Post by Mohammed IbRaHim on Jan 27, 2014 7:25:56 GMT 5.5
ahlesunnatkokan.boards.net/thread/330/silsila-al-naqshbandiya-1
Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi
Muhammad Abu 'Abdullah Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi al Shafi'i [d. 748H - 1348CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Al-Dhahabi [1274-1348CE] the great Shafi'i hadith master (hafiz) and historian of Islam, the imam, Shaykh al-Islam, head of hadith masters, perspicuous critic and expert examiner of the hadith, encyclopedic historian and biographer, and foremost authority in the canonical readings of the Qur'an. Born in Damascus where his family lived from the time of his grandfather 'Uthman, he sometimes identified himself as Ibn al-Dhahabi - son of the goldsmith - in reference to his father's profession. He began his study of hadith at age eighteen, travelling from Damascus to Ba'labak, Hims, Hama, Aleppo, Tripoli, Nabulus, al-Ramla, Cairo, Iskandariyya, al-Qudus, Hijaz, and elsewhere to thirty different locations, after which he returned to Damascus where he taught and authored many works and achieved world renown. He lost his sight two years before he died, leaving three children: his eldest daughter Amat al-'Aziz and his two sons 'Abd Allah and Abu Hurayra 'Abd al-Rahman. The latter taught the hadith masters Ibn Nasir al-Din al-Dimashqi and Ibn Hajar, to whom he transmitted several works authored or narrated by his father.
His student TAJ AL-DIN AL-SUBKI said:
Our time was graced with four hadith masters: al-Mizzi, al-Birzali, al-Dhahabi, and my father the Shaykh and Imam [Taqi al-Din al-Subki]. As for our shaykh Abu 'Abd Allah, he is an ocean without peer, a treasure and refuge in time of difficulty, the imam of the living on record, the gold of our time in spirit and letter, the shaykh of narrator-discreditation and narrator-commendation (al-jarh wa al-ta'dil)... and the one who trained us in this science and brought us out into the scholarly throng - may Allah reward him greatly!
Another student of his, Salah al-Din al-Safadi, said:
I read before him many of his works and did not find in him the rigidity (jumud) of hadith scholars nor the denseness (kawdana) of transmitters. Rather, he is highly perspicuous and proficient in the sayings of the scholars and the schools of the imams of the Salaf and authorities in doctrine. What most pleased me is the care he shows, in his works, not to mention a hadith except he states whether it suffers from any weakness in its content or chain of transmission or one of its narrators. I did not see others show the same care in what they cite.
The "Commander of the Believers in Hadith" (Amir al-Mu'minin fi al-Hadith), Shaykh al-Islam IBN HAJAR AL-ASQALANI said of him:
"He was the most prolific of the scholars of his time. People yearned to obtain his books, travelling to him for that purpose and circulating them through reading, copying, and audition." "He is among those who have total mastery in the field of narrator-criticism."
He authored nearly a hundred works, some of them of considerable size:
Major History of Islam ('Tarikh al-Islam al-kabir), thirty-six volume
Talkhis al-Mustadrak
Tadhkirat al-huffaz
The Lives of Noble Figures (Siyar a`lam al-nubala'), twenty-three volume
Tadhhib al-Tahdhib
Al-Kashif fi Asma' Rijal al-Kutub al-Sittah
In his Mu'jam al-Shuyukh, in a large version entitled al-Kabir and a smaller one entitled al-Saghir or al-Latif. These Mu'jams are a fascinating chronicle of al-Dhahabi's shaykhs through meetings or correspondence. The Kabir contains biographies of about 1,300 of his shaykhs. In the entry devoted to Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Mun'im al-Qazwini, al-Dhahabi writes the following lines:
Ahmad ibn al-Mun'im related to us... [with his chain of transmission] from Ibn 'Umar that the latter disliked to touch the Prophet's - Allah bless and greet him - grave. I say: He disliked it because he considered it disrespect. Ahmad ibn Hanbal was asked about touching the Prophet's - Allah bless and greet him - grave and kissing it and he saw nothing wrong with it. His son 'Abd Allah related this from him. If it is asked: "Why did the Companions not do this?" We reply: "Because they saw him with their very eyes when he was alive, enjoyed his presence directly, kissed his very hand, nearly fought each other over the remnants of his ablution water, shared his purified hair on the day of the greater Pilgrimage, and even if he spat it would virtually not fall except in someone's hand so that he could pass it over his face. Since we have not had the tremendous fortune of sharing in this, we throw ourselves on his grave as a mark of commitment, reverence, and acceptance, even to kiss it. Do you not see what Thabit al-Bunani did when he kissed the hand of Anas ibn Malik and placed it on his face saying: "This is the hand that touched the hand of Allah's Messenger"? Muslims are not moved to these matters except by their excessive love for the Prophet - Allah bless and greet him -, as they are ordered to love Allah and the Prophet -- Allah bless and greet him -- more than their own lives, their children, all human beings, their property, and Paradise and its maidens. There are even some believers that love Abu Bakr and 'Umar more than themselves...
Al-Dhahabi defined knowledge in Islam (al-'ilm) as "Not the profusion of narration, but a light which Allah casts into the heart. Its condition is followership (ittiba') and the flight away from egotism (hawa) and innovation."
At the mention of al-Harawi al-Ansari's Sufi manual Manazil al-Sa'irin in the Siyar al-Dhahabi exclaims:
How beautiful was the tasawwuf of the Companions and Successors! They did not probe those phantasms and whisperings of the mind but worshipped Allah, humbling themselves and relying upon Him, in great awe and fear of Him, fiercely combating His enemies, hastening to obey Him, staying away from idle speech. Allah guides whomever He wills to the straight path.
Shah Naqshband
Muhammad Baha 'al-Din Uways al-Bukhari Shah Naqshband [d.791h] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Muhammad Baha 'al-Din Uways al-Bukhari Radi Allahu anhu, known as Shah Naqshband, the Imam of the Naqshbandi Tariqat without peer. He was born in the year 1317 C.E. in the village of Qasr al-'arifan, near Bukhara. After he mastered the shari'ah sciences at the tender age of 18, he kept company with the Shaykh Muhammad Baba as-Samasi Radi Allahu anhu, who was an authority in hadith in Central Asia. After the latter's death, he followed Shaykh Amir Kulal Radi Allahu anhu who continued and perfected his training in the external and the internal knowledge.
The students of Shaykh Amir Kulal Radi Allahu anhu used to make dhikr aloud when sitting together in association, and silent dhikr when alone. Hadrat Shah Naqshband Radi Allahu anhu, however, although he never criticized nor objected to the loud dhikr, preferred the silent dhikr. Concerning this he says, "There are two methods of dhikr; one is silent and one is loud. I chose the silent one because it is stronger and therefore more preferable." The silent dhikr thus became the distinguishing feature of the Naqshbandiyya among other tariqats.
Shah Naqshband Radi Allahu anhu performed Hajj (Pilgrimage) three times, after which he resided in Merv and Bukhara. Towards the end of his life he went back to settle in his native city of Qasr al-'Arifan. His teachings became quoted everywhere and his name was on every tongue. Visitors from far and wide came to see him and to seek his advice. They received teaching in his school and mosque, a complex which at one time accommodated more than five thousand people. This school is the largest Islamic center of learning in Central Asia and still exists in our day. It was recently renovated and reopened after surviving seventy years of Communist rule.
Shah Naqshband's Radi Allahu anhu teachings changed the hearts of seekers from darkness to light. He continued to teach his students the knowledge of the Oneness of God in which his precedessors had specialized, emphasizing the realization of the state of ihsan (excellence) for his followers according to the hadith of the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, "Ihsan is to worship God as if you see Him."
When Shah Naqshband Radi Allahu anhu died he was buried in his garden as he requested. The succeeding Kings of Bukhara took care of his school and mosque, expanding them and increasing their religious endowments (awqaf).
Succeeding Shaykhs of the Naqshbandi Tariqat wrote many biographies of Shah Naqshband Radi Allahu anhu. Among them are Mas'ud al-Bukhari and Sharif al-Jarjani, who composed the Awrad Baha 'al-Din which describes him and his life's works including his fatawa (legal decisions). Shaykh Muhammad Parsa, who died in Madinah in 822 H. (1419 C.E.) wrote Risala Qudsiyya in which he talks of Shah Naqshband's Radi Allahu anhu life, his virtues, and his teachings.
Shah Naqshband's Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu literary legacy included many books. Among them are Awrad an-Naqshbandiyyah, the Devotions of Shah Naqshband. Another book is Tanbih al-Ghafilin. A third book is Maslakul Anwar. A fourth is Hadiyyatu-s-Salikan wa Tuhfat at-Talibin. He left many noble expressions praising the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alyhi wa Sallam and he wrote many legal rulings. One of his opinions was that all the different acts and kinds of worship, whether obligatory or voluntary, were permitted for the seeker in order to reach reality. Prayer, fasting, zakat (paying the poor-tax), mujahadat (striving) and zuhd (self-denial) were emphasized as ways to reach Allah Almighty.
Shah Naqshband Radi Allahu anhu built his school on the renewal of the teachings of the Islamic religion. He insisted on the necessity of keeping the Qur'an al-kareem and the teachings of the Sunnah. When they asked him, "What are the requirements of one who follows your way?" he said, "To follow the Sunnah of the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alyhi wa Sallam." He continued saying: "Our way is a rare one. It keeps the 'Urwat ul-Wuthqa, the Unbreakable Bond, and it asks nothing else of its followers but to take hold of the Pure Sunnah of the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alyhi wa Sallam and follow the way of the Sahaba (Companions of the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alyhi wa Sallam in their ijtihad (efforts for Allah).
Hafiz al Shirazi
Shams al-Din Hafiz al Shirazi [d.791H /1389 CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Khawaja Shams al-Din Muhammad Ibn-i Muhammad, known as Hafiz, was born into a merchant family of Shiraz, Iran, some time between 1321 and 1326; he died in the same city around 1389. The word "hafiz" means reciter. The poet chose this takhallus because, allegedly, he could recite the Qur'an in a number of different forms--fourteen according to his own poetry and seven according to his colleague and biographer, Muhammad Gulandam.
Little is known about the formative years of Hafiz's life other than that he was orphaned at an early age and was employed by a baker as dough maker. What is known is that he was a scholar, an 'arif, a hafiz of the Qur'an and an exegete of the Book. He himself has repeatedly indicated this in his verses:
I haven 't seen more beautiful lines than yours, Hafiz,
By the Qur'an that you have in your breast.
Your love shall cry out if you, like Hafiz,
Recite the Quran memoriter with all the fourteen readings.
Of the memorizers of the world none like me has gathered,
Subtleties of wisdom with Quranic delicacies.
In his poetry Hafiz speaks much of the pir-e tariqat (spiritual guide) and of the murshid (master), yet it is not clear who was the teacher and guide of Hafiz himself.
Hafiz's poetry attains to lofty mystical heights, and there are few people who are able to perceive his mystic subtleties. All the 'urafa' who came after him admit that he had indeed practically covered the lofty stages of 'irfan. Several important scholars have written commentaries on some of his verses. For example, a treatise was written by the well-known philosopher of the ninth century, Muhaqqiq Jalal al-Din Dawwani, on the following verse:
My teacher said: the pen of creation was subject to no error,
Bravo the pure eyes that hide all defects.
Unlike his globe trotter fellow Shirazi, Sa'di, Hafiz stayed in Shiraz almost all his life. One of the two trips that he made was forced upon him--he was exiled from Shiraz due to mass opposition to his singular behavior. He stayed long enough in Yazd until the situation cooled down. The other trip was to the port of Hormuz on the Persian Gulf where he was to travel to India. A stormy sea made him change his mind and return to Shiraz.
Like the Quatrains of Umar Khayyam, Hafiz's poetry has a special public appeal. This appeal is to a degree that his diwan is often treated as if it were the Noble Qur'an. Indeed, to most Iranians he is known as the Lisan al-Qaiyb (tongue of the unperceived). In fact, like the Noble Qur'an, they use his diwan to look into the future. Hafiz's diwan contains 418 ghazals, 5 odes, 41 quatrains, and 3 small mathnavis. Other features of his diwan include the Saqinameh, Ahuye Vahshi, and Muqanninamah.
Hafiz is undeniably the master of the art of the ghazal (sonnet). The ghazal, of course, does not begin with Hafiz but, it is, certainly, a genre which he developed and perfected. His Sufic ghazals usually contain seven beyts with the poet's penname usually appearing in the last beyts. His Sufic ghazals, that have more than seven beyts, have, over the centuries, engaged the attention of the analysts and Hafiz interpreters. It is not clear whether the beyts that fail, in one way or another, to meet Hafiz' standard, thematic development, and the seven-beyt-limit are added by later compilers who, for various reasons, might have amplified the volume, or that they had been added by Hafiz himself to satisfy the demands of his patrons.
Hafiz is a highly controversial figure in Persian literature. The controversy is centered on whether Hafiz uses allegorical symbolism alongside profane love to convey Sufic messages to those knowledgeable to decipher his thoughts. Many scholars in the West have rejected the attribution of any sufistic value to the poetry of Hafiz. On the contrary, many scholars and critics in the East have not given anything but sufistic values to the same poetry. The biggest problem for the Western scholar, of course, is a good understanding of the material with which Hafiz worked; a lack of a good translation of the entire diwan influences this lack of belief in the existence of a level more profound than the mundane. The biggest problem for the Eastern scholar is a lack of analytical orientation. Hafiz passed away in 791Hijri/1389 Common Era.
Extracts from Prof Iraj Bashiri
Ala al-Haq Wadeen
Shaykh Ala al-Haq Wadeen al-Chisti al-Nizami [d.800 H/1398 CE ] 'alayhir ar-rahman w'al ridwan
Hadrat Shaykh Ala al-Haq Wadeen was a hugely influential and pious shaykh, known not only in Bengal but throughout India. His father was Umar bin Asad Khalidi rahmtullahi 'alayh, who claimed descent from the famous arab general Khalid bin Walid Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu. His ancestors had come to Lahore, and from there migrated to Pandua, Bengal. After the establishment of Muslim rule in Bengal, Umar bin Asad settled at Pandua where his son Ala al Haq was born. The boy, given proper education, grew up into a learned scholar and one of the foremost sufis of his time.
Initially Ala al-Haq earned great fortune and fame as a scholar. His affluence and learning prompted him to assume the title of 'Ganj-i-Nabat' ('the store of wealth'). Some reports suggest that when Nizam al-Din Awliya [d.1325CE] Rahmatullahi 'alayh came to learn of this he became annoyed. His spiritual head, Hadrat Baba Farid [d.1265CE] Rahmatullahi 'alayh, was called 'Ganj-i-Shakar' and assumption of the title of 'Ganj-i-Nabat' by Ala al-Haq meant that he wanted to supersede his spiritual guide. But this thought changed and Ala al-Haq realised the error of his ways, and severely repented and detached himself from the worldly life and pledged allegiance to the sufi shaykh, Akhi Siraj al-Din [d.1357CE].
Soon after, and assuming a more humble approach Ala al-Haq opened a free kitchen (langar-Khaana) for all travellers within the region. News spread of this generous gesture by Ala-al-Haq as thousands of destitute and needy descended within the region. But, the then Sultan of Pandua, Sikander Shah (1358-1389), felt his position was in danger, due to the saint's popularity, and through jealousy ordered Ala al-Haq to leave the region. Shaykh Ala-al-Haq departed and soon re-established another khanqah at Sonargaon. The langar-khaana continued with the same amount of success and popularity. Approximately two years later, Shaykh Ala-al-Haq was allowed to return from exile to his native town of Pandua, where he breathed his last in 1398 C.E [800H][1]. It is said from persian treatises that Makhdoom Jahanian Jahan Gasht [d.1384CE] rahmatullahi 'alayh led the funeral prayer of Shaykh Ala al-Haq rahmatullahi 'alayh. Makhdoom Jahanian met Ala al-Haq in Pandua and the dialogue of the two saints is recorded at the Jahanian mosque erected in 1535 C.E.
Shaykh Ala al-Haq Wadeen Rahmatullahi 'alayh was succeeded by his son Shaykh Nur al-Din 'Qutb-i-Alam', who was also his mureed (disciple). Other notable mureeds include Shaykh Nasir al-Din Manikpuri, and Makhdoom Sayyad Ashraf Jahangir of Semnan (d.1405 C.E) 'alayhir rahman. Nasir al-Din preached Islam in and around Manipur Koda in Bihar. Sayyad Makhdoom Ashraf Rahmatullahi ta'ala 'alayh, though the son of a king, renounced the throne of Semnan and became the disciple of Ala al-Haq Wadeen, who subsequently sent him to do dawa 'preach Islam' in Jaunpur, and the surrounding regions.
Unlike his own teacher, who had no known dealings with royalty, Shaykh 'Ala al-Haq was destined to play a special role in the political history of Muslim Bengal. In fact, the earliest-known monument built by the founder of Bengal's longest-lived dynasty, the Ilyas Shahi line of kings (1342–1486), was dedicated to this shaykh. On a mosque built in 1342 in what is now part of Calcutta, Shams al-Din Ilyas Shah praised the Sufi as ''the benevolent and revered saint (Shaykh) whose acts of virtue are attractive and sublime, inspired by Allah, may He illuminate his heart with the light of divine perception and faith, and he is the guide to the religion of the Glorious, 'Ala al-Haq may … his piety last long.''
[1] According to the Akhbar-ul-Akhyar he died in 800 AH
Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir
Ghawth al 'Alam Mahboob-i Yazdani Sultan Sayyad Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Simnani [d.807H] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Direct descendant of Ghawth al A'zam Piranai Pir Dastagir, Mahboob-i Subhani, Shaykh Sayyadina Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu anhu [QADIRIYA TARIQAT] and spiritually inspired through the ChistI-Nizami Order, Hadrat Makhdoom Ashraf Rahmatullahi ’Alaih became the founder of the Ashrafiya spiritual order. Having abandoned worldy kingdom and crown at a very young age, he set off on a spiritual journey in search of a spiritual guide for inner peace and to ultimately serve mankind. He studied under many great and learned scholars of the time and gained untold blessings from many Sufis and dervishes. Eventually arriving at a place called Pandua in Bengal where his Shaykh to be, was already waiting to bless him.
And today the 'faiz' of this Wali-Allah [saints, freinds of Allah] who abandoned worldly and materialistic wealth for the pleasure of the Almighty has millions of devotees and followers throughout the world.
COMPLETE BIOGRAHY : MAKHDOOM ASHRAF JAHANGIR
Ibn Khaldun
Al-Hasan bin Jabir bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Abdur-Rahman Ibn Khaldun [d.808 H - 1406 CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wal-ridwan
He is Abdurahman bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Al-Hasan bin Jabir bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Abdurahman bin Ibn Khaldun. His ancestry according to him originated from Hadramut, Yemen. He also traced his ancestry through another genealogy as supplied by Ibn Hazem using his grandfather who was the first to enter Andalusia back to Wail ibn Hajar one of the oldest Yemenite tribe. Ibn Khaldun was born in Tunis on Ramadan 1, 732h (May 27, 1332). He received a traditional education that was typical of his family's rank and status. He learned first at the hands of his father who was a scholarly person who was not involved in politics like his ancestors. He memorized the Qur'an by heart, learned grammar, Jurisprudence, Hadith, rhetoric, philology, and poetry. He had reached certain proficiency in these subjects and received certification in them.
Ibn Khaldun alayhir rahman is one of the most important figures in the field of History and Sociology in Muslim History. He is one of those shining stars that contributed so richly to the understanding of Civilization. In order for one to understand and appreciate his work, one must understand his life. He lived a life in search of stability and influence. He came from a family of scholars and politicians and he intended to live up to both expectations. He would succeed in the field of Scholarship much more so than in any other field.
Ibn Khaldun said about tasawwuf in his famous Muqaddima:
Tasawwuf is one of the latter-day sciences of the Law in the Islamic Community. The foundation of tasawwuf, however, is (more ancient, as seen in the fact) that these folk and their way have always been present among the Salaf and among the most senior of the Companions and the Successors, and their way is the way of truth and guidance.
The foundation of the way of the Sufis is self-restraint in the world and utter dependence on Allah; shunning of the adornment and beauty of the world; self- deprivation of pleasure, money, and title in the manner agreed upon by the vast majority of the scholars; and isolation from creatures in seclusion and devotion to worship.
All these aspects were widespread among the Companions and the Salaf, but with the pervasiveness of worldliness in the second century and the next, and the general inclination of the people towards the world, those who remained attached to worship became know under the name of Sufis.(1)
Ibn Khaldun died while he was in office as a Qadi on Wednesday March 17th 1406CE (25th of Ramadan 808h). He was buried in the Sufi Cemetery outside Bab an-Nasr, Cairo at the age of seventy-four years.
(1) Muqaddimat ibn Khaldun, p. 328.
Reproduced with permission from Shaykh M. Hisham Kabbani's _The Repudiation of 'Salafi' Innovations_ (Kazi, 1996) p. 382.
Extracts taken from Muslim Philosophy
Khwaja Banda Nawaz
Khawaja Shaykh Sayyad Abul Fatah Muhammad Gesu Daraz 'Banda Nawaz' Dehlavi [d. 825 H/ 1422 CE] 'alayhir al-ridwan w'al rahman
Sufi saint of the Chishtiya order. He was a disciple of Nasir al-Din of Delhi and came to Gulbarga in 1413CE. The Bahmani ruler Ahmed Shah (1422-36) conferred rich endowments on him. The Saint's dargah is a large complex of tombs, mosques, madrasas and gateways.
His name was Abul Fatah, and 'Banda Nawaz' and 'Gesu Daraz' are his titles. Among the scholars and theologians he was Shaykh Abul Fatah Sadr al-Din Muhammad Dehlavi, but people called him Khawaja Banda Nawaz and Khawaja Gaysoo D'raaz. He was the descendant of Amir al Momineen Hadrat Ali Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu. His forefathers resided in Hirat (Afghanistan). One of them travelled to Delhi and eventually decided to settle down and make it his new home. Shaykh Muhammad was born in Delhi on 4, Rajab, 721 Hijri. His father Sayyad Yusuf bin Ali, alias Sayyad Raja was a holy figure and devoted to Hadrat Nizam al-din Awliya Rahmatullahi alayh. Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq once transferred his capital to Daulatabad (Devgiri) and along with him went many scholars, theologians and mystics. His parents also migrated to the place. He was four years at the time Malik-ul-Umar Sayyad Ibrahim Mustafa, his maternal uncle, was the governor of the new Capitol i.e., Daulatabad.
Childhood and Early Education: From the very beginning his father put him on the right track i.e. to learn and to study and gave him his early education. From his childhood he was inclined towards Religion and spent time in meditation and prayer. He was ten when his father died and his maternal grand father assumed the responsibility of his education and training and taught him initial books but he took lessons on "Misbah" and "Qadoori" from another teacher.
On the passing away of his father, his mother had a disagreement with her brother and decided to return to Delhi. He was fifteen at the time. He had heard a lot about Hadrat Nizam al-Din and Hadrat Nasir al-Din Roshan Chiragh Dehlavi from his father and maternal grandfather and thus grew devoted to them. One day he went to say his prayer in the Jama-Masjid of Sultan Qutub al-Din, there he saw Hadrat Shaykh Nasir al-Din Mahmood Chiragh Dehlavi and immediately pledged Obedience [bay'ah] to him as his disciple on 16, Rajab.
Completion of Outer and intrinsic studies: Under the guidance of Hadrat Nasir al-Din Chiragh Dehlavi he engaged himself in prayers and meditation and so much enjoyed them that lie forbade studies and requested his teacher to allow him to do so. Hadrat Nasir ad-din strictly denied him permission and instructed him to study with attention Usul-e-Bizoori, Risals Shamsia, Kashaf, Misbah so he restarted the studies under the guidance of renowned teachers. Mawlana Sayyad Shariff al-Din Kaithli, Mawlana Taj al-Din Muqaddam and Mawlana Qazi Abd'al Muqtadir and qualified for the degree at the age of nineteen.
Title Gaisoo Draaz (Gaisu Deraz): One day he with other disciples lifted the palanquin bearing Hadrat Nasir al-Din. His long hair stuck into the foot of the palki and pained him severely but he did not disentangle them for love and respect to the teacher. When Hadrat Nasir al-Din learnt of the episode, he was overjoyed and recited the Persian couplet;
Har ki mureedae Sayyad 'Gesu-Daraz' shud;
Wallah khilaf nest ki Uoo ishq baaz shud.
(Meaning: "Sayyad 'Gesu-Daraz' has pledged his obedience; there is nothing wrong in it because he has deeply fallen in love)."
After this incident he became known as 'Gesu-Daraz.'
Books: He was a prolific writer as well as a revered scholar on a wide range of topics and subjects. He left many books. It is said, he was the first writer of a magazine on mysticism in Urdu. He wrote about 100 books in Persian and Arabic. Some of them are:
Tafseer [Commentary] Qur'an e Majeed
Multaqit
Havashi Kashaf
Shairah-e-Mashareq
Shairah Fiqh-e-Akhbar
Shairah Adab-Ul-Murideen
Shairah Ta-arruf
Risala Sirat-al-Nabi
Tarjuma Mashareq
Ma-Arif
Tarjuma Awaarif
Sharah Fasus al-Hukm
Tarjuma Risala Qerya
Hawa Asahi Quwwat-Ul-Qalb
Stay at Gulbarga: Having lived for about 44 years in Delhi he went to Gulbarga, Deccan. He was about eighthy at that time. Firoz Shah Bahmani ruled over the Deccan during this period. He gave him much respect. For a long time he was engaged in religious discourses, sermons, and spiritual training of the people.
Death: This great scholar, sufi, and renowned spiritual guide lived for over 100 years. He died at the age of 104 years, on the 16th of Dh'ul Q'adah in 825 Hijri, in Gulbarga (Karnataka) and is laid to rest there. His tomb is a place of pilgrimage for all the people rich and poor alike.
Quotes:
" If a Salik prays or meditates for fame, his is an atheist.
" If one prays or meditates out of fear, he is a cheat and a hypocrite.
" So long as a man disengages himself from all the worldly things, he would not step into the road of conduct.
" Divide the night into three periods: in the first period say Darud and recitation; in the second sleep and in the third call His name and meditate.
" The Salik should be careful in food it should be legitimate (Halal).
" The Salik should abstain from the company of the worldly people.
YAA QUTB-E-DECCAN TAAJ-UL-AWLIYA-E-DECCAN SHAHENSHAH-E-KARNATAKA RASOOL-E-HAQQ KI KHUSHBU ALI KA ZORE BAAZU HADRAT SAYYAD MUHAMMAD KHAWAJA BANDE NAWAZ GESU DARAZ AL-MADAD
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani
Imam Abu'l-Fadl Ahmad Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani [d. 852H/1448CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Abu'l-Fadl Ahmad ibn Hajar's family originated in the district of Qabis in Tunisia. Some members of the family had settled in Palestine, which they left again when faced with the Crusader threat, but he himself was born in Egypt in 773, the son of the Shafi'i scholar and poet Nur al-Din 'Ali and the learned and aristocratic Tujjar. Both died in his infancy, and he was later to praise his elder sister, Sitt al-Rakb, for acting as his 'second mother'. The two children became wards of the brother of his father's first wife, Zaki al-Din al-Kharrubi, who entered the young Ibn Hajar in a Qur'anic school (kuttab) when he reached five years of age. Here he excelled, learning 'Surat Maryam' in a single day, and progressing to the memorization of texts such as the 'Mukhtasar' of Ibn al-Hajib on usul. By the time he accompanied al-Kharrubi to Makkah at the age of 12, he was competent enough to lead the Tarawih prayers in the Holy City, where he spent much time studying and recalling God amid the pleasing simplicity of Kharrubi's house, the Bayt al-'Ayna', whose windows looked directly upon the Black Stone. Two years later his protector died, and his education in Egypt was entrusted to the hadith scholar Shams al-Din ibn al-Qattan, who entered him in the courses given by the great Cairene scholars al-Bulqini (d.806) and Ibn al-Mulaqqin (d.804) in Shafi'i fiqh, and of Zayn al-Din al-'Iraqi (d.806) in hadith, after which he was able to travel to Damascus and Jerusalem, where he studied under Shams al-Din al-Qalqashandi (d.809), Badr al-Din al-Balisi (d.803), and Fatima bint al-Manja al-Tanukhiyya (d.803). After a further visit to Makkah and Madina, and to the Yemen, he returned to Egypt.
When he reached 25 he married the lively and brilliant Anas Khatun, then 18 years of age. She was a hadith expert in her own right, holding ijazas from Zayn al-Din al-'Iraqi, and she gave celebrated public lectures in the presence of her husband to crowds of ulema among whom was Imam al-Sakhawi. After the marriage, Ibn Hajar moved into her house, where he lived until his death. Many noted how she surrounded herself with the old, the poor and the physically handicapped, whom it was her privilege and pleasure to support. So widely did her reputation for sanctity extend that during her fifteen years of widowhood, which she devoted to good works, she received a proposal from Imam 'Alam al-Din al-Bulqini, who considered that a marriage to a woman of such charity and baraka would be a source of great pride.
Once ensconced in Egypt, Ibn Hajar taught in the Sufi lodge (khaniqah) of Baybars for some twenty years, and then in the hadith college known as Dar al-Hadith al-Kamiliyya. During these years, he served on occasion as the Shafi'i chief justice of Egypt.
It was in Cairo that the Imam wrote some of the most thorough and beneficial books ever added to the library of Islamic civilization. Among these are al-Durar al-Kamina (a biographical dictionary of leading figures of the eighth century), a commentary on the Forty Hadith of Imam al-Nawawi (a scholar for whom he had particular respect); Tahdhib al-Tahdhib (an abbreviation of Tahdhib al-Kamal, the encyclopedia of hadith narrators by al-Mizzi), al-Isaba fi tamyiz al-Sahaba (the most widely-used dictionary of Companions), and Bulugh al-Maram min adillat al-ahkam (on Shafi'i fiqh).
In 817, Ibn Hajar commenced the enormous task of assembling his Fath al-Bari. It began as a series of formal dictations to his hadith students, after which he wrote it out in his own hand and circulated it section by section to his pupils, who would discuss it with him once a week. As the work progressed and its author's fame grew, the Islamic world took a close interest in the new work. In 833, Timur's son Shahrukh sent a letter to the Mamluk sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay requesting several gifts, including a copy of the Fath, and Ibn Hajar was able to send him the first three volumes. In 839 the request was repeated, and further volumes were sent, until, in the reign of al-Zahir Jaqmaq, the whole text was finished and a complete copy was dispatched. Similarly, the Moroccan sultan Abu Faris 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Hafsi requested a copy before its completion. When it was finished, in Rajab 842, a great celebration was held in an open place near Cairo, in the presence of the ulema, judges, and leading personages of Egypt. Ibn Hajar sat on a platform and read out the final pages of his work, and then poets recited eulogies and gold was distributed. It was, says the historian Ibn Iyas, 'the greatest celebration of the age in Egypt.'
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Hajar departed this life in 852 Hijri. His funeral was attended by 'fifty thousand people', including the sultan and the caliph; 'even the Christians grieved.' He was remembered as a gentle man, short, slender, and white-bearded, a lover of chess and calligraphy, much inclined to charity; 'good to those who wronged him, and forgiving to those he was able to punish.' A lifetime's proximity to the hadith had imbued him with a deep love of the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), as is shown nowhere more clearly than in the poetry assembled in his Diwan, an original manuscript of which has been preserved at the Egyptian National Library. A few lines will suffice to show this well:
By the gate of your generosity stands a sinner, who is mad with love,
O best of mankind in radiance of face and countenance!
Through you he seeks a means [tawassala], hoping for Allah's forgiveness of slips;
from fear of Him, his eyelid is wet with pouring tears.
Although his genealogy attributes him to a stone [hajar],
how often tears have flowed, sweet, pure and fresh!
Praise of you does not do you justice, but perhaps,
In eternity, its verses will be transformed into mansions.
My praise of you shall continue for as long as I live,
For I see nothing that could ever deflect me from your praise.
Source: Mas'ud Khan's Ahl as-Sunnah Website
copyright: Abdal Hakim Murad
Imam al-Jazuli
Imam Abu Abd'ullah Muhmmad al Jazuli [d.870H - 1465CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
His full name was Abu Abdullah Muhammad, son of Sulayman, son of Abi Bakr al-Jazuli al-Simlali. He was a descendant of Prophet Muhammad, praise and veneration be upon him, via his grandson Hasan, son of Ali, may Allah be pleased with them.
Imam al Jazuli alayhir rahman belonged to the Berber tribe of Jazula that settled in the Sus area of Morocco which lies between the Atlantic ocean and the Atlas mountains. When he was young he studied in Sus, then continued his studies in the Madrassa as-Saffareen in Fez. Al-Jazuli was ''frequent in reciting litanies (awrad), observant of Allah most High in all his states, not exceeding the boundaries Allah established, and exerting himself in following the Book of Allah and the example of his beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace).” He founded the Shadhiliyya Jazuliyya order, with Dala'il al-Khayrat [Guidance to Righteousness] at its core, and its disciples received spiritual training (tarbiya) at his hands. After the completion of his studies in the Madrassa he left Fez and spent the next forty years between Makkah, Madina and Jerusalem. It was after this period that he returned to Fez where he was blessed to complete his great work of the 'Dala'il ul Khayrat'.
Imam al Jazuli alayhir rahman was a very pious man and the foremost Judge of his town. One day, while on a journey he became very thirsty and also needed to renew his ablution but his water skin was empty and there was no water in sight. In his search for water he found a well, however the well had neither a bucket nor a rope with which to draw the water. Al Jazuli was very distressed by the situation, the water was so near and yet so far, and he did not know what to do. Shortly after finding the well a young girl approached and upon realizing al Jazuli’s dilemma spat dry air into the well and the water miraculous rose to the top. Imam al Jazuli alayhir rahman was astounded by this miracle and asked the girl how such a miracle was possible. To this she replied "I was able to do this through my asking Allah for 'peace and blessings upon' Prophet Muhammad."
Having witnessed the blessed benefit of asking for blessings upon the Prophet, may Allah praise and venerate him, and give him peace. Al Jazuli decided to compose 'Dala'il ul-Khayrat' by gathering and selecting material from a multitude of authentic Islamic references that praise and supplicate for blessings upon the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam. When one reads these supplications on the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, Allah showers not only His Prophet with blessings but also its reader.
This great work has been, and still is acclaimed by all the lovers of Prophet Muhammad, praise and veneration be upon him, as being the foremost book to praise him. Dalail was later explained by Imam Al-Fasi and subsequently all authentic references were added at the end of each statement in his famous explanation of Dalail. However, one must not suppose that this work contains all the authentic prayers that praise the Beloved Prophet, they are so numerous that they would exhaust volumes of writing; but they are the most precious.
The style of Imam al Jazuli's alayhir rahman presentation is uniquely his own and scented with musk in sincere love of the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him. His writing flows both swiftly yet with smoothness at an exhilarating pace and has attracted many learned Muslim scholars, including Imam Yusuf, son of Ishmael an-Nabahani, to write books that expound its deeper meaning and enriches one’s understanding. Such is the love for this blessed book that Muslim scholars of various tongues such as urdu felt the compelling urge to translated it into their native language so that their people may praise the beloved Prophet in the best manner and be blessed by its reading.
Dala'il al-Khayrat : stands witness to the tremendous baraka of blessing the Chosen and Most Beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). Al Jazuli alayhir rahman, devoted his life to this cause and, in the process, renewed the spiritual landscape of his native Morocco. Dala'il al-Khayrat spread from Morocco to all corners of the world, inspiring and inculcating love of the Beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in the hearts of Muslims everywhere. It is the most universally acclaimed and the most popular among books of salawaat on the beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam. Just as al-Muwatta of Imam Malik Rahmatullahi 'alaih is the first major book of Hadith Shareef to be compiled, Dala'il al-Khayrat is the first major book of salawaat.
The Sufi Shadhili Path:
Al Jazuli was initiated into the 'Shadhili Path' (Tariqa) by Sharif Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Amghar. He spent fourteen years in seclusion and then went to Safi where we are told by Al-Habib Abdullah, son of Alawi, son of Hasan al Attas in his book that ''The Way of Bani 'Alawi'' that al Jazuli had twelve thousand followers, whom he led deeper into the love of Allah and His Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him.
The date of his death is uncertain however, it occurred between the years 869-873 H during an obligatory prayer. In the Encyclopedia of Islam, 1957 Leiden, it is reported that seventy-seven years after his death his body was exhumed for reburial in Marrakesh and his body had not decomposed.
Abd'al Razzaq Noor al-Ayn
Makhdoom al Afaaq Sayyad Abd'al Razzaq Noor al-Ayn [d. 871H] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
The family of Sultan Sayyad Hadrat Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Semnani Rahmatullahi ta'ala 'alayh came to be known as 'Khandan al-Ashrafiya' and the forefather of this dynasty in Asia is Hadrat Sayyad Abd'al Razzaq Noor al-Ayn Rahmatullahi ta'ala alayh . This family came to be known as 'Ashrafi Sadat '. All the descendents are of the family of Hadrat Abd'al Razzaq Noor al-Ayn. A great saint and scholar of his time. Direct descendent of Ghawth al Azam Shaykh Abd'al Qadir al Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu. His shrine is next to his murshid and uncle Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Rahmatullahi ta'ala 'alayh in Kicchocha Shareef, Faizabad, UP, India.
Read more : Abd 'al Razzaq Nur al-Ayn
al-Jami
Nur al-Din Abd 'ar-Rahman Jami [d.897H - 1492CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Nur al-Din Abd 'ar-Rahman Jami alayhir al Rahman was born on August the 14th 1414 Common Era. [d.897H] and was from the decent from the well-known jurisprudent of the second century, IBN AL HASAN AL-SHAIBANI [d.189H]. Jami was arguably the greatest Persian poet in the 15th century. He was a famous Sufi, and a follower of SHAH BAHA'AL-DIN NAQSHBAND [d.791H] ; Naqshbandiyah Sufi Order. He was born in a village near 'Jam', (vicinity of Mashhad) but a few years after his birth, his family migrated to the cultural city of Herat in present day Afghanistan where he was able to study Peripateticism, mathematics, Arabic literature, natural sciences and Islamic knowledge at the Nizamiyyah University of Herat. He wrote :
My birthplace is Jam and the drops of my pen
Are the draught of the cup of Shaykh al-Islam,
Thus in the pages of my poetry
In two ways my pen-name is Jami.
Afterwards he went to Samarqand city, the most important center for scientific studies in the Islamic World and completed his studies there.
Jami wrote approximately 87 books and epistles. Among them are: Diwanha-i Sehganeh (Triplet Divans), the collection of Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones), Baharistan (Spring Land), Nafahat al-Uns (Biographies of the Mystics). He also wrote a commentary on the Fusus al-hikam of IBN AL-'ARABI, MUHIY AL-DIN, a commentary on the Luma'at of Fakhr al-Din 'Iraqi, a commentary on the Ta'iyyah of Ibn al-Farid, a commentary on the Qasidat al-Burdah in praise of the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, a commentary on the Qasidah Mimiyyah of Farazdaq in praise of al-'Imam 'Ali ibn al-Husayn Allah be pleased with him, and a book entitled al-Lawdyih, his Bahdristan, written in the style of Sa'di's Gulistans. Some of his quatrains have been translated into English.
Abd 'ar-Rahman Jami alayhir al Rahman died on November the 19th 1492 Common Era [897 Hijri].
Jami poetry at www.chishti.ru
Imam al-Sakhawi
Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sakhawi [d. 902H/1497CE] 'alayhir al rahman w'al ridwan
Imam al-Sakhawi was born in 831 Hijri in the village of Sakha in Egypt, where his relatives belonged. He was the foremost student of IBN HAJAR ASQALANI alayhir al rahman and a great jurist, historian, and hadith master, like Taqi al-Din al-Subki and JALAL AL-DIN SUYUTI [Allah be pleased with them], he belonged to the Shadhili order founded by SHADHILI, ABU' AL HASAN, as represented by the great Maliki Master IBN ATA' ALLAH, five of whose works al-Sakhawi transmitted to posterity, including the Hikam, from the Shadhili commentator Ahmad Zarruq (d. 899).
In his biography of the famous men of his time entitled al-Daw' al-lami' al-Sakhawi reveals that his father Zayn al-Din 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad (d. 874) was a Cairo-born Sufi of great piety, and a member of the Baybarsiyya Sufi community where Ibn Hajar, Sakhawi's teacher, taught for forty years.(1)
In the section of his 'al-Jawahir al-mukallala fi al-akhbar al-musalsala' devoted to the transmission of hadith through chains formed exclusively of Sufi narrators, al-Sakhawi states that he himself had received the Sufi path from Zayn al-Din Ridwan al- Muqri' in Cairo.(2) In the same work Sakhawi also mentions several of his teachers and students of hadith who were Sufis. Here are the names of some of them, together with the words used by him to describe them in his biographical work al-Daw' al-lami':
* Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad al-Hishi al-Halabi al-Shafi'i (b. 848) the head of the Bistamiyya Sufis in Aleppo, the mother trunk of the Naqshbandi Sufi order affiliated with BISTAMI, ABU YAZID. He spent two years in Makkah with Sakhawi, who wrote him an ijaza or permission to teach. In this ijaza Sakhawi calls him: 'Our master, the masterful Imam of merits and guidance, the Educator of Murids (students in the Sufi path), the Mainstay of Wayfarers in the Sufi path, the Noble Abu Bakr al-Hishi al-Halabi, may Allah preserve him and have mercy on his gracious predecessors (i.e. the chain of his shaykhs in the Sufi path), and may Allah grant us and all Muslims their benefits.'(3)
* Badr al-Din Hussayn ibn Siddiq al-Yamani al-Ahdal (d. 903): al-Sakhawi gave him a comprehensive ijaza granting him permission to teach all of his books.(4)
* Abu al-Fath Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Madani al-Maraghi (d. 859): Sakhawi took hadith from him. He was head of two Sufi khaniqas in Cairo, the Zamamiyya and the Jamaliyya. He led a life of seclusion for the most part, and wrote a commentary on Nawawi's manual of Law Minhaj al-talibin, and an epitome of IBN HAJAR ASQALANI 'Fath al-bari' because of his defense of SHAYKH IBN AL 'ARABI, he was murdered in front of the Ka'ba by a fanatic.(5)
* Taqi al-Din Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad al-Qalqashandi (d. 867), also called 'Abd Allah. He received the Sufi khirqa or cloak of authority in Cairo. He is said to have read the whole of Sahih al-Bukhari in three days while in Makkah. He lived in al-Quds, where al-Sakhawi met him and took hadith from him.(6)
* Thiqat al-Din Abu al-'Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-'Uqbi (d. 861). He taught hadith and tajwid in Makkah, where Sakhawi studied under him.(7)
* Kamal al-Din Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahid al-Sikandari al-Siwasi (d. 861). He was a master of all sciences and taught at the Madrasa al-Ashrafiyya in Cairo, after which he headed the Shaykhuni Sufi khaniqa. He authored many books.(8)
* Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn 'Ali al-Husayni al-Qahiri al- Shafi'i al-Sufi (d. 876). Munawi's deputy judge in Cairo, a student of `Izz al-Din ibn Jama'a, Jalal al-Din al-Bulqini and many others, and a student and friend of Sakhawi's teacher Ibn Hajar whose work Fath al-bari he copied twice. A teacher of fiqh and hadith, he wrote an epitome of Ibn al-Athir's Kitab al-ansab. He was an old acquaintance of Sakhawi's father, and consequently treated Sakhawi himself 'with indescribable respect.' He was one of the ten students to whom Ibn Hajar gave his authority in teaching hadith after him.(9)
* Abu Khalid Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Jibrini (d. 860). He was a writer, archer, horseman, and Sufi shaykh at the zawiya (alcove-mosque) of Jibrin, where al-Sakhawi met him and took hadith from him. Sakhawi says of him: 'He was handsome, modest, generous, courageous, and endowed with spiritual strength and virility after the shaykhs of true majesty.'(10)
* Zaki al-Din Abu al-`Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Ansari al- Khazraji al-Sa'di al-Muqri' al-Sufi (d. 875). An associate of Ibn Hajar and a prolific writer, he wrote an autobiography in more than fifty volumes, although Sakhawi said he was unaffected, congenial, readily given to tears, and quick of repartee.(11)
* Thiqat al-Din Abu 'Ali Mahmud ibn 'Ali al-Sufi al-Khaniki (d. 865). Born and raised in Cairo's Khaniqa al-Siryaqusiyya where he taught late in life. He died while at Makkah the pilgrimage.(12)
* Abu al-Faraj 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Khalil al-Dimashqi al-Sufi (d. 869). He was a muhaddith. Al-Sakhawi studied under him in Cairo and at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.(13)
notes;
(1) al-Sakhawi, al-Daw' al-lami' (Beirut: dar maktabat al- hayat, 1966) 4:124-125. (2) A.J. Arberry, Sakhawiana: A Study Based on the Chester Beatty Ms. Arab. 773 (London: Emery Walker Ltd., 1951) p. 35. (3) al-Sakhawi, al-Daw' al-lami' 11:96-97, 74-75. (4) Ibid. 3:144-145. (5) Ibid. 7:162-165. (6) Ibid. 11:69-71. (7) Ibid. 2:212-213. (8) Ibid. 8:127-132. (9) Ibid. 8:176-178. (10) Ibid. 7:197. (11) Ibid. 2:146-149. (12) Ibid. 10:140-141. (13) Ibid. 4:76.
Reproduced with permission from Shaykh M. Hisham Kabbani's _The Repudiation of 'Salafi' Innovations_ (Kazi, 1996) p. 382-385.
al-Suyuti
Imam Jalal al-Din al-Misri al-Suyuti [d. 911H] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
'Abd al-Rahman ibn Kamal al-Din Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Sabiq al-Din, Jalal al-Din al-Misri al-Suyuti al-Shafi'i al-Ash'ari, also known as Ibn al-Asyuti (d. 849-911), the mujtahid imam and renewer of the tenth Islamic century, foremost hadith master, jurist, Sufi, philologist, and historian, he authored works in virtually every Islamic science.
Born to a Turkish mother and non-Arab father and raised as an orphan in Cairo, he memorized the Qur'an at eight, then several complete works of Sacred Law, fundamentals of jurisprudence, and Arabic grammar; after which he devoted himself to studying the Sacred Sciences under about a hundred and fifty shaykhs. Among them the foremost Shafi'i and Hanafis shaykhs at the time, such as the hadith master and Shaykh al-Islam Siraj al-Din Bulqini, with whom he studied Shafi'i jurisprudence until his death; the hadith scholar Shaykh al-Islam Sharaf al-Din al-Munawi, with whom he read Qur'anic exegesis and who commented al-Suyuti's al-Jami' al-Saghir in a book entitled Fayd al-Qadir; Taqi al-Din al-Shamani in hadith and the sciences of Arabic; the specialist in the principles of the law Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli, together with whom he compiled the most widespread condensed commentary of Qur'an in our time, 'Tafsir al-Jalalayn'; Burhan al-Din al-Biqa'i; Shams al-Din al-Sakhawi; he also studied with the Hanafi shaykhs Taqi al-Din al-Shamni, Shihab al-Din al-Sharmisahi, Muhyi al-Din al-Kafayji, and the hadith master Sayf al-Din Qasim ibn Qatlubagha.
He travelled in the pursuit of knowledge to Damascus, the Hijaz, Yemen, India, Morocco, the lands south of Morocco, as well as to centers of learning in Egypt such as Mahalla, Dumyat, and Fayyum. He was some time head teacher of hadith at the Shaykhuniyya school in Cairo at the recommendation of Imam Kamal al-Din ibn al-Humam, then the Baybarsiyya, out of which he was divested through the complaints of disgruntled shaykhs which he had replaced as teachers. He then retired into scholarly seclusion, never to go back to teaching.
Ibn Iyas in 'Tarikh Misr' states that when al-Suyuti reached forty years of age, he abandoned the company of men for the solitude of the Garden of al-Miqyas by the side of the Nile, avoiding his former colleagues as though he had never known them, and it was here that he authored most of his nearly six hundred books and treatises. Wealthy Muslims and princes would visit him with offers of money and gifts, but he put all of them off, and when the sultan requested his presence a number of times, he refused. He once said to the sultan's envoy: "Do not ever come back to us with a gift, for in truth Allah has put an end to all such needs for us." Blessed with success in his years of solitude, it is difficult to name a field in which al-Suyuti did not make outstanding contributions, among them his ten-volume hadith work Jam' al-Jawami' ("The Collection of Collections"); his Qur'anic exegesis Tafsir al-Jalalayn ("Commentary of the Two Jalals"), of which he finished the second half of an uncompleted manuscript by Jalal al-Din Mahalli in just forty days; his classic commentary on the sciences of hadith 'Tadrib al-Rawi fi Sharh Taqrib al-Nawawi' ("The Training of the Hadith Transmitter: An Exegesis of Nawawi's 'The Facilitation'"); and many others.
A giant among contemporaries, he remained alone, producing a sustained output of scholarly writings until his death at the age of sixty-two. He was buried in Hawsh Qawsun in Cairo. In the introduction to his book entitled 'al-Riyad al-Aniqa' on the names of the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam he said: "It is my hope that Allah accept this book and that through this book I shall gain the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam's intercession. Perhaps it shall be that Allah make it the seal of all my works, and grant me what I have asked Him with longing regarding the Honorable One."
The editors of the 'Dalil Makhtutat al-Suyuti' ("Guide to al-Suyuti's Manuscripts") have listed 723 works to al-Suyuti's name.1 Some of these are brief fatwas which do not exceed four pages, like his notes on the hadith "Whoever says: 'I am knowledgeable,' he is ignorant"2 entitled 'A'dhab al-Manahil fi Hadith Man Qala Ana 'Alim'; while others, like the 'Itqan fi 'Ulum al-Qur'an' or 'Tadrib al-Rawi', are full-fledged tomes.
Shaykh al-Islam al-Suyuti, the Renewer of the Eighth Islamic century and Mujtahid Imam said in his book entitled Ta'yid al-haqiqa al-'aliyya wa-tashyid al-tariqa al-shadhiliyya (The upholding of the lofty truth and the buttressing of the Shadhili path):
Tasawwuf in itself is a most honorable knowledge. It explains how to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet and to leave innovation, how to purify the ego... and submit to Allah truly...
I have looked at the matters which the Imams of Shari'a have criticized in Sufis, and I did not see a single true Sufi holding such positions. Rather, they are held by the people of innovation and the extremists who have claimed for themselves the title of Sufi while in reality they are not...
Pursuit of the science of the hearts, knowledge of its diseases such as jealousy, arrogance and pride, and leaving them are an obligation on every Muslim.
His chain of transmission in tasawwuf goes back to SHAYKH 'ABD AL-QADIR AL-GILANI, and al-Suyuti belonged to the Shadhili tariqa, which he eulogized in his brief defense of tasawwuf entitled 'Tashyid al-Haqiqa al-'Aliyya'. In the latter book he states: "I have looked at the matters which the Imams of Shari'a have criticized in Sufis, and I did not see a single true Sufi holding such positions. Rather, they are held by the people of innovation and the extremists who have claimed for themselves the title of Sufi while in reality they are not." In the Tashyid he also produces narrative chains of transmission proving that AL HASAN AL-BASRI did in fact narrate directly from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib - Allah be well-pleased with him. This goes against commonly received opinion among the scholars of hadith,3 although it was also the opinion of IMAM AHMAD IBN HANBAL.4
When one of his shaykhs, Burhan al-Din Ibrahim ibn 'Umar al-Biqa'i (d. 885), attacked Ibn 'Arabi in a tract entitled Tanbih al-Ghabi ila Takfir Ibn 'Arabi ("Warning to the Dolt That Ibn 'Arabi is an Apostate"), al-Suyuti countered with a tract entitled Tanbih Al-Ghabi fi Takhti'a Ibn 'Arabi ("Warning to the Dolt That Faults Ibn 'Arabi"). Both epistles have been published.5
In his reply al-Suyuti states that he considers Ibn 'Arabi a Friend of Allah whose writings are forbidden to those who read them without first learning the technical terms used by the Sufis. He cites from Ibn Hajar's list in Anba' al-Ghumr, among the trusted scholars who kept a good opinion of Ibn 'Arabi or counted him a wali: Ibn 'Ata' Allah al-Sakandari (d. 709), al-Yafi'i (d. 678), Ibn 'Abd al-Salam after the latter's meeting with al-Shadhili, Shihab al-Din Abu al-'Abbas Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Malwi al-Tilimsani (d. 776), Siraj al-Din Abu Hafs 'Umar ibn Ishaq al-Hindi al-Hanafi (d. 773) the author of Sharh al-Hidaya and Sharh al-'Ayni, Najm al-Din al-Bahi al-Hanbali (d. 802), al-Jabarti (d. 806), the major lexicographer al-Fayruzabadi (d. 818), Shams al-Din al-Bisati al-Maliki (d. 842), al-Munawi (d. 871), and others. Of note with regard to the above is the abundant use of Ibn 'Arabi's sayings by al-Munawi in his commentary of al-Suyuti's Jami' al-Saghir entitled Fayd al-Qadir, and by Fayruzabadi in his commentary on Bukhari's Sahih.
Al-Suyuti was Ash'ari in his doctrine as shown in many of his works. In 'Masalik al-Hunafa fi Walidayy al-Mustafa' ("Methods Of Those With Pure Belief Concerning the Parents of The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam") he says:
The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam's parents died before he was sent as Prophet and there is no punishment for them, since: (We never punish until We send a Messenger (whom they reject)( (17:15 ). Our Ash'ari Imams among those in kalam, usul, and fiqh agree on the statement that one who dies while da'wa has not reached him, dies saved. This has been defined by Imam al-Shafi'i.. . . Some of the fuqaha' explained that the reason is, such a person follows fitra or Primordial Disposition, and has not stubbornly refused nor rejected any Messenger.6
Source: Shaykh Gibril F. al-Haddad
Imam al-Sharani
Imam Abd al-Wahhab al-Sharani [d. 973AH / 1566CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
A Hanafi scholar of comparative fiqh and author of numerous works on Law and tasawwuf, among which 'al-Tabaqat al-kubra' in which he writes, as cited in the Reliance of the Traveller:
The path of the Sufis is built on the Qur'an and Sunnah, and is based upon living according to the morals of the Prophets and purified ones.
It may not be blamed unless it violates an explicit statement from the Qur'an, sunnah, or scholarly consensus, exclusively. If it does not contravene one of these, the very most that one may say of it is that it is an understanding a Muslim man has been given, so let whoever wishes act upon it, and whoever does not refrain, this being as true of works as of understanding. So no pretext remains for condemning it except one's own low opinion of others, or interpreting what they do as ostentation, which is unlawful.
Whoever carefully examines the branches of knowledge of the Folk of Allah Most High will find that none of them are beyond the pale of the Sacred Law. How should they lie beyond the pale of the Sacred Law when it is the law that connects the Sufis to Allah at every moment? Rather, the reason for the doubts of someone unfamiliar with the way of the Sufis that it is of the very essence of the Sacred Law is the fact that such a person has not thoroughly mastered the knowledge of the law. This is why JUNAYD, AL-BAGHDADI Allah Most High have mercy on him said, "This knowledge of ours is built of the Qur'an and sunnah," in reply to those of his time or any other who imagine that it is beyond the pale of the Qur'an and sunnah.
The Folk unanimously concur that none is fit to teach in the path of Allah Mighty and Majestic save someone with comprehensive mastery of the Sacred Law, who knows its explicit and implicit rulings, which of them are of general applicability and which are particular, which supersede others and which are superseded. He must also have a thorough grounding in Arabic, be familiar with its figurative modes and similes, and so forth. So every true Sufi is a scholar is Sacred Law, though the reverse is not necessarily true.
To summarize, no one denies the states of the Sufis except someone ignorant of the way they are. AL QUSHAYRI Allah be pleased with him, says; "No era of the Islamic period has had a true sheikh of this group, save that the Imams of the scholars of that time deferred to him, showed humility towards him, and visited him for the benefit of his spiritual grace (baraka). If the Folk had no superiority or election, the matter would have been the other way around.1
Dr G.F.Haddad
1 al-Tabaqat al-kubra al-musamma bi Lawaqih al-anwar fi tabaqat al-akhyar (1374/1954) (Reprint, Beirut: dar al-fikr, n.d.) 1:4. In Reliance of the Traveller p. 863-864.
Ibn Hajar al-Haytami
Shaykh al-Islam Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Haytami al Makki [d.974 H] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami Radi Allahu anhu was a student of Zakariyya al-Ansari. He was born in the 16th century [909 after Hiri]. Ibn Hajar, represents the foremost resource for legal opinion (fatwa) in the entire late Shafi'i school. He was once asked about the legal status of those who criticizes Sufis: Is there an excuse for such critics? He replies in his Fatawa hadithiyya:
It is incumbent upon every person endowed with mind and religion not to fall into the trap of criticizing these folk (Sufis), for it is a mortal poison, as has been witnessed of old and recently.1
Among many others on the same topic, he gave an important fatwa entitled: "Whoever denies, rejects, or disapproves of the Sufis, Allah will not make his knowledge beneficial." We transcribe it below in full:
Our Shaykh, the gnostic ('arif) scholar Abu al-Hasan al-Bakri (d. 952) told me, on the authority of the shaykh and scholar Jamal al-Din al-Sabi verbatim -- and he is one of the most distinguished students of our Shaykh Zakaria al-Sabiq (al-Ansari), that al-Sabi used to reject and criticize the way of the honorable Ibn al-Farid. One time al-Sabi saw in a dream that it was the Day of Judgment, and he was carrying a load which made him exhausted, then he heard a caller saying: "Where is the group of Ibn al-Farid?" He said:I came forward in order to enter with them, but I was told: "You are not one of them, so go back." When I woke up I was in extreme fear, and felt regret and sorrow, so I repented to Allah from rejecting the way of Ibn al-Farid, and renewed my commitment to Allah, and returned to believing that he is one of the awliya -- saints and friends -- of Allah. The following year on the same night, I had the same dream. I heard the caller saying: "Where are the group of Ibn al-Farid? Let them enter Paradise." So I went with them and I was told: "Come in, for now you are one of them."
Examine this matter carefully as it come from a man of knowledge in Islam. It appears -- and Allah knows best -- that it is because of the baraka or blessing of his shaykh Zakariyya al-Ansari that he has seen the dream which made him change his mind. Otherwise, how many of their deniers they have left to their blindness, until they found themselves in loss and destruction!
Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Haytami defined the 'Sunni [Ahl as-Sunnah w'al Jama'ah] Muslims' as follows in his book 'Fath al-jawad':
"A mubtadi (innovator) is the person who does not have the faith (aqid'ah) conveyed unanimously by the Ahl as-Sunnah. This unanimity was transmitted by the two great Imam's Abu'l Hasan al-Ashari (d.324/936; Rahimahullah) and Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (d.333/944; Rahimahullah) and the scholars who followed their path." Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Haytami also said in his book 'al-Fatawa al-Hadithiyya' (pg. 205): "Man of BID'AH means one whose beliefs are different from the Ahl as-Sunnah faith. The Ahl as-Sunnah faith, is the faith of Abu'l Hasan al-Ashari, Abu Mansur al-Maturidi and those who followed them. One who brings forth something which is not approved by Islam becomes a man of bid'ah."
Ibn Hajar wrote 'al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah', 'Fath al-jawad' and 'al-Fatawa al-Hadithiyya' amongst many other works. Ibn Hajar died in 974 After Hijri [1567 Common Era].
1 Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, Fatawa hadithiyya (Cairo: al-Halabi, 1970) p. 331
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Shah Wajih al Din Alvi
Sayyad Shah Ahmad Wajih al-Din Alvi Gujerati [d. 998H -1590CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Shah Wajihuddin Alvi rahmatullahi 'alayh was the son of Sayyad Shah Nasrullah rahmatullahi 'alayh. He was born at Champanar, Muhammadabad on the 22nd of Muharram ul-Haram 910 Hijri [1504 Common Era]. He became Hafidh al Qur'an by the tender age of seven and went onto become educated at the renowned Madrassa Aliya Alviya & Dars-e-Muhammadi in Ahmedabad. Shah Wajih al-Din Alvi excelled under his specialist teachers, in Logic, Hadith and Tafsir. It was Sultan Muzaffar Halim who became the Sultan of Gujarat who persuaded Shah Nasrullah rahmatullahi 'alayh to settle in the Badhr Fort area of Ahmedabad city; the capital of Gujerat state in India. Shah Wajih al-Din Alvi went onto become a renowned sufi scholar, writer and poet. In fact he has written explanatory short notes [hashiya] on over 260 books and publications of the earlier scholars. Shah Wajih al-Din Alvi rahmatullahi 'alayh was also a khalifa of Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Semnani alayhir ar-rahman.
Ancestors of Shah Wajih al-Din Alvi
1. Sayyad Kabir-ud-Din: The ancestor of Sayyad Ahmad known as Shah Wajih al-Din Alvi belonged to the Hadramount province of Arabia. Sayyad Kabir-ud-Din was the great grandfather of Shah Wajih-ud-Din Alvi. After moving & settling in the sacred city of Makkah Mukarrama, Sayyad Kabir al-Din was also then therefore referred as 'Makki'.
2. Sayyad Baha-ud-Din : He was the son of Sayyad Kabir-ud-Din Makki. He had a vision in which he was asked to go to India [Gujarat] by the Prophet Muhammad Peace & Blessings upon him. So Sayyad Baha-ud-Din Makki came to India at Patdi, in Gujarat in 799 Hijri [1396 Common Era]. Sayyad Baha-ud-Din Makki and his family had to endure severe prejudice from the native King, whose soldiers had killed two of his men. So he left for Patan [or Pattan] which was the seat of 'Shuba' the Governor appointed by the Muslim King of Delhi. At that time Zafar Khan Ahmad was the Governor Suba of Patan, he was also the ancestor of Sultan Ahmad Shah; the actual Founder of the City of Ahmadabad.
Sayyad Baha-ud-Din Makki had captured the fort of Patdi with the help of Zafar Khan's soldiers. He lived there in peace all of his life and was buried in Patdi near to Viramgam. The good character and nature of Sayyad Baha-ud-Din impressed upon the people of Patdi, as soon many locals and those from the surrounding areas wholeheartedly embraced Islam.
3. Sayyad Muin-ud-Din: He was the son of Sayyad Baha-ud-Din. He was appointed Chief Justice of Patdi by the then Sultan of Gujarat, Muzaffar. Sayyad Moin-ud-Din was also a very pious and upright man. Thus attracted by his demeanour and good nature, many people also entered into the fold of Islam.
4. Sayyad Ata-ud-Din: He was the son of Sayyad Moin-ud-Din. He was a scholar and had the blessing of Sayyad Ganj Ahmad Maghrebi [Qutb al Aqtab]. Sayyad Ata-ud-Din was also appointed the Chief Justice of Patdi by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Gujarat.
5. Sayyad Emad-ud-Din : He was the son of Sayyad Ata-ud-Din. He was also appointed Chief Justice of Khambhat by the Sultan; Muhammad Baig of Gujarat (whom some prejudiced hindu historian referred as 'Begda' instead of 'Baig'). In his role as a Chief Judge Sayyad Emad-ud-Din had gained a lot of respect and his reputation had spread far and wide for his fair & impartial verdicts. He was fortunate to have had the blessing of Sayyad Ala-ud-Din Qazan Chisti Rahmatullahi alaih who had bestowed him with the khilafat of the Chisti Order [permission to lead the Chistiya Silsila]. Sayyad Emad-ud-Din is buried at Patdi in the precinct of his parents.
6. Sayyad Nasr-ul-lah : He was appointed Chief Justice of Champanar Mehmoodabad which is now known as Mahemdawad. This was during the time of Khalil Khan IV, son of Sultan Muhammad Baig adopting the title of Sultan Muzaffar II, better known as Sultan Muzaffar Halim who became the Sultan of Gujarat. It was Sultan Muzaffar who persuaded Sayyad Nasr-ul-lah to come and settle in Ahmadabad, the capital of Gujarat thus Shah Nasr-ul-lah, the father of Shah Wajih al-Din Alvi came to live at the Khanpur area, near to Bhadr-Fort in the city of Ahmadabad.
7. Shah Wajih al-Din: He was the son of Sayyad Nasr-ul-lah. The present Janasheen [spiritual successor] is Sayyad Ahmed Alvi, and his father was Pir Sayyad Bada Saheb Alvi Rahmatullahi alayh also known as (Shah Wajih al-Din II) was also a great and pious saint.
Genealogy of Pir Sayyad Bada Saheb Alvi [Shah Wajih al-Din II]
Sayyad Shah Wajih al-Din Alvi
Sayyad Mawlana Abd'al Haq Alvi
Sayyad Mawlana Ghulam Wajih-ud-Din
Sayyad Mawlana Siraj-ud-Din
Sayyad Mawlana Ala-ud-Din
Sayyad Mawlana Hamid Alvi
Sayyad Abd'allah Alvi
Sayyad Hafiz Abd'al Haq
Sayyad Hafiz Abd'allah
Sayyad Waji al-Din II (sani) [Pir Bada Saheb Alvi]
Ridwanallahi ta'ala alayhim'ajmain
Sayyad Ahmed Alvi [Sajjad Nashin]
Shah Wajih al-Din Alvi alayhir rahman was laid to rest at Khanpur, Ahmedabad in 998 Hijri. [1590 Common Era]
Shaykh Ahmad as-Sirhindi
Mujaddid Alif Thani, Imam al Rabbani Shaykh Ahmad al Faruqi as-Sirhindi, [d.1034H / 1624CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
He was the Pearl of the Crown of the Knowledgeable Saints. He was the Reviver of the Second Millennium, Sayyidina wa Mawlana (our Leader & Master) ash-Shaykh Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi, ibn ash-Shaykh 'Abdul Ahad s/o Zainu-l-'Abidin s/o 'Abdulhayy, s/o Muhammad s/o Habibullah, s/o Rafi'uddin, s/o Nur, s/o Sulayman, s/o Yusuf, s/o 'Abdullah, s/o Ishaq, s/o 'Abdullah, s/o Shu'ayb, s/o Aad, s/o Yusuf, s/o Shihabuddin, known as Farq Shah al-Qabidi, s/o Nairuddin, s/o Mahmud, s/o Sulayman, s/o Mas'ud, s/o 'Abdullah al-Wa'i al-Asghari, s/o 'Abdullah al-Wa'i al-Akbar, s/o Abdu-l-Fattah, s/o Ishaq, s/o Ibrahim, s/o Nair, s/o Sayyidina Abdullah radi Allahu ta'ala anhu, the s/o Amir al-Mu'minin, the khalif of the Beloved Prophet [Allahs grace & blessings upon him], Sayyidina 'Umar al-Faruq radi Allahu ta'ala anhu.
He was born on the day of 'Ashura, the 10th of Muharram in the year 971 H., in the village of Sihar Nidbasin. In some translations it is called Sirhind in the city of Lahore, in India. He received his knowledge and education through his father and through many shaikhs in his time. He made progress in three tariqats: Suhrawardiyya, Qadiriyya, and Chistiyya. He was given permission to train followers in all three tariqats at the age of 17 years. He was busy in spreading the teachings of these tariqats and in guiding his followers, yet he felt that something was missing in himself and he was continuously searching for it. He felt an interest in the Naqshbandi Sufi Order, because he could see by means of the secrets of the other three tariqats that it was the best and highest. His spiritual progress eventually brought him to the presence of the Ghawth and Qutb of his time, ash-Shaikh Muhammad al-Baqi, who had been sent from Samarqand to India by the order of his shaykh, Muhammad al-Amkanaki. He took the Naqshbandi Order from the shaykh and stayed with him for two months and some days, until Sayyidina Muhammad al-Baqi alayhir ar-rahman opened to his heart the secret of this tariqat and gave him authorization to train his murids in the Order. He said about him,
"He is the highest Qutb in this time."
The Shari'ah is of fundamental importance to the Sufi path. This point is very strongly made by the great Naqshbandi Sufi, Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi (also known as Imam ar-Rabbani), in his letters. Here is a small excerpt from one of his letters, where he clarifies this topic:
The Shari'ah has three parts: knowledge, action, and sincerity of motive (ikhlas); unless you fulfil the demands of all these parts, you do not obey the Shari'ah. And when you obey the Shari'ah you obtain the pleasure of God, which is the most supreme good in this world and the Hereafter. The Qur'an al kareem says:
"The pleasure of God is the highest good."
Hence, the Shari'ah comprehends all the good of this world and the next, and nothing is left out for which one has to go beyond the Shari'ah.
The tariqah ["way"] and the haqiqah ["reality"] for which the Sufis are known, are subservient to the Shari'ah, as they help to realize its third part, namely, sincerity. Hence they are sought in order to fulfil the Shari'ah, not to achieve something beyond the Shari'ah. The raptures and ecstasies which the Sufis experience, and the ideas and truths which come to them in the course of their journey, are not the goal of Sufism. They are rather myths and fancies on which the children of Sufism are fed. One has to pass over them all and reach the stage of satisfaction (rida) which is the final goal of suluk ["travelling", i.e. the Sufi path] and jadhbah ["overwhelming love"].The purpose of traversing the stages of tariqah and haqiqah is nothing other than the realisation of ikhlas which involves the attainment of rida. Only one out of a thousand Sufis is graced with the three illuminations (tajalliyat sih ganah) and gnostic visions, given ikhlas and elevated to the stage of rida.
[Quoted from "Sufism and Shari'ah: A study of Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi's Effort to Reform Sufism," by Muhammad Abdul Haq Ansari, pp. 221-2. Originally from Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi's letters, Vol. I:36.]
It is said that the shaykh of his father, Shaykh Abdul Ahad, who was a shaykh of the Qadiri Order, had been given a jubba (cloak) from his shaykh which had been passed down from the Ghawth al-Azam, Sayyadina Shaykh 'Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu. Ghawth al-Azam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu had said about it to his successors, "Keep it for that one who is going to appear at the end of the first millennium. His name is 'Ahmad'. He is going to revive this religion. I have dressed him with all my secrets. He combines in himself both the internal and external knowledge."
He wrote many books, one of the most famous of which is the Maktubat.
In it he said,
"It must be known that Allah has placed us under His Obligations and His Prohibitions. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said,
'Whatever the Prophet gave you, take it, and whatever he prohibited you, leave it.' [59:7]
If we are going to be sincere in this, we have to attain to Annihilation and the love of the Essence. Without these we cannot reach this degree of obedience. Thus we are under another obligation, which is to seek the Way of Sufism, because this Way will lead us to the state of Annihilation and the love of the Essence. Each Order differs from the other in its states of perfection; so too does each Order keep the Sunnah of the Prophet [Allahs grace & blessings upon him] and have its own definition of what that entails. Every order has its own way of keeping the Sunnah of the Prophet [Allahs grace & blessings upon him]. Our Order, through its shaikhs, requires us to keep all the commands of the Prophet [Allahs grace & blessings upon him] and to leave all the things he prohibited. Our shaykhs don't follow the easy ways (rukhas) but insist on keeping the difficult ways. In all their seeking they keep in mind the verse of Qur'an ;
'Men whom neither business nor trade will divert from the Remembrance of Allah' [24:37].
He passed away on the 17th of Safar 1034 H. at the age of 63. He was buried in the village of Sirhind. He was a shaikh in the four tariqats: Naqshbandi, Qadiri, Chisti and Suhrawardi. He preferred the Naqshbandi, because he said, "It is the Mother of all tariqats."
Source:
Also from the 'Maktubat' of Mujaddid Alf Thani : NECESSITY OF FINDING THE PERFECT MASTER & AVOIDING THE IGNORANT SHAYKHS
Shah Abd 'al Haqq Dehlwi
Shaykh as-Shah Abd 'al Haqq Muhaddith Dehlwi [ d. 1052 H - 1642 CE ] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Hadrat Mawlana as-Shaykh as-Shah 'Abd-al-Haqq al Muhaddith Rahmatullahi alayh was born in Delhi [Dehlwi, Dehlawi, Dehlvi], India. His father Saif al-Din Rahmatullahi alayh was a very pious and intellectual man, and this is a reason why Shah 'Abd-al-Haqq Rahmatullahi alayh's education and breeding was based on similar well founded principles. He was extremely fond of education and had a particular zest for learning from a very young age. Many hours of the day and the night were spent in reading and writing. After gaining his education in India, he was directed towards the Haramayn, Makkah in 996H. He stayed there for approx 3 and a half years, in which he attained his knowledge of hadith and also authored several books.
Some of his most popular and recognised works are listed below;-
Ash'at al-Lam'at : This is a commentary on the Mishqat Shareef, and is recognised as one of his important works.
Tarikh al Madina' : Another well known and important book.
Madarij an-Nabbuwaah' : A highly acclaimed classic.
Akhbarul Akhyar' : A ground breaking piece of writing in which the respected positions of the Saints of Hindustan are mentioned.
'Momin ke Mah o Sal' : Months & Years for a Believer
Shah 'Abd-al-Haqq Rahmatullahi alayh was also a noted poet who went by the pen name of Hanfi. During his time the King known as Jahangir was a great believer in him. Jahangir praised many of his works, and also had many of his letters published.
On Dhikr, Shaykh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlawi Rahmatullahi alayh says:
"Undoubtedly, loud Zikr is permissible. One of its proofs is the saying of Allah Ta'ala, 'Remember Allah as you used to remember your forefathers'". (Ash'atul Lam'aat, Vol. 2, pg. 278) Allah Ta'ala also says in the Qur'an al karim :
"Then, when you have finished your prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting and lying on your sides". (Surah an-Nisa: 103)
In Sahih Muslim, it is reported from Abdullah Ibn Zubair Rahmatullahi alayhi : "When the beloved Rasool Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam uttered the Salutation at the end of his Salaah, he used to say 'LA ILAHA ILLALLAHO WAHDA HU LA SHARIKA LAHU' aloud" (Mishkaat, pg. 88)
Commenting on this Hadith Shareef, Shah Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlawi Rahmatullahi alayhi says: "This Hadith is categorical proof that Rasoolullah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam used to perform loud Zikr". (Ash'atul Lam'aat, Vol. 1, pg. 419)
Shah 'Abd-al-Haqq Rahmatullahi alayh passed away at the age of 96, [17th Rabbi al Awwal 1052AH - 1642 C.E.] and is buried near the shrine of Khawaja Qutb al-Din Bahtyar Kaki Rahmatullahi alayh, in Delhi, India.
Madarij An Nabuwwah-Vol 1 urdu
Madarij An Nabuwwah-Vol 2 urdu
Shah Nausha Ganj Baksh
Shaykh as-Sayyad as-Shah Muhammad Nausha Ganj Baksh al-Qadiri [d.1064H / 1654 CE] 'alayhir ar-rahman w'al ridwan
Sayyad Nausha Bakhsh Qadri 'alayhir ar-rahman, was a renowned scholar, a saint and a muballigh of Islam in the Indo-Pak subcontinent. He was also the founder of the Naushahiya Order, whose adherents call themselves Qadiri Naushahi or just Naushahi. He preached Islam in the ninth and tenth hijri and brought non-Muslims into the fold of Islam. He was an Ashiq al-Rasul; loved the Prophet Muhammad [Peace & Blessings upon him] and modelled his own life and teachings on the Qur'an and Sunnah [tradition of the Beloved Prophet].
Sayyad Nausha Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman was born on the first day of Ramadan in 959 A.H. (21st August 1552) at Ghogganwali, district Gujrat in Punjab, Pakistan. The name of his father was Sayyad Ala'uddin, who was respected for being a great Sufi in his own time. Despite the many difficulties of undertaking long journey's in those days he had completed his pilgrimage to Makkah Mukarramah and Madinah Munawwarah seven times by foot, which shows how devoted to Islam he was. At his birth he was named (Haji) Muhammad. Later on he was more renowned by the names & titles of Haji Nausha, Abul Hashim, Bhoora Wala Pir (the enshrouded one), Mujaddid-i Islam (the great reviver of the Islam), Nausha Ganj Bakhsh, Sayyad Nausha Pir and Nausha Pak. The name Nausha is also spelt and pronounced as Noshah.
It has been recorded that the first ancestor of Sayyad Nausha Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman, who came to the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, was Sayyad Awn ibn Ya'la, also known as Qutb Shah Qadiri alayhir ar-rahman (born in 1028CE in Baghdad). This eastern journey was instructed by al-Ghawth al-Adham Sayyadina as-Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu in the fifth century A.H. Moreover, he [Qutb Shah Qadiri alayhir ar-rahman] was an uncle of as-Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani and one of his spiritual successors. He is also the first person who introduced the Qadiriya Order in India. Qutb Shah Qadiri alayhir ar-rahman was an appointed Qutb (spiritual pole) by as-Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani for the Indian subcontinent. Through his tremendous devotion and dedication many of the Hindu tribes converted to Islam and attained notable lives. Qutb Shah Qadiri alayhir ar-rahman returned to his spiritual home of Baghdad after his mission, where he was finally laid to rest in 1157 CE.
Sayyad Nausha Ganj Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman was an expert in the religious fields of fiqh (Islamic law), hadith (traditions) tafsir (exegeses of the Qur'an), philosophy and kalam (theology concerning the tenets of belief). Besides being fluent in arabic and persian he also knew kashmiri, sanskrit and many another regional languages and dialects as well. After Islamic knowledge, he was regularly engaged in many spiritual exercises, mentally and physically. He was widely respected and honoured for his knowledge of tasawwuf. It is recorded that he memorised the Qur'an al-karim within a period of only three months. Amongst his teachers were Qari Qaym al-Din and Shaykh Abd 'al-Haqq [Radi Allahu anhum].
One of his famous sayings about shari'ah :
My way of life is the shari'ah of the Prophet,*
My way of the tariqah is the shari'ah of the Prophet,
The way of life of the Prophet implies also my way of life,
To walk through the shari'ah, is like walking on an illuminated way!
*[Peace & Blessings upon him]
On purification :
Sayyad Nausha Ganj Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman made it very clear, that one is not a sufi until he has purified himself totally. This purification is achieved by eliminating the sensual desires. This is eliminated in his turn, when the nafs (the ego that inclines to the evil) has been conquered by him. He conquers this by taking distance from pleasures in this worldly life and to consider this as transitory. He has to perform all his actions in contradiction to his nafs in order to attain this.
On death :
He usually gave instructions to his murid to commemorate death all the time and to be aware of it. “One has to live without any allegation or false attitude (= a clear mind)”, he said. He encouraged his friend to be in the company of saints and stated that one can only then become a good human being.
On intention :
With great emphasis he pointed out the fact that action has to be done with sincere intention. He said that by sincerity, piety or Allah fearing, the body and by eating halaal [permissible] the tongue is cleaned. One has according to him, not to expound the deficiencies and small faults of others, but he should rely on Allah’s trust and be satisfied with His will. He paid much attention to take care of the parents and those poor and in need. He said that the most claims belong to them and that taking care of them, it can be a significant cause attaining the divine grace. He incited also to eat little and to keep oneself awake in the night for the voluntary prayers and recollections. ''By waking up the heart is illuminated'' he said.
All his teachings had their origin in the primary sources of the Islam: The Qur'an and the hadiths, supported by the conclusions of the mujtahidin (those qualified to make religious decisions, according to one’s own capacity). He approved no more than the prescribed exercises that agreed with this.
There are many works of Sayyad Nausha Ganj Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman. As time passes they are compiled and published from manuscripts. At present there are five books of poetry and prose:
1] Kulliyat-i Nausha (urdu poetry) consisting of 76 risala's and 2400 verses,
2] Kulliyat-i Nausha (punjabi poetry) In this work 126 risala's are alphabetically arranged there are four thousand verses in total,
3] Ma'arif-i Tasawwuf (persian poetry) dealing with assignments on the spiritual path,
4] Mawa'iz-i Nausha Pir (punjabi prose) comprises delivered speeches and advices,
5] Ganj al-Asrar (the treasure of mysteries), a short risala in prose ascribed to him.
Shaykh Nausha Ganj Baksh passed away on the 15th of Rabi al Awwal 1064 Hijri [1654 CE], and is laid to rest at Ranmal Shareef, Gujrat, Pakistan. The present janasheen is Pir Sayyad Maruf Hussain Shah Naushahi, the founder of the Jamiyat Tabligh al Islam, based in the UK.
FURTHER READING SILSILA AL QADIRIYA AL NAUSHAHIYA :
www.qadri-naushahi.com/
www.jamiyattablighulislam.org/
Hadrat Sultan Bahu
Hadrat Shaykh Muhammad Sultan Bahu [d.1104 H - 1693 CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
'Sultan al Arfieen' Sultan Muhammad Bahu Radi Allahu anhu is acknowledged as one of the most prominent Sufi poets of the Indo-Pak subcontinent. He is known to be the author of over 140 books in Persian and Arabic dealing with a variety of religious and mystic subjects. He was a strict upholder of the Shari'a and did not in his entire life forego even one Mustahab.
According to some sources Hadrat Sultan Bahu Radi Allahu anhu was born in the village of Shorkhote in Punjab Province in the year 1039 CE, during the reign of the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Hadrat Sultan Bahu Radi Allahu anhu belonged to the Sarwari Qadiri tariqat and was a descendent of Amir al Momineen Imam Ali Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu.
Hadrat Sultan Bahu Radi Allahu anhu did not acquire the worldly sciences. Due to immense spiritual attractions and ecstasy it became difficult to attain to formal education. Yet his own person was luminous with Divine Light. In one of his writings the great wali (saint) refers to this when he says that: 'I did not have time to spare for formal education but spiritual experiences, divine favour and guidance and esoteric conquests has enabled me to acquire such vast knowledge that it would require many files of paper to record. Spiritual realities have so enlightened my inward that both the esoteric and exoteric sciences have been revealed to me....neither did I have the time to perform daily litanies (wird) because since the beginning I have been immersed in the ocean of Unity (Tawheed)'.
The blessed soul of Hadrat Sultan Bahu Radi Allahu anhu departed in a blissful state to its Lord on a Thursday evening, on the 1st of Jamadi al Thani, in the year 1102/1693 at the age of 63.
Extracted from :http://www.bahu.co.za/hazrat_sultan_bahu.htm
Imam al-Haddad
Imam 'Abd 'Allah al-Haddad [d.1132 H - 1720 CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
The Beloved Messenger of God, may the Blessings of Allah & peace be upon him & and his Family, prophesised that in every century God would raise up amongst his nation a man who would renew its religion. Imam 'Abdallah al-Haddad Radi Allahu anhu was the renewer, or Mujaddid, of the twelfth Islamic century. He was renowned, and deservedly so, for the breadth of his knowledge and his manifest sanctity. The profundity of his influence on Muslims is reflected by the fact his books are still in print throughout the Islamic world.
He was born in Tarim, in the hills of Hadramaut, one of the southerly regions of the Arabian peninsula, and grew up in an environment where the accent was upon piety, frugality, erudition, and an uncompromising thirst for gnosis (ma'rifa). His lineage is traced back to the Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, and his family, through Imam al-Husayn. His illustrious ancestors, the 'Alawi sadat, had for centuries produced generation after generation of great scholars, gnostics, and summoners to the Straight Path.
Imam al-Haddad's Radi Allahu anhu writings, if we except a few short treatises, and his volume of poetry, are mostly concerned with establishing within his readers the firmest possible foundations for faith and certainty. He recognised the signs of his times and of the times to come, and observed how people were drawing away from religion, exhibiting a reluctance to study and a diminishing inclination to seek spiritual growth. He therefore endeavoured to produce concise, clear, and uncontroversial texts. His concern for brevity is manifest throughout his books, many of which are abbreviated adaptations of Imam al-Ghazali's Radi Allahu anhu monumental Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya 'Ulum al-Din). Al-Ghazali Radi Allahu anhu had himself been the renewer of the sixth century.
Imam al-Haddad Radi Allahu anhu died on the eve of the seventh of Dhu'l-Qa'da, 1132 A.H. having spent his life bringing people to their Lord through his oral and written teaching, and his exemplary life. He was buried in a simple grave in the cemetary at Tarim.
Books by : Imam ibn Alawi al-Haddad 'alayhir rahman
Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi Al-Madina al-Munawwara [Ramadan 1408]
Source: Imam Abdallah ibn Alawi Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance,
The Quilliam Press, London, 1989, p.vii-viii.
Courtesy : www.iqra.net/articles/al-haddad.html
'Abd al-Ghani al-Nablusi
Shaykh al Islam 'Abd al-Ghani al-Nablusi [d. 1143A.H/1733C.E] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
'Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi radi Allahu anhu was born in Damascus in 1641[C.E] into a family of Islamic scholarship. His father, Isma'il 'Abd al-Ghani, was a jurist in the Hanafi school of fiqh and contributor to Arabic literature. 'Abd al-Ghani showed diligence in the pursuit of Islamic knowledge and before the age of twenty he was both teaching and giving formal legal opinions (fatwa). He taught in the Umawi Mosque in Damascus and the Salihiyya Madrasa, his fame as an accomplished Islamic scholar spreading to all neighbouring Islamic cities. He died in 1733[C.E] at ninety years of age, having left behind hundreds of written works in virtually all the Islamic sciences.
His status as a scholar and wali (friend of Allah) is also unstintingly acknowledged by Islamic scholars who came after him. As a prolific contributor to Hanafi fiqh, there is hardly a work in the school that appeared after him that does not depend on or discusses his legal opinions. In the well known and most depended upon work in Hanafi fiqh, Radd al-Muhtar, commonly known as The Hashiya of Ibn `Abidin, the author and Imam of the school in his time, Muhammad Amin ibn 'Abidin (d.1836), frequently quotes the legal opinions of Shaykh 'Abd al-Ghani, referring to him with a reverence and respect that is not apparent in the mention of other scholars quoted in his work. Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tahtawi (d.1816), the al-Azhari Shaykh of the Hanafi Jurists, in his well known Hashiya of Maraqi al-Falah, when discussing a legal opinion of Shaykh 'Abd al-Ghani refers to him as "The knower of Allah, my master 'Abd al-Ghani (al-arif billah Sayyidi 'Abd al-Ghani)". It is unthinkable that such eminent scholars should lend such respect to and depend on the scholarship of an individual who might remotely be accused of heresy. Nor is it thinkable that the numerable godfearing scholars who came after them and use and quote their works would find that acceptable (Ibn 'Abidin's work in particular has been used since it was authored by Islamic rulers implementing the shari'a in government, by judges, muftis, jurists and students of Islamic Law). This is particularly true in view of his book Wujud al-Haqq (On True Being), which details his Sufi ontology and which he taught in public seminars to hundreds of contemporary scholars in his own lifetime.
I believe that a valid point can be made here; namely, that in the time of such scholars as Ibn 'Abidin and al-Tahtawi Islamic culture was a great deal more integrated and balanced than it is today, such that Sufism was understood by shari'a specialists and even considered necessary for a complete understanding and practice of the Din. In the time in which we live Muslims have been engulfed by a civilization that is completely materialistic in its outlook. I believe that this saturation of the worldly has had the adverse effect on the Muslims of making it difficult for them to comprehend anything beyond the physical, which is why the words and experience of the Sufis seem alien to them. This over emphasis on the material also seems to be the reason that modern day reform minded Muslims have found the concept of an anthropomorphic god acceptable as well as the focus of religion being limited primarily to the outward manifestations of the shari'a only, such as salat and hijab for example, without there being any emphasis on internal development. It is not uncommon to find that such an attitude leads to a spiritual crisis of stagnation and meaninglessness, when after several years of practice the initial sense of euphoria of faith fades and one no longer feels the forward motion of increasing in closeness to Allah Most High.
Regarding the scholarship of Shaykh 'Abd al-Ghani radi Allahu anhu, one need only read his works to understand how truly brilliant this man was. In whatever subject he addressed, he wrote as an authority, whether Hanafi fiqh, hadith, Islamic ontology and metaphysics, Arabic literature, Quranic readings or other. Some of his works have been published, while the majority are still in manuscript form. Any skeptic could avail himself his works and make an honest investigation.
Ref; Umm Sahl
Shah Wali 'Allah
Qutb al-Din Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Rahim Shah Wali 'Allah [d.1176 H - 1760 CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
b.1114 - d.1176 HIJRI
b.1703 - d.1762 C.E
Hadrat Shaykh Qutb al-Din Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Rahim Rahmatullahi alayh, popularly known as Shah Wali Allah, lived at a critical juncture of Muslim history. India had enjoyed the peaceful and prosperous rule of the Mughals for more than 200 years, but by the time of Shah Wali Allah Rahmatullahi alayh, mutually hostile principalities had begun to emerge. Many of the newly emerging quasi independent states were the result of the rising influence of the militant Maratha, Sikh and Hindu communities and Muslim power and glory in the sub-continent, as in other parts of the world, were gradually eroded. It was at this time of utter despair and despondency for Muslims that Shah Wali Allah Rahmatullahi alayh was born.
Shah Wali Allah Rahmatullahi alayh was able to diagnose, at an early period of his life, the malaise of his society. In his view, it consisted of: (i) lack of strong faith, (ii) disunity in the Muslim ranks, and (iii) acute moral degeneration. He tried to redress lack of faith by presenting a rational interpretation of Islam. He intuitively presented rational arguments side by side with traditional dialectics. Shah Wali Allah addressed the disunity by attempting to bring about reconciliation between the diverse schools of law and theology. Shah Wali Allah knew very well that, without purification of the heart, it was not possible to overcome the moral degeneration which permeated the individual and collective life of the Muslim community and he advocated tasawwuf, which, for him, meant a direct approach to the heart. His father Shah 'Abd al-Rahim (d. 1131/1719) had initiated him into the realm of spirituality.
Shah Wali Allah Rahmatullahi alayh adopted both short-term and long-term measures for rebuilding the culture, polity and ideological orientation of the Muslims. The thrust of his reform movement ranged from matters of belief to social structure, from politics and statecraft to economy, from legal and juristic concepts to philosophical and metaphysical ideas. He addressed himself to the needs of this world but at the same time did not forget to respond to the requirements of ultimate success in the Hereafter.
The principles of Qur'anic exegesis, which he set forth in al-Fawz al-Kabir, introduced a new dimension in the science of tafsir. He emphasized a direct approach to the Qur'an. Prior to Shah Wali Allah, because of the notion that the Qur'an may not be translated, Qur'anic scholarship had been an exclusive domain of specialists. Shah Wali Allah took a bold initiative and translated the Qur'an into Persian, the lingua franca of the Muslim literati in the sub-continent. Thereafter it became increasingly possible for ordinary people to understand the teachings of the Qur'an. A growing number of scholars concentrated their efforts in explicating the message of the Qur'an. 'Ubayd Allah Sindhi, one of the most prominent exponents of Shah Wali Allah's philosophy, expressed the view that after being imbued with the philosophy of Shah Wali Allah, one can understand the overall message of the Qur'an directly from its text and can be satisfied with it without being compelled to seek any external aid.
The Qur'an had always been regarded as the primary source of legal doctrines, yet later jurists tended to regard only approximately five hundred verses as legally important. Even men like Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 505 /1111) had not considered it necessary for a mujtahid to master the rest of the verses. Further, the classical exegetes tended to assign a certain strict context to each verse of the Qur'an. Shah Wali Allah emphasized that the Qur'an was applicable to the entire human thought and experience, emphasizing the essential comprehensibility of all the verses of the Qur'an, including those assigned by the exegetes to the category of mutashabih.
After a comprehensive survey of the contents of the Qur'an, he classified its themes under five subjects: (i) ahkam (injunctions); (ii) mukhasamah (dialectics); (iii) tadhkir bi ala' Allah (reminding man of the Divine favours); (iv) tadhkir bi ayyam Allah (reminding man of God's interventions in history); and (v) tadhkir bi al-mawt wa ma ba'd al-mawt (reminding man about death and the life thereafter). This classification clarified many misunderstandings of the Qur'an as well as a number of problems in the sequence of the verses, their inter-relationship and thematic coherence. Many 'ulama' had been neglecting dialectics of the Qur'an and thus were unable to appreciate the discourse of the Revelation which was addressed to all mankind, belonging to either of the following categories: (i) the faithful, (ii) the people of the Book, (iii) the polytheists or atheists, and (iv) the hypocrites.
Shah Wali Allah's approach to the Science of Hadith is characterized by his view that the Sunnah is essentially a commentary on the Qur'an itself, rather than something independent of it. An intensive analysis of the Prophet's traditions led him to see an organic relationship between the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Further, he brought out the rational and beneficent considerations underlying the directives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He also took note of the severe criticism made against Ahl al-Sunnah by the rationalists, partly under the impact of Hellenistic philosophy in the classical period of Islamic thought. He advocated the traditional point of view of the former and supported it with strong rational arguments.
Shah Wali Allah adopted a method of interpreting the traditions of the Prophet in which he has shown an evolutionary process in the lives of all Prophets from Ibrahim up to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), in that they received Divine guidance gradually and commensurate with the onward progress of human civilization. He looked upon the teachings of all Prophets as a continuous commentary on the ever-unfolding process of revealed guidance. Moreover, unlike many other jurists, Shah Wali Allah did not assign to ijma' (consensus) a categorical position as an independant source of law. He had, rather, a restricted conception of ijma'. He recognized the binding character of the consensus based on the rulings of the early caliphs, especially Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman, the three immediate successors of the beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), on any interpretation of the Qur'an or the Sunnah. He granted this special status to these Companions on grounds of their close association with the Prophet and their temporal proximity to him. Any other consensus which took place at any later period was, in his opinion, not of the same consequence in as much as it does not bind Muslims of any other era or area to any particular view. Thus, Shah Wali Allah gave ijma' a somewhat diminished position. According to him, ijma' is an explanatory source and an authentic interpretation of the Qur'an by those whose understanding is less fallible than of others for the reasons we have stated earlier. The fourth source of law, according to the generally held view of jurists, is qiyas (analogy). Again, this is not recognized by Shah Wali Allah as an independent source because it is integral to our process of understanding the Qur'an and its interpretations that are either embodied in the Sunnah or can be derived from the collective understanding of the Companions in the Best Era (khayr al-qurun).
In the field of law and jurisprudence, Shah Wali Allah had a remarkable ability to reconcile the differing views found among Muslims and explain them with reference to the basic principles that may be deduced from the Qur'an and be plausible on rational grounds. He mentions this ability as a great Divine favour to him. Shah Wali Allah did this with theology and mysticism as well. This is evident, for instance, from his synthesized version of the doctrines of wahdat al-wujud (unity of existence) and wahdat al-shahud (unity of manifestation).
These Muslim scholars, known as mutakallimun, resorted to articulating their position in the intellectual terms which they shared with the main exponents of Greek philosophy. As these discussions went on, a distinct corpus of knowledge emerged and the bulk of literature thus produced by Muslim scholars came to be known as 'I1m al-Kalam. In this process there appeared a galaxy of scholars who contributed to the development of 'I1m al-kalam and in the course of time diversified those discussions. Notable among them were such luminaries as al-Juwayni (d. 478/1085) al-Ghazali (d.505/1111), al-Ash'ari (d. 324/936), al-Maturidi (d. 333/944), al-Shahrastani (d. 548/1153) and many others. The last prominent representative of these intellectual giants was Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d.606/1209). The later mutakallimun developed their themes in scholastic discussions more or less on the same pattern. With the passage of time, it became fashionable for Muslim scholars to be immersed in highly formalised discussions of a theoretical nature in utter disregard of their diminishing value for their own ethos.
The corpus of Kalam which had evolved often lacked the coherence and consistency required of a well-organized and full-fledged discipline. The questions dealt with by the mutakallimun, in a great many cases, had no logical or sequential relationship with each other. The point of culmination in these discussions was a severe criticism and strong rebuttal of the premises of Greek thought by men like al-Ghazali and al-Razi. Shah Wali Allah re-stated the fundamental postulates of the Islamic belief system within the framework of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, provided external evidence drawn from pure reason, empirical observation and intuitional imagination to reinforce the propositions derived from Revelation and tradition. While the expositions of earlier mutakallimun had exclusively focused on questions of belief ('aqidah), Shah Wali Allah sought to substantiate the inimitability (i'jaz) of the shari'ah (revealed code of law) by establishing an organic link between 'aqidah and shari'ah. He emphasized the inimitability of the latter in as much as it responds to the diversity of the varying conditions of human life. Avoiding as far as possible a discussion of what he considered the archaic issues of early theology such as the eternity of the Qur'an and free will, pre-determination, and the indivisibility of Divine Essence and Attributes, his approach consisted chiefly in presenting the rationale of the injunctions of Islam on the premise of their compatibility with human nature. By developing this comprehensive approach to Kalam, Shah Wali Allah’s contribution was that he put in bold relief not only the rationality of belief, but also established a necessary nexus between the ordinances of the shari'ah and the innate urges of human nature.
One of the striking features of the writings of Shah Wali Allah is his stress on the necessary relation between the creation and the Creator which consistently pervades all his thinking. Whether the subject of his discussion is highly spiritual or purely mundane, the consciousness of the Ultimate Reality is always uppermost in his mind. This characterizes all his discussions including those pertaining to such questions as the evolution of man as a moral being or man's role as an active member of the society. This also characterizes his analysis of human instincts and behaviour, or his survey of the development of human society even when it is in the nature of an empirical enquiry.
In his discussions on the genesis of man and the creation of the universe, Shah Wali Allah developed three main terms namely ibda' (creation ex nihilo), khalq (creation), and tadbir (governance). Ibda' is creation out of sheer nothingness. Khalq is to create something out of an existing substance. Tadbir is to manage and employ a set of created things so as to derive the required benefits which are conducive to universal balance. With reference to these concepts, which signify different stages of the Divine creative process, Shah Wali Allah discusses the created phenomena.
In explaining the doctrine of 'universal soul' (al-nafs alkulliyyah), Shah Wali Allah says that deep and profound thought on the diversity of universal phenomena leads human intelligence to the notion that God has created a universal soul ex-nihilo. From this 'universal soul' or 'universal genus' emanate all existents. But the relationship between the Creator ex-nihilo and the 'universal soul' cannot be explained in terms of this material world. There is unity between the Creator and the 'universal soul'. But this unity is neither real, nor comprehensible to the finite human intelligence. The highest degree of perception attainable by human intellect is this 'universal soul' where it is able to combine all diversity of existence on one point. At this point the voyage of human intellect ends. This unique relationship between the Creator and the 'universal soul', which is called ibda' by Shah Wali Allah, is far beyond the grasp of the human mind.
Shah Wali Allah's position on the problem of existence was to reconcile the well-known doctrine of wahdat al-wujud (Unity of Existence) of Ibn 'Arabi (d. 638/1240) and wahdat al-shuhud (unity of manifestation), which was put forward by Ahmad Sirhindi (d.1034/1624) in the course of his criticism of the doctrine of Ibn 'Arabi. Shah Wali Allah maintained that there was no significant disagreement between the two ideas, but simply a problem of semantics. Both, according to him, ultimately arrived at the same conclusion.
Explaining his stand on the problem of Existence, Shah Wali Allah said that when we look at the things in existence, we find both common and distinctive features in them. For example, all human beings share the characteristic of humanness although in several other respects they are distinct from one another. At the same time, being a man or a horse distinguishes one from the other. But all the existents do have a common feature of existence. Both the 'contingent' (mumkin) and 'essential' (wajib) have the characteristic of existence. 'Existence', however, does not merely mean 'to be'. It rather signifies the 'Reality' on the basis of which we regard something as existent. This 'Reality' itself exists without any external cause, giving it its existence. Since this 'Reality' is the cause of all existence, therefore, it must, of necessity, exist by itself. Hence its existence is all-pervading. For if this 'Reality' were not there, every other thing would have been nonexistent. Now all other things that exist (other than this Essential Reality) are merely accidental. For without the Essential Existence they would disappear into sheer nothingness. This is the nature of all the things of this world. They merely have an accidental existence, the only exception being the 'Real Existence'. Thus it is clear that existence is a common feature of all existents. If there is no existence then all things shall vanish. The mystics known as wujudiyyah or 'ayniyyah maintain that God consists in the existents, or that He has manifested Himself in these existents. There are other Sufis known as wara'iyyah who believe that the existence of all things that exist is contingent upon this Real Existence and that the Essence of God is beyond this cosmic phenomena. There are some statements attributed to Ibn 'Arabi which suggest that his position is closer to the school of 'ayniyyah or wujudiyyah, and Shah Wali Allah has taken these statements in a metaphorical rather than literal sense. It may be pointed out that on other occasions Ibn 'Arabi clearly draws a line of distinction between the 'Essential Existent' (wajib al-wujud) and the contingent existent (mumkin al-wujud) and discusses at length the five stages (tanazzulat) of determination. These stages, according to Ibn 'Arabi, are ahadiyyah, lahut, jabarut, 'alam al-mithal and nasut, all of which emanate from the 'Essential Existent' (i.e. God). Like many other Muslim thinkers before and after him, Shah Wali Allah offers an explanation of the ideas of Ibn 'Arabi which conform to the views held by the major theological schools of Islam. Shah Wali Allah interprets all such statements of Ibn 'Arabi, statements in which he identifies a unity between the creational phenomena and the 'Essential Existent', to mean unity of the latter with the 'universal soul'. This is so because the stages of existence beyond the 'universal soul' fall, in his opinion, outside the cognitive domain of human intellect.
A Survey of Shah Wali Allah's Works
Shah Wali Allah's main focus was on the Qur'an, Hadith, Kalam, socio-political and ethical philosophy and spiritual sciences. He wrote extensively in Islamic studies, including Tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis), Hadith (traditions of the Prophet), Fiqh (law), usulal' Fiqh, (principles of jurisprudence), 'Aqa'id (beliefs), Kalam (scholastics), philosophy, Tasawwuf (spiritual sciences), history, biography, Arabic poetry, and grammar. He also wrote in the areas of sociology, politics, psychology and ethical philosophy.
Studies on the Qur'an
'Fath al-Rahman al Tarjamat al-Qur'an', Karachi, 1984. It is among the first popular renderings of the Qur'an into simple Persian language. It was completed by the author in Ramadan 1151 A.H.
• Al-Fawz al-Kabir, Lahore, 1951, 52 pp. It is a concise, but extremely valuable treatise on the principles of Qur'anic exegesis. It is among the most popular works of Shah Wali Allah, which has made an outstanding contribution to the study and understanding of the Qur'an. Originally written in Persian, it has been translated into Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, and English languages. It was first published in Delhi in 1898 A.H.
• Al-Fath al-Kabir (Arabic), Lucknow, 1314 A.H. It deals with the explanation of the difficult words used in the Qur'an, with terms that are usually called ghara'ib, i.e. words that are not quite familiar in the common diction.
Hadith Sciences
• Al-Musawwa min Ahadlth al-Muwatta', It is a highly technical commentary in Arabic on this early collection of traditions compiled by Malik ibn Anas (d. 179 A.H.). It was first published in Delhi in 1293 A.H.
• Musaffa Sharh-i Muwatta'. It is a commentary in Persian on the Muwatta'. It represents Shah Wali Allah's methodology in the teaching of Hadith. It was first published in 1293 A.H. in Delhi in two volumes. It has been translated into Urdu by Sayyid 'Abd Allah and was published from Calcutta in 1294 A.H.
• Sharh Tarajim Ba'dAbwab al-Bukhan (Arabic), Hyderabad, 1949. In this treatise, Shah Wait Allah has discussed the wisdom of the topical headings adopted by Imam Bukhari for different chapters of ahadith of this important compendium of traditions compiled by Imam Bukhari (d. 256 A.H.). It was first published in Hyderabad (India) in 1323 A.H.
Law and Jurisprudence
• Al-lnsaffl Bayan Sabab al-lkhtilaf (Arabic), Beirut, 1977, 114 pp. It is a juridical discourse on the compilation of the early compendia of ahadith, and the evolution of different schools of jurisprudence. It also discusses the nature of disagreement among the jurists and the principles of resolving various conflicting opinions so as to arrive at a synthetic view within the broad framework of Islamic jurisprudence. It was first published in Delhi in 1308 A.H. It was also translated into Urdu.
• Iqd al-Jld ft Bayan Ahkam al-ljtihad wa al-Taqlid (Arabic), Delhi, 1925. This treatise discusses various dimensions of the issues involved in ijtihad and taqlid and presents a balanced view on this oft-discussed and much-debated question. It was also translated into Urdu.
Philosophy and Scholastics
• Hujjat Allah al-Balighah (Arabic), Cairo, 1933. It is the magnum opus of the author and constitutes a highly significant exposition of the Islamic worldview. We shall separately present an introduction to this work in some detail. It was first published in Bareily (India) in 1286 A.H. A number of Urdu translations of this work have appeared. It has also been recently translated into English under the title: The Conclusive Argument from God by Marcia Hermansen, and the first part of the translation has been published by E.J. Brill at Leiden in 1996.
• Al-Budur al-BQzighah (Arabic), Hyderabad, 1970. It is the second most important contribution of the author to a philosophical and rational interpretation of Islam after Hujjat Allah al-Balighah. It has also been translated into English by J.M.S. Baijon.
• Al-Khayr al-Kathir (Arabic), Bijnaur, India, 1325 A.H. It is a brief work in which he attempts to explain the fundamentals of faith with an approach combining rational and traditional arguments.
• Maktub-i Madam (Persian), Lahore, 1965. It is a long letter addressed by Shah Wali Allah to one Isma'il ibn 'Abd Allah Rumi. It deals with the metaphysical dimensions of the concept of existence. The work explains the position of the author on the problem of existence which syntheses the views of Ibn 'Arabi and Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi. This letter has also been included in al-TafhTmat al-Ilahiyyah.
• Al- 'Aqidah al-Hasanah (Arabic), Lucknow, 1962, 72 pp. It is a plain and rational presentation of the fundamentals of belief in Islam. It has also been translated into Urdu.
• Al-Muqaddimah al-Saniyyah fi Intisar al-Firqah al-Sunniyyah (Persian), Delhi, (n.d.). This work attempts a rational expose of the Sunni theological doctrines in comparison with the doctrines of the Shi'ah. This is in fact Shah Wali Allah's introduction to the Persian translation of a treatise by Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi entitled Radd-i-Rawafii.
Spiritual Sciences
• Al-Tafhimat al-Ilahiyyah (Arabic and Persian) (Bijnaur India: 1936), 264 pp. This work is in two volumes and includes a number of stray writings of the author, in which he has explained subtle points of rational and spiritual import with regard to the teachings of the true faith. Some of these writings are in Arabic and others in Persian.
• Altaf al-Quds (Persian) Delhi, n.d. It deals with the basic principles of the spiritual sciences. It has been translated into Urdu (Lahore; 1975), and also English under the title: The Sacred Knowledge of the Higher Functions of the Mind (Lahore: 1982).
• Sata'at (Persian) (Hyderabad: 1970), 54 pp. It discusses various aspects and dimensions of Divine theophany and attempts to explain the nature of the abstract and material worlds and their respective characteristics. It has been translated into English and Urdu.
• Fuyud al-Haramayn (Arabic) (Delhi: n.d.), 144 pp. Shah Wali Allah relates his spiritual experiences during his sojourn in Makkah and Madinah. It has also been translated into Urdu. The Urdu version was published in Lahore in 1947.
• Anfas al- 'Arifin (Persian). It narrates the spiritual attainments of the author's forefathers and spiritual ancestors. It was first published in 1335 A.H. in Delhi.
History and Biography
• Izalat al-Khafa' 'an Khilafat al-Khulafa' (Persian), 2 vols. (Karachi; 1286 A.H.) It is a work on the early Caliphal model. Its contents have also been included in Anfas al- 'Arifin.
• Qurrat al-'Aynayn fi Tafdil al-Shaykhayn (Persian) (Delhi: 1320 A.H.), 336 pp. It discusses the significant achievements of the first two Caliphs and their place in Islam. The discussion is substantiated by reference to the relevant verses of the Qur'an and traditions of the Prophet.
• Al-'Atiyyah al-Samadiyyah fi al-Anfas al-Muhammadiyyah (Persian). It is a short treatise on the biography of Shaykh Muhammad Phulati, a saint and maternal grand-father of Shah Wali Allah. Details as to the place and date of publication are not available.
• Al-lmdad fi Ma'athir al-Ajdad (Persian). It is a biographical account of some ancestors of the author. Its contents have also been included in Anfas al- 'Arfin.
• Surar al-Mahzun (Persian), 24 pp. It is a short comprehensive biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him). It was first published in Tonk, India in 1271 A.H.
• Al-Juz' al-Latif fi Tarjamat al-'Abd al-Za'if (Persian). It is a short autobiography of the author. It has been translated into Urdu by Muhammad Ayyub Qadiri and published in the monthly al-Rahim, vol. II. no. 5. October 1964. pp. 18-26.
Shah Abul Ghaus al-Faruqi
Shah Abul Ghaus Gharam Diwan al-Bhirivi al-Faruqi [d.1178H/1764CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Within 700 years in the Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, (India) a large number of Ulema and Masha'ikh served and spread both, Islam and Islamic Knowledge, and became the beloved of Allah Almighty. Amongst them, Hadrat Shah Abul Ghaus Gharam Divan al-Bhirivi al-Lauhravi and Hadrat Mullah Mehmood al-Jaunpuri Allah be pleased with them are two such great personalities.
Hadrat Mawlana Shah Abul Ghaus 'Gharam Divan' al-Faruqi [d.1178 H] was a renowned sufi and a very famous scholar of his time. Such was Shah Abul Ghaus al-Faruqi's spiritual standing amongst his contemporaries that he also earned the title of 'Mahboob ar Rahman'. His legacy continued with his son Mawlana Shah Hafiz Abu Is'haq [d.1234 H] who also also a great scholar in his time. As Shah Abul Ghaus al-Faruqi's title suggests he was a direct descendent of Amir al Momineen Hadrat Umar al Farooq Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu. With such a distinguished pedigree, his fathers and forefathers were naturally remarkable scholars and masha'ikh from which the following Islamic scholars and spiritual leaders descended:
Shaykh Khizr Faruqi, his son Shaykh Muhammad Faruqi, and his son Shaykh Mushayyid Faruqi, also Shaykh Abu Sa'id Faruqi, his son Shaykh Abul Khayr Faruqi and finally Hadrat Abul Ghaus Gharam Divan al-Faruqi.
A historian writes about them that ;
1. In the kingdom and period of Sultan Ibrahim Shah Sharki, Shaykh Khizr Faruqi and his son Shaykh Muhammad came to Jaunpur from Delhi. When Shaykh Muhammad passed away, Sultan Ibrahim Sharki gave Waleed Pur village (at Pargana Muhamadabaad), to Shaykh Mushayyid Faruqi. Therefore all members of the family came to this village from Jaunpur. Mawlana Shah Abu Sa'id and his son Maulana Shah Abul Khayr, Shah Ismail, Kazi Manjhan (Kazi Jaunpur), Shaykh Bar'e, Mawlana Shah Abul Ghaus Gharam Divan and Mawlana Shah Abu Is'haaq were extraordinarily religious. The lamp of this generation, Hadrat Mullah Mehmood Jaunpuri is very famous. This family is superior in knowledge, dignity, spiritualism, guidance and miracle powers. (Dayar-e-purab mein ilm aur ulema, pgs 288-289).
2. Mawlana Shah Haji Abul Khayr, son of Shah Abu Sa'id Faruqi Bhirivi wrote a book during Hajj. His book contains four chapters and in the 3rd chapter he mentioned family details from Jaunpur to Muhamadabaad and of Hadrat Umar Faruqi's Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu generation, including details of the Faruqi family. (pg 289)
3. Mawlana Shah Abul Khayr Faruqi was eight years older than Mullah Mehmood. His unprinted work is present in Da'ira shah ajmal, Allahbaad. (Page 210)
4. Mawlana Ghulam Ali Azaad Belgram writes in his book, 'Sajjattul Marjaan' (in Arabic), 'that undoubtedly there are two matchless ''Faruqi's'' in India;
a) MUJADDID ALIF THANI SIRHINDI [d.1034H] alayhir al rahman in tariqah and ma'rifa'a (knowledge of mysteries and secrets) and,
b) Mullah Mehmood in knowledge of logic, philosophy and literature. (pg 294)
Ancestors of Hadrat Abul Ghaus al-Faruqi 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Hadrat Abul Ghaus Faruqi s/o
Shah Muhammad s/o
Shah Abul Khayr s/o
Shah Abu Sa'id s/o
Shah Ma'aruf s/o
Shah Uthman s/o
Shah Maah s/o
Shah Chaand s/o
Shah Ma'aruf s/o
Shah Mushayyid s/o
Shah Muhammad s/o
Shah Khizr s/o
Shah Giyas al-Din s/o
Shah Taj al-Din s/o
Shah Izz 'al-Din s/o
Shah Abu Faw'aris Sulayman Shah s/o
Numan Shah s/o
Sultan Ahmad Faruq Shah s/o
Amir Masud s/o
Mawlana Wa'iz Asghar s/o
Mawlana Wa'iz Akbar s/o
Abul Fatah s/o
Imam Is'haaq s/o
Imam Salem s/o
Hadrat Abdullah s/o
Hadrat Umar al-Faruq Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu
Source: Dayar-e-purab mein ilm aur ulema : Ref pages (296 & 430)
The above lineage, historical and factual testimonies prove conclusively that Hadrat Abul Ghaus Gharam Divan al-Faruqi alayhir al rahman is the 25th descendent of Hadrat Umar al-Faruq Radi Allahu Ta'ala anhu. Hadrat Mullah Mehmood Jaunpuri Rahmatullahi ta'ala alayh is the 23rd descendent of Amir al Momineen Hadrat Umar al-Faruq Radi Allahu Ta'ala anhu and Hadrat Shah Chaand Faruqi Rahmatullahi ta'ala alayh is the grandfather of both these pious personalities.
Shah Ale Ahmad Ach'che miya
Sayyad Shah Abul-Fadl Shams ud-Din Ale Ahmad Ach'che Miya [d. 1235 H - 1820 CE] 'alayhir al-rahman w'al ridwan
'Ghousul-Waqt', 'Khatimal Akaabir', Abul-Fadl Shams ud-Din, Sayyad Sha Ale 'Ahmad Ach'che miya 'alayhir al-rahman was born on the 28th Ramadan 1160 Hijri in Mahrerah Shareef, U.P. India. He was the eldest son of Sayyad Shah Hamza al-Qadiri al-Barakaati 'alayhir al-rahman and a Sayyad (a direct descendent of the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa sallam). His ancestors migrated from Madina t'ul Munawwarah to Iraq because of political harassment. Later, they moved to the Indo-Pak sub-continent, where the elders of the family settled in Mahrerah.
Shah Ach'che miya 'alayhir al-rahman undertook his entire external shari'ah and spiritual training under the guidance of his noble father Shah Hamza al-Qadiri al-Barakaati 'alayhir al-rahman. It is also mentioned by his family members that Sayyad Sha Ale' Ahmad Ach'che Mia 'alayhir al-rahman resembled al Ghawth al A'zam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu in physical outlook.
He also studied medicine [hikmat] from the then celebrated physician, Hakim Nasrullah. Hundreds of patients came to him to be cured. The medication was mostly leaves from ordinary trees. This simple medication was successfully used to cure any common or complicated sickness. Curing the sick was a special gift of Almighty Allah bestowed upon Him. This was one of his many karamat (miracles). He was a very devout sufi and performed some of the most strenuous forms of devotion in the path of sulook. He was a master of habse kabeer (to engross oneself so intensely in Zikr-Allah that the saalik only breathes twice in 24 hours). He also regularly practised salaatul makoos (to be hung upside down, tied with ropes to the feet and perform salaah). All sunnah and nafil duties were strictly performed by him daily. Even from the age of 10, he never missed his tahajjud salaah [night prayer].
His biggest academic contribution was the compilation of a master-piece, "Ah'een-e-Ahmadi", in 34 bulky volumes. The uniqueness of these volumes is that they consist of every science of knowledge known to man on earth. This alone will tell us of the depth of his comprehensive knowledge. Some of his other known works :
1. Bayaade Amal wa Mah'mool
2. Adaab-us-Salikeen
3. Mathnawi - Poetry in Tasawwuf
4. Dewaane Ash'aar (in Persian)
Many of his karamat are recorded, one such is ;
It is recorded in "Aa'thar-e-Ahmadi" that once a young man came to Mahrerah Shareef from Bukhara (Russia) to visit Sayyad Ach'che Miya 'alayhir al-rahman. He first went to the masjid and offered zuhr salaah. Thereafter, he humbled himself at the feet of the Shaykh and said: "Your Holiness! I heard of you and travelled a long way to meet you. I am a very weak servant of Almighty Allah and do not possess the strength and courage to make strenuous mujahidah (spiritual devotion). I have come to you for divine blessings so that I may achieve this enormous gift without any effort and struggle".
On hearing this, the spiritual master smiled and said: "You wish to achieve such great wealth in so little time". One of the disciples present, remarked: "Do you think that this is some type of sweet that can just be placed into the mouth and eaten!" The murshid-e-kaamil was displeased with this remark and reprimanded the disciple by saying: "Nothing is impossible in the Qudrat of Almighty Allah". He then taught the young man a specific Durood Shareef with necessary instructions and ordered him to recite it at night. The same night the devotee obeyed all instructions and began the recital in seclusion. Suddenly, he experienced a state of spiritual upliftment. He was blessed with the ziyarat of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa sallam. This vision was not spiritual but physical. Early the next morning, he immediately went to the murshid-e-kaamil and cried: "Subhan-Allah! Last night I met Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa sallam who said to me, 'In every century there will be a person in my Ummah who will revive my Deen'. Hence, O Master! Verily in this century, you are that eminent personality."
Just by the prescription of a single Durood Shareef and personally rendering his spiritual guidance, this grand master, in a short period of time without mujahidah, led a disciple to spiritual perfection. It is said that mujahidah is the most difficult science in the mystical path of sulook. According to the exalted mystics, it takes a minimum of 80 consecutive years of absolute devotion to reach this stage. But here the blessings of this august wali [saint] of Almighty Allah, condensed a long period of 80 years to less that 80 moments!
Ghousal-Waqt, Murshid-e-Kabeer 'alayhir al-rahman was married and had one son and a daughter. The son, as ordained by Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala, passed away at a very young age. He was born a Wali and whatever he said became a reality. His daughter also passed away when she was an infant.
He had thousands of murids and many khulafa. There are also numerous devotees that lived at the khanqah undertaking spiritual training of sulook. He also cared for hundreds of poor and destitute. He adopted his nephew, Khatimul Akabir Shah Ale' Rasool Ahmadi 'alayhir al-rahman as his son. Sayyad Shah Ale' Ahmad Ach'che miya was the fourth succeeding Qutb [pole] of the Barakaati Silsila and Sayyad Shah Ale' Rasool, his successor, was the fifth Qutbul-Waqt. Khatimul Akabir was the 'Pir-o-Murshid' of A'la Hadrat Imam Ahmad Rida Khan al-Qadiri 'alayhir al-rahman.
Sayyad Shah Ale' Ahmad Ach'che miya al-Qadiri Barakaati 'alayhir al-rahman peacefully left this mundane world at the age of 75 in the morning of 25 Rabbi-ul-Awwal Shareef 1235 Hijri.
references : raza.co.za
Shah Abd'al Aziz
Hafiz Ghulam Halim Shah Abd'al Aziz Muhaddith Dehlwi [d.1239AH/1823CE] 'alayhir al rahman w'al ridwan
Shaykh Abdul Aziz Rahmatullahi alayh was born on the 25th of Ramadan al-Mubarak, in 1159AH [1746 Common Era], Dehli, India and was the eldest son of SHAH WALI 'ALLAH. Shaykh Abdul Aziz Rahmatullahi alayh memorised the Qur'an al kareem at an early age, and by the time when he was only 17, he became an expert in the sciences of tafsir, hadith, fiqh, Usul al Fiqh, Aqaid, mantiq, kalam, maths, history, geopgraphy etc. He had a great passion of all mental and written sciences. Shah Abdul Aziz was the most learned Islamic theologian in India, and his views on Muslim law were accepted by all parties among the Sunnis. Unlike most Muslims during this period, he recognized the value of learning English, and displayed no bitterness toward the conquerors. But he was a teacher and thinker rather than a leader.
Shah Abdul Aziz translated the Qur'an into Urdu, 50 years of the Persian translation by Shah Wali 'Allah, when the Urdu language had started to replace the Persian. He completed the exegesis of his father from Surat al-Maida to the thirteenth verse of al-Hujurat.
Shah Abdul Aziz soon built a reputation and a big following at his lectures which were extremely cultured and eloquent. When he spoke, he commanded his audience so much that his listeners were totally absorbed in his words. He would state some of the most difficult issues in an amazing clear way. His memory was matchless, he would dictate extremely long texts from books almost immediately after reading them. His compilations were reliable and trustworthy among the people of excellence. His compliations were reliable and trustworthy among the people of excellence.
Some known students of Shah Abdul Aziz Rahmatullahi alayh ;
Mawlana Sayyid Shah Al'e Rasul Qadri Barkati Marahrawi
Sayyad Ahmad Barelwi
Mawlana Fazl-e-Haq Khayrabadi
Mawlana Mahboob Ali Dehlawi
Mufti Sadr al-Din Aazurdah
Mawlana Muhammad Ali
Mawlana Ahmad Ali
He wrote and dictated many books, some of which were ;
'Taufa Ithna Ashari' (Gift to the Twelvers) [Refutation of the shi'ah sect]
'Sirush Shahadhathayn'
'Fatawa Aziz', another famous book, is the collection of Fatawa (questions and answers on religious issue)
'Tafsir Fath al-Aziz' or 'Tafsir-i-Aziz' (in Persian)
Shaykh Abdul Aziz Rahmatullahi alayh passed away in the year 1823 [Common Era], 1239 After Hijri.
Khalid al-Baghdadi
Khalid ibn Husayn al-Baghdadi al-Uthmani [d.1242 H - 1826 CE] 'alayhir ar-rahman w'al ridwan
Khalid al-Baghdadi was a Naqshbandi shaykh and founder of the Khalidi branch of the Naqshbandi order. He was born [in the year 1193 H./1779 CE] in Shehrezur, Karadag an area near to Sulaymaniye in northern Iraq. His full name was Khalid ibn Husain taking the nickname "Ziyauddin" and al-Baghdadi later.
His grandfather was Par Mika'il Chis Anchit, which means Mika'il the Saint of the six fingers. His title is 'Uthmani because he is a descendant of Sayyidina 'Uthman ibn 'Affan Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu, the third caliph of Islam. He studied the Qur'an al-kareem and its explanation and fiqh according to the Shafi'i school. He was famous in poetry. When he was fifteen years of age he took asceticism as his creed, hunger as his horse, wakefulness as his means, seclusion as his friend, and energy as his light.
Young Khalid studied with the two great scholars of his time, Shaykh 'Abdul Karam al-Barzinji and Shaykh 'Abdur Rahim al-Barzinji [Allah be pleased with them], and he read with Mullah Muhammad 'Ali. He studied the sciences of mathematics, philosophy, and logicas well as the principles of jurisprudence. He studied the works of Ibn Hajar, as-Suyuti, and al-Haythami. He memorized the commentary on Qur'an by Baydawi. He was able to find solutions for even the most difficult questions in jurisprudence. He memorized the Qur'an according to the fourteen different ways of recitation, and became very famous everywhere for this.
He then entered seclusion, leaving everything he had studied behind, coming to Allah's door with all kinds of pious actions and much dhikr, both loud and silent. He no longer visited the sultans, but kept to himself and to his murids, until the year 1220 H./1806 CE, when he decided to make the Pilgrimage and to visit the Beloved Prophet . He left everything and went to Hijaz through the cities of Mosul and Yarbikir and ar-Raha and Aleppo and Damascus, where he met its scholars and followed its Shaykh, the master of both the ancient and the modern knowledge and the teacher of hadith, ash-Shaykh Muhammad al-Kuzbara. He received authorization in the Qadiri Tariqat from Shaykh al-Kuzbari and his deputy, Shaykh Mustafa al-Kurdi, who travelled with him until he reached the city of the Beloved Prophet .
He praised the Prophet in Persian poetry in such a way that people were astonished at his eloquence. He spent a long time in the City of the Beloved Prophet . He reported,
"I was looking for someone of rare piety in order to take some advice when I saw a Shaykh on the right-hand side of the Blessed Gravesite (Rawdatu-sh-Sharifa). I asked him to give me advice, counsel from a wise scholar to an ignorant person. He advised me not to object when I enter Makkah to matters which might appear to be counter to the shari`a, but to keep quiet. I reached Makkah, and keeping in my heart that advice, I went to the Holy Mosque early on the morning of Friday. I sat near the Ka’ba reading Dala'il al-Khayrat, when I saw a man with a black beard leaning on a pillar and looking at me. It came to my heart that the man was not showing the proper respect to the Kacba, but I didn't say anything to him about the matter.
"He looked at me and scolded me, saying, 'O ignorant one, don't you know that the honor of the heart of a believer is far more than the privilege of the Ka`ba? Why do you criticize me in your heart for standing with my back to the Ka`ba and my face to you. Didn't you hear the advice of my Shaykh in Madinah who told you not to criticise?' I ran to him and asked his forgiveness, kissing his hands and feet and asking him for his guidance to Allah. He told me, 'O my son, your treasures and the keys to your heart are not in these parts, but in India. Your Shaykh is there. Go there and he will show you what you have to do.' I didn't see anyone better than him in all the Haram. He didn't tell me where to go in India, so I went back to Sham and associated with its scholars."
He then returned to Sulaymaniyyah and continued his teachings of self-denial. He was always looking for someone to show him the way. Finally, there came to Sulaymaniyyah the Shaykh Mawlana Mirza Rahimullah Beg al-M'aruf, known by the name of Muhammad ad-Darwish 'Abdul 'Azim al-Abadi, one of the khalifs of the spiritual pole, Qutb al-A'zam, 'Abdullah ad-Dehlawi (q). He met with him and gave him respect and asked him about the perfect guide to show him the way. He told him, "There is one perfect Shaykh, a Scholar and a Knower, showing the seeker the way to the King of Kings, expert in this delicate matter, following the Naqshbandi Way, carrying the Character of the Beloved Prophet , a guide in the Knowledge of Spirituality. Come back with me to his service in Jehanabad. He had told me before I left, 'You are going to meet someone, bring him back with you.'"
After travelling to India where he studied under revivalist Naqshbandi Sufi Shaykhs he returned to Syria where he engaged himself in teaching his students. He died in 1242 after Hijri [1826 Common Era]. His funeral was performed at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
Khalid al-Baghdadi
Khalid ibn Husayn al-Baghdadi al-Uthmani [d.1242 H - 1826 CE] 'alayhir ar-rahman w'al ridwan
Khalid al-Baghdadi was a Naqshbandi shaykh and founder of the Khalidi branch of the Naqshbandi order. He was born [in the year 1193 H./1779 CE] in Shehrezur, Karadag an area near to Sulaymaniye in northern Iraq. His full name was Khalid ibn Husain taking the nickname "Ziyauddin" and al-Baghdadi later.
His grandfather was Par Mika'il Chis Anchit, which means Mika'il the Saint of the six fingers. His title is 'Uthmani because he is a descendant of Sayyidina 'Uthman ibn 'Affan Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu, the third caliph of Islam. He studied the Qur'an al-kareem and its explanation and fiqh according to the Shafi'i school. He was famous in poetry. When he was fifteen years of age he took asceticism as his creed, hunger as his horse, wakefulness as his means, seclusion as his friend, and energy as his light.
Young Khalid studied with the two great scholars of his time, Shaykh 'Abdul Karam al-Barzinji and Shaykh 'Abdur Rahim al-Barzinji [Allah be pleased with them], and he read with Mullah Muhammad 'Ali. He studied the sciences of mathematics, philosophy, and logicas well as the principles of jurisprudence. He studied the works of Ibn Hajar, as-Suyuti, and al-Haythami. He memorized the commentary on Qur'an by Baydawi. He was able to find solutions for even the most difficult questions in jurisprudence. He memorized the Qur'an according to the fourteen different ways of recitation, and became very famous everywhere for this.
He then entered seclusion, leaving everything he had studied behind, coming to Allah's door with all kinds of pious actions and much dhikr, both loud and silent. He no longer visited the sultans, but kept to himself and to his murids, until the year 1220 H./1806 CE, when he decided to make the Pilgrimage and to visit the Beloved Prophet . He left everything and went to Hijaz through the cities of Mosul and Yarbikir and ar-Raha and Aleppo and Damascus, where he met its scholars and followed its Shaykh, the master of both the ancient and the modern knowledge and the teacher of hadith, ash-Shaykh Muhammad al-Kuzbara. He received authorization in the Qadiri Tariqat from Shaykh al-Kuzbari and his deputy, Shaykh Mustafa al-Kurdi, who travelled with him until he reached the city of the Beloved Prophet .
He praised the Prophet in Persian poetry in such a way that people were astonished at his eloquence. He spent a long time in the City of the Beloved Prophet . He reported,
"I was looking for someone of rare piety in order to take some advice when I saw a Shaykh on the right-hand side of the Blessed Gravesite (Rawdatu-sh-Sharifa). I asked him to give me advice, counsel from a wise scholar to an ignorant person. He advised me not to object when I enter Makkah to matters which might appear to be counter to the shari`a, but to keep quiet. I reached Makkah, and keeping in my heart that advice, I went to the Holy Mosque early on the morning of Friday. I sat near the Ka’ba reading Dala'il al-Khayrat, when I saw a man with a black beard leaning on a pillar and looking at me. It came to my heart that the man was not showing the proper respect to the Kacba, but I didn't say anything to him about the matter.
"He looked at me and scolded me, saying, 'O ignorant one, don't you know that the honor of the heart of a believer is far more than the privilege of the Ka`ba? Why do you criticize me in your heart for standing with my back to the Ka`ba and my face to you. Didn't you hear the advice of my Shaykh in Madinah who told you not to criticise?' I ran to him and asked his forgiveness, kissing his hands and feet and asking him for his guidance to Allah. He told me, 'O my son, your treasures and the keys to your heart are not in these parts, but in India. Your Shaykh is there. Go there and he will show you what you have to do.' I didn't see anyone better than him in all the Haram. He didn't tell me where to go in India, so I went back to Sham and associated with its scholars."
He then returned to Sulaymaniyyah and continued his teachings of self-denial. He was always looking for someone to show him the way. Finally, there came to Sulaymaniyyah the Shaykh Mawlana Mirza Rahimullah Beg al-M'aruf, known by the name of Muhammad ad-Darwish 'Abdul 'Azim al-Abadi, one of the khalifs of the spiritual pole, Qutb al-A'zam, 'Abdullah ad-Dehlawi (q). He met with him and gave him respect and asked him about the perfect guide to show him the way. He told him, "There is one perfect Shaykh, a Scholar and a Knower, showing the seeker the way to the King of Kings, expert in this delicate matter, following the Naqshbandi Way, carrying the Character of the Beloved Prophet , a guide in the Knowledge of Spirituality. Come back with me to his service in Jehanabad. He had told me before I left, 'You are going to meet someone, bring him back with you.'"
After travelling to India where he studied under revivalist Naqshbandi Sufi Shaykhs he returned to Syria where he engaged himself in teaching his students. He died in 1242 after Hijri [1826 Common Era]. His funeral was performed at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi
Muhammad Abu 'Abdullah Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi al Shafi'i [d. 748H - 1348CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Al-Dhahabi [1274-1348CE] the great Shafi'i hadith master (hafiz) and historian of Islam, the imam, Shaykh al-Islam, head of hadith masters, perspicuous critic and expert examiner of the hadith, encyclopedic historian and biographer, and foremost authority in the canonical readings of the Qur'an. Born in Damascus where his family lived from the time of his grandfather 'Uthman, he sometimes identified himself as Ibn al-Dhahabi - son of the goldsmith - in reference to his father's profession. He began his study of hadith at age eighteen, travelling from Damascus to Ba'labak, Hims, Hama, Aleppo, Tripoli, Nabulus, al-Ramla, Cairo, Iskandariyya, al-Qudus, Hijaz, and elsewhere to thirty different locations, after which he returned to Damascus where he taught and authored many works and achieved world renown. He lost his sight two years before he died, leaving three children: his eldest daughter Amat al-'Aziz and his two sons 'Abd Allah and Abu Hurayra 'Abd al-Rahman. The latter taught the hadith masters Ibn Nasir al-Din al-Dimashqi and Ibn Hajar, to whom he transmitted several works authored or narrated by his father.
His student TAJ AL-DIN AL-SUBKI said:
Our time was graced with four hadith masters: al-Mizzi, al-Birzali, al-Dhahabi, and my father the Shaykh and Imam [Taqi al-Din al-Subki]. As for our shaykh Abu 'Abd Allah, he is an ocean without peer, a treasure and refuge in time of difficulty, the imam of the living on record, the gold of our time in spirit and letter, the shaykh of narrator-discreditation and narrator-commendation (al-jarh wa al-ta'dil)... and the one who trained us in this science and brought us out into the scholarly throng - may Allah reward him greatly!
Another student of his, Salah al-Din al-Safadi, said:
I read before him many of his works and did not find in him the rigidity (jumud) of hadith scholars nor the denseness (kawdana) of transmitters. Rather, he is highly perspicuous and proficient in the sayings of the scholars and the schools of the imams of the Salaf and authorities in doctrine. What most pleased me is the care he shows, in his works, not to mention a hadith except he states whether it suffers from any weakness in its content or chain of transmission or one of its narrators. I did not see others show the same care in what they cite.
The "Commander of the Believers in Hadith" (Amir al-Mu'minin fi al-Hadith), Shaykh al-Islam IBN HAJAR AL-ASQALANI said of him:
"He was the most prolific of the scholars of his time. People yearned to obtain his books, travelling to him for that purpose and circulating them through reading, copying, and audition." "He is among those who have total mastery in the field of narrator-criticism."
He authored nearly a hundred works, some of them of considerable size:
Major History of Islam ('Tarikh al-Islam al-kabir), thirty-six volume
Talkhis al-Mustadrak
Tadhkirat al-huffaz
The Lives of Noble Figures (Siyar a`lam al-nubala'), twenty-three volume
Tadhhib al-Tahdhib
Al-Kashif fi Asma' Rijal al-Kutub al-Sittah
In his Mu'jam al-Shuyukh, in a large version entitled al-Kabir and a smaller one entitled al-Saghir or al-Latif. These Mu'jams are a fascinating chronicle of al-Dhahabi's shaykhs through meetings or correspondence. The Kabir contains biographies of about 1,300 of his shaykhs. In the entry devoted to Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Mun'im al-Qazwini, al-Dhahabi writes the following lines:
Ahmad ibn al-Mun'im related to us... [with his chain of transmission] from Ibn 'Umar that the latter disliked to touch the Prophet's - Allah bless and greet him - grave. I say: He disliked it because he considered it disrespect. Ahmad ibn Hanbal was asked about touching the Prophet's - Allah bless and greet him - grave and kissing it and he saw nothing wrong with it. His son 'Abd Allah related this from him. If it is asked: "Why did the Companions not do this?" We reply: "Because they saw him with their very eyes when he was alive, enjoyed his presence directly, kissed his very hand, nearly fought each other over the remnants of his ablution water, shared his purified hair on the day of the greater Pilgrimage, and even if he spat it would virtually not fall except in someone's hand so that he could pass it over his face. Since we have not had the tremendous fortune of sharing in this, we throw ourselves on his grave as a mark of commitment, reverence, and acceptance, even to kiss it. Do you not see what Thabit al-Bunani did when he kissed the hand of Anas ibn Malik and placed it on his face saying: "This is the hand that touched the hand of Allah's Messenger"? Muslims are not moved to these matters except by their excessive love for the Prophet - Allah bless and greet him -, as they are ordered to love Allah and the Prophet -- Allah bless and greet him -- more than their own lives, their children, all human beings, their property, and Paradise and its maidens. There are even some believers that love Abu Bakr and 'Umar more than themselves...
Al-Dhahabi defined knowledge in Islam (al-'ilm) as "Not the profusion of narration, but a light which Allah casts into the heart. Its condition is followership (ittiba') and the flight away from egotism (hawa) and innovation."
At the mention of al-Harawi al-Ansari's Sufi manual Manazil al-Sa'irin in the Siyar al-Dhahabi exclaims:
How beautiful was the tasawwuf of the Companions and Successors! They did not probe those phantasms and whisperings of the mind but worshipped Allah, humbling themselves and relying upon Him, in great awe and fear of Him, fiercely combating His enemies, hastening to obey Him, staying away from idle speech. Allah guides whomever He wills to the straight path.
Shah Naqshband
Muhammad Baha 'al-Din Uways al-Bukhari Shah Naqshband [d.791h] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Muhammad Baha 'al-Din Uways al-Bukhari Radi Allahu anhu, known as Shah Naqshband, the Imam of the Naqshbandi Tariqat without peer. He was born in the year 1317 C.E. in the village of Qasr al-'arifan, near Bukhara. After he mastered the shari'ah sciences at the tender age of 18, he kept company with the Shaykh Muhammad Baba as-Samasi Radi Allahu anhu, who was an authority in hadith in Central Asia. After the latter's death, he followed Shaykh Amir Kulal Radi Allahu anhu who continued and perfected his training in the external and the internal knowledge.
The students of Shaykh Amir Kulal Radi Allahu anhu used to make dhikr aloud when sitting together in association, and silent dhikr when alone. Hadrat Shah Naqshband Radi Allahu anhu, however, although he never criticized nor objected to the loud dhikr, preferred the silent dhikr. Concerning this he says, "There are two methods of dhikr; one is silent and one is loud. I chose the silent one because it is stronger and therefore more preferable." The silent dhikr thus became the distinguishing feature of the Naqshbandiyya among other tariqats.
Shah Naqshband Radi Allahu anhu performed Hajj (Pilgrimage) three times, after which he resided in Merv and Bukhara. Towards the end of his life he went back to settle in his native city of Qasr al-'Arifan. His teachings became quoted everywhere and his name was on every tongue. Visitors from far and wide came to see him and to seek his advice. They received teaching in his school and mosque, a complex which at one time accommodated more than five thousand people. This school is the largest Islamic center of learning in Central Asia and still exists in our day. It was recently renovated and reopened after surviving seventy years of Communist rule.
Shah Naqshband's Radi Allahu anhu teachings changed the hearts of seekers from darkness to light. He continued to teach his students the knowledge of the Oneness of God in which his precedessors had specialized, emphasizing the realization of the state of ihsan (excellence) for his followers according to the hadith of the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, "Ihsan is to worship God as if you see Him."
When Shah Naqshband Radi Allahu anhu died he was buried in his garden as he requested. The succeeding Kings of Bukhara took care of his school and mosque, expanding them and increasing their religious endowments (awqaf).
Succeeding Shaykhs of the Naqshbandi Tariqat wrote many biographies of Shah Naqshband Radi Allahu anhu. Among them are Mas'ud al-Bukhari and Sharif al-Jarjani, who composed the Awrad Baha 'al-Din which describes him and his life's works including his fatawa (legal decisions). Shaykh Muhammad Parsa, who died in Madinah in 822 H. (1419 C.E.) wrote Risala Qudsiyya in which he talks of Shah Naqshband's Radi Allahu anhu life, his virtues, and his teachings.
Shah Naqshband's Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu literary legacy included many books. Among them are Awrad an-Naqshbandiyyah, the Devotions of Shah Naqshband. Another book is Tanbih al-Ghafilin. A third book is Maslakul Anwar. A fourth is Hadiyyatu-s-Salikan wa Tuhfat at-Talibin. He left many noble expressions praising the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alyhi wa Sallam and he wrote many legal rulings. One of his opinions was that all the different acts and kinds of worship, whether obligatory or voluntary, were permitted for the seeker in order to reach reality. Prayer, fasting, zakat (paying the poor-tax), mujahadat (striving) and zuhd (self-denial) were emphasized as ways to reach Allah Almighty.
Shah Naqshband Radi Allahu anhu built his school on the renewal of the teachings of the Islamic religion. He insisted on the necessity of keeping the Qur'an al-kareem and the teachings of the Sunnah. When they asked him, "What are the requirements of one who follows your way?" he said, "To follow the Sunnah of the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alyhi wa Sallam." He continued saying: "Our way is a rare one. It keeps the 'Urwat ul-Wuthqa, the Unbreakable Bond, and it asks nothing else of its followers but to take hold of the Pure Sunnah of the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alyhi wa Sallam and follow the way of the Sahaba (Companions of the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alyhi wa Sallam in their ijtihad (efforts for Allah).
Hafiz al Shirazi
Shams al-Din Hafiz al Shirazi [d.791H /1389 CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Khawaja Shams al-Din Muhammad Ibn-i Muhammad, known as Hafiz, was born into a merchant family of Shiraz, Iran, some time between 1321 and 1326; he died in the same city around 1389. The word "hafiz" means reciter. The poet chose this takhallus because, allegedly, he could recite the Qur'an in a number of different forms--fourteen according to his own poetry and seven according to his colleague and biographer, Muhammad Gulandam.
Little is known about the formative years of Hafiz's life other than that he was orphaned at an early age and was employed by a baker as dough maker. What is known is that he was a scholar, an 'arif, a hafiz of the Qur'an and an exegete of the Book. He himself has repeatedly indicated this in his verses:
I haven 't seen more beautiful lines than yours, Hafiz,
By the Qur'an that you have in your breast.
Your love shall cry out if you, like Hafiz,
Recite the Quran memoriter with all the fourteen readings.
Of the memorizers of the world none like me has gathered,
Subtleties of wisdom with Quranic delicacies.
In his poetry Hafiz speaks much of the pir-e tariqat (spiritual guide) and of the murshid (master), yet it is not clear who was the teacher and guide of Hafiz himself.
Hafiz's poetry attains to lofty mystical heights, and there are few people who are able to perceive his mystic subtleties. All the 'urafa' who came after him admit that he had indeed practically covered the lofty stages of 'irfan. Several important scholars have written commentaries on some of his verses. For example, a treatise was written by the well-known philosopher of the ninth century, Muhaqqiq Jalal al-Din Dawwani, on the following verse:
My teacher said: the pen of creation was subject to no error,
Bravo the pure eyes that hide all defects.
Unlike his globe trotter fellow Shirazi, Sa'di, Hafiz stayed in Shiraz almost all his life. One of the two trips that he made was forced upon him--he was exiled from Shiraz due to mass opposition to his singular behavior. He stayed long enough in Yazd until the situation cooled down. The other trip was to the port of Hormuz on the Persian Gulf where he was to travel to India. A stormy sea made him change his mind and return to Shiraz.
Like the Quatrains of Umar Khayyam, Hafiz's poetry has a special public appeal. This appeal is to a degree that his diwan is often treated as if it were the Noble Qur'an. Indeed, to most Iranians he is known as the Lisan al-Qaiyb (tongue of the unperceived). In fact, like the Noble Qur'an, they use his diwan to look into the future. Hafiz's diwan contains 418 ghazals, 5 odes, 41 quatrains, and 3 small mathnavis. Other features of his diwan include the Saqinameh, Ahuye Vahshi, and Muqanninamah.
Hafiz is undeniably the master of the art of the ghazal (sonnet). The ghazal, of course, does not begin with Hafiz but, it is, certainly, a genre which he developed and perfected. His Sufic ghazals usually contain seven beyts with the poet's penname usually appearing in the last beyts. His Sufic ghazals, that have more than seven beyts, have, over the centuries, engaged the attention of the analysts and Hafiz interpreters. It is not clear whether the beyts that fail, in one way or another, to meet Hafiz' standard, thematic development, and the seven-beyt-limit are added by later compilers who, for various reasons, might have amplified the volume, or that they had been added by Hafiz himself to satisfy the demands of his patrons.
Hafiz is a highly controversial figure in Persian literature. The controversy is centered on whether Hafiz uses allegorical symbolism alongside profane love to convey Sufic messages to those knowledgeable to decipher his thoughts. Many scholars in the West have rejected the attribution of any sufistic value to the poetry of Hafiz. On the contrary, many scholars and critics in the East have not given anything but sufistic values to the same poetry. The biggest problem for the Western scholar, of course, is a good understanding of the material with which Hafiz worked; a lack of a good translation of the entire diwan influences this lack of belief in the existence of a level more profound than the mundane. The biggest problem for the Eastern scholar is a lack of analytical orientation. Hafiz passed away in 791Hijri/1389 Common Era.
Extracts from Prof Iraj Bashiri
Ala al-Haq Wadeen
Shaykh Ala al-Haq Wadeen al-Chisti al-Nizami [d.800 H/1398 CE ] 'alayhir ar-rahman w'al ridwan
Hadrat Shaykh Ala al-Haq Wadeen was a hugely influential and pious shaykh, known not only in Bengal but throughout India. His father was Umar bin Asad Khalidi rahmtullahi 'alayh, who claimed descent from the famous arab general Khalid bin Walid Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu. His ancestors had come to Lahore, and from there migrated to Pandua, Bengal. After the establishment of Muslim rule in Bengal, Umar bin Asad settled at Pandua where his son Ala al Haq was born. The boy, given proper education, grew up into a learned scholar and one of the foremost sufis of his time.
Initially Ala al-Haq earned great fortune and fame as a scholar. His affluence and learning prompted him to assume the title of 'Ganj-i-Nabat' ('the store of wealth'). Some reports suggest that when Nizam al-Din Awliya [d.1325CE] Rahmatullahi 'alayh came to learn of this he became annoyed. His spiritual head, Hadrat Baba Farid [d.1265CE] Rahmatullahi 'alayh, was called 'Ganj-i-Shakar' and assumption of the title of 'Ganj-i-Nabat' by Ala al-Haq meant that he wanted to supersede his spiritual guide. But this thought changed and Ala al-Haq realised the error of his ways, and severely repented and detached himself from the worldly life and pledged allegiance to the sufi shaykh, Akhi Siraj al-Din [d.1357CE].
Soon after, and assuming a more humble approach Ala al-Haq opened a free kitchen (langar-Khaana) for all travellers within the region. News spread of this generous gesture by Ala-al-Haq as thousands of destitute and needy descended within the region. But, the then Sultan of Pandua, Sikander Shah (1358-1389), felt his position was in danger, due to the saint's popularity, and through jealousy ordered Ala al-Haq to leave the region. Shaykh Ala-al-Haq departed and soon re-established another khanqah at Sonargaon. The langar-khaana continued with the same amount of success and popularity. Approximately two years later, Shaykh Ala-al-Haq was allowed to return from exile to his native town of Pandua, where he breathed his last in 1398 C.E [800H][1]. It is said from persian treatises that Makhdoom Jahanian Jahan Gasht [d.1384CE] rahmatullahi 'alayh led the funeral prayer of Shaykh Ala al-Haq rahmatullahi 'alayh. Makhdoom Jahanian met Ala al-Haq in Pandua and the dialogue of the two saints is recorded at the Jahanian mosque erected in 1535 C.E.
Shaykh Ala al-Haq Wadeen Rahmatullahi 'alayh was succeeded by his son Shaykh Nur al-Din 'Qutb-i-Alam', who was also his mureed (disciple). Other notable mureeds include Shaykh Nasir al-Din Manikpuri, and Makhdoom Sayyad Ashraf Jahangir of Semnan (d.1405 C.E) 'alayhir rahman. Nasir al-Din preached Islam in and around Manipur Koda in Bihar. Sayyad Makhdoom Ashraf Rahmatullahi ta'ala 'alayh, though the son of a king, renounced the throne of Semnan and became the disciple of Ala al-Haq Wadeen, who subsequently sent him to do dawa 'preach Islam' in Jaunpur, and the surrounding regions.
Unlike his own teacher, who had no known dealings with royalty, Shaykh 'Ala al-Haq was destined to play a special role in the political history of Muslim Bengal. In fact, the earliest-known monument built by the founder of Bengal's longest-lived dynasty, the Ilyas Shahi line of kings (1342–1486), was dedicated to this shaykh. On a mosque built in 1342 in what is now part of Calcutta, Shams al-Din Ilyas Shah praised the Sufi as ''the benevolent and revered saint (Shaykh) whose acts of virtue are attractive and sublime, inspired by Allah, may He illuminate his heart with the light of divine perception and faith, and he is the guide to the religion of the Glorious, 'Ala al-Haq may … his piety last long.''
[1] According to the Akhbar-ul-Akhyar he died in 800 AH
Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir
Ghawth al 'Alam Mahboob-i Yazdani Sultan Sayyad Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Simnani [d.807H] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Direct descendant of Ghawth al A'zam Piranai Pir Dastagir, Mahboob-i Subhani, Shaykh Sayyadina Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu anhu [QADIRIYA TARIQAT] and spiritually inspired through the ChistI-Nizami Order, Hadrat Makhdoom Ashraf Rahmatullahi ’Alaih became the founder of the Ashrafiya spiritual order. Having abandoned worldy kingdom and crown at a very young age, he set off on a spiritual journey in search of a spiritual guide for inner peace and to ultimately serve mankind. He studied under many great and learned scholars of the time and gained untold blessings from many Sufis and dervishes. Eventually arriving at a place called Pandua in Bengal where his Shaykh to be, was already waiting to bless him.
And today the 'faiz' of this Wali-Allah [saints, freinds of Allah] who abandoned worldly and materialistic wealth for the pleasure of the Almighty has millions of devotees and followers throughout the world.
COMPLETE BIOGRAHY : MAKHDOOM ASHRAF JAHANGIR
Ibn Khaldun
Al-Hasan bin Jabir bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Abdur-Rahman Ibn Khaldun [d.808 H - 1406 CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wal-ridwan
He is Abdurahman bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Al-Hasan bin Jabir bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Abdurahman bin Ibn Khaldun. His ancestry according to him originated from Hadramut, Yemen. He also traced his ancestry through another genealogy as supplied by Ibn Hazem using his grandfather who was the first to enter Andalusia back to Wail ibn Hajar one of the oldest Yemenite tribe. Ibn Khaldun was born in Tunis on Ramadan 1, 732h (May 27, 1332). He received a traditional education that was typical of his family's rank and status. He learned first at the hands of his father who was a scholarly person who was not involved in politics like his ancestors. He memorized the Qur'an by heart, learned grammar, Jurisprudence, Hadith, rhetoric, philology, and poetry. He had reached certain proficiency in these subjects and received certification in them.
Ibn Khaldun alayhir rahman is one of the most important figures in the field of History and Sociology in Muslim History. He is one of those shining stars that contributed so richly to the understanding of Civilization. In order for one to understand and appreciate his work, one must understand his life. He lived a life in search of stability and influence. He came from a family of scholars and politicians and he intended to live up to both expectations. He would succeed in the field of Scholarship much more so than in any other field.
Ibn Khaldun said about tasawwuf in his famous Muqaddima:
Tasawwuf is one of the latter-day sciences of the Law in the Islamic Community. The foundation of tasawwuf, however, is (more ancient, as seen in the fact) that these folk and their way have always been present among the Salaf and among the most senior of the Companions and the Successors, and their way is the way of truth and guidance.
The foundation of the way of the Sufis is self-restraint in the world and utter dependence on Allah; shunning of the adornment and beauty of the world; self- deprivation of pleasure, money, and title in the manner agreed upon by the vast majority of the scholars; and isolation from creatures in seclusion and devotion to worship.
All these aspects were widespread among the Companions and the Salaf, but with the pervasiveness of worldliness in the second century and the next, and the general inclination of the people towards the world, those who remained attached to worship became know under the name of Sufis.(1)
Ibn Khaldun died while he was in office as a Qadi on Wednesday March 17th 1406CE (25th of Ramadan 808h). He was buried in the Sufi Cemetery outside Bab an-Nasr, Cairo at the age of seventy-four years.
(1) Muqaddimat ibn Khaldun, p. 328.
Reproduced with permission from Shaykh M. Hisham Kabbani's _The Repudiation of 'Salafi' Innovations_ (Kazi, 1996) p. 382.
Extracts taken from Muslim Philosophy
Khwaja Banda Nawaz
Khawaja Shaykh Sayyad Abul Fatah Muhammad Gesu Daraz 'Banda Nawaz' Dehlavi [d. 825 H/ 1422 CE] 'alayhir al-ridwan w'al rahman
Sufi saint of the Chishtiya order. He was a disciple of Nasir al-Din of Delhi and came to Gulbarga in 1413CE. The Bahmani ruler Ahmed Shah (1422-36) conferred rich endowments on him. The Saint's dargah is a large complex of tombs, mosques, madrasas and gateways.
His name was Abul Fatah, and 'Banda Nawaz' and 'Gesu Daraz' are his titles. Among the scholars and theologians he was Shaykh Abul Fatah Sadr al-Din Muhammad Dehlavi, but people called him Khawaja Banda Nawaz and Khawaja Gaysoo D'raaz. He was the descendant of Amir al Momineen Hadrat Ali Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu. His forefathers resided in Hirat (Afghanistan). One of them travelled to Delhi and eventually decided to settle down and make it his new home. Shaykh Muhammad was born in Delhi on 4, Rajab, 721 Hijri. His father Sayyad Yusuf bin Ali, alias Sayyad Raja was a holy figure and devoted to Hadrat Nizam al-din Awliya Rahmatullahi alayh. Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq once transferred his capital to Daulatabad (Devgiri) and along with him went many scholars, theologians and mystics. His parents also migrated to the place. He was four years at the time Malik-ul-Umar Sayyad Ibrahim Mustafa, his maternal uncle, was the governor of the new Capitol i.e., Daulatabad.
Childhood and Early Education: From the very beginning his father put him on the right track i.e. to learn and to study and gave him his early education. From his childhood he was inclined towards Religion and spent time in meditation and prayer. He was ten when his father died and his maternal grand father assumed the responsibility of his education and training and taught him initial books but he took lessons on "Misbah" and "Qadoori" from another teacher.
On the passing away of his father, his mother had a disagreement with her brother and decided to return to Delhi. He was fifteen at the time. He had heard a lot about Hadrat Nizam al-Din and Hadrat Nasir al-Din Roshan Chiragh Dehlavi from his father and maternal grandfather and thus grew devoted to them. One day he went to say his prayer in the Jama-Masjid of Sultan Qutub al-Din, there he saw Hadrat Shaykh Nasir al-Din Mahmood Chiragh Dehlavi and immediately pledged Obedience [bay'ah] to him as his disciple on 16, Rajab.
Completion of Outer and intrinsic studies: Under the guidance of Hadrat Nasir al-Din Chiragh Dehlavi he engaged himself in prayers and meditation and so much enjoyed them that lie forbade studies and requested his teacher to allow him to do so. Hadrat Nasir ad-din strictly denied him permission and instructed him to study with attention Usul-e-Bizoori, Risals Shamsia, Kashaf, Misbah so he restarted the studies under the guidance of renowned teachers. Mawlana Sayyad Shariff al-Din Kaithli, Mawlana Taj al-Din Muqaddam and Mawlana Qazi Abd'al Muqtadir and qualified for the degree at the age of nineteen.
Title Gaisoo Draaz (Gaisu Deraz): One day he with other disciples lifted the palanquin bearing Hadrat Nasir al-Din. His long hair stuck into the foot of the palki and pained him severely but he did not disentangle them for love and respect to the teacher. When Hadrat Nasir al-Din learnt of the episode, he was overjoyed and recited the Persian couplet;
Har ki mureedae Sayyad 'Gesu-Daraz' shud;
Wallah khilaf nest ki Uoo ishq baaz shud.
(Meaning: "Sayyad 'Gesu-Daraz' has pledged his obedience; there is nothing wrong in it because he has deeply fallen in love)."
After this incident he became known as 'Gesu-Daraz.'
Books: He was a prolific writer as well as a revered scholar on a wide range of topics and subjects. He left many books. It is said, he was the first writer of a magazine on mysticism in Urdu. He wrote about 100 books in Persian and Arabic. Some of them are:
Tafseer [Commentary] Qur'an e Majeed
Multaqit
Havashi Kashaf
Shairah-e-Mashareq
Shairah Fiqh-e-Akhbar
Shairah Adab-Ul-Murideen
Shairah Ta-arruf
Risala Sirat-al-Nabi
Tarjuma Mashareq
Ma-Arif
Tarjuma Awaarif
Sharah Fasus al-Hukm
Tarjuma Risala Qerya
Hawa Asahi Quwwat-Ul-Qalb
Stay at Gulbarga: Having lived for about 44 years in Delhi he went to Gulbarga, Deccan. He was about eighthy at that time. Firoz Shah Bahmani ruled over the Deccan during this period. He gave him much respect. For a long time he was engaged in religious discourses, sermons, and spiritual training of the people.
Death: This great scholar, sufi, and renowned spiritual guide lived for over 100 years. He died at the age of 104 years, on the 16th of Dh'ul Q'adah in 825 Hijri, in Gulbarga (Karnataka) and is laid to rest there. His tomb is a place of pilgrimage for all the people rich and poor alike.
Quotes:
" If a Salik prays or meditates for fame, his is an atheist.
" If one prays or meditates out of fear, he is a cheat and a hypocrite.
" So long as a man disengages himself from all the worldly things, he would not step into the road of conduct.
" Divide the night into three periods: in the first period say Darud and recitation; in the second sleep and in the third call His name and meditate.
" The Salik should be careful in food it should be legitimate (Halal).
" The Salik should abstain from the company of the worldly people.
YAA QUTB-E-DECCAN TAAJ-UL-AWLIYA-E-DECCAN SHAHENSHAH-E-KARNATAKA RASOOL-E-HAQQ KI KHUSHBU ALI KA ZORE BAAZU HADRAT SAYYAD MUHAMMAD KHAWAJA BANDE NAWAZ GESU DARAZ AL-MADAD
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani
Imam Abu'l-Fadl Ahmad Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani [d. 852H/1448CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Abu'l-Fadl Ahmad ibn Hajar's family originated in the district of Qabis in Tunisia. Some members of the family had settled in Palestine, which they left again when faced with the Crusader threat, but he himself was born in Egypt in 773, the son of the Shafi'i scholar and poet Nur al-Din 'Ali and the learned and aristocratic Tujjar. Both died in his infancy, and he was later to praise his elder sister, Sitt al-Rakb, for acting as his 'second mother'. The two children became wards of the brother of his father's first wife, Zaki al-Din al-Kharrubi, who entered the young Ibn Hajar in a Qur'anic school (kuttab) when he reached five years of age. Here he excelled, learning 'Surat Maryam' in a single day, and progressing to the memorization of texts such as the 'Mukhtasar' of Ibn al-Hajib on usul. By the time he accompanied al-Kharrubi to Makkah at the age of 12, he was competent enough to lead the Tarawih prayers in the Holy City, where he spent much time studying and recalling God amid the pleasing simplicity of Kharrubi's house, the Bayt al-'Ayna', whose windows looked directly upon the Black Stone. Two years later his protector died, and his education in Egypt was entrusted to the hadith scholar Shams al-Din ibn al-Qattan, who entered him in the courses given by the great Cairene scholars al-Bulqini (d.806) and Ibn al-Mulaqqin (d.804) in Shafi'i fiqh, and of Zayn al-Din al-'Iraqi (d.806) in hadith, after which he was able to travel to Damascus and Jerusalem, where he studied under Shams al-Din al-Qalqashandi (d.809), Badr al-Din al-Balisi (d.803), and Fatima bint al-Manja al-Tanukhiyya (d.803). After a further visit to Makkah and Madina, and to the Yemen, he returned to Egypt.
When he reached 25 he married the lively and brilliant Anas Khatun, then 18 years of age. She was a hadith expert in her own right, holding ijazas from Zayn al-Din al-'Iraqi, and she gave celebrated public lectures in the presence of her husband to crowds of ulema among whom was Imam al-Sakhawi. After the marriage, Ibn Hajar moved into her house, where he lived until his death. Many noted how she surrounded herself with the old, the poor and the physically handicapped, whom it was her privilege and pleasure to support. So widely did her reputation for sanctity extend that during her fifteen years of widowhood, which she devoted to good works, she received a proposal from Imam 'Alam al-Din al-Bulqini, who considered that a marriage to a woman of such charity and baraka would be a source of great pride.
Once ensconced in Egypt, Ibn Hajar taught in the Sufi lodge (khaniqah) of Baybars for some twenty years, and then in the hadith college known as Dar al-Hadith al-Kamiliyya. During these years, he served on occasion as the Shafi'i chief justice of Egypt.
It was in Cairo that the Imam wrote some of the most thorough and beneficial books ever added to the library of Islamic civilization. Among these are al-Durar al-Kamina (a biographical dictionary of leading figures of the eighth century), a commentary on the Forty Hadith of Imam al-Nawawi (a scholar for whom he had particular respect); Tahdhib al-Tahdhib (an abbreviation of Tahdhib al-Kamal, the encyclopedia of hadith narrators by al-Mizzi), al-Isaba fi tamyiz al-Sahaba (the most widely-used dictionary of Companions), and Bulugh al-Maram min adillat al-ahkam (on Shafi'i fiqh).
In 817, Ibn Hajar commenced the enormous task of assembling his Fath al-Bari. It began as a series of formal dictations to his hadith students, after which he wrote it out in his own hand and circulated it section by section to his pupils, who would discuss it with him once a week. As the work progressed and its author's fame grew, the Islamic world took a close interest in the new work. In 833, Timur's son Shahrukh sent a letter to the Mamluk sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay requesting several gifts, including a copy of the Fath, and Ibn Hajar was able to send him the first three volumes. In 839 the request was repeated, and further volumes were sent, until, in the reign of al-Zahir Jaqmaq, the whole text was finished and a complete copy was dispatched. Similarly, the Moroccan sultan Abu Faris 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Hafsi requested a copy before its completion. When it was finished, in Rajab 842, a great celebration was held in an open place near Cairo, in the presence of the ulema, judges, and leading personages of Egypt. Ibn Hajar sat on a platform and read out the final pages of his work, and then poets recited eulogies and gold was distributed. It was, says the historian Ibn Iyas, 'the greatest celebration of the age in Egypt.'
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Hajar departed this life in 852 Hijri. His funeral was attended by 'fifty thousand people', including the sultan and the caliph; 'even the Christians grieved.' He was remembered as a gentle man, short, slender, and white-bearded, a lover of chess and calligraphy, much inclined to charity; 'good to those who wronged him, and forgiving to those he was able to punish.' A lifetime's proximity to the hadith had imbued him with a deep love of the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), as is shown nowhere more clearly than in the poetry assembled in his Diwan, an original manuscript of which has been preserved at the Egyptian National Library. A few lines will suffice to show this well:
By the gate of your generosity stands a sinner, who is mad with love,
O best of mankind in radiance of face and countenance!
Through you he seeks a means [tawassala], hoping for Allah's forgiveness of slips;
from fear of Him, his eyelid is wet with pouring tears.
Although his genealogy attributes him to a stone [hajar],
how often tears have flowed, sweet, pure and fresh!
Praise of you does not do you justice, but perhaps,
In eternity, its verses will be transformed into mansions.
My praise of you shall continue for as long as I live,
For I see nothing that could ever deflect me from your praise.
Source: Mas'ud Khan's Ahl as-Sunnah Website
copyright: Abdal Hakim Murad
Imam al-Jazuli
Imam Abu Abd'ullah Muhmmad al Jazuli [d.870H - 1465CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
His full name was Abu Abdullah Muhammad, son of Sulayman, son of Abi Bakr al-Jazuli al-Simlali. He was a descendant of Prophet Muhammad, praise and veneration be upon him, via his grandson Hasan, son of Ali, may Allah be pleased with them.
Imam al Jazuli alayhir rahman belonged to the Berber tribe of Jazula that settled in the Sus area of Morocco which lies between the Atlantic ocean and the Atlas mountains. When he was young he studied in Sus, then continued his studies in the Madrassa as-Saffareen in Fez. Al-Jazuli was ''frequent in reciting litanies (awrad), observant of Allah most High in all his states, not exceeding the boundaries Allah established, and exerting himself in following the Book of Allah and the example of his beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace).” He founded the Shadhiliyya Jazuliyya order, with Dala'il al-Khayrat [Guidance to Righteousness] at its core, and its disciples received spiritual training (tarbiya) at his hands. After the completion of his studies in the Madrassa he left Fez and spent the next forty years between Makkah, Madina and Jerusalem. It was after this period that he returned to Fez where he was blessed to complete his great work of the 'Dala'il ul Khayrat'.
Imam al Jazuli alayhir rahman was a very pious man and the foremost Judge of his town. One day, while on a journey he became very thirsty and also needed to renew his ablution but his water skin was empty and there was no water in sight. In his search for water he found a well, however the well had neither a bucket nor a rope with which to draw the water. Al Jazuli was very distressed by the situation, the water was so near and yet so far, and he did not know what to do. Shortly after finding the well a young girl approached and upon realizing al Jazuli’s dilemma spat dry air into the well and the water miraculous rose to the top. Imam al Jazuli alayhir rahman was astounded by this miracle and asked the girl how such a miracle was possible. To this she replied "I was able to do this through my asking Allah for 'peace and blessings upon' Prophet Muhammad."
Having witnessed the blessed benefit of asking for blessings upon the Prophet, may Allah praise and venerate him, and give him peace. Al Jazuli decided to compose 'Dala'il ul-Khayrat' by gathering and selecting material from a multitude of authentic Islamic references that praise and supplicate for blessings upon the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam. When one reads these supplications on the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, Allah showers not only His Prophet with blessings but also its reader.
This great work has been, and still is acclaimed by all the lovers of Prophet Muhammad, praise and veneration be upon him, as being the foremost book to praise him. Dalail was later explained by Imam Al-Fasi and subsequently all authentic references were added at the end of each statement in his famous explanation of Dalail. However, one must not suppose that this work contains all the authentic prayers that praise the Beloved Prophet, they are so numerous that they would exhaust volumes of writing; but they are the most precious.
The style of Imam al Jazuli's alayhir rahman presentation is uniquely his own and scented with musk in sincere love of the Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him. His writing flows both swiftly yet with smoothness at an exhilarating pace and has attracted many learned Muslim scholars, including Imam Yusuf, son of Ishmael an-Nabahani, to write books that expound its deeper meaning and enriches one’s understanding. Such is the love for this blessed book that Muslim scholars of various tongues such as urdu felt the compelling urge to translated it into their native language so that their people may praise the beloved Prophet in the best manner and be blessed by its reading.
Dala'il al-Khayrat : stands witness to the tremendous baraka of blessing the Chosen and Most Beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). Al Jazuli alayhir rahman, devoted his life to this cause and, in the process, renewed the spiritual landscape of his native Morocco. Dala'il al-Khayrat spread from Morocco to all corners of the world, inspiring and inculcating love of the Beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in the hearts of Muslims everywhere. It is the most universally acclaimed and the most popular among books of salawaat on the beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam. Just as al-Muwatta of Imam Malik Rahmatullahi 'alaih is the first major book of Hadith Shareef to be compiled, Dala'il al-Khayrat is the first major book of salawaat.
The Sufi Shadhili Path:
Al Jazuli was initiated into the 'Shadhili Path' (Tariqa) by Sharif Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Amghar. He spent fourteen years in seclusion and then went to Safi where we are told by Al-Habib Abdullah, son of Alawi, son of Hasan al Attas in his book that ''The Way of Bani 'Alawi'' that al Jazuli had twelve thousand followers, whom he led deeper into the love of Allah and His Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him.
The date of his death is uncertain however, it occurred between the years 869-873 H during an obligatory prayer. In the Encyclopedia of Islam, 1957 Leiden, it is reported that seventy-seven years after his death his body was exhumed for reburial in Marrakesh and his body had not decomposed.
Abd'al Razzaq Noor al-Ayn
Makhdoom al Afaaq Sayyad Abd'al Razzaq Noor al-Ayn [d. 871H] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
The family of Sultan Sayyad Hadrat Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Semnani Rahmatullahi ta'ala 'alayh came to be known as 'Khandan al-Ashrafiya' and the forefather of this dynasty in Asia is Hadrat Sayyad Abd'al Razzaq Noor al-Ayn Rahmatullahi ta'ala alayh . This family came to be known as 'Ashrafi Sadat '. All the descendents are of the family of Hadrat Abd'al Razzaq Noor al-Ayn. A great saint and scholar of his time. Direct descendent of Ghawth al Azam Shaykh Abd'al Qadir al Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu. His shrine is next to his murshid and uncle Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Rahmatullahi ta'ala 'alayh in Kicchocha Shareef, Faizabad, UP, India.
Read more : Abd 'al Razzaq Nur al-Ayn
al-Jami
Nur al-Din Abd 'ar-Rahman Jami [d.897H - 1492CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Nur al-Din Abd 'ar-Rahman Jami alayhir al Rahman was born on August the 14th 1414 Common Era. [d.897H] and was from the decent from the well-known jurisprudent of the second century, IBN AL HASAN AL-SHAIBANI [d.189H]. Jami was arguably the greatest Persian poet in the 15th century. He was a famous Sufi, and a follower of SHAH BAHA'AL-DIN NAQSHBAND [d.791H] ; Naqshbandiyah Sufi Order. He was born in a village near 'Jam', (vicinity of Mashhad) but a few years after his birth, his family migrated to the cultural city of Herat in present day Afghanistan where he was able to study Peripateticism, mathematics, Arabic literature, natural sciences and Islamic knowledge at the Nizamiyyah University of Herat. He wrote :
My birthplace is Jam and the drops of my pen
Are the draught of the cup of Shaykh al-Islam,
Thus in the pages of my poetry
In two ways my pen-name is Jami.
Afterwards he went to Samarqand city, the most important center for scientific studies in the Islamic World and completed his studies there.
Jami wrote approximately 87 books and epistles. Among them are: Diwanha-i Sehganeh (Triplet Divans), the collection of Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones), Baharistan (Spring Land), Nafahat al-Uns (Biographies of the Mystics). He also wrote a commentary on the Fusus al-hikam of IBN AL-'ARABI, MUHIY AL-DIN, a commentary on the Luma'at of Fakhr al-Din 'Iraqi, a commentary on the Ta'iyyah of Ibn al-Farid, a commentary on the Qasidat al-Burdah in praise of the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, a commentary on the Qasidah Mimiyyah of Farazdaq in praise of al-'Imam 'Ali ibn al-Husayn Allah be pleased with him, and a book entitled al-Lawdyih, his Bahdristan, written in the style of Sa'di's Gulistans. Some of his quatrains have been translated into English.
Abd 'ar-Rahman Jami alayhir al Rahman died on November the 19th 1492 Common Era [897 Hijri].
Jami poetry at www.chishti.ru
Imam al-Sakhawi
Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sakhawi [d. 902H/1497CE] 'alayhir al rahman w'al ridwan
Imam al-Sakhawi was born in 831 Hijri in the village of Sakha in Egypt, where his relatives belonged. He was the foremost student of IBN HAJAR ASQALANI alayhir al rahman and a great jurist, historian, and hadith master, like Taqi al-Din al-Subki and JALAL AL-DIN SUYUTI [Allah be pleased with them], he belonged to the Shadhili order founded by SHADHILI, ABU' AL HASAN, as represented by the great Maliki Master IBN ATA' ALLAH, five of whose works al-Sakhawi transmitted to posterity, including the Hikam, from the Shadhili commentator Ahmad Zarruq (d. 899).
In his biography of the famous men of his time entitled al-Daw' al-lami' al-Sakhawi reveals that his father Zayn al-Din 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad (d. 874) was a Cairo-born Sufi of great piety, and a member of the Baybarsiyya Sufi community where Ibn Hajar, Sakhawi's teacher, taught for forty years.(1)
In the section of his 'al-Jawahir al-mukallala fi al-akhbar al-musalsala' devoted to the transmission of hadith through chains formed exclusively of Sufi narrators, al-Sakhawi states that he himself had received the Sufi path from Zayn al-Din Ridwan al- Muqri' in Cairo.(2) In the same work Sakhawi also mentions several of his teachers and students of hadith who were Sufis. Here are the names of some of them, together with the words used by him to describe them in his biographical work al-Daw' al-lami':
* Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad al-Hishi al-Halabi al-Shafi'i (b. 848) the head of the Bistamiyya Sufis in Aleppo, the mother trunk of the Naqshbandi Sufi order affiliated with BISTAMI, ABU YAZID. He spent two years in Makkah with Sakhawi, who wrote him an ijaza or permission to teach. In this ijaza Sakhawi calls him: 'Our master, the masterful Imam of merits and guidance, the Educator of Murids (students in the Sufi path), the Mainstay of Wayfarers in the Sufi path, the Noble Abu Bakr al-Hishi al-Halabi, may Allah preserve him and have mercy on his gracious predecessors (i.e. the chain of his shaykhs in the Sufi path), and may Allah grant us and all Muslims their benefits.'(3)
* Badr al-Din Hussayn ibn Siddiq al-Yamani al-Ahdal (d. 903): al-Sakhawi gave him a comprehensive ijaza granting him permission to teach all of his books.(4)
* Abu al-Fath Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Madani al-Maraghi (d. 859): Sakhawi took hadith from him. He was head of two Sufi khaniqas in Cairo, the Zamamiyya and the Jamaliyya. He led a life of seclusion for the most part, and wrote a commentary on Nawawi's manual of Law Minhaj al-talibin, and an epitome of IBN HAJAR ASQALANI 'Fath al-bari' because of his defense of SHAYKH IBN AL 'ARABI, he was murdered in front of the Ka'ba by a fanatic.(5)
* Taqi al-Din Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad al-Qalqashandi (d. 867), also called 'Abd Allah. He received the Sufi khirqa or cloak of authority in Cairo. He is said to have read the whole of Sahih al-Bukhari in three days while in Makkah. He lived in al-Quds, where al-Sakhawi met him and took hadith from him.(6)
* Thiqat al-Din Abu al-'Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-'Uqbi (d. 861). He taught hadith and tajwid in Makkah, where Sakhawi studied under him.(7)
* Kamal al-Din Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahid al-Sikandari al-Siwasi (d. 861). He was a master of all sciences and taught at the Madrasa al-Ashrafiyya in Cairo, after which he headed the Shaykhuni Sufi khaniqa. He authored many books.(8)
* Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn 'Ali al-Husayni al-Qahiri al- Shafi'i al-Sufi (d. 876). Munawi's deputy judge in Cairo, a student of `Izz al-Din ibn Jama'a, Jalal al-Din al-Bulqini and many others, and a student and friend of Sakhawi's teacher Ibn Hajar whose work Fath al-bari he copied twice. A teacher of fiqh and hadith, he wrote an epitome of Ibn al-Athir's Kitab al-ansab. He was an old acquaintance of Sakhawi's father, and consequently treated Sakhawi himself 'with indescribable respect.' He was one of the ten students to whom Ibn Hajar gave his authority in teaching hadith after him.(9)
* Abu Khalid Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Jibrini (d. 860). He was a writer, archer, horseman, and Sufi shaykh at the zawiya (alcove-mosque) of Jibrin, where al-Sakhawi met him and took hadith from him. Sakhawi says of him: 'He was handsome, modest, generous, courageous, and endowed with spiritual strength and virility after the shaykhs of true majesty.'(10)
* Zaki al-Din Abu al-`Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Ansari al- Khazraji al-Sa'di al-Muqri' al-Sufi (d. 875). An associate of Ibn Hajar and a prolific writer, he wrote an autobiography in more than fifty volumes, although Sakhawi said he was unaffected, congenial, readily given to tears, and quick of repartee.(11)
* Thiqat al-Din Abu 'Ali Mahmud ibn 'Ali al-Sufi al-Khaniki (d. 865). Born and raised in Cairo's Khaniqa al-Siryaqusiyya where he taught late in life. He died while at Makkah the pilgrimage.(12)
* Abu al-Faraj 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Khalil al-Dimashqi al-Sufi (d. 869). He was a muhaddith. Al-Sakhawi studied under him in Cairo and at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.(13)
notes;
(1) al-Sakhawi, al-Daw' al-lami' (Beirut: dar maktabat al- hayat, 1966) 4:124-125. (2) A.J. Arberry, Sakhawiana: A Study Based on the Chester Beatty Ms. Arab. 773 (London: Emery Walker Ltd., 1951) p. 35. (3) al-Sakhawi, al-Daw' al-lami' 11:96-97, 74-75. (4) Ibid. 3:144-145. (5) Ibid. 7:162-165. (6) Ibid. 11:69-71. (7) Ibid. 2:212-213. (8) Ibid. 8:127-132. (9) Ibid. 8:176-178. (10) Ibid. 7:197. (11) Ibid. 2:146-149. (12) Ibid. 10:140-141. (13) Ibid. 4:76.
Reproduced with permission from Shaykh M. Hisham Kabbani's _The Repudiation of 'Salafi' Innovations_ (Kazi, 1996) p. 382-385.
al-Suyuti
Imam Jalal al-Din al-Misri al-Suyuti [d. 911H] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
'Abd al-Rahman ibn Kamal al-Din Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Sabiq al-Din, Jalal al-Din al-Misri al-Suyuti al-Shafi'i al-Ash'ari, also known as Ibn al-Asyuti (d. 849-911), the mujtahid imam and renewer of the tenth Islamic century, foremost hadith master, jurist, Sufi, philologist, and historian, he authored works in virtually every Islamic science.
Born to a Turkish mother and non-Arab father and raised as an orphan in Cairo, he memorized the Qur'an at eight, then several complete works of Sacred Law, fundamentals of jurisprudence, and Arabic grammar; after which he devoted himself to studying the Sacred Sciences under about a hundred and fifty shaykhs. Among them the foremost Shafi'i and Hanafis shaykhs at the time, such as the hadith master and Shaykh al-Islam Siraj al-Din Bulqini, with whom he studied Shafi'i jurisprudence until his death; the hadith scholar Shaykh al-Islam Sharaf al-Din al-Munawi, with whom he read Qur'anic exegesis and who commented al-Suyuti's al-Jami' al-Saghir in a book entitled Fayd al-Qadir; Taqi al-Din al-Shamani in hadith and the sciences of Arabic; the specialist in the principles of the law Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli, together with whom he compiled the most widespread condensed commentary of Qur'an in our time, 'Tafsir al-Jalalayn'; Burhan al-Din al-Biqa'i; Shams al-Din al-Sakhawi; he also studied with the Hanafi shaykhs Taqi al-Din al-Shamni, Shihab al-Din al-Sharmisahi, Muhyi al-Din al-Kafayji, and the hadith master Sayf al-Din Qasim ibn Qatlubagha.
He travelled in the pursuit of knowledge to Damascus, the Hijaz, Yemen, India, Morocco, the lands south of Morocco, as well as to centers of learning in Egypt such as Mahalla, Dumyat, and Fayyum. He was some time head teacher of hadith at the Shaykhuniyya school in Cairo at the recommendation of Imam Kamal al-Din ibn al-Humam, then the Baybarsiyya, out of which he was divested through the complaints of disgruntled shaykhs which he had replaced as teachers. He then retired into scholarly seclusion, never to go back to teaching.
Ibn Iyas in 'Tarikh Misr' states that when al-Suyuti reached forty years of age, he abandoned the company of men for the solitude of the Garden of al-Miqyas by the side of the Nile, avoiding his former colleagues as though he had never known them, and it was here that he authored most of his nearly six hundred books and treatises. Wealthy Muslims and princes would visit him with offers of money and gifts, but he put all of them off, and when the sultan requested his presence a number of times, he refused. He once said to the sultan's envoy: "Do not ever come back to us with a gift, for in truth Allah has put an end to all such needs for us." Blessed with success in his years of solitude, it is difficult to name a field in which al-Suyuti did not make outstanding contributions, among them his ten-volume hadith work Jam' al-Jawami' ("The Collection of Collections"); his Qur'anic exegesis Tafsir al-Jalalayn ("Commentary of the Two Jalals"), of which he finished the second half of an uncompleted manuscript by Jalal al-Din Mahalli in just forty days; his classic commentary on the sciences of hadith 'Tadrib al-Rawi fi Sharh Taqrib al-Nawawi' ("The Training of the Hadith Transmitter: An Exegesis of Nawawi's 'The Facilitation'"); and many others.
A giant among contemporaries, he remained alone, producing a sustained output of scholarly writings until his death at the age of sixty-two. He was buried in Hawsh Qawsun in Cairo. In the introduction to his book entitled 'al-Riyad al-Aniqa' on the names of the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam he said: "It is my hope that Allah accept this book and that through this book I shall gain the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam's intercession. Perhaps it shall be that Allah make it the seal of all my works, and grant me what I have asked Him with longing regarding the Honorable One."
The editors of the 'Dalil Makhtutat al-Suyuti' ("Guide to al-Suyuti's Manuscripts") have listed 723 works to al-Suyuti's name.1 Some of these are brief fatwas which do not exceed four pages, like his notes on the hadith "Whoever says: 'I am knowledgeable,' he is ignorant"2 entitled 'A'dhab al-Manahil fi Hadith Man Qala Ana 'Alim'; while others, like the 'Itqan fi 'Ulum al-Qur'an' or 'Tadrib al-Rawi', are full-fledged tomes.
Shaykh al-Islam al-Suyuti, the Renewer of the Eighth Islamic century and Mujtahid Imam said in his book entitled Ta'yid al-haqiqa al-'aliyya wa-tashyid al-tariqa al-shadhiliyya (The upholding of the lofty truth and the buttressing of the Shadhili path):
Tasawwuf in itself is a most honorable knowledge. It explains how to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet and to leave innovation, how to purify the ego... and submit to Allah truly...
I have looked at the matters which the Imams of Shari'a have criticized in Sufis, and I did not see a single true Sufi holding such positions. Rather, they are held by the people of innovation and the extremists who have claimed for themselves the title of Sufi while in reality they are not...
Pursuit of the science of the hearts, knowledge of its diseases such as jealousy, arrogance and pride, and leaving them are an obligation on every Muslim.
His chain of transmission in tasawwuf goes back to SHAYKH 'ABD AL-QADIR AL-GILANI, and al-Suyuti belonged to the Shadhili tariqa, which he eulogized in his brief defense of tasawwuf entitled 'Tashyid al-Haqiqa al-'Aliyya'. In the latter book he states: "I have looked at the matters which the Imams of Shari'a have criticized in Sufis, and I did not see a single true Sufi holding such positions. Rather, they are held by the people of innovation and the extremists who have claimed for themselves the title of Sufi while in reality they are not." In the Tashyid he also produces narrative chains of transmission proving that AL HASAN AL-BASRI did in fact narrate directly from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib - Allah be well-pleased with him. This goes against commonly received opinion among the scholars of hadith,3 although it was also the opinion of IMAM AHMAD IBN HANBAL.4
When one of his shaykhs, Burhan al-Din Ibrahim ibn 'Umar al-Biqa'i (d. 885), attacked Ibn 'Arabi in a tract entitled Tanbih al-Ghabi ila Takfir Ibn 'Arabi ("Warning to the Dolt That Ibn 'Arabi is an Apostate"), al-Suyuti countered with a tract entitled Tanbih Al-Ghabi fi Takhti'a Ibn 'Arabi ("Warning to the Dolt That Faults Ibn 'Arabi"). Both epistles have been published.5
In his reply al-Suyuti states that he considers Ibn 'Arabi a Friend of Allah whose writings are forbidden to those who read them without first learning the technical terms used by the Sufis. He cites from Ibn Hajar's list in Anba' al-Ghumr, among the trusted scholars who kept a good opinion of Ibn 'Arabi or counted him a wali: Ibn 'Ata' Allah al-Sakandari (d. 709), al-Yafi'i (d. 678), Ibn 'Abd al-Salam after the latter's meeting with al-Shadhili, Shihab al-Din Abu al-'Abbas Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Malwi al-Tilimsani (d. 776), Siraj al-Din Abu Hafs 'Umar ibn Ishaq al-Hindi al-Hanafi (d. 773) the author of Sharh al-Hidaya and Sharh al-'Ayni, Najm al-Din al-Bahi al-Hanbali (d. 802), al-Jabarti (d. 806), the major lexicographer al-Fayruzabadi (d. 818), Shams al-Din al-Bisati al-Maliki (d. 842), al-Munawi (d. 871), and others. Of note with regard to the above is the abundant use of Ibn 'Arabi's sayings by al-Munawi in his commentary of al-Suyuti's Jami' al-Saghir entitled Fayd al-Qadir, and by Fayruzabadi in his commentary on Bukhari's Sahih.
Al-Suyuti was Ash'ari in his doctrine as shown in many of his works. In 'Masalik al-Hunafa fi Walidayy al-Mustafa' ("Methods Of Those With Pure Belief Concerning the Parents of The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam") he says:
The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam's parents died before he was sent as Prophet and there is no punishment for them, since: (We never punish until We send a Messenger (whom they reject)( (17:15 ). Our Ash'ari Imams among those in kalam, usul, and fiqh agree on the statement that one who dies while da'wa has not reached him, dies saved. This has been defined by Imam al-Shafi'i.. . . Some of the fuqaha' explained that the reason is, such a person follows fitra or Primordial Disposition, and has not stubbornly refused nor rejected any Messenger.6
Source: Shaykh Gibril F. al-Haddad
Imam al-Sharani
Imam Abd al-Wahhab al-Sharani [d. 973AH / 1566CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
A Hanafi scholar of comparative fiqh and author of numerous works on Law and tasawwuf, among which 'al-Tabaqat al-kubra' in which he writes, as cited in the Reliance of the Traveller:
The path of the Sufis is built on the Qur'an and Sunnah, and is based upon living according to the morals of the Prophets and purified ones.
It may not be blamed unless it violates an explicit statement from the Qur'an, sunnah, or scholarly consensus, exclusively. If it does not contravene one of these, the very most that one may say of it is that it is an understanding a Muslim man has been given, so let whoever wishes act upon it, and whoever does not refrain, this being as true of works as of understanding. So no pretext remains for condemning it except one's own low opinion of others, or interpreting what they do as ostentation, which is unlawful.
Whoever carefully examines the branches of knowledge of the Folk of Allah Most High will find that none of them are beyond the pale of the Sacred Law. How should they lie beyond the pale of the Sacred Law when it is the law that connects the Sufis to Allah at every moment? Rather, the reason for the doubts of someone unfamiliar with the way of the Sufis that it is of the very essence of the Sacred Law is the fact that such a person has not thoroughly mastered the knowledge of the law. This is why JUNAYD, AL-BAGHDADI Allah Most High have mercy on him said, "This knowledge of ours is built of the Qur'an and sunnah," in reply to those of his time or any other who imagine that it is beyond the pale of the Qur'an and sunnah.
The Folk unanimously concur that none is fit to teach in the path of Allah Mighty and Majestic save someone with comprehensive mastery of the Sacred Law, who knows its explicit and implicit rulings, which of them are of general applicability and which are particular, which supersede others and which are superseded. He must also have a thorough grounding in Arabic, be familiar with its figurative modes and similes, and so forth. So every true Sufi is a scholar is Sacred Law, though the reverse is not necessarily true.
To summarize, no one denies the states of the Sufis except someone ignorant of the way they are. AL QUSHAYRI Allah be pleased with him, says; "No era of the Islamic period has had a true sheikh of this group, save that the Imams of the scholars of that time deferred to him, showed humility towards him, and visited him for the benefit of his spiritual grace (baraka). If the Folk had no superiority or election, the matter would have been the other way around.1
Dr G.F.Haddad
1 al-Tabaqat al-kubra al-musamma bi Lawaqih al-anwar fi tabaqat al-akhyar (1374/1954) (Reprint, Beirut: dar al-fikr, n.d.) 1:4. In Reliance of the Traveller p. 863-864.
Ibn Hajar al-Haytami
Shaykh al-Islam Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Haytami al Makki [d.974 H] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami Radi Allahu anhu was a student of Zakariyya al-Ansari. He was born in the 16th century [909 after Hiri]. Ibn Hajar, represents the foremost resource for legal opinion (fatwa) in the entire late Shafi'i school. He was once asked about the legal status of those who criticizes Sufis: Is there an excuse for such critics? He replies in his Fatawa hadithiyya:
It is incumbent upon every person endowed with mind and religion not to fall into the trap of criticizing these folk (Sufis), for it is a mortal poison, as has been witnessed of old and recently.1
Among many others on the same topic, he gave an important fatwa entitled: "Whoever denies, rejects, or disapproves of the Sufis, Allah will not make his knowledge beneficial." We transcribe it below in full:
Our Shaykh, the gnostic ('arif) scholar Abu al-Hasan al-Bakri (d. 952) told me, on the authority of the shaykh and scholar Jamal al-Din al-Sabi verbatim -- and he is one of the most distinguished students of our Shaykh Zakaria al-Sabiq (al-Ansari), that al-Sabi used to reject and criticize the way of the honorable Ibn al-Farid. One time al-Sabi saw in a dream that it was the Day of Judgment, and he was carrying a load which made him exhausted, then he heard a caller saying: "Where is the group of Ibn al-Farid?" He said:I came forward in order to enter with them, but I was told: "You are not one of them, so go back." When I woke up I was in extreme fear, and felt regret and sorrow, so I repented to Allah from rejecting the way of Ibn al-Farid, and renewed my commitment to Allah, and returned to believing that he is one of the awliya -- saints and friends -- of Allah. The following year on the same night, I had the same dream. I heard the caller saying: "Where are the group of Ibn al-Farid? Let them enter Paradise." So I went with them and I was told: "Come in, for now you are one of them."
Examine this matter carefully as it come from a man of knowledge in Islam. It appears -- and Allah knows best -- that it is because of the baraka or blessing of his shaykh Zakariyya al-Ansari that he has seen the dream which made him change his mind. Otherwise, how many of their deniers they have left to their blindness, until they found themselves in loss and destruction!
Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Haytami defined the 'Sunni [Ahl as-Sunnah w'al Jama'ah] Muslims' as follows in his book 'Fath al-jawad':
"A mubtadi (innovator) is the person who does not have the faith (aqid'ah) conveyed unanimously by the Ahl as-Sunnah. This unanimity was transmitted by the two great Imam's Abu'l Hasan al-Ashari (d.324/936; Rahimahullah) and Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (d.333/944; Rahimahullah) and the scholars who followed their path." Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Haytami also said in his book 'al-Fatawa al-Hadithiyya' (pg. 205): "Man of BID'AH means one whose beliefs are different from the Ahl as-Sunnah faith. The Ahl as-Sunnah faith, is the faith of Abu'l Hasan al-Ashari, Abu Mansur al-Maturidi and those who followed them. One who brings forth something which is not approved by Islam becomes a man of bid'ah."
Ibn Hajar wrote 'al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah', 'Fath al-jawad' and 'al-Fatawa al-Hadithiyya' amongst many other works. Ibn Hajar died in 974 After Hijri [1567 Common Era].
1 Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, Fatawa hadithiyya (Cairo: al-Halabi, 1970) p. 331
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Shah Wajih al Din Alvi
Sayyad Shah Ahmad Wajih al-Din Alvi Gujerati [d. 998H -1590CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Shah Wajihuddin Alvi rahmatullahi 'alayh was the son of Sayyad Shah Nasrullah rahmatullahi 'alayh. He was born at Champanar, Muhammadabad on the 22nd of Muharram ul-Haram 910 Hijri [1504 Common Era]. He became Hafidh al Qur'an by the tender age of seven and went onto become educated at the renowned Madrassa Aliya Alviya & Dars-e-Muhammadi in Ahmedabad. Shah Wajih al-Din Alvi excelled under his specialist teachers, in Logic, Hadith and Tafsir. It was Sultan Muzaffar Halim who became the Sultan of Gujarat who persuaded Shah Nasrullah rahmatullahi 'alayh to settle in the Badhr Fort area of Ahmedabad city; the capital of Gujerat state in India. Shah Wajih al-Din Alvi went onto become a renowned sufi scholar, writer and poet. In fact he has written explanatory short notes [hashiya] on over 260 books and publications of the earlier scholars. Shah Wajih al-Din Alvi rahmatullahi 'alayh was also a khalifa of Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Semnani alayhir ar-rahman.
Ancestors of Shah Wajih al-Din Alvi
1. Sayyad Kabir-ud-Din: The ancestor of Sayyad Ahmad known as Shah Wajih al-Din Alvi belonged to the Hadramount province of Arabia. Sayyad Kabir-ud-Din was the great grandfather of Shah Wajih-ud-Din Alvi. After moving & settling in the sacred city of Makkah Mukarrama, Sayyad Kabir al-Din was also then therefore referred as 'Makki'.
2. Sayyad Baha-ud-Din : He was the son of Sayyad Kabir-ud-Din Makki. He had a vision in which he was asked to go to India [Gujarat] by the Prophet Muhammad Peace & Blessings upon him. So Sayyad Baha-ud-Din Makki came to India at Patdi, in Gujarat in 799 Hijri [1396 Common Era]. Sayyad Baha-ud-Din Makki and his family had to endure severe prejudice from the native King, whose soldiers had killed two of his men. So he left for Patan [or Pattan] which was the seat of 'Shuba' the Governor appointed by the Muslim King of Delhi. At that time Zafar Khan Ahmad was the Governor Suba of Patan, he was also the ancestor of Sultan Ahmad Shah; the actual Founder of the City of Ahmadabad.
Sayyad Baha-ud-Din Makki had captured the fort of Patdi with the help of Zafar Khan's soldiers. He lived there in peace all of his life and was buried in Patdi near to Viramgam. The good character and nature of Sayyad Baha-ud-Din impressed upon the people of Patdi, as soon many locals and those from the surrounding areas wholeheartedly embraced Islam.
3. Sayyad Muin-ud-Din: He was the son of Sayyad Baha-ud-Din. He was appointed Chief Justice of Patdi by the then Sultan of Gujarat, Muzaffar. Sayyad Moin-ud-Din was also a very pious and upright man. Thus attracted by his demeanour and good nature, many people also entered into the fold of Islam.
4. Sayyad Ata-ud-Din: He was the son of Sayyad Moin-ud-Din. He was a scholar and had the blessing of Sayyad Ganj Ahmad Maghrebi [Qutb al Aqtab]. Sayyad Ata-ud-Din was also appointed the Chief Justice of Patdi by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Gujarat.
5. Sayyad Emad-ud-Din : He was the son of Sayyad Ata-ud-Din. He was also appointed Chief Justice of Khambhat by the Sultan; Muhammad Baig of Gujarat (whom some prejudiced hindu historian referred as 'Begda' instead of 'Baig'). In his role as a Chief Judge Sayyad Emad-ud-Din had gained a lot of respect and his reputation had spread far and wide for his fair & impartial verdicts. He was fortunate to have had the blessing of Sayyad Ala-ud-Din Qazan Chisti Rahmatullahi alaih who had bestowed him with the khilafat of the Chisti Order [permission to lead the Chistiya Silsila]. Sayyad Emad-ud-Din is buried at Patdi in the precinct of his parents.
6. Sayyad Nasr-ul-lah : He was appointed Chief Justice of Champanar Mehmoodabad which is now known as Mahemdawad. This was during the time of Khalil Khan IV, son of Sultan Muhammad Baig adopting the title of Sultan Muzaffar II, better known as Sultan Muzaffar Halim who became the Sultan of Gujarat. It was Sultan Muzaffar who persuaded Sayyad Nasr-ul-lah to come and settle in Ahmadabad, the capital of Gujarat thus Shah Nasr-ul-lah, the father of Shah Wajih al-Din Alvi came to live at the Khanpur area, near to Bhadr-Fort in the city of Ahmadabad.
7. Shah Wajih al-Din: He was the son of Sayyad Nasr-ul-lah. The present Janasheen [spiritual successor] is Sayyad Ahmed Alvi, and his father was Pir Sayyad Bada Saheb Alvi Rahmatullahi alayh also known as (Shah Wajih al-Din II) was also a great and pious saint.
Genealogy of Pir Sayyad Bada Saheb Alvi [Shah Wajih al-Din II]
Sayyad Shah Wajih al-Din Alvi
Sayyad Mawlana Abd'al Haq Alvi
Sayyad Mawlana Ghulam Wajih-ud-Din
Sayyad Mawlana Siraj-ud-Din
Sayyad Mawlana Ala-ud-Din
Sayyad Mawlana Hamid Alvi
Sayyad Abd'allah Alvi
Sayyad Hafiz Abd'al Haq
Sayyad Hafiz Abd'allah
Sayyad Waji al-Din II (sani) [Pir Bada Saheb Alvi]
Ridwanallahi ta'ala alayhim'ajmain
Sayyad Ahmed Alvi [Sajjad Nashin]
Shah Wajih al-Din Alvi alayhir rahman was laid to rest at Khanpur, Ahmedabad in 998 Hijri. [1590 Common Era]
Shaykh Ahmad as-Sirhindi
Mujaddid Alif Thani, Imam al Rabbani Shaykh Ahmad al Faruqi as-Sirhindi, [d.1034H / 1624CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
He was the Pearl of the Crown of the Knowledgeable Saints. He was the Reviver of the Second Millennium, Sayyidina wa Mawlana (our Leader & Master) ash-Shaykh Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi, ibn ash-Shaykh 'Abdul Ahad s/o Zainu-l-'Abidin s/o 'Abdulhayy, s/o Muhammad s/o Habibullah, s/o Rafi'uddin, s/o Nur, s/o Sulayman, s/o Yusuf, s/o 'Abdullah, s/o Ishaq, s/o 'Abdullah, s/o Shu'ayb, s/o Aad, s/o Yusuf, s/o Shihabuddin, known as Farq Shah al-Qabidi, s/o Nairuddin, s/o Mahmud, s/o Sulayman, s/o Mas'ud, s/o 'Abdullah al-Wa'i al-Asghari, s/o 'Abdullah al-Wa'i al-Akbar, s/o Abdu-l-Fattah, s/o Ishaq, s/o Ibrahim, s/o Nair, s/o Sayyidina Abdullah radi Allahu ta'ala anhu, the s/o Amir al-Mu'minin, the khalif of the Beloved Prophet [Allahs grace & blessings upon him], Sayyidina 'Umar al-Faruq radi Allahu ta'ala anhu.
He was born on the day of 'Ashura, the 10th of Muharram in the year 971 H., in the village of Sihar Nidbasin. In some translations it is called Sirhind in the city of Lahore, in India. He received his knowledge and education through his father and through many shaikhs in his time. He made progress in three tariqats: Suhrawardiyya, Qadiriyya, and Chistiyya. He was given permission to train followers in all three tariqats at the age of 17 years. He was busy in spreading the teachings of these tariqats and in guiding his followers, yet he felt that something was missing in himself and he was continuously searching for it. He felt an interest in the Naqshbandi Sufi Order, because he could see by means of the secrets of the other three tariqats that it was the best and highest. His spiritual progress eventually brought him to the presence of the Ghawth and Qutb of his time, ash-Shaikh Muhammad al-Baqi, who had been sent from Samarqand to India by the order of his shaykh, Muhammad al-Amkanaki. He took the Naqshbandi Order from the shaykh and stayed with him for two months and some days, until Sayyidina Muhammad al-Baqi alayhir ar-rahman opened to his heart the secret of this tariqat and gave him authorization to train his murids in the Order. He said about him,
"He is the highest Qutb in this time."
The Shari'ah is of fundamental importance to the Sufi path. This point is very strongly made by the great Naqshbandi Sufi, Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi (also known as Imam ar-Rabbani), in his letters. Here is a small excerpt from one of his letters, where he clarifies this topic:
The Shari'ah has three parts: knowledge, action, and sincerity of motive (ikhlas); unless you fulfil the demands of all these parts, you do not obey the Shari'ah. And when you obey the Shari'ah you obtain the pleasure of God, which is the most supreme good in this world and the Hereafter. The Qur'an al kareem says:
"The pleasure of God is the highest good."
Hence, the Shari'ah comprehends all the good of this world and the next, and nothing is left out for which one has to go beyond the Shari'ah.
The tariqah ["way"] and the haqiqah ["reality"] for which the Sufis are known, are subservient to the Shari'ah, as they help to realize its third part, namely, sincerity. Hence they are sought in order to fulfil the Shari'ah, not to achieve something beyond the Shari'ah. The raptures and ecstasies which the Sufis experience, and the ideas and truths which come to them in the course of their journey, are not the goal of Sufism. They are rather myths and fancies on which the children of Sufism are fed. One has to pass over them all and reach the stage of satisfaction (rida) which is the final goal of suluk ["travelling", i.e. the Sufi path] and jadhbah ["overwhelming love"].The purpose of traversing the stages of tariqah and haqiqah is nothing other than the realisation of ikhlas which involves the attainment of rida. Only one out of a thousand Sufis is graced with the three illuminations (tajalliyat sih ganah) and gnostic visions, given ikhlas and elevated to the stage of rida.
[Quoted from "Sufism and Shari'ah: A study of Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi's Effort to Reform Sufism," by Muhammad Abdul Haq Ansari, pp. 221-2. Originally from Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi's letters, Vol. I:36.]
It is said that the shaykh of his father, Shaykh Abdul Ahad, who was a shaykh of the Qadiri Order, had been given a jubba (cloak) from his shaykh which had been passed down from the Ghawth al-Azam, Sayyadina Shaykh 'Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu. Ghawth al-Azam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu had said about it to his successors, "Keep it for that one who is going to appear at the end of the first millennium. His name is 'Ahmad'. He is going to revive this religion. I have dressed him with all my secrets. He combines in himself both the internal and external knowledge."
He wrote many books, one of the most famous of which is the Maktubat.
In it he said,
"It must be known that Allah has placed us under His Obligations and His Prohibitions. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said,
'Whatever the Prophet gave you, take it, and whatever he prohibited you, leave it.' [59:7]
If we are going to be sincere in this, we have to attain to Annihilation and the love of the Essence. Without these we cannot reach this degree of obedience. Thus we are under another obligation, which is to seek the Way of Sufism, because this Way will lead us to the state of Annihilation and the love of the Essence. Each Order differs from the other in its states of perfection; so too does each Order keep the Sunnah of the Prophet [Allahs grace & blessings upon him] and have its own definition of what that entails. Every order has its own way of keeping the Sunnah of the Prophet [Allahs grace & blessings upon him]. Our Order, through its shaikhs, requires us to keep all the commands of the Prophet [Allahs grace & blessings upon him] and to leave all the things he prohibited. Our shaykhs don't follow the easy ways (rukhas) but insist on keeping the difficult ways. In all their seeking they keep in mind the verse of Qur'an ;
'Men whom neither business nor trade will divert from the Remembrance of Allah' [24:37].
He passed away on the 17th of Safar 1034 H. at the age of 63. He was buried in the village of Sirhind. He was a shaikh in the four tariqats: Naqshbandi, Qadiri, Chisti and Suhrawardi. He preferred the Naqshbandi, because he said, "It is the Mother of all tariqats."
Source:
Also from the 'Maktubat' of Mujaddid Alf Thani : NECESSITY OF FINDING THE PERFECT MASTER & AVOIDING THE IGNORANT SHAYKHS
Shah Abd 'al Haqq Dehlwi
Shaykh as-Shah Abd 'al Haqq Muhaddith Dehlwi [ d. 1052 H - 1642 CE ] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Hadrat Mawlana as-Shaykh as-Shah 'Abd-al-Haqq al Muhaddith Rahmatullahi alayh was born in Delhi [Dehlwi, Dehlawi, Dehlvi], India. His father Saif al-Din Rahmatullahi alayh was a very pious and intellectual man, and this is a reason why Shah 'Abd-al-Haqq Rahmatullahi alayh's education and breeding was based on similar well founded principles. He was extremely fond of education and had a particular zest for learning from a very young age. Many hours of the day and the night were spent in reading and writing. After gaining his education in India, he was directed towards the Haramayn, Makkah in 996H. He stayed there for approx 3 and a half years, in which he attained his knowledge of hadith and also authored several books.
Some of his most popular and recognised works are listed below;-
Ash'at al-Lam'at : This is a commentary on the Mishqat Shareef, and is recognised as one of his important works.
Tarikh al Madina' : Another well known and important book.
Madarij an-Nabbuwaah' : A highly acclaimed classic.
Akhbarul Akhyar' : A ground breaking piece of writing in which the respected positions of the Saints of Hindustan are mentioned.
'Momin ke Mah o Sal' : Months & Years for a Believer
Shah 'Abd-al-Haqq Rahmatullahi alayh was also a noted poet who went by the pen name of Hanfi. During his time the King known as Jahangir was a great believer in him. Jahangir praised many of his works, and also had many of his letters published.
On Dhikr, Shaykh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlawi Rahmatullahi alayh says:
"Undoubtedly, loud Zikr is permissible. One of its proofs is the saying of Allah Ta'ala, 'Remember Allah as you used to remember your forefathers'". (Ash'atul Lam'aat, Vol. 2, pg. 278) Allah Ta'ala also says in the Qur'an al karim :
"Then, when you have finished your prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting and lying on your sides". (Surah an-Nisa: 103)
In Sahih Muslim, it is reported from Abdullah Ibn Zubair Rahmatullahi alayhi : "When the beloved Rasool Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam uttered the Salutation at the end of his Salaah, he used to say 'LA ILAHA ILLALLAHO WAHDA HU LA SHARIKA LAHU' aloud" (Mishkaat, pg. 88)
Commenting on this Hadith Shareef, Shah Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlawi Rahmatullahi alayhi says: "This Hadith is categorical proof that Rasoolullah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam used to perform loud Zikr". (Ash'atul Lam'aat, Vol. 1, pg. 419)
Shah 'Abd-al-Haqq Rahmatullahi alayh passed away at the age of 96, [17th Rabbi al Awwal 1052AH - 1642 C.E.] and is buried near the shrine of Khawaja Qutb al-Din Bahtyar Kaki Rahmatullahi alayh, in Delhi, India.
Madarij An Nabuwwah-Vol 1 urdu
Madarij An Nabuwwah-Vol 2 urdu
Shah Nausha Ganj Baksh
Shaykh as-Sayyad as-Shah Muhammad Nausha Ganj Baksh al-Qadiri [d.1064H / 1654 CE] 'alayhir ar-rahman w'al ridwan
Sayyad Nausha Bakhsh Qadri 'alayhir ar-rahman, was a renowned scholar, a saint and a muballigh of Islam in the Indo-Pak subcontinent. He was also the founder of the Naushahiya Order, whose adherents call themselves Qadiri Naushahi or just Naushahi. He preached Islam in the ninth and tenth hijri and brought non-Muslims into the fold of Islam. He was an Ashiq al-Rasul; loved the Prophet Muhammad [Peace & Blessings upon him] and modelled his own life and teachings on the Qur'an and Sunnah [tradition of the Beloved Prophet].
Sayyad Nausha Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman was born on the first day of Ramadan in 959 A.H. (21st August 1552) at Ghogganwali, district Gujrat in Punjab, Pakistan. The name of his father was Sayyad Ala'uddin, who was respected for being a great Sufi in his own time. Despite the many difficulties of undertaking long journey's in those days he had completed his pilgrimage to Makkah Mukarramah and Madinah Munawwarah seven times by foot, which shows how devoted to Islam he was. At his birth he was named (Haji) Muhammad. Later on he was more renowned by the names & titles of Haji Nausha, Abul Hashim, Bhoora Wala Pir (the enshrouded one), Mujaddid-i Islam (the great reviver of the Islam), Nausha Ganj Bakhsh, Sayyad Nausha Pir and Nausha Pak. The name Nausha is also spelt and pronounced as Noshah.
It has been recorded that the first ancestor of Sayyad Nausha Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman, who came to the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, was Sayyad Awn ibn Ya'la, also known as Qutb Shah Qadiri alayhir ar-rahman (born in 1028CE in Baghdad). This eastern journey was instructed by al-Ghawth al-Adham Sayyadina as-Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu in the fifth century A.H. Moreover, he [Qutb Shah Qadiri alayhir ar-rahman] was an uncle of as-Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani and one of his spiritual successors. He is also the first person who introduced the Qadiriya Order in India. Qutb Shah Qadiri alayhir ar-rahman was an appointed Qutb (spiritual pole) by as-Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani for the Indian subcontinent. Through his tremendous devotion and dedication many of the Hindu tribes converted to Islam and attained notable lives. Qutb Shah Qadiri alayhir ar-rahman returned to his spiritual home of Baghdad after his mission, where he was finally laid to rest in 1157 CE.
Sayyad Nausha Ganj Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman was an expert in the religious fields of fiqh (Islamic law), hadith (traditions) tafsir (exegeses of the Qur'an), philosophy and kalam (theology concerning the tenets of belief). Besides being fluent in arabic and persian he also knew kashmiri, sanskrit and many another regional languages and dialects as well. After Islamic knowledge, he was regularly engaged in many spiritual exercises, mentally and physically. He was widely respected and honoured for his knowledge of tasawwuf. It is recorded that he memorised the Qur'an al-karim within a period of only three months. Amongst his teachers were Qari Qaym al-Din and Shaykh Abd 'al-Haqq [Radi Allahu anhum].
One of his famous sayings about shari'ah :
My way of life is the shari'ah of the Prophet,*
My way of the tariqah is the shari'ah of the Prophet,
The way of life of the Prophet implies also my way of life,
To walk through the shari'ah, is like walking on an illuminated way!
*[Peace & Blessings upon him]
On purification :
Sayyad Nausha Ganj Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman made it very clear, that one is not a sufi until he has purified himself totally. This purification is achieved by eliminating the sensual desires. This is eliminated in his turn, when the nafs (the ego that inclines to the evil) has been conquered by him. He conquers this by taking distance from pleasures in this worldly life and to consider this as transitory. He has to perform all his actions in contradiction to his nafs in order to attain this.
On death :
He usually gave instructions to his murid to commemorate death all the time and to be aware of it. “One has to live without any allegation or false attitude (= a clear mind)”, he said. He encouraged his friend to be in the company of saints and stated that one can only then become a good human being.
On intention :
With great emphasis he pointed out the fact that action has to be done with sincere intention. He said that by sincerity, piety or Allah fearing, the body and by eating halaal [permissible] the tongue is cleaned. One has according to him, not to expound the deficiencies and small faults of others, but he should rely on Allah’s trust and be satisfied with His will. He paid much attention to take care of the parents and those poor and in need. He said that the most claims belong to them and that taking care of them, it can be a significant cause attaining the divine grace. He incited also to eat little and to keep oneself awake in the night for the voluntary prayers and recollections. ''By waking up the heart is illuminated'' he said.
All his teachings had their origin in the primary sources of the Islam: The Qur'an and the hadiths, supported by the conclusions of the mujtahidin (those qualified to make religious decisions, according to one’s own capacity). He approved no more than the prescribed exercises that agreed with this.
There are many works of Sayyad Nausha Ganj Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman. As time passes they are compiled and published from manuscripts. At present there are five books of poetry and prose:
1] Kulliyat-i Nausha (urdu poetry) consisting of 76 risala's and 2400 verses,
2] Kulliyat-i Nausha (punjabi poetry) In this work 126 risala's are alphabetically arranged there are four thousand verses in total,
3] Ma'arif-i Tasawwuf (persian poetry) dealing with assignments on the spiritual path,
4] Mawa'iz-i Nausha Pir (punjabi prose) comprises delivered speeches and advices,
5] Ganj al-Asrar (the treasure of mysteries), a short risala in prose ascribed to him.
Shaykh Nausha Ganj Baksh passed away on the 15th of Rabi al Awwal 1064 Hijri [1654 CE], and is laid to rest at Ranmal Shareef, Gujrat, Pakistan. The present janasheen is Pir Sayyad Maruf Hussain Shah Naushahi, the founder of the Jamiyat Tabligh al Islam, based in the UK.
FURTHER READING SILSILA AL QADIRIYA AL NAUSHAHIYA :
www.qadri-naushahi.com/
www.jamiyattablighulislam.org/
Hadrat Sultan Bahu
Hadrat Shaykh Muhammad Sultan Bahu [d.1104 H - 1693 CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
'Sultan al Arfieen' Sultan Muhammad Bahu Radi Allahu anhu is acknowledged as one of the most prominent Sufi poets of the Indo-Pak subcontinent. He is known to be the author of over 140 books in Persian and Arabic dealing with a variety of religious and mystic subjects. He was a strict upholder of the Shari'a and did not in his entire life forego even one Mustahab.
According to some sources Hadrat Sultan Bahu Radi Allahu anhu was born in the village of Shorkhote in Punjab Province in the year 1039 CE, during the reign of the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Hadrat Sultan Bahu Radi Allahu anhu belonged to the Sarwari Qadiri tariqat and was a descendent of Amir al Momineen Imam Ali Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu.
Hadrat Sultan Bahu Radi Allahu anhu did not acquire the worldly sciences. Due to immense spiritual attractions and ecstasy it became difficult to attain to formal education. Yet his own person was luminous with Divine Light. In one of his writings the great wali (saint) refers to this when he says that: 'I did not have time to spare for formal education but spiritual experiences, divine favour and guidance and esoteric conquests has enabled me to acquire such vast knowledge that it would require many files of paper to record. Spiritual realities have so enlightened my inward that both the esoteric and exoteric sciences have been revealed to me....neither did I have the time to perform daily litanies (wird) because since the beginning I have been immersed in the ocean of Unity (Tawheed)'.
The blessed soul of Hadrat Sultan Bahu Radi Allahu anhu departed in a blissful state to its Lord on a Thursday evening, on the 1st of Jamadi al Thani, in the year 1102/1693 at the age of 63.
Extracted from :http://www.bahu.co.za/hazrat_sultan_bahu.htm
Imam al-Haddad
Imam 'Abd 'Allah al-Haddad [d.1132 H - 1720 CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
The Beloved Messenger of God, may the Blessings of Allah & peace be upon him & and his Family, prophesised that in every century God would raise up amongst his nation a man who would renew its religion. Imam 'Abdallah al-Haddad Radi Allahu anhu was the renewer, or Mujaddid, of the twelfth Islamic century. He was renowned, and deservedly so, for the breadth of his knowledge and his manifest sanctity. The profundity of his influence on Muslims is reflected by the fact his books are still in print throughout the Islamic world.
He was born in Tarim, in the hills of Hadramaut, one of the southerly regions of the Arabian peninsula, and grew up in an environment where the accent was upon piety, frugality, erudition, and an uncompromising thirst for gnosis (ma'rifa). His lineage is traced back to the Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, and his family, through Imam al-Husayn. His illustrious ancestors, the 'Alawi sadat, had for centuries produced generation after generation of great scholars, gnostics, and summoners to the Straight Path.
Imam al-Haddad's Radi Allahu anhu writings, if we except a few short treatises, and his volume of poetry, are mostly concerned with establishing within his readers the firmest possible foundations for faith and certainty. He recognised the signs of his times and of the times to come, and observed how people were drawing away from religion, exhibiting a reluctance to study and a diminishing inclination to seek spiritual growth. He therefore endeavoured to produce concise, clear, and uncontroversial texts. His concern for brevity is manifest throughout his books, many of which are abbreviated adaptations of Imam al-Ghazali's Radi Allahu anhu monumental Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya 'Ulum al-Din). Al-Ghazali Radi Allahu anhu had himself been the renewer of the sixth century.
Imam al-Haddad Radi Allahu anhu died on the eve of the seventh of Dhu'l-Qa'da, 1132 A.H. having spent his life bringing people to their Lord through his oral and written teaching, and his exemplary life. He was buried in a simple grave in the cemetary at Tarim.
Books by : Imam ibn Alawi al-Haddad 'alayhir rahman
Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi Al-Madina al-Munawwara [Ramadan 1408]
Source: Imam Abdallah ibn Alawi Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance,
The Quilliam Press, London, 1989, p.vii-viii.
Courtesy : www.iqra.net/articles/al-haddad.html
'Abd al-Ghani al-Nablusi
Shaykh al Islam 'Abd al-Ghani al-Nablusi [d. 1143A.H/1733C.E] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
'Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi radi Allahu anhu was born in Damascus in 1641[C.E] into a family of Islamic scholarship. His father, Isma'il 'Abd al-Ghani, was a jurist in the Hanafi school of fiqh and contributor to Arabic literature. 'Abd al-Ghani showed diligence in the pursuit of Islamic knowledge and before the age of twenty he was both teaching and giving formal legal opinions (fatwa). He taught in the Umawi Mosque in Damascus and the Salihiyya Madrasa, his fame as an accomplished Islamic scholar spreading to all neighbouring Islamic cities. He died in 1733[C.E] at ninety years of age, having left behind hundreds of written works in virtually all the Islamic sciences.
His status as a scholar and wali (friend of Allah) is also unstintingly acknowledged by Islamic scholars who came after him. As a prolific contributor to Hanafi fiqh, there is hardly a work in the school that appeared after him that does not depend on or discusses his legal opinions. In the well known and most depended upon work in Hanafi fiqh, Radd al-Muhtar, commonly known as The Hashiya of Ibn `Abidin, the author and Imam of the school in his time, Muhammad Amin ibn 'Abidin (d.1836), frequently quotes the legal opinions of Shaykh 'Abd al-Ghani, referring to him with a reverence and respect that is not apparent in the mention of other scholars quoted in his work. Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tahtawi (d.1816), the al-Azhari Shaykh of the Hanafi Jurists, in his well known Hashiya of Maraqi al-Falah, when discussing a legal opinion of Shaykh 'Abd al-Ghani refers to him as "The knower of Allah, my master 'Abd al-Ghani (al-arif billah Sayyidi 'Abd al-Ghani)". It is unthinkable that such eminent scholars should lend such respect to and depend on the scholarship of an individual who might remotely be accused of heresy. Nor is it thinkable that the numerable godfearing scholars who came after them and use and quote their works would find that acceptable (Ibn 'Abidin's work in particular has been used since it was authored by Islamic rulers implementing the shari'a in government, by judges, muftis, jurists and students of Islamic Law). This is particularly true in view of his book Wujud al-Haqq (On True Being), which details his Sufi ontology and which he taught in public seminars to hundreds of contemporary scholars in his own lifetime.
I believe that a valid point can be made here; namely, that in the time of such scholars as Ibn 'Abidin and al-Tahtawi Islamic culture was a great deal more integrated and balanced than it is today, such that Sufism was understood by shari'a specialists and even considered necessary for a complete understanding and practice of the Din. In the time in which we live Muslims have been engulfed by a civilization that is completely materialistic in its outlook. I believe that this saturation of the worldly has had the adverse effect on the Muslims of making it difficult for them to comprehend anything beyond the physical, which is why the words and experience of the Sufis seem alien to them. This over emphasis on the material also seems to be the reason that modern day reform minded Muslims have found the concept of an anthropomorphic god acceptable as well as the focus of religion being limited primarily to the outward manifestations of the shari'a only, such as salat and hijab for example, without there being any emphasis on internal development. It is not uncommon to find that such an attitude leads to a spiritual crisis of stagnation and meaninglessness, when after several years of practice the initial sense of euphoria of faith fades and one no longer feels the forward motion of increasing in closeness to Allah Most High.
Regarding the scholarship of Shaykh 'Abd al-Ghani radi Allahu anhu, one need only read his works to understand how truly brilliant this man was. In whatever subject he addressed, he wrote as an authority, whether Hanafi fiqh, hadith, Islamic ontology and metaphysics, Arabic literature, Quranic readings or other. Some of his works have been published, while the majority are still in manuscript form. Any skeptic could avail himself his works and make an honest investigation.
Ref; Umm Sahl
Shah Wali 'Allah
Qutb al-Din Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Rahim Shah Wali 'Allah [d.1176 H - 1760 CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
b.1114 - d.1176 HIJRI
b.1703 - d.1762 C.E
Hadrat Shaykh Qutb al-Din Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Rahim Rahmatullahi alayh, popularly known as Shah Wali Allah, lived at a critical juncture of Muslim history. India had enjoyed the peaceful and prosperous rule of the Mughals for more than 200 years, but by the time of Shah Wali Allah Rahmatullahi alayh, mutually hostile principalities had begun to emerge. Many of the newly emerging quasi independent states were the result of the rising influence of the militant Maratha, Sikh and Hindu communities and Muslim power and glory in the sub-continent, as in other parts of the world, were gradually eroded. It was at this time of utter despair and despondency for Muslims that Shah Wali Allah Rahmatullahi alayh was born.
Shah Wali Allah Rahmatullahi alayh was able to diagnose, at an early period of his life, the malaise of his society. In his view, it consisted of: (i) lack of strong faith, (ii) disunity in the Muslim ranks, and (iii) acute moral degeneration. He tried to redress lack of faith by presenting a rational interpretation of Islam. He intuitively presented rational arguments side by side with traditional dialectics. Shah Wali Allah addressed the disunity by attempting to bring about reconciliation between the diverse schools of law and theology. Shah Wali Allah knew very well that, without purification of the heart, it was not possible to overcome the moral degeneration which permeated the individual and collective life of the Muslim community and he advocated tasawwuf, which, for him, meant a direct approach to the heart. His father Shah 'Abd al-Rahim (d. 1131/1719) had initiated him into the realm of spirituality.
Shah Wali Allah Rahmatullahi alayh adopted both short-term and long-term measures for rebuilding the culture, polity and ideological orientation of the Muslims. The thrust of his reform movement ranged from matters of belief to social structure, from politics and statecraft to economy, from legal and juristic concepts to philosophical and metaphysical ideas. He addressed himself to the needs of this world but at the same time did not forget to respond to the requirements of ultimate success in the Hereafter.
The principles of Qur'anic exegesis, which he set forth in al-Fawz al-Kabir, introduced a new dimension in the science of tafsir. He emphasized a direct approach to the Qur'an. Prior to Shah Wali Allah, because of the notion that the Qur'an may not be translated, Qur'anic scholarship had been an exclusive domain of specialists. Shah Wali Allah took a bold initiative and translated the Qur'an into Persian, the lingua franca of the Muslim literati in the sub-continent. Thereafter it became increasingly possible for ordinary people to understand the teachings of the Qur'an. A growing number of scholars concentrated their efforts in explicating the message of the Qur'an. 'Ubayd Allah Sindhi, one of the most prominent exponents of Shah Wali Allah's philosophy, expressed the view that after being imbued with the philosophy of Shah Wali Allah, one can understand the overall message of the Qur'an directly from its text and can be satisfied with it without being compelled to seek any external aid.
The Qur'an had always been regarded as the primary source of legal doctrines, yet later jurists tended to regard only approximately five hundred verses as legally important. Even men like Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 505 /1111) had not considered it necessary for a mujtahid to master the rest of the verses. Further, the classical exegetes tended to assign a certain strict context to each verse of the Qur'an. Shah Wali Allah emphasized that the Qur'an was applicable to the entire human thought and experience, emphasizing the essential comprehensibility of all the verses of the Qur'an, including those assigned by the exegetes to the category of mutashabih.
After a comprehensive survey of the contents of the Qur'an, he classified its themes under five subjects: (i) ahkam (injunctions); (ii) mukhasamah (dialectics); (iii) tadhkir bi ala' Allah (reminding man of the Divine favours); (iv) tadhkir bi ayyam Allah (reminding man of God's interventions in history); and (v) tadhkir bi al-mawt wa ma ba'd al-mawt (reminding man about death and the life thereafter). This classification clarified many misunderstandings of the Qur'an as well as a number of problems in the sequence of the verses, their inter-relationship and thematic coherence. Many 'ulama' had been neglecting dialectics of the Qur'an and thus were unable to appreciate the discourse of the Revelation which was addressed to all mankind, belonging to either of the following categories: (i) the faithful, (ii) the people of the Book, (iii) the polytheists or atheists, and (iv) the hypocrites.
Shah Wali Allah's approach to the Science of Hadith is characterized by his view that the Sunnah is essentially a commentary on the Qur'an itself, rather than something independent of it. An intensive analysis of the Prophet's traditions led him to see an organic relationship between the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Further, he brought out the rational and beneficent considerations underlying the directives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He also took note of the severe criticism made against Ahl al-Sunnah by the rationalists, partly under the impact of Hellenistic philosophy in the classical period of Islamic thought. He advocated the traditional point of view of the former and supported it with strong rational arguments.
Shah Wali Allah adopted a method of interpreting the traditions of the Prophet in which he has shown an evolutionary process in the lives of all Prophets from Ibrahim up to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), in that they received Divine guidance gradually and commensurate with the onward progress of human civilization. He looked upon the teachings of all Prophets as a continuous commentary on the ever-unfolding process of revealed guidance. Moreover, unlike many other jurists, Shah Wali Allah did not assign to ijma' (consensus) a categorical position as an independant source of law. He had, rather, a restricted conception of ijma'. He recognized the binding character of the consensus based on the rulings of the early caliphs, especially Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman, the three immediate successors of the beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), on any interpretation of the Qur'an or the Sunnah. He granted this special status to these Companions on grounds of their close association with the Prophet and their temporal proximity to him. Any other consensus which took place at any later period was, in his opinion, not of the same consequence in as much as it does not bind Muslims of any other era or area to any particular view. Thus, Shah Wali Allah gave ijma' a somewhat diminished position. According to him, ijma' is an explanatory source and an authentic interpretation of the Qur'an by those whose understanding is less fallible than of others for the reasons we have stated earlier. The fourth source of law, according to the generally held view of jurists, is qiyas (analogy). Again, this is not recognized by Shah Wali Allah as an independent source because it is integral to our process of understanding the Qur'an and its interpretations that are either embodied in the Sunnah or can be derived from the collective understanding of the Companions in the Best Era (khayr al-qurun).
In the field of law and jurisprudence, Shah Wali Allah had a remarkable ability to reconcile the differing views found among Muslims and explain them with reference to the basic principles that may be deduced from the Qur'an and be plausible on rational grounds. He mentions this ability as a great Divine favour to him. Shah Wali Allah did this with theology and mysticism as well. This is evident, for instance, from his synthesized version of the doctrines of wahdat al-wujud (unity of existence) and wahdat al-shahud (unity of manifestation).
These Muslim scholars, known as mutakallimun, resorted to articulating their position in the intellectual terms which they shared with the main exponents of Greek philosophy. As these discussions went on, a distinct corpus of knowledge emerged and the bulk of literature thus produced by Muslim scholars came to be known as 'I1m al-Kalam. In this process there appeared a galaxy of scholars who contributed to the development of 'I1m al-kalam and in the course of time diversified those discussions. Notable among them were such luminaries as al-Juwayni (d. 478/1085) al-Ghazali (d.505/1111), al-Ash'ari (d. 324/936), al-Maturidi (d. 333/944), al-Shahrastani (d. 548/1153) and many others. The last prominent representative of these intellectual giants was Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d.606/1209). The later mutakallimun developed their themes in scholastic discussions more or less on the same pattern. With the passage of time, it became fashionable for Muslim scholars to be immersed in highly formalised discussions of a theoretical nature in utter disregard of their diminishing value for their own ethos.
The corpus of Kalam which had evolved often lacked the coherence and consistency required of a well-organized and full-fledged discipline. The questions dealt with by the mutakallimun, in a great many cases, had no logical or sequential relationship with each other. The point of culmination in these discussions was a severe criticism and strong rebuttal of the premises of Greek thought by men like al-Ghazali and al-Razi. Shah Wali Allah re-stated the fundamental postulates of the Islamic belief system within the framework of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, provided external evidence drawn from pure reason, empirical observation and intuitional imagination to reinforce the propositions derived from Revelation and tradition. While the expositions of earlier mutakallimun had exclusively focused on questions of belief ('aqidah), Shah Wali Allah sought to substantiate the inimitability (i'jaz) of the shari'ah (revealed code of law) by establishing an organic link between 'aqidah and shari'ah. He emphasized the inimitability of the latter in as much as it responds to the diversity of the varying conditions of human life. Avoiding as far as possible a discussion of what he considered the archaic issues of early theology such as the eternity of the Qur'an and free will, pre-determination, and the indivisibility of Divine Essence and Attributes, his approach consisted chiefly in presenting the rationale of the injunctions of Islam on the premise of their compatibility with human nature. By developing this comprehensive approach to Kalam, Shah Wali Allah’s contribution was that he put in bold relief not only the rationality of belief, but also established a necessary nexus between the ordinances of the shari'ah and the innate urges of human nature.
One of the striking features of the writings of Shah Wali Allah is his stress on the necessary relation between the creation and the Creator which consistently pervades all his thinking. Whether the subject of his discussion is highly spiritual or purely mundane, the consciousness of the Ultimate Reality is always uppermost in his mind. This characterizes all his discussions including those pertaining to such questions as the evolution of man as a moral being or man's role as an active member of the society. This also characterizes his analysis of human instincts and behaviour, or his survey of the development of human society even when it is in the nature of an empirical enquiry.
In his discussions on the genesis of man and the creation of the universe, Shah Wali Allah developed three main terms namely ibda' (creation ex nihilo), khalq (creation), and tadbir (governance). Ibda' is creation out of sheer nothingness. Khalq is to create something out of an existing substance. Tadbir is to manage and employ a set of created things so as to derive the required benefits which are conducive to universal balance. With reference to these concepts, which signify different stages of the Divine creative process, Shah Wali Allah discusses the created phenomena.
In explaining the doctrine of 'universal soul' (al-nafs alkulliyyah), Shah Wali Allah says that deep and profound thought on the diversity of universal phenomena leads human intelligence to the notion that God has created a universal soul ex-nihilo. From this 'universal soul' or 'universal genus' emanate all existents. But the relationship between the Creator ex-nihilo and the 'universal soul' cannot be explained in terms of this material world. There is unity between the Creator and the 'universal soul'. But this unity is neither real, nor comprehensible to the finite human intelligence. The highest degree of perception attainable by human intellect is this 'universal soul' where it is able to combine all diversity of existence on one point. At this point the voyage of human intellect ends. This unique relationship between the Creator and the 'universal soul', which is called ibda' by Shah Wali Allah, is far beyond the grasp of the human mind.
Shah Wali Allah's position on the problem of existence was to reconcile the well-known doctrine of wahdat al-wujud (Unity of Existence) of Ibn 'Arabi (d. 638/1240) and wahdat al-shuhud (unity of manifestation), which was put forward by Ahmad Sirhindi (d.1034/1624) in the course of his criticism of the doctrine of Ibn 'Arabi. Shah Wali Allah maintained that there was no significant disagreement between the two ideas, but simply a problem of semantics. Both, according to him, ultimately arrived at the same conclusion.
Explaining his stand on the problem of Existence, Shah Wali Allah said that when we look at the things in existence, we find both common and distinctive features in them. For example, all human beings share the characteristic of humanness although in several other respects they are distinct from one another. At the same time, being a man or a horse distinguishes one from the other. But all the existents do have a common feature of existence. Both the 'contingent' (mumkin) and 'essential' (wajib) have the characteristic of existence. 'Existence', however, does not merely mean 'to be'. It rather signifies the 'Reality' on the basis of which we regard something as existent. This 'Reality' itself exists without any external cause, giving it its existence. Since this 'Reality' is the cause of all existence, therefore, it must, of necessity, exist by itself. Hence its existence is all-pervading. For if this 'Reality' were not there, every other thing would have been nonexistent. Now all other things that exist (other than this Essential Reality) are merely accidental. For without the Essential Existence they would disappear into sheer nothingness. This is the nature of all the things of this world. They merely have an accidental existence, the only exception being the 'Real Existence'. Thus it is clear that existence is a common feature of all existents. If there is no existence then all things shall vanish. The mystics known as wujudiyyah or 'ayniyyah maintain that God consists in the existents, or that He has manifested Himself in these existents. There are other Sufis known as wara'iyyah who believe that the existence of all things that exist is contingent upon this Real Existence and that the Essence of God is beyond this cosmic phenomena. There are some statements attributed to Ibn 'Arabi which suggest that his position is closer to the school of 'ayniyyah or wujudiyyah, and Shah Wali Allah has taken these statements in a metaphorical rather than literal sense. It may be pointed out that on other occasions Ibn 'Arabi clearly draws a line of distinction between the 'Essential Existent' (wajib al-wujud) and the contingent existent (mumkin al-wujud) and discusses at length the five stages (tanazzulat) of determination. These stages, according to Ibn 'Arabi, are ahadiyyah, lahut, jabarut, 'alam al-mithal and nasut, all of which emanate from the 'Essential Existent' (i.e. God). Like many other Muslim thinkers before and after him, Shah Wali Allah offers an explanation of the ideas of Ibn 'Arabi which conform to the views held by the major theological schools of Islam. Shah Wali Allah interprets all such statements of Ibn 'Arabi, statements in which he identifies a unity between the creational phenomena and the 'Essential Existent', to mean unity of the latter with the 'universal soul'. This is so because the stages of existence beyond the 'universal soul' fall, in his opinion, outside the cognitive domain of human intellect.
A Survey of Shah Wali Allah's Works
Shah Wali Allah's main focus was on the Qur'an, Hadith, Kalam, socio-political and ethical philosophy and spiritual sciences. He wrote extensively in Islamic studies, including Tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis), Hadith (traditions of the Prophet), Fiqh (law), usulal' Fiqh, (principles of jurisprudence), 'Aqa'id (beliefs), Kalam (scholastics), philosophy, Tasawwuf (spiritual sciences), history, biography, Arabic poetry, and grammar. He also wrote in the areas of sociology, politics, psychology and ethical philosophy.
Studies on the Qur'an
'Fath al-Rahman al Tarjamat al-Qur'an', Karachi, 1984. It is among the first popular renderings of the Qur'an into simple Persian language. It was completed by the author in Ramadan 1151 A.H.
• Al-Fawz al-Kabir, Lahore, 1951, 52 pp. It is a concise, but extremely valuable treatise on the principles of Qur'anic exegesis. It is among the most popular works of Shah Wali Allah, which has made an outstanding contribution to the study and understanding of the Qur'an. Originally written in Persian, it has been translated into Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, and English languages. It was first published in Delhi in 1898 A.H.
• Al-Fath al-Kabir (Arabic), Lucknow, 1314 A.H. It deals with the explanation of the difficult words used in the Qur'an, with terms that are usually called ghara'ib, i.e. words that are not quite familiar in the common diction.
Hadith Sciences
• Al-Musawwa min Ahadlth al-Muwatta', It is a highly technical commentary in Arabic on this early collection of traditions compiled by Malik ibn Anas (d. 179 A.H.). It was first published in Delhi in 1293 A.H.
• Musaffa Sharh-i Muwatta'. It is a commentary in Persian on the Muwatta'. It represents Shah Wali Allah's methodology in the teaching of Hadith. It was first published in 1293 A.H. in Delhi in two volumes. It has been translated into Urdu by Sayyid 'Abd Allah and was published from Calcutta in 1294 A.H.
• Sharh Tarajim Ba'dAbwab al-Bukhan (Arabic), Hyderabad, 1949. In this treatise, Shah Wait Allah has discussed the wisdom of the topical headings adopted by Imam Bukhari for different chapters of ahadith of this important compendium of traditions compiled by Imam Bukhari (d. 256 A.H.). It was first published in Hyderabad (India) in 1323 A.H.
Law and Jurisprudence
• Al-lnsaffl Bayan Sabab al-lkhtilaf (Arabic), Beirut, 1977, 114 pp. It is a juridical discourse on the compilation of the early compendia of ahadith, and the evolution of different schools of jurisprudence. It also discusses the nature of disagreement among the jurists and the principles of resolving various conflicting opinions so as to arrive at a synthetic view within the broad framework of Islamic jurisprudence. It was first published in Delhi in 1308 A.H. It was also translated into Urdu.
• Iqd al-Jld ft Bayan Ahkam al-ljtihad wa al-Taqlid (Arabic), Delhi, 1925. This treatise discusses various dimensions of the issues involved in ijtihad and taqlid and presents a balanced view on this oft-discussed and much-debated question. It was also translated into Urdu.
Philosophy and Scholastics
• Hujjat Allah al-Balighah (Arabic), Cairo, 1933. It is the magnum opus of the author and constitutes a highly significant exposition of the Islamic worldview. We shall separately present an introduction to this work in some detail. It was first published in Bareily (India) in 1286 A.H. A number of Urdu translations of this work have appeared. It has also been recently translated into English under the title: The Conclusive Argument from God by Marcia Hermansen, and the first part of the translation has been published by E.J. Brill at Leiden in 1996.
• Al-Budur al-BQzighah (Arabic), Hyderabad, 1970. It is the second most important contribution of the author to a philosophical and rational interpretation of Islam after Hujjat Allah al-Balighah. It has also been translated into English by J.M.S. Baijon.
• Al-Khayr al-Kathir (Arabic), Bijnaur, India, 1325 A.H. It is a brief work in which he attempts to explain the fundamentals of faith with an approach combining rational and traditional arguments.
• Maktub-i Madam (Persian), Lahore, 1965. It is a long letter addressed by Shah Wali Allah to one Isma'il ibn 'Abd Allah Rumi. It deals with the metaphysical dimensions of the concept of existence. The work explains the position of the author on the problem of existence which syntheses the views of Ibn 'Arabi and Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi. This letter has also been included in al-TafhTmat al-Ilahiyyah.
• Al- 'Aqidah al-Hasanah (Arabic), Lucknow, 1962, 72 pp. It is a plain and rational presentation of the fundamentals of belief in Islam. It has also been translated into Urdu.
• Al-Muqaddimah al-Saniyyah fi Intisar al-Firqah al-Sunniyyah (Persian), Delhi, (n.d.). This work attempts a rational expose of the Sunni theological doctrines in comparison with the doctrines of the Shi'ah. This is in fact Shah Wali Allah's introduction to the Persian translation of a treatise by Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi entitled Radd-i-Rawafii.
Spiritual Sciences
• Al-Tafhimat al-Ilahiyyah (Arabic and Persian) (Bijnaur India: 1936), 264 pp. This work is in two volumes and includes a number of stray writings of the author, in which he has explained subtle points of rational and spiritual import with regard to the teachings of the true faith. Some of these writings are in Arabic and others in Persian.
• Altaf al-Quds (Persian) Delhi, n.d. It deals with the basic principles of the spiritual sciences. It has been translated into Urdu (Lahore; 1975), and also English under the title: The Sacred Knowledge of the Higher Functions of the Mind (Lahore: 1982).
• Sata'at (Persian) (Hyderabad: 1970), 54 pp. It discusses various aspects and dimensions of Divine theophany and attempts to explain the nature of the abstract and material worlds and their respective characteristics. It has been translated into English and Urdu.
• Fuyud al-Haramayn (Arabic) (Delhi: n.d.), 144 pp. Shah Wali Allah relates his spiritual experiences during his sojourn in Makkah and Madinah. It has also been translated into Urdu. The Urdu version was published in Lahore in 1947.
• Anfas al- 'Arifin (Persian). It narrates the spiritual attainments of the author's forefathers and spiritual ancestors. It was first published in 1335 A.H. in Delhi.
History and Biography
• Izalat al-Khafa' 'an Khilafat al-Khulafa' (Persian), 2 vols. (Karachi; 1286 A.H.) It is a work on the early Caliphal model. Its contents have also been included in Anfas al- 'Arifin.
• Qurrat al-'Aynayn fi Tafdil al-Shaykhayn (Persian) (Delhi: 1320 A.H.), 336 pp. It discusses the significant achievements of the first two Caliphs and their place in Islam. The discussion is substantiated by reference to the relevant verses of the Qur'an and traditions of the Prophet.
• Al-'Atiyyah al-Samadiyyah fi al-Anfas al-Muhammadiyyah (Persian). It is a short treatise on the biography of Shaykh Muhammad Phulati, a saint and maternal grand-father of Shah Wali Allah. Details as to the place and date of publication are not available.
• Al-lmdad fi Ma'athir al-Ajdad (Persian). It is a biographical account of some ancestors of the author. Its contents have also been included in Anfas al- 'Arfin.
• Surar al-Mahzun (Persian), 24 pp. It is a short comprehensive biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him). It was first published in Tonk, India in 1271 A.H.
• Al-Juz' al-Latif fi Tarjamat al-'Abd al-Za'if (Persian). It is a short autobiography of the author. It has been translated into Urdu by Muhammad Ayyub Qadiri and published in the monthly al-Rahim, vol. II. no. 5. October 1964. pp. 18-26.
Shah Abul Ghaus al-Faruqi
Shah Abul Ghaus Gharam Diwan al-Bhirivi al-Faruqi [d.1178H/1764CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Within 700 years in the Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, (India) a large number of Ulema and Masha'ikh served and spread both, Islam and Islamic Knowledge, and became the beloved of Allah Almighty. Amongst them, Hadrat Shah Abul Ghaus Gharam Divan al-Bhirivi al-Lauhravi and Hadrat Mullah Mehmood al-Jaunpuri Allah be pleased with them are two such great personalities.
Hadrat Mawlana Shah Abul Ghaus 'Gharam Divan' al-Faruqi [d.1178 H] was a renowned sufi and a very famous scholar of his time. Such was Shah Abul Ghaus al-Faruqi's spiritual standing amongst his contemporaries that he also earned the title of 'Mahboob ar Rahman'. His legacy continued with his son Mawlana Shah Hafiz Abu Is'haq [d.1234 H] who also also a great scholar in his time. As Shah Abul Ghaus al-Faruqi's title suggests he was a direct descendent of Amir al Momineen Hadrat Umar al Farooq Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu. With such a distinguished pedigree, his fathers and forefathers were naturally remarkable scholars and masha'ikh from which the following Islamic scholars and spiritual leaders descended:
Shaykh Khizr Faruqi, his son Shaykh Muhammad Faruqi, and his son Shaykh Mushayyid Faruqi, also Shaykh Abu Sa'id Faruqi, his son Shaykh Abul Khayr Faruqi and finally Hadrat Abul Ghaus Gharam Divan al-Faruqi.
A historian writes about them that ;
1. In the kingdom and period of Sultan Ibrahim Shah Sharki, Shaykh Khizr Faruqi and his son Shaykh Muhammad came to Jaunpur from Delhi. When Shaykh Muhammad passed away, Sultan Ibrahim Sharki gave Waleed Pur village (at Pargana Muhamadabaad), to Shaykh Mushayyid Faruqi. Therefore all members of the family came to this village from Jaunpur. Mawlana Shah Abu Sa'id and his son Maulana Shah Abul Khayr, Shah Ismail, Kazi Manjhan (Kazi Jaunpur), Shaykh Bar'e, Mawlana Shah Abul Ghaus Gharam Divan and Mawlana Shah Abu Is'haaq were extraordinarily religious. The lamp of this generation, Hadrat Mullah Mehmood Jaunpuri is very famous. This family is superior in knowledge, dignity, spiritualism, guidance and miracle powers. (Dayar-e-purab mein ilm aur ulema, pgs 288-289).
2. Mawlana Shah Haji Abul Khayr, son of Shah Abu Sa'id Faruqi Bhirivi wrote a book during Hajj. His book contains four chapters and in the 3rd chapter he mentioned family details from Jaunpur to Muhamadabaad and of Hadrat Umar Faruqi's Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu generation, including details of the Faruqi family. (pg 289)
3. Mawlana Shah Abul Khayr Faruqi was eight years older than Mullah Mehmood. His unprinted work is present in Da'ira shah ajmal, Allahbaad. (Page 210)
4. Mawlana Ghulam Ali Azaad Belgram writes in his book, 'Sajjattul Marjaan' (in Arabic), 'that undoubtedly there are two matchless ''Faruqi's'' in India;
a) MUJADDID ALIF THANI SIRHINDI [d.1034H] alayhir al rahman in tariqah and ma'rifa'a (knowledge of mysteries and secrets) and,
b) Mullah Mehmood in knowledge of logic, philosophy and literature. (pg 294)
Ancestors of Hadrat Abul Ghaus al-Faruqi 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Hadrat Abul Ghaus Faruqi s/o
Shah Muhammad s/o
Shah Abul Khayr s/o
Shah Abu Sa'id s/o
Shah Ma'aruf s/o
Shah Uthman s/o
Shah Maah s/o
Shah Chaand s/o
Shah Ma'aruf s/o
Shah Mushayyid s/o
Shah Muhammad s/o
Shah Khizr s/o
Shah Giyas al-Din s/o
Shah Taj al-Din s/o
Shah Izz 'al-Din s/o
Shah Abu Faw'aris Sulayman Shah s/o
Numan Shah s/o
Sultan Ahmad Faruq Shah s/o
Amir Masud s/o
Mawlana Wa'iz Asghar s/o
Mawlana Wa'iz Akbar s/o
Abul Fatah s/o
Imam Is'haaq s/o
Imam Salem s/o
Hadrat Abdullah s/o
Hadrat Umar al-Faruq Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu
Source: Dayar-e-purab mein ilm aur ulema : Ref pages (296 & 430)
The above lineage, historical and factual testimonies prove conclusively that Hadrat Abul Ghaus Gharam Divan al-Faruqi alayhir al rahman is the 25th descendent of Hadrat Umar al-Faruq Radi Allahu Ta'ala anhu. Hadrat Mullah Mehmood Jaunpuri Rahmatullahi ta'ala alayh is the 23rd descendent of Amir al Momineen Hadrat Umar al-Faruq Radi Allahu Ta'ala anhu and Hadrat Shah Chaand Faruqi Rahmatullahi ta'ala alayh is the grandfather of both these pious personalities.
Shah Ale Ahmad Ach'che miya
Sayyad Shah Abul-Fadl Shams ud-Din Ale Ahmad Ach'che Miya [d. 1235 H - 1820 CE] 'alayhir al-rahman w'al ridwan
'Ghousul-Waqt', 'Khatimal Akaabir', Abul-Fadl Shams ud-Din, Sayyad Sha Ale 'Ahmad Ach'che miya 'alayhir al-rahman was born on the 28th Ramadan 1160 Hijri in Mahrerah Shareef, U.P. India. He was the eldest son of Sayyad Shah Hamza al-Qadiri al-Barakaati 'alayhir al-rahman and a Sayyad (a direct descendent of the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa sallam). His ancestors migrated from Madina t'ul Munawwarah to Iraq because of political harassment. Later, they moved to the Indo-Pak sub-continent, where the elders of the family settled in Mahrerah.
Shah Ach'che miya 'alayhir al-rahman undertook his entire external shari'ah and spiritual training under the guidance of his noble father Shah Hamza al-Qadiri al-Barakaati 'alayhir al-rahman. It is also mentioned by his family members that Sayyad Sha Ale' Ahmad Ach'che Mia 'alayhir al-rahman resembled al Ghawth al A'zam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu in physical outlook.
He also studied medicine [hikmat] from the then celebrated physician, Hakim Nasrullah. Hundreds of patients came to him to be cured. The medication was mostly leaves from ordinary trees. This simple medication was successfully used to cure any common or complicated sickness. Curing the sick was a special gift of Almighty Allah bestowed upon Him. This was one of his many karamat (miracles). He was a very devout sufi and performed some of the most strenuous forms of devotion in the path of sulook. He was a master of habse kabeer (to engross oneself so intensely in Zikr-Allah that the saalik only breathes twice in 24 hours). He also regularly practised salaatul makoos (to be hung upside down, tied with ropes to the feet and perform salaah). All sunnah and nafil duties were strictly performed by him daily. Even from the age of 10, he never missed his tahajjud salaah [night prayer].
His biggest academic contribution was the compilation of a master-piece, "Ah'een-e-Ahmadi", in 34 bulky volumes. The uniqueness of these volumes is that they consist of every science of knowledge known to man on earth. This alone will tell us of the depth of his comprehensive knowledge. Some of his other known works :
1. Bayaade Amal wa Mah'mool
2. Adaab-us-Salikeen
3. Mathnawi - Poetry in Tasawwuf
4. Dewaane Ash'aar (in Persian)
Many of his karamat are recorded, one such is ;
It is recorded in "Aa'thar-e-Ahmadi" that once a young man came to Mahrerah Shareef from Bukhara (Russia) to visit Sayyad Ach'che Miya 'alayhir al-rahman. He first went to the masjid and offered zuhr salaah. Thereafter, he humbled himself at the feet of the Shaykh and said: "Your Holiness! I heard of you and travelled a long way to meet you. I am a very weak servant of Almighty Allah and do not possess the strength and courage to make strenuous mujahidah (spiritual devotion). I have come to you for divine blessings so that I may achieve this enormous gift without any effort and struggle".
On hearing this, the spiritual master smiled and said: "You wish to achieve such great wealth in so little time". One of the disciples present, remarked: "Do you think that this is some type of sweet that can just be placed into the mouth and eaten!" The murshid-e-kaamil was displeased with this remark and reprimanded the disciple by saying: "Nothing is impossible in the Qudrat of Almighty Allah". He then taught the young man a specific Durood Shareef with necessary instructions and ordered him to recite it at night. The same night the devotee obeyed all instructions and began the recital in seclusion. Suddenly, he experienced a state of spiritual upliftment. He was blessed with the ziyarat of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa sallam. This vision was not spiritual but physical. Early the next morning, he immediately went to the murshid-e-kaamil and cried: "Subhan-Allah! Last night I met Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa sallam who said to me, 'In every century there will be a person in my Ummah who will revive my Deen'. Hence, O Master! Verily in this century, you are that eminent personality."
Just by the prescription of a single Durood Shareef and personally rendering his spiritual guidance, this grand master, in a short period of time without mujahidah, led a disciple to spiritual perfection. It is said that mujahidah is the most difficult science in the mystical path of sulook. According to the exalted mystics, it takes a minimum of 80 consecutive years of absolute devotion to reach this stage. But here the blessings of this august wali [saint] of Almighty Allah, condensed a long period of 80 years to less that 80 moments!
Ghousal-Waqt, Murshid-e-Kabeer 'alayhir al-rahman was married and had one son and a daughter. The son, as ordained by Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala, passed away at a very young age. He was born a Wali and whatever he said became a reality. His daughter also passed away when she was an infant.
He had thousands of murids and many khulafa. There are also numerous devotees that lived at the khanqah undertaking spiritual training of sulook. He also cared for hundreds of poor and destitute. He adopted his nephew, Khatimul Akabir Shah Ale' Rasool Ahmadi 'alayhir al-rahman as his son. Sayyad Shah Ale' Ahmad Ach'che miya was the fourth succeeding Qutb [pole] of the Barakaati Silsila and Sayyad Shah Ale' Rasool, his successor, was the fifth Qutbul-Waqt. Khatimul Akabir was the 'Pir-o-Murshid' of A'la Hadrat Imam Ahmad Rida Khan al-Qadiri 'alayhir al-rahman.
Sayyad Shah Ale' Ahmad Ach'che miya al-Qadiri Barakaati 'alayhir al-rahman peacefully left this mundane world at the age of 75 in the morning of 25 Rabbi-ul-Awwal Shareef 1235 Hijri.
references : raza.co.za
Shah Abd'al Aziz
Hafiz Ghulam Halim Shah Abd'al Aziz Muhaddith Dehlwi [d.1239AH/1823CE] 'alayhir al rahman w'al ridwan
Shaykh Abdul Aziz Rahmatullahi alayh was born on the 25th of Ramadan al-Mubarak, in 1159AH [1746 Common Era], Dehli, India and was the eldest son of SHAH WALI 'ALLAH. Shaykh Abdul Aziz Rahmatullahi alayh memorised the Qur'an al kareem at an early age, and by the time when he was only 17, he became an expert in the sciences of tafsir, hadith, fiqh, Usul al Fiqh, Aqaid, mantiq, kalam, maths, history, geopgraphy etc. He had a great passion of all mental and written sciences. Shah Abdul Aziz was the most learned Islamic theologian in India, and his views on Muslim law were accepted by all parties among the Sunnis. Unlike most Muslims during this period, he recognized the value of learning English, and displayed no bitterness toward the conquerors. But he was a teacher and thinker rather than a leader.
Shah Abdul Aziz translated the Qur'an into Urdu, 50 years of the Persian translation by Shah Wali 'Allah, when the Urdu language had started to replace the Persian. He completed the exegesis of his father from Surat al-Maida to the thirteenth verse of al-Hujurat.
Shah Abdul Aziz soon built a reputation and a big following at his lectures which were extremely cultured and eloquent. When he spoke, he commanded his audience so much that his listeners were totally absorbed in his words. He would state some of the most difficult issues in an amazing clear way. His memory was matchless, he would dictate extremely long texts from books almost immediately after reading them. His compilations were reliable and trustworthy among the people of excellence. His compliations were reliable and trustworthy among the people of excellence.
Some known students of Shah Abdul Aziz Rahmatullahi alayh ;
Mawlana Sayyid Shah Al'e Rasul Qadri Barkati Marahrawi
Sayyad Ahmad Barelwi
Mawlana Fazl-e-Haq Khayrabadi
Mawlana Mahboob Ali Dehlawi
Mufti Sadr al-Din Aazurdah
Mawlana Muhammad Ali
Mawlana Ahmad Ali
He wrote and dictated many books, some of which were ;
'Taufa Ithna Ashari' (Gift to the Twelvers) [Refutation of the shi'ah sect]
'Sirush Shahadhathayn'
'Fatawa Aziz', another famous book, is the collection of Fatawa (questions and answers on religious issue)
'Tafsir Fath al-Aziz' or 'Tafsir-i-Aziz' (in Persian)
Shaykh Abdul Aziz Rahmatullahi alayh passed away in the year 1823 [Common Era], 1239 After Hijri.
Khalid al-Baghdadi
Khalid ibn Husayn al-Baghdadi al-Uthmani [d.1242 H - 1826 CE] 'alayhir ar-rahman w'al ridwan
Khalid al-Baghdadi was a Naqshbandi shaykh and founder of the Khalidi branch of the Naqshbandi order. He was born [in the year 1193 H./1779 CE] in Shehrezur, Karadag an area near to Sulaymaniye in northern Iraq. His full name was Khalid ibn Husain taking the nickname "Ziyauddin" and al-Baghdadi later.
His grandfather was Par Mika'il Chis Anchit, which means Mika'il the Saint of the six fingers. His title is 'Uthmani because he is a descendant of Sayyidina 'Uthman ibn 'Affan Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu, the third caliph of Islam. He studied the Qur'an al-kareem and its explanation and fiqh according to the Shafi'i school. He was famous in poetry. When he was fifteen years of age he took asceticism as his creed, hunger as his horse, wakefulness as his means, seclusion as his friend, and energy as his light.
Young Khalid studied with the two great scholars of his time, Shaykh 'Abdul Karam al-Barzinji and Shaykh 'Abdur Rahim al-Barzinji [Allah be pleased with them], and he read with Mullah Muhammad 'Ali. He studied the sciences of mathematics, philosophy, and logicas well as the principles of jurisprudence. He studied the works of Ibn Hajar, as-Suyuti, and al-Haythami. He memorized the commentary on Qur'an by Baydawi. He was able to find solutions for even the most difficult questions in jurisprudence. He memorized the Qur'an according to the fourteen different ways of recitation, and became very famous everywhere for this.
He then entered seclusion, leaving everything he had studied behind, coming to Allah's door with all kinds of pious actions and much dhikr, both loud and silent. He no longer visited the sultans, but kept to himself and to his murids, until the year 1220 H./1806 CE, when he decided to make the Pilgrimage and to visit the Beloved Prophet . He left everything and went to Hijaz through the cities of Mosul and Yarbikir and ar-Raha and Aleppo and Damascus, where he met its scholars and followed its Shaykh, the master of both the ancient and the modern knowledge and the teacher of hadith, ash-Shaykh Muhammad al-Kuzbara. He received authorization in the Qadiri Tariqat from Shaykh al-Kuzbari and his deputy, Shaykh Mustafa al-Kurdi, who travelled with him until he reached the city of the Beloved Prophet .
He praised the Prophet in Persian poetry in such a way that people were astonished at his eloquence. He spent a long time in the City of the Beloved Prophet . He reported,
"I was looking for someone of rare piety in order to take some advice when I saw a Shaykh on the right-hand side of the Blessed Gravesite (Rawdatu-sh-Sharifa). I asked him to give me advice, counsel from a wise scholar to an ignorant person. He advised me not to object when I enter Makkah to matters which might appear to be counter to the shari`a, but to keep quiet. I reached Makkah, and keeping in my heart that advice, I went to the Holy Mosque early on the morning of Friday. I sat near the Ka’ba reading Dala'il al-Khayrat, when I saw a man with a black beard leaning on a pillar and looking at me. It came to my heart that the man was not showing the proper respect to the Kacba, but I didn't say anything to him about the matter.
"He looked at me and scolded me, saying, 'O ignorant one, don't you know that the honor of the heart of a believer is far more than the privilege of the Ka`ba? Why do you criticize me in your heart for standing with my back to the Ka`ba and my face to you. Didn't you hear the advice of my Shaykh in Madinah who told you not to criticise?' I ran to him and asked his forgiveness, kissing his hands and feet and asking him for his guidance to Allah. He told me, 'O my son, your treasures and the keys to your heart are not in these parts, but in India. Your Shaykh is there. Go there and he will show you what you have to do.' I didn't see anyone better than him in all the Haram. He didn't tell me where to go in India, so I went back to Sham and associated with its scholars."
He then returned to Sulaymaniyyah and continued his teachings of self-denial. He was always looking for someone to show him the way. Finally, there came to Sulaymaniyyah the Shaykh Mawlana Mirza Rahimullah Beg al-M'aruf, known by the name of Muhammad ad-Darwish 'Abdul 'Azim al-Abadi, one of the khalifs of the spiritual pole, Qutb al-A'zam, 'Abdullah ad-Dehlawi (q). He met with him and gave him respect and asked him about the perfect guide to show him the way. He told him, "There is one perfect Shaykh, a Scholar and a Knower, showing the seeker the way to the King of Kings, expert in this delicate matter, following the Naqshbandi Way, carrying the Character of the Beloved Prophet , a guide in the Knowledge of Spirituality. Come back with me to his service in Jehanabad. He had told me before I left, 'You are going to meet someone, bring him back with you.'"
After travelling to India where he studied under revivalist Naqshbandi Sufi Shaykhs he returned to Syria where he engaged himself in teaching his students. He died in 1242 after Hijri [1826 Common Era]. His funeral was performed at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
Khalid al-Baghdadi
Khalid ibn Husayn al-Baghdadi al-Uthmani [d.1242 H - 1826 CE] 'alayhir ar-rahman w'al ridwan
Khalid al-Baghdadi was a Naqshbandi shaykh and founder of the Khalidi branch of the Naqshbandi order. He was born [in the year 1193 H./1779 CE] in Shehrezur, Karadag an area near to Sulaymaniye in northern Iraq. His full name was Khalid ibn Husain taking the nickname "Ziyauddin" and al-Baghdadi later.
His grandfather was Par Mika'il Chis Anchit, which means Mika'il the Saint of the six fingers. His title is 'Uthmani because he is a descendant of Sayyidina 'Uthman ibn 'Affan Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu, the third caliph of Islam. He studied the Qur'an al-kareem and its explanation and fiqh according to the Shafi'i school. He was famous in poetry. When he was fifteen years of age he took asceticism as his creed, hunger as his horse, wakefulness as his means, seclusion as his friend, and energy as his light.
Young Khalid studied with the two great scholars of his time, Shaykh 'Abdul Karam al-Barzinji and Shaykh 'Abdur Rahim al-Barzinji [Allah be pleased with them], and he read with Mullah Muhammad 'Ali. He studied the sciences of mathematics, philosophy, and logicas well as the principles of jurisprudence. He studied the works of Ibn Hajar, as-Suyuti, and al-Haythami. He memorized the commentary on Qur'an by Baydawi. He was able to find solutions for even the most difficult questions in jurisprudence. He memorized the Qur'an according to the fourteen different ways of recitation, and became very famous everywhere for this.
He then entered seclusion, leaving everything he had studied behind, coming to Allah's door with all kinds of pious actions and much dhikr, both loud and silent. He no longer visited the sultans, but kept to himself and to his murids, until the year 1220 H./1806 CE, when he decided to make the Pilgrimage and to visit the Beloved Prophet . He left everything and went to Hijaz through the cities of Mosul and Yarbikir and ar-Raha and Aleppo and Damascus, where he met its scholars and followed its Shaykh, the master of both the ancient and the modern knowledge and the teacher of hadith, ash-Shaykh Muhammad al-Kuzbara. He received authorization in the Qadiri Tariqat from Shaykh al-Kuzbari and his deputy, Shaykh Mustafa al-Kurdi, who travelled with him until he reached the city of the Beloved Prophet .
He praised the Prophet in Persian poetry in such a way that people were astonished at his eloquence. He spent a long time in the City of the Beloved Prophet . He reported,
"I was looking for someone of rare piety in order to take some advice when I saw a Shaykh on the right-hand side of the Blessed Gravesite (Rawdatu-sh-Sharifa). I asked him to give me advice, counsel from a wise scholar to an ignorant person. He advised me not to object when I enter Makkah to matters which might appear to be counter to the shari`a, but to keep quiet. I reached Makkah, and keeping in my heart that advice, I went to the Holy Mosque early on the morning of Friday. I sat near the Ka’ba reading Dala'il al-Khayrat, when I saw a man with a black beard leaning on a pillar and looking at me. It came to my heart that the man was not showing the proper respect to the Kacba, but I didn't say anything to him about the matter.
"He looked at me and scolded me, saying, 'O ignorant one, don't you know that the honor of the heart of a believer is far more than the privilege of the Ka`ba? Why do you criticize me in your heart for standing with my back to the Ka`ba and my face to you. Didn't you hear the advice of my Shaykh in Madinah who told you not to criticise?' I ran to him and asked his forgiveness, kissing his hands and feet and asking him for his guidance to Allah. He told me, 'O my son, your treasures and the keys to your heart are not in these parts, but in India. Your Shaykh is there. Go there and he will show you what you have to do.' I didn't see anyone better than him in all the Haram. He didn't tell me where to go in India, so I went back to Sham and associated with its scholars."
He then returned to Sulaymaniyyah and continued his teachings of self-denial. He was always looking for someone to show him the way. Finally, there came to Sulaymaniyyah the Shaykh Mawlana Mirza Rahimullah Beg al-M'aruf, known by the name of Muhammad ad-Darwish 'Abdul 'Azim al-Abadi, one of the khalifs of the spiritual pole, Qutb al-A'zam, 'Abdullah ad-Dehlawi (q). He met with him and gave him respect and asked him about the perfect guide to show him the way. He told him, "There is one perfect Shaykh, a Scholar and a Knower, showing the seeker the way to the King of Kings, expert in this delicate matter, following the Naqshbandi Way, carrying the Character of the Beloved Prophet , a guide in the Knowledge of Spirituality. Come back with me to his service in Jehanabad. He had told me before I left, 'You are going to meet someone, bring him back with you.'"
After travelling to India where he studied under revivalist Naqshbandi Sufi Shaykhs he returned to Syria where he engaged himself in teaching his students. He died in 1242 after Hijri [1826 Common Era]. His funeral was performed at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.