Sayyiduna Junaid Baghdadi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho states that his

Spiritual Master or Peer-o-Murshid, Sayyiduna Sirri Saqti Radi ALLAHu

Ta'ala Anho prayed in the following words:

‫جعلك اﷲ صاحب حديث صوفيا و الجعلك صوفيا صاحب حديث‬

May Allah first make you a Muhaddith (Scholar of Ahadith) then a Sufi and
not firstly a Sufi then a Muhaddith. [Ihya al Uloom, Vol, Page 22]

Imam Ghazali Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho, commenting on this Dua said,

‫اشار الى ان من حصل الحديث والعلم ثم تصوف افلح ومن تصوف قبل العلم خاطر بنفسه‬
The meaning of Hazrat Sirri Saqti's Dua is that the one who first studies
Hadith and Knowledge, then sets foot into Sufism, has indeed succeeded. But,
he who wishes to become a Sufi before obtaining knowledge has certainly put
himself into total destruction. [Ihya al Uloom, Vol, Page 22]

Sayyiduna Sayyidi Abul Qasim Junaid Baghdadi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho
states:

ٰ
‫اليقتدى به في هذا االمر الن علمنا ھذا مقيد بالكتاب والسنة‬ ٰ
‫القران ولم يكتب الحديث‬ ‫من لم يحفظ‬
"One who has not learnt the Quran and written the Hadith, that is, one who is
ignorant about the Laws of Shariah, never follow him in anything pertaining to
Tariqah and do not take him as your Peer because our knowledge of Tariqah is
strictly in accordance with the Quran and Hadith (ie. Shariah)." [Risaalah al-
Qushayriya, Page 20]

Sayyiduna Sirri Saqti Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho states:

‫التصوف اسم لثالث معان وھوالذي اليطفى نور معرفته نور ورعه واليتكلم بباطن في علم ينقضه ظاھر الكتب‬
ٰ ‫او السنة والتحمله الكرامات على ھتك استار محارم اﷲ‬
‫تعالى‬

Tassawuf is the name of three qualities:

1. His Noor of Ma'rifah (Knowledge of Allah) must not extinguish his Noor of
Daragh (Falsehood).
2. Never speak from the knowledge of Batin (Interior) which may contradict
the Zahir (Exterior) Quran and Hadith.