerous other verses that make absolutely clear that no relative, friend or tribe will avail any person anything on the Day of Judgment. Only their faith and actions will determine whether they will attain to a happy state or not.
The only one who is allowed to intercede with God on behalf of his community will be the Prophet Muhammad. God will judge everyone according to what they have done in their time on earth. He bestows His grace on whomever He wills and punishes those who deserve punishment.
These are basic principles of the Islamic faith. The Qur’an is full of verses that confirm them, making clear that no intercession takes place except by God’s leave, and He does not give it except to the Prophet. Any different view is erroneous. So, where does the role of a Pir come in?
The answer is that it does not. Anyone who claims to have a role to ensure that people are saved from hell, or that they are assured of entry into heaven is a liar. He cannot be sure of his own position: How can he help others? Besides, what these people say implies that they themselves are certain of going to heaven. Where do they get such information from, when the Prophet says that he does not know what will happen to him? The fact is that such people gain a great deal from deluding people into thinking that they show them the path to attain God’s pleasure, and they want to enjoy these gains. Well they may enjoy their gains in this life, which is very short. On the Day of Judgment they will have to answer for their lies, and God knows what happens to them then.
The only way to ensure admittance to heaven on the Day of Judgment is by following the Prophet’s guidance, contained in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Scholars who explain these help us to know what God require us to do and to practice it. But it is up to every one of us to act on that or not. The result depends on what we do, not on any liar or a Pir.
