They are fard [commanded] in the Qur’ân and hadîths.The commandments are for everybody. They are not only for some people. Prophets, Awliyâ, savants and the ignorant are equal in carrying out the commandments. Let us repeat that it depends on following the Prophets to be saved from Hell and to attain endless bliss. Whatsoever the Awliyâ obtain in the name of Wilâyat, love, ma’rifat, and qurb-i ilâhî [1] they obtain it as a reward for following the Prophets. What is other than this way is the way of deviation, of the devil. ’Abdullah Ibni Mas’ûd ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’ says: “One day, the Prophet drew a straight line for us and said, ‘This is the right way which makes man attain Allah’s grace.’ Then, drawing some slanting lines like fish-bones on both sides of that line, he said, ‘And these are the ways which the devil makes one deviate into,” Therefore, if a person wants to walk on the right way without adapting himself to the Prophets, certainly he will deviate into slanting ways. If he obtains something, it is istidrâj. That is, it ends in loss and harm. Hadrat ’Ubaydullah-i Ahrâr ‘quddisa sirruh’ said: “If they gave me all the kashfs and hâls that are experienced through the heart, and yet if they did not ornament my heart with the Ahl-i sunnat creed, I would deem myself destroyed, ruined. If they piled up all the disasters and desolations upon me, yet if they honoured my heart with the creed of the Ahl-i sunnat wa-l-jamâ’at, I would never worry.”
