There is a great deal of discussion today about pirs, tasawwuf, ruqya and spiritual guidance, and it is important to approach this topic with knowledge and fairness, not emotion or generalisation. In reality, there are sincere and upright people in every field, and there are also those who abuse their position. This applies equally to pirs, ulama, imams, qaris, speakers, and others. Islam does not judge by titles or labels; it judges by conduct and adherence to Quran and Sunnah. Abuse, exploitation, financial pressure, fear mongering, and inventing practices with no Shari basis must be clearly condemned, regardless of who commits them. Causing people to suffer financially or emotionally in the name of spirituality is not tasawwuf; it is wrongdoing. At the same time, it is incorrect to claim that accepting a gift or agreeing on payment for damm or ruqyah is inherently wrong. The Sunnah explicitly establishes its permissibility when done ethically and without coercion. Based on authentic narrations recorded in Sahih al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Companions performed ruqyah using the Qur’an, the person was cured and the companions were given a flock of sheep for it. They did not make use of it until they sought the Messenger ﷺ of Allah’s approval, which he ﷺ granted, instructing them to distribute the sheep and assign a share for him ﷺ as well. However, permissibility does not equal permission to abuse. A genuine spiritual guide does not pressure people financially, exploit fear or ignorance, create dependency or divert people from their obligations to parents, spouses, children, or the poor. We should have a balanced approach: 1. blind following is wrong 2. blanket rejection is also wrong 3. the correct path is knowledge, accountability, and taqwa This approach protects people from exploitation without misrepresenting Islam's scholarly and spiritual traditions. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1McZSokdsq/
