If you abandon even one of the two sciences—Shari’ah or Ma’rifah—you will be raised blind on the Day of Judgment.

 Even the Friends of Allah (Awliya) have taken Bay’ah (spiritual pledge)...

The great saint Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA) was a Hafiz of 18 paras (sections) of the Holy Qur'an while still in his mother’s womb.
He also pursued outward (Zahiri) knowledge.
Yet, why did he take Bay’ah with Hazrat Sheikh Abu Saeed Makhzumi (RA)?

Why did:

• Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (RA) become a disciple of Hazrat Khwaja Usman Harooni (RA)?

• Hazrat Khwaja Bakhtiyar Kaki (RA) of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (RA)?

• Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin Awliya (RA) of Hazrat Sheikh Farid (RA)?

• Hazrat Shah Jalal (RA) of Hazrat Syed Ahmad Kabir (RA)?

• Hazrat Bayazid Bistami (RA) of Hazrat Abu Ali Sindhi (RA)?

• Hazrat Mujaddid Alf-e-Sani (RA) of Hazrat Baqi Billah (RA)?

• Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya (RA) of Hazrat Amir Syed Kunaan (RA)?

• Imam Ghazali (RA) of Hazrat Sheikh Abu Ali (RA)?

Even the world-renowned Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi (RA) took Bay’ah under Hazrat Shams Tabriz (RA).
There has never been a single true Wali (saint) of Allah who became a Kamil Wali (Perfect Saint) without first taking Bay’ah.

Even Sheikh Fariduddin Chishti (RA) worshiped for 36 years, but only after taking Bay’ah with Hazrat Khwaja Bakhtiyar Kaki (RA) and serving him for 24 years, did he reach spiritual perfection.

If spiritual perfection could be achieved without Bay’ah, someone like him would not have needed a spiritual master.
To witness Divine Presence (Deedar-e-Khuda), taking Bay’ah is absolutely essential.

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Maulana Rumi (RA) said:

"Ek zamana suhbat-e-Auliya, behtar az sad saal-e-ta’at-e-beriya."
— A short time spent in the company of a true Wali is better than a hundred years of worship in isolation.

He also said:

“No matter how much bookish knowledge I gained, until I went under the cloak of Shams Tabriz (RA), I had not truly attained knowledge.”
"Going under the cloak" symbolizes taking Bay’ah.

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In "Sirr al-Asrar" (The Secret of Secrets), Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA) wrote:

"To revive the heart, it is obligatory to seek a spiritual guide (Pir) or a qualified one who gives Talqeen (spiritual instruction)."

Ibn Arabi (RA) said:

"Al-fiqh li salah al-zahir, al-tasawwuf li ishlah al-batin."
— Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) corrects the outer (Shari’ah), while Tasawwuf purifies the inner (Ma’rifah).

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Maulana Rumi (RA) also said:

"Kun Nabi-e-waqt khud-ra shenās, murīd tāke nūr-e-nabi yāft padīd."
— Recognize your spiritual guide (Pir) as the Prophet of your time; through him, the light of Prophethood is unveiled.

He further said:

"Khud ba khud Kamil na shud Maulana-ye Rumi; ta ghulām-e-Shams Tabrizi na shud."
— I, Maulana Rumi, did not become perfect on my own; I became complete only when I became a servant of Shams Tabriz.

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Just as the body cannot survive without the soul, likewise the soul cannot exist without the body.
So too, Shari’ah (the outer path) and Ma’rifah (the inner realization) are both necessary.
If you abandon either one, you will be resurrected blind on the Day of Judgment.

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Maulana Rumi (RA) concludes:

“If you wish to find God, seek a Perfect Spiritual Guide (Kamil Pir), for without the help of a Kamil Pir, even a lifetime of worship will not lead you to the Divine.”