In this verse, we are commanded to search for a wasīlah after initially adopting taqwā. This means a Muslim with taqwā should not think that he has become pious and now no longer needs a wasīlah to reach Allah. Just as every believer is in need of performing [good] actions and adopting piety, every pious person is in need of a wasīlah.^[1]

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                 صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

 Four conditions of a true spiritual guide

The Reviver of Islam, the Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Imam Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه, states:

It is necessary that a spiritual guide fulfils four conditions for an oath of allegiance to be valid with him.

1.   The sheikh must be a Sunni with correct beliefs.

2.   He should have sufficient knowledge to extract necessary rulings from the books.

3.   He should not be an open sinner.

4.   His chain of allegiance should link all the way back to the Prophet  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.

Where any one of these conditions is missing, oath of allegiance is impermissible.^[2]

Imam Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه in the eyes of his murshid

In 1294 AH, when Imam Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه was 22 years old, he began to cry whilst contemplating something and fell asleep in that