Brotherhood - Ukhuwat

The Conduct of the Murid with His Brothers and Sisters

The first duty of the murid (initiate) is to love his brothers and sisters in Sufism with all his heart, because the shaykh loves them, and to love the shaykh is to love those he loves.

Shaykh Nazim says,

"if my murid doesn't treat everyone with the same respect as he or she has for the shaykh, then he must consider that he hasn't reached love of the shaykh."

Primary Duties of the Initiate to His Brothers and Sisters

1. He must keep their respect in their presence and in their absence, not backbiting anyone.

2. He should advise them when they need it. And he should strengthen them. His advice to them must be in private and it must be with leniency and it must not be with pride. The one advised must accept the advice, must be thankful, and must practice the advice.

3. To think good about his brothers and sisters and not to seek out their bad manners.

4. to accept their apology if they apologize.

5. to make peace between each other and ask their forgiveness in case he harms them.

6. to support them when they are attacked.

7. not to ask for leadership for himself, but to be brothers with them.

8. to show humbleness with them as much as possible. Because the Prophet (s) said, "the master of a people is the one who served them."