'Ahd
The reciprocal commitment between disciple and guide: the formal entry into the Sufi path.
ʿAhd means ‘pact’, ‘covenant’. In the path it is the commitment by which the murid binds himself to his guide: he takes the hand of the shaykh or of his muqaddem, and receives in return the transmission that makes the path effective for him. The gesture of hand in hand prolongs a Qur’anic gesture: ‘Those who swear allegiance to you in truth swear allegiance to God’ (XLVIII, 10), a verse revealed at the bay’a of Hudaybiyya.
The pact is not a contract of fidelity to a person. It is an insertion into a silsila: through the guide, the disciple is linked to the whole chain, back to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Sidi Hamza put it simply: the pact opens the door, then the road is walked. The commitment presupposes sincerity of will and locks one into nothing binding: the path has neither trial nor penalty for whoever withdraws.
Before the pact comes the time of acquaintance: attending the sessions, meeting the community. See how to come and journey and the dhikr session.