HAZRAT SHAIK AHMED SIRHIND (RA)

Hazrat Sheikh Ahmad Sirhind "Verily, Allah has intelligent slaves. They abandoned the world, and were cautious of its tribulations. They looked to it, and when they realized that it is not an abode for those who are truly alive, they made it a transitory station, and took righteous actions as a vehicle." - Imam Shafi BRIEF FACTS: Birth name: Imam-e-Rabbani Sheikh Ahmad Farooqi Sirhindi Birth date: 14 Shawwal 971 Born in: Sirhind, India IN DEPTH: Introduction Hazrat Sheikh Ahmad Sirhind, also known as Imam-e-Rabbani [the Imam of Wise Guidance] and Mujaddid Alf Thaani [meaning the reviver of the second millennium], is a great Sufi saint of the Naqshbandi golden chain [also known as a Silsila or Tariqa]. He was given these titles as accolades for his undeniable work & effort to revive the spirit of Islam and oppose the corruption prevalent during the time of the Mughal Empire. His significant religious influence in India still holds great impact upon its Sufi roots even to this day. Most of the branches which stem from the Naqshbandi order today, such as the Mujaddidi, Saifi, Tahiri and Qasimiya branches, trace their spiritual lineage through Sheikh Sirhindi, often referring to themselves as "Naqshbandi Mujaddidi" due to this connection. He is also a descendant of the noble Companion and second Khalifa of Islam, Hazrat Sayyidina Umar Farooq [R.A]. Early Life & Sufism Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi was born after midnight, on 14 Shawwal 971 in the village of Sirhind, near the city of Chandigarh in present-day India. His mother relates, "After the birth of my son Ahmad, I fell unconscious whereupon I had a vision, and saw that my home was full of Awliya Allah (Saints) who were all congratulating me on the birth of my son". His father relates, "On the day of the birth of my son, I had a vision in which I saw Allah's Messenger (s.a.w) reciting first the Azan and then the Takbir in the ears of my son." Being born into a pious family descending from Sayyidina Umar Farooq, he received most of his early education from his father, Sheikh Abdul Ahad. He memorised the Qur'an thus becoming a Hafiz, and then was then sent to Sialkot in Pakistan, where he learned logic, philosophy and theology, also studying advanced texts of Tafsir and Hadith before he returned home. At a young age, Sheikh Sirhindi had also made rapid progress in the Suharwardiya, Qadriya, and Chishtiya orders of Sufism, and was given permission to initiate and train followers at the age of 17. While busy spreading the teachings of these Tariqas, he felt a void within himself and continuously searched to fulfil it. He then found an interest in the Naqshbandi order, as he saw through the secrets of the other three Tariqas that it was, in reality, the best and most favourable. In his words, the Naqshbandi Tariqa is "the mother of all Tariqas." His spiritual progress eventually brought him into the presence of the Ghaws and Qutb of his time, Sheikh Mohammad Baqi. Through the guidance and supervision of this great Saint, Sheikh Sirhindi progressed up the spiritual ladder and soon became a Master of this order, his mystical insight and piety inspiring all those who learnt from him. Imprisonment by the Emperor One proof of the Sheikh's steadfastness on the Haqq is as follows. When the emperor Jahangir came to the throne, his wife, who held Shia beliefs, influenced him strongly and many of the people around him, including some advisors, were Rafidhites. Without any fear or worry, Sheikh Sirhind wrote books and articles that refuted their beliefs. It wasn't long before these people became his enemies, and began to tell the emperor, 'This Sheikh is very dangerous. His beliefs are corrupt, and he is against you and will not bow down before you." Eventually, the emperor commanded that the Sheikh be imprisoned in Gwalior Fort for an unlimited period. A great miracle is reported by his son, Sheikh Sayyid, who says, "He was under very intense security in jail, where guards surrounded his room on every side. Yet every Friday, he would be seen in the mosque. No matter how much security he was under, he would disappear from prison and miraculously appear in the mosque." The Sheikh's state of patience and gratitude was such that he never wished ill upon his enemies, nor did he allow his family and followers to do so. Many thousands of prisoners in Gwalior Fort embraced Islam at the hand of the Sheikh, and a very many of these took Bayt (pledge of allegiance) at his hands, attaining high stages of Wilayat (sainthood) as a result of his company. The Sheikh would say, "If the Emperor had not imprisoned me, so many thousands of people would have been deprived of the Light of Islam." This imprisonment allowed him to fulfil the Sunnah of Prophet Yusuf, as he endured the hardships of captivity with the utmost patience. The Sheikh wrote to his family and friends from the prison, saying, "Although hardship is indeed distasteful, it is a blessing. Praise Allah and do not spend even a moment in neglect. Always be busy in one of three things; the first is recital of Qur'an, the second is Salaah, and the third, abundance of Zikrullah (Remembrance of Allah). Always be pleased with whatever state Allah has given you. Pray that Allah gathers us all in Paradise, and that our meeting each other in this Duniya is for the Aakhirah itself." Despite all the hardship suffered by the Sheikh in prison, the emperor noticed that he was unmoved from his original stance. In addition, the Karamat (miracle) of the Sheikh had come to the emperor's notice, in that thousands of thieves and bandits had attained guidance and become pious people through the company of the Sheikh. It was at this point that the emperor began to regret imprisoning the Sheikh. Around this time, the Emperor Jahangir had a dream in which he saw Sayyidina Rasulallah (s.a.w) saying, "O Jahangir, you have imprisoned a very great person!" After this dream, the emperor Jahangir sorely regretted his actions and demanded the immediate release of the Sheikh. The Sheikh was brought to the Emperor, who apologized and asked the Sheikh to forgive him. The emperor now began to treat the Sheikh with the utmost respect and would even serve him himself. Indeed, his love for the Sheikh increased so much that Jahangir would find absence from the Sheikh unbearable. Shah Jahan was also amongst the Mureeds of the Sheikh, and other members of the ruling group, including scholars and ministers, continued to join the Silsila Mujaddidia right up to and including the reign of Alamgir Aurangzeb. Shariah & Sufism The Sufi path is based on Shariah, which is fundamental to the ways of Tasawwuf and Islam. The two concepts do not contradict each other, as clarified by Sheikh Sirhindi in this small excerpt from one of his letters: "The Shariah has three parts: knowledge, action, and sincerity of motive (ikhlas); unless you fulfil the demands of all these parts, you do not obey the Shariah. And when you obey the Shariah, you obtain the Pleasure of God, which is the most supreme good in this world and the Hereafter. The Qur'an says, "The Pleasure of God is the highest good." Hence, the Shariah comprehends all the good of this world and the next, and nothing is left out for which one has to go beyond the Shariah. The Tariqa [Order] and the Haqiqa [Reality] for which the Sufis are known, are subservient to the Shariah, as they help to realize its third part namely, sincerity (ikhlas). Hence they are sought in order to fulfil the Shariah, not to achieve something beyond the Shariah. 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 (Raza) which is the final goal of ‘Suluk’ [travelling, i.e. the Sufi path] and ‘Jazba’ [overwhelming love]." [taken from the Maktubat of Sheikh Ahmad Sirhind, also known as his Collection of Letters, Vol. 1:36] Writings of Sheikh Ahmad Sirhind Though he wrote many books, the most famous of his works are a collection of 536 letters, collectively entitled Collected Letters or Maktubat. These letters were addressed to the Mughal rulers of his time and other contemporaries and they were compiled during his lifetime. The three volumes were compiled as detailed below: Volume 1 - contains 313 letters, and was compiled by Khwaja Yaar Mohammad Badakhshi Talqani, a Mureed of Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi. The volume was named Durr al-Ma'rifat and was completed in 1025 AH. Sheikh Sirhind ordered that it end at 313 letters, 313 being a sacred number [a significant figure in Islam, as there was 313 Muslim soldiers in the famous battle of Badr, in which the Muslims were victorious]. Volume 2 - was named as Noor al-Khallaq and contains 99 letters. It was compiled by Khwaja Abdul Hayy. Volume 3 - was compiled by Khwaja Mohammad Hashim Kashmi and contains 124 letters. The volume was named Ma'rifat al-Haqa'iq. Anecdotes - Once, a great Sheikh wrote to him asking, "The states which you reached and are speaking about, did the Sahaba receive them, and if they did, did they receive them at one time or did they receive them at separate times?" He answered, "I cannot give you an answer unless you come into my presence." When the Sheikh went to him, he immediately unveiled to him his spiritual reality and cleansed the darkness of his heart. The Sheikh fell prostrate at his feet from the strength of such Light, and said, "I believe, I believe! I see now that these states were all revealed to the Sahaba simply by looking at the Messenger (s.a.w)." - One time in the month of fasting, Ramadan, he was invited by ten of his Mureeds to break fast with them. He accepted the invitation of each of them. When the time came to break the fast, he was present at each of their houses, breaking the fast, and they saw him in each of their houses at the same time. - Once, he looked at the sky and it was raining. He said, "O rain! Stop until such and such hour." It stopped until the exact time he had said, after which it started to rain again. - One day, the King ordered that a man be executed. That man came to Sheikh Ahmad Sirhind and said, "Please write a stay of execution for me." He wrote to the Sultan, "Don't execute this man." The Sultan, out of respect and fear for the Sheikh, pardoned the man. - One time, a Mureed made the intention to visit Sheikh Ahmad Sirhind. On his way, he was invited to be the guest of a man who disliked the Sheikh. The Mureed, however, didn't know this until after dinner, when the host began insulting the Sheikh. As the Mureed went to sleep later that night, in his heart he was saying, "O Allah, I came to visit the Sheikh, not to hear someone curse the Sheikh. Forgive me." Then he slept and when he awoke, he found that the man had died. He went quickly to the Sheikh and began to tell him the story. Sheikh Ahmad Sirhind raised his hand and said, "Stop! There is no need to tell me what happened. I am the one who caused it." Quotes from his Maktubat In his famous Maktubat (collection of Letters), he said: - "It must be known that Allah has placed us under His Obligations and His Prohibitions. Allah 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  and have its own definition of what that entails. Every Order has its own way of keeping the Sunnah of the Prophet. Our Order, through its Sheikhs, requires us to keep all the commands of the Prophet  and to leave all the things he prohibited. Our Sheikhs 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 which says, 'Men whom neither business nor trade will divert from the Remembrance of Allah' [24:37]." - "In the journey leading to the unveiling of the Divine Realities, the seeker moves through various stages of knowledge of and proximity to His Lord." - "The entire process [of reaching Allah] is like threading a needle. The thread seeks the eye of the needle, passes through and then proceeds down to where it began. There the two ends meet, form a knot and secure the entire thread. They form a whole; thread, eye and needle, and any material they catch is sewn into the fabric of the unity." - "It must be known to everyone that the Naqshbandi Sheikhs chose to guide their Mureeds first through the movement from Allah, travelling from the higher states to the lower. For this reason they maintain the common veils over the spiritual vision of the Mureed, removing the veil of ordinary consciousness only at the final step. All other Tariqas begin with the movement to Allah, moving from the lowest states to the highest, and removing the common veils first." - It is mentioned in the Hadith of the Prophet (s.a.w), 'Scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets.' The knowledge of Prophets is of two kinds: knowledge of laws and knowledge of Secrets. The scholar cannot be called an inheritor if he does not inherit both knowledges. If he takes only one knowledge, he is incomplete. Thus the real inheritors are the ones who take the knowledge of the laws and the knowledge of the Secrets, and only the saints have truly received and protected this inheritance." Final Phase of Life Once the mission of the Sheikh had been accomplished, he increasingly began to prefer solitude and seclusion. One day the Sheikh stated, "It seems that my time for departure is near." He wrote to his sons, saying, "Yesterday, during the Muraqaba after the Fajr prayer, I noticed that the robe I would usually wear was not with me, and it was replaced by another." This signalled that his role would be passed down to a successor. Later, the Sheikh appointed Khwaja Mohammad Masoom as his successor, and instructed all his Khulafa and Mureeds to take Bayt at the hand of Khwaja Mohammad Masoom. The responsibility of running the Khanqah was also passed on. If any new people came to the Sheikh asking to be his Mureeds, the Sheikh would send them to Khwaja Mohammad Masoom. Some people related that during these days, they asked the Sheikh why he had isolated himself so much from creation. He replied that his time for leaving this world was very close and that he had reached the age of sixty three, exactly the age at which Allah's Nabi (s.a.w) had passed away, so he knew that he too would pass away very soon. The Sheikh stated: "O men of Allah! I have passed on to you everything that has been given to me by Allah and His Messenger (s.a.w). In the struggle to uphold the true Deen of Islam, I worked hard and relentlessly all my life. I was a victim of oppression and tolerated much hardship, but despite the harshest of harsh attempts by various forces to destroy the cause, I remained steadfast and never allowed myself to be complacent. Now I am to part from you, and I leave you in the Hands of the Lord of the Worlds. Our next meeting will be under the banner of Allah's Messenger (s.a.w) on the Day of Qiyamat." Upon hearing this, those present could not hold themselves back and began to weep uncontrollably, and all began to say, "O Imamul Awliya! There is no doubt whatsoever that you have striven relentlessly in the struggle to uphold the Shariah, and to revive the Deen of Islam. And inshAllah, we will testify to this fact on the Day of Judgement." After this the Sheikh made Dua and then proceeded from the Khanqah. The Passing Away of a Mujaddid After six to seven months of solitude, the Sheikh visited, for the last time, the blessed shrines of his dear father and his respected grandfather. After this, the Sheikh fell ill and did not recover, and on the 13th of Safar this illness was increased by a high fever. Despite being so ill, the Sheikh continued to pray Salah in congregation and did not reduce his habit of Zikr and Muraqaba. The illness gradually worsened and at the time of Chasht prayer, on Tuesday 28th Safar 1034 AH (10th December 1624 AD), the Sheikh left this world and was reunited with the Merciful Creator at the age of 63. He was buried in the village of Sirhind, and his tomb is now a place of shelter, solace and immense blessing for all those seeking the Truth.

HAZRAT MAULANA JALALUDDIN RUMI (RA)

Hazrat Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi

"There are such lovers of God, whom

the Love of God has made quiet,

to an extent that they do not know

that there is anything else existing

in the world."

~ Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti

BRIEF FACTS:
Birth Name: Jalaluddin Mohammad Rumi – or Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi
Born in: Balkh, Afghanistan on 30^th September 1207


Childhood

Hazrat Mawlana Jalaluddin Mohammad Rumi (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273) is a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, theologian and Sufi mystic. He is one of the greatest saints in Islamic history and is well-known in the West for his Sufi poetry, especially his treasury of couplets entitled Masnavi Sharif.

Mawlana Rumi [R.A] was born on the 6th of Rabiul Awwal in the Islamic Hijri year 604 in Balkh, present-day Afghanistan. His father, Hazrat Bahauddin Walad [R.A], was a great Muslim scholar and also a Sufi saint who descends from the lineage of Sayyidina Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq [R.A], the first Caliph of Islam.

Mawlana Rumi [R.A] grew up in this learned household in Afghanistan and became a fully accomplished scholar himself.  Eventually, between the years 1215 and 1220, Hazrat Bahauddin Walad, with his whole family and a group of disciples, set out westwards. They peformed Hajj and then proceeded on their journey.

Life in Turkey

They finally settled in Karaman, Turkey for seven years, where Mawlana Rumi's mother and brother both passed away. In 1225, Mawlana Rumi married Gowhar Khatun in Karaman and had two sons: Sultan Walad and Ala-uddin Chalabi. When his wife passed away, Mawlana Rumi married again and had a son, Amir Alim Chalabi, and a daughter, Malakeh Khatun.

On 1 May 1228, most likely as a result of the insistent invitation of Alauddin Keyqobad, ruler of Anatolia, Hazrat Bahauddin Walad finally settled in Konya in Anatolia within the westernmost territories of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum.

On the road to Anatolia, Mawlana Rumi encountered one of the most famous mystic Persian poets, by the name of Fariduddin Attar, in the Iranian city of Nishapur, located in the province ofKhorasan. Attar immediately recognized Rumi's spiritual eminence. He saw the father walking ahead of the son and said, "Here comes a sea followed by an ocean." He then gave Mawlana Rumi his ‘Asrarnama’, a book about the entanglement of the soul in the material world. This meeting had a deep impact on the eighteen-year-old Mawlana Rumi, and later on became the inspiration for his works.

Eventually, Hazrat Bahauddin Walad became the head of a seminary school (Madrasa) in Konya,Turkey. When he passed away, Mawlana Rumi was only 25 years old and took his father’s place at the head of the school.

One of Hazrat Bahauddin Walad's students, Hazrat Sayyed Burhanuddin Muhaqqiq Termazi, continued to train Mawlana Rumi in the religious and mystical doctrines of Hazrat Rumi's father. For nine years, Rumi practiced Sufism as a disciple of Hazrat Sayyed Burhanuddin until the latter died in 1240 or 1241. Hazrat Rumi's public life then began: he became a teacher who preached in the mosques of Konya and taught his adherents in the Madrasa.

During this period, Mawlana Rumi also travelled to Damascus and is said to have spent four years there.

Meeting with Hazrat Shams Tabrez

However, it was his meeting with the dervish Hazrat Shams Tabrez on 15 November 1244 that completely changed Rumi's life. Hazrat Shams had travelled throughout the Middle East searching and praying for someone who could "endure my company". A voice said to him, "What will you give in return?" and Hazrat Shams replied, "My head!". The voice then said, "The one you seek is Jalaluddin of Konya."

One version of the famous meeting that Mawlana Rumi had with Hazrat Shams Tabrez [R.A], was that once Mawlana Rumi was teaching a group of his students and referring to his handwritten books & notes while Hazrat Shams Tabrez happened to come along and asked him about those notes.

Mawlana Rumi [R.A] replied that the books and notes were beyond the understanding of Hazrat Shams Tabrez. Then Mawlana Rumi [R.A] continued his class, meanwhile Hazrat Shams Tabrez [R.A] threw all the books into a nearby pond of water. The students noticed this and started beating him. This caught the attention of Mawlana Rumi who complained about losing his knowledge. Hazrat Shams Tabrez [R.A] replied that he could return the books, so he recited ‘Bismillah’ and retrieved the books from the water, which to everyone’s surprise, were still intact. Seeing this, Mawlana Rumi [R.A] was amazed and asked how this was possible – to which Hazrat Shams Tabrez  replied that such knowledge was beyond that of an external scholar.

Thus began the relationship between Mawlana Rumi [R.A] and Hazrat Shams Tabrez [R.A]. At this stage, Mawlana Rumi is reported to have mostly retired from his public life and spent a lot of time with Hazrat Shams Tabrez [R.A]. They would spend days discussing divine issues and Sufi thoughts, to the extent that Mawlana Rumi would not teach his classes or visit his family for long periods of time.

On the night of 5 December 1248, as Hazrat Rumi and Hazrat Shams were talking, Hazrat Shams Tabrez was called to the back door. He went out, never to be seen again. It is rumored that Hazrat Shams Tabrez was murdered; if so, Hazrat Shams indeed gave his head for his mystical friendship with Mawlana Rumi.

Mawlana Rumi's love for, and his bereavement at the death of, Hazrat Shams found their expression in an outpouring of music & poetry, thus he compiled a collection entitled Divan-e-Shams-e-Tabrez. He himself went out searching for Hazrat Shams and journeyed again toDamascus. There, he realized:

"Why should I seek? I am the same as He.

His essence speaks through me.

I have been looking for myself!"

The Masnavi Sharif

Mawlana Rumi [R.A] then formed companionship with Hazrat Salahuddin Zarkub  a goldsmith. After Hazrat Salahuddin's death, Mawlana Rumi's scribe and favorite student, Hazrat Hussam Chalabi, assumed the role of Mawlana Rumi's companion.

One day, the two of them were wandering through the Meram vineyards outside Konya when Hazrat Hussam described to Mawlana Rumi an idea he had: "If you were to write a book like the Ilahinama of Sana’i or the Mantiqut-Tayr of 'Attar, it would become the companion of many poets. They would fill their hearts from your work and compose music to accompany it."

Mawlana Rumi then smiled and took out a piece of paper on which were written the opening eighteen lines of his Masnavi, beginning with:

“Listen to the reed and the tale it tells,

How it sings of separation.”

Hazrat Hussam implored Mawlana Rumi to write more. Mawlana Rumi spent the next twelve years of his life in Anatolia dictating the six volumes of this masterwork, the Masnavi, to Hazrat Hussam.

In his commentary on the Masnavi Sharif, Mawlana Abdur Rahman Jami [R.A], the famous 15^thcentury Persian Sufi saint and poet, writes:

“The word ‘ney’ (reed) in the first couplet of the Masnavi means a perfect and exalted human being brought up in Islam. Such people have forgotten themselves and everything else. Their minds are always busy seeking the rida [approval] of Allah, The Most Exalted.”

Mawlana Jami [R.A] says that ‘Ney’ also means non-existent, because these men are emptied of themselves. Finally he says ‘Ney’ refers to the reed-pen. A pen’s writings are fully controlled by its writer, which also points to men emptied of existence and perfectly submitting to the will of Allah, The Most Exalted.

Muslim Scholar, Saint & Poet

This brings up the point that Mawlana Rumi [R.A]  was a true Muslim scholar and Sufi. Unfortunately, there have been many mistranslations or misrepresentations of Mawlana Rumi [R.A]. He himself writes in his Diwan:

“Man banda-yé Qur’ân-am, agar jân dâr-am

man khâk-é rah-é Muhammad-e mukhtâr-am

gar naql kon-ad joz în, kas az goftâr-am

bêzâr-am az-ô, w-az-în sokhan bêzâr-am” 

Meaning: “I am the servant of the Qur’an as long as I have life.

I am the dust on the path of Muhammad (s.a.w), the Chosen one.

If anyone quotes anything except this from my sayings,

I am quit of him and outraged by these words.”

Mawlana Rumi states in his Diwan-e-Shams: "The Sufi is hanging on to Muhammad (s.a.w), like Abu Bakr [R.A]."

Departure of Mawlana Rumi; Reunion with his Beloved

In December 1273, Mawlana Rumi fell ill; he predicted his own death and composed the well-known ghazal, which begins with the verse:

"How doest thou know what sort of King I have within me as a Companion?

Do not cast thy glance upon my golden face, for I have iron legs."

Mawlana Rumi [R.A] passed away & reunited with his Beloved Lord on 5th Jamadiul Aakhir 672 Hijri in Konya Sharif, Turkey. His tomb is near to that of his friend & guide, Hazrat Shams Tabrez [R.A] and his body was laid to rest beside his father under a beautiful tomb named Yesil Turbe or ‘the Green Tomb’.

His epitaph written on his tomb reads:

"When we are dead, seek not our tomb in the earth, but find it in the hearts of men."

Teachings & Influences of Mawlana Rumi

Mawlana Rumi [R.A] was a poet, jurist, theologian and scholar of the highest accord. He emphasized however that true knowledge is not found in books, but at the feet of the Noble Friends of Allah Almighty.

For any given individual, that person is his or her Sheikh or Spiritual Guide (Pir/Murshid). Regarding the importance of the Sheikh, Mawlana Rumi writes:

“Sad kitaboh, sad waraq, dar nar kun

Aur jaan-o-dil rah, janibeh, dil daar kun”

Meaning: “Throw all your (100) books into the fire,

And turn with heart & soul to the Awliya.”

[For without them one cannot reach perfection.]

In the Masnavi Sharif, Mawlana Rumi [R.A] writes the following: 

“Seeing a man who was tilling the earth, a fool who was unable to control himself, cried out, “Why are you ruining this soil?”

“Fool,” said the man, “leave me alone: try to recognize the difference between tending the soil and wasting it. How will this soil become a rose garden until it is disturbed and overturned?”

This verse demonstrates importance of the Sheikh who acts as the tiller, testing the spiritual disciple (Mureed) so that the Mureed’s full inner potential is realized and his/her spiritual station is elevated.

Mawlana Rumi’s [R.A] importance continues throughout the centuries and across cultures. Hazrat Allamah Iqbal [R.A], the great 19th century poet-philosopher of the Indian subcontinent, separated by six centuries of time, famously attributed Mawlana Rumi as his Pir when he wrote “Pir-e-Rumi, Mureed-e-Hindi” and also about himself:

"Tu bhi hai us qaafla-e-shawq mein Iqbal

Jis qaafla-e-shawq ka salaar hai Rumi"

Meaning: "You too are a member of that caravan of longing, O Iqbal!

That caravan of longing whose guide is Rumi."

Mawlana Rumi believed passionately in the use of music, poetry & Sufi dance as a path for reaching God.

For Mawlana Rumi, music helped devotees to focus their whole being on the Divine, and to do this so intensely that the soul was both destroyed & resurrected. It was from these ideas that the practice of whirling dervishes developed into a ritual form.

His teachings became the base for the Mevlevi order which his son Hazrat Sultan Walad established. Mawlana Rumi encouraged sama, listening to music and turning or doing the sacred dance. In the Mevlevi tradition, sama represents a mystical journey of spiritual ascent through mind & love to the Perfect One. In this journey, the seeker symbolically turns towards the truth, grows through love, abandons the ego, finds the truth and arrives at the Perfect One.

All over the world, the name Rumi is a beacon of light for broken-hearts and seekers of the truth. His life story is an amazing demonstration of love & union with the Divine and his teachings pave the way to the Beloved.

Through the Masnavi Sharif, many have opened their eyes to the light of Sufism and found the road to God by following the pen of Mawlana Rumi.

May the Muslim Ummah continue to prosper through the words & wisdom of our beloved Awliya, ameen!

HAZRAT NIZAMUDDIN AWLIYA (RA)

Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya

"In Allah's garden you gather roses,
Being drunk with divine mysteries;
 Hazrat Mehboob-e-Elahi - the beloved of Allah,
 O, how I long for the attar of your company!"

Unknown

BRIEF FACTS:
Born in: 1238 AD, in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh
Also known as: Mehboob-e-Elahi
Passed away in: 725 AH (1324 AD)

Introduction

Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya represents in many ways the pinnacle of the Chishti Order (Silsila).

His spiritual guide, Hazrat Baba Fareed, said to him on appointing him as his successor, "Be like a big tree so that Allah's creation, the human beings in their vast multitudes, may find rest and solace under your shadow."

This partly explains why he admitted so many men into the Chishti order as his disciples. Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya sent his well-versed and caring disciples to far-flung areas of Uttar Pradesh, Rajastan, Gujarat, Bihar, and Bengal amongst other places to spread the word of truth.

With regard to the Sufi path, Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya taught the following:

“For a dervish, three things are necessary. They all begin with an 'ain' (an Arabic letter): Ishq (love), Aql (intelligence) and Ilm (knowledge).”

Let us discuss these three qualities one by one:

Love: Sufism is, in its essence, the way of love. Love is considered to be a spiritual treasure through which the baser qualities of a human being are transformed into higher ones. In this respect, it suffices to say that Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya is known as Mehboob-e-Elahi, the beloved of Allah. Of course, the spiritual status of a beloved is much higher than that of a lover.

Intelligence: Intelligence changed in the hands of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya into wisdom. His wisdom manifested itself in the shape of service to humanity. About him it has been said: "He was not a miracle-monger of the ordinary sort. He never flew in the air or walked on water with dry and motionless feet. His greatness was the greatness of a loving heart; his miracles were the miracles of a deeply sympathetic soul. He could read a man's inner heart by a glance at his face and spoke the words that brought consolation to a tortured heart."

Knowledge: About knowledge, it can be said that Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya was one of the greatest scholars of his day. He wished to become a Qazi (Islamic judge) but gave it all up in his pursuit of inner knowledge.

After becoming a Mureed (spiritual disciple) of Hazrat Baba Fareed, he lived in extremely poor circumstances. Seeing him, a former friend expressed great surprise as he remembered Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya as one who had began a very promising career as a scholar. When Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya told all of this to Hazrat Baba Fareed, his Murshid(spiritual guide) suggested that he should recite the following couplet to his friend:

“You are not my fellow traveller.

Tread your own path

May you be affluent.

And I downtrodden.”

Then Hazrat Baba Fareed ordered him to take a tray of food from the kitchen and carry it on his head to his friend. After doing so, Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya recited the verse above which deeply moved his friend.

One day, someone told a story of a certain saint who passed away while slowly repeating the name of Allah. The eyes of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya, who was listening to this story, filled with tears and he recited this verse:

“I have come running to the end of Your street,

Tears are washing my face,

What else do I seek other than meeting You?

I repeat Your name as I surrender my soul to You.”

Early Years & Education

After leaving their homeland, the city of Bukhara in Uzbekistan, the paternal grandfather of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya (Khwaja Ali) and the maternal grandfather of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya (Khwaja Arab) along with their family, moved to India.

At first they lived in Lahore, but later they took up their residence in Badayun (east of Delhi). Soon after, Khwaja Arab married his daughter Bibi Zulaikha to Khwaja Ali's son Khwaja Ahmad.

The birth of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya took place on the last Wednesday of the month of Safar (the 27th of Safar 636 AH). Up to this day, his birthday celebration takes place on which his blessed shrine is bathed and the water thereof is distributed among the visitors.

Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya's father passed away when Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya was five years old.

His mother took him to a school where he learned to recite the Holy Qur'an. In a short time, he mastered the seven ways of reciting the Holy Qur'an. Then he studied Arabic grammar, Ahadith (sayings of Rasulallah (s.a.w), commentary of the Holy Qur'an and logic. At the age of twelve, he received the "turban of excellence."

He was so sharp-witted, wise and understanding that he was given the title "Debater, capable of defeating the congregation." He became distinguished in the science of Tafsir (commentary on the Qur'an), in the knowledge of Ahadith, in Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence), mathematics and astronomy. Khwaja Shamsul Malik was among his most learned teachers. He received a testimony of knowledge of Ahadith from Mawlana Kamaluddin.

Although Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya used to sit among the Ulema (scholars of Islam) during that time, he was more interested in the inner life. He often used to say, "In the days of youth, I used to live in the company of the Ulema, but in my heart the thought used to come that I should go away from their company and turn my face to the Divine Teacher."

Hazrat Baba Fareed [R.A]

One day, a certain Qawwal (Sufi musician) with the name of Abu Bakr, came from Multan to visit Hazrat Nizamuddin's teacher. The teacher asked for information about the Sufi Sheikhs of Multan.

Abu Bakr answered thus, "I have lived in the company of Hazrat Sheikh Bahauddin Zakaria ofMultan and I have sung mystical couplets for him. In his Khanqa (Sufi institution), the worship of Allah is very devoted, so much so that even the girls who knead the flour, while doing so, are occupied with the Zikr (remembrance of Allah). From there I went to Ajodhan (Pak Pattan). There I was given the privilege of meeting Hazrat Baba Fareeduddin Ganj-e-Shakar. That sovereign of love of God has conquered the world and the light of his moon has illuminated that area."

Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya says, "When I heard these words of praise in regard to Baba Fareeduddin Ganj-e-Shakar, I developed a sudden and intense love for him and I began to repeat his name after every Namaz (prayer)."

The Qawwal started his concert with this line, "The living serpent of love has bitten my heart." But then Abu Bakr could not recollect the second line. Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya helped him to do so, and seeing this, the Qawwal became very attentive towards him. From that day, Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya became very much attached to Baba Fareed.

Arriving in Delhi

"When my eighteenth year began," Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya narrates, "I travelled from Badayun to Delhi."

Musamma Ayuz accompanied him in this journey. Ayuz was a staunch believer in the spiritual greatness of Hazrat Baba Fareed. Whenever he saw the slightest danger of robbers or wild beasts, he would cry out, "O, Pir! Come! I need your protection."

Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya continues, "I asked him the name of that Pir and Ayuz said, "It is the one who has caught your heart and got you enamoured," meaning Baba Fareed. Thus, from that day my faith in the Sheikh increased."

"When in Delhi, I stayed by chance near Hazrat Baba Fareeduddin's brother and Caliph, Hazrat Sheikh Najibuddin Mutawakkil. My mother and sister were also with me. We rented a house in the neighbourhood of the great Sheikh, whose company was very valuable to me. In his presence, the qualities of Baba Fareeduddin Ganj-e-Shakar used to be discussed. On hearing them, I felt the desire of kissing his blessed feet. For approximately three years, I stayed in Delhi."

Meeting Hazrat Baba Fareed

One day Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya asked Sheikh Najibuddin Mutawakkil to pray to God that he (Hazrat Nizamuddin) may become a Qazi & be able to spread justice among the creatures of God. The Sheikh remained silent. When Hazrat Nizamuddin repeated his question, he answered thus, "God forbid that you be a Qazi; be something else!"

In those days, Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya used to spend the nights at the Jama Masjid. One morning, the Muazzin (the one who announces the Azan, call to prayer) recited the following verse from the minaret:

"Has not the time come

For the faithful

That their hearts should bend

For the remembrance of Allah."

[Qur'an 57:16]

Hearing this, Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya's condition changed. It was as if he received spiritual illumination from every direction. And, without any food, he left Delhi in order to present himself to Baba Fareed.

At the age of twenty, on Wednesday 11th Rajab 655 AH (1257 AD), he reached Ajodhan. Upon meeting Hazrat Baba Fareed for the first time, he unsuccessfully tried to summon up courage to explain how eager he was to see him. He could not do so, due to the awe of the great Sheikh’s presence. Baba Fareed then said, "Every newcomer is nervous."

Thereafter Baba Fareed recited this verse:

"O, the fire of separation of Thee,

Has made the hearts like roasted meat;

The flood of the fondness of Thee,

Has made the lives morose."

Then Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya was honoured to be accepted as the Mureed (spiritual disciple) of Baba Fareed.

Then Hazrat Baba Fareed remarked, "O, Nizamuddin! I wanted to entrust the domain of Delhi to someone else. When you were on your way, I heard a voice instructing that I should wait as Nizamuddin is coming; he is fit for this domain and it should be entrusted to him. So stay in our company so that after completing your inner training, we will appoint you as our Caliph and as the Wali-e-Hindustan (the saint of India)."

Hazrat Nizamuddin lived in the company of his Pir-o-Murshid (spiritual guide) for seven months and a few days. In this short period, he became even more deserving of the Khilafat of the great Sufi, Hazrat Baba Fareed.

On 2nd Rabi'ul Awwal 656 AH (1258 AD), Baba Fareed bestowed Khilafat and Wilayat to Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya by giving him the special turban, which came to Baba Sahib from Chisht (Afghanistan). After arriving in Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya ascended the throne of Khilafat-e-Peeran-e-Chisht, i.e. he became a Caliph/successor of the Chishti saints.

Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya came ten times to Ajodhan: three times in the life of Baba Fareed and seven times after his death.

After residing in Delhi for a few days, he disdained the crowds of people and desired to withdraw himself to the desert. He then received a Divine inspiration that his place of residence should be Ghyaspur, a small village outside the city of Delhi.

First he had built a temporary shed with a straw roof for himself and all his companions. After some time, a better place was constructed for him by one of his disciples, Ziauddin Wakil Mulk. Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya lived here for more than sixty years and never changed his place of residence. The Khanqah is still there and is visited by many people up to this day.

Death of the Great Mehboob-e-Ilaahi

Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya passed away in 725 AH (1324 AD), after an illness of about four months. He was buried in Ghyaspur and the locality is named after him today.

Unique Nature & Characteristics

After passing the spiritual status of Ghawsiat (reaching the status of a Ghaws), Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya reached the status of Mehboob (beloved). His personality was a container of divine secrets and his intentions were in harmony with those of Allah.

One of his miracles was that he would emit a very fine fragrance. Qazi Hamiduddin Kashani once became fragrant with this scent and unsuccessfully tried to wash it away. He narrated the incident to Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya, who explained it thus: "Qazi, this fragrance is of the Love of Allah, which He gives to His lovers."

In the early period of his life, Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya experienced great poverty. In Sultan Ghyasuddin Balban's time, one could buy melons for very little money, however the greater part of the season would pass without Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya eating a single slice. One day a pious lady brought some barley flour and presented it to him. He asked Sheikh Kamaluddin Yaqub to boil it in a cauldron. At that moment, a faqir with a patched frock arrived and with a loud voice said, "O Nizamuddin! Bring whatever is present." Then Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya gave all the food to him. The faqir ate it all and then broke the cauldron. Hereafter he said, "O Nizamuddin! You have received the bounties of the invisible world from Baba Fareed, and the bowl of visible poverty I have broken. Now you have become the Sultan of both the visible and invisible world." From that day on, countless gifts started arriving and free food was distributed to hundreds of visitors every day.

Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya was very generous as demonstrated in the following narration, which can be found in Hazrat Abdur Rahman Jami's Nafhatul Uns.

A merchant of Multan lost all his possessions to a band of thieves. He told Sheikh Sadruddin, the son of the famous Suhrawardi saint (Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria of Multan), that he intended to go to Delhi and asked for a letter of recommendation to Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya. Then he was told by the great saint that he would receive all the gifts that would be given from the morning to the Chasht (forenoon) prayers. About 12,000 golden and silver coins were received. All these were given to the merchant.

Every day large numbers of gifts used to be received, but they were distributed before the evening. More than three thousand needy people used to live on the Langar (food distributed openly to all who visit).

Shortly before his death, Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya called Khadim Iqbal and said, "Whatever cash is present, bring it so that I may distribute it to the deserving." Iqbal replied, "Whatever gifts come, they are spent on the same day. But there are a few thousand tons of grains in our storeroom." “Bring it out and distribute it to the deserving," said Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya.

Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya had great love for sama (Sufi music). His friends, disciples and students used to perform such Qawwali (music) in his presence that even animals used to stop and listen to it. One day he was out for a walk, when he saw a person who was pulling water out of a well and was saying in a loud voice to his companions, "Remain outside today, brother!" Hazrat Nizamuddin, after hearing this, started weeping, and his Khuddam (servants) repeated that line until they reached home again.

Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya remained a bachelor all his life. Once his kamarband (a rope used to fasten a pair of trousers) got away from his hand. Baba Fareed then said, "Tighten the kamarband properly." Hazrat Nizamuddin asked, "How should I do it?” Hazrat Baba Fareed answered, "Tighten it in such a way that except the Hooris (Hoori – a lady creation of Jannat) of heaven, nobody is capable of opening it." Hearing that Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya put his head on the floor and did not marry.

Writing and Sayings

Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya collected the speech of his Pir-o-Murshid in a book called Rahatul Quloob.

Some of the sayings of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya:

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

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

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

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

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

Miracles [Karamat]

Once, the King Sultan Qutbuddin Mubarak Shah asked Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya to visit him on the last day of every month. Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya responded, "It is against the tradition of my Sheikhs. I will never go to meet the King." His friends advised him to turn for help to his Sheikh Baba Fareed, so that the problem would be solved. Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya refused to do so, saying, "The tasks of religion alone are many. I feel ashamed to give pain to the Sheikh for a worldly affair." He then said, "The king will not be victorious over me for I have had a certain dream. I saw that an animal with horns was attacking me. Upon it coming closer, I took hold of its horns and threw the animal on the earth in such a way that it was killed."

That day, after the noon prayers, he declined to visit the king. When two hours of the day remained, he was asked again to visit the king. He gave no reply. But it so happened that upon that very night, the king was murdered by a certain Khusru Khan.

Another Sultan, by the name of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, wanted Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya to leave Ghyaspur before the Sultan's visit to Delhi. Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya was saddened by this and remarked, "Delhi is still far away." Then just before the arrival of the king in Delhi, the palace ofTughlaqabad collapsed over him and he was killed.

Sultan Alauddin had the fear in his heart that Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya wished to rule the kingdom himself and that he was only waiting for the proper time and chance to overthrow him. As a test, he sent some complicated matters related to state affairs to Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya and asked for its solution.

Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya reacted thus, "What have the dervishes, seated on rugs, to do with the affairs of kings seated on thrones? It is better that the time of the dervish is not wasted and conscience of the faqura is not put to test." When the king respectfully invited Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya to visit him, the latter answered thus, "The affections of a dervish should be seen as a bird to which distress is caused by the hawk of kingly shows. It is better and enough to keep acquaintance through greetings."

Khwaja Hassan, who had lived in the company of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya when he was much younger, along with all his friends, was involved in the drinking of wine. One day, near the mausoleum of Hazrat Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, they met again. Khwaja Hassan then recited this verse:

"For years we have been in each others' company,

But your company did me no good.

Your piety could not correct my sinful life.

My sinful life is therefore stronger than your piety."

After hearing this verse, Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya simply said, "There are different effects of company on different men." At once, Khwaja Hassan fell down at the feet of Hazrat Nizamuddin and along with his friends became a Mureed (spiritual disciple) of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya.

Hazrat Sheikh Nasiruddin of Oudh related that he used to receive worldly knowledge from Qazi Muhiuddin Kashani. He suddenly became ill and no hope of life remained. Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya visited Sheikh Nasiruddin when he was unconscious and wiped his blessed hand over Sheikh Nasiruddin’s face. Immediately Sheikh Nasiruddin regained consciousness and put his head on the feet of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya.

One day a Mureed of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya prepared a feast for him. Qawwals were also called and food was prepared. But when the sama (music) started, thousands of people joined in. The host became worried because of the shortage of food and that it would not be enough for so many unexpected guests. Feeling this, Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya said to his Khadim (servant), "Wash the hands of the people and let ten people sit at one place. Start giving the food after saying 'Bismillah' (in the Name of Allah)."

These instructions were followed, and it so happened that everyone had enough food and there was a great deal of food left over.

It is narrated that a certain Shamsuddin was a very rich man and had no faith in the spirituality of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya. Instead, he would speak ill of him in his absence.

One day, he was drinking wine with his friends and suddenly he saw Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya appear in front of him, who made a prohibiting sign with his finger. Shamsuddin then threw the wine in the water and started towards the house of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya after performing the ritual ablutions. Seeing him, Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya said, "Whoever is blessed by Allah, he abstains from sins like this."

Hearing this, Shamsuddin became very astonished and with complete faith became his Mureed. He distributed all his money to the dervishes and in a short time became a Wali (saint) himself.

A Story of Love

One day Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya was listening to Qawwali and in ecstasy, waved his handkerchief and said, "We regret, we have not become equal to the washermans' son even."

At that moment, no one dared to ask what he meant, but some days afterwards he was asked about it by Hazrat Amir Khusru.

The explanation of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya was like this: "The son of the washerman of the king, without seeing the princess, was in love with her. He used to wash her clothes with utmost care, and even mended and improved them by various means. Without seeing her, he used to moan and weep in the memory of her beauty. His parents became very worried. To speak about it is a problem and to not speak about it is a problem. We are washers and she is a princess. How can the dust of the earth be compared with the sky?

So they tricked him in order to try and change their son's thoughts. One day his mother came to him with a grief-stricken face. He asked what the matter was with her. Then she explained, "Today was the soyam (the third day after the death) of the Princess whose clothes you used to wash. The boy asked three times, "Has she died?" and then with a shriek, he died.

On the fourth day, the washerwoman brought the clothes back to the princess. She asked, "Who has washed these clothes today? They do not look as clean as they used to be. Their neatness used to look as if love had been involved." Hearing this, the washerwoman became sad and started to weep. On being forced by the princess, she explained everything. The princess then wished to visit his grave. At once, when she was there, the grave cracked and the princess said, "It cracked at places. Ah! Whose grave is this? Probably a restless heart is buried in it." Then the princess fell down and passed away.

Poetry in Honour of the Beloved (s.a.w)

The following is a translation of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya's famous poem in honour of the Prophet:

O breeze! turn towards Madinah (and) from this well-wisher recite the Salaam.

Turn to the King of the Prophets (and) with the utmost humility recite the Salaam.

Sometimes pass the gate of mercy (and) with the gate of Gabriel rule the forehead.

Salaam to the Prophet of God (and) sometimes recite Salaam at the gate of peace.

Put with all respect the head of faith on the dust there.

Be one with the sweet melody of David and be acquainted with the cry of anguish.

In the assembly of the Prophet’s recite verses from the humble being 'Nizam'.