Patron: Sultan Barquq (al-Malik al-Zahir Sayf al-Din Barquq (plumb)) 1336-1399, Burji (Circassian) Mamluk Sultan of Egypt (r. 1382-1389 & 1390-1399).

 

Construction Supervisor: Jarkas al-Khalili, master of Barquq's horse & founder of Khan al-Khalili.

 

Master Builder: Ahmad ibn al-Tuluni, court surveyor & Chief of Builders (kabir al-sunna').

 

Islamic Monument #187

Patron: Yunus al-Dawadar (Jonah, the Inkstand-holder), executive secretary for Sultan Barquq (al-Malik al-Zahir Sayf al-Din Barquq (plumb)) 1336-1399, Burji (Circassian) Mamluk Sultan of Egypt (r. 1382-1389 & 1390-1399)). Al-Dawadar was not buried here, but in Syria, where he died. Sultan Barquq's father, Anas, was buried here before being moved to Barquq's Khanqah further north in the cemetery.

 

Islamic Monument #139

Al-Ashraf Sayf-ad-Din Barsbay was the ninth Burji Mamluk sultan of Egypt from AD 1422 to 1438. He was Circassian by birth and a former slave of the first Burji Sultan, Barquq.

 

He was responsible for a number of administrative reforms in the Mamluk state, including the consolidation of the sultanate as a military magistrature and securing for Egypt exclusive rights over the Red Sea trade between Yemen and Europe.[1]

 

His Red Sea activity included the final destruction in 1426 of ‘Aydhab, a once important port which had been in decline in the previous century.

 

His mausoleum, which included a madrasa and khanqah, was built in Cairo's Northern Cemetery, and has survived to this day.[2]

The cruciform courtyard and ablution fountain of the Barquq complex, perhaps inspired by the grander cruciform courtyard and ablution fountain of the Sultan Hassan Madrassa built two decades before this.

 

*****************************

 

This funerary complex was comissioned by the first Burji Mamluk Sultan after usurping government from the sons of Al-Nasir Muhammad (r. 1293-1294; 1299-1309 and 1309-1341).

 

Sultan Az-Zahir Barquq (r.1382-1389 and 1390-1399) sought to legitimize his rule by associating himself with the previous dynasty, the Bahri Mamluks, to whom the legacy of fending off the Crusaders and Mongols and espousing Sunni Islam was bequeathed. Having established himself socially by marrying Baghdad Khatun, a widow of Sultan Sha'ban, one of the last descendants of Sultan Qalawun, he ordered the construction of a funerary complex for his family. To emphasize the continuity he chose a site next to the earlier Qalawunid monuments of Al-Nassir Muhammad and his father, Qalawun who had first imported the Circassian slaves to whom Barquq belonged from the Tatar Golden Horde.

 

Between 1384 and 1386, Barquq commissioned the court architect Shihab al-Din Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tuluni to construct the mausoleum and the funerary complex under the supervision of Jarkas al-Khalili, Master of Horses under Barquq and the founder of Khan El-Khalili.

 

This resulted in a continuous wall of contiguous facades with window recesses, portals, crestings, domes, minarets, and bands of tiraz, all executed in different styles competing for visual dominance and attesting to the powerful role of Mamluk architecture in the political arena. Each facade represents an episode in history on the stage provided by the dismantled Fatimid palaces.

 

Nevertheless, Michael Rogers has demonstrated that this complex, with its marble paneling, bronze-plate doors, molded stone ornament, and elaborately worked minaret, was to set the tone for Cairene architectural decoration between 1400 and 1450.

 

The octagonal minaret departs from most minarets from this period in displaying a shaft with stone carving, which, in the 15th c., replaces the inlaid stone work characteristic of 14th c. minarets (e.g., Sarghatmish). The royal rank (blazon) is applied to basic objects and materials like window stucco grilles and rough wood, possibly because building materials were rare and precious.

 

According to Doris Behrens-Abouseif, the waqf deed refers to this complex as a madrasa-khanqah and to its dwelling units as a rab', a term usually used to denote collective housing. Instead of tabaqa, the term for an individual living unit in a domestic rab, the deed uses bayt, a term used interchangeably with khalwa in waqf documents to describe a living unit in a madrasa or khanqah. The addition of a Sufi program to a madrasa reflects the integration of Sufism into urban life in fifteenth-century Egypt.

Fatehpur Sikri itself was founded as the capital of the Mughal Empire in 1571 by Emperor Akbar, serving this role from 1571 to 1585, when Akbar abandoned it due to a campaign in Punjab and was later completely abandoned in 1610. The name of the city is derived from the village called Sikri which previously occupied the location. An Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) excavation from 1999 to 2000 indicated that there was housing, temples and commercial centres here before Akbar built his capital. The region was settled by Sungas following their expansion. It was controlled by Sikarwar Rajputs from the 7th to 16th century CE until the Battle of Khanwa (1527). The khanqah of Sheikh Salim Chishti existed earlier at this place. Akbar's son Jahangir was born in the village of Sikri to his favourite wife Mariam-uz-Zamani in 1569 and in that year Akbar began construction of a religious compound to commemorate the Sheikh who had predicted the birth. After Jahangir's second birthday, he began the construction of a walled city and imperial palace here. The city came to be known as Fatehpur Sikri, the "City of Victory", after Akbar's victorious Gujarat campaign in 1573. After occupying Agra in 1803, the East India Company established an administrative centre here and it remained so until 1850. In 1815, the Marquess of Hastings ordered the repair of monuments at Sikri.

Fatehpur Sikri was awarded the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986

Patron: Sultan Barquq (al-Malik al-Zahir Sayf al-Din Barquq (plumb)) 1336-1399, Burji (Circassian) Mamluk Sultan of Egypt (r. 1382-1389 & 1390-1399).

 

Construction Supervisor: Jarkas al-Khalili, master of Barquq's horse & founder of Khan al-Khalili.

 

Master Builder: Ahmad ibn al-Tuluni, court surveyor & Chief of Builders (kabir al-sunna').

 

Mausoleum: buried here is Fatima, a daughter of Barquq; the Sultan is buried in the Northern Cemetery.

 

Islamic Monument #187

Waiting for the place to open - or just waiting.

Patron: al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Barsbay c.1369-1438, Burji (Circassian) Mamluk, Sultan of Egypt (r.1422-1438).

 

Islamic Monument #121

Fatehpur Sikri itself was founded as the capital of the Mughal Empire in 1571 by Emperor Akbar, serving this role from 1571 to 1585, when Akbar abandoned it due to a campaign in Punjab and was later completely abandoned in 1610. The name of the city is derived from the village called Sikri which previously occupied the location. An Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) excavation from 1999 to 2000 indicated that there was housing, temples and commercial centres here before Akbar built his capital. The region was settled by Sungas following their expansion. It was controlled by Sikarwar Rajputs from the 7th to 16th century CE until the Battle of Khanwa (1527). The khanqah of Sheikh Salim Chishti existed earlier at this place. Akbar's son Jahangir was born in the village of Sikri to his favourite wife Mariam-uz-Zamani in 1569 and in that year Akbar began construction of a religious compound to commemorate the Sheikh who had predicted the birth. After Jahangir's second birthday, he began the construction of a walled city and imperial palace here. The city came to be known as Fatehpur Sikri, the "City of Victory", after Akbar's victorious Gujarat campaign in 1573. After occupying Agra in 1803, the East India Company established an administrative centre here and it remained so until 1850. In 1815, the Marquess of Hastings ordered the repair of monuments at Sikri.

Fatehpur Sikri was awarded the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986

Patron: Sultan Barquq (al-Malik al-Zahir Sayf al-Din Barquq (plumb)) 1336-1399, Burji (Circassian) Mamluk Sultan of Egypt (r. 1382-1389 & 1390-1399).

 

Construction Supervisor: Jarkas al-Khalili, master of Barquq's horse & founder of Khan al-Khalili.

 

Master Builder: Ahmad ibn al-Tuluni, court surveyor & Chief of Builders (kabir al-sunna').

 

Islamic Monument #187

The sanctuary of the Sultan Barquq Complex with a fountain in need of repair (which here, together with the vegetation, symbolises paradise in the Persian sense). There are two burial chambers on site, one for men and another for women, as it was decided the sexes should be kept separately even in death. [18]

The motif on the dome is called herring-bone. [25]

 

Full gallery: www.m1key.me/photography/egypt_1/

The splendid interior of this lovely mosque containing chandeliers, papier-mache relief and intricate wood-carvings. As a woman I wasn't allowed inside but they very kindly let me take a couple of photos through the window.

 

Khanqah-e-Moula, also known as Shah-e-Hamadan Masjid and Khanqah is a mosque located in the Old City of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Situated on the right bank of the river Jhelum between the Fateh Kadal and Zaina Kadal bridges, it was first built in 1395 CE, commissioned by Sultan Sikendar. It is one of the best examples of Kashmiri wooden architecture, and is decorated with papier mache. The mosque is alleged to stand atop the ruins of an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Kali.

Patron: Farag ibn Barquq (al-Nasir al-Din Farag ibn Barquq) c.1386-1412, Burji (Circassian) Mamluk Sultan of Egypt (r.1399-1405 & 1406-1412), for his father, Sultan Barquq (al-Malik Az-Zahir Sayf ad-Din Barquq (plumb)) 1336-1399, Burji (Circassian) Mamluk Sultan of Egypt (r.1382-1389 & 1390-1399).

 

Islamic Monument #149

Patron, complex: Farag ibn Barquq (al-Nasir al-Din Farag ibn Barquq) c.1386-1412, Burji (Circassian) Mamluk Sultan of Egypt (r.1399-1405 & 1406-1412), for his father, Sultan Barquq (al-Malik Az-Zahir Sayf ad-Din Barquq (plumb)) 1336-1399, Burji (Circassian) Mamluk Sultan of Egypt (r.1382-1389 & 1390-1399).

 

Islamic Monument #149

 

Patron, mausoleum: Sultan Barsbay (al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Barsbay) c.1369-1438, Burji (Circassian) Mamluk Sultan of Egypt (r.1422-1438) for Gani Bak.

 

Gani Bak al-Ashrafi 1403-1428 a favourite mamluk of Sultan Barsbay who gave him the office of dawadar (secretary) in 1422. Some say he was poisoned at the age of 25.

 

Islamic Monument #122

Patron: al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Barsbay c.1369-1438, Burji (Circassian) Mamluk, Sultan of Egypt (r.1422-1438).

 

Islamic Monument #121

This was once a complex which included a khanqah, madrasa, mausoleum, library, observatory and a mill to form the the Institute of Time and the Hour (Masjid-e Vaqt-e Sa’at); only the mausoleum survives.

 

Patron: Sayyed Rukn ad-Din Mohammad Qazi Hosseini Yazdi, a cleric and scholar and, at one time, chief judge (qadi) of Yazd. He was related to one of the descendants of Imamzadah Jafar whose shrine is also in Yazd.

 

Imamzadah: an immediate descendant of a Shia Imam.

Patron: al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Barsbay c.1369-1438, Burji (Circassian) Mamluk, Sultan of Egypt (r.1422-1438).

 

Islamic Monument #121

This mosque (or khanqah) contains the tombs of Marzouq al-Ahmadi, Sheikh Muhammad Shams al-Din and his son, Ahmed Muhammad Shams al-Din, followers of the Sufi saint Sayyid Ahmad al-Badawi (d.c.1265). Over the centuries he has become one of the holy figures whose blessing and intercession is sought by thousands of devotees.

Sayyid Marzuq al-Ahmadi 1205-1272, a Yemeni Sheikh who travelled with his wife to Mecca in 1225 to study jurisprudence and later moved to Cairo, where he met and studied with Sayyid Ahmad al-Badawi.

 

Patron: Amir Ali Bek.

 

Islamic Monument #29

unaware capture

FITNA E KHANQAH

Patron: al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Barsbay c.1369-1438, Burji (Circassian) Mamluk, Sultan of Egypt (r.1422-1438).

 

Islamic Monument #121

Khanqah-e-Mualla Noorbakshia Khaplu Bala is a religious monument and largest Khanqah built by mud and wood It is located in Khaplu and was built by Noorbakhshi Sufi mystic Mir Mukhtar Akhyar.

103,323 items / 673,520 views

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufism

 

Sufism (Arabic: تصوّف‎) taṣawwuf,(Persian: صوفی گری) also spelled as tasavvuf and tasavvof according to the Persian pronunciation, is generally understood to be the inner, mystical dimension of Islam.[1][2][3] A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a ṣūfī (صُوفِيّ), though some adherents of the tradition reserve this term only for those practitioners who have attained the goals of the Sufi tradition. Another name used for the Sufi seeker is Dervish.

 

Classical Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as "a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God."[4] Alternatively, in the words of the renowned Darqawi Sufi teacher Ahmad ibn Ajiba, "a science through which one can know how to travel into the presence of the Divine, purify one’s inner self from filth, and beautify it with a variety of praiseworthy traits."[5]

 

hile all Muslims believe that they are on the pathway to God and will become close to God in Paradise — after death and after the "Final Judgment" — Sufis also believe that it is possible to draw closer to God and to more fully embrace the Divine Presence in this life.[14] The chief aim of all Sufis is to seek the pleasing of God by working to restore within themselves the primordial state of fitra,[15] described in the Qur'an. In this state nothing one does defies God, and all is undertaken by the single motivation of love of God.Template:Fact=November 2009 A secondary consequence of this is that the seeker may be led to abandon all notions of dualism or multiplicity, including a conception of an individual self, and to realize the Divine Unity.Template:Fact=November 2009

 

Thus Sufism has been characterized[by whom?] as the science of the states of the lower self (the ego), and the way of purifying this lower self of its reprehensible traits, while adorning it instead with what is praiseworthy, whether or not this process of cleansing and purifying the heart is in time rewarded by esoteric knowledge of God. This can be conceived in terms of two basic types of law (fiqh), an outer law concerned with actions, and an inner law concerned with the human heart.[citation needed] The outer law consists of rules pertaining to worship, transactions, marriage, judicial rulings, and criminal law — what is often referred to, a bit too broadly, as shariah. The inner law of Sufism consists of rules about repentance from sin, the purging of contemptible qualities and evil traits of character, and adornment with virtues and good character.[16]

 

To enter the way of Sufism, the seeker begins by finding a teacher, as the connection to the teacher is considered necessary for the growth of the pupil. The teacher, to be genuine, must have received the authorization to teach (ijazah) of another Master of the Way, in an unbroken succession (silsilah) leading back to Sufism's origin with Muhammad. It is the transmission of the divine light from the teacher's heart to the heart of the student, rather than of worldly knowledge transmitted from mouth to ear, that allows the adept to progress. In addition, the genuine teacher will be utterly strict in his adherence to the Divine Law.[17]

 

Scholars and adherents of Sufism are unanimous in agreeing that Sufism cannot be learned through books.[dubious – discuss] To reach the highest levels of success in Sufism typically requires that the disciple live with and serve the teacher for many, many years.[citation needed] For instance, Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari, considered founder of the Naqshbandi Order, served his first teacher, Sayyid Muhammad Baba As-Samasi, for 20 years, until as-Samasi died. He subsequently served several other teachers for lengthy periods of time. The extreme arduousness of his spiritual preparation is illustrated by his service, as directed by his teacher, to the weak and needy members of his community in a state of complete humility and tolerance for many years. When he believed this mission to be concluded, his teacher next directed him to care for animals, curing their sicknesses, cleaning their wounds, and assisting them in finding provision. After many years of this he was next instructed to spend many years in the care of dogs in a state of humility, and to ask them for support.[18]

 

As a further example, the prospective adherent of the Mevlevi Order would have been ordered to serve in the kitchens of a hospice for the poor for 1,001 days prior to being accepted for spiritual instruction, and a further 1,001 days in solitary retreat as a precondition of completing that instruction.[19]

 

Some teachers, especially when addressing more general audiences, or mixed groups of Muslims and non-Muslims, make extensive use of parable, allegory, and metaphor.[20] Although approaches to teaching vary among different Sufi orders, Sufism as a whole is primarily concerned with direct personal experience, and as such has sometimes been compared to other, non-Islamic forms of mysticism (e.g., as in the books of Seyyed Hossein Nasr).

 

Sufism, which is a general term for Muslim mysticism, sprang up largely in reaction against the worldliness which infected Islam when its leaders became the powerful and wealthy rulers of multitudes of people and were influenced by foreign cultures. Harun al-Rashid, eating off gold and silver, toying with a harem of scented beauties, surrounded by an impenetrable retinue of officials, eunuchs and slaves, was a far cry from the stern simplicity of an Umar, who lived in the modest house, wore patched clothes and could be approached by any of his followers.[21][neutrality disputed]

 

The typical early Sufi lived in a cell of a mosque and taught a small band of disciples. The extent to which Sufism was influenced by Buddhist and Hindu mysticism, and by the example of Christian hermits and monks, is disputed, but self-discipline and concentration on God quickly led to the belief that by quelling the self and through loving ardour for God it was possible to maintain a union with the divine in which the human self melted away.[21]

 

During the primary stages of Sufism, Sufis were characterised by their particular attachment to dhikr "remembrance [of God]" and asceticism. Sufism arose among a number of Muslims as a reaction against the worldliness of the early Umayyad Caliphate (661-750 CE[6]). The Sufi movement has spanned several continents and cultures over a millennium, at first expressed through Arabic, then through Persian, Turkish and a dozen other languages.[7] ṭuruq "Orders", which are either Sunnī or Shī‘ī in doctrine, mostly trace their origins from the Islamic Prophet Muhammad through his cousin ‘Alī, with the notable exception of the Naqshbandi who trace their origins through the first Caliph, Abu Bakr.[8]

 

According to Idries Shah, the Sufi philosophy is universal in nature, its roots predating the arising of Islam and the other modern-day religions; likewise, some Muslims[who?] feel that Sufism is outside the sphere of Islam,[1][9][10] although generally scholars of Islam contend that it is simply the name for the inner or esoteric dimension of Islam.[1]

 

The lexical root of Sufi is variously traced to صُوف ṣūf "wool", referring either to the simple cloaks the early Muslim ascetics wore, or possibly to صَفا ṣafā "purity". The two were combined by al-Rudhabari who said, "The Sufi is the one who wears wool on top of purity."[11] The wool cloaks were sometimes a designation of their initiation into the Sufi order. The early Sufi orders considered the wearing of this coat an imitation of Jesus. Sufism is known as "Islamic Mysticism," in which Muslims seek to find divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God.[12] Mysticism is defined as the experience of mystical union or direct communion with ultimate reality, and the belief that direct knowledge of God, spiritual truth, or ultimate reality can be attained through subjective experience (as intuition or insight).[13]

 

Others[who?] suggest the origin of the word ṣufi is from Aṣhab aṣ-ṣuffa "Companions of the Porch", who were a group of impoverished Muslims during the time of Muhammad who spent much of their time on the veranda of Al-Masjid al-Nabawi, devoted to prayer and eager to memorize each new increment of the Qur'an as it was revealed. Yet another etymology, advanced by the 10th century Persian historian Abū Rayhān al-Bīrūnī is that the word is linked with Greek word sophia "wisdom".

 

Bayazid Tayfur al-Bistami

 

Bayazid is considered to be "of the six bright stars in the firmament of the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam)",[22] and a link in the Golden Chain of the Naqshibandi Tariqah. Bayazid al-Bistami was the first one to spread the reality of Annihilation (Fana'), whereby the Mystic becomes fully absorbed to the point of becoming unaware of himself or the objects around him. Every existing thing seems to vanish, and he feels free of every barrier that could stand in the way of his viewing the Remembered One. In one of these states, Bayazid cried out: "Praise to Me, for My greatest Glory!" Bistami's belief in the Unity of all religions became apparent when asked the question: "How does Islam view other religions?" His reply was "All are vehicles and a path to God's Divine Presence." From a young age, he left his mother stating to her that he could not serve Allah and his mother at the same time.[23]

[edit] Ibn Arabi

 

Muhyiddin Muhammad b. 'Ali [Ibn 'Arabi][1] (or Ibn al-'Arabi) is considered to be one of the most important Sufi masters, although he never founded any order (tariqa). His writings, especially al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya and Fusus al-hikam, have been studied within all the Sufi orders as the clearest expression of tawhid (Divine Unity), though because of their recondite nature they were often only given to initiates. Later those who followed his teaching became known as the school of wahdat al-wujud (the Oneness of Being). He himself considered his writings to have been divinely inspired. As he expressed the Way to one of his close disciples, his legacy is that 'you should never ever abandon your servanthood ('ubudiyya), and that there may never be in your soul a longing for any existing thing'[24]. The following quotations give a flavour of his teaching: 'Whoever witnesses without ceasing what he was created for, in both this world and the next, is the Perfect Servant, the intended goal of the cosmos, the deputy of the whole cosmos'[25]. 'The self is an ocean without a shore. There is no end to the contemplation of it in this world or the next'[26]. 'God seeks from you your heart and gives to you all that you are. So purify and cleanse it [the heart] through presence, wakefulness and reverential fear'[27].

[edit] Junayd

 

Junayd al-Baghdadi (830-910 AD) was one of the great early Sufis and is a central figure in the golden chain of many Sufi orders. He laid the groundwork for sober mysticism in contrast to that of God-intoxicated Sufis like al-Hallaj, Bayazid Bastami and Abusaeid Abolkheir. In the process of trial* of al-Hallaj, his former disciple, Caliph of the time demanded his fatwa and he issued this fatwa: "From the outward appearance he is to die and we judge according to the outward appearance and God knows better". He is referred to by the Sufis as Sayyid-ut Taifa i.e. the leader of the group. He lived and died in the city of Baghdad.

 

* The utterances of Arabic: أنا الحق‎ Anā l-Ḥaqq "I am The Truth," by Mansur Al-Hallaj led to a long trial, and his subsequent imprisonment for 11 years in a Baghdad prison. He was tortured and publicly crucified on March 26, 922.

 

[edit] Mansur al-Hallaj

 

Mansur al-Hallaj is renowned for his claim "Ana-l-Haq" (I am the Truth), for which he was executed for apostasy. He is still revered by Sufis for his forthrightness. It is also said that during his prayers, he would say "O Lord! You are the guide of those who are passing through the Valley of Bewilderment. If I am a heretic, enlarge my heresy." [28]

[edit] History of Sufism

Main article: History of Sufism

[edit] Origins

 

In its early stages of development Sufism effectively referred to nothing more than the internalization of Islam.[29] According to one perspective, it is directly from the Qur’an, constantly recited, meditated, and experienced, that Sufism proceeded, in its origin and its development.[30] Others have held that Sufism is the strict emulation of the way of Muhammad, through which the heart's connection to the Divine is strengthened.[31]

 

From the traditional Sufi point of view, the esoteric teachings of Sufism were transmitted from Muhammad to those who had the capacity to acquire the direct experiential gnosis of God, which was passed on from teacher to student through the centuries. Some of this transmission is summarized in texts, but most is not. Important contributions in writing are attributed to Uwais al-Qarni, Harrm bin Hian, Hasan Basri and Sayid ibn al-Mussib, who are regarded as the first Sufis in the earliest generations of Islam. Harith al-Muhasibi was the first one to write about moral psychology. Rabia Basri was a Sufi known for her love and passion for God, expressed through her poetry. Bayazid Bastami was among the first theorists of Sufism; he concerned himself with fanā and baqā, the state of annihilating the self in the presence of the divine, accompanied by clarity concerning worldly phenomena derived from that perspective.[32]

 

Sufism had a long history already before the subsequent institutionalization of Sufi teachings into devotional orders (tarîqât) in the early Middle Ages.[33] Almost all extant Sufi orders trace their chains of transmission (silsila) back to Muhammad via his cousin and son-in-law Ali. The Naqshbandi order is a notable exception to this rule, as it traces the origin of its teachings from Muhammad to the first Islamic Caliph Abu Bakr.[8]

 

Different devotional styles and traditions developed over time, reflecting the perspectives of different masters and the accumulated cultural wisdom of the orders. Typically all of these concerned themselves with the understanding of subtle knowledge (gnosis), education of the heart to purify it of baser instincts, the love of God, and approaching God through a well-described hierarchy of enduring spiritual stations (maqâmât) and more transient spiritual states (ahwâl).

  

Towards the end of the first millennium CE, a number of manuals began to be written summarizing the doctrines of Sufism and describing some typical Sufi practices. Two of the most famous of these are now available in English translation: the Kashf al-Mahjûb of Hujwiri, and the Risâla of Qushayri.[34]

 

Two of Imam Al Ghazali's greatest treatises, the "Revival of Religious Sciences" and the "Alchemy of Happiness," argued that Sufism originated from the Qur'an and was thus compatible with mainstream Islamic thought, and did not in any way contradict Islamic Law — being instead necessary to its complete fulfillment. This became the mainstream position among Islamic scholars for centuries, challenged only recently on the basis of selective use of a limited body of texts. Ongoing efforts by both traditionally-trained Muslim scholars and Western academics are making Imam Al-Ghazali's works available in English translation for the first time,[35] allowing readers to judge for themselves the compatibility between Islamic Law and Sufi doctrine.

  

The spread of Sufism has been considered a definitive factor in the spread of Islam, and in the creation of integrally Islamic cultures, especially in Africa[36] and Asia. Recent academic work on these topics has focused on the role of Sufism in creating and propagating the culture of the Ottoman world,[37] and in resisting European imperialism in Africa and South Asia.[38]

 

Between the 13th and 16th centuries CE, Sufism produced a flourishing intellectual culture throughout the Islamic world, a sort of "Golden Age" whose physical artifacts are still present. In many places, a lodge (known variously as a zaouia, khanqah, or tekke) would be endowed through a pious foundation in perpetuity (waqf) to provide a gathering place for Sufi adepts, as well as lodging for itinerant seekers of knowledge. The same system of endowments could also be used to pay for a complex of buildings, such as that surrounding the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, including a lodge for Sufi seekers, a hospice with kitchens where these seekers could serve the poor and/or complete a period of initiation, a library, and other structures. No important domain in the civilization of Islam remained unaffected by Sufism in this period.[39]

[edit] Contemporary Sufism

 

Sufism suffered many setbacks in the modern era, particularly (though not exclusively) at the hands of European imperialists in the colonized nations of Asia and Africa. The life of the Algerian Sufi master Emir Abd al-Qadir is instructive in this regard.[40] Notable as well are the lives of Amadou Bamba and Hajj Umar Tall in sub-Saharan Africa, and Sheikh Mansur Ushurma and Imam Shamilin the Caucasus region. In the twentieth century some more modernist Muslims have called Sufism a superstitious religion that holds back Islamic achievement in the fields of science and technology. [41]

 

In spite of this recent history of official repression, there remain many places in the world with vital Sufi traditions. Sufism is popular in such African countries as Senegal, where it is seen as a mystical expression of Islam.[42] Mbacke suggests that one reason Sufism has taken hold in Senegal is because it can accommodate local beliefs and customs, which tend toward the mystical.[43]

 

In South Asia, four major Sufi orders persist, namely the Chishti Order, the Qadiriyyah, the Naqshbandiyya, and the Suhrawardiyya. The Barelwis and Deobandis are significant Islamic movements in this region whose followers often belong to one of these orders.[44]

 

For a more complete summary of currently active groups and teachers, readers are referred to links in the site of Dr. Alan Godlas of the University of Georgia.[45][46]

 

A number of Westerners have embarked with varying degrees of success on the path of Sufism. One of the first to return to Europe as an official representative of a Sufi path, and with the specific purpose to spread Sufism in Western Europe, was the Swedish-born wandering Sufi Abd al-Hadi Aqhili (also known as Ivan Aguéli). The ideas propagated by such spiritualists may or may not conform to the tenets of Sufism as understood by orthodox Muslims, as for instance with G. I. Gurdjieff and Shawni. On the other hand, American- and British-born teachers such as Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Hamza Yusuf, and Abdal Hakim Murad have been instrumental in spreading messages that conform fully with the normative tenets of Islam.

 

Other noteworthy Sufi teachers who have been active in the West in recent years include Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, Nader Angha, Inayat Khan, Nazim al-Qubrusi, Javad Nurbakhsh, Bulent Rauf[2]and Muzaffer Ozak.

[edit] Theoretical perspectives in Sufism

 

Traditional Islamic scholars have recognized two major branches within the practice of Sufism, and use this as one key to differentiating among the approaches of different masters and devotional lineages.[47]

 

On the one hand there is the path from the signs to the Signifier (or from the arts to the Artisan). In this branch, the seeker begins by purifying the lower self of every corrupting influence that stands in the way of recognizing all of creation as the work of God, as God's active Self-disclosure or theophany.[48] This is the way of Imam Al-Ghazali and of the majority of the Sufi orders.

 

On the other hand there is the path from the Signifier to His signs, from the Artisan to His works. In this branch the seeker experiences divine attraction (jadhba), and is able to enter the path with a glimpse of its endpoint, of direct apprehension of the Divine Presence towards which all spiritual striving is directed. This does not replace the striving to purify the heart, as in the other branch; it simply stems from a different point of entry into the path. This is the way primarily of the masters of the Naqshbandi and Shadhili orders.[49]

 

Contemporary scholars may also recognize a third branch, attributed to the late Ottoman scholar Said Nursi and explicated in his vast Qur'ân commentary called the Risale-i Nur. This approach entails strict adherence to the way of Muhammad, in the understanding that this wont, or sunnah, proposes a complete devotional spirituality adequate to those without access to a master of the Sufi way.[50]

[edit] Contributions to other domains of scholarship

 

Sufism has contributed significantly to the elaboration of theoretical perspectives in many domains of intellectual endeavor. For instance, the doctrine of "subtle centers" or centers of subtle cognition (known as Lataif-e-sitta) addresses the matter of the awakening of spiritual intuition[51] in ways that some consider similar to certain models of chakra in Hinduism. In general, these subtle centers or latâ'if are thought of as faculties that are to be purified sequentially in order to bring the seeker's wayfaring to completion. A concise and useful summary of this system from a living exponent of this tradition has been published by Muhammad Emin Er.[47]

 

Sufi psychology has influenced many areas of thinking both within and outside of Islam, drawing primarily upon three concepts. Ja'far al-Sadiq (both an imam in the Shia tradition and a respected scholar and link in chains of Sufi transmission in all Islamic sects) held that human beings are dominated by a lower self called the nafs, a faculty of spiritual intuition called the qalb or spiritual heart, and a spirit or soul called ruh. These interact in various ways, producing the spiritual types of the tyrant (dominated by nafs), the person of faith and moderation (dominated by the spiritual heart), and the person lost in love for God (dominated by the ruh).[52]

 

Of note with regard to the spread of Sufi psychology in the West is Robert Frager, a Sufi teacher authorized in the Halveti Jerrahi order. Frager was a trained psychologist, born in the United States, who converted to Islam in the course of his practice of Sufism and wrote extensively on Sufism and psychology.[53]

 

Sufi cosmology and Sufi metaphysics are also noteworthy areas of intellectual accomplishment.

[edit] Sufi practices

 

The devotional practices of Sufis vary widely. This is because an acknowledged and authorized master of the Sufi path is in effect a physician of the heart, able to diagnose the seeker's impediments to knowledge and pure intention in serving God, and to prescribe to the seeker a course of treatment appropriate to his or her maladies. The consensus among Sufi scholars is that the seeker cannot self-diagnose, and that it can be extremely harmful to undertake any of these practices alone and without formal authorization.[54]

 

Prerequisites to practice include rigorous adherence to Islamic norms (ritual prayer in its five prescribed times each day, the fast of Ramadan, and so forth). Additionally, the seeker ought to be firmly grounded in supererogatory practices known from the life of Muhammad (such as the "sunna prayers"). This is in accordance with the words, attributed to God, of the following, a famous Hadith Qudsi:

 

My servant draws near to Me through nothing I love more than that which I have made obligatory for him. My servant never ceases drawing near to Me through supererogatory works until I love him. Then, when I love him, I am his hearing through which he hears, his sight through which he sees, his hand through which he grasps, and his foot through which he walks.

 

It is also necessary for the seeker to have a correct creed (Aqidah),[55] and to embrace with certainty its tenets.[56] The seeker must also, of necessity, turn away from sins, love of this world, the love of company and renown, obedience to satanic impulse, and the promptings of the lower self. (The way in which this purification of the heart is achieved is outlined in certain books, but must be prescribed in detail by a Sufi master.) The seeker must also be trained to prevent the corruption of those good deeds which have accrued to his or her credit by overcoming the traps of ostentation, pride, arrogance, envy, and long hopes (meaning the hope for a long life allowing us to mend our ways later, rather than immediately, here and now).

 

Sufi practices, while attractive to some, are not a means for gaining knowledge. The traditional scholars of Sufism hold it as absolutely axiomatic that knowledge of God is not a psychological state generated through breath control. Thus, practice of "techniques" is not the cause, but instead the occasion for such knowledge to be obtained (if at all), given proper prerequisites and proper guidance by a master of the way. Furthermore, the emphasis on practices may obscure a far more important fact: The seeker is, in a sense, to become a broken person, stripped of all habits through the practice of (in the words of Imam Al-Ghazali words) solitude, silence, sleeplessness, and hunger.[57]

[edit] Dhikr

Main article: Dhikr

Allah as having been written on the disciple's heart according to Qadiri Al-Muntahi order

 

Dhikr is the remembrance of God commanded in the Qur'an for all Muslims through a specific devotional act, such as the repetition of divine names, supplications and aphorisms from hadith literature and the Qur'an. More generally, dhikr is any activity in which the Muslim maintains awareness of God.. To engage in dhikr is to practice consciousness of the Divine Presence and love, or "to seek a state of godwariness". Some types of dhikr are prescribed for all Muslims, and do not require Sufi initiation or the prescription of a Sufi master because they are deemed to be good for every seeker under every circumstance.[58]

 

Some Sufi orders engage in ritualized dhikr ceremonies, or sema. Sema includes various forms of worship such as: recitation, singing (the most well known being the Qawwali music of the Indian sub-continent), instrumental music, dance (most famously the Sufi whirling of the Mevlevi order), incense, meditation, ecstasy, and trance.[59]

 

Some Sufi orders stress and place extensive reliance upon Dhikr, and likewise in Qadri Al-Muntahi Sufi tariqa, which was originated by Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi. This practice of Dhikr is called Dhikr-e-Qulb (remembrance of Allah by Heartbeats). The basic idea in this practice is to visualize the Arabic name of God, Allah, as having been written on the disciple's heart.[60]

[edit] Muraqaba

Main article: Muraqaba

 

The practice of muraqaba can be likened to the practices of meditation attested in many faith communities. The word muraqaba is derived from the same root (r-q-b) occurring as one of the 99 Names of God in the Qur'an, al-Raqîb, meaning "the Vigilant" and attested in verse 4: 1 of the Qur'an. Through muraqaba, a person watches over or takes care of the spiritual heart, acquires knowledge about it, and becomes attuned to the Divine Presence, which is ever vigilant.

 

While variation exists, one description of the practice within a Naqshbandi lineage reads as follows:

 

He is to collect all of his bodily senses in concentration, and to cut himself off from all preoccupation and notions that inflict themselves upon the heart. And thus he is to turn his full consciousness towards God Most High while saying three times: “Ilahî anta maqsûdî wa-ridâka matlûbî — my God, you are my Goal and Your good pleasure is what I seek.” Then he brings to his heart the Name of the Essence — Allâh — and as it courses through his heart he remains attentive to its meaning, which is “Essence without likeness.” The seeker remains aware that He is Present, Watchful, Encompassing of all, thereby exemplifying the meaning of his saying (may God bless him and grant him peace): “Worship God as though you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you.” And likewise the prophetic tradition: “The most favored level of faith is to know that God is witness over you, wherever you may be.”[61]

 

[edit] Sufi pilgrimages

The Darbar-e-Gohar Shahi Tomb in Kotri Sharif.

 

In popular Sufism (i.e., devotional practices that have achieved currency in world cultures through Sufi influence), one common practice is to visit the tombs of saints, great scholars, and righteous people. This is a particularly common practice in South Asia, where famous tombs include those of Khoja Afāq, near Kashgar, in China; Sachal Sarmast, in Sindh, Pakistan; and the Darbar-e-Gohar Shahi in Kotri Sharif. Likewise, in Fez, Morocco, a popular destination for such pious visitation is the Zaouia Moulay Idriss II and the yearly visitation to see the current Sheikh of the Qadiri Boutchichi Tariqah, Sheikh Sidi Hamza al Qadiri al Boutchichi to celebrate the Mawlid (which is usually televised on Mocorran National television).

 

Visitors may invoke blessings upon those interred, and seek divine favor and proximity.

  

[edit] Islam and Sufism

[edit] Sufism and Islamic law

Tomb of Shaikh Salim Chisti, Uttar Pradesh, India.

 

Scholars and adherents of Sufism sometimes describe Sufism in terms of a threefold approach to God as explained by a tradition (hadîth) attributed to Muhammad,"The Shariah is my words, the tariqa is my actions, and the haqiqa is my interior states". Sufis believe the shariah, tariqa and haqiqa are mutually interdependent.[62] The tariqa, the ‘path’ on which the mystics walk, has been defined as ‘the path which comes out of the Shariah, for the main road is called shar, the path, tariq.’ No mystical experience can be realized if the binding injunctions of the Shariah are not followed faithfully first. The path, tariqa, however, is narrower and more difficult to walk. It leads the adept, called sâlik (wayfarer), in his sulûk (wayfaring), through different stations (maqâmât) until he reaches his goal, the perfect tawhîd, the existential confession that God is One.[63] Jalaluddin Ar Rumi, the initiator of the Mavlevi Tariqah, spoke of the Shariah and Sufism in such terms, " To be a real Sufi, is to be to Muhammad, salalahu alaihy wasallam, just as Abu Bakr was to him, peace be upon him." Shaykh al-Akbar Muhiuddeen Ibn Arabi mentions," When we see someone in this Community who claims to be able to guide others to Allah, but is remiss in but one rule of the Sacred Law - even if he manifests miracles that stagger the mind - asserting that his shortcoming is a special dispensation for him, we do not even turn to look at him, for such a person is not a sheikh, nor is he speaking the truth, for no one is entrusted with the secrets of Allah Most High save one in whom the ordinances of the Sacred Law are preserved. (Jami' karamat al-awliya')" [64]

[edit] Traditional Islamic thought and Sufism

 

The literature of Sufism emphasizes highly subjective matters that resist outside observation, such as the subtle states of the heart. Often these resist direct reference or description, with the consequence that the authors of various Sufi treatises took recourse to allegorical language. For instance, much Sufi poetry refers to intoxication, which Islam expressly forbids. This usage of indirect language and the existence of interpretations by people who had no training in Islam or Sufism led to doubts being cast over the validity of Sufism as a part of Islam. Also, some groups emerged that considered themselves above the Sharia and discussed Sufism as a method of bypassing the rules of Islam in order to attain salvation directly. This was disapproved of by traditional scholars.

 

For these and other reasons, the relationship between traditional Islamic scholars and Sufism is complex and a range of scholarly opinion on Sufism in Islam has been the norm. Some scholars, such as Al-Ghazali, helped its propagation while other scholars opposed it. W. Chittick explains the position of Sufism and Sufis this way:

 

In short, Muslim scholars who focused their energies on understanding the normative guidelines for the body came to be known as jurists, and those who held that the most important task was to train the mind in achieving correct understanding came to be divided into three main schools of thought: theology, philosophy, and Sufism. This leaves us with the third domain of human existence, the spirit. Most Muslims who devoted their major efforts to developing the spiritual dimensions of the human person came to be known as Sufis.

 

[edit] Traditional and non-traditional Sufi groups

The mausoleum (gongbei) of Ma Laichi in Linxia City, China.

 

The traditional Sufi orders, which are in majority, emphasize the role of Sufism as a spiritual discipline within Islam. Therefore, the Sharia (traditional Islamic law) and the Sunnah are seen as crucial for any Sufi aspirant. One proof traditional orders assert is that almost all the famous Sufi masters of the past Caliphates were experts in Sharia and were renowned as people with great Iman (faith) and excellent practice. Many were also Qadis (Sharia law judges) in courts. They held that Sufism was never distinct from Islam and to fully comprehend and practice Sufism one must be an observant Muslim.

 

There is some speculation that some Sufi orders in India might have become influenced by other traditions after the translation of Greek philosophical works into Arabic during the third Islamic century. Sharda highlights these unsurprising similarities by stating that: "After the fall of Muslim orthodoxy from power at the centre of India for about a century, due to the invasion of Timur, the Sufi became free from the control of the Muslim orthodoxy and consorted with Hindu saints, who influenced them to an amazing extent. The Sufi adopted Monism and wifely devotion from the Vaishnava Vedantic school and Bhakti and Yogic practices from the Vaishnava Vedantic school. By that time, the popularity of the Vedantic pantheism among the Sufis had reached its zenith."[65]

 

In recent decades there has been a growth of non-traditional Sufi movements in the West. Examples include the Universal Sufism movement, the Golden Sufi Center, the Sufi Foundation of America, the neo-sufism of Idries Shah, Sufism Reoriented and the International Association of Sufism. Rumi has become one of the most widely read poets in the United States, thanks largely to the translations published by Coleman Barks.

[edit] Islamic positions on non-Islamic Sufi groups

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The use of the title Sufi by non-traditional groups to refer to themselves, and their appropriation of traditional Sufi masters (most notably Jalaluddin Rumi) as sources of authority or inspiration, is not accepted by some Muslims who are Sufi adherents.

 

Many of the great Sufi masters of the present and the past instruct that: one needs the form of the religious practices and the outer dimension of the religion to fulfill the goals of the inner dimension of Sufism (Proximity to God). The exoteric practices prescribed by God contain inner meanings and provide the means for transformation with the proper spiritual guidance of a master. It is thought that through the forms of the ritual and prescribed Islamic practices (prayer, pilgrimage, fasting, charity and affirmation of Divine Unity) the soul may be purified and one may then begin to embark on the mystical quest. In fact it is considered psychologically dangerous by some Sufi masters to participate in Sufi practices, such as "dhikr", without adhering to the outer aspects of the religion which add spiritual balance and grounding to the practice.

 

Some traditional Sufis also object to interpretations of classical Sufis texts by writers who have no grounding in the traditional Islamic sciences and therefore no prerequisites for understanding such texts. These are considered by certain conventional Islamic scholars as beyond the pale of the religion.[66] This being said, there are Islamic Sufi groups that are open to non-Muslim participation.

[edit] Reception

[edit] Perception outside Islam

 

Sufi mysticism has long exercised a fascination upon the Western world, and especially its orientalist scholars.[67] Figures like Rumi have become household names in the United States, where Sufism is perceived as quietist and less political.[67]

 

The Islamic Institute in Mannheim, Germany, which works towards the integration of Europe and Muslims, sees Sufism as particularly suited for interreligious dialogue and intercultural harmonisation in democratic and pluralist societies; it has described Sufism as a symbol of tolerance and humanism – undogmatic, flexible and non-violent.[68]

[edit] The Influence of Sufism on Judaism

 

A great influence was exercised by Sufism upon the ethical writings of Jews in the Middle Ages. In the first writing of this kind, we see "Kitab al-Hidayah ila Fara'iḍ al-Ḳulub", Duties of the Heart, of Bahya ibn Pakuda. This book was translated by Judah ibn Tibbon into Hebrew under the title "Ḥovot ha-Levavot".[69]

 

The precepts prescribed by the Torah number 613 only; those dictated by the intellect are innumerable.

 

This was precisely the argument used by the Sufis against their adversaries, the Ulamas. The arrangement of the book seems to have been inspired by Sufism. Its ten sections correspond to the ten stages through which the Sufi had to pass in order to attain that true and passionate love of God which is the aim and goal of all ethical self-discipline.

 

It is noteworthy that in the ethical writings of the Sufis Al-Kusajri and Al-Harawi there are sections which treat of the same subjects as those treated in the "Ḥobot ha-Lebabot" and which bear the same titles: e.g., "Bab al-Tawakkul"; "Bab al-Taubah"; "Bab al-Muḥasabah"; "Bab al-Tawaḍu'"; "Bab al-Zuhd". In the ninth gate, Baḥya directly quotes sayings of the Sufis, whom he calls Perushim. However, the author of the Ḥovot ha-Levavot did not go so far as to approve of the asceticism of the Sufis, although he showed a marked predilection for their ethical principles.

 

The Jewish writer Abraham bar Ḥiyya teaches the asceticism of the Sufis. His distinction with regard to the observance of Jewish law by various classes of men is essentially a Sufic theory. According to it there are four principal degrees of human perfection or sanctity; namely:

 

(1) of "Shari'ah," i.e., of strict obedience to all ritual laws of Islam, such as prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, almsgiving, ablution, etc., which is the lowest degree of worship, and is attainable by all

(2) of Ṭariqah, which is accessible only to a higher class of men who, while strictly adhering to the outward or ceremonial injunctions of religion, rise to an inward perception of mental power and virtue necessary for the nearer approach to the Divinity

(3) of "Ḥaḳikah," the degree attained by those who, through continuous contemplation and inward devotion, have risen to the true perception of the nature of the visible and invisible; who, in fact, have recognized the Godhead, and through this knowledge have succeeded in establishing an ecstatic relation to it; and

(4) of the "Ma'arifah," in which state man communicates directly with the Deity.

 

[edit] In popular culture

[edit] In movies

 

The movie Bab´Aziz (2005) directed by Nacer Khemir tells the story of an old and blind dervish who must cross the desert with his little granddaughter during many days and nights to get to his last dervish reunion celebrated every 30 years. The movie is full of Sufi mysticism and even contain quotes of Rumi and other sufi poets and shows an ecstatic sufi dance. In Monsieur Ibrahim Omar Sherrif's character professes to be a Muslim in the sufi tradition.

[edit] In music

 

Madonna, on her 1994 record Bedtime Stories sings a song called "Bedtime Story" that discusses achieving a high unconsciousness level. The video for the song shows an ecstatic Sufi ritual with many dervishes dancing, Arabic calligraphy and some other Sufi elements. In her 1998 song Bittersweet, she recites Rumi´s poem by the same name. In her 2001 Drowned World Tour, Madonna sang the song Secret showing rituals from many religions, including a Sufi dance.

 

Singer/songwritter Loreena McKennitt, on her record The Mask And Mirror (1994), has a song called The Mystic's Dream, influenced by Sufi music and poetry. The band, MewithoutYou, has made references to Sufi parables, including the name of their upcoming album It’s all crazy! It’s all false! It’s all a dream! It’s alright (2009). Lead singer, Aaron Weiss, claims this influence comes from his parents, who are both Sufi converts.

 

A.R. Rahman scored a Sufi Qawwali, Khwaja Mere Khwaja, in the Bollywood film Jodhaa Akbar.

 

Junoon, a band from Pakistan, is famous for creating the genre of Sufi rock by combining elements of modern hard rock and traditional folk music with Sufi poetry.

[edit] See also

Also known as Bayt al-Kassabi. This house is actually two houses combined, one of 1648, the other of 1796. It occupies the site of the Ribat al-Baghdadi 1285, founded by Khatun, daughter of Rukn al-Din Baybars (r.1260–1277). It was one of the few khanqahs for women.

 

Patron: Sheikh Abd al-Wahab al-Tablawy who sold it to Sheikh Isma'il Shalabi al-Sihaymi, a merchant who was Sheikh of the Turkish Riwaq at al-Azhar, his wife and sister, whose successors occupied the house until 1961.

 

Islamic Monument #339

A Night of Ascension

 

When I was a child, Shab e Mairaj was one of the two nights when we, the kids, prayed extra. Not that we were praying the five prayers regularly but these two nights, we all prayed nawafil, the voluntary prayers. When I left home for the States to go to Oberlin, my mother would continue to call me for these two nights, tell me which one it was and say three words;

 

“Pray nafal tonight.”

 

I was stuck on 10 for years. I didn’t know much about it except that there was a meeting in the heavens. Allah brought His Beloved (peace be upon him) to Him to see Him. That’s what it was, a meeting sought. In a lecture I one heard someone ask why Allah did that when He was always with him anyway in the world.

`

The clear as day example of His Presence being in the cave of Thaur when the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to his companion, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (ratu), who became afraid that they would be seen by the infidels who were looking for them fervently with the intent to kill;

 

لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا

 

Do not grieve. Indeed, Allah is with us.

Surah At-Taubah, Verse 40

 

This year as the Night of Ascension approached, actually two days before it to be exact, I decided to write about it. Get into the detail of what its significance means. For myself and those who might be interested in knowing why they celebrate something. I began by looking for lectures from my friend and most favoured scholar, Uzair, on the subject. Finally I found one I had in fact been physically present for in Lahore in 2019.

 

He was doing a stellar series then called The Grammar of Love where he would spend an hour analyzing a single word of the Quran in a verse and unveil its nuances through a variety of lenses; the Sufis, the scholars, the mufassareen. Always the mighty names in the scholarship of Islam. He had been instructed on all of them. Peeling each layer revealed the boundless love it held by Allah for His Last Messenger (peace be upon him). The lectures had a dizzying effect on my entire being.

 

I also called Qari Sahib. I had one day to research and one day to write the piece. The Night was falling at Maghrib, sunset, on March 11th, and I did not know the backdrop as to why it happened. Why was Nabi Kareem brought before His Creator in the first place? The incident happened in the last year before the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) migration to Medina. Two main events in his life had occurred then.

 

The first was the extremely hard living conditions imposed on his family and his followers by the infidels who had placed a three year blockade on him. “They drew up a pact to boycott and sever all social and commercial relations with the Muslims and the Banu Hashim and Banu Abdul Muttalib, who refused to abandon their tradition of protection of one of their own.”

 

The blockade was then lifted but as a result of the difficulties, both, his guardian and doting uncle, Hazrat Abi Talib (ratu) passed away soon after, followed by his beloved wife, both of whom he had cared for deeply. Both were a tremendous source of love and support. His pain after their loss was so intense, the year was given a title, Aam al Huzn, the Year of Grief.

 

That was followed by the incident of Taif.

 

Begin excerpt “The Softest Heart”

 

Ibn e Katheer describes the event as follows:

 

Taif is where the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) decided to first spread the faith outside Mecca. The main tribe of the area was Bani Thaqeef and they were well-off, their earnings coming from agriculture, predominantly fruit. Unlike the rest of the region, the people of Taif took great interest in sending their sons to Faris (Iran) to be educated. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also had some relatives in the area.

 

It was after ten years of the prophethood that Rasool Allah (peace be upon him) left Mecca for Taif to invite the people towards Islam. He took with his adopted son, Zaid Bin Harisa (ratu). They traveled by foot. It was a 120 km journey. As the car climbed up the mountains to arrive in just two hours, I wondered how many days it would have taken them.

 

Upon his arrival there, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) began meeting the chieftains of different tribes. He invited them to come see him so he could inform them about the tenets of the faith. On top of that, he also went door to door to speak to the locals. Sadly, not one person answered the call of his invitation. Finally, he went to the three main chiefs of the Bani Thaqeef who were all brothers.

 

He asked them for their help promising them the blessings of God as reward, in this world and the Hereafter, for their acceptance of the faith. But they were rude with him, demeaning him and rebuking his call. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was deeply saddened by their response. He had hoped that the people of Taif would be less vicious and full of enmity than the Meccans.

 

Yet he requested to the three brothers, “What you did (with me) you did. But don’t reveal what happened between us to others.”

 

He did not want the Meccans to revel in the behavior of the leaders of Taif and accelerate their attitude of extreme harshness towards the Muslims.

 

The leaders ignored his request and spread word of their rejection through the whole city. They ordered some young men to abuse him, call him names, and pelt him with rocks. Soon his feet, even his shins started to bleed. And when he sat down because he could not walk further, they forced him to stand and walk again, then continued to throw rocks.

 

Hazrat Zaid bin Harisa (ratu) tried to shield him from the rocks as much as he could, but soon he was covered in blood too.

It was in this deeply injured state that the Prophet (peace be upon him) reached the outskirts of the city and took refuge in an orchard of grapes. The Blessed Messenger (peace be upon him) prayed two nafal and then said to Allah:

 

اللَّهُمَّ إِلَيْكَ أَشْكُو ضَعْفَ قُوَّتِي, وَقِلَّةَ حِيلَتِي, وَهَوَانِي عَلَى النَّاسِ,

يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ, أَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ بِي مِنْ أَنْ تَكِلَنِي إِلَى عَدُوٍّ يَتَجَهَّمُنِي،

أَوْ إِلَى قَرِيبٍ مَلَّكْتَهُ أَمْرِي, إِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ عَلَيَّ غَضْبَانًا فَلَا أُبَالِي,

إِنَّ عَافِيَتَكَ هِيَ أَوْسَعُ لِي،

أَعُوذُ بِنُورِ وَجْهِكَ الَّذِي أَشْرَقَتْ لَهُ الظُّلُمَاتُ

وَصَلُحَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ أَنْ يَنْزِلَ بِي غَضَبُكَ،

أَوْ تُحِلَّ عَلَيَّ سُخْطَكَ، لَكَ الْعُتْبَى حَتَّى تَرْضَى وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِكَ

 

O Allah! I complain to You of my weakness, my scarcity of resources and the humiliation I have been subjected to by the people.

 

O Most Merciful of those who are merciful, O Lord of the weak and my Lord too to whom have you entrusted me, to a distant person who receives me with hostility? Or to an enemy to whom you have granted authority over my affair? So long as You are not angry with me, I do not care. Your favor is of a more expansive relief to me.

 

I seek refuge in the light of Your Face by which all darkness is dispelled and every affair of this world and the next is set right, lest Your Anger or Your Displeasure descends upon me. I desire Your Pleasure and Satisfaction until You are pleased.

 

And there is no Power and no Might except by You.

 

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) left Taif, he noticed a shade above him.

 

On looking up, he saw that it was the angel Gibrael (as), who said, “Allah has seen how you have been treated by the people of Taif and the Angel of Mountains has been sent to ask you that if you would like, he will crush them between his wings, obliterating from the Earth as if they never were.”

 

The Messenger of Mercy (peace be upon him) replied:

 

بل أرجو أن يخرجَ اللهُ من أصلابِهم من يعبدُ اللهَ وحدَه،

لا يشركُ به شيئًا

 

But I hope that Allah will produce from their lineage, those who will worship Allah and not associate anything else with him.

 

The Angel of Mountains responded, “The way that your Lord God has named you Ra’uf and Rahim, so are you the manifestation of those attributes.”

 

لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ

مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

 

Indeed, there has come unto you (O Mankind) an Apostle from among yourselves. Heavily weighs upon him (the thought) that you might suffer (in the life to come). Full of concern for you is he, and full of compassion (Rau’f) and mercy (Rahim) towards those who attained faith (Imaan).

Surab At-Tawbah, Verse 128

 

End Excerpt “The Softest Heart”

 

So the reason turned out to be the most sensitive of all. The one whom Allah created first, loved first, then created everything else for, was feeling sad and alone so He brought him to see Him. My morning started with a lot of weeping. I wasn’t even sure why. Mostly I couldn’t stop thinking of how I wished I could see the people I know to be sad.

 

Plunged into their inextricable grief for so long, that state had rendered them obstinate about it. It had become like quicksand. You could call out to them with concern or extend a hand as they went in deeper, yet they turned their face.

 

The night is called Al-Isra’ by the Arabs and Mairaj by the South Asian Muslims because that is what the Auliya, (Friends of God), here called it. The event is referenced in the Quran in multiple Surahs. Qari Sahib told me he had found 53 ayaat about it. For this piece I focus on one verse; the first verse of Surah Al-Isra’.

 

The first part of the journey, which is in this world up to Sidrat ul Muntaha, is physical. The second part of it which takes beyond is the metaphysical.

 

Uzair:

 

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِير

 

Exalted is the One Who took His Servant by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haraam, to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, which We blessed its surroundings, that We may show him of Our Signs.

 

Indeed He, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.

Surah Al-Isra’, Verse 1

 

“Let me begin by first saying that in the Quran, from a single verse sprout thousands of meanings that cannot be captured even till the Day of Judgement. A single ayat unveils several thousand paths to Ma’rifat, the Recognition of God. From each verse, thousands of fountains of knowledge gush forth.”

 

Then he started with the first three words;

 

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ

 

Exalted is the One Who took...

Subhan allazi asra’

 

“To be clear the verb means to travel, to do something relaxing, like a vacation. It is the form of the verb being used that is significant; Allah uses Asra’, ‘he was made to travel at night,’ as in it was Allah’s Intent and Wish to make him come, not that of the Blessed Prophet (peace be upon him).

 

The first part of that travel is from Masjid al Haram in Mecca to Masjid al Aqsa in Palestine. The first word is ‘Subhan,’ ‘glory be’. In our world, it is the expression of the heart when something beautiful is witnessed. It is uttered uncontrollably almost when one is blown away or bewildered by something. ‘Subhan Allah,’ is what we say when we are moved. Glory be to God!

 

The surahs of the Quran open in 10 different styles. One of those styles is hamd and tasbeeh. The first is the affirmation of Allah’s Beauty, Al-hamd. It is only and only attributed to Allah because hamd means that which derives its beauty from itself alone. Nothing about is borrowed. That is why the word is used only for God. For everything else derives its existence as a result of something else and eventually from Him.

 

The tasbeeh, from which is derived the word Subhan, is the nullification of anything negative from something. That is whatever a person might think or associate with Allah which is adverse as a result of one’s own mind, something harmful or contrary. Tasbeeh is the praise of God that states that Allah is free of anything which takes away from His Essence.

 

The most intense expression of that is the word Subhan and that is the word the surah begins with.”

 

In another place in the Quran, Allah explains it Himself.

 

سُبْحَانَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُون

 

Glory be to God, the Lord of Honour, above what people attribute by way of definition.

Surah As-Saffat, Verse 180

 

Uzair: “So, one might ask, if the journey is of the Prophet (peace be upon him), why begin with the word Subhan? This is because Allah knows that there will be people that will negate the possibility of such a journey, not only of it happening in the world but also the heavens and beyond. He knows there will those who will say ‘How can it be possible? It cannot be so.’ There were Sahaba, companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), who insisted that the journey was a dream so why wouldn’t others.

 

So instead of using the word ‘Qul,’ ‘You tell them,’ which is one of Allah’s most Favoured Mode of transmitting the Quran, asking His Beloved (peace be upon him) to state something, He takes it entirely upon Himself so that those who wish to disbelieve do so knowing that they disbelieve Him directly. Which is not a small thing, being in a state of declared defiance of God.”

 

I looked at the time. 33 minutes into the lecture Uzair had only deconstructed two words.

 

“Let’s move on to the next word; ‘abd,’ ‘His Servant.’

 

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ

 

Subhan allazi asr’a bi-abdi-hi…

Glory be to Him Who took His Servant on a journey…

 

Before that let me clarify that in the line ‘I took My Servant on a journey,’ the second nuance the Arabic grammar is pointing to is this; He is saying that ‘only the one who accepts that I, Allah, took him on a journey, will be the one who will know Me, who will know My Essence that is pure of any defect, fault, shortcoming.” Alternatively, the one who doesn’t believe this will never gain recognition of His Being either.

 

Let’s move on. How do we know the ‘abd’ here is the Prophet (peace be upon him) and not someone else? There is much controversy about that. There are many Prophets who are abd. So are many Auliya. We are abd. But the rule of the Quran is that when Allah calls someone else an abd in the Book, he mentions them by their name.

 

The Prophet Dawood (as).

 

وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوُودَ ذَا الْأَيْدِ إِنَّهُ أَوَّاب

 

And remember Our Servant, Prophet Dawood (as), the possessor of strength.

Indeed, he was repeatedly turning to Us.

Surah As-Sad, Verse 17

 

The Prophet Zakariya (as).

 

ذِكْرُ رَحْمَتِ رَبِّكَ عَبْدَهُ زَكَرِيَّ

 

Recount your Lord’s Mercy upon His Servant Zakariya (as).

Surah Maryam, Verse 1

 

The Prophet Ayub (as).

 

وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا أَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الشَّيْطَانُ بِنُصْبٍ وَعَذَاب

 

And remember Our Servant, Prophet Ayub (as), when he called his Lord,

"Satan has touched me with distress and suffering."

Surah As- Sad, Verse 41

 

Why does Allah do that? Because when an attribute is shared, as it is among other Prophets, the name is used. But what happens when it comes to His Beloved (peace be upon him)? He never uses his name.

 

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُ عِوَجً

 

All Praise is for Allah, the One Who has revealed to His Servant the Book,

and not has made in it any twisting.

Surah Al-Kahf, Verse 1

 

No name!

 

تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَالَمِينَ نَذِيرً

 

Blessed is He Who sent down the Criterion upon His Servant that he may be to the worlds a warner.

Surah Al-Furqan, Verse 1

 

No name!

 

وَإِن كُنتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِّمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَىٰ عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِّن مِّثْلِهِ

 

And if you are in doubt about what We have revealed to Our Servant,

then produce a chapter of like it and call your witnesses from other than Allah if you are truthful.

 

No name!”

 

In my first book, Ali is to me as I am to God, I had pointed that Allah hardly ever used Nabi Kareem’s (peace be upon him) name.

 

“To illustrate His Love, in the entire Quran, Allah Al-Qudoos, The Most Sacred, Himself does not address His Beloved (peace be upon him) by even his name. Nowhere does He call him O Muhammad! (peace be upon you) as he does all his other prophets, O Moses! O Adam! O Lot! O Jesus! so on and so forth.

 

Always he uses a title or a term of endearment; O Mudassir! (the cloaked one), O Muzammil! (the one wrapped in piety), O Herald of the Hidden! O Messenger! His name, Muhammad (peace be upon him), is mentioned in the Quran but 4 times and in each of those times he is referred to in the third person.”

 

Uzair: “In the whole Quran, Allah calls Mustafa (peace be upon him) abd but for everyone else their names. So the ‘abdiyat,’ the state of being a Servant of God, for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), it is an exclusive status, one that is his alone, while for the rest it’s shared.”

 

The crowd burst into ‘Subhan Allahs!’ and Uzair beamed. “This is linguistics. Nothing beats the study of this knowledge.

 

He continued: "The other Prophets partake in the same attribute but Mustafa (peace be upon him) is being treated as especially unique. And let us understand that ‘abdiyat,’ in and of itself, is not even a huge attribute compared to Prophet-hood. It’s not even amongst the highest ranks before God.

 

Huzoor (peace be upon him) is also the Khatim un Nabiyeen, the Last Prophet. He is also Rahmat ul Alimeen, The Blessing for the Universe. He is the Imam ul Nabiyeen, The Leader of the Prophets. So just in the smallest of attributes, being an abd, the other Prophets are being excluded from his stature.”

 

Many have recognized this particular fact. Uzair then recited two of Iqbal's couplets marking that point exactly;

 

عبد دیگر، عبدہُ چیزے دگر

ما سراپا انتظار، او منتظَر

 

Abd, the servant, is one, Abdu-hu, His Servant, that is quite another.

We wait to meet our Lord while His Servant is awaited by Him.

 

عبدہُ چند و چگونِ کائنات

عبدہُ رازِ درونِ کائنات

 

Abdu-hu, His Servant, is the Totality of Creation,

Abdu-hu, His Servant, is the Secret of Creation.

 

‘You, me, anyone else,’ Iqbal says, ‘wait for Allah, to be accepted by Him, to see Him, and He, Allah, waits for Mustafa (peace be upon him). So the word abd encloses in itself the hidden and heavy implication that in the absence of recognizing the Prophet (peace be upon him), you can never recognize nor gain any understanding of God.

 

I will tell you a little something from Imam Ghazali’s Ahya ul Uloom, in the chapter on ‘The Hidden Secrets of the Salat (prayer).’ He quotes the sahih hadith;

 

الصَّلٰوةُ هِيَ مِعْرَاجُ الْمُؤْمِنِ

 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The namaz is the ascension (Mairaj) of the Mo’min, the one who has attained to faith.”

 

You have been given the possibility of Mairaj (ascension) through prayer. But Ghazali asks, ‘Do you ever intend for a Mairaj? No! Your intention is all about counting rakats and establishing timings. Therefore you will never see God. You have to transcend space and time to see Him. You are tightly bound by your worldly states.’

 

So, he says, ‘I will give you a tip; When you sit in your prayer and say “Attahaytu lillah e…” and reach the part ‘As Salam o Alaika Ayyuha Nabiyyo, I send prayers upon you, O Prophet (peace be upon you), in that moment think of your heart, which is the purest masjid, or any place of worship, in the world, which is the most holy Khanqah, the place of a spiritual retreat, in this Universe. Think of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and you will find yourself opening the doors of reaching Mairaj too.’

 

For there were those, like Abul Abbas Mursi, whose way of prayer was famous. He writes in his book that when he would reach the part of “As Salam o Alaika Ayyuha Nabi,” he would start repeating the line endlessly.

 

Once a man sitting next to him looked at him with annoyance and said, “What are you doing? Saying it 500 times! Your prayer is not valid, re-read it.”

 

Abul Abbas Mursi responded, ‘I don’t know about mine but yours is surely broken. For when I say “As Salam o Alaika Ayyuha Nabi,” I keep saying it until my ears hear the words, ‘Wa alaikum as Salam Ya Ummati, ‘And Peace be upon you, O one of my nation! Your Rasool sends salam upon you.’”

 

The first time I had heard the lecture I too had started saying the verse in repeat when I prayed. But of course I only did it for a few days and then stopped. I also said it a lot in whole time in Medina on my last Umra. That was an joyously intense experience because I was so close to the Rauza Mubarik. I used to feel like he hears me, which he does anyway wherever I am but being in proximity to him was entirely different.

 

There was one difference that it made in my life that changed everything forever. I understood the depthless significance of the fact that whenever I do send a salam upon my Prophet (peace be upon him), he sends it back upon me. As a sheer result of that, I send salam upon him in all random times of the day. It makes me feel happy and my being relaxed.

 

Sometimes I think Pakistan survives the virus, and all other catastrophes that devastate many because not only tongues and hearts, but buildings send the salutation upon this most blessed person. Every few yards in every city and every wilderness I have been in there is a mosque in Pakistan. Makeshift or otherwise, it is there. And on almost every single one is the line ““As Salat o wa Salam o Alaika Ya Rasool Allah.” Bricks and mortar send salam on him here.

 

If exceptions are made amongst Prophets, all of whom are near and dear to their Creator, why wouldn’t special treatment be meted out to the ordinary, giving them distinction, protection, over each other. It seemed like Uzair was saying that without the Prophet (peace be upon him) being in one’s heart, the heart was just like a desolate space. It didn’t matter what else it held within it.

 

After I finished translating the first lecture, I moved on to a second one by Uzair also on the first verse of Surah Al-Isra.’ I wondered what he was going to say next.

 

The preface of his lecture was explaining the topic; The secrets of Isra’ according to Ilm e Qawaid, the Knowledge of Rules of the Quran. He made it clear that the technical side of exploring the linguistics of the Quran itself requires the possession of at a minimum, 14 uloom, the plural of knowledge. Each ilm reveals a different side of a word, or a verse.

 

Uzair: “That is why I am doing a second lecture on the same verse. The first was exploring the linguistics. Today I will discuss the words through Qawaid, the Knowledge of Rules. It is the hardest of the subjects. But once you learn the rule, the application of the rule is infinite. When a verse comes in the domain of a rule, anyone can apply it. The only thing to be mindful of is that the Qawaid, the rules, are the same for everyone.

 

They are tightly knit around a whole series of other things; mantaq (logic), grammar, which includes syntax (sarf) and morphology (nahw), bayan (analytics) etc. So when people think all kinds of perceptions are allowed that is incorrect. You cannot take out concepts of your choice. Ignoring the rules and devising one’s own interpretations can alter the status of the faith of the person and make them lose it, corrupt it.

 

So I choose the same ayat, verse, so you can see how a totally different dimension from it emerges.

 

So as you know, the verse beginning with 'Subhan,' Hazrat Abdul Haq Muhaddas Delhvai (ra), the only scholar of his kind in South Asia, says that whenever Allah starts a verse with Subhan, the use of the word is deliberate. Allah expects that what He is going to say next, people will be bewildered by and therefore not believe it. Coming from their own narrow definitions of rationality, their initial reaction will be of negation. The verse will not be grasped easily.

 

The verse thus begins;

 

Subhan allazi asra’ bi abdi-hi laylun

 

He highlighted the repetition of a single point from the previous lecture before moving on to the next word; laylun, by night.

 

“Asr’a: ‘was made to travel.’ So Allah clarifies that Mustafa (peace be upon him) did not do the Mairaj. Allah made him do it, thus taking it upon Himself as in, ‘We made Our Servant travel.’ The next word, laylun. Layl is night, the “un” sound is coming from the accent, tanween, on it.

 

Tanween is used for five reasons in Arabic. One of them is that it denotes the smallness of something. So Allah is saying He took His Servant for only one or two moments of the night. Meaning He needs but only a few moments to show whatever He wills of the entire Universe to whomever He wants.

 

Now Beit ul Maqdas, where the Masjid al Aqsa is located, is two thousand miles away from Mecca. But the Mairaj, as you all know, is not just the journey between two physical points. It is also the journey to the heavens and then to the Alim e La Makaan, the Realm where time and space do not exist.

 

However, Allah chooses to starts with that which has been seen by the people of the time. That again is deliberate. Allah begins with the place which is known to the people who will hear the verse and recognize the places, therefore know them as real.

 

For the last part of the Mairaj, the Quran goes to the La Makaan but it starts with the rule that is the rule of

Tableegh, the dissemination of the faith; speak in a manner which people will relate to.

 

Hence, since the places physically exist, circumstantial evidence can be asked of the Rasool (peace be upon him) by those who disbelieve him.

 

The next part of the verse is even stranger; He takes him from…

 

مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا

 

…from Al-Masjid Al-Haraam, to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, which We blessed its surroundings,

that We may show him of Our Signs.

 

Now the most blessed physical place in this world is always the mosque.”

 

I remembered I had a hadith about that fact in my book.

 

وَعَن أبي أُمَامَة قَالَ: إِنَّ حَبْرًا مِنَ الْيَهُودِ سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:

أَيُّ الْبِقَاعِ خَيْرٌ؟

فَسَكَتَ عَنْهُ وَقَالَ: أَسْكُتُ حَتَّى يَجِيءَ جِبْرِيلُ

فَسَكَتَ وَجَاءَ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فَسَأَلَ فَقَالَ:

مَا المسؤول عَنْهَا بِأَعْلَمَ مِنَ السَّائِلِ وَلَكِنْ أَسْأَلُ رَبِّيَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى

ثُمَّ قَالَ جِبْرِيلُ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنِّي دَنَوْتُ مِنَ اللَّهِ دُنُوًّا مَا دَنَوْتُ مِنْهُ قطّ

قَالَ: وَكَيف كَانَ ياجبريل؟ قَالَ: كَانَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفَ حِجَابٍ مِنْ نُورٍ

فَقَالَ: شَرُّ الْبِقَاعِ أَسْوَاقُهَا وَخَيْرُ الْبِقَاع مساجده

 

A scholar amongst the Jews asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) “Which is the best place?”

 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was silent and said, “I will be quiet until Gibrael (as) comes.”

 

So he remained silent and Gibarel (as) came so he asked him and he said, “The one asked about this is not more knowledgeable than the asker but I will ask my Lord Exalted and Great.”

 

Then said Gibrael (as), “O Muhammad (peace be upon you)! I was close to Allah the closest I have ever been.”

 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “And how was that Gibrael (as)?”

 

He said, “There were between me and him 70,000 veils of light and my Lord said, ‘The worst places are the markets and the best places the mosques.’”

 

Uzair: “Inside the mosque, the most blessed spot is the mehrab, the prayer niche of the Imam. In the mehrab, it is the place where the Imam prostrates. But here Allah Ta’ala is saying that He has blessed the ‘surroundings,’ thus making them, the surroundings, even more esteemed than the Masjid Al-Aqsa. Why does he do that? What surrounds Masjid Al-Aqsa?

 

In front of the gate of the Mosque is the biggest church of Jerusalem where, to celebrate the birth of Hazrat Isa, the Prophet Jesus (as), candles are lit every night. A little further away is the grave of the Prophet Younus (as), a little further that of the Prophet Ibrahim (as), a little further the Prophet Musa (as), a little further the Prophet Idrees (as). Almost all the Quranic Prophets are buried there. So what lies in the ‘surrounding’ are the graves of the Prophets.

 

The Sufis give a most beautiful explanation for why the surroundings are therefore named as blessed and not Al-Haram and not Al-Aqsa. They say that the places the beloveds inhabit are always more loved than one’s own. Therefore, Allah is not saying His Mosque in Mecca is dearer to Him. He is saying that where the mazar, the shrines of His Prophets are, that is what is more valued to Him.

 

By extension, the Sufis say that the most pure place, not only on this Earth, but also the Universe is not the Ka’aba and not any mosque. It is the earth that touches the kafan, the shroud, of the Prophet of God (peace be upon him) because the shroud touches his blessed body. That earth is more honoured than the heavens and the Tablet and the Pen and anything else in existence in any realm.”

 

I had heard stories about how Imam Maalik (ra) used to walk in Medina without shoes. In the streets, everywhere. When he was asked why he did that, he simply said, “Why would I not allow the earth of where my beloved (peace be upon him) lies always touch the soles of my feet?”

 

When I was on my first Umra, I was initially following the crowd. I was just walking with my shoes inside the courtyard of the Masjid e Nabawi, all the way, till the entrance to the building of the Mosque. I have inexplicable and strange hyper concerns around cleanliness, especially when it came to my feet. But after the first ziyarat I noticed that the very poor people took their shoes off outside the courtyard of the Blessed Mosque.

 

It had me recall all the shrines I went to in Pakistan where, no matter how large or small the courtyard, case in point Daata Sahib (ra), the shoes were removed at the very entrance. At Mian Mir Sahib’s (ra), shoes have to be taken off such that one has to walk in the street barefoot before reaching the entrance of the shrine. That had been a first for me!

 

But that was the adab, the regard of appearing there. It made me question why wasn’t I doing that there, by far The Holiest of holy shrines? I had thought to myself then that when I leave Medina everything I wore here would become special to me. I would never want anything to happen to those things.

 

Here I was worrying about my feet being unclean when this surface, its dust, touching my skin probably made it pure like nothing else would. The concept of earth as being blessed is prevalent in Islam. When I went to Iraq, I brought back little bags of earth from Karbala because people had asked me for them. And they weren’t Shia’.

 

Uzair: “Allah is saying, ‘I blessed this surrounding and brought him to Al-Aqsa, to see, a little, from amongst My Signs.’ Let’s quickly go down the list of what all there was that Huzoor (peace be upon him) saw that night; he met 124,000 prophets, he led them in prayer in Masjid Al-Aqsa.”

 

In another lecture I had heard that that prayer, where Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) stood in front of 124,000 prophets, revealed another aspect of his distinction. He was there in physical form, body and soul. They, having already passed away, were only souls. Generally the rule is that the soul is superior to the body. It is lateef, elegant, subtle.

 

124,000 souls stood behind his body and said the namaz. Therefore, the body of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was granted a higher honour than all the souls of all of the Prophets sent to the world.

 

But then it was also not an ordinary physical form.

 

عَنْ ذَکْوَانَ رضی الله عنه أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اﷲِ صلی الله عليه وآله وسلم

لَمْ يَکُنْ يُرَی لَهُ ظِلٌّ فِي شَمْسٍ وَلَا قَمَرٍ

 

Hazrat Zakwaan Tabi'ee (ratu) narrates that no shadow could be seen for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in sunlight nor (could it be seen) in moonlight.

 

Uzair: “He led them in prayer in Masjid Al-Aqsa. He sat on Buraaq, the horse-like creature that transported him. He met all the angels. He roamed around the seven heavens. Then he reached Sidrat ul Muntaha, ‘the large enigmatic lote tree or Sidr tree that marks the end of the seventh heaven, the boundary which no creation can pass.’ This is where even Gibrael (as) has to leave him for he cannot cross the line without being burnt to ashes.’

 

Poets have written verse about this juncture when Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) was asked to continue alone. That Hazrat Gibrael (as) the Archangel felt a pang of envy in that moment where he could not traverse the boundary set upon him and all other angels. That he felt envy for the first time for not being created as a human.

 

Uzair: “Thus traversing through the 70,000 veils that veil Allah, he reaches the Arsh e Ilahi, the Throne of Allah and reaches the La Makaan.

 

This is where the philosophers become charged. ‘Don’t say he crossed into the Realm of no time and space,’ they say. ‘For the Quran itself called him an abd, which means he was in a body with a physical form. No body, no physical form, can exist there because it takes up space, by definition. Therefore he could not have been in the La Makaan.’

 

That is then countered by scholars with this hadith:

 

عن ابْن عَبَّاس يَقُول الله عز وَجل وَعِزَّتِي وَجَلَالِي لولاك مَا خلقت الْجنَّة ولولاك مَا خلقت الدُّنْيَا

 

As narrated by Ibn e Abbas (ratu) that Allah says, “I swear by my Honour and Majesty and Exaltedness,

if it were not for you (O Beloved (peace be upon you)), I would not have created the heavens

and if it were not for you, I would not have created the world.

 

They say to one who argues this point; ‘There is, in fact, one scenario in which a body can exist without space. The being for whom the world and everything in it is created. For it no rules of ordinary existence apply. This is the person of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Universe only exists because of him. Therefore he is not subject to the Universe and its laws. They are only there as a consequence of him.

 

In the grammar, there is a conditional, lau, 'if' and then a consequence of that ‘if.’

 

if it were not for you (O Beloved (peace be upon you)), I would not have created the heavens

and

if it were not for you, I would not have created the world.

 

The consequence, jaza’, is as a rule inferior to the condition. The heavens exist because of Mustafa (peace be upon him). He doesn’t exist to enter them. Similarly the world exists because of him. It does not hold any power over him.

 

The next part of the verse explains this by starting with the word inna-hu;

 

إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِير

 

Indeed He, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.

 

Inna, Only and only. So no one else listens and sees. Now all translations turn the pronoun, in inna-hu, indeed he, to God. But the Sufis have another interpretation. They say, ‘pay attention to where it points. And the hu is there twice, ‘only he, he.’ They say the ‘hu’ can go both ways. So if it is talking about Allah what does it mean and if the ‘he’ is referring to Mustafa (peace be upon him), what does it mean.

 

Allama Badruddin Zarqashi (ra) gives this interpretation and only a Sufi can say this; ‘Mairaj is the meeting between Allah and the Rasool (peace be upon him) without any veils between them. Imam Qastalani also writes that Huzoor (peace be upon him) was himself sent in veils because his beauty could not have been borne by anything if revealed.

 

So when the hu turns to Allah, it means that Allah is saying, ‘I am the only one who can see you, O Beloved. No one else has the ability to even look at you in your true form because your beauty is overwhelming.

 

And when the hu turns to the Prophet (peace be upon him), it means that Allah is saying that only Huzoor (peace be upon you) can see Him without any veils. No one else! That point is already made clearly in the Quran with the incident of Hazrat Musa (as) who asked God to show Himself to him. And what happened? Allah told him to look at the mountain. When he showed but a tajalli, the appearance of God in a concrete form, the mountain turned to ashes and the Prophet Moses (as) fainted.

 

Allah is saying, ‘If there is one who can hear My Kalam, without the veils of words, when I remove the veils, it is only he, the Beloved (peace be upon him), who can see Me and hear Me.’

 

This, the Sufis say, is Mairaj!

 

And Zarqashi gives another interpretation. He says Allah is saying to those who doubt and debate the Mairaj as being a dream or real, the experience of a body or soul, its limitations of where it begins and ends, He is saying ‘I am listening to you and seeing you.’ As in this will be something you will be held accountable for.”

 

I knew from Surah An-Najm that part was also stated clearly in a verse.

 

أَفَتُمَارُونَهُ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَى

 

Then will you dispute with him about what he saw?

Surah An-Najm, Verse 12

 

Uzair: “Now listen to the verse is full and understand the layering of what I have said today:

 

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِير

 

Exalted is the One Who took His Servant by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haraam, to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, which We blessed its surroundings, that We may show him of Our Signs.

Indeed He, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.

Surah Al-Isra’, Verse 1

 

Then Uzair went to the part of exactly that denial by the infidels. I had recorded that in my book.

 

Begin excerpt The Softest Heart

 

After the Mairaj, the next morning when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) awoke, he told his cousin Umm ul Baneen about the incident. She suggested to him that he not mention it to the Quraish as they would surely deny its happening.

 

The Prophet of God (peace be upon him) said, “I will surely speak the truth. My Lord God is The Truth and what I have seen, that is the Truth.”

 

Later in the day he went to the Ka’aba. Near it the elite of the Quraish were gathered. The Prophet (peace be upon him) sat near the Maqam e Hijr and started telling the people about the event of the Mairaj. The Kuffar upon hearing his words started laughing and mocking him.

 

Abu Jahal spoke first, “Are you willing to repeat that which you have said before all the tribes?”

 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “Undoubtedly I am.”

 

Abu Jahal sent for the Kuffar of Mecca and when all the tribes were gathered, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) repeated his experience. The Kuffar started clapping their hands and making fun of him. Amongst them were also present the traders of Syria who had seen the Beit ul Muqaddas many times.

 

They said to him, “We know you have never been to the Beit ul Muqaddas. Tell us! How many pillars and doors does it have?”

 

The Messenger of God said that just then, the whole building of the Beit ul Muqaddas appeared before his eyes and whatever questions they asked him, he kept answering. But still, they did not believe the event of Mairaj to be true.”

 

End excerpt The Softest Heart

 

Uzair: “When the Kuffar started asking the Prophet (peace be upon him) questions about the details of the arches and the windows of the Masjid Al-Aqsa, knowing that he had not been there, trying to corner him into making a mistake, and he answers all of them correctly, Allah is reminding them and eradicating doubt by the single word Asra’, “I, Allah, have made him take this journey.” Therefore nothing you will try to do will disprove that.

 

So when all the questions in painstaking detail are answered correctly, Abu Jahal goes a step further. He says he has a caravan traveling on the same route for trade. He asks the Prophet (peace be upon him) to tell him about the people in his caravan. “Where are they now?”

 

So now he’s asking for circumstantial evidence. This means he is in advertently admitting the Mairaj is real. There is no such thing as asking for evidence for a dream.

 

Abu Lahab excitedly joined him. “I, too have a caravan there.

Where is it?”

 

Now they want him to validate his physical presence.

 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) replies and tells them that when he passed Abu Jahal’s caravan, it had stopped because a camel had fallen and its ankle was hurt so it could not walk. They were trying to make the camel stand. He then told Abu Lahab that his caravan, because of this accident, had been lagging behind but then passed and went on ahead.

 

The second question from them was then about Ilm e Ghaib, the Knowledge of the Unseen. So basically saying, ‘If you are Prophet, prove it by giving evidence that you possess such knowledge.’

 

“When will they arrive then?” they asked him.

 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied to one that when the sun would set, his caravan would appear and to the other that when the sun would rise the next morning, his would appear. Now two sides became firmly established. Abu Jahal, Abu Lahab, Utba, Muhira, they went to their god Laat and prayed fervently that he be wrong.

 

On the other side, Hazrat Umar (ratu), Hazrat Bilal (ratu), Abu Bakr (ratu), they’re all praying for the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) prediction to be true. It’s a war of egos now. They want his Ilm e Ghaib to be correct.

 

At one point when the sun could no longer be seen, Abu Lahab exclaimed victoriously, “It has set!”

 

Hazrat Abu Bakr (ratu) ran to a higher vantage point and said, “No, I see it. It still remains.” Abu Lahab rushed to join him. As soon as the sun sets, Abu Lahab shouts, “Look! It has set.” In the same moment, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ratu) points in the other direction and say, “Look! There comes the caravan.”

 

So it is also then established that it is the Sunnah of the Kafir, the denier of Truth, to disclaim the Ilm e Ghaib of a Prophet and it is the Sunnah of the believer, the who has faith, to know he possesses it.’”

 

The last thing Uzair reiterated was this; “The heart is the greatest of the places, more so than anything physical place in the Universe. And the zikr of Muhammad (peace be upon him) is what makes that heart feel delight.”

 

Volumes have been written about the Mairaj by different Auliya and Mufassareen. Thousands of pages. Promises were made that were only between the two.

 

فَأَوْحَىٰ إِلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَى

 

So He revealed to His Servant what he revealed.

Surah Al-Najm, Verse 10

 

I love that verse. The deliberate declaration of the sharing and then no hint as to what that sharing might have been.

 

There were gifts exchanged. The Prophet (peace be upon him) when asked by Allah what he brought for Him offered the one thing that Allah does not possess; humility.

 

As I have tried to attain that attribute in my nature, where it is not present naturally, I have discovered that for me it is only achievable as a function of control of the Free Will. If you are gentle, you are humble. If you are quiet, you are humble. If you are sensitive to the state of another’s heart, you are humble. For most of my life I was none of those things. I wasn’t loud but I was angry and cruelly insensitive.

 

I have only tread the waters of humility of late, pausing at every step, because my nafs of course directs me towards the opposite of where the goal lies. Being humble requires what is perceived in the world as weakness. For me it has to be opted for. Strength and power, that are my domain, have to be relinquished, abdicated. I have only started those practices. It’s a long way for me still.

 

I did have in my first book, an anthology called The Intercessor, a story about the Mairaj, when Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) reaches Allah. When I read it this time, I got something new from it. Holding the earth that surrounds the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the highest of honour is the Sunnah of God.

 

…Then said the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), “I tried to remove my sandals, but this time a call came to me from The Divine saying, “O My Beloved, do not remove your sandals so that My Throne might be honoured and blessed with the dust from the soles of your sandals.”

 

I then entreated my Lord saying, “When You called the Prophet Moses (as) to come to the mountain of Tur, you ordered him to remove his sandals.”

 

Again this word came to me from The Divine, “In My View, you are more cherished and honoured than he; Moses was My Word, Kalimullah, whereas you are My Beloved, Habibullah. Look ahead and see what you will see!”

 

I looked and I saw a great sea, so great that there was no end to it and no shore in sight. On its near side there was a tree, and upon that tree, there was a bird the size of a dove. In its beak this bird bore a piece of clay as big as a lentil.

 

“Do you know what that is?” I was asked.

 

I answered, “My Lord knows best.”

 

And The Almighty told me, “You are forever entreating Me to forgive your Ummah their sins. This sea is the likeness of the Sea of Mercy. That tree signifies the world, the dove-like bird is the likeness of your Ummah and that bit of clay is the likeness of their sins. Now you have seen the relation of your Ummah’s sins to the vastness of My Mercy, so let your heart be at rest.”

 

Let your heart be at rest.

 

Sigh!

 

The most special gift for Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) from Allah was intercession. He chose it because he knew without him, there were many of his Ummah who would never reach Heaven. When no one will own up anyone else in their lives, not parents their children, nor friends their friends, nor anyone anyone, only one voice will speak up:

 

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ شَفَاعَتِي لِأَهْلِ الْكَبَائِرِ مِنْ أُمَّتِي

 

“My intercession is for the grave sinners of my nation.”

 

Qari Sahib once told me the story that Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) said to Amma Ayesha (ratu), “Ask of me anything.”

In the few instances when he said that to someone, the person took their time to decide their query. It was their chance to literally know the answer to anything in the Universe. She went to her father, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (ratu) and told him what he had said.

 

He in turn told her to ask him about Mairaj, to disclose something that was in the conversation that he had with God.

And He revealed to His Servant what He revealed.

 

When Hazrat Bibi Ayesha (ratu) returned and put her request forward, he smiled.

 

“If I tell you then it would no longer be secret. But I will tell you anyway. Allah Subhan Ta’ala said to me, ‘The one who mends other’s broken hearts, I will let them into Heaven without asking them any question.’”

 

The softness of Allah Subhan Ta’ala, His Mercy encompassing all other things, as He says in the Quran is spellbinding to me. The other aspect about His Essence that blows me away is what He holds as most important; Hiding the flaws of others over even truth, justice and generosity.

 

Firstly because I find it is more doable, in the reach of anyone, than speaking the truth always, being fair always, giving away money always. Second because it is innately and intrinsically the kinder act. More so than being truthful, just and generous, all of which can be meted out but easily with harshness.

 

And thirdly because it injects the most coveted prize in one's character, humility, naturally without having to strive and struggle for it. In hiding another's flaws, one automatically becomes aware of one's own and wishes for the same. In that same hiding is a hidden forgiveness of the act as well. There is an absence of judgement of it. The effects are probably endless and all of them deepen the softness of one's heart.

 

It certainly gives an inkling as to why Maula Ali (ratu) said,

"90 percent of wisdom attained is bestowed upon a person as a result of their husn e akhlaq, excellence in behaviour, towards other people."

 

Begin excerpt “Ali is to me as I am to God”

 

The tradition of a kharqa (mantle) worn by the faithful was started by God. On the Night of Ascension (Mairaj), the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was given a kharqa as a gift and was told to give it to one of his companions. He was given a question to ask them as well as the answer to that question.

 

Upon his return, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) asked his closest companions to come to him and asked each of them the same thing, that if they were given this kharqa, what would they do with it. He first called upon Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra).

 

Said Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (ratu), " If I am bestowed it, I will use it to be the mark of truthfulness. I will be obedient to God and whatever wealth I have that remains, I will spend it in His name and His way."

 

Then the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) addressed the same question to Hazrat Omar Farouq (ratu).

 

Replied Hazrat Omar Farouq (ratu), "With this kharqa, I will endeavour to provide justice to all and rescue those caught in the hands of the cruel and the corrupt."

 

Hazrat Usman Ghani (ratu) reply to the same question was this; "I will use it to spread generosity and do what is right while working in unison with others."

 

Lastly, Hazrat Ali (ratu) responded, "If I am blessed with it, I will hide the flaws (weaknesses) of Mankind."

 

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) gave the kharqa to Hazrat Ali (ratu) saying, "I bestow this to you as I was told to give it to the one who gives me this answer."

 

The real gift for the Ummah for this world from Allah was the salat, the namaz, the 5 prayers of each day. It is a favourite incident amongst the Muslims that during Mairaj, The Night of Ascension, when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was returning from his meeting with Allah Al-Qadir, The Omnipotent One, he met the Prophet Moses (as) who asked him how many prayers were required of his people by their Lord.

 

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:‏‏‏‏ فَفَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَلَى أُمَّتِي خَمْسِينَ صَلَاةً،

‏‏‏‏‏‏فَرَجَعْتُ بِذَلِكَ حَتَّى مَرَرْتُ عَلَى مُوسَى،

‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقَالَ:‏‏‏‏ مَا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ لَكَ عَلَى أُمَّتِكَ؟

قُلْتُ:‏‏‏‏ فَرَضَ خَمْسِينَ صَلَاةً،

‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ فَارْجِعْ إِلَى رَبِّكَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَإِنَّ أُمَّتَكَ لَا تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ،

‏‏‏‏‏‏فَرَاجَعْتُ فَوَضَعَ شَطْرَهَا، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى مُوسَى،

‏‏‏‏‏‏قُلْتُ:‏‏‏‏ وَضَعَ شَطْرَهَا، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقَالَ:‏‏‏‏ رَاجِعْ رَبَّكَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَإِنَّ أُمَّتَكَ لَا تُطِيقُ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَرَاجَعْتُ:‏‏‏‏ فَوَضَعَ شَطْرَهَا،

‏‏‏‏‏‏فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَيْهِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقَالَ:‏‏‏‏ ارْجِعْ إِلَى رَبِّكَ فَإِنَّ أُمَّتَكَ لَا تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَرَاجَعْتُهُ،

‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقَالَ:‏‏‏‏ هِيَ خَمْسٌ وَهِيَ خَمْسُونَ لَا يُبَدَّلُ الْقَوْلُ لَدَيَّ، ‏‏

‏‏‏‏فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى مُوسَى، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقَالَ:‏‏‏‏ رَاجِعْ رَبَّكَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقُلْتُ:‏‏‏‏ اسْتَحْيَيْتُ مِنْ رَبِّي،

 

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “My Lord dutied upon my Ummah 50 prayers (a day).”

 

I was returning with this when I passed by the Prophet Moses (as).

 

He said, “What did Allah duty upon your Ummah?”

 

I replied, “He dutied fifty prayers.”

 

Hazrat Musa (as) said, “Return to your Lord for verily, your Ummah does not have the strength for this.”

 

So I returned and He (Allah) reduced a part of it so I came back to Musa (as).

 

I said, “He reduced a part of it,” and Hazrat Musa (as) said,

 

““Return to your Lord for verily, your Ummah does not have the strength for this.”

 

So I returned and He (Allah) reduced a part of it so I came back to him (Hazrat Musa (as)).

 

He said, ““Return to your Lord for verily, your Ummah does not have the strength for this,” so I returned to Him.

 

Allah said, “It is five (and) in blessings fifty. My Word does not change.”

 

So I returned to Musa (as) and he said, Go back again to your Lord.”

 

And I said, “I feel embarrassed before my Lord.”

 

The blessings of 50 for reciting five! But that wasn’t really it. The Mairaj was for one, abdi-hi, His Servant. So what did the Mercy of the Universe do? He made is a possibility for every single one of those in his nation, his Ummati. It’s like every single time Allah would hand him a fruit from the heavens, he would take a bite and hold it out for everyone else; “Here, you try it too.”

 

So he said to the Muslims, “The Mairaj of the Momin is in the prayer, salat.” The he says to everyone alive, “The Momin is the house of love.” I say my prayer five times a day these days. I hear the Azaan and go to do it immediately, except if I have guests.

 

That too is a recent phenomenon, a lesson in grace, which I learnt from the Naqshbandi Master, Sheikh Nurjan; “Say your lengthy prayers when you are by yourself. So you can be safeguarded from showing off in front of others about how long you take in prayer.”

 

In that Mairaj of the salat, the possibility exists that one can see God. As Imam Ali (ratu) did in each prayer. No wonder the Ahl e Beit, the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and then the Auliya Allah prayed a 1,000 nafal every night. In Karbala, when the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was being brutally killed, day after day, till all of them were martyred, only a a single male member remained, no one missed a single raka’t of those nawafil.

 

In Shaam, Damascus, Bibi Zainab (ratu) was asked, mockingly, if she felt abandoned by her Lord God who had let Yazid’s army martyr her entire family. What did she think of Him now given her state of being alone without anything, without anyone to come to her aid.

 

She had answered, “Indeed, never have I seen my Lord to be so Beautiful.”

 

They were always seeing God!

 

Sadly, I am stuck in my worldly state. All I think of when I wonder about them praying a 1,000 nawafil, as deeply impressed as I am, is how could I ever be able to do that? Won’t I get tired? How will I wake up in the morning? And I don’t even have anything to do. Still, I love that it is within my reach if I do reach for it. That what was a miracle for one, The Beloved (peace be upon him), made a possibility for all.

 

I don’t know how many nawafil I will be praying tonight. What I do know is that at Maghrib, I will celebrate. For Allah said, “Rejoice! When Bounty is bestowed upon you, Rejoice!” And He made His Beloved (peace be upon him) be the one to announce the glad tiding.

 

قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُون

 

Say, "It is Bounty of Allah and His Mercy so let them rejoice."

It is better than what they accumulate (in wealth).

Surah Yunus, Verse 58

 

In turn I announce it to all I know, texting and emailing my friends and family everywhere. Even their kids who I know or even don’t know that well. For myself, I will drive around Karachi and distribute kheer, a rice pudding, I ordered from some special place on Burns Road. I will do it by my hand saying to each person, “Shab e Mairaj Mubarik!” I wish you happiness on this Night of Ascension.

 

Shab e Mairaj is like each word of the Quran, it cannot ever be described completely. Each person who celebrates it does it for a different reason, in a different way. For me the best part of it is the beginning. Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) was sad. To alleviate his sadness, Allah brought him before Himself.

 

That leads me to believe that knowing how deeply Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) feels the sadness of each of his Ummati, something the Quran testifies to, Allah will alleviate our sadness as well. Thus a thousand springs of hope gush forth and lift my heart.

 

لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ

مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

 

Certainly, there has come unto you, (O Mankind), an Apostle from among yourselves.

Heavily weighs upon him that you might suffer.

Full of concern for you is he,

and full of compassion (Rau’f) and mercy (Rahim) towards those who attained faith (Imaan).

Surab At-Tawbah, Verse 128

 

As someone who recently experienced the death of a parent with whom the relationship was far from normal, I know that anger, which in any case is the flip side of grief, becomes extinguished when the parent dies. The only thing that remains is pain, except it is now doubled. There is no more penduluming between the two states. Only one stands tall, overwhelming!

 

In that state, when the eternal hope of healing in a broken relationship has died along with the person, another hope still remains. One can’t descend into a grave and wake the dead but one can ascend from a state and at least try to leave it behind. Say goodbye to that as well.

 

The Auliya Karaam said the most hallowed ground is the heart. The only guarantee of experiencing joy in that heart lies for every single being in the Universe in remembering, thinking of, even just wondering about one person alone; the Beloved of God (peace be upon him). If just the existence of the possibility of loving him remains and nothing else and no one else does, that in itself, is cause enough for celebration!

 

جہاں روشن است از جمالِ محمد

دلم تازہ گشت از وصالِ محمد

 

The entire Universe is lit by the beauty of Muhammad (saw).

My heart becames renewed only when it loves him.

Maulana Jami (ra)

 

Uzair lecture – The Linguistic Miracles of Ayat e Isra’:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLzr-BtrcJs

 

Uzair lecture – Secrets of Isra’ according to Ilm e Qawaid: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sH420Dqrg0

 

Patron: Qansuh II al-Ghuri (al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghuri ibn Bardi al-Jarkasi) c.1441-1516, Burji (Circassian) Mamluk Sultan of Egypt (r.1501-1516).

 

Islamic Monument #67

I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Allah’s peace be upon Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), the glorious Prophet of Islam, and on his Companions and his followers.

  

TASAWWUF

"There is no doubt that Tasawwuf is an important branch of Islam. The word itself may have been derived form the Arabic word "Soof" (Wool) or from "Safa" (cleanliness), but its foundation lies in one’s personal sincerity in seeking Allah’s nearness and trying to live a life pleasing to Him. Study of the Quran, the Hadith, and the practical life of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and his faithful Companions provide unmistakable support to this reality." (Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A)

 

SUFISM, AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ISLAM

Doubts exist not only in the minds of the Muslim faithful but also among the Ulema, notably the exoteric about Tasawwuf and its votaries. Often they lead to misunderstanding, as if Shariah and Tariqah were two separate entries, or that Tasawwuf was some obscure discipline foreign to Islam, or that it was altogether above the established laws and injunctions of our Religion. To help remove these misgivings and to reassure seekers, as well as scholars, our Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), Sheikh Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia, wrote Al-Jamal Wal Kamal, Aqaid-O-Kamalaat Ulmai-e-Deoband, Binat-e-Rasool (S.A.W), Daamad-e-Ali (R.A), Dalael-us-Salook, Ejaad-e-Mazhab Shia, Hayat-un-Nabi (S.A.W), Hayat Barzakhia, Ilm-o-Irfan, Niffaz-e-Shariat Aur Fiqah-e-Jaferia, Saif-e-Owaisi, Shikast-e-Ahdai Hussain and Tahkeek Halal Haram books.

 

BIOGRAPHY

Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chakrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The very year, he met Shaykh Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Shaykh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was right away established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years. In 1962 he was directed to carry out the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular enthusiasm and devotion for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss as per his/her sincerity and capacity. Shaykh Allah Yar Khan's mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and distinction.

 

Although Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A) have lived a major portion of his life as a scholar, with the avowed mission of illuminating the truth of Islam and the negation of fallacious sects, and this would appear quite removed from Tasawwuf, yet the only practical difference between the two, namely the use of the former as a media to expound the truth, and the latter to imbue people with positive faith. Nevertheless, people are amazed that a man, who until the other day, was known as a dialectician and a preacher of Islam, is not only talking of Mystic Path, but is also claiming spiritual bonds with the veteran Sufi Masters of the Past. This amazement is obviously out of place in the view of Quranic injunction: This is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills. (62:4)

 

THE PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL

The purification of the soul always formed part of the main mission of the Prophets; that is, the dissemination and propagation of the Devine Message. This responsibility later fell directly on the shoulders of the true Ulema in the Ummah of the last Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), who, as his genuine successors, have continued to shed brave light in every Dark Age of materialism and sacrilege. In the present age of ruinous confusion, the importance of this responsibility has increased manifold; of the utter neglect of Islam by Muslims has not only driven them to misery, but also grievously weakened their bonds of faith in Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). The decay in their belief and consequent perversion in their conduct has reached a stage that any attempt to pull them out of the depth of ignominy and the heedless chaos of faithlessness, attracts grave uncertainties and apprehensions rather than a encouraging will to follow the Shariah, to purify the soul and to reform within. The Quranic Verse: Layers upon layers of darkness… (24:40) provides the nearest expression of their present state.

 

SHARIAH & SUFISM

Any action against the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) cannot be called Sufism. Singing and dancing, and the prostration on tombs are not part of Sufism. Nor is predicting the future and predicting the outcome of cases in the courts of law, a part of Sufism. Sufis are not required to abandon their worldly possessions or live in the wilderness far from the practical world. In fact these absurdities are just its opposites. It is an established fact that Tazkiyah (soul purification) stands for that inner purity which inspires a person’s spirit to obey the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If a false claimant of Sufism teaches tricks and jugglery, ignoring religious obligations, he is an impostor. A true Sheikh will lead a believer to the august spiritual audience of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If you are fortunate enough to be blessed with the company of an accomplished spiritual guide and Sheikh of Sufism, and if you follow his instructions, you will observe a positive change in yourself, transferring you from vice to virtue.

 

ISLAM, AS A COMPLETE CODE OF LIFE

Islam, as a complete code of life or Deen, was perfected during the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). He was the sole teacher and his mosque was the core institution for the community. Although Islam in its entirety was practiced during that blessed era, the classification and compilation of its knowledge into distinct branches like ‘Tafsir’ (interpretation of the Quran), Hadith (traditions or sayings of the holy Prophet- SAWS), Fiqh (Islamic law), and Sufism (the soul purification) were undertaken subsequently. This Deen of Allah passed from the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) to his illustrious Companions in two ways: the outward and the inward. The former comprised the knowledge defined by speech and conduct, i.e., the Quran and Sunnah. The latter comprised the invisible blessings or the Prophetic lights transmitted by his blessed self. These blessings purified the hearts and instilled in them a passionate desire to follow Islam with utmost love, honesty and loyalty.

 

WHAT’S SUFISM

Sufism is the attempt to attain these Barakah (Blessings). The Companions handed down Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) teachings as well as blessings to the Taba’een. Their strong hearts were capable of infusing these blessings into the hearts of their followers. Both aspects of Islam were similarly passed on by the Taba’een to the Taba Taba’een. The compilation of knowledge and its interpretation led to the establishment of many schools of religious thought; famous four being the Hanafi, the Hanbali, the Maliki, and the Shafa'i, all named after their founders. Similarly, in order to acquire, safeguard and distribute his blessings, an organized effort was initiated by four schools of Sufism: The Naqshbandia, the Qadria, the Chishtia, and the Suharwardia. These schools were also named after their organizers and came to be known as Sufi Orders. All these Orders intend to purify the hearts of sincere Muslims with Prophetic lights. These Sufi Orders also grew into many branches with the passage of time and are known by other names as well. The holy Quran has linked success in this life and the Hereafter with Tazkiyah (soul purification). He, who purified, is successful. (87: 14) Sufi Orders of Islam are the institutions where the basics of Tazkiyah (soul purification) and its practical application are taught. They have graded programs in which every new seeker is instructed in Zikr-e Lisani (oral Zikr) and is finally taught the Zikr-e Qalbi (Remembrance in heart).

 

ZIKR-E QALBI

However, in the Naqshbandia Order, Zikr-e Qalbi is practiced from the very beginning. Adherence to the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) is greatly emphasized in this Order, because the seeker achieves greater and quicker progress through its blessings. The essence of Zikr is that the Qalb should sincerely accept Islamic beliefs and gain the strength to follow the Sunnah with even greater devotion. ‘If the heart is acquainted with Allah and is engaged in His Zikr; then it is filled with Barakaat-e Nabuwwat (Prophetic blessings) which infuse their purity in the mind and body. This not only helps in controlling sensual drives but also removes traces of abhorrence, voracity, envy and insecurity from human soul. The person therefore becomes an embodiment of love, both for the Divine and the corporeal. This is the meaning of a Hadith, “There is a lump of flesh in the human body; if it goes astray the entire body is misguided, and if it is reformed the entire body is reformed. Know that this lump is the Qalb”.’

 

PAS ANFAS

Recent History Khawajah Naqshband (d. 1389 CE) organized the Naqshbandia Order at Bukhara (Central Asia). This Order has two main branches – the Mujaddidia and the Owaisiah. The former is identified with Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi, known as Mujaddid Alif Sani (literally: reviver of the second Muslim millennium), a successor to Khawajah Baqi Billah, who introduced the Order to the Indo- Pakistan sub-continent. The Owaisiah Order employs a similar method of Zikr but acquires the Prophetic blessings in the manner of Khawajah Owais Qarni, who received this beneficence from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) without a formal physical meeting. The Zikr employed by the Naqshbandia is ‘Zikr-e Khafi Qalbi’ (remembrance of Allah’s Name within the heart) and the method is termed ‘Pas Anfas’, which (in Persian) means guarding every breath. The Chain of Transmission of these Barakah, of course, emanates from the holy Prophet- SAWS.

 

SPIRITUAL BAI’AT (OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

It is necessary in all Sufi Orders that the Sheikh and the seekers must be contemporaries and must physically meet each other for the transfer of these blessings. However, the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order goes beyond this requirement and Sufis of this Order receive these Barakah regardless of physical meeting with their Sheikh or even when the Sheikh is not their contemporary. Yet, it must be underscored that physical meeting with the Sheikh of this Order still holds great importance in dissemination of these Barakah. Sheikh Sirhindi writes about the Owaisiah Order in his book ‘Tazkirah’: ‘It is the most sublime, the most exalted, and the most effective…and the highest station of all others is only its stepping stone.’ By far the greatest singular distinction of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order is the honor of Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance) directly at the blessed hands of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).

 

SHEIKH HAZRAT MOULANA ALLAH YAR KHAN (R.A)

The Reviver Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chikrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The same year, he met Sheikh ‘Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Sheikh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was immediately established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century CE) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years, after which he was directed to undertake the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular zeal and dedication for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss commensurate with his/her sincerity and capacity. Sheikh Allah Yar Khan’s mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and eminence. He authored eighteen books, the most distinguished being Dalael us-Sulook (Sufism - An Objective Appraisal), Hayat-e Barzakhiah (Life Beyond Life) and Israr ul- Haramain (Secrets of the two holy Mosques). He was undoubtedly one of the most distinguished Sufi saints of the Muslim Ummah and a reviver of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order. He passed away on 18 February 1984 in Islamabad at the age of eighty.

 

THE CHAIN OF TRANSMISSION OF NAQSHBANDIA OWAISIAH

1. Hazrat Muhammad ur-Rasool Allah (Sall Allah-o Alaihi wa Sallam), 2. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Radhi Allah-o Unho), 3. Hazrat Imam Hassan Basri (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 4. Hazrat Daud Tai (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 5. Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 6. Hazrat Ubaid Ullah Ahrar (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 7. Hazrat Abdur Rahman Jami (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 8. Hazrat Abu Ayub Muhammad Salih (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 9. Hazrat Allah Deen Madni (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 10. Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi).

 

THE SPIRIT OR RUH

The spirit or Ruh of every person is a created reflection of the Divine Attributes and it originates in Alam-e Amar (Realm of Command). Its food is the Light of Allah or the Divine Refulgence, which it acquires from the Realm of Command through the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him), whose status in the spiritual world is like that of the sun in the solar system. The Quran refers to him as the ‘bright lamp’. Indeed, he is the divinely selected channel of all Barakah. All Exalted Messengers themselves receive these Barakah from him.

 

LATAIF

The human Ruh also possesses vital organs like the physical body; through which it acquires its knowledge, food and energy. These are called Lataif (singular Latifah: subtlety). Scholars of various Sufi Orders have associated them with specific areas of the human body. The Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order identifies these Lataif as follows. First - Qalb: This spiritual faculty is located within the physical heart. Its function is Zikr. Its strength increases one’s capacity for Allah’s Zikr. Second – Ruh: The site of this Latifah, which is a distinct faculty of the human Ruh, is on the right side of the chest at the level of Qalb. Its primary function is concentration towards Allah. Third – Sirri: This is located above the Qalb and functions to make possible Kashf. Forth – Khaffi: This is located above the Ruh and functions to perceive the omnipresence of Allah. Fifth – Akhfa: This is located in the middle of chest, at the centre of the first four Lataif and makes it possible for the Ruh to perceive the closeness of Allah, Who is closer to us than our own selves. Sixth – Nafs: This Latifah is located at the forehead and functions to purify the human soul. Seventh – Sultan al-Azkar: This Latifah is located at the top centre of the head and serves to absorb the Barakah of Allah into the entire body, so that every cell resonates with Zikr.

 

FIVE EXALTED MESSENGERS OF GOD

There are Five Exalted Messengers among the many known and unknown Messengers of Allah. They are Hazrat Muhammad, Hazrat Nuh (Noah), Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham), Hazrat Musa (Moses), and Hazrat Esa (Jesus), peace be upon them all. Hazrat Adam is the first Prophet of Allah and the father of mankind. Each Latifah is associated with a particular Prophet. The Barakah and lights from Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him), descend on the first Latifah Qalb; its lights are reflected from the first heaven and are yellowish. The second Latifah is associated with Hazrat Nuh and Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon them). Its lights descend from the second heaven and appear as golden red. The lights descending upon the third Latifah are from Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) and are white. One the fourth Latifah, the lights of Hazrat Esa (peace be upon him) descend from the fourth heaven and are deep blue. The fifth Latifah receives its Barakah directly from the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him). The lights associated with this Latifah are green, descend from the fifth heaven, and overwhelm all the first four Lataif. The Lights descending upon the sixth and seventh Lataif are the Divine Lights, whose color and condition cannot be determined. These are like flashes of lightening that defy comprehension. If Allah blesses a seeker with Kashf, he can observe all of this. The vision is slightly diffused in the beginning, but gradually the clarity improves.

 

SULOOK

Stages of the Path After all seven Lataif of a seeker have been illuminated with Divine Lights through Tawajjuh of the Sheikh and his Ruh has acquired the ability to fly, the Sheikh initiates its journey on the sublime Path of Divine nearness. The Path is known as Sulook, and its stages are not hypothetical imaginations but real and actually existing stations on the spiritual Path. These are also referred to as Meditations, because a seeker mentally meditates about a station while his/her Ruh actually ascends towards it. The first three stations that form the base of whole Sulook are described as; Ahadiyyat, a station of Absolute Unity of Divinity. It is above and beyond the seven heavens. It is so vast a station that the seven heavens and all that they encompass are lost within Ahadiyyat as a ring is lost in a vast desert. Its lights are white in color. Maiyyat station denotes Divine Company, ‘He is with you, wherever you might be.’ This station is so vast that Ahadiyyat along with the seven heavens beneath are lost within it as a ring is lost in a desert. Its lights are green in color. Aqrabiyyat station denotes Divine Nearness, ‘He is nearer to you than your life- vein.’ Again, Aqrabiyyat is vast as compared to Maiyyat in the same proportion. Its lights are golden red and are reflected from the Divine Throne. It is indeed the greatest favor of Almighty Allah that He blesses a seeker with an accomplished Sheikh, who takes him to these sublime stations. The final station that a seeker attains to during his/her lifetime becomes his/her Iliyyeen (blessed abode) in Barzakh and his/her Ruh stays at this station after death.

  

ZIKR

Why is Zikr Necessary for Everyone? Allah ordains every soul in the Quran to Perform Zikr. This not only means reciting the Quran and Tasbeeh but also Zikr-e Qalb. It is only through Zikr-e Qalbi that Prophetic Lights reach the depths of human soul and purify it from all vice and evil. Zikr infuses a realization of constant Divine Presence and a seeker feels great improvement in the level of sincerity and love towards Allah and the holy Prophet- SAWS. Such levels of sincerity, love and feelings of Divine Presence can never be obtained without Zikr. It would be a mistake to believe that Zikr may be a requirement only for the very pious and virtuous people. Zikr provides the Prophetic blessings which are in effect the life line of every human soul. It transforms even the most corrupted humans into virtuous souls by bringing out the best in them. The fact is that Zikr is the only way to achieve true contentment and satisfaction in life. The holy Quran has pointed to this eternal fact that it is only through Zikr Allah that hearts can find satisfaction. Such satisfaction and peace are the ultimate requirements of every person, regardless of religion, race and ethnicity. Practicing Zikr regularly removes all traces of anxiety and restlessness, and guides the human soul to eternal bliss and peace.

 

KHALIFA MAJAZEEN

Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), during his life time in 1974, presented a nomination list to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), during Maraqba, of expected Khalifa Majazeen for Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) approved some names, deleted some of the names, and added down the name of Major Ghulam Muhammad as also Khalifa Majaaz of Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia (which was not previously included in the list)

 

The approved names at that time included:

1. Mr. Muhammad Akram Awan Sahib,

2. Mr. Sayed Bunyad Hussain Shah Sahib,

3. Mr. Major Ahsan Baig Sahib,

4. Mr. Col. Matloob Hussain Sahib,

5. Mr. Major Ghulam Muhammad Sahib of Wan Bhachran Mianwali,

6. Mr. Molvi Abdul Haq Sahib,

7. Mr. Hafiz Abdul Razzaq Sahib,

8. Mr. Hafiz Ghulam Qadri Sahib,

9. Mr. Khan Muhammad Irani Sahib,

10. Mr. Maolana Abdul Ghafoor Sahib,

11. Mr. Syed Muhammad Hassan Sahib of Zohb.

 

These Majazeen were authorized to; held Majalis of Zikar (Pas Anfas) in their respective areas, arrange Majalis of Zikar in neighboring areas, train them on the way of Sulook, prepare them for Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance), and present them to Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan for Spiritual Bai’at at the Hand of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), in the life of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), and were all equal in status as Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).

 

Presently we are following Hazrat Major ® Ghulam Muhammad Sahib, Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).

Patron: Qansuh II al-Ghuri (al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghuri ibn Bardi al-Jarkasi) c.1441-1516, Burji (Circassian) Mamluk Sultan of Egypt (r.1501-1516).

 

Islamic Monument #66

Patron: Qansuh II al-Ghuri (al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghuri ibn Bardi al-Jarkasi) c.1441-1516, Burji (Circassian) Mamluk Sultan of Egypt (r.1501-1516).

 

Islamic Monument #189

From SufiWiki

 

Abu'l Hasan Yaminuddin Khusro, better known as Amir Khusro (also Khusrau, Khusrow) Dehlavi, was the poet laureate of the Indian subcontinent and enjoys ever-lasting fame as one of the most versatile poets and prolific prose-writers of the 13th and 14th centuries.

He is traditionally considered to be the founder of qawwali and lyrical poetry in Hindustani (Urdu), credited with enriching Hindustani classical music by introducing Persian and Arabic elements in it. The invention of the sitar and the musical styles known as khyal and tarana are also attributed to him. His poetical composition, the amalgamation of Persian and Hindi in particular, was aimed at cementing the bonds of culture and friendship between the Hindus and Muslims of India.

He was an intellectual giant of many languages, with knowledge of Turkish, Arabic, Persian and the vernaculars of northern India - the Khariboli, (Urdu and Hindi both being developed forms of it), Braj Bhasha and Awadhi. It was during his stay in Awadh, Delhi and Punjab that he learned these northern languages. He also learned Sanskrit which he placed before all other languages, except Arabic, the language of his religion.

Above all, he was a most dutiful and devoted mureed of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, the spiritual monarch of his day in the subcontinent.

 

Early Life & Family

 

Hazrat Amir Khusro's was born in 651 AH/1253-4 AD in Patiyali in Uttar Pradesh, India and was named Abul Hasan Yaminuddin. His father, Amir Saifuddin Mahmud who, before coming to India, was the chief of a clan called "Lachin" in Turkistan during the rule of Changez Khan. After immigrating to India, he was assigned as a high official at the court of Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish.

It is related that his father Amir Saifuddin Mahmood took the infant, wrapped in a cloth, to a Sufi of high spiritual standing. The Sufi cast his eyes upon the child and remarked, "This child will be God-inspired and unique in his age. His name will last till doomsday and surpass Khaqani." After four years, his father took him from Patiyali to Delhi and made the best arrangements for his education and moral training.

His mother was an Indian Rajput family, the daughter of the famous war minister of Balban, Nawab Imadul Mulk (Rawat Arz). He also had two brothers called Aizazuddin Ali Shah and Husamuddin.

His loving father passed away when he was nine years old and Hazrat Amir Khusro expressed his sadness with the following couplet:

“

My river flowed on, the door was left half open,

The sword passed over my head and sadness overtook my heart.

”

After the demise of his father, Hazrat Amir Khusro was brought up by his maternal grandfather, Nawab Imadul Mulk, in affluence. He became learned in the arts and literature as well as Fiqh, astronomy, grammar, philosophy, logic, religion, mysticism and history. He developed a taste for poetry at an early age and began composing verse at the age of twelve. He himself writes in the introduction to his diwan Ghurrat-ul-Kamaal, "At an age when children shed their teeth, I wrote poetry and my compositions rivalled gems."

Besides mastering the Turkish, Persian and Arabic languages, he acquired proficiency in various Indian dialects in the multi-ethnic environment of Delhi.

Initiation into the Sufi Order

 

Hazrat Amir Khusro inherited from his father not only an honourable place in the society of the day and a high status at the royal court but also the tradition of respect for Sufis and men of piety.

When he was eight years old, his father took him to Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. As his father was entering the door of the great Saint's Khanqah, the young Hazrat Khusro audaciously said that it was up to him and not his father to choose his Pir. His father left him outside the door and went in alone to talk to the saint. In the meantime, Hazrat Amir Khusro composed the a quatrain in Persian in order to test the spiritual capabilities of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. Hazrat Amir Khusro affirmed to himself that he would only become a mureed of Hazrat Nizamuddin if a satisfactory answer was provided to the following quatrain:

“

Toa aan shahey ke bur aiwaan-e-qasrat

Kabutar gar nashinad baaz gardad.

Gharib-e-mustamandey bur dar amad,

Beyayad androon yaa baaz gardad.

You are that great a king that, if on the roof of your grand palace a pigeon were to sit, it becomes a skylark.

A poor and humble soul has come to your door, should he enter or should he go away?

”

Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya immediately replied and sent the following reply to Hazrat Amir Khusro in the same form as the initial quatrain:

“

Beyayad androon mard-e-haqiqat

Ke baa maa yak nafas hamraz gardad.

Agar ablay buwad aan mard-e-naadaan,

Azaan raahey ke aamad baaz gardad.

Do come in, oh truthful soul, so that we may become close and become trusted friends.

But if you are ignorant and have no wisdom, then you better go back the way you came.

”

When Hazrat Khusro heard the quatrain, which to him was a perfect reply, he entered the room and became a mureed of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya — faithfully serving his master throughout his life.

Love for his Pir

A unique story illustrates Hazrat Amir Khusro's unbounded devotion and love for his Pir. Once a poor man, having heard of the reputation of Hazrat Nizamuddin's munificence, came to Delhi from a distant part of India in the hope of getting assistance from him to solve his financial problems. Incidentally, the saint had nothing to offer him that day except a pair of his old shoes. Greatly disappointed the poor man nevertheless thanked the saint and left to return to his village.

On his return journey, he stayed at an inn for the night. Coincidentally, the same night Hazrat Amir Khusro, who was returning to Delhi from a business trip in Bengal, was also staying in the same inn. Hazrat Amir Khusro at the time traded in jewellery and precious stones and was considered to be one of the most wealthy citizens of Delhi. The next morning, when Hazrat Amir Khusro got up, he remarked: "Boo-e-Sheikh mee ayad" (I smell my Pir's fragrance here).

After finding the source of the scent, he found the man and asked him if he had been to see Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya during his stay in Delhi. The man replied in the affirmative and told Hazrat Amir Khusro the story of his meeting with Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, whilst holding up the pair of shoes to show how old and of little value they were.

Hazrat Amir Khusro at once asked the man to give him the shoes in exchange for his entire wealth to which the man duly obliged. Overjoyed at this totally unexpected good fortune, the poor man thanked Hazrat Amir Khusro profusely and went away rejoicing. Amir Khusro eventually reached his Master and placed the pair of shoes at his feet. After explaining that he exchanged his entire wealth for the pair of shoes, Hazrat Nizamuddin remarked "Khusro, Bisyaar arzaan kharidi" (Khusro, you got them very cheap).

Most of the compositions of Hazrat Khusro, particularly his masnavis are full of praise of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. This is demonstrated by the following couplets:

“

Nizamul Haq (Din) is the right hand of the Prophet ﷺ;

the blue sky is but a corner of his prayer carpet.

”

“

His words scatter away the treasure of truth,

and his countenance radiates like the sun for those who pray at dawn.

”

His Pir's Love for him

About his love for Amir Khusro, Hazrat Nizamuddin used to say: "If Shariat permitted, I would have preferred to rest with Khusro in one and the same grave." So great was the attachment of the Pir to his mureed, he expressed in a Persian verse:

“If they put a saw upon my head and asked me to give up Khusro, I would prefer to give my head rather than to leave Khusro.”

When Hazrat Amir Khusro was not in Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya would write to him. Such letters expressive of the Sufi master's affection and love for his favourite disciple, who was addressed therein as Turkullah (God's Turk), were preserved by Hazrat Amir Khusro with great care. In accordance with the will of Hazrat Amir Khusro, the letters are said to have been buried along with him after his death.

When Hazrat Amir Khusro attached himself to Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, he renounced whatever he possessed of worldly things. The master was so deeply attached to his mureed that he often prayed "O God, forgive me for the sake of the fire of love burning in the heart of this Turk."

Religious Life

 

Hazrat Amir Khusro was a devout Muslim, a profound expounder of ethics and strict observant of Sharia. Hazrat Ziyauddin Barani draws a vivid picture of his friend, Hazrat Amir, in these words:

“Above and beyond all his scholarship, fluency and proficiency he was an upright Sufi. For most of his life he offered prayers, observed fasts, recited the Holy Qur'an, etc. He was equally exceptional in performing obligatory worship and doing beneficence to others by way of charitable acts. He kept fasts regularly and was among the most trustworthy disciples of the Sheikh. I have not met any other devotee more sincere and more faithful than Hazrat Amir Khusro. He was impregnated with divine love and participated in sama. He was a maestro who used to invent new ragas and tunes. Hazrat Amir Khusro had a poetic nature and was a kind-hearted man of elegant taste. In every art related to skill and refined taste, God had made him unique. He was completely inimitable and his personality in this era was one of the wonders of time.”

Amir Khwurd says that Hazrat Amir Khusro, after having offered tahajjud (late night) prayers, would recite seven chapters of the Holy Qur'an everyday. "Tell me O Turk", Nizamuddin Auliya once asked him, "how did you find your devotion?" "Sir, it so happens that I bitterly weep late in the night", Hazrat Amir Khusro submitted. "Praise be to Allah, now some signs have begun to emerge."

Later Life

 

Association with Kings

Hazrat Amir Khusro enjoyed the title of Nayak (a perfect master of music). With this poetic talent and comprehensive knowledge, combined with a mastery in prose, Hazrat Amir Khusro at first found his way to the court of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Balban who ascended the Delhi throne in 664 AH (1265 AD). There he was patronised by Malik Chajju Kishli Khan, a cousin of the Sultan.

Hazrat Amir Khusro saw the rise and fall of several kingdoms, in Delhi, yet he maintained his association with each successive monarch and tried to win his favour through his eulogies. Thus we see that he sang the praises of Alauddin Khalji (695-715 AH / 1295-1315 AD), Qutubuddin Mubarakshah (715-720 AH / 1315- 1320 AD) and Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (720-725 AH / 1320-1324 AD). These rulers, on their part, treated Hazrat Amir Khusro with respect and honoured him, taking pride in him for his scholarly achievements, intelligence, wisdom and above all, his piety and purity of heart. He thus earned the title of Tut-i Hind (Parrot of India).

Alauddin Khalji gave him 100 tanka (gold coins) annually, and Hazrat Khusro, as a token of acknowledgement, recorded all the conquests of the king in beautiful masnavi called "Khazain-ul-Futuh" Another masnavi "Taj-ul-Futuh" commemorates the victories of Jalaluddin Firuzshah in 718AH (1318 AD). Hazrat Amir Khusro also dedicated his masnavi "Nuh-Sipihr" to Qutubuddin Mubarakshah.

Bughra Khan, son of Ghiyasuddin Balban and the ruler of Samana (in Panjab) always favoured the poet. When Bughra Khan's war against his son Kaiqubad resulted in peace, He asked Hazrat Amir Khusro to write a full-length masnavi to commemorate the happy reunion of father and son. Hazrat Khusro thus composed "Qiranu's-Sadain" in 688 AH (1289 AD) in six months.

Capture by Mongol army

Hazrat Khusro also became close to Malik Muhammad Khan, the elder son of Sultan Ghiyasuddin. The prince was a man of culture and learning. When the prince was sent to Multan as the governor of that province, he took Hazrat Khusro and Hazrat Amir Hasan Sanjari, a fellow disciple and poet, along with him. Multan in those days was threatened by the Mongol hordes. Timur Khan, a Mongol general attacked Multan but he was defeated by the Delhi army.

After some time they mounted another attack. In the second battle, the prince was wounded by an arrow and later died. His army was defeated and a number of nobles including Hazrat Khusro and Hazrat Hasan Dehlavi were captured. They were taken to Balkh and it was only after two years that they were released.

After returning to Delhi, Hazrat Khusro comforted the prince's bereaved father, Ghiyasuddin Balban who later died in 686 AH (1287 AD).

Demise of his Mother and Brother

Hazrat Khusro then remained in the company of Khan Jahan with whom he went to Awadh, staying there for two years. However, he had to rush to Delhi as his mother had been taken seriously ill. She later passed away in 698 AH (1298 AD) and the same year also saw the demise of his brother, Husamuddin.

Hazrat Khusro was deeply grieved at the double tragedy, as is evident from the elegy he wrote in his masnavi Laila Majnun:

“

This year I lost two stars in my sky

Both my mother and brother have passed away

”

The last king to be praised by Hazrat Khusro was Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, who came to power after overthrowing the Khiljis in 720 AH (1320 AD) and ruled up to 725 AH (1324 AD). Hazrat Khusro composed the Tughlaq Namah to commemorate his era. He accompanied Tughlaq to Bengal where he stayed for some time but when he heard the sad news of the death of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, his spiritual guide, he came back to Delhi.

Family

 

Hazrat Khusro had a son by the name of Malik Muhammad. His son, like his father had an aptitude for poetry and was gifted with the faculty of critical appreciation. He had also a daughter called Afifa. She was seven years old when Hazrat Khusro was composing the Hasht Bihisht in which he dedicated a few couplets to her in this masnavi.

Demise

  

Hazrat Amir Khusro's Tomb

At the time of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya's death, Hazrat Amir Khusro was with Sultan Ghiyasuddin Tughluq on his Bengal expedition. The news of his murshid's death came as exteme shock to him and he returned to Delhi as soon as possible, distributing all that he had amongst the poor during the journey. Upon reaching the tomb, clad in black clothes, he embraced the grave and shed abundant tears in distress. Afterwards he said to those present: "Who am I to wail for this monarch? I lament my own fate, because I will not survive him much longer."

He began to spend most of his time at the grave of his spiritual guide in total renunciation of the world. He lived in this manner for about six months and could bear no further separation. He breathed his last on 18 Shawwal in 725 AH and was buried a small distance away from the resting place of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.

Legacy

 

Writing in his publication, Shir al-Ajam, Allama Shibli Nomani, the famous theologian and historian of Islam in India, eulogises Hazrat Amir Khusro's genius and illuminating contributions to the oriental literature in his following paragraphs:

“During the past 600 years, India has not produced such an intellectual giant. To tell the truth, even Iran and Greece, in the past few millenia, have produced only two or four individuals of such intellect, combining so many qualities in one being, as Amir Khusro possessed. Apart from his many other rare qualities, if we take his poetical genius exclusively, we are astonished at the multiplicity of the varied subjects upon which he had attained masterly command. Firdausi, Anwari, Saadi, Haafiz, Urfi and Nazeeri, although they were undoubtedly intellectual giants of their own "subjects" and fields of poetry, their achievements were confined only to one particular subject. Firdausi could not go beyond masnavi, Saadi could not touch qaseeda , Anwari had no command over masnavi or ghazal, while Haafiz, Urfi and Naseeri could not get beyond ghazal. It was, however, Khusro who commanded complete mastery over ghazal, masnavi, qaseeda and rubayee, besides thousands of other smaller poetical compositions on a variety of subjects and common topics. If we calculate the huge number of Khusro's voluminous compositions, we find no match to him in terms of quantity in the history of poetry. The number of Firdausi's verses in Shahnama is supposed to be 70,000. Saadi's number of poetical compositions is no more than 100,000 but Amir Khusro's number exceeds 450,000.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Sultan-ul-Mashaikh, Mehboob-e-Ilahi, Hazrat Shaikh Khwaja Syed Muhammad Nizamuddin Auliya (1238 – 3 April 1325) (Urdu: حضرت شیخ خواجہ سیّد محمد نظام الدّین اولیاء‎), also known as Hazrat Nizamuddin, was a famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order in the Indian Subcontinent, an order that believed in drawing close to God through renunciation of the world and service to humanity. He is one of the great saints of the Chishti order in India.[1] His predecessors were Fariduddin Ganjshakar, Bakhtiyar Kaki and Moinuddin Chishti. In that sequence, they constitute the initial spiritual chain or silsila of the Chisti order, widely prevalent in the Indian subcontinent.

 

Nizamuddin Auliya, like his predecessors, stressed love as a means of realising God. For him his love of God implied a love of humanity. His vision of the world was marked by a highly evolved sense of secularity and kindness.[2] It is claimed by the 14th century historiographer Ziauddin Barani that his influence on the Muslims of Delhi was such that a paradigm shift was effected in their outlook towards worldly matters. People began to be inclined towards mysticism and prayers and remaining aloof from the world.[3]

 

Nizamuddin Auliya was born in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh (east of Delhi). At the age of five, after the death of his father, Ahmad Badayuni, he came to Delhi with his mother, Bibi Zulekha.[4] His biography finds mention in Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century document written by Mughal Emperor Akbar’s vizier, Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak.[5]

 

At the age of twenty, Nizāmuddīn went to Ajodhan (the present Pakpattan Sharif in Pakistan) and became a disciple of the Sufi saint Fariduddin Ganjshakar, commonly known as Baba Farid. Nizāmuddīn did not take up residence in Ajodhan but continued with his theological studies in Delhi while simultaneously starting the Sufi devotional practices and the prescribed litanies. He visited Ajodhan each year to spend the month of Ramadan in the presence of Baba Farid. It was on his third visit to Ajodhan that Baba Farid made him his successor. Shortly after that, when Nizāmuddīn returned to Delhi, he received news that Baba Farid had died.

  

Chilla Nizamuddin Auliya, residence of Nizamuddin Auliya, towards the north-east from Humayun's tomb, Delhi

Nizāmuddīn lived at various places in Delhi, before finally settling down in Ghiyaspur, a neighbourhood in Delhi undisturbed by the noise and hustle of city life. He built his Khanqah here, a place where people from all walks of life were fed, where he imparted spiritual education to others and he had his own quarters. Before long, the Khanqah became a place thronged with all kinds of people, rich and poor alike.

 

Many of his disciples achieved spiritual height, including Shaikh Nasiruddin Muhammad Chirag-e-Delhi,[6] and Amir Khusro,[5] noted scholar/musician, and the royal poet of the Delhi Sultanate.

 

He died on the morning of 3 April 1325. His shrine, the Nizamuddin Dargah, is located in Delhi.[7] and the present structure was built in 1562. The shrine is visited by people of all faiths, through the year, though it becomes a place for special congregation during the death anniversaries, or Urs, of Nizamuddin Auliya and Amīr Khusro,[4] who is also buried at the Nizāmuddīn Dargāh.

 

Key beliefs[edit]

Besides believing in the traditional Sufi ideas of embracing God within this life (as opposed to the idea that such partial merger with God is possible only after death), by destroying the ego and cleansing the soul, and that this is possible through considerable efforts involving Sufi practices, Nizamuddin also expanded and practised the unique features introduced by past saints of the Chisti Sufi order in India. These included:

 

Emphasis on renunciation and having complete trust in God.

The unity of mankind and shunning distinctions based on social, economic, religious status.

Helping the needy, feeding the hungry and being sympathetic to the oppressed.

Strong disapproval of mixing with the Sultans, the princes and the nobles.

Exhortation in making close contact with the poor and the downtrodden

Adopting an uncompromising attitude towards all forms of political and social oppression.

A bold stance in favour of Sema, which some considered unislamic. Perhaps this was with the view that this was in consonance with the role of music in some modes of Hindu worship, could serve as a basis of contact with local people and would facilitate mutual adjustments between the two communities.[8] In fact Qawwali, a form of devotional music, was originally created by one his most cherished disciples: Amir Khusro.

Nizamuddin did not much bother about the theoretical aspects of Sufism, believing rather that it were the practical aspects that counted, as it was anyway not possible to describe the diversified mystical experiences called spiritual states or stations which a practicing Sufi encountered. He discouraged the demonstration of Keramat and emphasised that it was obligatory for the Auliya (which roughly means the friends of God) to hide the ability of Keramat from the commoners. He also was quite generous in accepting disciples. Usually whoever came to him saying that he wanted to become a disciple was granted that favour. This resulted in him being always surrounded by people from all strata of society.

 

Ancestral history[edit]

The eldest son of 'Alī al-Naqī was Ḥasan al-'Askarī and the other son was Ja'far Bukhārī. After the death of 'Ali al-Naqi, Hasan al-Askari became the accepted Imām of both Shī'ah and Sunnī Muslims. Ḥasan al-'Askarī was killed at the age of 28. He had one son, Muḥammad al-Mahdī, who, at the age of five after the death of his father, disappeared from public view. That was in the time of the 'Abbāsid Caliphs. Knowing about the killings of all the Imāms and family members of the descendants of Muḥammad, Ja'far Bukhārī migrated to Bukhara in Uzbekistan[citation needed]. After a few generations, one of his descendants called 'Alī, known as Dāniyāl, the grandfather of Nizāmuddīn Auliyā', migrated to the city of Badāyūn in Uttar Pradesh, India.

 

Ancestral lineage[edit]

Muhammad

'Alī bin Abī Ṭālib

Husayn bin 'Alī

'Alī bin al-Husayn Zayn-ul'Ābidīn

Muḥammad al-Bāqir

Ja'far al-Ṣādiq

Mūsā al-Kāḍhim

'Alī al-Riḍā

Muḥammad al-Taqī

'Alī al-Naqī

Ja'far Bukhārī

'Alī Aṣghar Bukhārī

Abī 'Abdullāh Bukhārī

Aḥmad Bukhārī

'Alī Bukhārī

Husayn Bukhārī

'Abdullāh Bukhārī

'Alī, known as Dāniyāl

Aḥmad Badāyūnī

Nizāmuddīn Auliyā'

 

Spiritual history[edit]

  

Mughal princess Jahan Ara's tomb (left), Nizamuddin Auliya's tomb (right) and Jama'at Khana Masjid (background), at Nizamuddin Dargah complex, in Nizamuddin West, Delhi

He was merely sixteen or seventeen years old when he first heard the name of Farīduddīn Ganjshakar, and feelings of love and respect arose in his heart right then. He narrates to his disciples that he never felt the same after hearing or even meeting any other Sufi. The love kept increasing like a burning fire. If his classmates would like to have some work out of him they used to invoke the name of Bābā Farīd, and he never refused anything asked in his name. He didn't feel the same for anyone else in his entire lifetime. He became his disciple after completing his studies at the age of 20. He visited him thrice in his lifetime.

 

Spiritual lineage[edit]

Muhammad

'Alī bin Abī Ṭālib

al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī

'Abdul Wāḥid Bin Zaid Abul Faḍl

Fuḍail Bin 'Iyyādh Bin Mas'ūd Bin Bishr al-Tamīmī

Ibrāhīm bin Adham

Hudhaifah al-Mar'ashī

Abu Hubairah Basri

Mumshad 'Uluw al-Dinawarī

Start of the Chishti Order:

 

Abū Isḥāq al-Shāmī

Abū Aḥmad Abdāl

Abū Muḥammad bin Abī Aḥmad

Abū Yūsuf bin Sāmān

Maudūd Chishtī

Sharīf Zandānī

Usmān al-Hārūnī

Mu'īnuddīn Chishtī

Quṭbuddīn Bakhtiyār Kākī

Farīduddīn Mas'ūd

Nizāmuddīn Auliyā'

Students[edit]

He had more than 600 khalifas (a khalifa is a disciple who is given the authority to take his own disciples and thus propagate the spiritual lineage) who continued his lineage all over the world. Some of his most famous disciples are:

 

Nasiruddin Chiragh Dehlavi[edit]

He was the spiritual successor of Nizamuddin Auliya. He is considered fifth amongst the big five of the Chisti order in India (the others being Moinuddin Chishti, Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, Fariduddin Ganjshakar, Nizamuddin Auliya). His shrine is in Chirag Dilli, New Delhi, India.

 

Amīr Khusro[edit]

He was the most loved disciple of his master. He was so close to his master that once Nizāmuddīn Auliyā' said, "If sharī'ah allows me I would like him to be buried with me in the same grave."[citation needed] He also said that whoever comes to visit his grave must visit the grave of Amīr Khusro first and then his. He died within a few months of his master's death. He was buried at the feet of his master. His shrine is in Nizāmuddīn Dargāh, New Delhi.

 

Akhi Siraj Aainae Hind[edit]

He was given the title of Āainae-Hind (Mirror of India) by Nizāmuddīn Auliyā' and lived with him for a long time. He was amongst the earliest disciples of Nizāmuddīn Auliyā', who sent him to Bengal. His shrine is in Gaur, West Bengal.

 

Burhanuddin Gharib[edit]

He is also amongst the earliest disciples of Nizamuddin Auliya and lived with the master until his last breath. After the death of Nizamuddin Auliya, he went to the Deccan, and the place where he lived became famous thereby. His shrine is in Khuldabad in Maharashtra.

 

Jalaluddin Bhandari[edit]

He is also amongst the earliest disciples of Nizamuddin Auliya. He ran the Langar khana of Nizamuddin Auliya. After the death of Nizamuddin Auliya, he went to the Deccan with Burhanuddin Gharib, and became famous by the name of Bhandari. His shrine is in Fatehabad in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra.

 

Syed Mahmood Kashkinakar[edit]

He holds a very special position in Islamic mysticism. He is believed to be alive in the invisible world even after his death in the visible world. There are miracles in the literature of the Chisti order which are attributed to this.

 

Ajan Fakir[edit]

Ansari

 

Quotations[edit]

The wilayat (domain) of gnosis and faith can suffer decay. The wilayat of compassion can not.

The love of Auliya (saints) is stronger than their reason.

The lock of spiritual perfection has very many keys. All those keys are to be possessed. If one does not open it, others can.

He who has knowledge, reason, and love, is deserving to become a caliph of the Sufi sheikhs.

So long as is possible, give relief to your heart, because the heart of a good Muslim is the palace of the manifestations of Allah.

Descendants[edit]

Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia had only one sister named Bibi Ruqayya who is buried next to Bibi Zulekha, the mother of Khwaja Nizamuddin Aulia in Adhchini village in Delhi.Nizamuddin Auliya did not marry. He brought his Pir/Shaikh's grandson named Khwaja Muhammad Imam, who was the son of Bibi Fatima (Daughter of Baba Farid and Badruddin is'haq)as mentioned in Seyrul Aulia book, Nizami bansari, The life and time of Khwaja Nizamuddin Aulia by Khaliq Ahmed Nizami. Still the descendents of Khwaja Muhammad Imam are the caretakers of dargah sharif.

 

The Chisti Nizami order[edit]

Main article: Chishti Order

Nizamuddin Auliya was the founder of the Chisti Nizami order. He had hundreds of disciples (khalifa) who had Ijaza (khilafat) from him to spread the order. Many of the Sufis of the Chisti Nizami order are recognised as great Sufis; the following is a list of notable Sufis of the Chisti Nizami order, which includes his descendants as well as his disciples:

 

Muhammad Hussaini Gisudaraz Bandanawaz, Gulbarga (near Hyderabad), Karnataka; Alaul Haq Pandavi & Noor Qutb-e-Alam Pandwi, Pandua, West Bengal; Ashraf Jahangir Semnani, Kichaucha, Uttar Pradesh; Faqruddin Faqr Dehlvi, Mehrauli, New Delhi; Shah Niyaz Ahmad Barelvi, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh; Shafruddin Ali Ahmed & Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Chirag Dilli, New Delhi; Zainuddin Shirazi, Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh; Muhiuddin Yousuf Yahya Madani Chishti, Medina; Kaleemullah Dehlvi Chishti, Delhi; Nizamuddin Aurangabadi; Nizamuddin Hussain, and Meerza Agha Mohammad; Muhammad Sulman Taunswi, Pakistan, Mohammad Meera Hussaini, Hesamuddin Mankpuri.

 

Branches[edit]

Nizamuddin Auliya was an unparalleled Sufi of his time amongst all the existing Sufi orders of that time. Many of his contemporaries were doubtless very powerful spiritual leaders, but he was the most famous of all. In his career of approximately 70 years as a Sufi he saw the reign of seven rulers of the Delhi sultanate. The kings were very loyal to him and respectful of him. When he first arrived as the Qutb of Delhi he settled down at a lonely place on the outskirts of Delhi, Ghyaspur. But he became so famous that Ghyaspur became the main hub of Delhi and so densely populated that he wanted to leave that place but did not. He was buried in the campus of his khanqah. Ghyaspur is now a central locality of New Delhi, and is known after his name Nizamuddin. The area is so vast that it is divided into four parts: Nizamuddin Dargah (where his shrine is situated), Nizamuddin East, Nizamuddin West and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station.

 

The Chisti order branched out with Nizamuddin Auliya to form the Chisti Nizami order. A parallel branch which started with Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari, another disciple of Baba Farid, was the Chisti Sabiri branch. People started adding Nizami gracefully after their name. He spiritually made many great Sufis amongst his students, descendants and the Sufis of the Nizami order.

 

The branches of the Chisti Nizami order are as follows:

 

Naseeria[edit]

His disciple Nasiruddin Muhammad Chirag-e-Dehli started the Nizamia Naseeria branch.

 

Hussainia[edit]

The Hussainia branch is named for Muhammad Hussaini Gisudaraz Bandanawaz. He was the most famous and loved disciple of Nasiruddin Muhammad Chirag-e-Dehli. The khanqah he established in Gulbarga, Karnataka is still in existence.

 

Niyazia[edit]

Shah Niyaz Ahmad Barelvi, in the 19th century started the Niyazia branch.

 

Serajia[edit]

The Nizamia Serajia branch was started by Serajuddin Aqi Seraj. This branch is also known as Chistia Serajia.

 

Ashrafia[edit]

The Chistia Ashrafia branch was started by Ashraf Jahangir Semnani. He established a khanqah, still in existence at Kichaucha sharif, Uttar Pradesh, India.

 

One of the kings of the Delhi sultanate during Nizamuddin Auliya lifetime was Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah, the last ruler of the Khilji dynasty. Legend has it that disrespect of Nizamuddin Auliya caused the king's death. Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah used to assemble all the leading figures and famous personalities of Delhi in his court every weekend. Once a courtier complained to him that Nizamuudin Auliya never came to the court. The King declared, "Order him in my name to come to my weekend gathering, else he will be hanged." When Nizamuddin Auliya's disciple, Amir Khusrau, related this to his master, he ignored the message, and did not even answer. As the weekend approached, his disciples became concerned for his life. On the day before the weekend, Nizamuddin Auliya went to the grave of his mother and came back looking unperturbed, telling his disciples to go home and sleep as usual. The next morning, everyone was very tense and worried, but Nizamuddin Auliya remained unperturbed. Shortly, news came that there had been a rebellion in the palace, and the king had been brutally killed.

 

Titles[edit]

MEHBOOB-E-ILAHI (Beloved of Ilahi).

 

2. SULTAN-UL MASHAIKH (King of Masha'ikh).

 

3. IMAM-UL-MEHBOOBEEN (Leader of Mehboobeen).

 

4. MALIQ-UL FUQRA WAL MASAQEEN.

 

6. TAJ-UL MUQQARABEEN.

 

5. MEHFIL-E SUKHAN (Attraction in the Gathering).

 

7. ZARI’ZAR BAKSH (Distributor of Gold and Silver).

 

8. NIZAMUDDIN BA'HATH (The Debator).

 

9. MEHFIL-E SHIKAN (The breaker of assemblies)

 

10. TABIB-E DIL (Healer of the heart)

 

11. GAUS-UL ALAM (Gaus of World)

 

12. JAG UJIYARE (Light for the World)

 

Urs[edit]

The Urs (death anniversary) of Nizamuddin Auliya is celebrated at the Nizamuddin Dargah on the 17th of Rabi II (Rabi-ul-Aaqir), and that of Amir Khusro on the 18th of Shawwal. Those who wish to visit the shrine of his holiness for ziarat, Langar, nazar niyaz and Dua are welcome to visit and contact Sajjada Nashin, descandant & Incharge KHWAJA AFZAL NIZAMI, Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Mehboobe Elahi, New Delhi.

 

Naqshband Sahib is a holy Muslim place of worship and solace situated in Jammu & Kashmir. Named after Khwaja Syed Bha-u-Deen Naqshband, it invites people from all religions and is open all round the year. This shrine is also known as ziyarat or ‘the pious visit’..

Highly regarded by followers of Muslim, this shrine is a mausoleum and it was the last resting place of Hazrat Khwaja Naqshband Sahib’s descendant. Naqshband Sahib also embraces a graveyard, which was originally a part of the shrine compound. The nearest local bazaar or market is also named after Naqshband Sahib as Khwaja Bazzar. This shrine resides in Nowhatta on the road that links to Jamia Masjid and Dastgir Sahib..

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edicated to the name of Khawaja Syed Bha-u-Deen Naqsaband, this shrine was built in 17th century by Great Emperor Shah Jahan. Despite naming it on the name of this well known Bukhara mystic, he virtually could never visit it and his followers made a khankah in his name. In this khankah is the corpse of one of his descendants buried under in a vault. Urs or prayers are observed on the 3rd day of Hijri month..

The place also holds religious significance as the sacred hair of Prophet Mohammed was kept here before shifting it to Hazratbal Mosque..

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Naqshband Shrine is unique in its style and architecture. This shrine has been made mainly by wooden panels and beams. However, they are finely carved in pinjra-kari style of art work. The inside of this shrine is an astounding view of intricate hand painted papier-mâché work. There are window style arcs on the walls that are equally decorated with bold colours and golden outlines. The ceiling is painted in gold known as Khatamband work with the floors covered with wall-to-wall carpets. In centre comprises a main shrine that is again covered with cloth with pillars at the four corners where people offer their prayers..

This is a typical shrine with alternate layers of wood and brick. This structure helps to reduce impact to sustains against natural

I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Allah’s peace be upon Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), the glorious Prophet of Islam, and on his Companions and his followers.

  

TASAWWUF

"There is no doubt that Tasawwuf is an important branch of Islam. The word itself may have been derived form the Arabic word "Soof" (Wool) or from "Safa" (cleanliness), but its foundation lies in one’s personal sincerity in seeking Allah’s nearness and trying to live a life pleasing to Him. Study of the Quran, the Hadith, and the practical life of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and his faithful Companions provide unmistakable support to this reality." (Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A)

 

SUFISM, AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ISLAM

Doubts exist not only in the minds of the Muslim faithful but also among the Ulema, notably the exoteric about Tasawwuf and its votaries. Often they lead to misunderstanding, as if Shariah and Tariqah were two separate entries, or that Tasawwuf was some obscure discipline foreign to Islam, or that it was altogether above the established laws and injunctions of our Religion. To help remove these misgivings and to reassure seekers, as well as scholars, our Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), Sheikh Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia, wrote Al-Jamal Wal Kamal, Aqaid-O-Kamalaat Ulmai-e-Deoband, Binat-e-Rasool (S.A.W), Daamad-e-Ali (R.A), Dalael-us-Salook, Ejaad-e-Mazhab Shia, Hayat-un-Nabi (S.A.W), Hayat Barzakhia, Ilm-o-Irfan, Niffaz-e-Shariat Aur Fiqah-e-Jaferia, Saif-e-Owaisi, Shikast-e-Ahdai Hussain and Tahkeek Halal Haram books.

 

BIOGRAPHY

Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chakrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The very year, he met Shaykh Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Shaykh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was right away established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years. In 1962 he was directed to carry out the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular enthusiasm and devotion for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss as per his/her sincerity and capacity. Shaykh Allah Yar Khan's mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and distinction.

 

Although Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A) have lived a major portion of his life as a scholar, with the avowed mission of illuminating the truth of Islam and the negation of fallacious sects, and this would appear quite removed from Tasawwuf, yet the only practical difference between the two, namely the use of the former as a media to expound the truth, and the latter to imbue people with positive faith. Nevertheless, people are amazed that a man, who until the other day, was known as a dialectician and a preacher of Islam, is not only talking of Mystic Path, but is also claiming spiritual bonds with the veteran Sufi Masters of the Past. This amazement is obviously out of place in the view of Quranic injunction: This is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills. (62:4)

 

THE PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL

The purification of the soul always formed part of the main mission of the Prophets; that is, the dissemination and propagation of the Devine Message. This responsibility later fell directly on the shoulders of the true Ulema in the Ummah of the last Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), who, as his genuine successors, have continued to shed brave light in every Dark Age of materialism and sacrilege. In the present age of ruinous confusion, the importance of this responsibility has increased manifold; of the utter neglect of Islam by Muslims has not only driven them to misery, but also grievously weakened their bonds of faith in Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). The decay in their belief and consequent perversion in their conduct has reached a stage that any attempt to pull them out of the depth of ignominy and the heedless chaos of faithlessness, attracts grave uncertainties and apprehensions rather than a encouraging will to follow the Shariah, to purify the soul and to reform within. The Quranic Verse: Layers upon layers of darkness… (24:40) provides the nearest expression of their present state.

 

SHARIAH & SUFISM

Any action against the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) cannot be called Sufism. Singing and dancing, and the prostration on tombs are not part of Sufism. Nor is predicting the future and predicting the outcome of cases in the courts of law, a part of Sufism. Sufis are not required to abandon their worldly possessions or live in the wilderness far from the practical world. In fact these absurdities are just its opposites. It is an established fact that Tazkiyah (soul purification) stands for that inner purity which inspires a person’s spirit to obey the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If a false claimant of Sufism teaches tricks and jugglery, ignoring religious obligations, he is an impostor. A true Sheikh will lead a believer to the august spiritual audience of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If you are fortunate enough to be blessed with the company of an accomplished spiritual guide and Sheikh of Sufism, and if you follow his instructions, you will observe a positive change in yourself, transferring you from vice to virtue.

 

ISLAM, AS A COMPLETE CODE OF LIFE

Islam, as a complete code of life or Deen, was perfected during the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). He was the sole teacher and his mosque was the core institution for the community. Although Islam in its entirety was practiced during that blessed era, the classification and compilation of its knowledge into distinct branches like ‘Tafsir’ (interpretation of the Quran), Hadith (traditions or sayings of the holy Prophet- SAWS), Fiqh (Islamic law), and Sufism (the soul purification) were undertaken subsequently. This Deen of Allah passed from the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) to his illustrious Companions in two ways: the outward and the inward. The former comprised the knowledge defined by speech and conduct, i.e., the Quran and Sunnah. The latter comprised the invisible blessings or the Prophetic lights transmitted by his blessed self. These blessings purified the hearts and instilled in them a passionate desire to follow Islam with utmost love, honesty and loyalty.

 

WHAT’S SUFISM

Sufism is the attempt to attain these Barakah (Blessings). The Companions handed down Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) teachings as well as blessings to the Taba’een. Their strong hearts were capable of infusing these blessings into the hearts of their followers. Both aspects of Islam were similarly passed on by the Taba’een to the Taba Taba’een. The compilation of knowledge and its interpretation led to the establishment of many schools of religious thought; famous four being the Hanafi, the Hanbali, the Maliki, and the Shafa'i, all named after their founders. Similarly, in order to acquire, safeguard and distribute his blessings, an organized effort was initiated by four schools of Sufism: The Naqshbandia, the Qadria, the Chishtia, and the Suharwardia. These schools were also named after their organizers and came to be known as Sufi Orders. All these Orders intend to purify the hearts of sincere Muslims with Prophetic lights. These Sufi Orders also grew into many branches with the passage of time and are known by other names as well. The holy Quran has linked success in this life and the Hereafter with Tazkiyah (soul purification). He, who purified, is successful. (87: 14) Sufi Orders of Islam are the institutions where the basics of Tazkiyah (soul purification) and its practical application are taught. They have graded programs in which every new seeker is instructed in Zikr-e Lisani (oral Zikr) and is finally taught the Zikr-e Qalbi (Remembrance in heart).

 

ZIKR-E QALBI

However, in the Naqshbandia Order, Zikr-e Qalbi is practiced from the very beginning. Adherence to the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) is greatly emphasized in this Order, because the seeker achieves greater and quicker progress through its blessings. The essence of Zikr is that the Qalb should sincerely accept Islamic beliefs and gain the strength to follow the Sunnah with even greater devotion. ‘If the heart is acquainted with Allah and is engaged in His Zikr; then it is filled with Barakaat-e Nabuwwat (Prophetic blessings) which infuse their purity in the mind and body. This not only helps in controlling sensual drives but also removes traces of abhorrence, voracity, envy and insecurity from human soul. The person therefore becomes an embodiment of love, both for the Divine and the corporeal. This is the meaning of a Hadith, “There is a lump of flesh in the human body; if it goes astray the entire body is misguided, and if it is reformed the entire body is reformed. Know that this lump is the Qalb”.’

 

PAS ANFAS

Recent History Khawajah Naqshband (d. 1389 CE) organized the Naqshbandia Order at Bukhara (Central Asia). This Order has two main branches – the Mujaddidia and the Owaisiah. The former is identified with Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi, known as Mujaddid Alif Sani (literally: reviver of the second Muslim millennium), a successor to Khawajah Baqi Billah, who introduced the Order to the Indo- Pakistan sub-continent. The Owaisiah Order employs a similar method of Zikr but acquires the Prophetic blessings in the manner of Khawajah Owais Qarni, who received this beneficence from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) without a formal physical meeting. The Zikr employed by the Naqshbandia is ‘Zikr-e Khafi Qalbi’ (remembrance of Allah’s Name within the heart) and the method is termed ‘Pas Anfas’, which (in Persian) means guarding every breath. The Chain of Transmission of these Barakah, of course, emanates from the holy Prophet- SAWS.

 

SPIRITUAL BAI’AT (OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

It is necessary in all Sufi Orders that the Sheikh and the seekers must be contemporaries and must physically meet each other for the transfer of these blessings. However, the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order goes beyond this requirement and Sufis of this Order receive these Barakah regardless of physical meeting with their Sheikh or even when the Sheikh is not their contemporary. Yet, it must be underscored that physical meeting with the Sheikh of this Order still holds great importance in dissemination of these Barakah. Sheikh Sirhindi writes about the Owaisiah Order in his book ‘Tazkirah’: ‘It is the most sublime, the most exalted, and the most effective…and the highest station of all others is only its stepping stone.’ By far the greatest singular distinction of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order is the honor of Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance) directly at the blessed hands of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).

 

SHEIKH HAZRAT MOULANA ALLAH YAR KHAN (R.A)

The Reviver Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chikrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The same year, he met Sheikh ‘Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Sheikh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was immediately established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century CE) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years, after which he was directed to undertake the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular zeal and dedication for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss commensurate with his/her sincerity and capacity. Sheikh Allah Yar Khan’s mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and eminence. He authored eighteen books, the most distinguished being Dalael us-Sulook (Sufism - An Objective Appraisal), Hayat-e Barzakhiah (Life Beyond Life) and Israr ul- Haramain (Secrets of the two holy Mosques). He was undoubtedly one of the most distinguished Sufi saints of the Muslim Ummah and a reviver of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order. He passed away on 18 February 1984 in Islamabad at the age of eighty.

 

THE CHAIN OF TRANSMISSION OF NAQSHBANDIA OWAISIAH

1. Hazrat Muhammad ur-Rasool Allah (Sall Allah-o Alaihi wa Sallam), 2. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Radhi Allah-o Unho), 3. Hazrat Imam Hassan Basri (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 4. Hazrat Daud Tai (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 5. Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 6. Hazrat Ubaid Ullah Ahrar (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 7. Hazrat Abdur Rahman Jami (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 8. Hazrat Abu Ayub Muhammad Salih (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 9. Hazrat Allah Deen Madni (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 10. Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi).

 

THE SPIRIT OR RUH

The spirit or Ruh of every person is a created reflection of the Divine Attributes and it originates in Alam-e Amar (Realm of Command). Its food is the Light of Allah or the Divine Refulgence, which it acquires from the Realm of Command through the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him), whose status in the spiritual world is like that of the sun in the solar system. The Quran refers to him as the ‘bright lamp’. Indeed, he is the divinely selected channel of all Barakah. All Exalted Messengers themselves receive these Barakah from him.

 

LATAIF

The human Ruh also possesses vital organs like the physical body; through which it acquires its knowledge, food and energy. These are called Lataif (singular Latifah: subtlety). Scholars of various Sufi Orders have associated them with specific areas of the human body. The Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order identifies these Lataif as follows. First - Qalb: This spiritual faculty is located within the physical heart. Its function is Zikr. Its strength increases one’s capacity for Allah’s Zikr. Second – Ruh: The site of this Latifah, which is a distinct faculty of the human Ruh, is on the right side of the chest at the level of Qalb. Its primary function is concentration towards Allah. Third – Sirri: This is located above the Qalb and functions to make possible Kashf. Forth – Khaffi: This is located above the Ruh and functions to perceive the omnipresence of Allah. Fifth – Akhfa: This is located in the middle of chest, at the centre of the first four Lataif and makes it possible for the Ruh to perceive the closeness of Allah, Who is closer to us than our own selves. Sixth – Nafs: This Latifah is located at the forehead and functions to purify the human soul. Seventh – Sultan al-Azkar: This Latifah is located at the top centre of the head and serves to absorb the Barakah of Allah into the entire body, so that every cell resonates with Zikr.

 

FIVE EXALTED MESSENGERS OF GOD

There are Five Exalted Messengers among the many known and unknown Messengers of Allah. They are Hazrat Muhammad, Hazrat Nuh (Noah), Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham), Hazrat Musa (Moses), and Hazrat Esa (Jesus), peace be upon them all. Hazrat Adam is the first Prophet of Allah and the father of mankind. Each Latifah is associated with a particular Prophet. The Barakah and lights from Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him), descend on the first Latifah Qalb; its lights are reflected from the first heaven and are yellowish. The second Latifah is associated with Hazrat Nuh and Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon them). Its lights descend from the second heaven and appear as golden red. The lights descending upon the third Latifah are from Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) and are white. One the fourth Latifah, the lights of Hazrat Esa (peace be upon him) descend from the fourth heaven and are deep blue. The fifth Latifah receives its Barakah directly from the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him). The lights associated with this Latifah are green, descend from the fifth heaven, and overwhelm all the first four Lataif. The Lights descending upon the sixth and seventh Lataif are the Divine Lights, whose color and condition cannot be determined. These are like flashes of lightening that defy comprehension. If Allah blesses a seeker with Kashf, he can observe all of this. The vision is slightly diffused in the beginning, but gradually the clarity improves.

 

SULOOK

Stages of the Path After all seven Lataif of a seeker have been illuminated with Divine Lights through Tawajjuh of the Sheikh and his Ruh has acquired the ability to fly, the Sheikh initiates its journey on the sublime Path of Divine nearness. The Path is known as Sulook, and its stages are not hypothetical imaginations but real and actually existing stations on the spiritual Path. These are also referred to as Meditations, because a seeker mentally meditates about a station while his/her Ruh actually ascends towards it. The first three stations that form the base of whole Sulook are described as; Ahadiyyat, a station of Absolute Unity of Divinity. It is above and beyond the seven heavens. It is so vast a station that the seven heavens and all that they encompass are lost within Ahadiyyat as a ring is lost in a vast desert. Its lights are white in color. Maiyyat station denotes Divine Company, ‘He is with you, wherever you might be.’ This station is so vast that Ahadiyyat along with the seven heavens beneath are lost within it as a ring is lost in a desert. Its lights are green in color. Aqrabiyyat station denotes Divine Nearness, ‘He is nearer to you than your life- vein.’ Again, Aqrabiyyat is vast as compared to Maiyyat in the same proportion. Its lights are golden red and are reflected from the Divine Throne. It is indeed the greatest favor of Almighty Allah that He blesses a seeker with an accomplished Sheikh, who takes him to these sublime stations. The final station that a seeker attains to during his/her lifetime becomes his/her Iliyyeen (blessed abode) in Barzakh and his/her Ruh stays at this station after death.

  

ZIKR

Why is Zikr Necessary for Everyone? Allah ordains every soul in the Quran to Perform Zikr. This not only means reciting the Quran and Tasbeeh but also Zikr-e Qalb. It is only through Zikr-e Qalbi that Prophetic Lights reach the depths of human soul and purify it from all vice and evil. Zikr infuses a realization of constant Divine Presence and a seeker feels great improvement in the level of sincerity and love towards Allah and the holy Prophet- SAWS. Such levels of sincerity, love and feelings of Divine Presence can never be obtained without Zikr. It would be a mistake to believe that Zikr may be a requirement only for the very pious and virtuous people. Zikr provides the Prophetic blessings which are in effect the life line of every human soul. It transforms even the most corrupted humans into virtuous souls by bringing out the best in them. The fact is that Zikr is the only way to achieve true contentment and satisfaction in life. The holy Quran has pointed to this eternal fact that it is only through Zikr Allah that hearts can find satisfaction. Such satisfaction and peace are the ultimate requirements of every person, regardless of religion, race and ethnicity. Practicing Zikr regularly removes all traces of anxiety and restlessness, and guides the human soul to eternal bliss and peace.

 

KHALIFA MAJAZEEN

Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), during his life time in 1974, presented a nomination list to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), during Maraqba, of expected Khalifa Majazeen for Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) approved some names, deleted some of the names, and added down the name of Major Ghulam Muhammad as also Khalifa Majaaz of Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia (which was not previously included in the list)

 

The approved names at that time included:

1. Mr. Muhammad Akram Awan Sahib,

2. Mr. Sayed Bunyad Hussain Shah Sahib,

3. Mr. Major Ahsan Baig Sahib,

4. Mr. Col. Matloob Hussain Sahib,

5. Mr. Major Ghulam Muhammad Sahib of Wan Bhachran Mianwali,

6. Mr. Molvi Abdul Haq Sahib,

7. Mr. Hafiz Abdul Razzaq Sahib,

8. Mr. Hafiz Ghulam Qadri Sahib,

9. Mr. Khan Muhammad Irani Sahib,

10. Mr. Maolana Abdul Ghafoor Sahib,

11. Mr. Syed Muhammad Hassan Sahib of Zohb.

 

These Majazeen were authorized to; held Majalis of Zikar (Pas Anfas) in their respective areas, arrange Majalis of Zikar in neighboring areas, train them on the way of Sulook, prepare them for Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance), and present them to Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan for Spiritual Bai’at at the Hand of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), in the life of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), and were all equal in status as Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).

 

Presently we are following Hazrat Major ® Ghulam Muhammad Sahib, Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).

Srinagar.

Sufi Haidar Ali Dargah Wa Khanqah Jahangiri Asvi Bismillahi Jari Mari Kurla Andheri Road Mumbai

Khanqah-e-Moula is situated in Srinagar, on the banks of the river Jhelum. One of the oldest Muslim shrines in Kashmir, the khanqah was built by Sultan Sikander built in 1395. The Khanqah is a wooden structure whose chief aesthetic feature is its beautifully carved eaves and hanging bells. The interiors are richly carved and painted, and the antique chandeliers give it an air of opulence. The Khanqah-i-Mualla is dedicated to Muslim preacher Mir Syed Ali Hamdani..

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Also known as Shah Hamadan, the preacher came to Kashmir from the city of Hamadan in Persia in the 13th century. He is believed to be responsible for the spread of Islam in Kashmir. The Shah stayed in Kashmir for many years and then left for Central Asia via Ladakh. He also built a mosque at Shey (near Leh). The shrine gains a special significance on 6th of Zilhaj (last month of Muslim calendar), the death anniversary of Mir Syed Ali Hamadni. On this day, devotees visit the shrine in large numbers to pay a tribute to Shah Hamadan..

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The Khanqah of Shah Hamadan was the first mosque to be built in Srinagar. The Shah used to meditate and offer his prayers daily on the banks of river Jhelum, at the same spot where the shrine now stands. The Khanqah of Shah Hamadan in Kashmir has undergone ruination a couple of times. The year 1480 saw the shrine being ruined in a devastating fire. Later, the shrine was reconstructed and restored by the then ruler Sultan Hassan Shah. Again, in 1493 AD, Khanqah-e-Moula was demolished and reconstructed in two-stories. A fire again struck the shrine in 1731 AD leading to first its destruction and then renovation by Abul Barkat Khan.

I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Allah’s peace be upon Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), the glorious Prophet of Islam, and on his Companions and his followers.

  

TASAWWUF

"There is no doubt that Tasawwuf is an important branch of Islam. The word itself may have been derived form the Arabic word "Soof" (Wool) or from "Safa" (cleanliness), but its foundation lies in one’s personal sincerity in seeking Allah’s nearness and trying to live a life pleasing to Him. Study of the Quran, the Hadith, and the practical life of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and his faithful Companions provide unmistakable support to this reality." (Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A)

 

SUFISM, AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ISLAM

Doubts exist not only in the minds of the Muslim faithful but also among the Ulema, notably the exoteric about Tasawwuf and its votaries. Often they lead to misunderstanding, as if Shariah and Tariqah were two separate entries, or that Tasawwuf was some obscure discipline foreign to Islam, or that it was altogether above the established laws and injunctions of our Religion. To help remove these misgivings and to reassure seekers, as well as scholars, our Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), Sheikh Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia, wrote Al-Jamal Wal Kamal, Aqaid-O-Kamalaat Ulmai-e-Deoband, Binat-e-Rasool (S.A.W), Daamad-e-Ali (R.A), Dalael-us-Salook, Ejaad-e-Mazhab Shia, Hayat-un-Nabi (S.A.W), Hayat Barzakhia, Ilm-o-Irfan, Niffaz-e-Shariat Aur Fiqah-e-Jaferia, Saif-e-Owaisi, Shikast-e-Ahdai Hussain and Tahkeek Halal Haram books.

 

BIOGRAPHY

Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chakrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The very year, he met Shaykh Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Shaykh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was right away established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years. In 1962 he was directed to carry out the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular enthusiasm and devotion for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss as per his/her sincerity and capacity. Shaykh Allah Yar Khan's mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and distinction.

 

Although Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A) have lived a major portion of his life as a scholar, with the avowed mission of illuminating the truth of Islam and the negation of fallacious sects, and this would appear quite removed from Tasawwuf, yet the only practical difference between the two, namely the use of the former as a media to expound the truth, and the latter to imbue people with positive faith. Nevertheless, people are amazed that a man, who until the other day, was known as a dialectician and a preacher of Islam, is not only talking of Mystic Path, but is also claiming spiritual bonds with the veteran Sufi Masters of the Past. This amazement is obviously out of place in the view of Quranic injunction: This is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills. (62:4)

 

THE PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL

The purification of the soul always formed part of the main mission of the Prophets; that is, the dissemination and propagation of the Devine Message. This responsibility later fell directly on the shoulders of the true Ulema in the Ummah of the last Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), who, as his genuine successors, have continued to shed brave light in every Dark Age of materialism and sacrilege. In the present age of ruinous confusion, the importance of this responsibility has increased manifold; of the utter neglect of Islam by Muslims has not only driven them to misery, but also grievously weakened their bonds of faith in Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). The decay in their belief and consequent perversion in their conduct has reached a stage that any attempt to pull them out of the depth of ignominy and the heedless chaos of faithlessness, attracts grave uncertainties and apprehensions rather than a encouraging will to follow the Shariah, to purify the soul and to reform within. The Quranic Verse: Layers upon layers of darkness… (24:40) provides the nearest expression of their present state.

 

SHARIAH & SUFISM

Any action against the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) cannot be called Sufism. Singing and dancing, and the prostration on tombs are not part of Sufism. Nor is predicting the future and predicting the outcome of cases in the courts of law, a part of Sufism. Sufis are not required to abandon their worldly possessions or live in the wilderness far from the practical world. In fact these absurdities are just its opposites. It is an established fact that Tazkiyah (soul purification) stands for that inner purity which inspires a person’s spirit to obey the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If a false claimant of Sufism teaches tricks and jugglery, ignoring religious obligations, he is an impostor. A true Sheikh will lead a believer to the august spiritual audience of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If you are fortunate enough to be blessed with the company of an accomplished spiritual guide and Sheikh of Sufism, and if you follow his instructions, you will observe a positive change in yourself, transferring you from vice to virtue.

 

ISLAM, AS A COMPLETE CODE OF LIFE

Islam, as a complete code of life or Deen, was perfected during the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). He was the sole teacher and his mosque was the core institution for the community. Although Islam in its entirety was practiced during that blessed era, the classification and compilation of its knowledge into distinct branches like ‘Tafsir’ (interpretation of the Quran), Hadith (traditions or sayings of the holy Prophet- SAWS), Fiqh (Islamic law), and Sufism (the soul purification) were undertaken subsequently. This Deen of Allah passed from the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) to his illustrious Companions in two ways: the outward and the inward. The former comprised the knowledge defined by speech and conduct, i.e., the Quran and Sunnah. The latter comprised the invisible blessings or the Prophetic lights transmitted by his blessed self. These blessings purified the hearts and instilled in them a passionate desire to follow Islam with utmost love, honesty and loyalty.

 

WHAT’S SUFISM

Sufism is the attempt to attain these Barakah (Blessings). The Companions handed down Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) teachings as well as blessings to the Taba’een. Their strong hearts were capable of infusing these blessings into the hearts of their followers. Both aspects of Islam were similarly passed on by the Taba’een to the Taba Taba’een. The compilation of knowledge and its interpretation led to the establishment of many schools of religious thought; famous four being the Hanafi, the Hanbali, the Maliki, and the Shafa'i, all named after their founders. Similarly, in order to acquire, safeguard and distribute his blessings, an organized effort was initiated by four schools of Sufism: The Naqshbandia, the Qadria, the Chishtia, and the Suharwardia. These schools were also named after their organizers and came to be known as Sufi Orders. All these Orders intend to purify the hearts of sincere Muslims with Prophetic lights. These Sufi Orders also grew into many branches with the passage of time and are known by other names as well. The holy Quran has linked success in this life and the Hereafter with Tazkiyah (soul purification). He, who purified, is successful. (87: 14) Sufi Orders of Islam are the institutions where the basics of Tazkiyah (soul purification) and its practical application are taught. They have graded programs in which every new seeker is instructed in Zikr-e Lisani (oral Zikr) and is finally taught the Zikr-e Qalbi (Remembrance in heart).

 

ZIKR-E QALBI

However, in the Naqshbandia Order, Zikr-e Qalbi is practiced from the very beginning. Adherence to the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) is greatly emphasized in this Order, because the seeker achieves greater and quicker progress through its blessings. The essence of Zikr is that the Qalb should sincerely accept Islamic beliefs and gain the strength to follow the Sunnah with even greater devotion. ‘If the heart is acquainted with Allah and is engaged in His Zikr; then it is filled with Barakaat-e Nabuwwat (Prophetic blessings) which infuse their purity in the mind and body. This not only helps in controlling sensual drives but also removes traces of abhorrence, voracity, envy and insecurity from human soul. The person therefore becomes an embodiment of love, both for the Divine and the corporeal. This is the meaning of a Hadith, “There is a lump of flesh in the human body; if it goes astray the entire body is misguided, and if it is reformed the entire body is reformed. Know that this lump is the Qalb”.’

 

PAS ANFAS

Recent History Khawajah Naqshband (d. 1389 CE) organized the Naqshbandia Order at Bukhara (Central Asia). This Order has two main branches – the Mujaddidia and the Owaisiah. The former is identified with Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi, known as Mujaddid Alif Sani (literally: reviver of the second Muslim millennium), a successor to Khawajah Baqi Billah, who introduced the Order to the Indo- Pakistan sub-continent. The Owaisiah Order employs a similar method of Zikr but acquires the Prophetic blessings in the manner of Khawajah Owais Qarni, who received this beneficence from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) without a formal physical meeting. The Zikr employed by the Naqshbandia is ‘Zikr-e Khafi Qalbi’ (remembrance of Allah’s Name within the heart) and the method is termed ‘Pas Anfas’, which (in Persian) means guarding every breath. The Chain of Transmission of these Barakah, of course, emanates from the holy Prophet- SAWS.

 

SPIRITUAL BAI’AT (OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

It is necessary in all Sufi Orders that the Sheikh and the seekers must be contemporaries and must physically meet each other for the transfer of these blessings. However, the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order goes beyond this requirement and Sufis of this Order receive these Barakah regardless of physical meeting with their Sheikh or even when the Sheikh is not their contemporary. Yet, it must be underscored that physical meeting with the Sheikh of this Order still holds great importance in dissemination of these Barakah. Sheikh Sirhindi writes about the Owaisiah Order in his book ‘Tazkirah’: ‘It is the most sublime, the most exalted, and the most effective…and the highest station of all others is only its stepping stone.’ By far the greatest singular distinction of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order is the honor of Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance) directly at the blessed hands of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).

 

SHEIKH HAZRAT MOULANA ALLAH YAR KHAN (R.A)

The Reviver Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chikrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The same year, he met Sheikh ‘Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Sheikh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was immediately established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century CE) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years, after which he was directed to undertake the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular zeal and dedication for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss commensurate with his/her sincerity and capacity. Sheikh Allah Yar Khan’s mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and eminence. He authored eighteen books, the most distinguished being Dalael us-Sulook (Sufism - An Objective Appraisal), Hayat-e Barzakhiah (Life Beyond Life) and Israr ul- Haramain (Secrets of the two holy Mosques). He was undoubtedly one of the most distinguished Sufi saints of the Muslim Ummah and a reviver of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order. He passed away on 18 February 1984 in Islamabad at the age of eighty.

 

THE CHAIN OF TRANSMISSION OF NAQSHBANDIA OWAISIAH

1. Hazrat Muhammad ur-Rasool Allah (Sall Allah-o Alaihi wa Sallam), 2. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Radhi Allah-o Unho), 3. Hazrat Imam Hassan Basri (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 4. Hazrat Daud Tai (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 5. Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 6. Hazrat Ubaid Ullah Ahrar (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 7. Hazrat Abdur Rahman Jami (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 8. Hazrat Abu Ayub Muhammad Salih (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 9. Hazrat Allah Deen Madni (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 10. Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi).

 

THE SPIRIT OR RUH

The spirit or Ruh of every person is a created reflection of the Divine Attributes and it originates in Alam-e Amar (Realm of Command). Its food is the Light of Allah or the Divine Refulgence, which it acquires from the Realm of Command through the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him), whose status in the spiritual world is like that of the sun in the solar system. The Quran refers to him as the ‘bright lamp’. Indeed, he is the divinely selected channel of all Barakah. All Exalted Messengers themselves receive these Barakah from him.

 

LATAIF

The human Ruh also possesses vital organs like the physical body; through which it acquires its knowledge, food and energy. These are called Lataif (singular Latifah: subtlety). Scholars of various Sufi Orders have associated them with specific areas of the human body. The Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order identifies these Lataif as follows. First - Qalb: This spiritual faculty is located within the physical heart. Its function is Zikr. Its strength increases one’s capacity for Allah’s Zikr. Second – Ruh: The site of this Latifah, which is a distinct faculty of the human Ruh, is on the right side of the chest at the level of Qalb. Its primary function is concentration towards Allah. Third – Sirri: This is located above the Qalb and functions to make possible Kashf. Forth – Khaffi: This is located above the Ruh and functions to perceive the omnipresence of Allah. Fifth – Akhfa: This is located in the middle of chest, at the centre of the first four Lataif and makes it possible for the Ruh to perceive the closeness of Allah, Who is closer to us than our own selves. Sixth – Nafs: This Latifah is located at the forehead and functions to purify the human soul. Seventh – Sultan al-Azkar: This Latifah is located at the top centre of the head and serves to absorb the Barakah of Allah into the entire body, so that every cell resonates with Zikr.

 

FIVE EXALTED MESSENGERS OF GOD

There are Five Exalted Messengers among the many known and unknown Messengers of Allah. They are Hazrat Muhammad, Hazrat Nuh (Noah), Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham), Hazrat Musa (Moses), and Hazrat Esa (Jesus), peace be upon them all. Hazrat Adam is the first Prophet of Allah and the father of mankind. Each Latifah is associated with a particular Prophet. The Barakah and lights from Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him), descend on the first Latifah Qalb; its lights are reflected from the first heaven and are yellowish. The second Latifah is associated with Hazrat Nuh and Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon them). Its lights descend from the second heaven and appear as golden red. The lights descending upon the third Latifah are from Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) and are white. One the fourth Latifah, the lights of Hazrat Esa (peace be upon him) descend from the fourth heaven and are deep blue. The fifth Latifah receives its Barakah directly from the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him). The lights associated with this Latifah are green, descend from the fifth heaven, and overwhelm all the first four Lataif. The Lights descending upon the sixth and seventh Lataif are the Divine Lights, whose color and condition cannot be determined. These are like flashes of lightening that defy comprehension. If Allah blesses a seeker with Kashf, he can observe all of this. The vision is slightly diffused in the beginning, but gradually the clarity improves.

 

SULOOK

Stages of the Path After all seven Lataif of a seeker have been illuminated with Divine Lights through Tawajjuh of the Sheikh and his Ruh has acquired the ability to fly, the Sheikh initiates its journey on the sublime Path of Divine nearness. The Path is known as Sulook, and its stages are not hypothetical imaginations but real and actually existing stations on the spiritual Path. These are also referred to as Meditations, because a seeker mentally meditates about a station while his/her Ruh actually ascends towards it. The first three stations that form the base of whole Sulook are described as; Ahadiyyat, a station of Absolute Unity of Divinity. It is above and beyond the seven heavens. It is so vast a station that the seven heavens and all that they encompass are lost within Ahadiyyat as a ring is lost in a vast desert. Its lights are white in color. Maiyyat station denotes Divine Company, ‘He is with you, wherever you might be.’ This station is so vast that Ahadiyyat along with the seven heavens beneath are lost within it as a ring is lost in a desert. Its lights are green in color. Aqrabiyyat station denotes Divine Nearness, ‘He is nearer to you than your life- vein.’ Again, Aqrabiyyat is vast as compared to Maiyyat in the same proportion. Its lights are golden red and are reflected from the Divine Throne. It is indeed the greatest favor of Almighty Allah that He blesses a seeker with an accomplished Sheikh, who takes him to these sublime stations. The final station that a seeker attains to during his/her lifetime becomes his/her Iliyyeen (blessed abode) in Barzakh and his/her Ruh stays at this station after death.

  

ZIKR

Why is Zikr Necessary for Everyone? Allah ordains every soul in the Quran to Perform Zikr. This not only means reciting the Quran and Tasbeeh but also Zikr-e Qalb. It is only through Zikr-e Qalbi that Prophetic Lights reach the depths of human soul and purify it from all vice and evil. Zikr infuses a realization of constant Divine Presence and a seeker feels great improvement in the level of sincerity and love towards Allah and the holy Prophet- SAWS. Such levels of sincerity, love and feelings of Divine Presence can never be obtained without Zikr. It would be a mistake to believe that Zikr may be a requirement only for the very pious and virtuous people. Zikr provides the Prophetic blessings which are in effect the life line of every human soul. It transforms even the most corrupted humans into virtuous souls by bringing out the best in them. The fact is that Zikr is the only way to achieve true contentment and satisfaction in life. The holy Quran has pointed to this eternal fact that it is only through Zikr Allah that hearts can find satisfaction. Such satisfaction and peace are the ultimate requirements of every person, regardless of religion, race and ethnicity. Practicing Zikr regularly removes all traces of anxiety and restlessness, and guides the human soul to eternal bliss and peace.

 

KHALIFA MAJAZEEN

Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), during his life time in 1974, presented a nomination list to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), during Maraqba, of expected Khalifa Majazeen for Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) approved some names, deleted some of the names, and added down the name of Major Ghulam Muhammad as also Khalifa Majaaz of Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia (which was not previously included in the list)

 

The approved names at that time included:

1. Mr. Muhammad Akram Awan Sahib,

2. Mr. Sayed Bunyad Hussain Shah Sahib,

3. Mr. Major Ahsan Baig Sahib,

4. Mr. Col. Matloob Hussain Sahib,

5. Mr. Major Ghulam Muhammad Sahib of Wan Bhachran Mianwali,

6. Mr. Molvi Abdul Haq Sahib,

7. Mr. Hafiz Abdul Razzaq Sahib,

8. Mr. Hafiz Ghulam Qadri Sahib,

9. Mr. Khan Muhammad Irani Sahib,

10. Mr. Maolana Abdul Ghafoor Sahib,

11. Mr. Syed Muhammad Hassan Sahib of Zohb.

 

These Majazeen were authorized to; held Majalis of Zikar (Pas Anfas) in their respective areas, arrange Majalis of Zikar in neighboring areas, train them on the way of Sulook, prepare them for Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance), and present them to Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan for Spiritual Bai’at at the Hand of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), in the life of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), and were all equal in status as Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).

 

Presently we are following Hazrat Major ® Ghulam Muhammad Sahib, Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).

Khanqah-e-Moula is situated in Srinagar, on the banks of the river Jhelum. One of the oldest Muslim shrines in Kashmir, the khanqah was built by Sultan Sikander built in 1395. The Khanqah is a wooden structure whose chief aesthetic feature is its beautifully carved eaves and hanging bells. The interiors are richly carved and painted, and the antique chandeliers give it an air of opulence. The Khanqah-i-Mualla is dedicated to Muslim preacher Mir Syed Ali Hamdani..

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Also known as Shah Hamadan, the preacher came to Kashmir from the city of Hamadan in Persia in the 13th century. He is believed to be responsible for the spread of Islam in Kashmir. The Shah stayed in Kashmir for many years and then left for Central Asia via Ladakh. He also built a mosque at Shey (near Leh). The shrine gains a special significance on 6th of Zilhaj (last month of Muslim calendar), the death anniversary of Mir Syed Ali Hamadni. On this day, devotees visit the shrine in large numbers to pay a tribute to Shah Hamadan..

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The Khanqah of Shah Hamadan was the first mosque to be built in Srinagar. The Shah used to meditate and offer his prayers daily on the banks of river Jhelum, at the same spot where the shrine now stands. The Khanqah of Shah Hamadan in Kashmir has undergone ruination a couple of times. The year 1480 saw the shrine being ruined in a devastating fire. Later, the shrine was reconstructed and restored by the then ruler Sultan Hassan Shah. Again, in 1493 AD, Khanqah-e-Moula was demolished and reconstructed in two-stories. A fire again struck the shrine in 1731 AD leading to first its destruction and then renovation by Abul Barkat Khan.

I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Allah’s peace be upon Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), the glorious Prophet of Islam, and on his Companions and his followers.

  

TASAWWUF

"There is no doubt that Tasawwuf is an important branch of Islam. The word itself may have been derived form the Arabic word "Soof" (Wool) or from "Safa" (cleanliness), but its foundation lies in one’s personal sincerity in seeking Allah’s nearness and trying to live a life pleasing to Him. Study of the Quran, the Hadith, and the practical life of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and his faithful Companions provide unmistakable support to this reality." (Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A)

 

SUFISM, AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ISLAM

Doubts exist not only in the minds of the Muslim faithful but also among the Ulema, notably the exoteric about Tasawwuf and its votaries. Often they lead to misunderstanding, as if Shariah and Tariqah were two separate entries, or that Tasawwuf was some obscure discipline foreign to Islam, or that it was altogether above the established laws and injunctions of our Religion. To help remove these misgivings and to reassure seekers, as well as scholars, our Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), Sheikh Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia, wrote Al-Jamal Wal Kamal, Aqaid-O-Kamalaat Ulmai-e-Deoband, Binat-e-Rasool (S.A.W), Daamad-e-Ali (R.A), Dalael-us-Salook, Ejaad-e-Mazhab Shia, Hayat-un-Nabi (S.A.W), Hayat Barzakhia, Ilm-o-Irfan, Niffaz-e-Shariat Aur Fiqah-e-Jaferia, Saif-e-Owaisi, Shikast-e-Ahdai Hussain and Tahkeek Halal Haram books.

 

BIOGRAPHY

Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chakrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The very year, he met Shaykh Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Shaykh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was right away established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years. In 1962 he was directed to carry out the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular enthusiasm and devotion for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss as per his/her sincerity and capacity. Shaykh Allah Yar Khan's mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and distinction.

 

Although Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A) have lived a major portion of his life as a scholar, with the avowed mission of illuminating the truth of Islam and the negation of fallacious sects, and this would appear quite removed from Tasawwuf, yet the only practical difference between the two, namely the use of the former as a media to expound the truth, and the latter to imbue people with positive faith. Nevertheless, people are amazed that a man, who until the other day, was known as a dialectician and a preacher of Islam, is not only talking of Mystic Path, but is also claiming spiritual bonds with the veteran Sufi Masters of the Past. This amazement is obviously out of place in the view of Quranic injunction: This is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills. (62:4)

 

THE PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL

The purification of the soul always formed part of the main mission of the Prophets; that is, the dissemination and propagation of the Devine Message. This responsibility later fell directly on the shoulders of the true Ulema in the Ummah of the last Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), who, as his genuine successors, have continued to shed brave light in every Dark Age of materialism and sacrilege. In the present age of ruinous confusion, the importance of this responsibility has increased manifold; of the utter neglect of Islam by Muslims has not only driven them to misery, but also grievously weakened their bonds of faith in Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). The decay in their belief and consequent perversion in their conduct has reached a stage that any attempt to pull them out of the depth of ignominy and the heedless chaos of faithlessness, attracts grave uncertainties and apprehensions rather than a encouraging will to follow the Shariah, to purify the soul and to reform within. The Quranic Verse: Layers upon layers of darkness… (24:40) provides the nearest expression of their present state.

 

SHARIAH & SUFISM

Any action against the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) cannot be called Sufism. Singing and dancing, and the prostration on tombs are not part of Sufism. Nor is predicting the future and predicting the outcome of cases in the courts of law, a part of Sufism. Sufis are not required to abandon their worldly possessions or live in the wilderness far from the practical world. In fact these absurdities are just its opposites. It is an established fact that Tazkiyah (soul purification) stands for that inner purity which inspires a person’s spirit to obey the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If a false claimant of Sufism teaches tricks and jugglery, ignoring religious obligations, he is an impostor. A true Sheikh will lead a believer to the august spiritual audience of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If you are fortunate enough to be blessed with the company of an accomplished spiritual guide and Sheikh of Sufism, and if you follow his instructions, you will observe a positive change in yourself, transferring you from vice to virtue.

 

ISLAM, AS A COMPLETE CODE OF LIFE

Islam, as a complete code of life or Deen, was perfected during the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). He was the sole teacher and his mosque was the core institution for the community. Although Islam in its entirety was practiced during that blessed era, the classification and compilation of its knowledge into distinct branches like ‘Tafsir’ (interpretation of the Quran), Hadith (traditions or sayings of the holy Prophet- SAWS), Fiqh (Islamic law), and Sufism (the soul purification) were undertaken subsequently. This Deen of Allah passed from the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) to his illustrious Companions in two ways: the outward and the inward. The former comprised the knowledge defined by speech and conduct, i.e., the Quran and Sunnah. The latter comprised the invisible blessings or the Prophetic lights transmitted by his blessed self. These blessings purified the hearts and instilled in them a passionate desire to follow Islam with utmost love, honesty and loyalty.

 

WHAT’S SUFISM

Sufism is the attempt to attain these Barakah (Blessings). The Companions handed down Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) teachings as well as blessings to the Taba’een. Their strong hearts were capable of infusing these blessings into the hearts of their followers. Both aspects of Islam were similarly passed on by the Taba’een to the Taba Taba’een. The compilation of knowledge and its interpretation led to the establishment of many schools of religious thought; famous four being the Hanafi, the Hanbali, the Maliki, and the Shafa'i, all named after their founders. Similarly, in order to acquire, safeguard and distribute his blessings, an organized effort was initiated by four schools of Sufism: The Naqshbandia, the Qadria, the Chishtia, and the Suharwardia. These schools were also named after their organizers and came to be known as Sufi Orders. All these Orders intend to purify the hearts of sincere Muslims with Prophetic lights. These Sufi Orders also grew into many branches with the passage of time and are known by other names as well. The holy Quran has linked success in this life and the Hereafter with Tazkiyah (soul purification). He, who purified, is successful. (87: 14) Sufi Orders of Islam are the institutions where the basics of Tazkiyah (soul purification) and its practical application are taught. They have graded programs in which every new seeker is instructed in Zikr-e Lisani (oral Zikr) and is finally taught the Zikr-e Qalbi (Remembrance in heart).

 

ZIKR-E QALBI

However, in the Naqshbandia Order, Zikr-e Qalbi is practiced from the very beginning. Adherence to the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) is greatly emphasized in this Order, because the seeker achieves greater and quicker progress through its blessings. The essence of Zikr is that the Qalb should sincerely accept Islamic beliefs and gain the strength to follow the Sunnah with even greater devotion. ‘If the heart is acquainted with Allah and is engaged in His Zikr; then it is filled with Barakaat-e Nabuwwat (Prophetic blessings) which infuse their purity in the mind and body. This not only helps in controlling sensual drives but also removes traces of abhorrence, voracity, envy and insecurity from human soul. The person therefore becomes an embodiment of love, both for the Divine and the corporeal. This is the meaning of a Hadith, “There is a lump of flesh in the human body; if it goes astray the entire body is misguided, and if it is reformed the entire body is reformed. Know that this lump is the Qalb”.’

 

PAS ANFAS

Recent History Khawajah Naqshband (d. 1389 CE) organized the Naqshbandia Order at Bukhara (Central Asia). This Order has two main branches – the Mujaddidia and the Owaisiah. The former is identified with Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi, known as Mujaddid Alif Sani (literally: reviver of the second Muslim millennium), a successor to Khawajah Baqi Billah, who introduced the Order to the Indo- Pakistan sub-continent. The Owaisiah Order employs a similar method of Zikr but acquires the Prophetic blessings in the manner of Khawajah Owais Qarni, who received this beneficence from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) without a formal physical meeting. The Zikr employed by the Naqshbandia is ‘Zikr-e Khafi Qalbi’ (remembrance of Allah’s Name within the heart) and the method is termed ‘Pas Anfas’, which (in Persian) means guarding every breath. The Chain of Transmission of these Barakah, of course, emanates from the holy Prophet- SAWS.

 

SPIRITUAL BAI’AT (OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

It is necessary in all Sufi Orders that the Sheikh and the seekers must be contemporaries and must physically meet each other for the transfer of these blessings. However, the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order goes beyond this requirement and Sufis of this Order receive these Barakah regardless of physical meeting with their Sheikh or even when the Sheikh is not their contemporary. Yet, it must be underscored that physical meeting with the Sheikh of this Order still holds great importance in dissemination of these Barakah. Sheikh Sirhindi writes about the Owaisiah Order in his book ‘Tazkirah’: ‘It is the most sublime, the most exalted, and the most effective…and the highest station of all others is only its stepping stone.’ By far the greatest singular distinction of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order is the honor of Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance) directly at the blessed hands of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).

 

SHEIKH HAZRAT MOULANA ALLAH YAR KHAN (R.A)

The Reviver Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chikrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The same year, he met Sheikh ‘Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Sheikh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was immediately established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century CE) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years, after which he was directed to undertake the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular zeal and dedication for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss commensurate with his/her sincerity and capacity. Sheikh Allah Yar Khan’s mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and eminence. He authored eighteen books, the most distinguished being Dalael us-Sulook (Sufism - An Objective Appraisal), Hayat-e Barzakhiah (Life Beyond Life) and Israr ul- Haramain (Secrets of the two holy Mosques). He was undoubtedly one of the most distinguished Sufi saints of the Muslim Ummah and a reviver of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order. He passed away on 18 February 1984 in Islamabad at the age of eighty.

 

THE CHAIN OF TRANSMISSION OF NAQSHBANDIA OWAISIAH

1. Hazrat Muhammad ur-Rasool Allah (Sall Allah-o Alaihi wa Sallam), 2. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Radhi Allah-o Unho), 3. Hazrat Imam Hassan Basri (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 4. Hazrat Daud Tai (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 5. Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 6. Hazrat Ubaid Ullah Ahrar (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 7. Hazrat Abdur Rahman Jami (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 8. Hazrat Abu Ayub Muhammad Salih (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 9. Hazrat Allah Deen Madni (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 10. Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi).

 

THE SPIRIT OR RUH

The spirit or Ruh of every person is a created reflection of the Divine Attributes and it originates in Alam-e Amar (Realm of Command). Its food is the Light of Allah or the Divine Refulgence, which it acquires from the Realm of Command through the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him), whose status in the spiritual world is like that of the sun in the solar system. The Quran refers to him as the ‘bright lamp’. Indeed, he is the divinely selected channel of all Barakah. All Exalted Messengers themselves receive these Barakah from him.

 

LATAIF

The human Ruh also possesses vital organs like the physical body; through which it acquires its knowledge, food and energy. These are called Lataif (singular Latifah: subtlety). Scholars of various Sufi Orders have associated them with specific areas of the human body. The Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order identifies these Lataif as follows. First - Qalb: This spiritual faculty is located within the physical heart. Its function is Zikr. Its strength increases one’s capacity for Allah’s Zikr. Second – Ruh: The site of this Latifah, which is a distinct faculty of the human Ruh, is on the right side of the chest at the level of Qalb. Its primary function is concentration towards Allah. Third – Sirri: This is located above the Qalb and functions to make possible Kashf. Forth – Khaffi: This is located above the Ruh and functions to perceive the omnipresence of Allah. Fifth – Akhfa: This is located in the middle of chest, at the centre of the first four Lataif and makes it possible for the Ruh to perceive the closeness of Allah, Who is closer to us than our own selves. Sixth – Nafs: This Latifah is located at the forehead and functions to purify the human soul. Seventh – Sultan al-Azkar: This Latifah is located at the top centre of the head and serves to absorb the Barakah of Allah into the entire body, so that every cell resonates with Zikr.

 

FIVE EXALTED MESSENGERS OF GOD

There are Five Exalted Messengers among the many known and unknown Messengers of Allah. They are Hazrat Muhammad, Hazrat Nuh (Noah), Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham), Hazrat Musa (Moses), and Hazrat Esa (Jesus), peace be upon them all. Hazrat Adam is the first Prophet of Allah and the father of mankind. Each Latifah is associated with a particular Prophet. The Barakah and lights from Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him), descend on the first Latifah Qalb; its lights are reflected from the first heaven and are yellowish. The second Latifah is associated with Hazrat Nuh and Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon them). Its lights descend from the second heaven and appear as golden red. The lights descending upon the third Latifah are from Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) and are white. One the fourth Latifah, the lights of Hazrat Esa (peace be upon him) descend from the fourth heaven and are deep blue. The fifth Latifah receives its Barakah directly from the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him). The lights associated with this Latifah are green, descend from the fifth heaven, and overwhelm all the first four Lataif. The Lights descending upon the sixth and seventh Lataif are the Divine Lights, whose color and condition cannot be determined. These are like flashes of lightening that defy comprehension. If Allah blesses a seeker with Kashf, he can observe all of this. The vision is slightly diffused in the beginning, but gradually the clarity improves.

 

SULOOK

Stages of the Path After all seven Lataif of a seeker have been illuminated with Divine Lights through Tawajjuh of the Sheikh and his Ruh has acquired the ability to fly, the Sheikh initiates its journey on the sublime Path of Divine nearness. The Path is known as Sulook, and its stages are not hypothetical imaginations but real and actually existing stations on the spiritual Path. These are also referred to as Meditations, because a seeker mentally meditates about a station while his/her Ruh actually ascends towards it. The first three stations that form the base of whole Sulook are described as; Ahadiyyat, a station of Absolute Unity of Divinity. It is above and beyond the seven heavens. It is so vast a station that the seven heavens and all that they encompass are lost within Ahadiyyat as a ring is lost in a vast desert. Its lights are white in color. Maiyyat station denotes Divine Company, ‘He is with you, wherever you might be.’ This station is so vast that Ahadiyyat along with the seven heavens beneath are lost within it as a ring is lost in a desert. Its lights are green in color. Aqrabiyyat station denotes Divine Nearness, ‘He is nearer to you than your life- vein.’ Again, Aqrabiyyat is vast as compared to Maiyyat in the same proportion. Its lights are golden red and are reflected from the Divine Throne. It is indeed the greatest favor of Almighty Allah that He blesses a seeker with an accomplished Sheikh, who takes him to these sublime stations. The final station that a seeker attains to during his/her lifetime becomes his/her Iliyyeen (blessed abode) in Barzakh and his/her Ruh stays at this station after death.

  

ZIKR

Why is Zikr Necessary for Everyone? Allah ordains every soul in the Quran to Perform Zikr. This not only means reciting the Quran and Tasbeeh but also Zikr-e Qalb. It is only through Zikr-e Qalbi that Prophetic Lights reach the depths of human soul and purify it from all vice and evil. Zikr infuses a realization of constant Divine Presence and a seeker feels great improvement in the level of sincerity and love towards Allah and the holy Prophet- SAWS. Such levels of sincerity, love and feelings of Divine Presence can never be obtained without Zikr. It would be a mistake to believe that Zikr may be a requirement only for the very pious and virtuous people. Zikr provides the Prophetic blessings which are in effect the life line of every human soul. It transforms even the most corrupted humans into virtuous souls by bringing out the best in them. The fact is that Zikr is the only way to achieve true contentment and satisfaction in life. The holy Quran has pointed to this eternal fact that it is only through Zikr Allah that hearts can find satisfaction. Such satisfaction and peace are the ultimate requirements of every person, regardless of religion, race and ethnicity. Practicing Zikr regularly removes all traces of anxiety and restlessness, and guides the human soul to eternal bliss and peace.

 

KHALIFA MAJAZEEN

Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), during his life time in 1974, presented a nomination list to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), during Maraqba, of expected Khalifa Majazeen for Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) approved some names, deleted some of the names, and added down the name of Major Ghulam Muhammad as also Khalifa Majaaz of Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia (which was not previously included in the list)

 

The approved names at that time included:

1. Mr. Muhammad Akram Awan Sahib,

2. Mr. Sayed Bunyad Hussain Shah Sahib,

3. Mr. Major Ahsan Baig Sahib,

4. Mr. Col. Matloob Hussain Sahib,

5. Mr. Major Ghulam Muhammad Sahib of Wan Bhachran Mianwali,

6. Mr. Molvi Abdul Haq Sahib,

7. Mr. Hafiz Abdul Razzaq Sahib,

8. Mr. Hafiz Ghulam Qadri Sahib,

9. Mr. Khan Muhammad Irani Sahib,

10. Mr. Maolana Abdul Ghafoor Sahib,

11. Mr. Syed Muhammad Hassan Sahib of Zohb.

 

These Majazeen were authorized to; held Majalis of Zikar (Pas Anfas) in their respective areas, arrange Majalis of Zikar in neighboring areas, train them on the way of Sulook, prepare them for Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance), and present them to Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan for Spiritual Bai’at at the Hand of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), in the life of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), and were all equal in status as Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).

 

Presently we are following Hazrat Major ® Ghulam Muhammad Sahib, Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).

I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Allah’s peace be upon Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), the glorious Prophet of Islam, and on his Companions and his followers.

  

TASAWWUF

"There is no doubt that Tasawwuf is an important branch of Islam. The word itself may have been derived form the Arabic word "Soof" (Wool) or from "Safa" (cleanliness), but its foundation lies in one’s personal sincerity in seeking Allah’s nearness and trying to live a life pleasing to Him. Study of the Quran, the Hadith, and the practical life of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and his faithful Companions provide unmistakable support to this reality." (Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A)

 

SUFISM, AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ISLAM

Doubts exist not only in the minds of the Muslim faithful but also among the Ulema, notably the exoteric about Tasawwuf and its votaries. Often they lead to misunderstanding, as if Shariah and Tariqah were two separate entries, or that Tasawwuf was some obscure discipline foreign to Islam, or that it was altogether above the established laws and injunctions of our Religion. To help remove these misgivings and to reassure seekers, as well as scholars, our Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), Sheikh Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia, wrote Al-Jamal Wal Kamal, Aqaid-O-Kamalaat Ulmai-e-Deoband, Binat-e-Rasool (S.A.W), Daamad-e-Ali (R.A), Dalael-us-Salook, Ejaad-e-Mazhab Shia, Hayat-un-Nabi (S.A.W), Hayat Barzakhia, Ilm-o-Irfan, Niffaz-e-Shariat Aur Fiqah-e-Jaferia, Saif-e-Owaisi, Shikast-e-Ahdai Hussain and Tahkeek Halal Haram books.

 

BIOGRAPHY

Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chakrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The very year, he met Shaykh Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Shaykh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was right away established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years. In 1962 he was directed to carry out the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular enthusiasm and devotion for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss as per his/her sincerity and capacity. Shaykh Allah Yar Khan's mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and distinction.

 

Although Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A) have lived a major portion of his life as a scholar, with the avowed mission of illuminating the truth of Islam and the negation of fallacious sects, and this would appear quite removed from Tasawwuf, yet the only practical difference between the two, namely the use of the former as a media to expound the truth, and the latter to imbue people with positive faith. Nevertheless, people are amazed that a man, who until the other day, was known as a dialectician and a preacher of Islam, is not only talking of Mystic Path, but is also claiming spiritual bonds with the veteran Sufi Masters of the Past. This amazement is obviously out of place in the view of Quranic injunction: This is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills. (62:4)

 

THE PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL

The purification of the soul always formed part of the main mission of the Prophets; that is, the dissemination and propagation of the Devine Message. This responsibility later fell directly on the shoulders of the true Ulema in the Ummah of the last Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), who, as his genuine successors, have continued to shed brave light in every Dark Age of materialism and sacrilege. In the present age of ruinous confusion, the importance of this responsibility has increased manifold; of the utter neglect of Islam by Muslims has not only driven them to misery, but also grievously weakened their bonds of faith in Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). The decay in their belief and consequent perversion in their conduct has reached a stage that any attempt to pull them out of the depth of ignominy and the heedless chaos of faithlessness, attracts grave uncertainties and apprehensions rather than a encouraging will to follow the Shariah, to purify the soul and to reform within. The Quranic Verse: Layers upon layers of darkness… (24:40) provides the nearest expression of their present state.

 

SHARIAH & SUFISM

Any action against the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) cannot be called Sufism. Singing and dancing, and the prostration on tombs are not part of Sufism. Nor is predicting the future and predicting the outcome of cases in the courts of law, a part of Sufism. Sufis are not required to abandon their worldly possessions or live in the wilderness far from the practical world. In fact these absurdities are just its opposites. It is an established fact that Tazkiyah (soul purification) stands for that inner purity which inspires a person’s spirit to obey the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If a false claimant of Sufism teaches tricks and jugglery, ignoring religious obligations, he is an impostor. A true Sheikh will lead a believer to the august spiritual audience of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If you are fortunate enough to be blessed with the company of an accomplished spiritual guide and Sheikh of Sufism, and if you follow his instructions, you will observe a positive change in yourself, transferring you from vice to virtue.

 

ISLAM, AS A COMPLETE CODE OF LIFE

Islam, as a complete code of life or Deen, was perfected during the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). He was the sole teacher and his mosque was the core institution for the community. Although Islam in its entirety was practiced during that blessed era, the classification and compilation of its knowledge into distinct branches like ‘Tafsir’ (interpretation of the Quran), Hadith (traditions or sayings of the holy Prophet- SAWS), Fiqh (Islamic law), and Sufism (the soul purification) were undertaken subsequently. This Deen of Allah passed from the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) to his illustrious Companions in two ways: the outward and the inward. The former comprised the knowledge defined by speech and conduct, i.e., the Quran and Sunnah. The latter comprised the invisible blessings or the Prophetic lights transmitted by his blessed self. These blessings purified the hearts and instilled in them a passionate desire to follow Islam with utmost love, honesty and loyalty.

 

WHAT’S SUFISM

Sufism is the attempt to attain these Barakah (Blessings). The Companions handed down Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) teachings as well as blessings to the Taba’een. Their strong hearts were capable of infusing these blessings into the hearts of their followers. Both aspects of Islam were similarly passed on by the Taba’een to the Taba Taba’een. The compilation of knowledge and its interpretation led to the establishment of many schools of religious thought; famous four being the Hanafi, the Hanbali, the Maliki, and the Shafa'i, all named after their founders. Similarly, in order to acquire, safeguard and distribute his blessings, an organized effort was initiated by four schools of Sufism: The Naqshbandia, the Qadria, the Chishtia, and the Suharwardia. These schools were also named after their organizers and came to be known as Sufi Orders. All these Orders intend to purify the hearts of sincere Muslims with Prophetic lights. These Sufi Orders also grew into many branches with the passage of time and are known by other names as well. The holy Quran has linked success in this life and the Hereafter with Tazkiyah (soul purification). He, who purified, is successful. (87: 14) Sufi Orders of Islam are the institutions where the basics of Tazkiyah (soul purification) and its practical application are taught. They have graded programs in which every new seeker is instructed in Zikr-e Lisani (oral Zikr) and is finally taught the Zikr-e Qalbi (Remembrance in heart).

 

ZIKR-E QALBI

However, in the Naqshbandia Order, Zikr-e Qalbi is practiced from the very beginning. Adherence to the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) is greatly emphasized in this Order, because the seeker achieves greater and quicker progress through its blessings. The essence of Zikr is that the Qalb should sincerely accept Islamic beliefs and gain the strength to follow the Sunnah with even greater devotion. ‘If the heart is acquainted with Allah and is engaged in His Zikr; then it is filled with Barakaat-e Nabuwwat (Prophetic blessings) which infuse their purity in the mind and body. This not only helps in controlling sensual drives but also removes traces of abhorrence, voracity, envy and insecurity from human soul. The person therefore becomes an embodiment of love, both for the Divine and the corporeal. This is the meaning of a Hadith, “There is a lump of flesh in the human body; if it goes astray the entire body is misguided, and if it is reformed the entire body is reformed. Know that this lump is the Qalb”.’

 

PAS ANFAS

Recent History Khawajah Naqshband (d. 1389 CE) organized the Naqshbandia Order at Bukhara (Central Asia). This Order has two main branches – the Mujaddidia and the Owaisiah. The former is identified with Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi, known as Mujaddid Alif Sani (literally: reviver of the second Muslim millennium), a successor to Khawajah Baqi Billah, who introduced the Order to the Indo- Pakistan sub-continent. The Owaisiah Order employs a similar method of Zikr but acquires the Prophetic blessings in the manner of Khawajah Owais Qarni, who received this beneficence from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) without a formal physical meeting. The Zikr employed by the Naqshbandia is ‘Zikr-e Khafi Qalbi’ (remembrance of Allah’s Name within the heart) and the method is termed ‘Pas Anfas’, which (in Persian) means guarding every breath. The Chain of Transmission of these Barakah, of course, emanates from the holy Prophet- SAWS.

 

SPIRITUAL BAI’AT (OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

It is necessary in all Sufi Orders that the Sheikh and the seekers must be contemporaries and must physically meet each other for the transfer of these blessings. However, the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order goes beyond this requirement and Sufis of this Order receive these Barakah regardless of physical meeting with their Sheikh or even when the Sheikh is not their contemporary. Yet, it must be underscored that physical meeting with the Sheikh of this Order still holds great importance in dissemination of these Barakah. Sheikh Sirhindi writes about the Owaisiah Order in his book ‘Tazkirah’: ‘It is the most sublime, the most exalted, and the most effective…and the highest station of all others is only its stepping stone.’ By far the greatest singular distinction of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order is the honor of Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance) directly at the blessed hands of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).

 

SHEIKH HAZRAT MOULANA ALLAH YAR KHAN (R.A)

The Reviver Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chikrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The same year, he met Sheikh ‘Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Sheikh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was immediately established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century CE) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years, after which he was directed to undertake the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular zeal and dedication for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss commensurate with his/her sincerity and capacity. Sheikh Allah Yar Khan’s mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and eminence. He authored eighteen books, the most distinguished being Dalael us-Sulook (Sufism - An Objective Appraisal), Hayat-e Barzakhiah (Life Beyond Life) and Israr ul- Haramain (Secrets of the two holy Mosques). He was undoubtedly one of the most distinguished Sufi saints of the Muslim Ummah and a reviver of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order. He passed away on 18 February 1984 in Islamabad at the age of eighty.

 

THE CHAIN OF TRANSMISSION OF NAQSHBANDIA OWAISIAH

1. Hazrat Muhammad ur-Rasool Allah (Sall Allah-o Alaihi wa Sallam), 2. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Radhi Allah-o Unho), 3. Hazrat Imam Hassan Basri (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 4. Hazrat Daud Tai (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 5. Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 6. Hazrat Ubaid Ullah Ahrar (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 7. Hazrat Abdur Rahman Jami (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 8. Hazrat Abu Ayub Muhammad Salih (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 9. Hazrat Allah Deen Madni (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 10. Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi).

 

THE SPIRIT OR RUH

The spirit or Ruh of every person is a created reflection of the Divine Attributes and it originates in Alam-e Amar (Realm of Command). Its food is the Light of Allah or the Divine Refulgence, which it acquires from the Realm of Command through the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him), whose status in the spiritual world is like that of the sun in the solar system. The Quran refers to him as the ‘bright lamp’. Indeed, he is the divinely selected channel of all Barakah. All Exalted Messengers themselves receive these Barakah from him.

 

LATAIF

The human Ruh also possesses vital organs like the physical body; through which it acquires its knowledge, food and energy. These are called Lataif (singular Latifah: subtlety). Scholars of various Sufi Orders have associated them with specific areas of the human body. The Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order identifies these Lataif as follows. First - Qalb: This spiritual faculty is located within the physical heart. Its function is Zikr. Its strength increases one’s capacity for Allah’s Zikr. Second – Ruh: The site of this Latifah, which is a distinct faculty of the human Ruh, is on the right side of the chest at the level of Qalb. Its primary function is concentration towards Allah. Third – Sirri: This is located above the Qalb and functions to make possible Kashf. Forth – Khaffi: This is located above the Ruh and functions to perceive the omnipresence of Allah. Fifth – Akhfa: This is located in the middle of chest, at the centre of the first four Lataif and makes it possible for the Ruh to perceive the closeness of Allah, Who is closer to us than our own selves. Sixth – Nafs: This Latifah is located at the forehead and functions to purify the human soul. Seventh – Sultan al-Azkar: This Latifah is located at the top centre of the head and serves to absorb the Barakah of Allah into the entire body, so that every cell resonates with Zikr.

 

FIVE EXALTED MESSENGERS OF GOD

There are Five Exalted Messengers among the many known and unknown Messengers of Allah. They are Hazrat Muhammad, Hazrat Nuh (Noah), Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham), Hazrat Musa (Moses), and Hazrat Esa (Jesus), peace be upon them all. Hazrat Adam is the first Prophet of Allah and the father of mankind. Each Latifah is associated with a particular Prophet. The Barakah and lights from Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him), descend on the first Latifah Qalb; its lights are reflected from the first heaven and are yellowish. The second Latifah is associated with Hazrat Nuh and Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon them). Its lights descend from the second heaven and appear as golden red. The lights descending upon the third Latifah are from Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) and are white. One the fourth Latifah, the lights of Hazrat Esa (peace be upon him) descend from the fourth heaven and are deep blue. The fifth Latifah receives its Barakah directly from the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him). The lights associated with this Latifah are green, descend from the fifth heaven, and overwhelm all the first four Lataif. The Lights descending upon the sixth and seventh Lataif are the Divine Lights, whose color and condition cannot be determined. These are like flashes of lightening that defy comprehension. If Allah blesses a seeker with Kashf, he can observe all of this. The vision is slightly diffused in the beginning, but gradually the clarity improves.

 

SULOOK

Stages of the Path After all seven Lataif of a seeker have been illuminated with Divine Lights through Tawajjuh of the Sheikh and his Ruh has acquired the ability to fly, the Sheikh initiates its journey on the sublime Path of Divine nearness. The Path is known as Sulook, and its stages are not hypothetical imaginations but real and actually existing stations on the spiritual Path. These are also referred to as Meditations, because a seeker mentally meditates about a station while his/her Ruh actually ascends towards it. The first three stations that form the base of whole Sulook are described as; Ahadiyyat, a station of Absolute Unity of Divinity. It is above and beyond the seven heavens. It is so vast a station that the seven heavens and all that they encompass are lost within Ahadiyyat as a ring is lost in a vast desert. Its lights are white in color. Maiyyat station denotes Divine Company, ‘He is with you, wherever you might be.’ This station is so vast that Ahadiyyat along with the seven heavens beneath are lost within it as a ring is lost in a desert. Its lights are green in color. Aqrabiyyat station denotes Divine Nearness, ‘He is nearer to you than your life- vein.’ Again, Aqrabiyyat is vast as compared to Maiyyat in the same proportion. Its lights are golden red and are reflected from the Divine Throne. It is indeed the greatest favor of Almighty Allah that He blesses a seeker with an accomplished Sheikh, who takes him to these sublime stations. The final station that a seeker attains to during his/her lifetime becomes his/her Iliyyeen (blessed abode) in Barzakh and his/her Ruh stays at this station after death.

  

ZIKR

Why is Zikr Necessary for Everyone? Allah ordains every soul in the Quran to Perform Zikr. This not only means reciting the Quran and Tasbeeh but also Zikr-e Qalb. It is only through Zikr-e Qalbi that Prophetic Lights reach the depths of human soul and purify it from all vice and evil. Zikr infuses a realization of constant Divine Presence and a seeker feels great improvement in the level of sincerity and love towards Allah and the holy Prophet- SAWS. Such levels of sincerity, love and feelings of Divine Presence can never be obtained without Zikr. It would be a mistake to believe that Zikr may be a requirement only for the very pious and virtuous people. Zikr provides the Prophetic blessings which are in effect the life line of every human soul. It transforms even the most corrupted humans into virtuous souls by bringing out the best in them. The fact is that Zikr is the only way to achieve true contentment and satisfaction in life. The holy Quran has pointed to this eternal fact that it is only through Zikr Allah that hearts can find satisfaction. Such satisfaction and peace are the ultimate requirements of every person, regardless of religion, race and ethnicity. Practicing Zikr regularly removes all traces of anxiety and restlessness, and guides the human soul to eternal bliss and peace.

 

KHALIFA MAJAZEEN

Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), during his life time in 1974, presented a nomination list to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), during Maraqba, of expected Khalifa Majazeen for Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) approved some names, deleted some of the names, and added down the name of Major Ghulam Muhammad as also Khalifa Majaaz of Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia (which was not previously included in the list)

 

The approved names at that time included:

1. Mr. Muhammad Akram Awan Sahib,

2. Mr. Sayed Bunyad Hussain Shah Sahib,

3. Mr. Major Ahsan Baig Sahib,

4. Mr. Col. Matloob Hussain Sahib,

5. Mr. Major Ghulam Muhammad Sahib of Wan Bhachran Mianwali,

6. Mr. Molvi Abdul Haq Sahib,

7. Mr. Hafiz Abdul Razzaq Sahib,

8. Mr. Hafiz Ghulam Qadri Sahib,

9. Mr. Khan Muhammad Irani Sahib,

10. Mr. Maolana Abdul Ghafoor Sahib,

11. Mr. Syed Muhammad Hassan Sahib of Zohb.

 

These Majazeen were authorized to; held Majalis of Zikar (Pas Anfas) in their respective areas, arrange Majalis of Zikar in neighboring areas, train them on the way of Sulook, prepare them for Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance), and present them to Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan for Spiritual Bai’at at the Hand of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), in the life of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), and were all equal in status as Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).

 

Presently we are following Hazrat Major ® Ghulam Muhammad Sahib, Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).

La façade et l'intérieur sont couverts de reliefs en papier maché et de khatamband minutieusement colorés.

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In the same district with the Samanid mausoleum and Chashma-iy-Ayub, not far from the park, stands one of the most attractive ensembles, "Kosh-Madrasah", which are typical of Bukhara. The word "Kosh" means "double" and, indeed, these two educational institutions face one another across a narrow street. The first of them is Modari-khan Madrasah that was put up by Abdullakhan II (Abdulla-khan) on his mother's behalf. The date of erection 974 hijra (1566-67) is inscribed with majolica in verse above the entrance. As to composition it is a standard educational institution with a hostel for students and instructors around the courtyard, public halls of the mosque and lecture-rooms - darskhana - along both sides of portal in the interior of the building. The main front is richly faced with multicolor brick mosaic. The second building of Abdullakhan Madrasah was erected in 1588-90 and is an outstanding piece of medieval architecture.

 

Shaybanid ruler Abdullah Khan II (1556-1598) built the madrasa of Abdullah Khan in 1589-90, as a residential theological school to the southwest of Bukhara's city center (Shahristan). He located the structure immediately opposite his earlier Madar-i Khan Madrasa (b. 1566-67), thus creating another of Bukhara's typical double madrasa ensembles (kush madrasa). Abdullah Khan's madrasa was built during Bukhara's third and last great construction phase when numerous civic structures such as caravanserais, tims (markets), taks (domed market kiosks), hauz (lakes) and khanqahs (hospices). It is noted for its mastery of architectural form, plan and structure at a period of declining trade, political stability and lack of architectural innovation.

 

Although based on a traditional four-iwan madrasa type, the south-facing Abdullah Khan Madrasa departs from the typical rectangular or polygonal exterior envelope with a staggered west facade and two projections at the center of the north and east facades. The eastern features a turret in its northeastern corner, and the pentagonal projection to the north encloses a central domed chamber. A mosque and classrooms (darshkhana) flank the antechamber of the south-facing pishtaq, in the conventional manner. The chapel mosque, which occupies the madrasa's southeast corner, is independently rotated to face the qibla. This marks a significant development over earlier solutions, such as at the neighboring Madar-i Khan Madrasa where the entire building was rotated to meet the qibla requirement while maintaining an oblique street aligned façade. The Abdullah Khan Madrasa also deviates from the typical courtyard typology lined by standard student cells (hujra); here, narrow passages lead from rectangular or five-sided vestibules along the courtyard walls to multiple cells linked to one another. This layout increased the total number of cells and created a chamfered rectangular courtyard. Passageways leading inward from the two northern corners of the courtyard pass through two rooms and arrive at the minaret steps.

  

The front elevation of the madrasa is symmetrical with six arched loggias- three on each floor- flanking either side of a magnified pishtaq. Towers (guldasta) capped at the wall cornice buttresses the corners and frames the composition. The vaulted portal and loggias are adorned with rich majolica, mosaic inlay and glazed brickwork seen in Timurid constructions of the early sixteenth century. The interiors demonstrate a focus on form as opposed to the conventional post Timurid emphasis on color, fretwork and pattern. This is reflected in the use of simple bi-colored gypsum carving (kyrma and chaspak) on a white background instead of the traditional glazed tile and gilt kundal decoration. The structure reflects contemporary innovations in cross-arched roof structures, with diagonal and parallel placement of structural arches of vaults. Twelve-sided cupolas supported by vaults and pendentives cover the three tall octagonal chambers with arched galleries running along the perimeter.

  

Russian archaeological teams extensively restored the madrasa's exterior tile work in the 1950s. The volute arch and dado of the pishtaq display intricate floral patterns in majolica and are fine examples of contemporary workmanship. The neighboring construction of a trade market and increasing volume of tourist activity pose a growing threat to the monument.

 

Sources:

  

Azizkhodjayev, Alisher. 1997. Bukhara: An Oriental Gem. Tashkent: Chief Editorial Office of Publishing & Printing Concern, 89, 93.

  

Borodina, Iraida. 1987. Central Asia: Gems of 9th-19th Century Architecture. Moscow: Planeta Publishers, 130.

  

Hillenbrand, Robert. 1999. Islamic Architecture. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 230.

  

Prochazka, Amjad Bohumil. 1993. Bukhara: Architecture of the Islamic Cultural Sphere. Zurich: MARP, 46.

I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Allah’s peace be upon Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), the glorious Prophet of Islam, and on his Companions and his followers.

  

TASAWWUF

"There is no doubt that Tasawwuf is an important branch of Islam. The word itself may have been derived form the Arabic word "Soof" (Wool) or from "Safa" (cleanliness), but its foundation lies in one’s personal sincerity in seeking Allah’s nearness and trying to live a life pleasing to Him. Study of the Quran, the Hadith, and the practical life of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and his faithful Companions provide unmistakable support to this reality." (Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A)

 

SUFISM, AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ISLAM

Doubts exist not only in the minds of the Muslim faithful but also among the Ulema, notably the exoteric about Tasawwuf and its votaries. Often they lead to misunderstanding, as if Shariah and Tariqah were two separate entries, or that Tasawwuf was some obscure discipline foreign to Islam, or that it was altogether above the established laws and injunctions of our Religion. To help remove these misgivings and to reassure seekers, as well as scholars, our Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), Sheikh Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia, wrote Al-Jamal Wal Kamal, Aqaid-O-Kamalaat Ulmai-e-Deoband, Binat-e-Rasool (S.A.W), Daamad-e-Ali (R.A), Dalael-us-Salook, Ejaad-e-Mazhab Shia, Hayat-un-Nabi (S.A.W), Hayat Barzakhia, Ilm-o-Irfan, Niffaz-e-Shariat Aur Fiqah-e-Jaferia, Saif-e-Owaisi, Shikast-e-Ahdai Hussain and Tahkeek Halal Haram books.

 

BIOGRAPHY

Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chakrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The very year, he met Shaykh Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Shaykh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was right away established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years. In 1962 he was directed to carry out the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular enthusiasm and devotion for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss as per his/her sincerity and capacity. Shaykh Allah Yar Khan's mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and distinction.

 

Although Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A) have lived a major portion of his life as a scholar, with the avowed mission of illuminating the truth of Islam and the negation of fallacious sects, and this would appear quite removed from Tasawwuf, yet the only practical difference between the two, namely the use of the former as a media to expound the truth, and the latter to imbue people with positive faith. Nevertheless, people are amazed that a man, who until the other day, was known as a dialectician and a preacher of Islam, is not only talking of Mystic Path, but is also claiming spiritual bonds with the veteran Sufi Masters of the Past. This amazement is obviously out of place in the view of Quranic injunction: This is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills. (62:4)

 

THE PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL

The purification of the soul always formed part of the main mission of the Prophets; that is, the dissemination and propagation of the Devine Message. This responsibility later fell directly on the shoulders of the true Ulema in the Ummah of the last Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), who, as his genuine successors, have continued to shed brave light in every Dark Age of materialism and sacrilege. In the present age of ruinous confusion, the importance of this responsibility has increased manifold; of the utter neglect of Islam by Muslims has not only driven them to misery, but also grievously weakened their bonds of faith in Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). The decay in their belief and consequent perversion in their conduct has reached a stage that any attempt to pull them out of the depth of ignominy and the heedless chaos of faithlessness, attracts grave uncertainties and apprehensions rather than a encouraging will to follow the Shariah, to purify the soul and to reform within. The Quranic Verse: Layers upon layers of darkness… (24:40) provides the nearest expression of their present state.

 

SHARIAH & SUFISM

Any action against the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) cannot be called Sufism. Singing and dancing, and the prostration on tombs are not part of Sufism. Nor is predicting the future and predicting the outcome of cases in the courts of law, a part of Sufism. Sufis are not required to abandon their worldly possessions or live in the wilderness far from the practical world. In fact these absurdities are just its opposites. It is an established fact that Tazkiyah (soul purification) stands for that inner purity which inspires a person’s spirit to obey the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If a false claimant of Sufism teaches tricks and jugglery, ignoring religious obligations, he is an impostor. A true Sheikh will lead a believer to the august spiritual audience of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If you are fortunate enough to be blessed with the company of an accomplished spiritual guide and Sheikh of Sufism, and if you follow his instructions, you will observe a positive change in yourself, transferring you from vice to virtue.

 

ISLAM, AS A COMPLETE CODE OF LIFE

Islam, as a complete code of life or Deen, was perfected during the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). He was the sole teacher and his mosque was the core institution for the community. Although Islam in its entirety was practiced during that blessed era, the classification and compilation of its knowledge into distinct branches like ‘Tafsir’ (interpretation of the Quran), Hadith (traditions or sayings of the holy Prophet- SAWS), Fiqh (Islamic law), and Sufism (the soul purification) were undertaken subsequently. This Deen of Allah passed from the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) to his illustrious Companions in two ways: the outward and the inward. The former comprised the knowledge defined by speech and conduct, i.e., the Quran and Sunnah. The latter comprised the invisible blessings or the Prophetic lights transmitted by his blessed self. These blessings purified the hearts and instilled in them a passionate desire to follow Islam with utmost love, honesty and loyalty.

 

WHAT’S SUFISM

Sufism is the attempt to attain these Barakah (Blessings). The Companions handed down Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) teachings as well as blessings to the Taba’een. Their strong hearts were capable of infusing these blessings into the hearts of their followers. Both aspects of Islam were similarly passed on by the Taba’een to the Taba Taba’een. The compilation of knowledge and its interpretation led to the establishment of many schools of religious thought; famous four being the Hanafi, the Hanbali, the Maliki, and the Shafa'i, all named after their founders. Similarly, in order to acquire, safeguard and distribute his blessings, an organized effort was initiated by four schools of Sufism: The Naqshbandia, the Qadria, the Chishtia, and the Suharwardia. These schools were also named after their organizers and came to be known as Sufi Orders. All these Orders intend to purify the hearts of sincere Muslims with Prophetic lights. These Sufi Orders also grew into many branches with the passage of time and are known by other names as well. The holy Quran has linked success in this life and the Hereafter with Tazkiyah (soul purification). He, who purified, is successful. (87: 14) Sufi Orders of Islam are the institutions where the basics of Tazkiyah (soul purification) and its practical application are taught. They have graded programs in which every new seeker is instructed in Zikr-e Lisani (oral Zikr) and is finally taught the Zikr-e Qalbi (Remembrance in heart).

 

ZIKR-E QALBI

However, in the Naqshbandia Order, Zikr-e Qalbi is practiced from the very beginning. Adherence to the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) is greatly emphasized in this Order, because the seeker achieves greater and quicker progress through its blessings. The essence of Zikr is that the Qalb should sincerely accept Islamic beliefs and gain the strength to follow the Sunnah with even greater devotion. ‘If the heart is acquainted with Allah and is engaged in His Zikr; then it is filled with Barakaat-e Nabuwwat (Prophetic blessings) which infuse their purity in the mind and body. This not only helps in controlling sensual drives but also removes traces of abhorrence, voracity, envy and insecurity from human soul. The person therefore becomes an embodiment of love, both for the Divine and the corporeal. This is the meaning of a Hadith, “There is a lump of flesh in the human body; if it goes astray the entire body is misguided, and if it is reformed the entire body is reformed. Know that this lump is the Qalb”.’

 

PAS ANFAS

Recent History Khawajah Naqshband (d. 1389 CE) organized the Naqshbandia Order at Bukhara (Central Asia). This Order has two main branches – the Mujaddidia and the Owaisiah. The former is identified with Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi, known as Mujaddid Alif Sani (literally: reviver of the second Muslim millennium), a successor to Khawajah Baqi Billah, who introduced the Order to the Indo- Pakistan sub-continent. The Owaisiah Order employs a similar method of Zikr but acquires the Prophetic blessings in the manner of Khawajah Owais Qarni, who received this beneficence from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) without a formal physical meeting. The Zikr employed by the Naqshbandia is ‘Zikr-e Khafi Qalbi’ (remembrance of Allah’s Name within the heart) and the method is termed ‘Pas Anfas’, which (in Persian) means guarding every breath. The Chain of Transmission of these Barakah, of course, emanates from the holy Prophet- SAWS.

 

SPIRITUAL BAI’AT (OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

It is necessary in all Sufi Orders that the Sheikh and the seekers must be contemporaries and must physically meet each other for the transfer of these blessings. However, the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order goes beyond this requirement and Sufis of this Order receive these Barakah regardless of physical meeting with their Sheikh or even when the Sheikh is not their contemporary. Yet, it must be underscored that physical meeting with the Sheikh of this Order still holds great importance in dissemination of these Barakah. Sheikh Sirhindi writes about the Owaisiah Order in his book ‘Tazkirah’: ‘It is the most sublime, the most exalted, and the most effective…and the highest station of all others is only its stepping stone.’ By far the greatest singular distinction of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order is the honor of Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance) directly at the blessed hands of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).

 

SHEIKH HAZRAT MOULANA ALLAH YAR KHAN (R.A)

The Reviver Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chikrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The same year, he met Sheikh ‘Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Sheikh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was immediately established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century CE) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years, after which he was directed to undertake the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular zeal and dedication for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss commensurate with his/her sincerity and capacity. Sheikh Allah Yar Khan’s mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and eminence. He authored eighteen books, the most distinguished being Dalael us-Sulook (Sufism - An Objective Appraisal), Hayat-e Barzakhiah (Life Beyond Life) and Israr ul- Haramain (Secrets of the two holy Mosques). He was undoubtedly one of the most distinguished Sufi saints of the Muslim Ummah and a reviver of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order. He passed away on 18 February 1984 in Islamabad at the age of eighty.

 

THE CHAIN OF TRANSMISSION OF NAQSHBANDIA OWAISIAH

1. Hazrat Muhammad ur-Rasool Allah (Sall Allah-o Alaihi wa Sallam), 2. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Radhi Allah-o Unho), 3. Hazrat Imam Hassan Basri (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 4. Hazrat Daud Tai (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 5. Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 6. Hazrat Ubaid Ullah Ahrar (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 7. Hazrat Abdur Rahman Jami (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 8. Hazrat Abu Ayub Muhammad Salih (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 9. Hazrat Allah Deen Madni (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 10. Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi).

 

THE SPIRIT OR RUH

The spirit or Ruh of every person is a created reflection of the Divine Attributes and it originates in Alam-e Amar (Realm of Command). Its food is the Light of Allah or the Divine Refulgence, which it acquires from the Realm of Command through the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him), whose status in the spiritual world is like that of the sun in the solar system. The Quran refers to him as the ‘bright lamp’. Indeed, he is the divinely selected channel of all Barakah. All Exalted Messengers themselves receive these Barakah from him.

 

LATAIF

The human Ruh also possesses vital organs like the physical body; through which it acquires its knowledge, food and energy. These are called Lataif (singular Latifah: subtlety). Scholars of various Sufi Orders have associated them with specific areas of the human body. The Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order identifies these Lataif as follows. First - Qalb: This spiritual faculty is located within the physical heart. Its function is Zikr. Its strength increases one’s capacity for Allah’s Zikr. Second – Ruh: The site of this Latifah, which is a distinct faculty of the human Ruh, is on the right side of the chest at the level of Qalb. Its primary function is concentration towards Allah. Third – Sirri: This is located above the Qalb and functions to make possible Kashf. Forth – Khaffi: This is located above the Ruh and functions to perceive the omnipresence of Allah. Fifth – Akhfa: This is located in the middle of chest, at the centre of the first four Lataif and makes it possible for the Ruh to perceive the closeness of Allah, Who is closer to us than our own selves. Sixth – Nafs: This Latifah is located at the forehead and functions to purify the human soul. Seventh – Sultan al-Azkar: This Latifah is located at the top centre of the head and serves to absorb the Barakah of Allah into the entire body, so that every cell resonates with Zikr.

 

FIVE EXALTED MESSENGERS OF GOD

There are Five Exalted Messengers among the many known and unknown Messengers of Allah. They are Hazrat Muhammad, Hazrat Nuh (Noah), Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham), Hazrat Musa (Moses), and Hazrat Esa (Jesus), peace be upon them all. Hazrat Adam is the first Prophet of Allah and the father of mankind. Each Latifah is associated with a particular Prophet. The Barakah and lights from Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him), descend on the first Latifah Qalb; its lights are reflected from the first heaven and are yellowish. The second Latifah is associated with Hazrat Nuh and Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon them). Its lights descend from the second heaven and appear as golden red. The lights descending upon the third Latifah are from Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) and are white. One the fourth Latifah, the lights of Hazrat Esa (peace be upon him) descend from the fourth heaven and are deep blue. The fifth Latifah receives its Barakah directly from the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him). The lights associated with this Latifah are green, descend from the fifth heaven, and overwhelm all the first four Lataif. The Lights descending upon the sixth and seventh Lataif are the Divine Lights, whose color and condition cannot be determined. These are like flashes of lightening that defy comprehension. If Allah blesses a seeker with Kashf, he can observe all of this. The vision is slightly diffused in the beginning, but gradually the clarity improves.

 

SULOOK

Stages of the Path After all seven Lataif of a seeker have been illuminated with Divine Lights through Tawajjuh of the Sheikh and his Ruh has acquired the ability to fly, the Sheikh initiates its journey on the sublime Path of Divine nearness. The Path is known as Sulook, and its stages are not hypothetical imaginations but real and actually existing stations on the spiritual Path. These are also referred to as Meditations, because a seeker mentally meditates about a station while his/her Ruh actually ascends towards it. The first three stations that form the base of whole Sulook are described as; Ahadiyyat, a station of Absolute Unity of Divinity. It is above and beyond the seven heavens. It is so vast a station that the seven heavens and all that they encompass are lost within Ahadiyyat as a ring is lost in a vast desert. Its lights are white in color. Maiyyat station denotes Divine Company, ‘He is with you, wherever you might be.’ This station is so vast that Ahadiyyat along with the seven heavens beneath are lost within it as a ring is lost in a desert. Its lights are green in color. Aqrabiyyat station denotes Divine Nearness, ‘He is nearer to you than your life- vein.’ Again, Aqrabiyyat is vast as compared to Maiyyat in the same proportion. Its lights are golden red and are reflected from the Divine Throne. It is indeed the greatest favor of Almighty Allah that He blesses a seeker with an accomplished Sheikh, who takes him to these sublime stations. The final station that a seeker attains to during his/her lifetime becomes his/her Iliyyeen (blessed abode) in Barzakh and his/her Ruh stays at this station after death.

  

ZIKR

Why is Zikr Necessary for Everyone? Allah ordains every soul in the Quran to Perform Zikr. This not only means reciting the Quran and Tasbeeh but also Zikr-e Qalb. It is only through Zikr-e Qalbi that Prophetic Lights reach the depths of human soul and purify it from all vice and evil. Zikr infuses a realization of constant Divine Presence and a seeker feels great improvement in the level of sincerity and love towards Allah and the holy Prophet- SAWS. Such levels of sincerity, love and feelings of Divine Presence can never be obtained without Zikr. It would be a mistake to believe that Zikr may be a requirement only for the very pious and virtuous people. Zikr provides the Prophetic blessings which are in effect the life line of every human soul. It transforms even the most corrupted humans into virtuous souls by bringing out the best in them. The fact is that Zikr is the only way to achieve true contentment and satisfaction in life. The holy Quran has pointed to this eternal fact that it is only through Zikr Allah that hearts can find satisfaction. Such satisfaction and peace are the ultimate requirements of every person, regardless of religion, race and ethnicity. Practicing Zikr regularly removes all traces of anxiety and restlessness, and guides the human soul to eternal bliss and peace.

 

KHALIFA MAJAZEEN

Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), during his life time in 1974, presented a nomination list to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), during Maraqba, of expected Khalifa Majazeen for Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) approved some names, deleted some of the names, and added down the name of Major Ghulam Muhammad as also Khalifa Majaaz of Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia (which was not previously included in the list)

 

The approved names at that time included:

1. Mr. Muhammad Akram Awan Sahib,

2. Mr. Sayed Bunyad Hussain Shah Sahib,

3. Mr. Major Ahsan Baig Sahib,

4. Mr. Col. Matloob Hussain Sahib,

5. Mr. Major Ghulam Muhammad Sahib of Wan Bhachran Mianwali,

6. Mr. Molvi Abdul Haq Sahib,

7. Mr. Hafiz Abdul Razzaq Sahib,

8. Mr. Hafiz Ghulam Qadri Sahib,

9. Mr. Khan Muhammad Irani Sahib,

10. Mr. Maolana Abdul Ghafoor Sahib,

11. Mr. Syed Muhammad Hassan Sahib of Zohb.

 

These Majazeen were authorized to; held Majalis of Zikar (Pas Anfas) in their respective areas, arrange Majalis of Zikar in neighboring areas, train them on the way of Sulook, prepare them for Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance), and present them to Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan for Spiritual Bai’at at the Hand of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), in the life of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), and were all equal in status as Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).

 

Presently we are following Hazrat Major ® Ghulam Muhammad Sahib, Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).

Please also visit my Photoblog at brohardphotography.blogspot.com

 

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In the same district with the Samanid mausoleum and Chashma-iy-Ayub, not far from the park, stands one of the most attractive ensembles, "Kosh-Madrasah", which are typical of Bukhara. The word "Kosh" means "double" and, indeed, these two educational institutions face one another across a narrow street. The first of them is Modari-khan Madrasah that was put up by Abdullakhan II (Abdulla-khan) on his mother's behalf. The date of erection 974 hijra (1566-67) is inscribed with majolica in verse above the entrance. As to composition it is a standard educational institution with a hostel for students and instructors around the courtyard, public halls of the mosque and lecture-rooms - darskhana - along both sides of portal in the interior of the building. The main front is richly faced with multicolor brick mosaic. The second building of Abdullakhan Madrasah was erected in 1588-90 and is an outstanding piece of medieval architecture.

 

Shaybanid ruler Abdullah Khan II (1556-1598) built the madrasa of Abdullah Khan in 1589-90, as a residential theological school to the southwest of Bukhara's city center (Shahristan). He located the structure immediately opposite his earlier Madar-i Khan Madrasa (b. 1566-67), thus creating another of Bukhara's typical double madrasa ensembles (kush madrasa). Abdullah Khan's madrasa was built during Bukhara's third and last great construction phase when numerous civic structures such as caravanserais, tims (markets), taks (domed market kiosks), hauz (lakes) and khanqahs (hospices). It is noted for its mastery of architectural form, plan and structure at a period of declining trade, political stability and lack of architectural innovation.

 

Although based on a traditional four-iwan madrasa type, the south-facing Abdullah Khan Madrasa departs from the typical rectangular or polygonal exterior envelope with a staggered west facade and two projections at the center of the north and east facades. The eastern features a turret in its northeastern corner, and the pentagonal projection to the north encloses a central domed chamber. A mosque and classrooms (darshkhana) flank the antechamber of the south-facing pishtaq, in the conventional manner. The chapel mosque, which occupies the madrasa's southeast corner, is independently rotated to face the qibla. This marks a significant development over earlier solutions, such as at the neighboring Madar-i Khan Madrasa where the entire building was rotated to meet the qibla requirement while maintaining an oblique street aligned façade. The Abdullah Khan Madrasa also deviates from the typical courtyard typology lined by standard student cells (hujra); here, narrow passages lead from rectangular or five-sided vestibules along the courtyard walls to multiple cells linked to one another. This layout increased the total number of cells and created a chamfered rectangular courtyard. Passageways leading inward from the two northern corners of the courtyard pass through two rooms and arrive at the minaret steps.

  

The front elevation of the madrasa is symmetrical with six arched loggias- three on each floor- flanking either side of a magnified pishtaq. Towers (guldasta) capped at the wall cornice buttresses the corners and frames the composition. The vaulted portal and loggias are adorned with rich majolica, mosaic inlay and glazed brickwork seen in Timurid constructions of the early sixteenth century. The interiors demonstrate a focus on form as opposed to the conventional post Timurid emphasis on color, fretwork and pattern. This is reflected in the use of simple bi-colored gypsum carving (kyrma and chaspak) on a white background instead of the traditional glazed tile and gilt kundal decoration. The structure reflects contemporary innovations in cross-arched roof structures, with diagonal and parallel placement of structural arches of vaults. Twelve-sided cupolas supported by vaults and pendentives cover the three tall octagonal chambers with arched galleries running along the perimeter.

  

Russian archaeological teams extensively restored the madrasa's exterior tile work in the 1950s. The volute arch and dado of the pishtaq display intricate floral patterns in majolica and are fine examples of contemporary workmanship. The neighboring construction of a trade market and increasing volume of tourist activity pose a growing threat to the monument.

 

Sources:

  

Azizkhodjayev, Alisher. 1997. Bukhara: An Oriental Gem. Tashkent: Chief Editorial Office of Publishing & Printing Concern, 89, 93.

  

Borodina, Iraida. 1987. Central Asia: Gems of 9th-19th Century Architecture. Moscow: Planeta Publishers, 130.

  

Hillenbrand, Robert. 1999. Islamic Architecture. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 230.

  

Prochazka, Amjad Bohumil. 1993. Bukhara: Architecture of the Islamic Cultural Sphere. Zurich: MARP, 46.

I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Allah’s peace be upon Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), the glorious Prophet of Islam, and on his Companions and his followers.

  

TASAWWUF

"There is no doubt that Tasawwuf is an important branch of Islam. The word itself may have been derived form the Arabic word "Soof" (Wool) or from "Safa" (cleanliness), but its foundation lies in one’s personal sincerity in seeking Allah’s nearness and trying to live a life pleasing to Him. Study of the Quran, the Hadith, and the practical life of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and his faithful Companions provide unmistakable support to this reality." (Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A)

 

SUFISM, AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ISLAM

Doubts exist not only in the minds of the Muslim faithful but also among the Ulema, notably the exoteric about Tasawwuf and its votaries. Often they lead to misunderstanding, as if Shariah and Tariqah were two separate entries, or that Tasawwuf was some obscure discipline foreign to Islam, or that it was altogether above the established laws and injunctions of our Religion. To help remove these misgivings and to reassure seekers, as well as scholars, our Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), Sheikh Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia, wrote Al-Jamal Wal Kamal, Aqaid-O-Kamalaat Ulmai-e-Deoband, Binat-e-Rasool (S.A.W), Daamad-e-Ali (R.A), Dalael-us-Salook, Ejaad-e-Mazhab Shia, Hayat-un-Nabi (S.A.W), Hayat Barzakhia, Ilm-o-Irfan, Niffaz-e-Shariat Aur Fiqah-e-Jaferia, Saif-e-Owaisi, Shikast-e-Ahdai Hussain and Tahkeek Halal Haram books.

 

BIOGRAPHY

Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chakrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The very year, he met Shaykh Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Shaykh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was right away established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years. In 1962 he was directed to carry out the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular enthusiasm and devotion for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss as per his/her sincerity and capacity. Shaykh Allah Yar Khan's mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and distinction.

 

Although Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A) have lived a major portion of his life as a scholar, with the avowed mission of illuminating the truth of Islam and the negation of fallacious sects, and this would appear quite removed from Tasawwuf, yet the only practical difference between the two, namely the use of the former as a media to expound the truth, and the latter to imbue people with positive faith. Nevertheless, people are amazed that a man, who until the other day, was known as a dialectician and a preacher of Islam, is not only talking of Mystic Path, but is also claiming spiritual bonds with the veteran Sufi Masters of the Past. This amazement is obviously out of place in the view of Quranic injunction: This is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills. (62:4)

 

THE PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL

The purification of the soul always formed part of the main mission of the Prophets; that is, the dissemination and propagation of the Devine Message. This responsibility later fell directly on the shoulders of the true Ulema in the Ummah of the last Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), who, as his genuine successors, have continued to shed brave light in every Dark Age of materialism and sacrilege. In the present age of ruinous confusion, the importance of this responsibility has increased manifold; of the utter neglect of Islam by Muslims has not only driven them to misery, but also grievously weakened their bonds of faith in Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). The decay in their belief and consequent perversion in their conduct has reached a stage that any attempt to pull them out of the depth of ignominy and the heedless chaos of faithlessness, attracts grave uncertainties and apprehensions rather than a encouraging will to follow the Shariah, to purify the soul and to reform within. The Quranic Verse: Layers upon layers of darkness… (24:40) provides the nearest expression of their present state.

 

SHARIAH & SUFISM

Any action against the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) cannot be called Sufism. Singing and dancing, and the prostration on tombs are not part of Sufism. Nor is predicting the future and predicting the outcome of cases in the courts of law, a part of Sufism. Sufis are not required to abandon their worldly possessions or live in the wilderness far from the practical world. In fact these absurdities are just its opposites. It is an established fact that Tazkiyah (soul purification) stands for that inner purity which inspires a person’s spirit to obey the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If a false claimant of Sufism teaches tricks and jugglery, ignoring religious obligations, he is an impostor. A true Sheikh will lead a believer to the august spiritual audience of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If you are fortunate enough to be blessed with the company of an accomplished spiritual guide and Sheikh of Sufism, and if you follow his instructions, you will observe a positive change in yourself, transferring you from vice to virtue.

 

ISLAM, AS A COMPLETE CODE OF LIFE

Islam, as a complete code of life or Deen, was perfected during the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). He was the sole teacher and his mosque was the core institution for the community. Although Islam in its entirety was practiced during that blessed era, the classification and compilation of its knowledge into distinct branches like ‘Tafsir’ (interpretation of the Quran), Hadith (traditions or sayings of the holy Prophet- SAWS), Fiqh (Islamic law), and Sufism (the soul purification) were undertaken subsequently. This Deen of Allah passed from the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) to his illustrious Companions in two ways: the outward and the inward. The former comprised the knowledge defined by speech and conduct, i.e., the Quran and Sunnah. The latter comprised the invisible blessings or the Prophetic lights transmitted by his blessed self. These blessings purified the hearts and instilled in them a passionate desire to follow Islam with utmost love, honesty and loyalty.

 

WHAT’S SUFISM

Sufism is the attempt to attain these Barakah (Blessings). The Companions handed down Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) teachings as well as blessings to the Taba’een. Their strong hearts were capable of infusing these blessings into the hearts of their followers. Both aspects of Islam were similarly passed on by the Taba’een to the Taba Taba’een. The compilation of knowledge and its interpretation led to the establishment of many schools of religious thought; famous four being the Hanafi, the Hanbali, the Maliki, and the Shafa'i, all named after their founders. Similarly, in order to acquire, safeguard and distribute his blessings, an organized effort was initiated by four schools of Sufism: The Naqshbandia, the Qadria, the Chishtia, and the Suharwardia. These schools were also named after their organizers and came to be known as Sufi Orders. All these Orders intend to purify the hearts of sincere Muslims with Prophetic lights. These Sufi Orders also grew into many branches with the passage of time and are known by other names as well. The holy Quran has linked success in this life and the Hereafter with Tazkiyah (soul purification). He, who purified, is successful. (87: 14) Sufi Orders of Islam are the institutions where the basics of Tazkiyah (soul purification) and its practical application are taught. They have graded programs in which every new seeker is instructed in Zikr-e Lisani (oral Zikr) and is finally taught the Zikr-e Qalbi (Remembrance in heart).

 

ZIKR-E QALBI

However, in the Naqshbandia Order, Zikr-e Qalbi is practiced from the very beginning. Adherence to the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) is greatly emphasized in this Order, because the seeker achieves greater and quicker progress through its blessings. The essence of Zikr is that the Qalb should sincerely accept Islamic beliefs and gain the strength to follow the Sunnah with even greater devotion. ‘If the heart is acquainted with Allah and is engaged in His Zikr; then it is filled with Barakaat-e Nabuwwat (Prophetic blessings) which infuse their purity in the mind and body. This not only helps in controlling sensual drives but also removes traces of abhorrence, voracity, envy and insecurity from human soul. The person therefore becomes an embodiment of love, both for the Divine and the corporeal. This is the meaning of a Hadith, “There is a lump of flesh in the human body; if it goes astray the entire body is misguided, and if it is reformed the entire body is reformed. Know that this lump is the Qalb”.’

 

PAS ANFAS

Recent History Khawajah Naqshband (d. 1389 CE) organized the Naqshbandia Order at Bukhara (Central Asia). This Order has two main branches – the Mujaddidia and the Owaisiah. The former is identified with Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi, known as Mujaddid Alif Sani (literally: reviver of the second Muslim millennium), a successor to Khawajah Baqi Billah, who introduced the Order to the Indo- Pakistan sub-continent. The Owaisiah Order employs a similar method of Zikr but acquires the Prophetic blessings in the manner of Khawajah Owais Qarni, who received this beneficence from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) without a formal physical meeting. The Zikr employed by the Naqshbandia is ‘Zikr-e Khafi Qalbi’ (remembrance of Allah’s Name within the heart) and the method is termed ‘Pas Anfas’, which (in Persian) means guarding every breath. The Chain of Transmission of these Barakah, of course, emanates from the holy Prophet- SAWS.

 

SPIRITUAL BAI’AT (OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

It is necessary in all Sufi Orders that the Sheikh and the seekers must be contemporaries and must physically meet each other for the transfer of these blessings. However, the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order goes beyond this requirement and Sufis of this Order receive these Barakah regardless of physical meeting with their Sheikh or even when the Sheikh is not their contemporary. Yet, it must be underscored that physical meeting with the Sheikh of this Order still holds great importance in dissemination of these Barakah. Sheikh Sirhindi writes about the Owaisiah Order in his book ‘Tazkirah’: ‘It is the most sublime, the most exalted, and the most effective…and the highest station of all others is only its stepping stone.’ By far the greatest singular distinction of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order is the honor of Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance) directly at the blessed hands of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).

 

SHEIKH HAZRAT MOULANA ALLAH YAR KHAN (R.A)

The Reviver Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chikrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The same year, he met Sheikh ‘Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Sheikh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was immediately established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century CE) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years, after which he was directed to undertake the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular zeal and dedication for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss commensurate with his/her sincerity and capacity. Sheikh Allah Yar Khan’s mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and eminence. He authored eighteen books, the most distinguished being Dalael us-Sulook (Sufism - An Objective Appraisal), Hayat-e Barzakhiah (Life Beyond Life) and Israr ul- Haramain (Secrets of the two holy Mosques). He was undoubtedly one of the most distinguished Sufi saints of the Muslim Ummah and a reviver of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order. He passed away on 18 February 1984 in Islamabad at the age of eighty.

 

THE CHAIN OF TRANSMISSION OF NAQSHBANDIA OWAISIAH

1. Hazrat Muhammad ur-Rasool Allah (Sall Allah-o Alaihi wa Sallam), 2. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Radhi Allah-o Unho), 3. Hazrat Imam Hassan Basri (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 4. Hazrat Daud Tai (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 5. Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 6. Hazrat Ubaid Ullah Ahrar (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 7. Hazrat Abdur Rahman Jami (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 8. Hazrat Abu Ayub Muhammad Salih (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 9. Hazrat Allah Deen Madni (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 10. Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi).

 

THE SPIRIT OR RUH

The spirit or Ruh of every person is a created reflection of the Divine Attributes and it originates in Alam-e Amar (Realm of Command). Its food is the Light of Allah or the Divine Refulgence, which it acquires from the Realm of Command through the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him), whose status in the spiritual world is like that of the sun in the solar system. The Quran refers to him as the ‘bright lamp’. Indeed, he is the divinely selected channel of all Barakah. All Exalted Messengers themselves receive these Barakah from him.

 

LATAIF

The human Ruh also possesses vital organs like the physical body; through which it acquires its knowledge, food and energy. These are called Lataif (singular Latifah: subtlety). Scholars of various Sufi Orders have associated them with specific areas of the human body. The Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order identifies these Lataif as follows. First - Qalb: This spiritual faculty is located within the physical heart. Its function is Zikr. Its strength increases one’s capacity for Allah’s Zikr. Second – Ruh: The site of this Latifah, which is a distinct faculty of the human Ruh, is on the right side of the chest at the level of Qalb. Its primary function is concentration towards Allah. Third – Sirri: This is located above the Qalb and functions to make possible Kashf. Forth – Khaffi: This is located above the Ruh and functions to perceive the omnipresence of Allah. Fifth – Akhfa: This is located in the middle of chest, at the centre of the first four Lataif and makes it possible for the Ruh to perceive the closeness of Allah, Who is closer to us than our own selves. Sixth – Nafs: This Latifah is located at the forehead and functions to purify the human soul. Seventh – Sultan al-Azkar: This Latifah is located at the top centre of the head and serves to absorb the Barakah of Allah into the entire body, so that every cell resonates with Zikr.

 

FIVE EXALTED MESSENGERS OF GOD

There are Five Exalted Messengers among the many known and unknown Messengers of Allah. They are Hazrat Muhammad, Hazrat Nuh (Noah), Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham), Hazrat Musa (Moses), and Hazrat Esa (Jesus), peace be upon them all. Hazrat Adam is the first Prophet of Allah and the father of mankind. Each Latifah is associated with a particular Prophet. The Barakah and lights from Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him), descend on the first Latifah Qalb; its lights are reflected from the first heaven and are yellowish. The second Latifah is associated with Hazrat Nuh and Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon them). Its lights descend from the second heaven and appear as golden red. The lights descending upon the third Latifah are from Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) and are white. One the fourth Latifah, the lights of Hazrat Esa (peace be upon him) descend from the fourth heaven and are deep blue. The fifth Latifah receives its Barakah directly from the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him). The lights associated with this Latifah are green, descend from the fifth heaven, and overwhelm all the first four Lataif. The Lights descending upon the sixth and seventh Lataif are the Divine Lights, whose color and condition cannot be determined. These are like flashes of lightening that defy comprehension. If Allah blesses a seeker with Kashf, he can observe all of this. The vision is slightly diffused in the beginning, but gradually the clarity improves.

 

SULOOK

Stages of the Path After all seven Lataif of a seeker have been illuminated with Divine Lights through Tawajjuh of the Sheikh and his Ruh has acquired the ability to fly, the Sheikh initiates its journey on the sublime Path of Divine nearness. The Path is known as Sulook, and its stages are not hypothetical imaginations but real and actually existing stations on the spiritual Path. These are also referred to as Meditations, because a seeker mentally meditates about a station while his/her Ruh actually ascends towards it. The first three stations that form the base of whole Sulook are described as; Ahadiyyat, a station of Absolute Unity of Divinity. It is above and beyond the seven heavens. It is so vast a station that the seven heavens and all that they encompass are lost within Ahadiyyat as a ring is lost in a vast desert. Its lights are white in color. Maiyyat station denotes Divine Company, ‘He is with you, wherever you might be.’ This station is so vast that Ahadiyyat along with the seven heavens beneath are lost within it as a ring is lost in a desert. Its lights are green in color. Aqrabiyyat station denotes Divine Nearness, ‘He is nearer to you than your life- vein.’ Again, Aqrabiyyat is vast as compared to Maiyyat in the same proportion. Its lights are golden red and are reflected from the Divine Throne. It is indeed the greatest favor of Almighty Allah that He blesses a seeker with an accomplished Sheikh, who takes him to these sublime stations. The final station that a seeker attains to during his/her lifetime becomes his/her Iliyyeen (blessed abode) in Barzakh and his/her Ruh stays at this station after death.

  

ZIKR

Why is Zikr Necessary for Everyone? Allah ordains every soul in the Quran to Perform Zikr. This not only means reciting the Quran and Tasbeeh but also Zikr-e Qalb. It is only through Zikr-e Qalbi that Prophetic Lights reach the depths of human soul and purify it from all vice and evil. Zikr infuses a realization of constant Divine Presence and a seeker feels great improvement in the level of sincerity and love towards Allah and the holy Prophet- SAWS. Such levels of sincerity, love and feelings of Divine Presence can never be obtained without Zikr. It would be a mistake to believe that Zikr may be a requirement only for the very pious and virtuous people. Zikr provides the Prophetic blessings which are in effect the life line of every human soul. It transforms even the most corrupted humans into virtuous souls by bringing out the best in them. The fact is that Zikr is the only way to achieve true contentment and satisfaction in life. The holy Quran has pointed to this eternal fact that it is only through Zikr Allah that hearts can find satisfaction. Such satisfaction and peace are the ultimate requirements of every person, regardless of religion, race and ethnicity. Practicing Zikr regularly removes all traces of anxiety and restlessness, and guides the human soul to eternal bliss and peace.

 

KHALIFA MAJAZEEN

Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), during his life time in 1974, presented a nomination list to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), during Maraqba, of expected Khalifa Majazeen for Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) approved some names, deleted some of the names, and added down the name of Major Ghulam Muhammad as also Khalifa Majaaz of Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia (which was not previously included in the list)

 

The approved names at that time included:

1. Mr. Muhammad Akram Awan Sahib,

2. Mr. Sayed Bunyad Hussain Shah Sahib,

3. Mr. Major Ahsan Baig Sahib,

4. Mr. Col. Matloob Hussain Sahib,

5. Mr. Major Ghulam Muhammad Sahib of Wan Bhachran Mianwali,

6. Mr. Molvi Abdul Haq Sahib,

7. Mr. Hafiz Abdul Razzaq Sahib,

8. Mr. Hafiz Ghulam Qadri Sahib,

9. Mr. Khan Muhammad Irani Sahib,

10. Mr. Maolana Abdul Ghafoor Sahib,

11. Mr. Syed Muhammad Hassan Sahib of Zohb.

 

These Majazeen were authorized to; held Majalis of Zikar (Pas Anfas) in their respective areas, arrange Majalis of Zikar in neighboring areas, train them on the way of Sulook, prepare them for Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance), and present them to Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan for Spiritual Bai’at at the Hand of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), in the life of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), and were all equal in status as Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).

 

Presently we are following Hazrat Major ® Ghulam Muhammad Sahib, Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).

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In the same district with the Samanid mausoleum and Chashma-iy-Ayub, not far from the park, stands one of the most attractive ensembles, "Kosh-Madrasah", which are typical of Bukhara. The word "Kosh" means "double" and, indeed, these two educational institutions face one another across a narrow street. The first of them is Modari-khan Madrasah that was put up by Abdullakhan II (Abdulla-khan) on his mother's behalf. The date of erection 974 hijra (1566-67) is inscribed with majolica in verse above the entrance. As to composition it is a standard educational institution with a hostel for students and instructors around the courtyard, public halls of the mosque and lecture-rooms - darskhana - along both sides of portal in the interior of the building. The main front is richly faced with multicolor brick mosaic. The second building of Abdullakhan Madrasah was erected in 1588-90 and is an outstanding piece of medieval architecture.

 

Shaybanid ruler Abdullah Khan II (1556-1598) built the madrasa of Abdullah Khan in 1589-90, as a residential theological school to the southwest of Bukhara's city center (Shahristan). He located the structure immediately opposite his earlier Madar-i Khan Madrasa (b. 1566-67), thus creating another of Bukhara's typical double madrasa ensembles (kush madrasa). Abdullah Khan's madrasa was built during Bukhara's third and last great construction phase when numerous civic structures such as caravanserais, tims (markets), taks (domed market kiosks), hauz (lakes) and khanqahs (hospices). It is noted for its mastery of architectural form, plan and structure at a period of declining trade, political stability and lack of architectural innovation.

 

Although based on a traditional four-iwan madrasa type, the south-facing Abdullah Khan Madrasa departs from the typical rectangular or polygonal exterior envelope with a staggered west facade and two projections at the center of the north and east facades. The eastern features a turret in its northeastern corner, and the pentagonal projection to the north encloses a central domed chamber. A mosque and classrooms (darshkhana) flank the antechamber of the south-facing pishtaq, in the conventional manner. The chapel mosque, which occupies the madrasa's southeast corner, is independently rotated to face the qibla. This marks a significant development over earlier solutions, such as at the neighboring Madar-i Khan Madrasa where the entire building was rotated to meet the qibla requirement while maintaining an oblique street aligned façade. The Abdullah Khan Madrasa also deviates from the typical courtyard typology lined by standard student cells (hujra); here, narrow passages lead from rectangular or five-sided vestibules along the courtyard walls to multiple cells linked to one another. This layout increased the total number of cells and created a chamfered rectangular courtyard. Passageways leading inward from the two northern corners of the courtyard pass through two rooms and arrive at the minaret steps.

  

The front elevation of the madrasa is symmetrical with six arched loggias- three on each floor- flanking either side of a magnified pishtaq. Towers (guldasta) capped at the wall cornice buttresses the corners and frames the composition. The vaulted portal and loggias are adorned with rich majolica, mosaic inlay and glazed brickwork seen in Timurid constructions of the early sixteenth century. The interiors demonstrate a focus on form as opposed to the conventional post Timurid emphasis on color, fretwork and pattern. This is reflected in the use of simple bi-colored gypsum carving (kyrma and chaspak) on a white background instead of the traditional glazed tile and gilt kundal decoration. The structure reflects contemporary innovations in cross-arched roof structures, with diagonal and parallel placement of structural arches of vaults. Twelve-sided cupolas supported by vaults and pendentives cover the three tall octagonal chambers with arched galleries running along the perimeter.

  

Russian archaeological teams extensively restored the madrasa's exterior tile work in the 1950s. The volute arch and dado of the pishtaq display intricate floral patterns in majolica and are fine examples of contemporary workmanship. The neighboring construction of a trade market and increasing volume of tourist activity pose a growing threat to the monument.

 

Sources:

  

Azizkhodjayev, Alisher. 1997. Bukhara: An Oriental Gem. Tashkent: Chief Editorial Office of Publishing & Printing Concern, 89, 93.

  

Borodina, Iraida. 1987. Central Asia: Gems of 9th-19th Century Architecture. Moscow: Planeta Publishers, 130.

  

Hillenbrand, Robert. 1999. Islamic Architecture. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 230.

  

Prochazka, Amjad Bohumil. 1993. Bukhara: Architecture of the Islamic Cultural Sphere. Zurich: MARP, 46.

Patron: Shaykhu (Sayf al-Din Shaykhu al-Umari al-Nasiri) ?-1357, a high-ranking Bahri Mamluk emir during the reigns of sultans Sayf al-Din Hajji (r.1346–1347), Badr al-Din Hasan (r.1347–1351 & 1355–1361) & Salah al-Din Salih (r.1351–1355).

 

Islamic Monument #152