in particular, and affiliating oneself with him—as mentioned in the question—are among the innovations of pre-Islamic ignorance. They resemble the alliances that the polytheists used to make and the division between Qays and Yaman. If the purpose of this girding and affiliation is cooperation in righteousness and piety, Allah and His Messenger have already commanded this for him and everyone else, without any such girding. If its purpose is cooperation in sin and aggression, Allah and His Messenger have forbidden it. Whatever good is intended by this, the command of Allah and His Messenger to do all that is right removes the need for the teachers’ commands in this regard. Whatever evil is intended by it, Allah and His Messenger have forbidden it.

A teacher may not bind his pupils to such an alliance, nor may anyone else take any of that teacher’s pupils and have them affiliate themselves with him in this innovated manner, whether from the outset or through imparting instruction. A pupil may not deny his first teacher’s rights over him, nor may the first teacher prevent anyone from benefiting by learning from someone else. The second teacher may not say, “Gird your waist for me and affiliate yourself with me rather than with your first teacher.” Rather, if someone learns from two teachers, he must respect the rights of both without partisan attachment to either the first or the second. If the first teacher has taught him more, he should give greater consideration to that teacher’s rights.

When they unite in obedience to Allah and His Messenger and cooperate in righteousness and piety, no one should side with another in everything. Rather, each person should support every other person in obedience to Allah and His Messenger, and they must not support anyone in disobedience to Allah and His Messenger. Instead, they should cooperate in truthfulness, justice, kindness, enjoining what is right and forbidding