But before? Oho! Previously, great trials and tests took place before initiation into a silsilah. Candidates were scrutinised properly. Among other things, was the candidate capable of eating properly? Unknown to him, he was being “interviewed.” You must know what “interview” is – this is a word very much in vogue nowadays! The mashá’ikh in days gone by used to “interview” the potential muríd. The idea was to see whether he had any worth in him for the important privilege of entering a silsilah.
One sheikh used to provide the applicant with a meal, making sure that the sálin and rotí provided were in proportional amounts. After the candidate had eaten, the sheikh would inspect the remains of the meal. If both sálin and rotí had been eaten, well and good. If the sálin was eaten, but the rotí remained or, the opposite, the rotí was eaten and the sálin remained, he would tell the candidate: “There is no equilibrium in you. Our temperaments are not the same and we will not get along together.” He would not make him bai’at. The candidate had failed the “interview”. In worldly affairs, a lot of emphasis is placed on interviews. We hear of people having passed their written examinations but failing on the results of an interview.
For Friends Vol 1 Pg 45
