The Khanqah  Chishti Nizami Habibi Soofie International Sufi Order

Pietermaritzburg South Africa

The Inside of the Mazaar Shareef of Khwaja Ghulam Muhammad Soofie Saheb

Hazrath Soofie Sahib (ra)

Photograph by my daughter Rif'at Soofi

Truth is handed over from person to person; it’s not taken from books. Every book studied with a true scholar, is a book passed down a ‘chain of transmission’ or he was given permission to study and teach it, since the scholars recognized his ability to read independently. The light of truth is passed down from heart to heart.

Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur’aan (16:43)

Ask the people of zikr (who know reality in a world of illusion) when you don’t know

It’s an obligation to consult people of knowledge. Even the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and companions) was taught by Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) .You cannot take knowledge that has any import or weight in this world; whether medicine or engineering from books, you have to study under qualified teachers.

The 'pledge of commitment' (bay'ah) is given Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) with the strong resolve that this is the hand of my teacher who will spiritually prune me on this path. After one is initiated as a mureed (disciple), literally meaning 'the intent'  the Murshid (spiritual guide) hands over a copy of the Shajrah (lineage of the Grand Masters) to the mureed. Hidaya or guidance from Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) flows, according to the Sufi way, from Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) to His beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and companions) and then through him to the chain (silsila) of spiritual luminaries.

All divine blessings come to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and companions) as mentioned in hadith:

:ع5ط7ی5. م? و= ا ي =ا ق=اس7 =ن Gم=ا أ 7ن هللااAll blessings are given to me and I distribute

Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) has created the personality of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and companions) as the first transformer, and only personality capable of receiving directly from Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) and he distributes it to those who received knowledge from him and who had their personalities shaped by him. They are spiritually superior and in every way elevated being on an attained level of perfection. The next transformer after the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and companions) is Hazrath Abu Bakr; then Hazrath Umar; then Hazrath Uthman and then Hazrath Ali (may Allah be well pleased with them all). In our Shajrah we mention Hazrath Ali (may Allah be well pleased with him) because he was especially chosen to transmit this spiritual knowledge. We enter an order for

the sake of spiritual knowledge and practice to acquire holiness to refine our thought, body, soul and entire being.

The wisdom behind reading the Shajrah for the mureed in a specific silsila, is that he remains in touch with this chain or channel which has been formed by Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) for him. When we read the shajrah we establish our connection with the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and companions) through that chain. This is a special channel to obtain special favors of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He). As the angels are appointed functionaries to perform specific tasks the Aulia are functionaries to assist man on the spiritual quest. The recitation of the shajrah is to stay in touch with the  link of the spiritual chain and the spiritual masters who make up the spiritual chain. The link is kept fresh and "rust free"; by virtue of the mureeds daily recitation of the Shajrah. By reciting the Shajrah, one repeatedly renews one's pledge with the Masters of the Order; and this contact brings great results in this world and in the hereafter.

Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in Holy Qur'aan the 17th Sura, Bani Israel verse 71:

"One day we shall call together all human beings with their respective Imams/Leaders".

 The explanation of this verse is that each follower will be asked to be behind his leader/guide that he followed in this world. This verse is indicative of the fact that the mureed will be called upon on the Day of Qiyaamah to be behind his Shaykh, and under the flag of the spiritual order that he belongs to.

It is of utmost importance that the mureed recites the Shajrah with understanding, sincerity and feeling. This will stir his soul; which is invaluable in the spiritual progress of the mureed. The attention of the Shuyukh (plural of "Shaykh") is also drawn to the person and they respond spiritually, with great affinity - both in this life and after death.

Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur’aan in the 52nd Sura, at-Tur (Mount Sinai) in verse 21:

And those who believe and whose families follow them in Faith,-

To them shall We join their families: Nor shall We deprive them (of the fruit) of aught of their works

The Shajrah expresses certain feelings with the specific intention of "Wasila" present; but at the same time, it should be kept in mind that everything invariably is from the blessing of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He).

The Shajrah is usually recited after Salaatul Fajr or after Salaatul Esha. The time for reading should be kept constant. The wazaaif prescribed by the Shaykh to a mureed should be consistently recited, for this serves as a "polish" for the heart.

The Hadith states:

Mercy of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) descends where the pious are remembered

If mercy descends where they are remembered how much more mercy must descend where they are resident. Hazrath Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi (May Allah be well pleased with him)

"When anyone talks or remembers the pious servants of Allah, Allah's mercy descends upon them like gracious rain

and refreshes the mind."

 

 

 

77 ح7يم Gح5من7 الر G7 الله7 الر م 7س5 ب

ع:ه=ا ف7ي 7ت? و=ف=ر5 =اب :ه=ا ث ص5ل= =ةh أ kب ج=رةh ط=ي =ش= ك

م=اء Gالس‘A (spiritually) beneficial tree, whose root is firm and whose branches are in heaven’

[Holy Qur’aan, 14th Sura, Ibrahim, verse 24]

چراغ چشتیہ راروشنا ئئ                                   لہہی تابود خورشیدماہی‌ا

مدد کن یا معین الدین چشتی                              داب بلا افتاد کشتی بگر

=م=ا =ا م:حGم=دh ك kد7ن ي wه:مG ص=لk ع=ل=ى س= الل

5ه7 =ي :ص=لk ع=ل =ن5 ت 7ا ض=ى ب =ر5 :ح7ب| و= ت ت

ه خ5ر= ش=

چشتيہ نظاميہ سليمانیہ حافظیہ حبیبیہ صوفیہThe Shajrah

of the

Chishtia, Nizaamia, Sulaimania, Hafizia, Habibia, Sufia

Name Date Buried Place1 The Refulgent Sun of Piety, Truth, Justice,

Love,

Selflessness, Wisdom and Beauty, who came as the Last

Prophet and Messenger of Allah to entire Humanity

The Holy Prophet Muhammad e   

12 Rabi al-Awwal Madinah, Arabia

2 Hazrath Ali son of Abu Taalib 21 Ramadaan Najaf, Iraq3 Khwaja Hasan of Basra 4 Muharram Basra, Iraq4 Khwaja Abdul Wahid son of Zaid 27 Safar Basra, Iraq5 Khwaja Fuzail son of Ayaaz 3 Rabi al-Awwal Makkah, Arabia

6 Khwaja Ibrahim son of Adham 26 Jamad al-Awwal Syria7 Khwaja Sadid ad-aDin Hudhaifa al-

Marashi4th Shawwal Syria

8 Khwaja Amin ad-Din Hubayra 7th Shawwal Basra, Iraq9 Khwaja Mumshad Uluw al- Dinawari 14th Muharram Baghdad, Iraq10 Khwaja Abu Ishaq al- Chishti 14th Rabi us-Saani Acer, border of Syria11 Khwaja Abu Ahmad Abdaal 1st Jamad-us-Saani Chisht12 Khwaja Abu Muhammad 4th Rabi al-Awwal Chisht13 Khwaja Nasir ad-Din Abu Yusuf 13th Rajab Chisht14 Khwaja Qutb ad-Din Maudud 1st Rajab Chisht15 Khwaja Haji Sharif Zandani 3rd  Rajab Syria16 Khwaja Uthman Haruni 5th Shawwal Madinah, Arabia17 Hazrath Sultan al-Hind, Gharib Nawaaz

Khwaja Muin ad-Din Hassan

al-Chishti

  6th Rajab

  Ajmer Sharif, India

18 Khwaja Qutb ad-Din  Kaki 14th Rabi-al-Awwal Delhi, India19 Baba Farid ad-Din Masood Ganj-e-Shakar 5th Muharram Paak, Pattan, Pakistan20 Khwaja  Nizaam ad-Din Aulia 18th Rabi as-Saani Delhi, India21 Khwaja Nasir ad-Din Chiragh 18th Ramadaan Delhi, India22 Khwaja Kamaal ad-Din Allama 27th Dhul Qadah Delhi, India23 Khwaja Siraaj ad-Din Chishti 21st Jamaad al-Awwal Mubarak Patan, Gujarat24 Khwaja Muhammad Ilm ad-Din 26th Safar Pir Pattan, Gujarat25 Khwaja Mahmud ‘Urf Rajan 12th Safar Pir Pattan, Gujarat26 Khwaja Jamaal-ud-Din Juman 20th Zil Hajj Ahmadabad, Gujarat27 Khwaja  Hasan Muhammad  28th Zil Qadh Ahmadabad, Gujarat28 Khwaja Shams ad-Din Muhammad 19th or 29th

Rabi al-AwwalBank of River Jamman,

Akbarabad29 Khwaja Muhyi ad-Din Yahya Madni 28th Safar Madinah, Arabia30 Khwaja Kalimullah of Jahanabad 24th Rabi al-Awwal Delhi, India31 Khwaja Nizaam ad-Din of Aurangabad 12th Zil Qadh Aurangabad, India32 Khwaja Maulana Fakhr ad-Din of Delhi 27th Jamad as-Saani Delhi, India33 Khwaja Nur Muhammad of Mahar 3rd Zil Hajj Taaj Sarwar in Chishtia

near Mahar Shareef, Pakistan

34 Khwaja Sulaiman of Taunsa 7th Safar Taunsa, Pakistan35 Khwaja Hafiz Muhammad Ali of

Khairabaad19th Zil Qadh Khairabaad, India

36 Khwaja Habib Ali Shah of Hyderabad 6 Zil Hajj Hyderabad, India37 Khwaja Ghulam Muhammad Soofie Saheb 2nd Rajab 1911 Riverside, Durban38 Khwaja Muhammad Ibrahim Soofie Saheb 18th Ramadaan 1955 Ajmer, India       

History

In the year 1895, Khwaja Habib Ali Shah (Rahmatullah alai), the great Sufi saint of the Chishti Nizami Order in India, sent his beloved disciple and spiritual successor, Shah Ghulam

Muhammad Siddique (Rahmatullah alai), the humble descendant of Hazrath Abu Bakr Siddiq (Rahmatullah alai), to the Southern tip of Africa to propagate Islam in general and the Chishti Order in particular. It was a challenge to push forward the work of Islam and the silsilah in the British ruled country and to evolve an effective mechanism to deal with those associated with the order. Hazrath Soofie Saheb (Rahmatullah alai) not only rose to the occasion but in the short span of fifteen years the entire Southern Africa became studded with Khanqah's of the Chishti order. The Khanqah of the founding Pir of the Nizami Chishti order, Khwaja Nizaam ad -din Awliya (Rahmatullah alai), by the side of the Jamuna river in India, whilst the first Khanqah of his beloved spiritual son stood by the side of the Umgeni river in Africa, with a magnificent view of the Indian ocean.

The subsequent eleven Khanqah's established all stood in a serene, loving atmosphere, with a cool and refreshing breeze blowing, which aptly symbolized the order of Khwaja Muin ud din Chishti (Rahmatullah alai), the order of love, of the prince of love, which was to blow amidst the oppression and injustice. The Khanqah's comprised of a Masjid, Madrassah, cemetery, orphanage, rehabilitation center, medical center, houses, courtyard, garden, fountains, wells and open kitchen. In each center, the yellow and red flag of the Chishti Nizami Habibi order was hoisted. The sandy yellow color on the flag symbolized humility whilst the red color symbolized ishqe haqiqi (true love), the two qualities which the Habibia order strives to imbibe into it's disciples. The flag also indicated that a Khalifa of the order was present at the Khanqah and could be consulted.

 I feel it is important to mention here that  Mahatma Gandhi used to visit Hazrath for spiritual counseling whilst Hazrath received legal counseling from him. The trust deed of Soofie Saheb (Rahmatullah alai) bears the signature of his lawyer, Mahatma Gandhi, and this bears testimony to the fact. The various practices of the Chishti were introduced into each center; in order to mobilize the spirit in the quest for God.

The Habibia Soofie Khanqah in Pietermaritzburg (est.1909), was built on the banks of the Dorpspruit river, at that time an uninhabited area, where Soofie Saheb (Rahmatullah alai) had predicted the people would eventually live, was administered and controlled by the third son, Hazrath Haji Shah Abd al -Qadir Soofie (Rahmatullah alai). He continued in the footsteps of his father and became a father figure to the

community who affectionately called him "Haji Saheb".. He passed away on the 28 May 1940, and his young widow, Sayyida Khatoon Bibi Soofie (Rahmatullah alai), continued the spiritual practices and selfless service to humanity of the Chisti Habibia silsila. Bhabi Saheba (Rahmatullah alai) passed away on the 14 January 1991. The Khanqah is ably served today by her son,  , Hazrath Shah Ghulam Muhammad and her grandson Irshad, the son of of Hazrath Shah Ghulam Muhay ad-Din the son of Hazrath Shah Ghulam Muhay ad din WHO PASSED AWAY ON 18th Rabi al-Awwal 1429 (March 2008). It is an accepted fact today that the Habibia Soofie Aastana in Pietermaritzburg which comprises of a Jaame Masjid, Madrasah, pre-school, Islamic library, community hall and offering social welfare services, spiritual healing, counseling and spiritual guidance, is a thriving Khanqah of the Chishti Nizami Habibi order.

In conclusion, I pay tribute to all the present Khulafa, trustees and khadims (servants), of all the Soofie Saheb (Rahmatullah alai) Khanqah's in Southern Africa. Every centre established by Hazrath (Rahmatullah alai) is continuously, selflessly serving humanity and even adversaries admit that the impressive buildings and well maintained Khanqah's have become a landmark and a tribute to Islamic architecture in Southern Africa. The services of Hazrat Soofie Saheb (Rahmatullah alai) i.e. loving and serving all humanity regardless of caste, creed, nations, race or sex continue at his Khanqah's unto the present day. His Mazaar Shareef at Riverside, Durban at the headquarters of The Spiritual Order, is a fountain of the nectar of love, that nourishes hearts up to the present day.

ARTICLES & LECTURES

Hypocrites

Qur'aan

The Holy Qur'aan warns against Hypocrites in Sura 63 Munafiqoon Verse 4

 

When you see them, their exteriors (outer trappings) please you; and when they speak, you listen to their words. They are as (worthless as hollow) pieces of timber propped up, (unable to stand on their own). They think that every cry is against them. They are the enemies; so beware of them. The curse of Allah be on them! How are they deluded (away from the

Truth)!

Commentary : Dont be fooled by every Kurta and Turban.

Hadith

It is reported in Mishkat from Hazrat Abu Said Khudri (Radiallhu Anhu) who narrates that: "Once we were in the presence and company of the

Holy Prophet (sallallahu alai hi wa sallam). He was distributing the booty (Spoils of War) when a person named Zul-Khawaisara, who was from the tribe of Bani Tamim addressed the Holy Prophet (sallallahu

alai hi wa sallam) "Oh Muhammad Be Just!" ". The Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) replied: "A Great pity that you have

doubts, if I am unjust then who will be just, you are a loser and a failure." Zul-Khawaisara's attitude infuriated Hazrat Umar

(Radiallhu Anhu) and he pleaded with the Prophet (sallallahu alai hi wa sallam)to permit him to slay Zul-Khawaisara. The Prophet (sallallahu alai hi wa sallam) remarked: "Leave him, as his slaying will serve no good purpose, as he is not the only individual but there are a host of others like him and if you compare their prayers and fasting to

that of yours, you yourself will feel ashamed. These are the people who will recite the Quran but it will not go beyond their

throats, with all these apparent virtues they will leave the fold of Deen just like the arrow leaves the bow. 

Miskhat Shareef, pp/535 / Alim-CD-Rom  Bukhari Shareef 9:527 & 8:184

 

Sufi WisdomImam Malik says

 Whoever has the outer Law  (shariah) without the inner Reality (Sufism) has left the right way;

Whoever has the inner Reality (Sufism)  without the outer Law  (shariah) has strayed;Whoever joins the two of them has realization.

 

The Holy Qur'aan warns against Hypocrites in Sura 63 Munafiqun Verse 4

When you look at them, their exteriors please thee; and when they speak, you listen  to their words.(If Allah blesses you with truth) They are as (worthless as hollow) pieces of timber propped up, (unable to stand on their own). They

think that every cry is against them. They are the enemies; so beware of them. The curse of Allah be on them! How are

they deluded (away from the Truth)!

COMMENTARY: Don't let dress fool you. Con men dress the part.

The Qur'aan identifies them:

in Sura al-Baqara 2: Verse 8 to 21

Of the people there are some who say: "We believe in Allah and the Last Day;" but they do not (really) believe.

Fain would they deceive Allah and those who believe, but they only deceive themselves, and realize (it) not!

In their hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease: and grievous is the penalty they (incur), because they are false (to

themselves).

When it is said to them: "Make not mischief on the earth," they say: "Why, we only want to make peace!"

Of a surety, they are the ones who make mischief, but they realize (it) not.

When it is said to them: "Believe as the others believe," they say: "Shall we believe as the fools believe?" Nay, of a surety they are the

fools, but they do not know.

When they meet those who believe, they say: "We believe;" but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say: "We are really with you

we (were) only jesting."

Allah will throw back their mockery on them, and give them rope in their trespasses; so they will wander like blind ones (to and fro).

These are they who have bartered guidance for error: but their traffic is profitless, and they have lost true direction.

Their similitude is that of a man who kindled a fire; when it lighted all around him, Allah took away their light and left them in utter darkness.

So they could not see.

Deaf, dumb, and blind, they will not return (to the path). 

Or (another similitude) is that of a rain-laden cloud from the sky: in it are zones of darkness, and thunder and lightning: they press their

fingers in their ears to keep out the stunning thunderclap, the while they are in terror of death. But Allah is ever round the rejecters of

Faith!

The lightning all but snatches away their sight; every time the light (helps) them, they walk therein, and when the darkness grows on them, they stand still, and if Allah willed, He could take away their faculty of hearing and seeing; for Allah hath power over all things.

O ye people! Adore your Guardian Lord, Who created you and those who came before you, that ye may have the chance to learn

righteousness;COMMENTARY:Having announced at the beginning of this Sura that the Holy Qur’aan is without doubt the Book and the guidance, Allah proceeds to categorize men into three main types of attitude to faith.

(I)                  The believers, whose attributes are discussed in the first five verses of the Sura

 

(II)               The disbelievers, whose qualities are discussed in the sixth and seventh verses.

  (III)             The Hypocrites, whose qualities, or signs, are discussed in

detail from verses eight to twenty one, FOR THEY ARE MOST DANGEROUS AND THE ENEMY WITHIN OUR RANKS

Because the Holy Qur’aan is the Book that is sent down to help mankind to the Straight Way, its subject matter is man, and his beliefs, whether correct or incorrect. An explanation is given of the consequences of the belief that man chooses and adopts within himself.   In reading the Qur’aan, one must keep in mind the fact that the Speaker is always the Almighty Himself. Sometimes He lets His creation speak also, and sometimes He punctuates the text with goodly examples for our reflection.

Love the Source of Grace

Allah Y asks His Belovede to tell us, in the Holy Qur'aan in the 3rd Sura, al-i-Imraan: Verse31:

Tell them My Belovede! If you do love AllahY, imitate me (love me and build up your moral and spiritual life on my imitation): AllahY will love you and forgive your sins: For Allah Y, is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Some Muslims hesitate to declare the Holy Prophet Muhammad e as the greatest of all the Prophets because the Holy Qur’aan says in the 2nd Sura, al-Baqara in verse 285:

(The believers) make no distinction between any of His messengers.

But the Holy Qur’aan says in the 2nd Sura, al-Baqara in verse 253:

Some of these messengers have We favoured more than others...

If we do not concentrate on the first verse in disregard of the other, then it becomes clear that the Holy Qur’aan is making a distinction between the nature of the prophets and their stature. The first verse is telling us that in their function as Messenger there is no distinction between the various prophets and our Holy Prophet Muhammad e for they were all sent by the same true God, they were all serving one and the same plan of God and they were all human beings and part of a single brotherhood of righteous servants of God. The second verse is telling us that in stature or rank some prophets were superior to others.

 

Let the Muslims therefore have not the slightest hesitation in declaring the Prophet Muhammad to be the greatest of all prophets and thus the noblest of men and the crown and pride of the whole of God's creation.

 

Some Muslims try to diminish love and admiration for the Holy Prophet Muhammad e in other Muslims and in themselves on the basis that “too much" expression of love and admiration for the Holy Prophet Muhammad e can lead to his deification and therefore to shirk.

 

One is attached to the moon by the moonlight and to the sun by the sunbeams. The moonlight cannot be separated from the moon and neither can the sunbeams be separated from the sun. What are Muslims being taught? They have lost the source of blessing and they feel that they can be blessed by Allah Y. The source of grace as established by Allah Y is only the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. Association with the Holy Prophet Muhammad e is association with Allah Y. The closer your bond with him the closer you are to Allah Y. When Allah Y wanted Hazrath Umar for Islam he took him to the Court of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e . One look of grace changed his aggressive stance into one of Faith (imaan) and extreme love for Rasulullah e. He approached the Beloved of Allah e with the intent to kill (khooni) but the Holy Prophet e opened the gates of blessing presented him to Allah Y as his companion (Sahaabi).

 

The Holy Prophet e is asked by AllahY to proclaim, ‘if you want to bring the love of AllahY close to you then get close to me.’ In effect, Allah Y is asking His Beloved to

proclaim that I am the source of loving Allah Y and being loved by Allah Y. Let me present an example for your understanding. E.g. stand in front of a mirror, look at your reflection and then call your reflection. It should obey your order for it is your reflection. Try to entice it, threaten it or shout at it to come to you. All these methods will not work. The only method to get close to the reflection is to approach the mirror and get close to it. You take one step and you will find the reflection taking a step. You walk slowly it will walk slowly. You go running it will come running. If one embraces the mirror the reflection will embrace one. If you cannot call your own reflection then how will you summon AllahY? So, it was difficult to attain Allah’sY love. AllahY is generous (karam) to us he kept The Mirror That Reflects AllahY (aina-e-haqnuma) beneath the Green Dome of Madinah, the Illuminated. If you want to see The Radiations of AllahY (tajalliat)1[1] then this is ‘The Mirror’ (aina-e-haqnuma). As you approach this mirror the love of AllahY will approach you. You take one step and you will find the Love of AllahY taking a step towards you. You walk slowly the love of AllahY will walk slowly towards you. You go running it will come running to you. If you stand in the shade of the Green Dome of Madinah then know that you have come into the embrace of the love of AllahY. So the ‘Person Of The Holy Prophete’ (zaat e Mustafa) has been made the ‘Main Center’ (markaz) and every aspirant who desires Allah’sY love is being asked to journey towards him, keep his eye on him and the beauty is that following (itteba) is impossible if one does not keep ones gaze fixed on the Holy Prophet e. ‘The Holy Prophet e’ has been made the ‘ Main Center ’ (markaz) of interaction with Allah Y.

 

AllahY loves us and orders us to love the Holy Prophet Muhammad e and AllahY above all else. So, love for the Holy Prophet e is in reality, love for AllahY.

Therefore the Holy Prophet e has stated:

Man ahabbani faqad Ahaballah

He who loves me has loved AllahY

Love for the Holy Prophet e is in reality, love for AllahY. Obedience to the Holy Prophet e is in reality obedience to AllahY. Allegiance to the Holy Prophet e is in reality, allegiance to AllahY. The calling of the Holy Prophet e is the calling of AllahY. The remembrance of the Holy Prophet e is in actuality the remembrance of AllahY. To see the Holy Prophet e is to see AllahY.

 

1[1] Tajalli;: Self-disclosure. Tajalli means Allah's unveiling of Himself to His creatures. The Divine Self-disclosures are never repeated and they are never ending. They are the lights of the Unseen that are unveiled to hearts. They are the ‘signs’ that Allah has placed within us in order that He may be seen. Each tajalli pours more light, and still more light upon whomsoever it falls, for Eternity. The mountain of the nafs is blown to pieces in the tajalli of Allah. The differences that occur within the various Sufi Orders (turuuq) do not indicate disagreement or argument amongst the Masters. Each human is unique, and each tajalli is utterly unique, therefore no two people ever experience the same tajalli. But, those who have ‘tasted’ know, and those who have not tasted do not know. Tajalli is beyond words. Tajalli is bewilderment (hayrah).

Become Possessors Of Love (ahle ishq), as long as you don’t possess love for the Holy Prophet e you possess naught.

Ishq jis dil meh nahi woh dil nahi

Areh yaar keh rehneh ki woh manzil nahi

That which does not contain love is in reality not a heart

It is not worthy of being the Abode Of The Beloved

Listen to a hadith of the Holy Prophet e:

La yu’minu ahadukum hat ‘taa akuna ahabba ilayhim min walideyhi wa waladehi wan naasi ajma’iin

None of you can be a ‘possessor of true faith’ (mumin) unless I become dearer to him than his parents, his offspring and in fact all human beings

In a similar Hadith that is not in the collection of Bukhari, but in other collections wherein the word wa nafsihi is included gives the added meaning that:

‘None of you can be a ‘possessor of true faith’ (mumin) unless I become dearer to him than his parents, his offspring, all human beings and your own life.’

In the light of these Qur’aanic verses and Ahadith a poet Hafeez Jalanderi has presented these two verses of poetry:

Muhammad ki muhabbat din-e-haqq ki shart-e-awwal heh

Issi meh hoh agar khaami toh sub kuch na muqammal heh

The love for the Holy Prophet Muhammade is the first condition in the religion of truth

If this love is tainted then everything else is worthless

The prayers (salaah), fasting and apparent virtuous deeds are all worthless if one does not possess perfect love for the Holy Prophet e in ones heart. Ponder! The Holy Prophet e

instructs mankind to love him, whether they are kings, ministers, judges, doctors, lawyers or laymen or else they don’t fulfill the condition of attaining true belief. In a sense he is saying that in this universe, he is the unique creation that possesses all the different styles and types of beauty (husn-o-jamaal). No other has this unique status. The Holy Prophet e is externally and internally beautiful. He has every aspect of beauty in excess. Those that don’t love him, from their actions concede that they love no aspect of beauty and have no taste or awe (zauq)

 

No other followers of the Holy Prophet e can reach the status of His Companions (Sahaaba). How did they achieve this excellence in status that no non-companion can surpass? If one answers that due to their knowledge (ilm) then I can name great scholars (ulama) that surpassed the Sahaaba in intellectual pursuit, e.g. Imam e Aazam (Imam Abu Hanifa t), Imam Shafei t, Imam Maalik t. If one says that the Sahaaba attained their status due to Religious Striving (riyaazat o mujaheda) then I can name great non-Sahaaba that surpassed the Sahaaba in Religious Striving (riyaazat o mujaheda). E.g. research how Ghaws al-Azam (Shaykh Abd Al-Qaadir Jilaani t) and Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti t strove in the path of Allah Y Y. So, how did they achieve this excellence in status that no non-companion can surpass? The answer is that they were close to the Holy Prophete and entertained excessive love for him in their hearts. The ones that are close possess a unique status. To further clarify what I am saying I present an example. Light a candle here and you stand there against the wall and notice your shadow, thrown due to the light of the candle, will be equal your body size. Slowly walk towards the candle and you will see your shadow grow, as you get closer to the light. If you step away from the light your shadow will get smaller. If you come very close then the entire room will have your shadow. So the Sahaaba were blessed to have physical connection (nisbah) with the Holy Prophet Muhammad e means of contact with Allah Y. Therefore Allah Y says,

‘If you do love AllahY, follow. Imitate and love My Belovede , then AllahY, will love you.’

 

'A Jewish boy would serve the Holy Prophet Muhammad e , according to commentators of this hadith2[2] he used to keep wudhu water for the Holy Prophet e and carryhis blessed shoes. The boy fell sick, so the Holy Prophet Muhammad e noticing his absence summoned the Sahaaba and they went to visit him. They found his father sitting by his head, and the Messenger of Allah e said to him: 'proclaim that there is no true god worthy of being worshipped except Allah Y alone' and I will intercede on your behalf on account of it on the Day of Resurrection.' The boy looked at his father, and the father said: 'Obey Abul-Qasim!' so the boy uttered: 'There is no true god worthy of being worshipped except Allah Y alone, and Muhammad is the last Messenger.' The Messenger of Allah e said: All praise is due to Allah, Who saved him from the Fire of Hell.' I say that the barakah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e’s blessed sandal (nalain Shareef) that was held close to his heart many times had prepared his heart to embrace

2[2] Ibn Hibban #2960; Al Jaami` al Saheeh By Imam Al Bukhari Volume 2, 2.438: Narrated by Anas t

the faith. The greatest amongst the Friends of Allah t (aulia) and Imaam’s (aimma) cannot come near the status of this boy, this young sahaaba.

 

So the conclusion is if you are lovers of AllahY then make itteba of the Holy Prophet e. Let me tell you about the incident of two saintly persons in passing. The Holy Qur'aan command obedience of the Holy Prophet e but these two prominent personalities refused to obey the commands of the Holy Prophet e .One of them is Hazrath Abu Bakr Siddique t and the other Hazrath Ali Murtaza t.

   Hazrath Ali Murtaza: t It was the occasion of the drafting of the Treaty Of Hudaibiya and Hazrath Ali t wrote Muhammad, Messenger of Allah e. Suhail ibn Amr objected saying we refuse to accept Muhammad e as Messenger of God, so you should write, Muhammade the son of Abdullah. The Holy Prophet e instructed Hazrath Alit to erase the words ‘Messenger of Allah’ (Rasulullah) from the document. Hazrath Ali t refused, saying we did not come here to erase the name of the Messenger of Allah e but to uphold it. So the Holy Prophet e picked up the paper and himself erased the words Messenger of Allah and himself wrote Son of Abdullah3[3]. This was the first act recorded in Seerah that the Holy Prophet e wrote, so that in future we may refute those who say he could not write.

 

   Hazrath Abu Bakr Siddique t: The Holy Prophet e went to some region to teach the Muslims (islaah), it was the time of prayer, ‘the call to prayer’ (azaan) and ‘summon to commence’ (iqaamah) was pronounced and Hazrath Abu Bakr Siddique t went forward and led the prayer. Whilst salaah was in progress, the

3[3] The narratives of the life of the Prophete record an incident concerning the peace treaty of Hudaibiya in which the Prophet, upon the objection of the Makkans, himself amended the written statement. One such narrative, recorded by al-Bukhari, says: «Narrated Al-Bara: When the Holy Prophete intended to perform 'Umra in the month of Dhul-Qada, the people of Makkah did not let him enter Makkah till he settled the matter with them by promising to stay in it for three days only. When the document of treaty was written, the following was mentioned:

'These are the terms on which Muhammad, Allah's Apostle agreed (to make peace).' They said, "We will not agree to this, for if we believed that you are Allah's Apostlee we would not prevent you, but you are Muhammad bin 'Abdullah." The Prophetesaid, "I am Allah's Apostle and also Muhammad bin 'Abdullahe." Then he said to 'Ali, "Rub off (the words) 'Allah's Apostle' ", but 'Ali said, "No, by Allah, I will never rub off your name." So, Allah's Apostle took the document and wrote, 'This is what Muhammad bin 'Abdullahe has agreed upon: No arms will be brought into Mecca except in their cases, and nobody from the people of Mecca will be allowed to go with him (i.e. the Prophete) even if he wished to follow him and he (the Prophete) will not prevent any of his companions from staying in Mecca if the latter wants to stay.'»

[Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 49, Number 863, M. Muhsin Khan's translation, web version]

 

Such narratives quite clearly disprove the commonly held notion that the Prophete couldn't read or write.

 

Holy Prophet e arrived. As the Holy Prophet e arrived ‘those engaged in prayer’ (musallees) clapped their hands to attract the attention of Hazrath Abu Bakr Siddiquet who began dragging his feet backwards to join the musallees. The Holy Prophet e asked him to remain in his position as Imam but he refused. The Holy Prophet e took the position of Imam and completed the prayer.

 

After the prayer the Holy Prophet e asked Abu Bakr Siddiquet, ‘Why did you not continue as Imam when I summoned you to?’ Abu Bakr Siddique t e replied, ‘It does not befit the son of Abu Qahaafa to stand ahead of the Holy Prophete.’4[4] O Abu Bakr Siddiquet! O Ali Murtazat! Is it not mentioned in the Holy Qur'aan that you should obey the Holy Prophet e! Did you not see what happened to Iblis? They reply, ‘Iblis refused being arrogant ant wanting to be greater than the messenger. Our refusal was based on reverence wanting to remain slaves of the Messenger. His refusal made him rejected (mardood) whilst our refusal has made us beloved (mahboob). Do you see even refusal based on love is blessed? One more point that comes to mind is that when the Holy Prophete came to join the salaah did his thought not occur in the minds of the musallees? They clapped? If any Scholar comes to you whilst praying and you clap will your salaah be valid? Think! That was the age that the thought of the Holy Prophete whilst praying fragranced the prayer so how could it not be valid. Remember also that incident when the Holy Prophet eis prostrate (sajda) and the infant Imam Hassan and Hussain tclimb onto his back. The Holy Prophete prolonged his prostration. At this point we ask as to why did the Holy Prophete go into prostration and why is he prolonging the prostration? The answer being that he prostrated for the sake of AllahY and prolonged the prostration for Imam Hussaint. So did not the thought of Imam Hussaint and love for him occur to the Holy Prophete whilst he was in prayer? Was his prayer valid or not? If the prayer of the grandfather is not invalidated when he thinks of his grandson then how can the prayer of a follower not be accepted when he thinks of his Prophet e? 

 

Regarding the Qur’aanic proclamation of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e in the 18th

Sura, al-Kahf, verse 110:

Which is wrongly translated as:

‘I am a man like you’

And should be translated as

4[4] Bukhari: Chapter58, Book of Reconciliation, Hadith 2544

‘I am human as you are human (NOT like you)’

I can challenge you that no messenger ever told his followers that he was like him or her. They never said it to their followers but to the disbelievers. Also, no believer ever told their Prophet that they are equal to him. In Tafsir ibn Kathir it is stated that this statement was addressed to the unbelievers (kaafirs). When Allah Y said, kul, He said, ‘O My Belovede! Tell these unbelievers (kaafirs).’ I am not going into details due to divergence from the main theme. No believer was told ‘I am human like you.’ So those who say that the Holy Prophete told us, then you should now the condition of his belief. The Holy Prophet e was asked to tell this to those out of the fold and had not yet understood the Prophets status. Here there is a beautiful point also, since AllahY asked the Holy Prophete to proclaim, ‘I am human being’ and did not want to even utter this being the Creator. Think! What did those within the fold say about the Holy Prophet e?

 

Hazrath Abu Bakr Siddique t said, ‘My eyes have never seen anyone as beautiful as you.’ Hazrath Abu Hurraira t said, ‘the sun is envious of your brilliance.’ Hazrath Ali t said, "There has not been seen anyone as handsome before or after". Hazrath Hassan bin Thabit t said, AllahY has preserved you from every defect; [Khuliqta mubarra am min kulle aibin] AllahY has created you as if your creation was directed by you [Ka annaqa tadkuliqtaka ma ta shaau]. [O Messenger of Allahe!] My eyes have not seen anyone as beautiful as you [Wa ahsana min kalamtara qattu ainie] How could it when, none like you has been born [Wa ajmala min kalamtali din nisau]. Hazrath Jibraeel u said, ‘I have gone to every corner of the universe, in all my time and in the entire universe I have seen none like you.’ Ponder upon what has been said by those who saw the Holy Prophet e and think how foolish these statements of these latter day fools are.

 

Therefore I say differentiate and distinguish yourselves. I often go to different venues to lecture and am told I would be met at the airport as soon as I land. When I arrive at my destination I found no known person had met me. With the use of a mobile phone I usually contct the person deputed to meet me but had never met me before. He explains to me that me my host had explained to him how to identify me by my way of dress. I had not worn my kurta and usual hat, thus why the person did not recognize me. My host had explained to him my recognition features. Friends, in the grave you will be asked to recognize the Beloved Holy Prophet e therefore build your recognition of him from here. I realized that my ceremonial dress , style of hat and turban and carrying a shawl in my hand is neither compulsory (farz) nor near compulsory (waajib) but I have made it my recognition feature and when I abondened it I had to endure distress. So understand the masla. The functions of Meelad, Ur's, Fateha, Khatam visiting mazaars or the food of kitchra, halwa etc is neither compulsory (farz) nor near compulsory (waajib) but has become the identification of the Sunni Muslims of this age so I have to profess my identification so that I am not wrongfully identified.

 

Love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad e is a measure of one's imaan (faith and inner conviction) and our imaan is completed and perfected only when our love for the Prophet exceeds our love for everything else in this world, including our own lives. The Holy Qur’aan says in the 33rd Sura, al-Ahzaab in verse 6:

"The Prophet is closer to the believers even to their own selves..."

This defines a believer who believes the Holy Prophet Muhammad e is the cause of his creation, hence closer than his self and emotionally one whom he holds closer to himself in his heart, the seat of love.

 

The best of believers, the sahaba ,did show such love for the Prophet, especially the noblest of them. Hazrath Ali, speaking on behalf of all the community of sahaba in Madinah, is reported to have said:

"The Holy Prophet is dearer to us than our wealth, our children, our fathers, our forefathers, our mothers and cool water at the time of severe thirst."

 

There are two dimensions to loving the Holy Prophet e:

1.    Muhabbat or loving the Holy Prophet e

2.    Ahabbiat or loving the Holy Prophet e above all else.

To love the Holy Prophet e is Faith (Iman) but to love him above everything else is the ‘perfection of faith’ (kamal--e-iman).

[Love of the Holy Prophet e is not measured by following his teachings. Although to follow his teachings is a requisite for one that loves him. Iman does not allow an iota of kufr or doubt regarding his person in ones heart despite the length of ones beard, size of ones kurta and turban. To love him most is perfection of Iman. ]

So Faith (Iman) is loving the Holy Prophet e but I fear that people might start whispering that there is a verse in the Holy Qur’aan that says in the 2nd Sura, al-Baqarah: Verse 165

 

Those who have Iman are overflowing in their love for Allah

On the basis of this Verse one may say that love for Allah is Iman whilst I am saying to love the Holy Prophet e is Faith (Iman).

There are two answers to this:

1.    ACCUSATORY ANSWER (Ilzami Jawaab)

Why do people want to separate the love of Allah and his Beloved e? The love, respect and obedience of the Holy Prophet e is the love, respect and obedience of Allah and the love, respect and obedience of Allah is the love, respect and obedience of Holy Prophet e The remembrance of Rasulallah e is the remembrance of Allah.

 

[The Holy Qur'aan says in 4 Th. Sura, al-Nisaa: Verse 150]

Do you wish to separate Allah from His Messengers?

Some propagators of the ‘Unity of Allah’ (Tauhid) want to turn ‘unity’ into ‘duplicity’. Some people suffer from double vision. I give you a parable to explain what influence this condition [the Wahabbi belief system] has had on the Ummat:

 

A teacher asked his student who suffered from double vision to go to the next room and bring him his mirror. The student went into the room and returned enquiring as to which mirror the teacher wanted since, due to his condition, he saw two mirrors. The teacher seized the opportunity to teach his student a lesson. He gave his student a stone and asked him to break one mirror and bring the other. The student threw the stone on one mirror and he saw that both broke. He worriedly reported this to the teacher who said, 'O immature student, you have double-vision, the mirror is one and you viewed it as two'

O Immature Community of Holy Prophet e, the mirror of love for the Holy Prophet e and the mirror of love for Allah is one. If you view it as two and try to break one, the other will automatically break. O you who look towards the Green Dome of Madinah cock-eyed. Those who fear the remembrance of Rasulallah e as ‘associating partners with Allah (shirk) and verbally throw stones at the Green Dome (gumbade khazra) of Madinah the Illuminated, remember, on the day of Judgment (Qiyaamah) you will ask, 'how did the Covering of the Kaaba burn when we were stoning the Green Dome (gumbade khazra) of Madinah?' What gives you the permission to separate one into two?

 

2. LEGALISTICALLY VERIFIED ANSWER (Tehkiki jawaab)

The verse in the 2nd Sura al-Baqarah: Verse 165 is clear that 'those who already possess

Iman'.

And what is the condition of that 'those who already possess Iman.

 

 

The Holy Qur’aan says , their condition is such that they 'are overflowing with love for Allah. The question arises as to how did they acquire Iman? Iman is acquired by an all-absorbing love for the Holy Prophet e .The love for Rasulullah e gives them Iman and the result of Iman is Allah Y’s love. Love for the Holy Prophet e is the 'root' and the love of Allah Y is the 'fruit'. The root has to be present in order to bear fruit. This is the legal status of Allah Y’s love.

 

Let Us Look At The Lives Of The Companions Of The Holy Prophet (Sahabah):

HAZRATH ABU BAKR SIDDIQUE t

When Abu Bakr Siddique t was asked by the Holy Prophet e to express what three things he loved most, he said:

1.    Al-Juloosu inda- ‘I love most of all to sit in your blessed company daily’.

2.    Wan nazru illay- ‘I love that I get to see your beautiful face daily.’

3.    Wan infaaku maalu illay- ‘I love that I spend all my wealth on you.’

This means the love of Abu Bakr t is to sit in the company of Holy Prophet e, look at his beautiful face and spend everything he has on the Holy Prophet e.

[In another version of this Hadith it is said that he said,' I love that my daughter Ayesha is married to you and she serves you daily].

From this one can see that the axis of Abu Bakr Siddique's love is the Holy Prophet e Allah loves this so much that He kept Abu Bakr so close, that he lies buried next to Rasulallah e. The Dome of the blessed grave of Rasulallah (Gumbade Rasul) is also the Dome of the blessed grave of Abu Bakr Siddique (Gumbade Siddique). Abu Bakr Siddique t has given this lesson from his blessed life that Faith (Iman) is to love the Holy Prophet e.

HAZRATH UTHMAN GANI t

A man approached the Holy Prophet Muhammad e for assistance so that he may be able to get his daughter married. Rasulullah e sent him to Uthman t. When he arrived at Hazrath Uthman's door he found him scolding his servant for putting extra salt in the food. He quickly left and went back to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e , thinking that if the servant was being scolded for using extra salt, what would such a man give him. Holy Prophet Muhammad e sent him back to Uthman. This time he found Uthman scolding the servant for making the wick of the lamp too thick and hence oil was being wasted. Again the man left and went back to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. Rasulullah e sent him back and he found Uthman resting and relaxed. Quickly he told Uthman that Rasul e had sent him and he stated his need. Uthman t stood up and told him to take whatever he needed from the house. The man was surprised since he thought that Uthman was miserly because of what he had witnessed earlier. Hazrath Uthman asked him why he had not stated his case in the earlier two visits. He explained the situation to Uthman and Hazrath Uthman explained to him that everything he owns including his life is the property of Rasul e, hence he could not tolerate waste of the masters property. Since the master had sent him, he has put everything at his disposal.

 

Any disobedience with regard to Allah Y , Rasulullah e’s intercession will save us, but any disobedience with regard to Rasulullah e there is no forgiveness.

 

As narrated by Ibn Ishaq the husband, brother and father of a woman belonging to Bani Dinar tribe were martyred in the Battle of Uhud. When she received the news of the martyrdom of her dear ones, she enquired about the Holy Prophet and was told that he was quite well and was not exposed to any danger. She, however, said: "I must go and see the Holy Prophet myself". When she saw him and knew that he was safe, she said:

"Now that I have seen you alive and in good health every other calamity that may have befallen us is of no consequence".

 Irshad Soofi Siddiqui

Isra and Me‘ra>j

(SCIENTIFIC EXPOSITION)

Allah Y says in the Holy Qur'aan in the 17th Sura al-Isra [The Night Journey]: Verse 1:

Glory to (Allah Y ) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the [Sacred Mosque] to the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless, in order that We might

show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who Heareth and Seeth (all things).

Woh har Aalam kih rehmat heh, kissi Aalam meh rehjateh Yeh unki meherbani heh, keh yeh Aalam pasand aaya

Woh har Aalam kih rehmat heh, Woh har Aalam meh rehte heh Ba faize rehmatulil aalamien, rehmat hi rehmat heh

 Kya muqaddar heh Bu Bakr-o-Faruq ka, Un ka ghar rehmatoh ke kazineh me heh

Is liye Kaaba heh us taraf hi juka Ghar Khuda ka Muhammad ke sine meh heh

I am deeply grateful to my creator Allah Y for giving us this opportunity to commemorate the greatest event in the history of mankind and of the universe, namely the Ascension or Me‘ra>j of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. The exact date as to when it took place is controversial. Ibn Kathir t quoted a number of different scholarly views in al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah (3/108) concerning the exact date of Isra and Me‘ra>j.

Majority of the scholars support a date between 12-16 months before the migration to Madinah, they not only disagree about a particular day, but the month as well. However scholars belonging to the majority school of The People who follow the Prophet’s Sunnah and the Example of his Community (Ahl as- Sunna wa’l Jamaa’a) agree took place in the 11th Year after the announcement of Prophethood or 621 C.E., during the latter part of the 27th night of Rajab.

 The destruction of the Caliphate of Islam on March, 3, 1924 (27 Rajab 1342), the result of a diabolical conspiracy hatched by the British and the Zionist Jews, with the Saudis and the so-called salafi Wahabbis acting as willing accomplices rendered the Muslim World powerless. One of the major reasons for Muslim decline is that their faith and knowledge of Islam has declined. The impact of acquiring a very narrow, conservative Islamic education and regarding what we mistakenly call Western education, especially at a university level, as a vice has led some Muslims to reject important events in Islamic History, which have a spiritual effect. Most people know the Holy Prophet e in respect of his earthly constitution, in which he normally stayed and have failed to understand anything beyond this earthly status due to ignorance. There are certain ‘so-called’ scholars who teach and preach that the Me‘ra>j of the Holy Prophet e was only a dream, because they regard it as some spiritual experience. However, the belief of the entire Muslim world throughout the ages has been that the Me‘ra>j took place with his total personality and that the Holy Prophet Muhammad e went to the farthest regions of the universe, and stayed in the transcendental region up to a point where no creature has ever reached. This has been our belief, this has been the belief that Muslims have held throughout these 1400+ years. This materialist theory that the Me‘ra>j was only a dream comes from those who do not understand the nature of this world, nor the human constitution. The materialists do not understand the laws under which this world functions, therefore, they try to interpret everything in material terms and in accordance with their defective knowledge. The greatest tragedy being that some ‘so-called’ Ulama graduates of conservative institutes have reinforced this blasphemous belief that the Holy Prophet e is just an ordinary human being basing it on their very defective understanding of the Holy Qur'a>n when in reference to the earthly status of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e Allah Y says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 18th Sura, al-Kahf [The Cave] in Verse 110:

O! Prophet! Proclaim to the people that I am nothing more than a human being, Mislukum'.

Many people have stumbled on this verse because this word Mislukum can be translated in two ways. One translation leads to disbelief (kufr) whilst the other translation is the translation of Faith (Imaan). It has been translated by some as being “like you “This is the translation on the basis of kufr. This statement is the greatest falsehood against the Holy Qur'a>n and H{adi>th and is blasphemous against the personality of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e.Blasphemy leads a person to kufr. No human being is like the Holy Prophet e. The implication of the verse is to emphasize the humanity of the Holy Prophet e so that Muslims do not fall prey, like others have, in view of his great qualities and miraculous powers that Allah Y has given him. They may not fall into the misconception that he is ‘God’ or ‘Son of God’ like others have fallen before them. It is his divinity that is being denied here, not that he is like us. Although I and you and the Holy Prophet e are human beings, there is a world of difference in point of status,

constitution of personality and powers. The verse emphasises his status with regard to the temporal or mortal world in which we live.

Remember Allah has said in the Holy Qur’aan in the 49 th Sura, al-Hujura>t [The Inner Apartments], Verse 2:

O Believers! Do not raise your voices above the pitch of the voice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e and do not talk with him in the fashion, which you speak amongst

yourselves. If you commit even this slight unconscious mistake, all your virtuous acts [prayer (s}ala>t), fasting (s}aum), pilgrimage (h}ajj), alms (zaka>t), and every act

of virtue] will be annulled totally and you will not even know it.

What is this status? You will forgive any insult done to you but you will never forgive any insult done to your beloved. This is the law of love. If for a single error, of disrespect to Alla>h Y's beloved, every act of virtue is annulled, how much must Alla>h Y love him? He does not even give the blasphemer, the divine help (Taufiq) to realise he has sinned, thus the door of repentance remains closed. Beware of this. The great Possessors of Recognition (aarifeen), those who rose to spiritual eminence, they say:

Adab gahez zehre asmah az arsh nazuk tah , Nafas ghum kar dami ayaad Junaid oh Bayazid Jah

There is a place where respect has to be offered and that place is more delicate than the arsh of God, when great spiritual luminaries from amongst his followers like Hazrath

Junaid Baghdadi t and Hazrath Bayazid Bistami t come to the Holy Prophet e in word or deed, they come trembling

What are Muslims being taught? They have lost the source of blessing and they feel that they can get grace from Alla>h Y.The source of blessing as established by Alla>h Y is only the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. There is no other source. There are numerous blasphemous beliefs which are being propagated in the name of true Islam, genuine Islam and orthodox Islam and the beliefs of Muslims throughout these 1400 years are being challenged, as beliefs mixed up with superstitions, not the real beliefs and that these ‘so-called’ reformers have now come to know what Islam exactly was. But, The fact is that Islam is from Alla>h Y and whatever the sahaba were taught by the Holy Prophet e they transmitted to the tabieen , who transmitted it to the tabe-tabieen and coming to us through generations.

 A proper examination and analysis of the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e, when viewed in its totality, would surely reveal that his miraculous journey by night from Makkah to Jerusalem (Isra) and thence, through the heavens, to the special divine presence (Me‘ra>j), is a lesson for those who ponder on another dimension of his blessed personality, i.e. the transcendental dimension. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e did not have his body and spirit as two things, nor do I have it, nor do you. The body is only the manifestation of the projection in the spatial-temporal dimension of the soul. The real human personality is a point of light in intense motion. This point of light in intense motion is the transcendental factor which was created by Allah Y in the Garden of Eden and which was there and which projects itself in the spatial-temporal dimension and assumes the form of the body. When it projects itself only in the temporal dimension it assumes the form of mind. Mind is only temporal, whilst body is spatial-temporal. The moment this human personality withdraws itself, there is nothing left. This is the meaning of death. The consciousness is a part and parcel of the soul. We call it ar-Ru>h}. The word ru>h} in Arabic means the essence not the soul. Essence is the exact meaning of the word ru>h} .The Me‘ra>j In modern and ancient philosophy there has been given a vital importance to this distinction between the concept of essence and the concept of existence, as to whether essence or existence is the basic factor in connection with a certain thing. We say in Islam that existence precedes essence and that human beings existed in the knowledge of God. They were not then even essences but only ideas. When those ideas crystallized, the first form that they took was essence, which is the exact meaning of the word ru>h} . The Arabic ar-Ru>h means ‘The Essence.’ This essence has evolved under the Divine Law for billions of years and emerged here in the spatial-temporal dimension as this person. It will travel away from here at the time of death. It will be the essence with all the accumulated properties which it accumulated in the process. So to say that, ‘I have got a body, mind and soul’ is the talk of ignorant people. A scientist, philosopher or Muslim i.e. a believer in the Holy Qur'aan, should not talk in this fashion. The most important contribution that the Holy Qur'aan has made in the history of mankind is the principle of Unity or Tauhid. We are ahle Tawh}}i>d . Due to ignorance people understand Tawh}}i>d as being God is one. Again they are wrong for God is not one. If you say that God is one, i.e. numerically one then you are committing kufr because the numerical one is a finite concept whilst God is infinite. He is not an mathematical one. He is unity. There is a big difference between the concept of the numerical one and the concept of unity.

 

The Holy Prophet Muhammad e is the essence of the creation of the universe (ar-Ru>h al-qayina>t). The Qur'aan also bears testimony to this that the Holy Prophet e is the essence of creation. It explicitly affirms this fact when Alla>h Y asks the Holy Prophet e to say in the 6th Sura al- An’a>m [The Cattle] Verse 163:

I am the first among Muslims

 Muslim here refers to the first thing or being to submit to the will of Alla>h Y and not the misuse it has been put to in these days of bickering. Muslim means all creation that submits entirely to the will of God.

In another verse Allah says in the 3rd Sura, A<l-i- ‘Imra>n [The Family of ‘Imra>n] Verse 83:

Everything in the heaven and earth is Muslim

Then, what would the statement, ' I am the first among the Muslims mean”? That the first being to be created by Alla>h Y was the Holy Prophet e.. It has been the consensus of Muslim belief which was challenged only in this period of Muslim decay and degeneration, under the impact of modern materialism, that the Holy Prophet Muhammad e is the nucleus of creation, for Alla>h Y created the light of the Holy Prophet e and from that light He created the whole universe. In the H{adi>th quoted on the authority of muh}addith ' abd al- Razza>q t, (the eminent fore runner of Imam Bukhari t and author of al-Mus}annaf) by Alla>ma Yusuf bin Isma> ‘il al-Nabha>ni t in Al-Anwa>r al-Muh}ammadiyyah min Mawa>hib al-Ludunniyah5[1] t and quoted by Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi one of the very eminent ulama of Deoband in his book Nashrut teeb fi zikre Habeeb. Hazrath Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari t reports that the Holy Prophet e informed him that:

The first thing which Alla>h Y created was my light, and every other creation was created from my light."

Science bears testimony to this fact today. Remember Science came to the Modern West from the world of Islam. It was the Muslims who after the conquest of certain parts of Europe, especially Spain that established the first universities, scientific observatories, laboratories and libraries on the soil of Europe and the first Christian scientists who, after centuries of darkness and ignorance, lit the torch of scientific knowledge in England, France, Germany and so on, were pupils of Muslim masters.6[2] Einstein was asked, ‘how did this universe come into existence?’. He answered: ‘the entire universe must have begun as a point of light in intense motion and the point of light projected itself on

5[1] Al-Anwa>r al-Muh}ammadiyyah min Mawa>hib al-Ludunniyah, page 12, Beirut 1310 A.H.

the tape of extension and became space and the intense motion of that point of light projected itself on the tape of duration and became time’. The experiment of physical analysis is pursued on the principle of heat, by raising temperature and disintegrating a particular thing into its finer constituent particles prove that the essence of all matter is light. [Refer to Hubert Reeves, the Canadian Astro-physicist. Read his light radiation theory]. The essential human being therefore is a space less and timeless being. (ar Ru>h} - the essence al- Asl). All matter is therefore ultimately anti-matter and all the properties of matter ultimately cease to exist, since the essential being was created in the transcendental world called al Jannah. When Allah willed the universe to exist He said, ‘Be Muhammad’ (kun Muhammadah). Therefore the real Muhammad e is the foundation of the universe and all creation came through him. Me‘ra>j (Ascension) can be understood in terms of a transcendental transformation of the personality of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e by Alla>h Y It should be noted that some scholars who subscribe to no adequate notion either of the nature of human personality or of the dimensions of the personality of a Messenger of Allah e - whose view of religious verities is, for all practical purposes, either ‘formalistic’ or ‘naturalistic’ – consider it necessary to explain away or minimize every supernatural, or metaphysical, element of the Holy Prophet e’s personality.

 

Alla>h Y says in the Holy Qur'aan in the 53rd Sura an- Najm [The Star]: Verse 1:

By the star when it goes down

Urdu transalation by Ala Hazrath Imam Ahmad Raza Khan t

Us pyaare chamakte taare Muhammad e ki kasam jab Me‘ra>j seh uthre

I take an oath by that Beloved Shining Star Muhammad e’s return from the Meraj

This Chapter (Sura) of the Holy Qur'aan, an- Najm [The Star] , deals with the Me‘ra>j of the Holy Prophet e. The first Verse (Ayat) is short yet it has a depth of meaning. Alla>h Y speaks of the Holy Prophet e and takes an oath (kasam) by him.

The origin of the universe

Najm means 'star'. As a noun it means ‘original' (Asl) or root, from where something originates. In Hadith literature for a Hadith that has no source or origin it is said,

6[2] Ansari F.R. ; Qur’aanic Foundations and Structure of Muslim Society, Volume One, Chapter 2, page 35

Haza Hadith ullazi la najma lahu.

This Hadith has no source or root.

Root is from which something originates.

Imam Jaafar Saadiq t commenting on this verse states:

"An Najm Huwa Muhammadun e

“Najm refers to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e

Therefore the 53rd Sura an- Najm [The Star]: Verse 1 can be translated as:

"I swear by the Holy Prophet Muhammad e the origin"

The question that arises is the origin of what or whom! What is it associated with? Alla>h Y says, ' My Beloved Holy Prophet e is the origin of this entire universe.' The universe contains 'the creator' and 'the creation'. The Holy Prophet e is the origin of everything other than Allah. He is the origin of Jinn, Man, Earth, Heaven and Divine Throne (Arsh); i.e. of everything created. The personality of our beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad e is the most marvelous in creation. It is only through his human emergence in history that we have come to know him. But the real Holy Prophet Muhammad e is a cosmic personality. It is the foundation of the entire universe.

The one aspect of his personality is universal and the other is mundane (earthly). Alla>h Y says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 21st Sura, al – Anbiya>a [The Prophets], Verse 107:

O! Prophet!I have not sent you but as a mercy to all the worlds.

 All the worlds! This is beyond this earth and humanity. This is called the cosmic or universal level. He is the mercy for the entire creation of Allah i.e. the universe. Who else can be a mercy unto all the worlds than he from whose light the universe has been created? And when we were taught that the Holy Prophet Muhammad e is the medium (wasila) between man and God. How can it be otherwise? What else links this world with Alla>h Y except His first creation which is the light of Muhammad e. Alla>h Y is Almighty and does not need any wasila for Himself but He has made the universe and it is His mercy that the creation needs wasila and human beings need wasila to realise Him. For His realization Alla>h Y kept himself hidden but He has made the wasila to

know Him. How can a human being know Alla>h Y Allah is all Mighty and all Powerful, He does not need any wasila, but He has made a universe that is in need. The angels are intermediaries, mediating between Creator and creation, performing functions for Alla>h Y, and when it is said that the highest in Alla>h Y’s creation is the intermediary why do we not accept. If this room should be illuminated with lamps of one thousand watts each, everybody will go mad. The intense light rays will penetrate the brain. Imagine the Majesty of Alla>h Y , the Infinite Majesty and Grandeur, the Infinite intensity of His "Light" when He says in the 24th Sura, Nu>r [Light], Verse 35:

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.

One most important attainment of the numerous extra-ordinary gifts and virtues given to the Holy Prophet e on the night of Me‘ra>j, is. the Holy Prophet e being blessed with seeing Almighty Allah Y. Allah Y has blessed the Holy Prophet Muhammad e with many virtues, gifts, blessings and as the Holy Qur'aan says [53rd Sura an- Najm [The Star]: Verse 11]:

For undoubtedly he saw, of the Greatest signs of his Lord!

Many deny that the Holy Prophet e was blessed with the vision of Allah Y in his Me‘ra>j saying that the being whom he saw was the angel Jibra’eel u (Gabriel). As for the H{adi>th literature both, the views, viz., ‘vision of Alla>h Y ’ and ‘vision of Jibra’eel u -are deducible. But as for the Holy Qur'a>n, it affirms the ‘vision of Allah Y’ in the transcendental dimension of existence, i.e. life in heaven, even for the true followers of the Messengers of Allah Y - not’ to speak of the Messengers of Allah Y themselves. The view reported to have been put forward by Lady Ayesha y7[3] should be' taken to, relate basically to the impossibility of seeing,' Allah Y with the physical vision; and, as such, it is an absolutely correct view. The Holy Prophet e Me‘ra>j was; however, an event of unique nature in which it should be accepted that his sacred personality had been transformed by Allah Y from the physical to the transcendental dimension of existence8[4] - the same dimension in which his true followers who, in

7[3]

8[4] Qualitative transformations are all the time taking place in Nature. Thus, the view presented here is in accordance with the Natural Law. Also: this view synthesizes the partial views in which one school of thought-the minority' school-emphasises that Me‘ra>j was just a

their status, are simply non-entities as compared with his status as Allah Y’s greatest Messenger, will exist in Heaven, and will, therefore, become capable of being blessed with the vision of Allah Y:

Allah Y says in the Holy Qur'aan in the 75th Sura al-Qiya>mat [The Resurrection]: Verses 22 and 23:

Some faces, that Day, will beam (in brightness and beauty); Looking towards their Lord;

Allah Y says in the Holy Qur'aan in the 17th Sura al-Isra [The Night Journey]: Verse 60:

We granted the Vision which We showed you, as a test for men,

Hazrath Abdullah ibn Abbas t comments on this verse9[5] as referring to the ‘vision of Alla>h Y’ on the Me‘ra>j. Those that deny the Holy Prophet Muhammad e was blessed with the Vision of Alla>h Y’s countenance are astray whilst those that accept without a doubt become testifiers to the truth i.e. Siddique. blessings and virtues were given to other Prophets in accordance with their status, but all these blessings and much more were bestowed upon our Holy Prophet Muhammad e. The combined blessings radiated in their full glory in the personality of the Holy Prophet e. But, the vision of Allah Y (ruya) and seeing the essence (didaar) was exclusively given to our Holy Prophet, Muhammad e. In the verse of the Holy Qur'aan that I recited Allah Y says:

The blessed heart in no way falsified that what he saw.

'spiritual' experience like other spiritual experiences, in which the Holy Prophet's soul alone was the subject of experience, while the other school - representing an overwhelming majority of Muslims in history -gives prominence to the participation of the Holy Prophet e’s body in that entire event!.

9[5] Nadvi. Sayed Sulaiman: Sirat un-Nabi, Page 427

Allah Y is saying that, ‘whatever was seen by the blessed eye of My Beloved was in no way erroneously registered by his blessed heart’. Meaning the seat of love or the source from which love flows into the entire universe, the nucleus of the soul of the universe, the heart of the Holy Prophet e validated what was seen by the blessed eye. How the blessed heart validated the didaar is an issue that needs to be explained in some detail (tafseer). Based on reports recorded on this issue from the time of the Companions (Ashaab) and the great Imams (aimma) there have been differences in the conclusions of the scholars (Ulama). Some have said that the Holy Prophet e did not see Allah Y whilst many sahaba, tabieen and aimma have adhered to the school of thought and stated that without doubt, the Holy Prophet e saw Allah Y. Those sayings of the sahaba in which it is stated that the Holy Prophet e did not see Allah Y are explained by them as meaning the Holy Prophet e did not see Allah Y in this world and in no way is it a negation of the vision of the Holy Prophet e during the Me‘ra>j

 

Allah Y says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 6th Sura, al-An’aam [The Cattle], Verse 103:

No vision can grasp Him.

The physical eye cannot comprehend Allah Y but on the in reference to the Me‘ra>j when it is stated by Allah Y in the Holy Qur'aan in the 53rd Sura an- Najm [The Star]: Verses 8 and 9:

Then he approached and came closer, And was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or (even) nearer;

During the Me‘ra>j the Holy Prophet e saw the entire universe-including Alla>h Y -from highest point.This was the station at which the Holy Prophet e was uniquely blessed at which point the all distances were removed, proximity (qurbat), union (wisaal) reached perfection (kamaal) and Allah Y radiated His essence on the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. Many sahaba have supported the vision of Allah Y by the Holy Prophet e including Hazrath Abdullah ibn Abbas t. Imam Hassan Basri t when referring to the vision of Allah Y by the Holy Prophet e says, ‘I swear by Allah Y that my Holy Prophet Muhammad e saw Allah Y, he saw Allah Y, he saw Allah Y’. This was the level of his conviction. Imam Ahmad bin Hamnbal t, on being asked if the Holy Prophet e saw Allah Y said, ‘Most definitely, The Messenger of Allah e, saw Allah Y, he saw Allah Y,

he saw Allah Y’ (Ra’a, Rasulullahi e, Rabbahu, Ra’a Rabbahu, Ra’a Rabbahu). He ecstatically continued saying this till he was out of breath. This means he had such certainty of this belief that he declares it with fervor. By making reference to the incident of Hazrath Musa u, at Mount Sinai understanding this matter and blending the three views will be made simpler. According to 7th Sura, al-A’raaf [The Heights], Verse 143, Hazrath Musa u at Mount Sinai (Tur) respectfully requested from Allah Y:

O My Allah Y! Bless me with a vision of You

The verse continues that in response to this request Allah Y replied:

[O My dear Musa u!] You cannot see me.

I have discussed this in my previous lectures and lessons on the Mi’raaj. The words lan tarani affirms this that Hazrath Musa u could not see Allah Y, but it did not say that it is impossible to see Allah Y or that none has the ability to see Allah Y. This answer, ‘you cannot see me’ (lan tarani) has hidden within it advice (wazaa’at) and the negation of the ability to see hides an affirmation that, ‘O Musa! I can be seen, by that eye that has been equipped through My abundant blessing with the ability to see Me, but My dear Musa! You don’t possess this ability’. Allah Y said in this 7th Sura, al-A’raaf [The Heights], Verse 143 :

[My dear Musa u!] I will manifest a radiation (tajalli) upon this mountain [tajalli refers to being unveiled] so you fix your gaze upon the mountain if it can bear the impact of

My radiation and stand firm in its place then you will see Me."

So the word tajalli refers to being unveiled and to unveil and radiate beauty: The verse continues:

When Allah Y unveiled His Beauty, Glory and Light on the mountain, the mountain could not bear the impact of this Majestic unveiling and it burned to ashes, and Hazrath

Musa u fell down unconscious.

Allah Y had laid a condition in the Holy Qur'aan, ‘If the mountain remained steady (fa innistakarra maqanahu) then Hazrath Musa u, you would see Me’. Meaning if the mountain could have borne the impact of the radiation of Allah Y’s beauty and stood firmly then Hazrath Musa u would have seen Allah Y (fa sowfa tarani). Let us now comment on what Allah Y says in the Holy Qur'aan in the 53rd Sura an- Najm [The Star]: Verse 11:

The blessed heart in no way falsified that what the eye saw.

The method of revelation would be to have a reflector capable of reflecting His Majestic, Glorious, and Beautiful radiation. Allah Y through His grace brought the Holy Prophet e to the spiritual station (maqam) of ‘proximity of two bows forming a circle’ (qaba qowsain) and ahead to the spiritual station of ‘the thin line of glue sticking the ends of the bows together’ (ow adna). The blessed eyes of the Holy Prophet e that desired the Divine Vision most surely belonged to the Blessed physical body of the Holy Prophet e but the blessed heart of the Holy Prophet e was higher in status than the Divine Throne of Allah Y (arsh)10[6]. The supreme spiritual station of the beloved’s heart was so great that Allah Y wished to bless His Holy Prophet e with a vision of Him at that maqam. The heart of

10[6] al-arsh: The Divine Throne. Allah Y , Who is without place, created a heaven called al-arsh where the radiations of His

Essence are centered. This Throne upon which Allah Y "sits" is the seat of those Divine Names that are bound to a place

(muqayyidah). The Divine Word (al-kalimat al-ilahiyya) which descends from Allah Y contains the Sacred Law within which is all

knowledge. The "place" of Unity of the Word is His Throne (al-arsh). Beneath the Throne is His Footstool (al-kursi) where the Word

becomes differentiated into rulings (hukm) and reports (khabar). And, although the earth and the heaven do not contain Allah Y the

heart of His slave does contain Allah. Such a heart is al-arsh. It is the heart of the Lover of Allah Y and around it the spiritual realities

circle. Al-arsh is the universal manifestation taken in its total unfolding. The greatest heart is that of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e

All knowledge and love are an overflowing from his heart.

the Holy Prophet e was used as the reflector (mazhar) and although the eye saw the Holy Prophet e says. ‘curtains of light could be seen, concealing the essence for I could only see light’ (nurun anna raha). So the blessed pure heart of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e was made by Allah Y into the reflector of His essence. On Mount Sinai , Allah Y only manifested a radiation of His attribute of Beauty (jalwa-e-sifat) not the manifestation of the radiation of His essence (jalwa-e-zaat). Prophets are reflectors of the manifestation Allah Y’s attributes (sifati mazhar), The Friends of Allah t (Aulia) are reflectors of the manifestation Allah Y’s names (ismi-mazhar), whilst the entire creation are reflectors of the manifestation Allah Y’s actions (afaali-mazhar). Exclusively, the Crown and Cause of Creation, the Holy Prophet Muhammad e is the manifestation of the radiation of Allah Y’s essence (jalwa-e-zaat). In him alone is integrated the manifestation Allah Y’s attributes (sifati mazhar), the manifestation Allah Y’s names (ismi-mazhar) and the manifestation Allah Y’s actions (afaali-mazhar). These are all the reflection of the status (darajah) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e,but his excellence is this that through Allah Y’s grace he has assimilated in his personality the manifestation of the radiation of Allah Y’s essence (jalwa-e-zaat). Taking into consideration the conclusion, ‘No eye can see Allah Y therefore the Holy Prophet e did not see him’: Allah Y said, My beloved if the eye cannot see Me unveiled then I know that there is no restriction for your blessed heart (qalb). There fore We are making your heart the place of manifestation of the radiation of My (jalwa-e-zaat). I am radiating and manifesting on your blessed heart in such a manner that through being the mazhar of My essence it will reach the station (maqam) of la-makaan. As the radiations of My essence are radiating in la-makaan similarly your heart is radiating the manifestation of My essence (jalwa-e-zaat). As We said to Hazrath Musa u if the mountain could have borne the impact of the radiation of My attribute and stood firmly then Hazrath Musa u would have seen Allah Y (fa innistakarra maqanahu fa sowfa tarani). Similarly if your heart stands firmly bearing the impact of the manifestation of the radiation of My essence (zaat) and the manifestation of the radiations of the essence of My Beauty (husn-e-zaat) and assimilates it within, unshaken and consciously then your eyes will look at your heart and see Me reflected therein. So if your blessed eye cannot catch sight of Me directly then I will radiate with My essence into your blessed heart’.

aainae dil me he tasweere yaar Jab zara gardan jukali dekhli

In the mirror of my heart is the picture of my belovedWhen I lower my neck, I see my beloved

‘So My beloved, when your eye looks at your heart, You will see My essence. My radiations will be in your heart. [Allah Y says in the Holy Qur'aan in the 53rd Sura an- Najm [The Star]: Verse 17]:

 

The Blessed eye (of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e) did not deviate, nor exceeded the limit

So the eye saw and the heart reflected [53rd Sura an- Najm [The Star]: Verse 11:

The blessed heart in no way falsified that what the blessed eye saw.

The eye saw and the heart verified the vision. Some may think that the Holy Prophet e could have seen something else but only the possessor; his blessed heart can be the verifier. . The difference was that Mount Sinai could not bear the impact of Allah Y’s attributive radiation, whilst the blessed heart of the Holy Prophet e could bear the impact of the manifestation of the essence. So the blessed heart saw the vision of Allah Y in such a way that it became radiant itself whilst the blessed eye saw Allah Y reflected in the heart. So both the eye and the heart saw. If only Mount Sinai stood firmly and could have become the mazhar of the jalwa-e-Ilahi then Hazrath Musa u would have seen the Divine Splendour. Neither did Mount Sinai nor Hazrath Musa u stand firm. Hazrath Musa u was rendered unconscious by the indirect radiation.

When Hazrath Musa u regained consciousness he said [7th Sura, al-A’raaf [The Heights], Verse 143]

When he recovered his senses he said: "Glory be to Thee! To Thee I turn in repentance,

Hazrath Musa u repented from his request but the desire to see Allah Y increased. Scholars (Ulama) have not written this bit my heart says that after the incident the desire must have increased many fold. Respect in the Court of Allah Y demanded repentance but that indirect contact and the beautiful loss of consciousness, giving a taste of contact must have ignited the desire. A slight taste ignited the prevalent desire. He who does not taste cannot have an appetite. Hazrath Musa u must have lived, in this temporal world and in the permanent abode of beauty with this burning desire to have a vision of Allah Y. The night of Mi’raaj arrived and the Holy Prophet e was returning then Hazrath Musa u must have said to Allah Y, ‘My Allah Y! Mount Sinai could not become the reflector of You, but the heart of Your Beloved e, has become the mazhar, so please fulfill my request and desire to see You’. Allah Y replied, ‘My dear Musa! I will grant My Beloved fifty salaah for his community and you wait on his path of return. I know that eventually I will reduce it to five salaah but since you are also a beloved Prophet of Mine I will satisfy your desire. When you meet the Holy Prophet e enquire as to how many salaah was given. When he tells you the amounts, ask him to return to Me to request a

reduction’. Most books report that initially at Mount Sinai, Hazrath Musa u had requested nine times to see Allah Y and that this meeting between Hazrath Musa u and the Holy Prophet Muhammad e occurred nine times and the Holy Prophet e was sent back to reduce the salaah nine times. So the nine requests of Hazrath Musa u were fulfilled when he saw the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. So people say that the Holy Prophet e did not see Allah Y, whereas we say, ‘Not only did he see Allah Y but he reflected from his blessed heart the reflection of Allah Y to those who could not see’. He beheld the Divine Countenance and showed it to Hazrath Musa u. So the Holy Prophet e became the perfect reflector wherein Allah Y’s attributes, names and essence manifests (mazhar). Therefore when the Holy Prophet e returned he stated (mar-ra’ani faqad ra al-Haq) ‘He who has seen me has seen Allah Y’.

Jamali Kanboh, an Indo - Persian poet of the late 15 century summed up the essence of this in a famous couplet. He said,

 

"Musa Bahosh raft bayak jalwae sifat, tu ain zaat minagari dar tabasumi

Musa went out of his mind by a single revelation of the Attributes, you see the essence of the Essence, and still smile."

 Everything in this world is constantly in need of the "Light" of Alla>h Y’.Nothing in this world can survive without that radiation of Divine Light flowing into it. Unless the proper connection between this universe and Alla>h Y remains, this universe will vanish. Just as we use transformers to step the voltage down, Almighty Alla>h Y created the "First transformer", the "heart" of the Holy Prophet e to link this world to Alla>h Y. This status of Wasila was given to our the Holy Prophet Muhammad e because he is the nucleus of the existence of the universe. Thus Alla>h Y says in the Holy Qur'a>n regarding this universe in the 3rd Sura al-i-Imraan [The Family of Imraan]: Verse 185:

The life of this world is but fleeting images.

Maulana Fazlur Rahman Ansari t translates the word mata’al guroor as fleeting images. Ibn Kathir t in his explication11[7] (tafseer) of these words explains it as ‘mean and vanishing’. Of course this world and all it contains is a projection of Alla>h Y saying (kun Muhammada) ‘Be Muhammad e’. My love tells me that on the night of Me‘ra>j the projection of kun was withdrawn hence no images remained. The total personality of

11[7] Al-Hafiz Imad al-Din abu fidaa Ismail bin Kathir Ibn al Dimishki t. Explication of the Holy Qur'a>n Volume 1, Page 352

the Holy Prophet Muhammad e was ushered into the Divine Presence and hence the entire world ceased to exist.

Dil jis se zinda heh who tamanna tumi toh hoh

Ham jis me bas rahe he woh dunya tumi toh hoh

The universe resumed functioning as soon as he was ushered back into it. The fact that we live in a functioning world is proof of the presence (haazir) of the ‘soul of the universe’ or (ar-Ru>h al-qayina>t). Therefore, unless we understand the personality of the Holy Prophet e the events of the Me‘ra>j would remain inconceivable and dogmatic or we will doubt that the event occurred. When the world stopped functioning, this was a close/intense meeting of the ‘independent’ Light of the Creator (Nure Uluwiat.) and the ‘created and dependent’ light of the Holy Prophet e (Nure Muhammadiat). Nothing existed except the Light of the Holy Prophet e (nure Mustafa). How long Allah kept the nure Mustafa in His presence. What must have been the effect of this proximity and what the Holy Prophet must have brought when he was sent back? Remember if someone gets close to a being that has the strength to affect whatever is near it and the one near has the strength to receive the effect, then some effect had to take place. E.g. when a piece of iron is put into the fire, that has the power to transfer and iron has the power to take. The piece of iron after being encompassed by the fire, acquires the attributes of the fire and is red hot and able to burn. Ask the piece of iron where it acquired heat and the ability to burn? It answers I was in the company of an existence which was hot and I was close to that existence. That which was in me, got annihilated and that which was in that existence I assimilated. This is called 'the effect of company' or (suhbat ka asr). Remember, all the prophets proclaimed the Tawh}}i>d but only the Holy Prophet Muhammad e is a witness to the Unity of God. Others have based their testimony on the basis of knowledge (ilm), certainty (yaqeen), audition (sama’at) but none on witnessing (ru’yat). The Possessors of Faith, the Inmates of Paradise will see The One Allah (al-Waahid). What will be seen and felt cannot be explained nor understood. They will see al-Waahid but will not see His Oneness (wahdaniyah). Unity cannot be witnessed but our Holy Prophet e saw both once on his initial creation (meelad) and again in the Me‘ra>j. All differences were abolished here, except one; he is the created whilst Allah is the creator. The Qur’aan says in 4 th Sura, an- Najm [The Star] , Verse 150,

Do not make differences between or separate Allah and His Messengers

According to the H{adi>th the Angel Jibra’eel u came and performed a surgical operation on the Holy Prophet e and the vehicle, Burraq an electrically propelled vehicle, (lightning - from barqun ) came. It's a scientific fact that if we travel in space indefinitely we would reach the outskirts of the visible cosmos in about twenty billion years provided that we travel at the speed of light (barq) i.e. 186 000 miles per second

(300,000 km/s). The Holy Prophet Muhammad e traveled the multiple (burraq) speed of light. They reached a point where Angel Jibra’eel u said that neither himself nor his vehicle could go any further, because they will be destroyed beyond that point. All these utterances were made in history when no human being had any idea of electricity or an electrically propelled vehicle. This idea was used fourteen hundred years ago, and has become a reality only today! If the hadith was a forgery, how could a person think about it that time? Therefore, how can one think that the ascension of our Holy Prophet e was impossible. The human being is essentially a spaceless and timeless being. Such was the Holy Prophet e whose nature could overcome the limits of time and space.

 

This human personality has different "modes" or "gears". The normal "gear" keeps us to this earth. But if the other "gear" can be used, which has been used by Alla>h Y Almighty, through that operation which has been spoken of in the hadith, his level of existence was changed. It was changed to his own nature - a spaceless and timeless being. Thus, he was not limited by space and time.

 

We know about different types of time: mechanical time, psychological time, biological time, metaphysical time, serial time, plus time, minus time, zero time, etc. The nature of minus time is such that if one travels in minus time that person actually reduces in age. These are the teachings of the scientists. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e journeying upwards through plus time and beyond brought him back to his original state of creation i.e., nur. Similarly with light (nur) of which there are different types: alpha rays, beta rays, gamma rays, x-rays, infra-red, ultra-violet rays, etc. The laws that govern these different types of rays are not the same. Now imagine that the vehicle that was sent by Almighty Alla>h Y was made in such a fashion as to exceed the speed of light. In how much time could it have traveled five hundred kilometers? Probably in zero time! In no time would he have arrived at zero time. Then we have minus time.We should try to understand the event of Me‘ra>j by observing the natural phenomena and the laws Alla>h Y placed in them.

 

May Almighty Allah grant us the understanding to accept this message and make us people who acquire al-ilm and extreme love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad e Then only can we reclaim al-Haram al Kaaba and al-quds from the Saudis and Yahudis

 

Irshad Soofi Siddiqui , 27 Rajab 1426, 1 September 2005

The Living Prophet!

 

Who is the Holy Prophet e? What is his status? What is his personality? What is the nature of his personality and all their allied questions?  There are numerous confusion’s, especially in this age of doubt and the impact of materialism that are arising in the mind of Muslims. Everybody’s level of knowledge is not the same whether he maybe called an Alime - Deen or whatever.  The comprehension of facts through knowledge varies from person to person.  These problems arise because those who come forward to understand the problem view it with their subjective limitations. This should not be made into the grounds for fighting and theological bickering when you hear views expressed about the Holy Prophet e that many of us would consider as derogatory. E.g. People read the same book but some recognize the Alphabets and some the words. Others will read sentences and paragraphs. Those with higher education will know the language in which it is written, the Subject, Theme, Sub Theme and Inter related Subjects. Therefore knowledge is either of a higher order or lower order.  Those who can see as far as their nose, they can see that far and no further.  How can we call them dishonest and make their limited knowledge the grounds for fighting.  

 

 You will find people of knowledge of a lower order saying, " The Holy Prophet Muhammad e   is just a mortal like us.” Yet you will find great intellectual giants of this 20 C like the great Sir Muhammad Iqbal t who as a poet of Islam is incomparable with

anyone else before him except, Maulana Jalalluddin Rumi t, saying:

 

غبار7 را کو بخشا فروغ7 وادی�و' بل ختم الرسل موال کل جس ن ہ دانا س: ے ے ے ہی فرقاں، سین ی قراں، و ی اخر!و ی اوwل، و ہانگا عشق و مستی میں و ہ ہ ہ ہہ

ی طا ی یسیں، و ہو ہ ہ

 

Woh dana eh subul , khatmur rusul , moula e kul , jis neh , gubare raah koh bakhsha , faroghe waadiyeh sina.   Nigaheh ishqoh masti meh , wohi

awwal , wohi akhir , wohi Qur'aan , wohi Fur'qaan , wohi Ya-sin , wohi Ta-hah

That possessor of the knowledge of the parts of guidance; that terminator of the office of divine messenger ship; that leader of all creation; who illuminated the sand

below the feet of the caravan of his followers into the illumined soil of Sinai.  The Prophet e from the point of view of love is the first; and it is he who is the last; and it

is he who is the Qur'aan and it is he who is the standard of right and wrong in this entire universe. He is Ya-sin and Ta-ha

When Islam came to non-Arab countries, they did not become Muslims through the Holy Qur’aan, because they could not understand the Holy Qur’aan. We speak about the ‘Miracle of the Holy Qur’aan’ [Mu’jizatul Qur’aan]; most Arabs don’t know the ‘Miracle of the Holy Qur’aan’. The modern Arabs don’t know because the have not studied Qur’ānic Eloquence (balaagha).

One such example of Qur’ānic eloquence (balaagha) is Surah Maryam, verse 4. In it, the Prophet Zakariyyah u is praying to Allah Y to bless him with a child, and describes his old age: (19th Sura, Maryam: verse 4)

=ع=ل= ت kي و=اش5 5ع=ظ5م: م7ن kي و=ه=ن= ال 7ن بk إ ق=ال= ر=5با ي س: ش=

5 أ Gالر'‘He said, ‘O My Lord! Indeed my bones have grown feeble, and grey hair has spread

on my head...’’

The Arabic of the last portion of the verse is5با ي س: ش=5 أ Gالر =ع=ل= ت :اش5

‘ishtha'ala ar-ra’su shayba’. This phrase, despite its conciseness (only three words), is indicative of the eloquence of the Qur’ān, and az-Zamakhsharee is able to extract no less than five examples of the usage of various types of Arabic eloquence (some of which cannot even be explained in English!).

 

For example, the primary meaning of the verb ‘ishtha'ala’ which is used in the verse is to express the sparks that are emitted by a fire. Therefore, Zakariyyah u is comparing the whiteness of his hair to the sparks that emit from a fire, an example of one type of metaphor.

 

Also, the verse translates as, '... (my) head sparks...', thus attributing the sparking effect, not to the hair where it occurs, but to the place and origin of that hair (the head), thus accentuating the severity of his old age. This phrase also gives the impression that the sparks are occurring from many places, thus indicating that, not only are his hairs white, but these white streaks are to be found all over his head.

 

In essence, this phrase of only three words conveys the image of Zakariyyah u's old age in such graphic detail that the English equivalent would require a few paragraphs of text! Of course, all such eloquence is completely lost in translation.

 

They have not studied rhetoric. To really understand the ‘Miracle of the Holy Qur’aan’ takes many years of serious study. People forget that the Arabs at the time of the Holy Qur’aan had reached the pinnacle of language. Every people have a period,

where the language is the highest. In Greek it was at the time of Homer[1]. Nobody has been able to replicate the eloquence of Greek in this period. The English language

reached its peak in the Elizabethan Period[2]. Nobody has been able to reach the level of the language of the great playwrights and poets of the late 16th and early 17th

century. This is a fact of the English language admitted by any English Professor. The same is true for the Arabic. At the time of the 7th century, the Arabs had reached their pinnacle of language, therefore the great poets of the Arabian Peninsula, either they had just died, at the time the Holy Prophet Muhammad e arrived or a few of them were still alive. When the Holy Prophet e brought the Holy Qur’aan they were unable to imitate the Holy Qur’aan. The other Arabs, who were eloquent by their nature, saying poetry off hand and give an impromptu talk with great eloquence were confounded by the Holy Qur’aan for it was neither poetry nor prose and did not fit into any of the categories of language they were aware of. Yet they recognized in it a phenomenon that they had not seen. If you take any language and write something in it, a master of rhetoric can come and improve on it. However it reaches a point beyond which you cannot improve on the language. If you look at the statement in English:

                                                         ‘To be or not to be, that is the question’                                                                          

One cannot improve on the language eloquent of making that statement. The

soliloquies[3] of Shakespeare you can’t improve on them if you try your best. There are lines in Shakespeare, considered weak lines that can be improved on. Every poet in Jahilliyya had weak lines that could be improved upon. The critics of poetry point out

weak lines and explain why is weak. But, Abu Bakr al-Baqillani[4] went through the entire Holy Qur’aan and showed how nothing in the Holy Qur’aan can be improved upon in its language. When talking about the Attributes and Qualities of Allah Y, you cannot improve upon ‘The Verse of the Throne (Ayatul Qursi). If you take a ‘Verse of Blame or Censure’ like in Sura Lahab;

Gب= =ه=بh و=ت 7ي ل ب= =د=ا أ Gت5 ي =ب ت

You cannot improve on it or say it in a better way in the Arabic language.

 

The point is that, when the Holy Qur’aan came, the Arabs, they knew it was a ‘miraculous’ (mu’jiz) but when they went to the A’jam what did they have to bring them. Tell a westerner the Holy Qur’aan is a miracle and he will ask what’s miraculous about it. There are people who have read the translation of the Holy Qur’aan and were confused. They need to be told that it cannot be translated and still remain the Holy Qur’aan. Yet let them listen to a beautiful recitation and their hearts will be moved. One can hear the rhythm and sounds and realize that these cannot be translated. Some word in Arabic carry such depth of meaning that they cannot be translated and only a master in the language can even approximate the meaning. You can’t convince any English speaker that the Holy Qur’aan is a miracle from Allah Y based on English translation. They may get something out of the translation but not a moving response.

 

The thing that the non-Arabs responded to was the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. Therefore wherever you go in the non-Arab world, there is an immense love of the Messenger of Allah e. Go to Pakistan, India, Turkey, Indonesia or Malaysia and you will see that there is an immense love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. According to our tradition, you have to have some degree of knowledge before you can speak of Allah Y and the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. The reason is obvious. The people of the Indo-Pak Subcontinent have a proverb:

Neem hakim katra-e jaan

Neem Mullah katra-e Iman

An incompetent doctor is dangerous to your physical health

But an incompetent scholar is dangerous for the soul

In other words if you go to a physician, who doesn’t know medicine; he read some books about how to perform surgery and you go to him and put your life into his hands, then you are a fool. That person will do more harm than good. So! The soul is infinitely more important and infinitely means exactly what it means because the body dies but the soul does not. The soul is infinitely more important than the body. So putting your soul in the hands of ignorant people or half educated people is extremely dangerous and will lead to untold harm to your heart and possibly to your future life. You have a

responsibility. The Shamail of Imam Tirmidhi[5], which is a book about the Holy Prophet Muhammad e’s noble qualities and characteristics; he ends that book with a

statement by ibn Sireen[6] t, in which he says:

Inna hazal amra deen

This affair is about your relationship with your Lord

Fal yanzur ahadakum am’may ya’kuz deena

So let one of you think deeply about the one he is taking his religion from

Unfortunately the ‘popular current trend’ is that, the only prerequisite for speaking about religion is that you speak English or the local language. We won’t allow this in any other subject. You won’t have a professor of mathematics giving a lecture on the human heart, anatomy and physiology. You won’t have somebody whose degree is on cardiology giving a lecture on economics. It’s simply not how things work because human knowledge by its nature is very vast. It takes time to acquire expertise in any subject under the sun. Therefore people study specific things, inspired by Allah Y to do so, so that knowledge proceeds.

 

Knowledge of the deen is the most important of all knowledge’s. We have stopped reflecting on how serious a crisis we are in. We have thousands of Khutbahs given by incompetent people, who read books purchased or acquired otherwise. Even if the book is in Arabic, read by one born in an Arab country, speaking Arabic doesn’t mean they really know Arabic. In the same way, you have English speaking people who if asked to explain a poem by Shakespeare or Robert Frost, which is not that difficult; most will not be able to do so since they are not trained in literature and the intricacies of the English language. There is a difference between principle and principal.

 

In the Arab world, because somebody speaks Arabic they think they can go into books written a thousand years ago and derive the meanings without seriously studying. They think that they can read the Holy Qur’aan and because it sounds like words we use they can translate its meaning. Let me present an example.

Allah Y says in the Holy Qur’aan in the 93rd Sura, ad-Dhu’ha, verse 7:

و=و=ج=د=ك= ض=اال· ف=ه=د=ى

Nearly everybody who reads that thinks دNو NجN ‘wajada’ here means ‘He found’.

Allah Y doesn’t find. He is not looking for anything. ‘Finding’ implies that you don’t know where something is and then you go after it and look at it. [Some Arab speakers like Egyptians, due to their local usage will assume it means ‘find’]. It doesn’t mean that! All of the commentators are in agreement that it means ‘ta’alima’. A’lima hu daala!

Even the word ض=ال ‘daal’ doesn’t mean ‘astray’ according to the ‘mufassiroon’

If you haven’t studied Arabic with teachers [who have proper (aqaaid and ishq)]

seriously (then you wont be blessed to know) that daal’ in the Arabic‘ ضNال

language means to most Arabs, ‘astray’. [So they translate]:

And He knew you were astray and guided you

 (Asgagfirullah!)

daal’ means also that somebody is completely ‘enamored’ [captivated and‘ ض=ال

fascinated to the level of loss of consciousness of anything else]. ‘in love’; ‘wandering around in a state of love’. That’s one of the meanings! There are many interpretations of that verse.

 

So people think that they can pick these books up, read them and come to conclusions and then go and preach them to others without, studying with people. Nobody in the history of Islam has accepted this. The word for hadith that are taken without teachers are called ‘wijaada’ and most of the Ulama are in rejection of using hadith that you did not take from a teacher. But people buy their own Sahih Bukhari and Muslim and they go and start telling people what al-Bukhari and Muslim said. And; there are things in there that will lead you astray. I guarantee you that there are things (in there) that will completely lead you astray. That’s not my statement, that’s ibn

Uyaina[7] one of the greatest Muhadditheen in the history of Islam; who said:

‘The hadith are sources of deviation for anyone who takes them from other than their people’

Even Allah Y says in the Holy Qur’aan in the 2nd Sura, al-Baqara in verse 26:

´ 7يرا =ث 7ه7 ك =ه5د7ي ب 7يرا و=ي =ث 7ه7 ك :ض7ل| ب ي

By it (the Holy Qur’aan ) He causes many to stray, and many He leads into the right path

So what ensures you that you stay on the right path? By staying with the rightly guided scholars! And who are those rightly guided scholars? We know who they are. But even they make mistakes. So how do you know when they are making a mistake or not? From scholars that preceded them. With any profession or artisan skill you want a competent person to accomplish the task. If people don’t do what they do well, you and I suffer the consequences of their poor labor. Similarly you don’t want a scholar who doesn’t spend all of his time making sure that he gets right what he’s teaching the people. This relates to your relationship with God. It doesn’t relate to whether your bread is under baked or whether the cabinet is well made or not . Its not even as dangerous as whether the surgeon is as good as he claims. Because this is about your soul and ultimately your Imaan! We are living in the Age of Pamphleteering. An age of weekend Muftis! People who should not be giving Khutba, are giving sermons. People listen to deviant scholars, astray and don’t know what they’re talking about in Jumas, confusing some and angering those who know its not true. Yet those who know have the adab to sit through something completely incorrect and wrong. The majority of people are called ahle sunnah wa jama’ah and we hold certain beliefs that where in agreement upon. This is called Normative Islam. Every religion that is considered universal has that aspect to it. We have a creed (aqa’id) what the majority follow.   The Holy Prophet Muhammad e said:

Alaikum bi  as-sawad  al-azam

Be with the majority of people

For my Ummah will never agree on error and deviancy

We have something called ijma, jamoor, muttafaq alai. This refers to the majority agreement in the scholarship of our great scholars who protected this religion. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e   said that:

Those in every generation that carry this knowledge will be upright and just people

Truth is handed over from person to person; it’s not taken from books. Every book studied with a true scholar, is a book passed down a ‘chain of transmission’ or one was given permission to study and teach it, since the Spiritual Masters (shuyukh) recognized ones ability to read independently. But, initially one has to study and be linked to accomplished, spiritually linked scholars. People think that they can pick up books, read them and come to conclusions and then go and preach them to others without, studying under Spiritual Masters (shuyukh). Nobody in the history of Islam has accepted this. The word for hadith that are taken without teachers, authorised to transmit, are called ‘wijaada’ and most of the Ulama are in rejection of using hadith that you did not take from a teacher. People buy their own Sahih Bukhari and Muslim and they go and start telling people what al-Bukhari and Muslim said. There are things mentioned there that will lead you astray. I guarantee you that there are things mentioned in there, and if misunderstood, it will completely lead you astray. That’s not my statement, that’s ibn Uyaina  one of the greatest Muhadditheen  in the history of Islam; who said:

‘The hadith are sources of deviation for anyone who takes them from other than their people’

If somebody reads the following in his Muhsin Khan version of Sahih al-Bukhari ( صحيح:(البخاري

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle e said, "Allah curses the thief who steals an egg (or a helmet) for which his hand is to be cut off, or steals a rope, for which his hand is to

be cut off." (Bukhari)

On reading this one concludes that ‘if you steal an egg you get your hand cut off’ then one is mistaken for none of the fuqaha  took that hadith. Therefore Ibn 'Abdul-Barr, Yusuf bin 'Abdullah , in the 6th century, a man who memorized 100 000 hadith by heart (Hafidh al-Magrib), who wrote a 30 volume book on Maliki fiqh, and a 20 volume book on the Muwatta of Imam Maalik, complained of his age saying:

What a terrible time I am living in, these people memorize hadith, and they don’t study fiqh

The problem with literacy is that it empowers ignorant people. There are proverbs like, ‘A Little Education Is a Dangerous Thing’ and another ‘Beware Of the One Book Man’. This is about fundamentalist Christians that only learn the Bible. That’s all the Kharijites (Khawārij) خوارج   knew, they only knew the Holy Qur’aan; not knowing the sunnah and books of the fuqaha.

 

To ensure that one stays on the right path one has to be linked to the rightly guided scholars and shuyukh! There are books that can be studied at home.  Riyadh as-Saaliheen (The Gardens of the Righteous)  was written for common people, thus one won’t find difficult hadith in them. The majority of hadith is to rectify character. Even the Holy Qur’aan is read for to acquire ‘The Theology of Servitude’ or ‘ta’abbud’ which literally means ‘to make oneself a slave’. It is not to derive rulings (ahkaam). That’s not our business. Allah Y says in the Holy Qur’aan in the 16th Sura, an-Nahl (The Bee) in verse 43: 

=م:ون= =ع5ل = ت :م5 ال :نت 7ن ك 5ر7 إ =ه5ل= الذkك 5 أ :وا =ل أ ف=اس5Ask the people of dhikr (those whose hearts are constantly engaged in the

remembrance of Allah Y) when you don’t know

It’s an obligation to consult people of whose hearts are constantly engaged in the remembrance of Allah Y75ر الذkك =ه5ل= .أ These are people authorized through a chain of transmission called silsilah. There are some (like Deobandis) who claim to follow Sufi chains but they have lost the true aqaid whilst there are some who have proper aqaaid but don’t know the true Sufi path. The latter are the lesser of the two evils since belief (aqaid) is most important. You cannot take knowledge that has any import or weight

in this world; whether medicine or engineering from books, you have to study under qualified teachers. At the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e, out of the tens of thousands of Sahaba,   only seven people in the whole of Madinah gave fatwa. Asking questions about the Holy Prophet Muhammad e, like where his parents are in the next world and what is his quality of life after physical demise and drawing negative conclusions is a fatwa. This relates to the belief (aqidah) of the Muslims. There are three acceptable creeds in the tradition of Islam. The Ashariyya: the creed of Imam at-Tahawi t, of the ahe sunnah wa jamaah; then the creed of Abul Hassan al-Ashari of the ahe sunnah wa jamaah and also Abu Manthur al-Mathuridi t. The overwhelming majority of the scholars of our Ummah after the fourth century are in agreement on this that the Holy Prophet Muhammad e  has a functioning life after his physical passing.

 

So those that suddenly, come as scholars and change what was known and practiced for the last 1000 years, in this enlightened period claiming they have discovered the true Islam are actually stating that for a 1000 years the Ummah was in darkness, enveloped in the stupidity of misguided scholars are actually giving a bad opinion about Allah Y!

 

There are misguided people in this strange modern world who continuously attack and seek to demolish the spiritual heart of the religious way of life. They have already demolished the spiritual heart of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism and are now targeting Islam. They vilify authentic Sufi Scholars like Maulana Dr. Fazlur Rahman Ansari t, his teacher Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddiqui t and his teacher Maulana Ahmad Rida Khan t falsely accusing them of being profoundly misguided to the end of engaging in acts of shirk.  

 

They are people who have effectively joined the ranks of those enemies of Islam who have effectively joined the ranks of those enemies of Islam who are waging a war on Islam and Muslims around the world. They themselves are unaware that they have become instruments in the hans of those who dismantled the political system of Islam by closing down the Caliphate on the 3 March 1924. By handing over the Spiritual Heartland of Islam to the Saudi Family and hence closed down the effective usage of our international parliament, the Hajj. Allah Y speaks of them in the Holy Qur’aan, which has been mistranslated by most modern translators even Yusuf Ali and Maulana Thanvi. Allah Y speaks in the 5th Sura al-Maida in verse 51(some versions verse 54) of the Holy Qur’aan and He Y says:

5 :وا Gذ7ين= ام=ن |ه=ا ال ي= =ا أ ي

O You! Who have faith in Allah Y

=اء 7ي و5ل= ى أ Gص=ار= =ه:ود= و=الن 5ي 5 ال Gخ7ذ:وا =ت = ت ال

Do not (this is a command from Him who created us from a drop of sperm) take Jews and Christians as your friends and allies

Is Allah Y speaking about all Jews and all Christians or is He speaking about some Jews and some Christians? The Holy Qur’aan answers that question. There are many verses of the Holy Qur’aan which commit us to establish fraternal relations with Jews and Christians. A Muslim man can even marry a Christian woman for the Holy Qur’aan permits that (5:5). So very clearly this verse of the Holy Qur’aan is speaking of some Jews and some Christians and not all Jews and all Christians. So which Jews and which Christians with whom it is prohibited for us to maintain friendly ties with; to establish alliance with? The verse goes on to answer that question:

=ع5ض:ه:م5 =اء ب 7ي و5ل= ى أ Gص=ار= =ه:ود= و=الن 5ي 5 ال Gخ7ذ:وا =ت = ت ال

hع5ض= =اء ب 7ي و5ل= أ

Which means; and listen carefully:

Do not take such Jews and such Christians as your friends and allies who themselves are friends and allies of each other

The Lord of the Heavens and the Earth is speaking!

:م5 Gه:م مkنك =و=ل =ت و=م=ن يWhosoever amongst you

Whether you be a carpenter, taxi-driver or whatever; it doesn’t matter. Whosoever amongst you establishes friendly relations or alliance with such Jews and Christians will no longer be part of the Muslim World. ‘You have now joined them, you’re part of them; not us. When you die and the angel comes to take your soul at that time you will have it confirmed, ‘You’re not a Muslim’.

5ه:م5 Gه: م7ن 7ن :م5 ف=إ Gه:م مkنك =و=ل =ت و=م=ن يYou that turns to them (for friendship) is of them

7م7ين= 5ق=و5م= الظGال =ه5د7ي ال = ي wه= ال 7نG الل إSurely Allah Y does not provide guidance for a people who commit such an atrocious

act of evil and wrongdoing

But, Jews and Christians were never friends of each other. Never in history! In fact the Christians accused the Jews of having committed the ultimate crime of killing ‘god’, himself. To kill ‘god’ himself is the ultimate crime. They crucified ‘the lord’. As a consequence there was always animosity; hatred and hostility between Christians and Jews. So this verse of the Holy Qur’aan revealed 1400 years ago in the desert of Arabia anticipates a day that would come in history when there would be a strange; baffling; puzzling; mysterious and mystifying friendship between Christians and Jews through which a Christian Jewish alliance would emerge. 1400 years ago, Allah Y is saying that this would happen and when it happens you’d better be careful; because if you allow yourself to maintain friendly ties with them your Islam is gone.

 

Has that alliance come into being as yet? Yes! (Whilst we where indulging in frivolities) a mysterious Christian Jewish alliance emerged in Europe. Whilst we were studying our economics and politics in university a mysterious Christian Jewish alliance emerged. It is that Christian Jewish alliance that delivered to the world Modern Western Civilization. It is that Christian Jewish alliance which today rules and dominates the world; gave to the

world the United Nations Organization; Bretton Woods[8]; the International Monetary Fund and today’s ‘so-called’ International Monetary System. If you join them; if you become a part of them; if you allow yourself to become subservient to them; if you establish friendly ties with them and become part of that alliance and part of that system; then you’ve lost your Islam. He e said on the day, when we shall be raised to life again from the grave, to face judgment, it will be very hot, people will be very thirsty, they would want water and the followers of the Prophet e, would go to him and he would be standing by this spring of al-Kauthar, [The 108th Sura, al-Kauthar, Verse 1]

=ر= =و5ث 5ك =اك= ال 5ن =ع5ط=ي Gا أ 7ن }1}إ

A spring of water! And he would be giving us water to drink to quench our thirst, but there would be some, when they go to him for water, he would refuse to give them water; and they would say, ‘O Messenger of Allah e! We are Muslims why are you not giving us water; we are Muslims’ and he e would say, ‘You changed the religion after I left, so no water for you’. Indeed he gave an even greater warning than that; he e

prophesized[9], ‘He says, ‘you going to do it!’ What? ‘Instead of following me, Muhammad e you will abandon me and you will follow those that came before you; you will follow them step by step, those who came before you, to such an extent that if they were to go down into a lizards hole, you will also go down into the lizards hole’. So we asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah Y! Who are you referring to, those who came before us; are you referring to Jews and Christians?’ He said, ‘Who else?’

 

So, one day the Jewish Christian world is going to exert such a powerful influence over the Muslims that we will effectively abandon Muhammad e and instead of following him we will be following them. And we follow them so slavishly that even if they were to go

down into a lizard’s hole we will go down into the lizard’s hole with them. ……Are we also in the lizard’s hole?

 

He prophesized something worse than that. He e said[10]:

[Hazrath Ali e reports that the Holy Prophet Muhammad e said]

 

5ق=ى م7ن= =ب G ي م=ان? ال Gاس7 ز= 7ى= ع=ل=ى الن 5ت wا =ن5 ي :و5ش7ك: ا يم:ه: 7س5 G ا 7 ال 7 ا 7س5الم ال5 ا

There will come a time when nothing will remain of Islam but the name

The religion is gone! All that remains is this shell. The rice grain gone. All that remains is the husk. He e said that time will come. 

م:ه: س5 G ر= 7 ال ان7 ا 5ق:ر5 5ق=ى م7ن= ال =ب = ي و=الAnd that time will certainly come when nothing will remain of the

Qur’aan except the pages that are mechanically read

Yes! No one goes to the Qur’aan for the guidance that it has. Therefore no one follows that guidance that is in the Qur’aan. 

5ه:د=ى اب? مkن= ال ة?وGه7ى= خ=ر= اج7د:ه:م5 ع=ام7ر= م=س=[When that time comes when nothing remains of Islam but the name and nothing remains of the Qur’aan but the traces of the writing mechanically read] At that time he e said:

The Masajid will be grand structures

Long time it was a roof when rainfall used to leak, and used to be mud walls; but When that time comes when nothing remains of Islam but the name

The Masajid will be grand structures

Multi-million rand buildings, iron and steel:

But devoid of guidance

م=آء7 G7 الس 5م =د7ي =ح5ت= ا ر| م=ن5 ت =م=آؤ:ه:م5 ش= ع:لThe religious scholars who support and are embraced by such a blind

people;

who are holding on to nothing  but the rice husk

Those Ulama would be the worst people [creatures] beneath the sky

From them will emerge that which will constitute fitna[11] for the people  

Tests and trials! Corrupt people. They will become the centers of fitna for the people. The house burning down and the scholars of Islam don’t even know that and they lecturing long, long, pretty, pretty lectures. Wah wah! But their house burning down and they cant even see their house burning down. Or they know their house burning down but they afraid to say it. ….. they will be the worst people beneath the skies

=ع:و5د:  5ه7م5 ت =ة: و=ف7ي 5ن 5ف7ت =ل ج: ا =خ5ر: 5د7ه7م5 ت ن م7ن5 ع7

 If you think that situation is bad; listen to this one. It is the Day of Judgment; the hadith is in Sahih Bukhari- it is repeated four times in Sahih Bukhari by four different companions of the Prophet e. So it is known as mutawatir hadith. When a hadith comes from only one source it is known as a’had  but when it is repeated by several companions it is called mutawatir. This is mutawatir:

On the Last Day, the Day of Judgment Allah Y addresses Adam u and he says to Adam u ‘separate the people for the hell-fire’. Adam u asks, ‘How many are there O Allah Y

‘. Allah Y replies and he says, ‘out of every 1000 take 999 for the hell-fire’. The companions of the Prophet e were terrified. But then he smiled at them and he said,

‘Bushra lakum (good news for you). The one for jannah will be from you.’

Meaning, someone who truly follows the Prophet e! Someone who holds on regardless of the price he may have to pay. That one is for heaven. But he e went on to say that the 999 would all be the people of Gog and Magog. We live in times now when most people including molvis and muftis studying in ulooms sponsored by petro- dollars don’t know what the truth is anymore. Our books, including classical Islamic texts are being manipulated. Books reprinted i.e. later editions; have things removed from it because the publishing house was purchased by a certain sect that didn’t want those ideas disseminated in the Ummah, so people don’t even realize, that their books are being manipulated. The tradition of Islam is being changed in computers, by being deleted and retype-set. Refer to the following website:

http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/nuh/masudq3.htm

 

This long essay had to precede the answer.

 

 

Human Personality and its Functions:

According to the Holy Qur’aan, humanity emerged in Creation primarily in the transcendental dimension of existence. Allah Y says in the 2nd Sura, al- Baqara in verse 35:

´ غ=دا 5ه=ا ر= = م7ن :ال Gة= و=ك ن 5ج= و5ج:ك= ال =نت= و=ز= :ن5 أ ك =ا اد=م: اس5 =ا ي 5ن و=ق:ل=ا م7ن= :ون =ك ة= ف=ت ج=ر= Gا ه=ـذ7ه7 الش= ب =ق5ر= = ت :م=ا و=ال 5ت ئ 5ث: ش7 ح=ي

7م7ين= 5ظGال Oال

“We (God) said: ‘O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the Garden; and eat of the bountiful things therein as you wish; but approach not this tree, or else you run into

harm and transgression.”

At that stage of existence itself, they possessed not only the spiritual but also the rational and the aesthetical dimensions of personality. The spiritual dimension was there because of the very fact of the transcendental nature of their existence. When man fell victim to the Devil’s Deception only after that they appeared in the physical world, which is spatio-temporal, as physical and moral beings.

1. The real human personality is spiritual in nature. Besides 2:35, this fact is also corroborated by the following verse, which speaks, not only of the existence of all human beings—from the first to the last—at the dawn of Creation, but also of the

possession of Consciousness—self-consciousness as well as consciousness of the Personality of God—and hence of personality, which is based and built up on conscious, appreciative and non mechanical response to other personality or personalities. Allah Y says in the 7th Sura, al- A’araf in verse 172:

ذ=. =خ= 7ذ5 أ =ه:م5 و=إ Gت ي k7ي اد=م= م7ن ظ:ه:ور7ه7م5 ذ:ر =ن |ك= م7ن ب ب ر=ه=د=ه:م5 =ش5 =ا و=أ ه7د5ن =ل=ى ش= 5 ب :وا :م5 ق=ال kك ب 7ر= =ل=س5ت: ب ه7م5 أ =نف:س7 ع=ل=ى أ

=ن 7ين= أ Gا ع=ن5 ه=ذ=ا غ=اف7ل :ن Gا ك 7ن =ام=ة7 إ 5ق7ي =و5م= ال 5 ي :وا =ق:ول تAnd recall that time (at the dawn of Creation and in the ‘world of spirits’) when your Lord took from the children of Adam10 their posterity from their back[12], and made

them testify as to themselves saying: ‘am I not your Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes we

testify’12. (Thus was the Covenant of Monotheism inscribed on every human Soul). That  was lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: verily of this we have been

unaware.”

Thus, because this event relates to the transcendental world and conditions of transcendental existence, the transcendental or spiritual nature of the original, i.e., the real, human personality is thereby established. This fact is further affirmed by the following verses: Allah Y says in the 17th Sura, al-Israa in verse 85:

kي و=م=ا ب م5ر7 ر== وح: م7ن5 أ وح7 ق:ل7 الر| =ك= ع=ن7 الر| :ون =ل أ =س5 و=ي´ 7يال G ق=ل 7ال 7 إ 5م 5ع7ل :م مkن= ال 7يت :وت أ

“And they ask you regarding the (human) Soul. Say: the Soul proceeds from my Lord’s Amr, or, Command, created by Him, like other things); and of knowledge you

have been vouchsafed but little.(Therefore, in spite of its intangibility, or non-physical character, do not doubt its reality).”

 2. The earthly existence of every human being commences when the human Soul, whose original abode is the transcendental world, projects itself into spatio-temporal dimensions and takes on the physical form, even as the personalities of Adam and Eve were projected into the material world. Allah Y says in the 2nd  Sura, al-Baqarah in verse 36:

=ا 5ن =ا ف7يه7 و=ق:ل =ان ج=ه:م=ا م7مGا ك =خ5ر= 5ه=ا ف=أ 5ط=ان: ع=ن ي Gه:م=ا الشG ل ز== ف=أ

Ôق=ر= ت ر5ض7 م:س5= :م5 ف7ي األ5 =ك =ع5ضh ع=د:وÔ وGل 7ب :م5 ل =ع5ض:ك 5 ب 7ط:وا اه5ب

h7ل=ى ح7ين =اع? إ وGم=ت

“Then Satan caused them both (i.e., Adam and Eve) to deflect there from and got them expelled from that in which they had been. We (God) said: ‘Get you down all (i.e., let entire humanity commence its descent from the then transcendental stage towards the spatiotemporal, or, the physical, stage of existence),[13] with the spirit of clash between yourselves (that being the condition of all struggle, including the moral). On earth (where you will stay with physical qualities required for a physical

environment) will be your dwelling place andprovision for a time (i.e., for the duration of each individual’s earthly sojourn’.)

 

3. Then, the human Soul, while retaining its transcendental dimension, viz., function and activity, and centered in devotion to its Source of Existence and Capabilities, namely, God, of Whom it is the  vicegerent (2:30), functions in four other dimensions also : namely, physical, rational, moral and aesthetical.

4. Thus: the spiritual, the physical, the rational, the moral and the aesthetical constitute the five dimensions of human personality, and activity relating to all these five should be pursued in a balanced and integrated manner, in order that the human personality may evolve and function in a healthy form on the basis of healthy activity .

 

Duties to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (the Divinely-Blessed) originate, like the duties to God, in the Islamic Article of Faith itself; and they have been laid down by the Qur’aan in the interest of the Muslims themselves, because :

Firstly, he alone is the Leader who is to be followed unconditionally. Thus the bond of loyalty to him is the bond of integrity of the Islamic world-community.

[In that connection, it is necessary to emphasize that the ‘bond of loyalty’ to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   resides in absolute allegiance to him, which means that the association of anyone else in that allegiance as a condition of faith in Islam—in terms of conferring upon anyone, or accepting anyone’s claim to, divinely-bestowed Authority, on the basis of prophetic status or any status akin to it, in any sense whatsoever, is disbelief in the Prophet’s status, and is regarded as disbelief in Islam itself, and that in spite of otherwise absolute allegiance to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e  —expels a person from the fold of Islam in the same way as when he associates anyone in any manner in the Godhood of Allah.]

Secondly, he is the Model of Perfection whom every Muslim is under obligation to imitate for advancement in his spiritual and moral life. But to imitate him consequentially is not possible without practicing love and respect for him, which has been prescribed as duty.

Thirdly, he is the Medium through whom Divine Grace flows[14] to his followers in respect of their spiritual and moral purification. Allah Y says in the62nd Sura, al-Jumuah, in verses 3-4:

5ح=ك7يم: 5ع=ز7يز: ال 7ه7م5 و=ه:و= ال 5ح=ق:وا ب =ل =مGا ي 5ه:م5 ل 7ك=3و=اخ=ر7ين= م7ن ذ=ل 7 5ع=ظ7يم 5ف=ض5ل7 ال Gه: ذ:و ال اء و=الل =ش= 7يه7 م=ن ي :ؤ5ت Gه7 ي }4}ف=ض5ل: الل

As well as (to confer all these benefits upon) others of them, who have not already joined them: And He is exalted in Might, Wise. That is Allah's grace; He

grants it to whom He pleases, and Allah is the Lord of mighty grace.

Benefit can only be conferred by a living Prophet thus these facts necessitate the maintenance of a constant dutiful attitude in terms of love and respect for him.

 

Let's explain the status of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e     from the Holy Qur'aan.  

According to the Holy Qur’aan, the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   has a multi-dimensional status. The

one aspect of his personality is universal and the other is mundane (earthly). Allah Y says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 21st Sura, al – Ambiya, Verse 107: 

=م7ين= 5ع=ال kل ح5م=ة ل 7الG ر= =اك= إ 5ن ل س= ر5= و=م=ا أ

(O! Prophet!)I have not sent you but as a mercy to the universe

 The universe! All the worlds! This is beyond this earth and humanity. This is called the cosmic or universal level.  He is the mercy for the entire creation of Allah Y  i.e. the universe. 

His earthly status is, as Allah Y says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 18th Sura, al-Kahf in Verse 110:   

 

ر? =ش= =ا ب =ن Gم=ا أ 7ن ثTلVكVمTق:ل5 إ ZمGي= 7ل :وح=ى إ يO! Prophet! Proclaim to the people that I am nothing more than a human being,

Mislukum'.

 Many people have stumbled on this verse because this word Mislukum can be translated in two ways.  One translation leads to disbelief (kufr) whilst the other translation is the translation of Faith (imaan).  It has been translated by some as being “like you “ This is the translation on the basis of kufr.  This statement is the greatest falsehood against the Holy Qur'aan and Hadith and is blasphemous against the personality of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e.  Blasphemy leads a person to kufr.  No human being is like the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   , What do they mean when they translate it in this ugly fashion? Like whom? Who has that standard of piety and status that he can be likened to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   ?  The implication of the verse is to emphasize the humanity of the Holy Prophet e so that Muslims do not fall prey, like others have, in view of his great qualities and miraculous powers that Allah Y has given him.  They may not fall into the misconception that he is God or Son of God like others have fallen before them. It is his divinity that is being denied here, not that he is like us.  He is a human being - We are human beings.  Students of science and physics know that charcoal is pure carbon and diamond is also pure carbon.  It is only the frequency of molecules of the electronic particles of the diamond that makes one a diamond and the other charcoal.  Charcoal is black whilst diamond is luminous. Medicinally charcoal when eaten expels stomach gasses whilst diamond when eaten, will kill one.  In Monetary value a truckload of charcoal cannot compare to a little diamond. Although both are carbon there is a world of difference between them.  The Holy Prophet Muhammad e   is human being and we are

human beings, but he is diamond and we are charcoal.  Although, basically, both are the same their laws of existence, value and worth are worlds apart. Although I and you and the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   are human beings, there is a world of difference in point of status, constitution of personality and powers. This is the status with regard to the temporal or mortal world in which we live.  Remember Allah has said in the Holy Qur’aan in the 49th Sura, al-Hujeraat, Verse 2:

:وا ال= Gذ7ين= ام=ن |ه=ا ال ي= =ا أ :م5 ف=و5ق= ي =ك ص5و=ات

= ف=ع:وا أ =ر5 ت=ه: وا ل =ج5ه=ر: 7يk و=ال= ت Gب =ج=ه5ر7 ص=و5ت7 الن 5ق=و5ل7 ك 7ال ب

:م5 :ك =ع5م=ال =ط= أ =ح5ب =ن ت =ع5ضh أ 7ب :م5 ل =ع5ض7ك :م5 ال= ب =نت و=أون= ع:ر: =ش5 ت

O Believers do not raise your voices above the pitch of the voice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   and do not talk with him in the fashion, which you speak amongst

yourselves. If you make even this slight unconscious mistake, all your virtuous acts [prayer (salaah), fasting, pilgrimage (hajj), alms (zakaat), and every act of virtue]

will be annulled totally and you will not even know it.

What is this status?  You will forgive any insult done to you but you will never forgive any insult done to your beloved.  This is the law of love.  If for a single error, of disrespect to Allah Y’s beloved, every act of virtue is annulled, how much must Allah Y love him?  He does not even give the blasphemer, the divine help (Taufiq) to realise he has sinned, thus the door of repentance remains closed.  Beware of this.

 

What are Muslims being taught? They have lost the source of grace and they feel that they can get grace from Allah Y.  The source of grace as established by Allah Y is only the Holy Prophet Muhammad e.  There is no other source.

 

Universal/ cosmic status.

I refer you to what Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 21st Sura, al-Ambiya Verse 107:

 

=م7ين= 5ع=ال kل ح5م=ة ل 7الG ر= =اك= إ 5ن ل س= ر5= و=م=ا أ

O Holy Prophet Muhammad e  ! I Have not sent thee but as a mercy unto the entire universe

And in another verse Allah Y says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 5th Sura, al- Maida, Verse 15:

7ين? =اب? م|ب 7ت :ور? و=ك wه7 ن :م مkن= الل ق=د5 ج=اء=كVerily there has come unto you a light and a clear book....

The و here is the و of conjunction, the ‘light’ ور: refers to something different and ن

the book is something different. There is a difference of opinion amongst the commentators, some say ' light ' herein refers to the Holy Prophet e others say that it does not, but only to the guidance he has brought. Here again the same problem comes in, one thinks according to ones understanding or level of comprehension'. However the Holy Prophet Muhammad e is commissioned by God to explain every intricate verse of the Holy Qur'aan, and Allah Y ) says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 16th Sura, an-Nahl, Verse 44:

5ر= 5ك= الذkك =ي 7ل =ا إ 5ن ل =نز= :ر7 و=أ ب =ات7 و=الز| kن =ي 5ب 7ال لتVبNيZنNب TهمTيNإل Nل ZزVا ن Nاس مgون=للن Gر: =ف=ك =ت Gه:م5 ي =ع=ل و=ل

(O Holy Prophet e With clear proofs and writings; and We have revealed unto thee the Remembrance that thou may explain to mankind that which hath been

revealed for them, and that haply they may reflect.

 Here comes in hadith as the authority. Let us ask the Holy Prophet e what is the

reference to the word ور: ' here. In the Hadith quoted on the authority of Muhaddith ن

abd ar Razzaq, the eminent fore runner of Imam Bukhari and quoted by Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi one of the very eminent ulama of Deoband in his book Nashrut teeb fi zikre Habeeb. Hazrath Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari t reports that the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   informed him that:

:و5ر7ي5 وG ل: م=ا خ=ل=ق= الله: ن= أ

The first thing which Allah created was my light, [and every other creation was created from my light.]"

This Hadith compels us to side with those commentators who say that nur here refers to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   It has been the consensus of Muslim belief which was

challenged only in this period of Muslim decay and degeneration, under the impact of modern materialism, that the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   is the center of creation, that Allah Y created the light of the Holy Prophet e and from that light He created the whole universe. 

According to another Hadith:

:و5ر7ي |ه:م5 م7ن5 ن :ل ل5ق: ك 5خ= 7لله7 و= ال :و5ر7 ا =ا م7ن5 ن =ن أI exist because of the Light of Allah Y and all existence comes into existence

due to my light

Allah Y is indivisible, so the meaning in the Hadith is ‘due to’ (sababbiya), NOT FROM the light of Allah Y, but BECAUSE OF the light of Allah Y.

 

The Qur'aan also bears testimony to this that the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   is the first of creation, when it explicitly affirms this fact, when it says in the 6 th Sura al- Anaam, Verse 163: 

7م7ين= ل 5م:س5 وGل: ال= 5 أ =ا =ن أ

" I am the first among Muslims “.

 Muslim here refers to the first thing or being to submit to the will of Allah Y  and not the misuse it has been put to in these days of bickering. Muslim means he or she that submits his/her will entirely to the will of God. In another verse Allah says in the 3rd Sura, al-i- Imraan Verse 83:

ر5ض7= م=او=ات7 و=األ Gم= م=ن ف7ي الس= ل س5

= =ه: أ و=لEverything in the heaven and earth is Muslim

In the light of the Holy Qur’aan what would ' I am the first among the Muslims mean”? It means that the first being or creation to be created by Allah Y is the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. Science bears testimony to this fact today. Modern science says that this

entire universe started as a point of light[15] in intense motion. This point of light projected itself on the tape of extension and became space and projected itself on the tape of duration and became time. The experiment of physical analysis pursued on the principle of heat, by raising temperature and disintegrating a particular thing into its

constituent particles prove that the essence of all matter is light. [Refer to Hubert Reeves, the Canadian Astro-physicist. Read his light radiation theory]. The essential human being therefore is a space less and timeless being. (ar Ruh - the essence al Asl). All matter is therefore ultimately anti-matter and all the properties of matter ultimately cease to exist, since the essential being was created in the transcendental world called al Jannah. When Allah willed the universe to exist He said, ‘Be Muhammad’ (kun Muhammadah). Allah Y spoke the word only once, but from this kun everything took place and takes place in its time, every moment. This kun is not repeated, but it was in the whole universe from the beginning, and it is forever. Therefore the real Muhammad e is the foundation of the universe and all creation came through him. When our pious ancestors taught that the Holy Prophet Muhammad e     is the medium or wasila between this world and Allah Y - How can it be said that they were teaching wrongly?  What else is there that links this universe with Allah Y  except Allah's first creation: the nure Muhammadi? Allah Y is all Mighty and all Powerful, He does not need any wasilah, but He has made a universe that is in need. The angels are intermediaries, mediating between Creator and creation, performing functions for Allah Y, and when it is said that the highest in Allah Y’s creation is the intermediary why do we not accept. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e   is the intermediary for forgiveness also according to the Qur’aan in the  4th Sura al-Nisaa:  Verse 64:

wه= 5 الل وا =غ5ف=ر: ت ه:م5 ج=آؤ:وك= ف=اس5 =نف:س= 5 أ =م:وا 7ذ ظGل Gه:م5 إ ن= =و5 أ و=ل

ح7يما Gابا رGو= wه= ت 5 الل =و=ج=د:وا س:ول: ل Gه:م: الر= =غ5ف=ر= ل ت و=اس5If these people who transgress the divine laws and damage their personalities, come

to thee O Prophet! And they seek the forgiveness of Allah and if the Prophet also seeks forgiveness for them most surely they will find Allah the Acceptor Of

Repentance and Bestower Of Mercy.'

This verse of the Holy Qur’aan is for all times. The Question arises, how do I approach the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   today? Some people say go to Madinah the Illuminated! This would imply that forgiveness is only for the rich. If we say the verse was only for the companions then we are denying the Qur'aan is for all times. People who say the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   is only hayaat or living in Madinah the Illuminated seem to be very ignorant about the constitution of human life and the meaning of death. If one means by the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   his bodily constitution that lies buried in Madinah, then this is a childish view. Madinah the Illuminated has an added affinity because the blessed body lies buried there but the essential Holy Prophet Muhammad e   transcends the limitations of space and time and thus, he is a living Prophet that is approachable every where. When one approaches anyone, with a plea of help, one approaches with full respect and humility. Thus our elders have taught, and rejected lately on the basis of defective knowledge, that we should stand with full respect and humility and greet him (salaam), and present our plea (dua). The word salaat in Arabic has over twenty five or more meanings, amongst these are  prayer (salaah), nearness (qurbiyat) and greeting. Thus salatu salaam means approach and greet. The Arabic word of yusalloona is derived from the root word of ‘salaat’. Taken in its original form it means worship or du‘a, prayer. In this context it also signifies a sense of nearness and proximity, a consequence of people gathering in mosques for prayers. This is a physical and spiritual congregation.

This theme of connection and nearness can also be seen in other derivatives of the word salaat:

    * mussalee: the runner up in a horse race since he is the companion of the winner, the closest to him than any other

    * salaa: the middle part of the human body which joins the upper and lower limbs together

    * salayah: a flat stone on which condiments are added together and ground with a muller

    * miswalah: a broom that collects segments of dust

In short all of the derivatives of salat convey the meaning of relation, nearness, togetherness and connection. Yusalloona creates a beautiful imagery of Allah blessing the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   with His proximity and close relation abolishing the distances between them. Traditional concepts of separation vanish away and the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   gradually rises up to the stages of Divine proximity. This process continues and will continue forever. Moreover, it is not only Allah Y  who is pleased with His servants sending salutations upon the Holy Prophet e but that Allah Y  is pleased with the pleasure of His beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad e . When Muslims send blessings upon the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   they do so with humility, modesty and reverent respect. Salat is also taken to mean the heat of fire (the fire of extreme love and reverence) which straightens the crookedness of wooden sticks. In the same manner yusalloona signifies a worshipper wanting correction of his inner and outer self by prayers and other worships. Believers are also being asked to salute, ‘sallimoo’ the Holy Prophet Muhammad e  . The Arabic word of sallimoo is derived from the word salam, meaning peace. It is not sufficient just to send durood (ask Allah Y to bless him) upon the Prophet Holy Prophet Muhammad e   but to salute him too, acknowledging his high rank and status. A salute is normally given to a person of seniority, a leader or a statesman. The living Holy Prophet Muhammad e   is deemed by Allah Y  to be the worthiest of all those who deserve to be saluted. One of the Companions, Ibn ‘Abbas t comments that the command of salat and salam is the magnification of Divine remembrance. Allah Y continues to arrange such conditions as to pave the way for the exaltation and dissemination of the Holy Prophet e’s dignity, excellent qualities and matchless lifestyle.

 

We do this in attahiyat? Form a direct contact with him and present ones petition to him. If he feels we are fit then he will plea for us to Allah Y. Is Allah Y an impersonal force? We greet A LIVING Prophet in salaah. In attahiyaat one greets the Holy Prophet e  with

salaam. Imam Ghazali has stated[16] that at this point, one should BELIEVE the Holy Prophet Muhammad e IS present and near (wayzur fi qalbika fi shakhsi qareeb).  Therefore those who have aqidah that the Holy Prophet e is Haazir and Naazir (present and seeing) will be certain of a reply to this greeting. This actually is the point of acceptance of Salaah. That which is acceptable to the Holy Prophet e  is acceptable to

Allah Y . This method of asking Allah Y, by praising and greeting His beloved, ensures the flow of Allah's mercy on the worshipper.

 

I draw your attention to a Hadith in the collection of Ahmad bin Hamnbal as reported by Abu Hurraira t:

A companion of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e , Hazrath Ubayy ibn K’ab t was performing the compulsory (farz) salaah, not the optional (nafil) salaah, mind you. The Holy Prophet e  called him.  He did not respond to the call immediately since he was busy reading his compulsory Prayer (Farz Salaah). He quickly concluded his prayer and came to the door. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e   asked him why he did not immediately respond to his call. He explained that at the time he was busy reading his Compulsory Prayer (Farz Salaah). The Holy Prophet e  asked him did he not hear the Qur’aanic injunction in the 8th Sura, al-Anfaal, Verse 24:

:م 7ذ=ا د=ع=اك س:ول7 إ G7لر wه7 و=ل 7ل 5 ل :وا يب =ج7 ت 5 اس5 :وا Gذ7ين= ام=ن |ه=ا ال ي= =ا أ ي

7ه7 5ب ء7 و=ق=ل 5م=ر5 5ن= ال =ي =ح:ول: ب wه= ي نG الل= 5 أ =م:وا :م5 و=اع5ل 7يك ي :ح5 7م=ا ي ل

ون= ر: :ح5ش= 5ه7 ت =ي 7ل Gه: إ ن= و=أ

O ye who believe! Respond immediately to Allah and His Messenger, when he calls you

 

He had told the Holy Prophet e that he was pre-occupied in salaah, but the Holy Prophet Muhammad e still read this verse. This implies that the Holy Prophet e  meant, that whatever state you were in it was incumbent on you to respond. Or else the Holy Prophet e  could have said, ‘that since you were busy in salaah, and failed to respond then you acted correctly.’ From this incident the four Imams of the schools of jurisprudence have stated that, ‘if any person is reading salaah, and the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   calls him, then it is compulsory (farz) on him to leave his salaah and respond immediately. If he is in the standing posture (qiyaam) or prostration (sajda), immediately on hearing the call of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   he must get up from whatever posture he is in and immediately respond. Not that he must complete his salaah, but he should immediately respond. There is agreement of all jurists on this point.   A question arises that after responding to the Holy Prophet e  should he restart his salaah or read from where he had left it? E.g. one had read two cycles (rakaat), and then the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   called. One responded, leaving the two remaining cycles that has to be read and carried out whatever order the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   had issued.   Now on returning should one restart salaah from the beginning or just continue from where one had left? Imam Shafei t says that ones salaah does not break and he should continue from where he left it, since attention to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   is attention to Allah.

Firstly, note that after Allah Y  and His Messenger are mentioned, the verse quoted pronoun and verb in the next clause are singular: For the Holy Prophet Muhammad e represents nothing but the will and intention of Allah.

Secondly, if any person is in salaah and the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   calls him he must leave his salaah and respond immediately.

 

Another status is that which is unknowable to us. The Qur’aan proclaims in the 33rd Sura, al-Ahzab: Verse 45:

=ذ7يرا را و=ن kش= اه7دا و=م:ب =اك= ش= 5ن ل س= ر5= Gا أ 7ن 7ي| إ Gب |ه=ا الن ي

= =ا أ . ي" I have sent the as a witness..."

 Who else can be a witness except him who sees the things upon which he stands witness? He is witness that Allah Y  exists; unless he has seen Allah Y  he cannot be witness. He is a witness that the universe is infinite, heaven exists, angels etc. This status is beyond our understanding. The Hadith is in the Authentic Collection (Sihah), were he says,

Li ma alahi waqtun la yasa'ni fi him malakun muqarrabun wa la nabiyun mursal

There is an aspect of my life when my personality is projected in that direction, then I am with Allah and my time is with Him. It is at a level where no angel and no Divine

Messenger can even witness it.

The report which stands behind the saying of the Holy Prophet e is from his beloved wife Hazrath Aisha Sidduiqa y who  says:

“One day I went into the room of the Holy Prophet e where he was sitting. I went inside and I said, ‘Salutations to you My Beloved (‘as salaam mu alaikum - Ya Habibi’.) The Holy Prophet e  raised his eyes towards her and asked, ‘who are you’? (“Man anti”).  He is asking his own beloved wife as to whom she was! She says she replied, ‘I am Aisha, daughter of Abu Bakr’ (Aisha binti Abu Bakr). The Holy

Prophet e said, ‘who is Abu Bakr? (Man Abu Bakr).  His closest, beloved friend is Hazrath Abu Bakrt but he is asking,  “Who is Abu Bakr?”  ‘The Mother of the Believers’ says that she replied’ Abu Bakr, the son of Kahafa  (Abu Bakr ibn Kahafa). The Holy Prophet e asked, ‘Who is Kahafa’? (Man Kahafa). Hazrath Aisha Sidduiqa y says,”I shivered and trembled and immediately left.” She says that when she met the Holy Prophet e again she said, “Sir, do you remember I met you at such and such a place at such and such an hour? Then you asked me “who am I?” Startled! I replied that I am the daughter of Abu Bakr and then you asked me “man Abu Bakr” why did you ask me that?” The Holy Prophet e replied,

“Ya Aisha! Li ma alahe waqtun la yasowni fi him malakum, mukarrabum wala nabiyun mursal”

There is an aspect of my life when my personality is projected in that direction then I am with AllahY and my time is with God.  It is at a level

where no angel brought near and no Prophet sent as a Divine Messenger could even witness it as to what it is. It transcends

everybody.”

How can I explain this status of the Holy Prophet e? How could Hazrath Abu Bakr t? So great, greatest among the Sahaba! How could Hazrath Ali t? Yet you see little, little Molvi's, walking on their two legs, opening their mouths that the Holy Prophet e is just like our elder brother. What are you talking about? He is just our elder brother. It is an insult to human reason, it is an insult to the Holy Qur’aan, it is an insult to your Iman, and it is to lay eggs at your feet. You cannot damage the Holy Prophet e and his status but you are going to damage yourself. Beware of it!

 

Everything in this world is constantly in need of the "Light" of Alla>h Y’.Nothing in this world can survive without that radiation of Divine Light flowing into it. Unless the proper connection between this universe and Alla>h Y remains, this universe will vanish. Just as we use transformers to step the voltage down, Almighty Alla>h Y  created the "First transformer", the "heart" of the Holy Prophet e  to link this world to Alla>h Y. This status of Wasila was given to our the Holy Prophet Muhammad e   because he is the nucleus of the existence of the universe. Thus Alla>h Y says in the Holy Qur'a>n regarding this universe in the 3rd Sura al-i-Imraan [The Family of Imraan]: Verse 185:

ور7 5غ:ر: =اع: ال G م=ت 7ال =ا إ 5ي =اة: الد|ن ي 5ح= و=ما ال

The life of this world is but fleeting images.

Maulana Fazlur Rahman Ansari t translates the word mata’al guroor as fleeting images.

Ibn Kathir t in his explication[17] (tafseer) of these words explains it as ‘mean and vanishing’. Of course this world and all it contains is a projection of Alla>h Y saying

(kun Muhammada) ‘Be Muhammad e’. My love tells me that on the night of Me‘ra>j the projection of kun was withdrawn hence no images remained. The total personality of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e was ushered into the Divine Presence and hence the entire world ceased to exist. The universe resumed functioning as soon as he was ushered back into it. The fact that we live in a functioning world is proof of the presence (haazir) of the ‘soul of the universe’ or (ar-Ru>h al-qayina>t). Therefore, unless we understand the personality of the Holy Prophet e the events of the Me‘ra>j   would remain inconceivable and dogmatic or we will doubt that the event occurred.

 

We know about different types of time: mechanical time, psychological time, biological time, metaphysical time, serial time, plus time, minus time, zero time, etc. The nature of minus time is such that if one travels in minus time that person actually reduces in age. These are the teachings of the scientists. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e journeying upwards through plus time and beyond brought him back to his original state of creation i.e., nur.  Similarly with light (nur) of which there are different types: alpha rays, beta rays, gamma rays, x-rays, infra-red, ultra-violet rays, etc. The laws that govern these different types of rays are not the same. Now imagine that the vehicle that was sent by Almighty Alla>h Y was made in such a fashion as to exceed the speed of light. In how much time could it have traveled five hundred kilometers? Probably in zero time! In no time would he have arrived at zero time. Then we have minus time. We should try to understand the event of Me‘ra>j   by observing the natural phenomena and the laws Alla>h Y placed in them.

 

ar-Ruh

The Holy Prophet Muhammad e did not have his body and spirit as two things, nor do I have it, nor do you. The body is only the manifestation of the projection in the spatial-temporal dimension of the soul. The real human personality is a point of light in intense motion. This point of light in intense motion is the transcendental factor which was created by Allah Y in the Garden of Eden and which was there and which projects itself in the spatial-temporal dimension and assumes the form of the body. When it projects itself only in the temporal dimension it assumes the form of mind. Mind is only temporal, whilst body is spatial-temporal. The moment this human personality withdraws itself, there is nothing left. This is the meaning of death. The consciousness is a part and parcel of the soul. We call it ar-Ruh. The word ruh in Arabic means the essence not the soul. Essence is the exact meaning of the word ruh. In modern and ancient philosophy there has been given a vital importance to this distinction between the concept of essence and the concept of existence, as to whether essence or existence is the basic factor in connection with a certain thing. We say in Islam that existence precedes essence and that human beings existed in the knowledge of God. They were not then even essences but only ideas. When those ideas crystallized, the first form that they took was essence, which is the exact meaning of the word ruh. The Arabic ar-Ruh means ‘The Essence.’ This essence has evolved under the Divine Law for billions of years and emerged here in the spatial-temporal dimension as this person. It will travel away from here at the time of

death. It will be the essence with all the accumulated properties which it accumulated in the process. So to say that, ‘I have got a body, mind and soul’ is the talk of ignorant people. A scientist, philosopher or Muslim i.e. a believer in the Holy Qur'aan, should not talk in this fashion. The most important contribution that the Holy Qur'aan has made in the history of mankind is the principle of Unity or Tauhid. We are ahle Tauhid. Due to ignorance people understand Tauhid as being God is one. Again they are wrong for God is not one. If you say that God is one, i.e. numerically one then you are committing kufr because the numerical one is a finite concept whilst God is infinite. He is not an arithmetical one. He is unity. There is a big difference between the concept of the numerical one and the concept of unity.

 

When we say oneness of Allah Y’ These are our words because of paucity of our knowledge and paucity in our power of expression.. In connection with this again, there are distinct schools. Three, for instance, basically, i.e. Hamaoost, Hama-az-oost and Hama-ba-oost. All is He [Hamaoost]; All is from Him [Hama-az-oost] and All is with Him [Hama-ba-oost]. What is the connotation of this distinction? Then this Islamic principal of unity does not break itself up into plurality. It remains all the time ‘one’. But then this distinction is made that God alone is really existent, as He says about Himself in the Holy Qur'aan [Sura al-Baqarah [The Heifer], Verse 255]:

|وم: 5ق=ي 5ح=ي| ال G ه:و= ال 7ال ه= إ ـ= 7ل = إ wه: ال لل

He is al-Qayyum, which means He Who Is Self Existent. Then the Sufis say Allah Y is wajuud or He is Existence Personified. Allah Y is al-Haqq or He is Truth Personified. Allah Y is Nur , He is light personified and so on. Here (relating to our discussion), Allah Y is Existence Personified. We are not. We are mawjuud whilst He is Wajuud. We exist by the fate of His will. He exists by Himself. To be mawjuud is just to be a mere speck on the tape of The Will of His Supreme Power, which may be there or may not be there. This distinction stops that unity from becoming divided into plurality.

 

THE LATEST ADVANCES in the domain of Physical Science reveal that the basis of

‘Matter’ is ‘Energy’[18]" and we may reasonably regard the world to have begun in the form of "waves of probability." Again, the analysis of the atom demonstrates that the basic constituents of matter are the electric particles whose fundamental attributes are ‘light’ and ‘heat’.

 

The Islamic thought on these problems is similar. According to Islam, the universe, which is of an expanding and evolutionary character, began within the ‘waves of probability’, as a nucleus of Light - known in Islamic terminology as the ‘Light of

Muhammad’[19] that has been continuously ‘unfolding’ itself. The fact that we live

in an expanding universe is proof enough that the ‘essential’ Holy Prophet Muhammad e is alive and functioning. The highest in the scale of creation are the human beings. Now, according to Islam, the highest among the human beings themselves are the Prophets and Messengers of God. It is they who are the embodiments of true human perfection, which is spiritual. Among the Prophets and Messengers of God, again, the highest in the scale is the personality of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. For, his perfection is comprehensive, while others were blessed only with basic perfection.

 

Three grades of perfection have been mentioned in the Holy Qur’aan below the category of Prophets and Messengers. They have been graded in their order of merit as "the Truthful" (or, Embodiment of Truth), "the Martyrs" (or, Embodiments of Sacrifice in the Way of God) and "the Righteous" (or, Embodiments of Righteousness). The Prophets and the Messengers are perfectly sinless in spite of their humanity. This forms the foundation of their perfection. The Truthful, the Martyrs and the Righteous stand below them serially in their order of merit, and their immunity from sinfulness is in accordance with their grades.

 

I pray Muslims stop bickering on these topics and become beacons of light that radiate on others and draw them to the truth.

 

Allah Y knows best

 

Irshad Soofi

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Homer is the name given to the author of the early Greek poems the Iliad and the Odyssey. Homer's works begin the Western Canon and are universally praised for their poetic genius.

[2] The Elizabethan Era is the period associated with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603) and is often considered to be a golden age in English history. It was the height of the English Renaissance, and saw the flowering of English literature and poetry. This was also the time during which Elizabethan theatre flourished and William Shakespeare, among others, composed plays that broke away from England's past style of plays and theatre.

[3] the act of speaking while alone, especially when used as a theatrical device that allows a character's thoughts and ideas to be conveyed to the audience

[4] al-Baqillani (i.e. the greengrocer), the qadi Abu Bakr Muhammad b. al-tayyib b. Muhammad b. Dha'far b. al-qasim, in most of the sources Ibn al-Baqillani, but in popular usage simply al-Baqillani, Ash'ari theologian and Maliki jurisprudent. died on 3 Dhu'l-qa'da 403/5 June 1013. The I'dhazal-qur'an, printed several times, is regarded as a classic work on the subject.

[5] Abū Īsā Muhammad ibn Īsā ibn Surat ibn Mūsā ibn ad-Dahhāk as-Sulamī at-Tirmidhī (824-892, ie 209 AH - 13 Rajab 279 AH) was a collector of hadith. He wrote the Sunan al-Tirmidhi, one of the six canonical hadith compilations used in Sunni Islam. Starting at the age of twenty, he travelled widely, to Kufa, Basra and the Hijaz, seeking out knowledge from, among others, Qutaiba ibn Said, Bukhari, Imam Muslim and Abu Dawud.

[6] abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Sirin Al-Ansari (33-110H; a.d. 653-728), wasborn in Basra, as 's migration frommentioned, in a.d. 653, i.e. the 33rd year after Muhammad Makkah to Madinah. He was a Muslim interpreter of dreams who lived in the 8th century. He is a contemporary of Anas ibn Malik.

[7] Imam Sufyan Ibn 'Uyaynah [Died 198 AH] linked the generation of the Tabi'ieen with that of the followers of Atba' al-Atba (the second generation after the Sahabah). He was the rare and unique scholar of his age, and he was a torch for the Sunnah and a proof upon the Ummah

[8] a ‘paper currency’ international monetary system at Bretton Woods. They used the link between the US dollar and gold in the Bretton Woods Agreement as a fig leaf to hide the fact that paper could now be printed and used as money without any requirement that it be redeemable in the market in real money,

i.e., money with intrinsic value. The Bretton Woods Agreement paved the way for the International Monetary Fund to be established in 1944 with the explicit function of maintaining an international monetary system of precisely such non-redeemable paper currencies.

[9] Bukhari: Vol 009, Book 092, Hadith 422

[10] from the Kitaab (Book) ‘Jawahirul Hekam’, written by Maulana Mohammed Badre Aalam Sahib, one of the leading spiritual luminaries of Deoband, India, a HADITH which speaks volumes on the FITNA or mischief-making ULAMA of the latter days and their FITNA-making worshippers who congregate in the Mosques. The HADITH is quoted from MISHQAT as recorded on page 38 by BAIHAQI.

[11] Strife, trials, tribulations-that which fascinates, confuses, deceives, intimidates, corrupts and oppresses

[12] The word ‘backs’ should be understood in terms of transcendental existence.

[13] The emergence of individual human beings on the earth seems to have  been designed to take place through a process of evolution covering countless stages of transformation and in the form of a series spread over a vast span of time, as different Qur’aanic verses and the verdict of Muslim thinkers like Rumi affirms. (See: Iqbal’s Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam, p 115).

[14] In fact, as “Mercy unto the worlds” (21:107), he has been exalted by God to be the Medium of His Blessings in an immeasurably wider perspective. The unique position which he holds among all creatures, has been unambiguously affirmed also in a Hadith reported by the Holy Prophet’s Companion Jabir and upheld as authentic in Islamic history byminent authorities, among whom may be mentioned, by way of example, one of the classical Qur’aanic commentators, Allama Alusi (vide his classical Tafseer, the Ruh al-Ma’ani, vol. 1, p. 51). It is to the effect: “JÉbir (Allah be pleased with him!) reports: I said ‘O Messenger of Allah! Inform me about the thing which Allah created before all (other) things’. He replied: ‘Verily, Allah, the Almighty, created before all (other) things the Light of your Prophet through His Light…” (Quoted on the authority of muÍaddith’ Abd al-RazzÉq (the eminent forerunner and teacherof Imam Bukhari and author of Al-Musannaf) by Allama Yusuf b. Ismail al-Nabhani, in Al-Anwaar al-Muhammadiyyah min

Mawahib al-Ludunniyah, p. 12, Beirut, 1310 A.H.]. The Hadith then proceeds to inform that the entire universe was created by God from

that original created Light, which the luminaries of Islam have named as the ‘Light of Muhammad’.

[15] The scientific representation of creation begins - as in Genesis - with light. Light is the primordial form of energy, the starting point of the Universe. We know this for two reasons: 1) light is the most symmetric energy form known, and therefore the most "primitive", as it cannot be derived from any more symmetric form; 2) light is the only energy form capable of creating and sustaining its own dimensional conservation domain, space - light creates space by virtue of its intrinsic motion, velocity A General Systems Analysis of the Creative Process in Nature

(revised March 2005)

John A. Gowan

http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/jag8/index.html

 

 

[16] Ghazzali-Ihya ' ul - uluum Vol. 1 Section 3

[17] Al-Hafiz Imad al-Din abu fidaa Ismail bin Kathir Ibn al Dimishki t. Explication of the Holy Qur'a>n Volume 1, Page 352

[18] That Energy and Matter are inter-convertible has been stated by Einstein in his famous Theory of Relativity. His formula is: E = mc2. Here, E = energy, m = mass, and c = velocity of light. As regards the source of Energy itself, Dr Alan Isaacs say: "The ultimate source of the energy of the universe is a subject for speculation; it is possible indeed, that it is being continuously created by a power beyond the scope of our understanding". (Introducing Science, p. 130).

 

[19] 1 Cf. the famous Hadith: "I (i.e. the Holy Prophet Muhammad) am from the Light of God and the entire creation is from my Light".

Status Of Hazrath Shaykh Abd Al-Qaadir Jilaani (may Allah be well pleased with him)

REVISED VERSION  

Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 8th Sura, al-Anfaal: Verse 34

  None can be its Guardians (Awliya) except the righteous

(The Awliya are the Righteous.)

The Journey To Allah

In quoted Sura of the Holy Qur'aan, the 8th Sura, al-Anfaal: Verse 34, Allah refers to the guardians of the Sacred Haram ash-Shareef, The Noble Sacred Sanctuary in Makkah, but The Ones who know Allah (urafa) have taken it a step further and say that the Haram ash-Shareef, is the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions). He is the sanctuary to which all the lovers of Allah turn to for protection. They are drowned in his reality. They seek the Beloved of Allah. His true heirs, the awliya serve as guardians of the Spiritual Hearts or qalb of their devotees. The Spiritual Hearts or Qalb is the nucleus of The Essence Of Man or the ruh. This Spiritual Organ of Perception is where Transcendent Realities enter into contact with man. The Qalb is the connection (al-barzakh) between this world and the next. It is also the battlefield of the Greater Holy War (jihad al-akbar). Here a battle is fought between the Yearning Spirit (ruh) and the downward pulling lower self (nafs). The qalb is the sanctified center of man because it is the ‘place’ that can contain Allah. Keeping watch over the qalb is part of the spiritual struggle of the Journey of Return to Allah. The heart of the Perfect Man is the Divine Throne around which circle spiritual realities. It is these Perfect Men (awliya) that guard our spiritual hearts and perfect them.Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 53rd

Sura, an-Najm: Verse 42:

  To Allah is the final Goal.

 In the path of Tasawwuf or Developing Spiritual Culture (Sufism) one has to cultivate an intense, all absorbing Love and connection (Nisbat) with Allah.

On this path, the Subject is Allah, the Goal is Allah, the vehicle to transport one to Allah is Prophet of Allah through whose spiritual personality one absorbs divine blessings, as mentioned in the 62nd Sura, al-Jumua’h, Verse 3

(To purify, instruct and bestow wisdom) upon those who come later…

The fuel for this journey is Ishq. (Intense Love for Allah and his Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions). The traveler on this path is called a Saalik and the guide who acts as the means between the Sought (Allah) and the seeker is called Murshid.

The Qur’aan says in the 5th Sura, al-Maida, Verse: 35:

O ye who believe! Do your duty to Allah, seek the means of approach unto Him, and strive with might and main in His cause: that ye may prosper.

 Degrees Of Friends Of Allah

 Every traveler (Saalik) on the Spiritual Path of Return to Allah who reaches the stage of "Friendship of Allah" (Wilayat), his status as Friend of Allah- (Wali Allah), is dependant on his relationship (Ta'alluq) with Allah. When this relationship reaches intensity it is called ‘Intense relationship’ (Nisbat). Some Aulia attain the ‘link’ or Relationship Of Love (Nisbate Ishq), some attain the Relationship Of Obedience (Nisbate Itta'at). Some attain Relationship Of Recognition (Nisbate Marifat). Depending on this Nisbat the nature of the Walis status is determined. There are up to 124 000 different degrees of Friendship Of Allah (Wilaya), everyone of them on the footsteps of a Messenger or Prophet of God e.g.:

1. The Station Of Jesus (Wilayate Issawi). The wali inherits the station of Isa (may Allah bless him with peace). He doesn't marry etc.

2. The Station Of Moses: (Wilayate Mussawi). The wali inherits the station of Musa (may Allah bless him with peace). He is strict on Shariah. Displays jalaal12[1] in temperament.

3. The Station Of Abraham: Wilayate Ibrahimi. The wali inherits the station of Ibrahim (may Allah bless him with peace). He attains friendship of Allah, prepare children and relatives as Imams etc.

12[1] Jalaal: The Divine Majesty. Jalaal indicates Allah’s Incomparability (tanzib). His Qualities of Majesty include His Transcendence, His Inaccessibility, His Magnificence, His Tremendousness; Awe (haybat) is experienced when Jalaal overwhelms the heart

Some Aulia attain one degree, some two, whilst others attain all combined, i.e. up to seven different Nisbat combined. But every Nisbat when it reaches its Zenith/peak it changes into The Abd or slave of Allah who submits totally. (Nisbate Abdiat). This Nisbate Abdiat takes one into the precincts of Wilayate Muhammadi. (Here everything submits to the Wali, including his ego). At this point the Wali no more remains a mere seeker (murid), but he becomes the sought (muraad).

Abu Muhammad Muhay ud-din Abd' al Qadir Jilani (may Allah be well pleased with him) was unique. He was born as ‘one totally submitted’ (Nisbate Abdiat) and with everything submitting to him (Wilayate Muhammadi). This status is inheriting the miraculous spiritual height of Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions). This is the reason why in being a beloved (Mahboobiyat), He was called “Beloved of Allah’ (Mehboobe Subhani). He is unique and the leader amongst the Aulia. All Aulia are under him. Sheikh Bataa'ihi states13[2][1],

We, and all other saints (Awliya), are within the safekeeping of the breaths he breathes, under the protection of his foot, and within the orbit of his command.

Qurb Or Closeness

On the path is also Qurb (how close one gets to Allah). There are 3 stages here:

1.      Closeness through optional devotion. (Qurb Nawafil)

2.      Closeness through obligatory devotion (Qurbe Faraiz)

3.      Collection of collectives in proximity [Jama Baynal Qurbayn (Jam'ul Jama)]

This is explained in a Hadith E Qudsi included in Bukhari -

"Do not become enemies of My Walis or be prepared to make war with Allah. When My servant after accomplishing his compulsory devotion (Faraiz) seeks My nearness through optional devotion (Nawafil) I begin to love him. When I love him, I become his Faculty of Audition so that he hears by Me, I become his faculty of sight, so he sees by Me, I become his Faculty of speech so that he speaks by Me and I become

his faculty of grasp so that he holds by Me. In another report it says "anything he asks I give." I become his "Heart with which he loves."

  It is also said in another Hadith,

Beware of the penetrating insight (firaasa) of the believer (mumin) for he sees by the light of Allah.

  

Sheik Abd al-Qaadir Jilaani (may Allah be well pleased with him) writes in his book, Ghunya, that,

13[2] Qalaaid al-Jawahir Shaykh Muhammad ibn Yahya at-Taafdifii P.80 al- Baz edition

Whilst a Mumin sees by the light of God, the Wali sees through God.

The Sufi becomes annihilated in God therefore the attributes of Allah are assimilated in his personality. (Fana fis Sifat) The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) has instructed,

 "Takhalaqu bi Akhlaqila"

  Imbue yourself with divine attributes

He also becomes annihilated in the deeds (Aafaal) and in the essence (zaat)

At this stage, visibly it is man (Zaahir) but in reality (Baatin) it is Allah. In “Jama'a Baynal Qurbayn" all these are combined. Ghous Al Azam (may Allah be well pleased with him) was annihilated in Allah, and existed through Allah.

E.g. whilst delivering a sermon, a bird made a noise and without looking he said, "may the head of the noisemaker fall off" and the bird died and fell. Thereafter he said, "come alive in the name of Allah " and the bird got up and flew. (This is total annihilation in God).

The Leader Of All Awliya

His famous saying in Qasida Ghausia, which he said as one 'Whose faculty of speech Allah had become',  

Qaddami Hazihi alla raqabati Kulli Waliyyin li llah  

"My foot is on the neck of all Walis".

 When our Master uttered this statement 313 Aulia in this world, and in the world of souls etc. bent their necks. At this time Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti Ajmeri (may Allah be well pleased with him) was in a young man in a cave in Khurasan and he said, "Your foot is on my eye and head not only my neck." This declaration, by Sheik Abd al-Qaadir Jilaani (may Allah be well pleased with him) concerns the 'station of uniqueness' (fardiyya). All Awliya witnessed at the time of this declaration the flag of Central Administration (Qutbiyya) or ‘being the key player in Allah’s mode of administration’ paraded in front of Shaykh Abd al-Qaadir (may Allah be well pleased with him) and the crown of Assisting with Allah’s leave (Ghawthiyya) placed upon his head.14[3] Complete ‘Managerial Disposition’ (tasrif) was given to him. It is also stated in Qalaaid al-Jawahir15[4] 

"He donned this robe in the presence of all the saints, those of former times and those more recent, those still alive in their physical bodies and those (physically) dead but alive in their spirits…there was not a saint

anywhere on earth, who did not bend his neck towards him."

14[3]Ibid.p.103

15[4] Ibid.p.104

 All Aulia receive the ‘Spiritual flow of Kindness of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) or Faize Mustawi from Ghous Al Azam (May Allah be well pleased with him) It is stated that once a highly spiritualized person came to him from Jerusalem. He was at a state that one step transported him from Jerusalem to Baghdad. Shaykh Abd al-Qaadir said that he had come to repent on his hand. The pupils asked that why should such a spiritually elevated being need to repent. He answered,

"He experienced the state of walking through the air, but he needs me to teach him the path that leads to love (mahabba)."

Hazrath Ahmad Sirhindi Naqshbandi or Mujaddid Alf Sani (may Allah be well pleased with him) says that there are 2 Levels of Sainthood (Wilayat) i.e.

1.      The Minor Wilayat (Wilayate Sughra ) which all Awliya have, but

2.      The Major Wilayat ( Wilayate Kubra ) that has been given exclusively to Ghous al Azam (may Allah be well pleased with him)

 One of the disciples of Khwaja Sulaiman Tauswi (may Allah be well pleased with him) said, out of pride, "Ghaws Paak’s foot is not on my Sheik Khwaja Sulaiman Tauswi (may Allah be well pleased with him) ’. Khwaja Sulaiman Tauswi (may Allah be well pleased with him) called him and said "My Murid does not accept me as Wali. One can only become a Wali through Ghaws Al Azam." Those who know state that if a Wali does not present himself at the Burial Place (Mazaar) of Ghaws Al Azam, whilst in Baghdad, Wilayat is taken away from him.

 Maulana Thanwi, one of the eminent Ulama of Deoband, wrote in his book Ashrafus Sawaane, 

"I saw Haji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki (may Allah be well pleased with him), my Spiritual guide, in my dream and he was in his grave. On the wall of the grave was

written, ‘Become a dog at the door of Ghous al Azam’ (Saghe Darbare Jilan Shud...)

 He also writes in a book called Ifaazate Yaumia (daily discourses),  

I heard from Maulana Fazl ur-Rahman Ganj Muradabadi, that there was a washer-man of Ghaws Paak who when questioned in the grave, out of ignorance but love, answered all three questions with the words,

Ghous al Azam. Allah ordered the Angels to record his name amongst the inmates of heaven."

 It is sad that the Ulama of Deoband and their affiliates called Tabligh Jamaat are waging a war against the time-honored understanding of the status of Awliya and the rites and rituals of love attached to their remembrance. It is also sad to note that some of those who possess sound belief regarding Awliya but lack knowledge are making claims, e.g. that great Awliya possess them etc. This state of affairs has to be remedied by the true practitioners of Tasawwuf. The states of the Sufi's are difficult to understand, let alone attain. May Allah increase their love in our hearts and may we strive to serve God and his creation as they served. Perhaps this will become an excuse for our salvation.

 Irshad Soofi: Revised version May 27, 2004 / Rabi as-Saani 8, 1425 seeking one look of grace from the Master, Ghous al Azam.

The Spiritual Administration

Sura al-Anaam 6 Verse 122

And is he who was dead, and then We gave him life and gave him a light by which he walks among mankind be like him who is in

darkness… According to all the true Spiritual Masters, those who have transmitted the teachings of The Science of Spirituality or Tasawwuf orally or in writing, Allah controls His universe, through a class of people known as Awliya. Due to their reaching a high stage of surrender to Him, He has replaced their will, with His will. Allah radiates on them with His attribute of al-Wali, the Protecting Friend, and they become the means through which Allah activates His attribute of protective friendship. The level of Wilayat or sainthood is based on the level of spiritual advancement. The intellectual proof of Islam is found among the Ulema or scholars whilst the personification of 'surrender to the Will of Allah' or the visible proof are the Awliya.

 The truth of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) 's integrity is manifested through these Awliya. Through the blessings of the coming of Awliya it rains and because of their pure lives we are blessed with plant growth. Allah acts through Awliya in particular ways allowing them to utilize His powers. This in no way constitutes that they act as advisories or influence Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He). They have been blessed with the service of filtering Allah's energy throughout the world due to their closeness to him. Those Awliya who pass into the realm of Divine Beauty, physically, continue to perform duties in the

spiritual realm. Because man is superior to the Angels as Khalifatullah and not as a sinful human being, those who become Allah’s beloved, friends are given the freedom of both the worlds. Allah says in Sura 16 Nahl Verse 97

 “ I revive them immediately after death to a new functioning life

Which is extremely healthy, pure and a life of felicity

And I will reward them in a most beautiful manner for what they have done”

The reward, which is to come on the Day of Judgment, has been mentioned separately from this, that Allah says, ‘I revive them’. What happens is, because man is superior to the angels and the angels are the functionaries of Allah in this universe, about which the whole Islamic theology stands on as proof, these people are joined to the company of angels and are made their leaders. One of the last great thinkers in Islam, Shah Waliullah, the great Muhadith of Delhi, (ad. 1077/1166) says16[1]: “When a human being passes away no relation is left between his soul and the world of matter. The souls return to their origin, become like angels, and like them, give inspiration and help to men. They help in the dissemination and strengthening of Allah ‘s religion. They rush to

help those who work for this path. It has been witnessed that they come to help in groups”

These Awliya Allah become the leaders of companies of Angels, since they are Superior to Angels, they become functionaries and they have the freedom. Like the Angels performance of duties for Allah in no way constitutes that, He is not all Powerful, Awliya have the ability to spiritually heal, spiritually protect, transform weather patterns and display many different powers that Allah blesses them with.

 Electricity at the powerhouse is produced at a high voltage. Transformers are established to bring down the voltage at each level. When it reaches 220V it is allowed to go into the homes. For everything in the universe there is only one powerhouse, the ‘Being of Allah’- life, light, beauty and knowledge flows from here. This blessing must flow into the universe so that everything functions and remains alive. The first transformer is the heart of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and the others in the serial order are the hearts of those abd's (totally surrendered to the Divine Will) that have attained the status of Awliya Allah. Through them the blessings of Allah flow into this dead universe giving it life and light. This is explained in a Hadith E Qudsi included in Bukhari -

"Do not become enemies of My Walis or be prepared to make war with Allah. When My servant after accomplishing his Faraiz (compulsory devotion) seeks My nearness through Nawafil (optional devotion,) I

begin to love him. When I love him, I become his Faculty of Audition so that he hears by Me, I become his faculty of sight, so he sees by Me, I become his Faculty of speech so that he speaks by Me and I become his faculty of grasp so that he holds by Me. In another report it says "anything he asks I give." I become his "Heart with which he loves."

 It is also said in another Hadith,

16[1] Shah Waliullah Muhadith Dehlavi Hujjatu 'llahi 'l-Baligha Vol.1p.35

 "Beware of the penetrating insight (firaasa) of the believer (mumin) for

he sees by the light of Allah."

 Among the Awliya there are four thousand who are hidden. They don't know one another and are themselves unaware of their excellent state, being hidden from themselves and from mankind. These elite beings are in the realm of 'general saint-ship' (Wilayat aama). The functionaries of Allah's court, involved in the Spiritual Administration are in the realm of 'special saint-ship' (Wilayat khaassa): They are classified in the hierarchy as:

1.      Three hundred Akhyaar (good) - very good 'righteous' and upright servants of Allah’

2.      Forty Abdaal (substitute)- the pegs of the universe, who live physically on the earth and who are 'substituted' (badal) every time one leaves the physical realm. . In a Hadith Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “There will be 40 Abdaal on the soil of Mulk-e-Sham (Syria) till the Day of Judgement. If one dies another will take his place”

3.      Seven Abraar (pious) from among the Abdaal - spiritual guardians

4.      Four Awtaad (pillars) from among the Abdaal

5.      Three Nuqaba (leaders) and

6.      One called Qutb or Ghawth.

 The Abdaal, amongst whom the higher category is called Abraar and Awtaad are the deputies of the Qutb or Ghawth who is the main receiver of Allah's spiritual energy. All others receive spiritual energy through the Qutb. The Abraar and Awtaad are assigned as regional Qutb's in separate areas of the earth. All are answerable to the Supreme Qutb and to spiritual superiors within the network. The identity of the Qutb is veiled to the world due to the sensitive nature of the job. There is also no need for disclosure of his identity since his work is to filter Allah's energy into the world. The teachers of Tasawwuf or Shaykhs are made apparent and visible in the world, since people need contact with them. One of the Shaykhs may hold one of the positions of Qutb or Abdaal but, again, it is not necessary to disclose this.

 Abu Muhammad Muhay ud-din Abd' al Qadir Jilani (Rahmatullah-alai) or Ghous al-Azam (The supreme Ghous) is unique. He was born as ‘one totally submitted’ (Nisbate Abdiat) and with everything submitting

to him (Wilayate Muhammadi). ). This is the reason why in being a beloved (Mahboobiyat), He was called “Beloved of Allah’ (Mehboobe Subhani). He is unique and the leader amongst the Aulia. All Aulia are under him. Sheikh Bataa'ihi states,

 We, and all other saints (Awliya), are within the safekeeping of the

breaths he breathes, under the protection of his foot, and within the orbit of his command.

Ghous Al Azam (Rahmatullah-alai) is ‘annihilated in Allah’ (fana), and remains active through Allah (baqa). His famous saying in Qasida Ghausia, which he said as ‘one whose faculty of speech Allah becomes’,

 "Qaddami Hazihi alla raqabati Kulli Waliyyin li llah"

"My foot is on the neck of all Walis".

 When our Master uttered this statement 313 Aulia in this world, and in the world of souls etc. bent their necks. This declaration, by Sheik Abd al-Qadir Jilani (Rahmatullahi alaihi) concerns the 'station of uniqueness' (fardiyya). All Awliya witnessed at the time of this declaration the flag of Central Administration (Qutbiyya) or ‘being the key player in Allah’s mode of administration’ paraded in front of Shaykh Abd al-Qadir (Radiallahu anhu), and the crown of Assisting with Allah’s leave (Ghawthiyya) placed upon his head.17[2] Complete ‘Managerial Disposition’ (tasrif) was given to him. It is also stated in Qalaaid al-Jawahir18[3],

 "He donned this robe in the presence of all the saints, those of former times and those more recent, those still alive in their physical bodies and those (physically) dead but alive in their spirits…there was not a saint

anywhere on earth, who did not bend his neck towards him."

 All Aulia receive the ‘Spiritual flow of Kindness of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) or Faize Mustawi) from Ghous Al Azam (Rahmatullah-alai). It is stated that once a highly spiritualised person came to him from Jerusalem. He was at a state that one step transported him from Jerusalem to Baghdad. Shaykh Abd al-Qadir said that he had come to repent on his hand. The pupils asked that why should such a spiritually elevated being need to repent. He answered, "He experienced the state of walking through the air, but he needs me

to teach him the path that leads to love (mahabba)."

17[2] Ibid.p.103

18[3] p.104

 Hazrath Ahmad Sirhindi Naqshbandi a.k.a Mujaddid Alf Sani (Rahmatullahi alaihi) says that there are 2 Levels of Sainthood (Wilayat) i.e.

1)      Wilayate Sughra (small Wilayat) which all Awliya have, but

2)      Wilayate Kubra (the great Wilayat) is given exclusively to Ghous al Azam (Radiallahu anhu).

According to the Aarifeen he will only relinquish the position of being the ‘Main Player in the Central Administration’ (Qutbe Kubra) to Imam Mahdi (Alai' his salaam).

 Remember in Sura al-Fatiha 1 Verse 5

Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek,

Here Allah speaks of ibaadat or ‘worship’ and istiyaanat or ‘seeking assistance’. Worshipping other than Allah is shirk. The asking of help from a helper, as the asking of dua from a pious Muslim, in no way implies that the person who asks believes any good can come apart from Allah. In effect he is asking Allah, but he is using the means that Allah put at his disposal, including the intercession of those who may be closer than him to Allah

 IRSHAD SOOFI

28 RABI UL AWWAL 1422

21 JUNE 2001

Sufism and the 21st Century

IntroductionIn the west there is constant criticism that Islam didn’t sufficiently develop its

theological and philosophical system so that a believer may be able to orient himself more easily in ‘modern’ times. Whilst Muslims constantly declare the superiority of our faith, our dismal failure at presenting a workable Islamic model has left us to be

dominated by the prevailing world order, and the adherents of Islam constantly resorting to the western alternative as a life model.

Our lack of insight of the challenges of the 21st century and our inability to articulate a comprehensive Islamic response, which is a consequence of our narrow-minded view of Islam, is a major contributing factor to the present dilemma of the Muslims. An attempt will be made in this paper to elucidate some of the modern challenges, and to proffer the most workable Islamic solution; that which will not only thwart the advances of the kuffar but can also contribute most significantly to Muslims realizing the extent of their spiritual potential. Insha’ Allah

  Transcript.

In former times when savagery prevailed, when force and compulsion ruled the world, empires were established with the conquests of land and the subjugation of its inhabitants. When ‘civilization’ however, prevailed, the greatest weapons in the hands of any conqueror were science and knowledge. 21st century warfare bears testimony to this. Since power and rule has passed to the hands of science, and with the advancements in science and technology, and the resulting emergence of the age of mass communication, the battlefield for 21st century conquests has also changed. The struggle between truth and falsehood, belief and unbelief, is for the most part a battle for hearts and minds, a battle of persuasion, of ideas and civilization. It is primarily a war for economic and cultural dominance. Man’s most effective weapon today is in ‘eloquent expression’-the unique ability to make others accept one’s ideas through eloquence and persuasion. Thus, in this age of information, mass media has pervaded all aspects of life.

 Manipulation of information to achieve one’s own ends has become the driving force behind the tragedies of modern history. As long as a person or persons have a monopoly over the mechanisms used for the promulgation of information, they are 'free' to exhibit their views, ideas, and propagate their ideals in the manner they see fit. The "Age of Information" has rather created an " Age of Misinformation" controlled by a few, impacting on the lives of billions The cost could be at the cost of the infringement of the basic rights of millions of people or it could be at the loss of the lives of millions.

 Mistakenly attributing the scientific advances from which clearly the military and economic superiority of the West had sprung to Western thought and civilization, Muslims too, unfortunately began discarding Islam by relegating it to the mere formal observance of rituals, instead of the dynamic progressive scientific and organic life system that it is. A cursory glance at history testifies to this reality that Islam was the forerunner in all fields of science and technology in the previous millennium, and is the bedrock of all western scientific advancement and ‘civilization’.

 In fact, Islam gave birth to the scientific and ' information age' the moment the first revelation descended to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) The first command of "Iqra’” ushered in this information age. The angel Jibraeel (Alaihis salaam) transmitted the message from the divine source and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) relayed it to the rest of humanity. The network of the Sahaba collected the data of Al-Qur'aan as per the instructions of the Holy Prophet

Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), which contains all the guidance and directives for society.

 Present systems of communication for the promulgation of information such as newspapers, television, satellites, computers etc. existed in the era of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)- albeit not in the present form. The revelations to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) far outstrip any mode of satellite communication today.

 The message of the kuffar as portrayed in the media is diametrically opposed to the system of Islam. Both these systems however, have their basis in communication and information. The Islamic system revolves around the dissemination of information of the message of the Creator-Allah, to His creation. The media and the powers behind it are presenting the message of Shaitaan whilst the responsibility of every Muslim is to put forth the message of Ar-Rahman. However, in the present context this is almost impossible to achieve as all the mechanisms are in the hands of the Kuffar. What, then, is the alternative?

 A deficient understanding and application of Islam has played a major role in the backwardness of the Muslim Ummah today. The experience of Islam on four levels i.e. Sura al-i-Imraan 3:Verse 164

“Reciting unto them His verses, and purifying them, and teaching them the knowledge of the Book and wisdom,

 

as taught by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has not been realized, and its potential has not been harnessed. If these four levels were to be accessed, then, the modern age of Internet and computers have not reached the heights reached by followers of previous prophets- leave alone the Ummah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)!

 An incident in the era of Sayyiduna Sulaiman (Alaihis salaam) and Asif Barkhya in Sura Al Naml shows the ability of a person who has been endowed with" knowledge of the book" by Allah to bring the throne of Bilqees which was over 1500 kilometers away to the court of Sulaiman (Alaihis salaam) quicker than the batting of an eyelid: Sura Al Naml 27:Verse 38-40.

 

He (Sulaiman) said: "O chiefs! Which of you can bring for me the throne of Bilqees before they come to me surrendering themselves in obedience?" And Ifrīt from the jinn’s said: “I will bring it to you before you arise from your place. And verily, I am indeed strong, and trustworthy for such work." One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: "I would bring it to you would then before the twinkling of an eye!" - then when Sulaiman saw it placed before him, he said: This is by the grace of my Lord to test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful!  

Modern media and technology has enabled us to process information only via the Internet at great speed and has not even reached the position to transport physical objects at great speed! The crucial question is how can Muslims unleash this spiritual potential?

 The primary function of Al-Shariah is the transformation of the human personality on the basis of faith and surrender to Allah. This transformation is essentially an internal process, in order to reach the goal- in its case being God. This requires that a person journeys on the path to Allah meaningfully and purposefully, rather than formalistically and ritualistically.

The method (Al-Tariqah) that is employed for this purpose has been supplied in the teachings of the Holy Qur'aan and of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). It has been termed as Tazkiyah in the Holy Qur’aan -Tazkiyah being the eradication of the positive and negative evils that obstruct or keep in abeyance the development of the human personality in the spiritual dimension, and consequently in the moral dimension. For this purpose Islam employs as its instruments spiritual devotions to God, spiritual contact with the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), intellectual grasp of the value system of Islamic code of guidance, study of nature and history, practice of social morality, meditation, contemplation and periodic seclusion. The scheme

of placing the basic elements of the religious quest in the obligatory religious routine of a Muslim makes it possible for every Muslim to undertake it in accordance with his capacity and the availability of opportunity, and not only for a select few.

 This crucial method (Tariqah) of tazkiyah which, is primarily achieved through spiritual contact and a direct link with the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) unfortunately is looked upon with scorn and disinterest especially by the youth of today, offers the most sophisticated possibilities, but is rarely being practiced by the Muslims.

 This great knowledge of purification of self (tazkiyah) and ‘knowledge of the book’, which the Sahaba had inherited from the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was transmitted with the blessing of Allah by the Sahaba -primarily by Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna ‘Ali (radiallahu anhu) This field of Islam, like other fields of knowledge of Islam such as Tafsir, Fiqh, Hadith has been transmitted since the era of the Sahaba This great science which in the Holy Prophet's (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) era was a 'reality without a name' was classified as "Tasawwuf" and practitioners of Tasawwuf –or Sufism as it is popularly known-have since been called Sufis.

 The amazing transformation of the human personality through tazkiyah can be gleaned from this famous incident of Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radiallahu anhu)

 He was on the Pulpit giving the Friday sermon in Madinah when all of a sudden he exclaimed: "O Sariya, the mountain!" The battle was taking place in Persia and Sayyiduna ‘Umar miraculously perceived the enemy about to ambush the Muslim army from behind the mountains. This amazing feat of Sayyiduna ‘Umar whilst on the pulpit in the mosque of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) 'seeing' this dangerous situation thousands of kilometers away, is a great example of the degree of knowledge which the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) had imparted to the Sahaba.

The Sahaba themselves had developed these capabilities under the guidance of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and it is an indication to us what we can accomplish using our own Allah - given faculties without the use of primitive physical media such as telephones television, computers etc. More attention and emphasis needs to be paid to this aspect of Islam, which holds the key to our success in our jihad against the Kuffar.

 Awliya’ Allah (Friends of Allah) have cultivated this capability through strict spiritual strivings which are, without a shadow of doubt in keeping with the teachings imparted by the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) with mind-boggling results.

 It is the striving of the Awliya’ Allah through dhikr etc. and strict spiritual striving [mujahada] in the manner of the Sahaba, as taught to them by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), which has elevated them to the rank of Awliya’ Allah. Stories of their feats [karamat] that, were brushed off previously as mere legends, are now regarded as 'marvels of technology' when accomplished in a yet primitive form by the kuffar today.

 It is for this reason that the jihad against Kuffar should be fought on the very same platform that they have been using to destroy us- ironically, a system that first evolved in the era of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) Above all Islamic sciences Tasawwuf, holds the key to unlocking our most weighty response to the challenges of the enemies of Islam in the 21st century.

The time has come wherein we beat the Kuffar at their own game- not with sophisticated machinery, but by developing our own personalities with the Nur of Iman, so that no force may be able to engulf us, and we as Muslims may lead others from the abyss of misguidance to the path of truth.

 

Hafiz Fuzail Soofie Habibi.

Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti

Sura Jumua 62: Verse 2

 

It is He Who has sent amongst the Unlettered a messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs (in the Qur’aan and environment), to purify their souls, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom, - although they had been, before, in manifest error; -

Introduction

The personal touch is important in guidance of the Ummah. Mere book knowledge leads to varied translations and further division. A sick person needs both the physician and the prescription. Often he needs the Doctor more than the prescription. Unless there is a competent physician to administer the prescription properly, the prescription remains useless. Allah gave us both the physician and the prescription, The Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and the Holy Qur’aan. The Holy Qur’aan without The Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would not have ushered in the marvellous transformation, in Arabia, which is the pride of Islam.

 

The functions of the Holy Physician have been described in the quoted verse of the Holy Qur’aan. Accordingly the duties of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) consist of the following:

1.      To read the signs (ayah) of Allah from the Qur’aan and the environment, and thereby communicate the message of Allah

2.      To purify their souls, which is different from merely conveying the message. That is to purify them to understand the message.

3.      To explain the real significance of the passages of the Holy Qur’aan, such understanding is received when the purification process synchronises their insight (basirah) and eyesight.

4.      Finally to bring them face to face with the wisdom which follows this knowledge of the signs and action of purification.

The Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) combined in himself the leadership of all the various functions. He was the religious teacher, spiritual guide, social reformer, commander in chief and political head. The four Caliphs that followed inherited this leadership in totality. The temporal power and spiritual lead were centred in the same personality.

 

Unfortunate events subsequent to the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain (radiallahu anhu) sounded the death knell of amalgamated leadership. The Bani Umayya usurped the temporal power, and the incident of Karbala and its aftermath paved the way for the modern ‘so called’ Islamic Nation States’ and the external (zahiri) brand of Islam, as followed by these leaders. Those who could see the reality however, continued to flock around the ahle bait to drink from the fountain of knowledge and reality. Under the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphs these expounders of the internal true Islam, or the Sufi Dervishes, were persecuted and that is why these spiritual lessons were given secretly. The Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is the ocean, Hazrath Ali (radiallahu anhu) is the outlet and the ahle bait are the canals that carry the water to the thirsty. The analysis of the events after Karbala shows clearly how wealth and power corrupted the morals and respect for ahle bait. How deep this rot has set in today. Fortunate are those that are attached to Sufi Orders that have devised effective mechanisms to keep the love of Ahle Baith, and thus the soul of true Islam, alive in the heart of its adherent.

Spiritual Guidance

On the return journey from his “Farewell Pilgrimage” the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), on the 18 Zil Hijjah stopped at at Ghadir-e-Khum, (which is close to today's Juhfah). an Oasis between Makkah and Madinah. ). It was a place where people from different provinces should depart from each other and take different routes for their home provinces. He called the gathering of Companions from the various tribes and after addressing them on important matters he announced that he had received a message from Allah to declare as follows :- The Messenger of Allah declared: "It seems the time approached when I shall be called away (by Allah) and I shall answer that call. I am leaving for you two precious things and if you hold fast to both of them, you will never go astray after me. They are the Book of Allah and my progeny that is my Ahl ul-Bayt. The two shall never separate from each other until they come to me by the Pool (of Paradise)."

 Then the Messenger of Allah continued: "Do I not have more right over the believers than what they have over themselves?" People cried and answered: "Yes, O' Messenger of God." Then Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) held up the hand of Ali and said:

 

“Man Kunto Maulaho Fa Aliun Maulaho, Allah humma Wala Man Walaho Wa Aada Man Aadaho”19[1].

 “He whose spiritual guide I am, Hazrath Ali (Karam-allah wajhu) is also his spiritual guide, Oh Allah, You keep him as Your friend who keeps him [ Hazrath Ali (Karam-

allah wajhu)] as his friend (and spiritual guide) and You (Allah) treat him as Your enemy who treats him [Hazrath Ali (Karam-allah wajhu)] as his enemy.”

  It is narrated that Hazrath Umar (radiallahu anhu) and Hazrath Abu Bakr (radiallahu anhu) were the first to congratulate Hazrath Ali (radiallahu anhu). They ran up to him and said said:

"Well done Ibn Abi Talib! Today you became the Spiritual Guide. (Mawla) of all believing men and women."

 Khwaja Sahib is a descendant of Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)

Hazrath Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti Sanjari (Rahmatullahi alaihi) popularly known as Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaaz (The Supporter of the Poor) is the founder of the Chishtia Order of Sufis in India. He is one of the most outstanding figures in the history of Islamic Sufism.

19[1] Sahih Tirmidhi, v2, p298, v5, p63

 The Chishtia Silsila20[2] is one of the most popular and influential Sufi orders in Islam. It derives its name from Chisht, a village near Herat, Afghanistan, where the founder of the Order, Khwaja Abu Ishaq (Rahmatullahi alaihi) of Syria, settled. Hazrath Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Rahmatullahi alaihi) brought the Silsila to India at the close of the 11th century A.D. and established its centre in Ajmer, whence the order spread far and wide in India and became a force in the spiritual life of the Muslims.

 

Hazrath Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti Sanjari (Rahmatullahi alaihi) was born in 536 A.H./1141 A.D. at a place called Sanjar, in Sijistan (Persia or present day Iran). He was in direct lineage of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) being a paternally descended from the Holy Prophet’s grandson, Imam Hussain (radiallahu anhu) and maternally from the Holy Prophet’s grandson, Imam Hasan (radiallahu anhu). Thus he is a Hasani and a Husaini Sayyid21[3]. He was brought up in Khorasan, Iran and received his early education at home from his father, Hazrath Sayyid Gheyasuddin (Rahmatullahi alaihi) At the age of 9; he committed the Holy Qur’aan to memory. He was 16 yrs old when his father passed into the realm of Divine Beauty; he inherited a grinding stone and an orchard, which formed a source of his livelihood.

 Spiritual Awakening

A Madjzoub22[4] saint, Hazrath Ibrahim Qandoozi (Rahmatullahi alaihi) paid Khwaja Sahib a visit at his orchard. Khwaja Sahib laid out a sheet for him to sit on and offered him a few grapes from the garden. The saint ate some grapes, and then took out a piece of bread from his sack and chewed on it. He then took out the chewed bread from his mouth and placed it in Khwaja Sahib’ s mouth. An instant transformation occurred, in keeping with the Sunnah23[5] of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). It is stated in at-Tabarani, that a

20[2] Silsila The Spiritual Chain of each Sufi Order descends from the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) down to the present Spiritual Guide. It is through attachment to the silsila that the newly initiated disciple has the means to travel to Allah under Divine Protection.

21[3] Sayyid: ‘Master.’ This title is given to a descendant of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), descending from his daughter Fatimah (Radiallahu anha).

22[4] Madjzoub: One under the influence of Divine attraction (jadhba). The power of this attraction brings about spiritual intoxication (sukr) and indifference to all that is other than Allah. In being drawn towards Allah the Madjzoub experiences excessive ecstacy.

23[5] Ash Shifa: Qadi Iyad ibn Musa al-Yashubi: translated by Aisha Abdurahman Bewley: Madinah Press, Granada, Spain. Page 179/180.

slave girl, who was not very modest, asked the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) for some food whilst he was eating and he offered her some of the food in his plate. She refused to accept it saying, “I want the food in your mouth.” He took some food out of his mouth and as soon as she ate it she was transformed into the most modest woman in Madinah. The saints of Allah also practice the internal, spiritual Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). On eating the bread from Hazrath Ibrahim Qandoozi (Rahmatullahi alaihi), Khwaja Sahib penetrated the thin line separating the material world from the unseen: the inner organs of perception opened and so did his universe expand. The veil of worldly imagination was lifted from his mind and he found himself in quite a strange world radiating with divine manifestation. The intellectual proof of Islam is found among the Ulema or scholars whilst the personification of 'surrender to the Will of Allah' or the visible proof are the Awliya. The truth of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) 's integrity is manifested through these Awliya.

 

With this expanded view of the universe, Khwaja Sahib went to his mother and with her permission left to acquire more knowledge of Islam (ilme din). Distributing all his worldly belongings to the poor, he went to Bukhara and Samarqand to join the famous Nizamia Universities there for his theological education. He studied under Hazrath Hussamuddin Bukhari (Rahmatullahi alaihi) and other great scholars. He completed his academic courses brilliantly in 9 years (552 AH to 561 AH). Adorned with the external knowledge of Islam (ilme zaahir) he felt an urge to acquire recognition of his Creator (ilme baatin) and thus he sought a Spiritual Guide.

The Spiritual Guide is the inheritor of The Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in his inner Spiritual State, in their outward behaviour and in their roles as guides and protectors within their communities. Their Spiritual Hearts (qalb)24[6] are capable of receiving light and love from Allah and radiating it to those that are in their attendance. A person may acquire any amount of external knowledge (ilm) but he cannot reach reality (haqiqah)25[7]until he connects himself to a Silsila26[8] via a physical present Guide of the Silsila, who has the

24[6] Holy Qur’aan Sura al-Anaam 6 Verse 122

25[7] The power to connect to Allah.

26[8] Silsila The Spiritual Chain of each Sufi Order descends from the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) down to the present Spiritual Guide.

powerful transference or overflow from the Great Heart (qalb) of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) down the unbroken chain of recipients.

Maulana Jallaluddin Rumi (Rahmatullahi alaihi) says:

Ilme Baatin Hamchu masqa, Ilme zaahir hamchu sheerKe Buwad sheer masqa, ke buwad be Pir, Pir

 Internal Knowledge (ilme baatin) is like butter and External Knowledge

(ilme zaahir) is like milkLike butter cannot be acquired without milk, so to recognition of Allah

(ilme baatin) cannot be obtained without a Spiritual Guide. 

Once while Maulana Jalalludin Rumi (Rahmatullahi alaihi) was teaching his pupils in the open courtyard, next to a fountain, a shabbily externally dressed but perfectly internally adorned Sufi, Shams Tabrez (Rahmatullahi alaihi) came to their assembly and watched them. He saw Maulana Rumi referring to numerous handwritten books in the course of his teaching. Shams asked Maulana Jalalludin Rumi (Rahmatullahi alaihi) as to what was in the books. Maulana Jalalludin Rumi (Rahmatullahi alaihi) replied, “O! Sufi. This contains knowledge that is beyond your understanding so you continue to read your rosary (tasbih).” Unnoticed by Rumi, Hazrath Shams Tabrez (Rahmatullahi alaihi) threw all the books into the pond of water. When Maulana Rumi’s students saw what occurred they began beating Hazrath Shams Tabrez (Rahmatullahi alaihi). This and the screams of Shams Tabrez (Rahmatullahi alaihi) alerted Maulana Rumi as to what occurred. He complained that all his valuable knowledge had been destroyed. Shams Tabrez (Rahmatullahi alaihi) said; “Tell your pupils to leave me alone and I will give back your books.” A visibly dejected Rumi conceded to the request thinking that this was impossible. He was surprised to see Shams Tabrez (Rahmatullahi alaihi), recite bismillah, lift the drenched books from the pond, blew dust of them and returned them to him intact. He asked Shams Tabrez (Rahmatullahi alaihi) as to how he did this. Shams Tabrez (Rahmatullahi alaihi) replied, “This knowledge is beyond your understanding so you continue to teach your pupils.” Maulana Jalalludin Rumi (Rahmatullahi alaihi) fell at his feet and was swept into the currents of love. The presence of this ragged Sufi, Shams Tabrez (Rahmatullahi alaihi), changed Maulana Jallaluddin Rumi (Rahmatullahi alaihi) from a respected professor of theology into a lover of God, one who summed up his whole life with the phrase, "I burnt, and I burnt, and I burnt." Shams Tabrez (Rahmatullahi alaihi), targeted Maulana Rumi (Rahmatullahi alaihi) since he knew that Rumi was ready for receiving Spiritual Training but the veil of conceit, regarding his knowledge, had to be lifted.

Maulana Jalalludin Rumi (Rahmatullahi alaihi) says,

Sad kitaboh, sad waraq, dar nare kunAur jaanoh dil rah, janibeh, dil daar kun

  Throw all your books into the fire

And turn with heart and soul to the AwliyaFor without them one cannot reach perfection.

 

Maulvi hargis na shud Maula e RumTa ghulame Shams Tabrizi na shud

  Maulana (religious teacher) Rumi could never have become Maula

Rumi (Spiritual Guide)Without submitting to Spiritual Guide Shams Tabrez

 

Maulana Rumi (Rahmatullahi alaihi) as the true inheritor of the internal state of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was so respected that the Muslim Ruler of the time used to kiss his feet out of reverence.

 

Meeting With Hazrath Khwaja Usman Haruni (Rahmatullahi Alaihi)

Khwaja Sahib undertook a journey to a place called Harwan or Haroon. He became a disciple of Hazrath Khwaja Uthman Harooni (Rahmatullahi alaihi) a great Sufi of his time. Hazrath Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti (Rahmatullahi alaihi) was then consigned to a hujra27[9] to worship Allah (ibaadat) and strive on the path (riyaazat). A day later his Guide asked him as to what he could see and he replied, “I can see the seven heavens and the seven earths.” Khwaja Uthman Harooni (Rahmatullahi alaihi) said, “You are not ready yet.” and sent him back into the hujra. Another day passed and he was asked as to what he could see and he replied, “I can see the abyss of the earth (tahtus sudra) and up to the Divine Throne (arsh). Again he got the reply “You are not ready yet” and was sent back into the hujra. Another day passed and on being questioned by his Pir he replied, ‘ I can see up to the Glorious Veil (al-Hijab e Azmat) that veils the Creator from us and beyond the veil.” Khwaja Uthman Harooni (Rahmatullahi alaihi) then held out two fingers and asked him to look through them and say what he sees. He replied, “I can see the 1800 universes.” Although some reports say the training lasted three years many say it lasted three days, and I favour this, since Khwaja Uthman Haruni (Rahmatullahi alaihi) is reported to have said in Anis ul-Arwah28[10], “in our followers there is Spiritual Striving (mujaheda) of one day and one night only.”

27[9] A room for conducting spiritual exercises.

28[10] A written record of the discourses of Khwaja Uthman Haruni by Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti .

Iqbal says:

Har kasse az ramze ishq aga a nesstHar kasse shayane ee dargae nesst

  The secret of love is not for everyone

So the kissing of this great courtyard is not in everyone’s destiny.

 

He remained in the company of his Peer-o-Murshid for 21 years and travelled with him carrying his Murshid's belongings on his head. They travelled to Makkah, Madinah, Iraq, Syria, Samarqand, Afghanistan, etc. meeting many great saints. While they were in Makkah in 562 AH, Hazrath Khwaja Uthman Haruni (Rahmatullahi alaihi) took Hazrath Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti (Rahmatullahi alaihi) to the Holy Kaaba and prayed for him and a voice was heard declaring: "We have accepted Muinuddin as one of our beloved devotees." In Madinah the Illuminated, while at the Holy Court of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), Hazrath Khwaja Uthman Haruni (Rahmatullahi alaihi) instructed Hazrath Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti (Rahmatullahi alaihi) to offer his homage and salutations respectfully. In doing so, a voice was heard saying, "Wa Alaikum us-Salaam Ya Qutb ul-Mashaa'ikh-e-bahr-o-bar (Peace be upon you also, O, the Head of the Pious of the earth and the sea)." On hearing this his Pir-o-Murshid said to him, "Now indeed you have reached perfection."

  Khalifah of the Chisti Order

After full 20 years hard training in the Science of Spirituality (Tasawwuf) under this great Spiritual Guide, at the age of 46, in the year 582 AH at Baghdad, Hazrath Khwaja Muinuddin (Rahmatullahi alaihi) was awarded Khilafat29[11] in the Chishtia Silsila. His Murshid, after advising him, handed over his Sacred Staff (Asa Mubarak), wooden sandals and prayer mat (Musallah) to Hazrath Khwaja Muinuddin (Rahmatullahi alaihi) saying that those Tabbarukaats 30[12]have come down from Sayyiduna Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in succession. The association with his Spiritual Guide (Suhbat)31[13] had now prepared him for his mission. This fire of love is passed down the Spiritual Chain. Heart connection is required to acquire it. A poet has rightly said:

 

Qareeb Jalte huwe dil keh apna dil karleh

29[11] Khilafat : An official Award of Commission, on spiritual perfection, to guide others.

30[12] Tabarruqat: Sacred Relics

31[13] Suhba: The Spiritual Companionship between guide and disciple. It is the pouring of love of Allah into the Murids heart whilst increasing the hearts capacity to absorb.

Yeh aag lagti nahi. Lagahi jati heh.  

Take yourself close to the heart aflame with Divine Love This fire cannot be ignited it has to be attained.

 

 

Khwaja Bahauddin and how the title ‘Naqshbandi’ was attained.

It is reported that once Hazrath Bahauddin Naqshbandi was passing a clay pot makers shop with some of his disciples when he felt the heat of a raging furnace. He asked the clay pot maker as to what the fire was for and he explained that the wet clay pots are placed into the fire and they become solidly baked. He told his disciples that this was the ‘secret of love connection’. To expound what he was saying, he went close to the fire and said, ‘Allah!’ and then walked away into the crowded market. The clay pot maker was surprised as to what this Sufi had done. When the baked pots were removed from the furnace, every pot had the inscription, Allah on it. The clay pot maker ran into the market place and looked for Hazrath Bahauddin. When he found him he exclaimed,

E Shae Naqshaband Naqshe mara ba band

O! Master, who imprints the word Allah, Give me a look of grace and put Allah in my heart

 

Khwaja Bahauddin Naqshbandi (Rahmatullahi alaihi) says that a Perfect Friend of Allah must be able to see this universe as he sees his fingernails. Therefore the Sultan al-Arifin Maulana Rumi (Rahmatullahi alaihi) says:

Lauh ul- Mahfuz32[14] zast peshe Awliya

The Destiny of all creation is in front of the Awliya like an open book

 

32[14] Lauh al-Mahfuz: The Divinely Inscribed Tablet upon which the destiny of all creation is written.

Shaykh Abd al-Qadir Jilani (Rahmatullahi alaihi) says:33[15] I see the world like a mustard seed on my palm.

  Naz{artu ila> bila>di ‘llahi jam ‘an

I look upon all the cities of Allah together 

Ka-khardalatin ‘ala> h{ukmi ‘ttis{a>li> As a mere mustard seed compared to my connection with Him (Allah)

 If this is the status of Awliya, what must be the status of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)? The Wahabbi /Salafi / Deobandi alliance accuses us of equating Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) with Allah and declares we are committing an act of ‘assigning partners to Allah’ (Shirk). I say we don’t say Rasulullah is the partner of Allah (sharik) but if at all guilty we say he is ‘the Beloved of Allah’ (Habib). E.g.: If there are four partners in a business then each will own a proportionate share. This is sharik. On the contrary a beloved of one owner, due to the intense love he has for his beloved, makes the beloved the owner of everything. Therefore Ala Hazrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan (Rahmatullahi alaihi) says:

 Meh toh Maalik hi kahoonga keh hoh Maalik keh Habib

Yaani Mehboob e Muhib meh nahi mera tera 

I will call you the owner (O! Beloved Prophet) because you are the Owners Beloved

In other words there is no mine and yours between the Lover and the Beloved

The status, which the ‘the Beloved of Allah’ (Habib) holds is greater than any ascribed ‘partner’ (sharik) could be given.

His Mission as a Khalifa of The Chishti Order

After ordaining him as a Spiritual Guide, Khwaja Uthman (Rahmatullahi alaihi) embraced Khwaja Muinuddin (Rahmatullahi alaihi), affectionately, kissed his forehead and said, "I entrust you to God". Khwaja Muinuddin then departed with a heavy heart on the mission entrusted to him. (Anis ul-Arwah). During his tour onwards, a fourteen-year-old boy, Qutbuddin Bakhtyar Awashi (Born 569 A.H.) approached him at Asfahan in 583 A.H and was initiated as his spiritual disciple (mureed). Khwaja Qutbuddin (Rahmatullahi alaihi) was the first disciple of Khwaja Saheb and he accompanied him on his tour. Khwaja Saheb received 'Beshara' 34[16] or prophecy in dream from the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in 586 A.H, to grant Khwaja Qutub, Khilafat at an early age of seventeen years. Khwaja Qutbuddin (Rahmatullahi

33[15] Al-Fuyuuzaat ar-Rabbaaniyya: Ismail Muhammad Said al-Qadiri: al-Baz Publishing: The Wine Ode: al-Khamriyya Page 83

alaihi) was a born saint. His mother was a Hafizah of half of the Holy Qur’aan and she recited Qur’aan daily during her pregnancy. He therefore remembered by heart, half of the Holy Qur’aan by Allah's grace while he was still in his mother's womb. Khwaja Saheb during his tour (583 585 A.H.) visited many places including Makkah and Madinah.

 

He performed Hajj and whilst at the Holy Kaaba he heard a Voice declaring. "0 Muinuddin we are pleased with you; you may ask anything you like." He replied, "0 Almighty Allah, I only pray for the grace of your pardon to Muinuddin’s silsila of disciples." Allah answered: "0 Muinuddin, You are our beloved devotee we shall pardon your 'murids' and also others who become so in your Spiritual order up to The Day of Judgement. He then went to Madinah and remained in devotion for a long time. One night he had a Basharat' from the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) who said; "0 Muinuddin, you are the promoter of our religion. We put India under your charge where darkness prevails." Go to Ajmer. With your presence the darkness will disappear and Islam shall shine. God will help you." Khwaja Muinuddin was much pleased with being given an assignment by the Beloved of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) but wondered about the geographical position of Ajmer. He was again blessed with a vision of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and shown a map with the exact position of Ajmer with its surrounding hills and fort.

Resuming his journey through Hamadan, Tabrez, Isfahan, Khirqan, Astrabad, and Herat, meeting notable saints in his way he reached Sabzawar in Afghanistan where he converted the governor of the place, Yadgar Muhammad who was cruel and haughty and was a Shia by faith, who did not recognise and respect the first three Caliphs of Islam, neither had any respect for Sufis nor for any holy saints. One look of grace from Khwaja Sahib caused Yadgar Muhammad to repent. He distributed his wealth among the poor and needy, divorced his many wives, freed all his slaves and renouncing the world, became one of the ardent devotees of Hazrath Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti. (Tazkarat ul-Aulia). Before entering India in 587 A.H., he healed the suffering humanity throughout his journey, visiting Balkh and Ghazi as well. He proceeded to Delhi via Fort Shadman, Multan, Lahore and Samana.

 

At the Holy Court of Data Ganj Baksh (Rahmatullahi alaihi)

At Lahore Khwaja Sahib stayed for forty days at the shrine of Hazrath Makhdum Sayyid Ali Hujweri (Rahmatullahi alaihi), a descendant of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) who is popularly known as

34[16] Beshara: Glad tidings that reach the heart. This may be announced to a Sufi in his dream or within his Spiritual State (hal)

Data Ganj Baksh (Rahmatullahi alaihi). Hazrath Sayyid Ali Hujweri (Rahmatullahi alaihi) is a wali of such a high status that it is stated that Shaykh Abd al-Qadir Jilani (Rahmatullahi alaihi) said, when he was once mentioned in his gathering, “I, Abd al-Qadir, would have taken him as my Spiritual Guide if I was born in his time.” Khwaja Sahib who had reached such a high spiritual status, had such respect for Data Sahib, that he spent forty days at the feet of data Sahib. Before leaving Lahore he offered the following couplet in appreciation of Ali Hujwiri (Rahmatullahi alaihi)’s status:

  Ganj Buksh Faize Alam Mazhare Nure KhudaNaqesara Ra Pir e Kamil Kamila Ra Rahnuma.

  He is a bestower of treasure (Ganj Baksh) reflecting Divine Light for the

salvation of mankind.To the unworthy he is a perfect guide, but to perfect souls, he is still a

guide

 

This couplet has made him famous forever as 'Data Ganj Baksh. In what high esteem must adherents of the Chishtia Spiritual Order hold this Mazaar of Data Sahib where the Sovereign of the Chishtia Order, Khwaja Sahib spent forty days? Khwaja Nizamuddin Aulia reports that I saw the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) entering the Mazaar of my Shaykh, Hazrath Baba Faiduddin Ganje Shakar (Rahmatullahi alaihi) and he, the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) exclaimed:

Man dakhala hazihi baaba faqat amina

Whosoever enters through this door will enter paradise

 

Therefore this door is called ‘The Door to Paradise” or Behisti Darwaza. How great must the status of Baba Farid Ganje Shakar (Rahmatullahi alaihi) be?

A poet has said:

Jis neh is dar peh gardan jukayi, ban gaya who Mahboobe Ilahi

Dekoh Kalyar meh jah, Khwaja Saabir Piya heh yagaana

Tera kaahim Rahe aastana. Khwaja Ganje Shakar, kar karam ki nazar

Tera kaahim Rahe aastana.

 

It is stated that this great wali, Baba Farid (Rahmatullahi alaihi) used to visit the Mazaar of Data Saheb (Rahmatullahi alaihi), he used to show such reverence that he swept the forecourt of the mazaar with his beard.

  The one who instituted Islam in India

Islamic history records in golden letters that only Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty (Rahmatullahi alaihi) and no one else instituted the everlasting spirit of Islam in India. He conquered the hearts of Indian people without any army. It was a grand spiritual victory that must stand high among all political victories of the world. What Ghaznavi, Lodhi and Ghauri could not do with their army, Khwaja Muinuddin (Rahmatullahi alaihi) did with wisdom and love. He conquered India, not by the sword but by winning the hearts with love and strong character as has been said by Hazrath Nizamuddin Aulia (Rahmatullahi alaihi) in Fawaid-ul-Fuad35[17]: "None can be converted to Islam either by sword or by dialogue; but good character is more effective than sword or dialogue. Before converting someone it is most essential that one must first be a real Muslim."

 

The Khalifat-Allah actualized

The Hindu ruler of India, Prithvi Raj challenged Khwaja Muinuddin, unsuccessfully, on many occasions. The ruler sent a Hindu Priest, Shadi Dev or Ram Deo to persuade Khwaja Saheb to leave the area and not to use the water of the Anasagar Lake for ablution, since it was a Hindu Holy lake. Khwaja Saheb requested that he be allowed to fill one water bag. Permission was granted and on Khwaja Sahibs orders, Khwaja Qutbuddin went to fill the water bag. The entire lake disappeared into the water-skin bag. Shaadi Ram was awestruck by the magnetic and miraculous personality of Khwaja Sahib. He hesitantly protested and Khwaja Sahib told him, ‘O! Shaadi. I can see the light of Islam on your forehead. Testify that ‘None is worthy of worship except the One True God”. He at once accepted Islam and was named Saadi. This created a stir amongst the Hindus. Thousands now accepted Islam. The Hindu ruler now sent his greatest magician, Ajaipal, to challenge Khwaja Sahib. After failing in many attacks on Khwaja Sahib he finally flew into the air on a deerskin and asked Khwaja Sahib to better this feat. Khwaja Sahib ordered his wooden sandals to fly up into the air and beat the head of Ajipal and bring him down

 

We may think that these are fictitious stories. No! This is Islam and this is man acting in his capacity as Khalifat-Allah36[18] actualised. . The goal of Islam is not to grope in the dark. The Holy Qur’aan describes the function of Islam in Sura al-Baqara 2: Verse 257

35[17] The discourses of Hazrath Nizamuddin Aulia as recorded by his disciple Amir Hassan Sijzi.

Allah is the protecting friend of those who believe in Him genuinely and He takes them out of darkness into the light

If the goal is to imbue ourselves with Divine Attributes- to become Khalifat-Allah actualised then the natural function is interference. This interference by man is possible on the lower level of physical science and at the higer level of spiritual science or spirituality. The Khalifat-Allah as one totally submitted to Allah can do greater wonders than the physical scientist.

  Love to all and Malice to none, along with Service to humanity was the foundation stone laid by Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (Rahmatullahi alaihi) for the successful spread of Islam in India. Representatives of Chishtia Order are working up to the present day on the same line. Khwaja Saheb used great wisdom in presenting Islam to the people of India. He Islamicised prevalent activities, in keeping with their culture, and presented other ‘enjoyable’ activities to them, especially designed to attract them to Islam. Although music and singing popularly known as 'Sama' is not new to Sufis wherever they are, Sultan ul-Hind, Gharib Nawaaz Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti specially arranged and patronised these concerts to capture and mould the heart of his audience for accepting the Divine Message gracefully. Thousands of Muslims and non-Muslims listen to it in rapt attention wherever these Sufi functions are held by the representatives of Chishtia Order and derive spiritual benefits. It is through these methods that the Sufis, slowly and patiently, awaken the Spiritual Heart, to love Allah and Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), resulting in those astray coming to the straight path.

 

Passing into the Realm of Divine Beauty

Khwaja Saheb passed into the realm of Divine Beauty on the 6 Rajab 633 AH/1233 AD at the age of 97. On his passing he had the unique honour of knowing that 9.9 million had accepted Islam in India due to his efforts.

 

Irshad Soofi

20 Rajab 1414

17 September 2003

36[18] The God given innate ability to man to imbue himself with Divine Attributes

STATUS OF A MARTYR AND THE "SPIRITUAL FELLOWSHIP" Sura an-Nisaa 4: Verse 69

 Those who submit to Allah and His Beloved Prophet (establishing harmony with them) are blessed with the companionship (spiritual fellowship) of the Prophets, the Intensely Truthful and Sincere (Servants of Allah), The Martyrs (who are Witnesses to Allah), and the possessors of sound Godliness in general. Ah! What a beautiful companionship! This is a bounty from Allah, and He suffices as Knower. (And because Allah affirms it, don’t question it.) BEAUTIFUL COMPANIONSHIPIslam did not come to have followers who are Muslim only in name, or ritualistically, or from the point of view of certain Aqaid (principles of belief) which they may hold but don’t practice. Islam came to transform human beings in order that they may become worthy of companionship of any of these four categories. I have to emphasize here that faith in God and the Messenger of God is to be lived and not merely held. This Iman (faith) should be a living, dynamic and consequential faith. The Holy Prophet has been appointed by Allah as the Divine Instrument of purification of the personality (tazkiyah) for all times. Sura al-Jumu`ah 62: Verses2-4

 It is He Who has sent amongst the Unlettered a messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and

Wisdom, although they had been, before, in manifest error; - As well as (to confer all these benefits upon) others of them, who have not already joined them: and He is Exalted in Might, Wise. Such is the Bounty of Allah, which He bestows on whom He will: and Allah is the Lord of the highest bounty. Those that have been blessed, to be in this Blessed Fellowship, among them the central luminary being Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), the most excellent, Beloved of God, (in whom God’s Choicest blessings abide in abounding measure), they also become God’s Beloved, and acquire new properties (qualities). Their attitude in the transcendental realm of existence is one of compassion, sympathy and kindness towards those that remember them. To receive them however, it is necessary to rise up to the spiritual level, where contact becomes possible. Associations with spiritualised personalities who are physically present in this world, and with those on the transcendental dimension assist man in attaining heights of spirituality. This companionship means, e.g. if a piece of iron stays in the company of a magnet, it becomes magnetized. It acquires new properties (qualities). Similarly if a gardener stays in the company of fragrant flowers, he himself attains fragrance by being in touch with the flowers. We pray to Allah daily for this spiritual companionship in Sura Fatiha. ESTABLISHING SPIRITUAL CONTACTKeeping this perspective in mind the question often emerges: God is Ever- Living, Eternal and Omnipresent; hence communion with Him is possible. But the Messenger of God and those categories mentioned were human beings who died a long time ago. How can communication and establishment of intimate spiritual relation with them be possible? The Holy Qur’aan answers this misgiving very clearly: Firstly, the human personality is not annihilated at death; it is transferred from one level of existence to another with its Identity intact, -the life after death being a new life. Secondly, the levels of existence after death are of a different quality, in the case of each category of human beings, including Muslims. Thus about the martyrs it has been said: Sura al-Baqara 2 Verse 154

And call not those who have been slain in the way of Allah dead. They are alive only you cannot perceive them.Sura al-i- Imraan 3: Verse 169 again speaks of the Martyrs:

Think not of those who are slain in the way of Allah, as dead. They are living. Allah provides for them. They are jubilant because of what Allah has given them of His bounty, rejoicing for the sake of those who have not joined them but are left behind: no fear have

they neither do they grieve. They rejoice because of favour from Allah and kindness, and that Allah does not waste the wages of the Believers.Hence the difference in quality of the life of the ordinary Muslim and the life of the Martyr, after death is very clear. The Martyrs life after death is full of enjoyment and activity and of attachment to those Muslims whom are left behind in their earthly existence.The word for martyr in Arabic is Shaheed, which is from the root sh-h-d. Many shades of meaning can be inferred from this root: Mushahada: which means to witness or to receive something. The martyr, according to traditional report (Hadith), at the time of martyrdom, before the blood can drop on the ground, receives many bounties from Allah:       1. His sins are forgiven.   2.                  Allah is pleased with him and gives him the blessings of the hereafter. 3.                  He witnesses the beauty of Allah unveiled.   4.                  His Ruh (essential being) is taken to the presence of Allah. 5.                  Angels witness his martyrdom (mashud bil malaik.). It is recorded in the authentic books of Hadith that, Hazrath Abdullah ibn Abbas had seen the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in a dream during the period when Imam Hussain (Radiallahu anhu) was martyred. Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) told him that he had witnessed the Shahaadat of Imam Hussain (Radiallahu anhu) and his followers. Thus the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain is above all martyrdom since our Beloved Rasul (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has witnessed it. (Mashud bir Rasul).  Irshad Soofi Secret of Karbala Allah Y says in the Holy Qur’aan in the 4th Sura, an-Nisaa, verse 96:

urdu All who obey Allah Y and the Messenger e are in the Company of those on whom is the Grace of Allah Y , of the Prophets , the sincere, the witnesses, and the righteous : Ah! What a beautiful Fellowship! Allah Y says in the Holy Qur’aan in the 4th Sura, an-Nisaa, verse 96:

Anyone who obeys Almighty Allah Y and His Messenger e

They will be in the company of those upon whom Allah Y showers blessings Who are the blessed ones?

The Prophets

The testifiers

The martyrs

The pious that attain sainthood Then the Holy Qur’aan says:

What beautiful companions these are! Let me shed some light on this ‘Beautiful Companionship’ before proceeding. Here the Holy Qur’aan is prescribing a fellowship and companionship. Imam Hassan Basri t, used to say to his disciples, ‘before choosing a companion, assess whether his friendship will benefit you on the ‘Day of Judgment’ or not.’ In this light Allah Y says in the Holy Qur’aan, in the 43rd Sura, al-Zukhruf, verse 67:

Friends on that Day will be foes, one to another; except the Righteous All your friendships and associations based on the worldly values will terminate and be of no use or benefit to you on the Day of Judgment. Only friendship of the Allah Fearing (muttaqeen), who are the Awliya will benefit you on the Day of Judgment, so keep their company and fellowship. This is the significance of Suhba37[1] .

37[1] Suhba: Companionship. This term applies most specifically to the spiritual relationship between the Murshid and his murid. The basis of such companionship is mystical conversation and communion, both of which intensify as the murid’s heart becomes purified under the Murshid’s guidance. It is a profound mutual love based on the Pure Love of Allah Y.

  So the Holy Qur’aan defines the categories of the blessed people, on whom is the Grace of Allah Y, the Prophets, the sincere, the martyrs, and the righteous. These are the main recipients of Allah Y’s blessing. The foremost amongst the blessed are the Prophets (Nabiyeen), the second are Testifiers to Truth (sidiqeen), the third are the martyrs (shuhada) who sacrifice their lives for Allah Y‘s pleasure and for His Deen and fourthly, the saints, the righteous (saaliheen) people blessed with Allah Y consciousness and piety (taqwa).   All the good attributes, characteristics and blessings separately possessed by the various blessed personalities are collectively possessed in the Blessed Personality of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. The Holy Prophet e possessed a comprehensive, all embracing personality. Not a single blessing and blessed attribute that Allah Y sent from the time of Hazrath Adam u and will send till the Day of Judgment was absent from the person of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. The great scholars and Imams (a’imma) agree unanimously on this. If any good attribute, character, quality of conduct, moral or anything does not occur in the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e then it cannot be considered as a blessing. The criterion of any attribute, character, quality of conduct, moral etc as to whether it is a blessing and good is whether it was possessed by the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. He e is the sole source of Allah Y‘s blessing. Whosoever got, is getting, will get any blessing (ni’mah) acquires it from the Holy Court of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. On the Day of Judgment also all blessing will emanate from him. This is his charity (khairaat) from his store of abundance (Kauthar). It is stated in the collection of Hadith in Sahih Bukhari that the Holy Prophet Muhammad e said, Innama ana Qaasimun, wallahu yu’ti I distribute Divine Blessings that Allah Y bestows upon me The giver (yu’ti) is Allah Y and the distributor (qaasim) is the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. This is the crux of our belief (aqa’id). So whosoever wants anything from Allah Y, he should become the beggar at the door of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. This Divine Philosophy has been explained by Ala Hazrath, Maulana Shah Ahmad Raza Khan t, in the verses: Ba Khuda, Khuda ka yahi heh dar, nahi aur kohi mafar nakar Joh waha se hoh yahi aah ke hoh, joh waha nahi toh yaha nahi By God, this is the Court of Allah Y of Allah Y‘s blessings, there is no other means

Therefore Ala Hazrath, Maulana Shah Ahmad Raza Khan t has stated in another place: Meh toh Malik hi kahoga keh heh Malik keh Habib Mahboob o Muhib meh nahi mera tera I will call him my Master (owner), because he is the Master's (owner’s) Beloved Between the Beloved and the Lover there is no mine and yours. So, all the good attributes, characteristics and blessings separately possessed by the various blessed personalities are primarily possessed in the Blessed Personality of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. Thereafter it is distributed to others.   Prophethood is a blessing and some of Allah Y’s chosen servants were made prophets, from Hazrath Adam u to Hazrath Isa u. This prophethood is a blessing of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e for it is acquired from him. One may ask as to where is this mentioned? It is mentioned in the Holy Qur’aan in the 3rd Sura, Aal-i-Imraan, verse 81 and elaborated in the Hadith. It is mentioned in the Holy Qur’aan that Allah Y gathered the souls of all Prophets in the World of Souls before the creation of this Temporal World, and convened a meeting with them. Imam Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani t has mentioned the details of this meeting in his book al-Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah. He says when the souls of the Prophets appeared before Allah Y there appeared a shining light which illuminated the entire atmosphere. The prophets asked Allah Y regarding this light and Allah Y told them this was the nur of his beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad e. They enquired as to whom Holy Prophet Muhammad e was and Allah Y told them that he will be sent as the last prophet and they would have to believe in his prophethood and pledge allegiance to him to be blessed with prophethood.

Allah Y said:

Behold! Allah Y took the Pledge of the Prophets, saying: "I give you a Book and Wisdom; then comes to you A Messenger, confirming what is with you; do you believe him and render him help." Every messenger had to bring faith on the Prophethood of Holy Prophet Muhammad e. The president of one country is not bound to recognize the president of another country for everyone possesses his own sovereignty. But all prophets were divinely instructed to accept the supreme sovereignty of The Holy Prophet Muhammad e in the form of a pledge and declaration that Allah Y witnessed.

Allah said: "Do ye agree, and take this my Covenant as binding on you?" They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses." The sidiqeen or embodiments and witnesses to truth have also been blessed here for it is stated:

The Holy Prophet Muhammad e will testify, so the sidiqeen have been given this as a blessing of Holy Prophet Muhammad e.   As regards the Aulia (saaliheen) they attained piety, proximity and spiritual grace as a blessing of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. They modeled themselves on his saintly life. So every blessing was given to every category of the blessed people through the blessing of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. Nabuwwah, Siddiqiat and saalihat was attained through his blessing.   The question arises as to whom the martyrs received the blessing of martyrdom? The Holy Prophet Muhammad e died a natural death so from who did the blessing of martyrdom emanate? Apparently it seems that this blessing was lacking in the Holy Prophet Muhammad e but actually it was not so. This is the secret of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain t. Apparently it seems that the martyrs possess something the Holy

Prophet Muhammad e lacked but that cannot be. We believe that no partial superiority is available to any of the Ummah as compared to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. All the blessed people are small streams and he is the ocean. His hands are distributing blessings to the world. Imam Sharfuddin Bosiri t says:

Wa kulluhum min Rasūlillāhi multamisun All the blessed received blessing from Rasulullah e

Gharfan minal baĥri aw rashfan minad diyami (Like a) handful (of water) from the ocean or (a few) sips from continuous rains All the prophets, truthful, martyrs and awliya stand before the door of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e and beg the blessing of Allah Y from him. Some may ask as to how people beg at the door of Holy Prophet e since one should beg at the door of Allah Y? Have they created a difference between the door of Allah Y and door of Holy Prophet e . There is no duality. The beings are two but their door is one. Allah Y says , ‘I will bless those who become beggars at the door of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e.’

Allah Y says in the Holy Qur’aan in the 2nd Sura, al-Baqara, verse 186:

When My servants ask you Thus the first thing is to go to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e and ask him

Ask about Me Even for Allah Y they have to go to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e let alone, other blessings. Allah Y states that those who are His servants should beg at the door of Holy Prophet Muhammad e for His being and blessings.

‘I am near those who become first your beggar’ Allah Y resides in the hearts of the beggars of Holy Prophet Muhammad e. 52:14   Apparently the Holy Prophet Muhammad e could not be killed because Allah Y promised him protection from the hands of the enemy. Allah Y says in the 5th Sura, al-Maida, verse 67:

And Allah Y will defend thee from men (enemy) Thus none will be able to kill the Holy Prophet e. Therefore martyrdom was actually not possible. The physical causes of martyrdom were present in his blessed life. Every act possesses two aspects; abstract existence and physical appearance. Actions are the physical appearance of salaah whilst remembrance of Allah Y is the abstract spirit.   The abstract form of martyrdom was present in the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e but did not manifest physically due to the promise of Allah Y. The Holy Prophet e desired to be martyred and the act to fulfill this desire did occur in his life. A person who fights in the Muslim army out of compulsion, and to fulfill a government decree will not be considered a martyr even if he is slain by the enemy, according to the shariah. The acceptance of acts is according to the niyyah according to the first hadith recorded in Bukhari. The Holy Qur’aan says that if the correct intention is prevalent and the act is not undertaken, then the reward is given despite not performing the act. Allah Y says in the 4th Sura, al-Nisaa, verse 100:  

He who forsakes his home in the cause of Allah, finds in the earth many a refuge, wide and spacious: should he die as a refugee from home for Allah Y and His Messenger e, his reward becomes due and sure with Allah: and Allah Y is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. The intention to migrate, even if not completed is rewarded fully by Allah Y. So the intention of martyrdom existed in the Holy Prophet e as per his dua recorded in Sahih Bukhari to be martyred again and again.   The physical format of martyrdom is divided into two types: 1.    Concealed Martyrdom (As-shahadate sirria) and 2.    Exposed Martyrdom (As-shahadate jahria). These are the implicit or hidden martyrdom and the explicit or open martyrdom. Concealed Martyrdom (As-shahadate sirria) is mentioned in hadith e.g. poisoning etc. The Exposed Martyrdom (As-shahadate jahria) is to be killed in battle. Both these existed in the life of Holy Prophet Muhammad e but did not reach conclusion due to the promise of Allah Y.   In the Battlefield of Khyber a Jewess gave the Holy Prophet Muhammad e poisoned meat to eat. The companion with him died of the poison due to eating the meat whilst the Holy Prophet Muhammad e ate but did not die. This was the commencement of the Concealed Martyrdom (As-shahadate sirria) in his blessed life. The effects of this poison were prevalent till his death. He was not killed by it but was not kept apart from its effect till his death. In hadith literature it is recorded that prior to his demise he said to Hazrath Aisha y, ‘From the Day of Khyber I feel the effects of the poisoning.’   The Exposed Martyrdom (As-shahadate jahria) had a commencement in his blessed life but he did not die as a result of it. In the Battle of Uhad he fulfilled the formal prerequisites but did not die as a result of it. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e was injured and wounded and his tooth was broken. If the entire tooth had come off it would have flawed his appearance and Allah Y would never allow this to happen to His Beloved, Holy Prophet e. The tooth broke in such a way that it enhanced his beauty and shone more brilliantly, like well shaped diamond.   Both these acts of martyrdom were completed, as per the Divine Plan in two personalities carefully selected by Allah Y. The commencement of both had been in the personality of Holy Prophet Muhammad e and would be fulfilled in these two personalities. These two had to be linked to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e, being from his family and spiritually linked to him. Allah Y would not permit an outsider to accomplish this feat for it would

indebt the Holy Prophet Muhammad e to their generosity. The two selected would have to be literally a part of his body. The two personalities had been chosen thus Allah Y did not allow his male children to see a mature age. The two chosen ones were Imam Hassan t and Imam Hussain t. They were the sons of his beloved daughter, Hazrath Fatimah y.

About Hazrath Fatimah y the Holy Prophet e said: Fatimatu budatu minni Fatimah y is a piece of me fa man azbabaha azbabani Who displeases Fatimah y, has displeased me Imam Haakim t has quoted a Hadith in al-mustadrik in which it is reported that the Holy Prophet e says: Inallaha yagzebu be gazbe Fatimah y ta wa yarda bi ridaiha Allah Y is displeased when Fatimah y is displeased and is pleased when Fatimah y is pleased The important statement in this context being, ‘Fatimah y is a piece of me.’ Thus the children of Hazrath Fatimah y are a piece of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. The two chosen ones had to resemble the Holy Prophet Muhammad e spiritually and physically. There had to be external as well as internal similarity. This similarity was not possible for outsiders.   Imam Hassan t and Imam Hussain t were genetically as well as spiritually connected to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. It is mentioned in many books of the sihah, including Bukhari that Imam Hassan t was an exact physical copy of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e from navel to head whilst Imam Hussain t was an exact physical copy of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e from the navel to his feet. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e said that Hazrath Fatimah y is the leader of the women of paradise whilst Imam Hassan t and Imam Hussain t are the leaders of the youth of paradise. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e also said that Imam Hassan t and Imam Hussain t are his two flowers in this world. He e also said, Hassan and Hussain are my sons, those who love them, love me whilst those who bear enmity towards them, bear enmity towards me.’ This statement elucidates the spiritual similarity to Holy Prophet Muhammad e.

The Holy Prophet e held the hand of Hazrath Imam Hassan t and Imam Hussain t and said: Man ahabbani wa ahabba haazain He who loves me and loves these two [Hazrath Imam Hassan t and Imam Hussain t] Wa aba huma wa umma huma And loves their father Ali t and their mother Fatimah Zahra y Kana maifi darajati yaumul kiyaama On the Day of Judgment they will be with me on my level   Very importantly the Holy Prophet Muhammad e also stated, ‘Hassan and Hussain are from me and I am from them.’ Hazrath Imam Hassan t and Imam Hussain t being from the Holy Prophet Muhammad e we can understand but what does He e mean when he says, ‘I am from them’? This reveals the secret of martyrdom. The implicit or hidden martyrdom Concealed Martyrdom (As-shahadate sirria) and the explicit or open martyrdom The Exposed Martyrdom (As-shahadate jahria) which began from my life will attain completion from their lives. These were the mirrors that will mirror the blessing of martyrdom from the Holy Prophet Muhammad e to show to the world.   Imam Hassan t was poisoned and his intestine came out of his blessed mouth in 70 pieces. This was the hidden shahadah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. The open shahadah which started at Uhad reached completion when Imam Hussain was martyred at Karbala . A tree bears fruit but the fruit never appears on the trunk, it appears on the branches. If two branches of the same tree bear fruit, and one eats the fruit, one never says one ate the fruit of the branch, but one says one ate the fruit of the tree. The fruit appears on the branch but it is the fruit of the tree. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e is the tree of prophethood and he had two branches. One branch was Imam Hassan t and the other was Imam Hussain t. The branch of Hassan t bore the fruit of hidden shahadah whilst the branch of Imam Hussain t bore the fruit of open shahadah. These fruit of the blessing of shahadah are actually the fruit of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. Therefore the shahadah of Imam Hussain t is a chapter of the seerah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. Therefore in spite of the fact that many companions were martyred but none of the martyrdoms attained the popularity of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain t. Therefore all martyrdoms were known after the incident whilst Imam Hussaint’s Martyrdom was publicized by the Holy Prophet Muhammad e himself. Whilst watching Imam Hussain t playing the Holy Prophet e was tearing. On enquiry as to why he was crying he said that Hazrath Jibraeel u had informed him that people from his Ummah will martyr Imam Hussain t at a place called Karbala and thereafter Jibraeel u gave him some sand of Karbala.’   Umm Salama y the only wife of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e who was alive during the tragedy of Karbala reports: "The Holy Prophet e was asleep at my house one night and he woke up during the night being visibly disturbed. He then told me that Jibraeel u had visited him and gave him some sand and informed him that this is the sand of Karbala in Iraq where his beloved Hussain would be martyred. He asked me to keep the sand safely and to know that when it turns into blood that the martyrdom has occurred This reflects the knowledge of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e for he knew she will be the only surviving wife during the event of Karbala .

  Imam ibn Kathir includes a hadith in his book al-bidaaya wal nihaaya that Abu Hurraira t reported that he heard the Holy Prophet e warn, "O People! Supplicate to Allah Y! Save me from the time of the end of 60 A.H. when young fools will sit on the throne of leadership." When Hazrath Abu Hurraira t saw that Yazid was pressurizing Imam Hussain t he realized this was the period prophesized by the Holy Prophet Muhammad e so he prayed to Allah Y to take his life before he witnesses the full scale oppression. Thus he died before witnessing Karbala .   Hazrath Ali t once while traveling through Iraq stopped at Karbala and said, "O People of my caravan this is the spot where my son will be martyred".   The Holy Prophet e used to kiss Imam Hassan t on his lips and Imam Hussain t on his neck. The Urafa have stated this was to give them a greater measure of patience.   Umm Salama y reports that on the day of Karbala she was asleep at noon when she dreamt about the Holy Prophet e who informed her of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain t. She cried and saw that the sand had turned red.   It is reported by Hazrath Abdullah ibn Abbas t: “On the day of Imam Hussain's Shahaadat I was asleep when I saw the Holy Prophet e in my dream and I could see the effects of a journey on him. He then showed me a container of blood and told me he had witnessed the martyrdom of Hussain t and his followers at Karbala ." It is reported that angels are present during Shahaadat (mashuud bin malaaik) as witnesses. The difference between the Shahaadat of Imam Hussain t and other martyrs is that whereas angels in general witness the martyrdom's; the martyrdom of Imam Hussain t was witnessed by The Holy Prophet Muhammad e.   Imam Hussain t was informed of his martyrdom and where it would occur 50 years before its occurrence. Those who say he fought for power are mistaken, misled and misinformed.   May we live in the love of Ahle Bayt and die with their love   Irshad Soofi Siddiqui January 29, 2007 Muharram 9, 1428  

Karbala Today  Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur’aan in the 2nd

Sura, al-Baqarah: Verses 154 to 157

 

154. And say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah' "They are dead." Nay they are living though you perceive it not.

155. Be sure We will test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives and the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, -

156. Who say, when afflicted with calamity, "To Allah we belong and to Him is our return".

157. They are those on whom descend blessings from their Lord. And Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.

 

Recently the world population census revealed that there are approximately 5 billion plus, people in the world. Europe and America constitute 20% of the world population but they are holding on to, by any means, fair or foul, 80% of the world's natural resources. The west wishes to hold mankind in the grip of its power, by imposing upon the rest of mankind its values, culture and economy. The sensate culture of the West is in conflict with the God rooted culture of the Divinely revealed religions of the World, especially Islam.

 

The Global political presence of Muslims that have strong Islamic values that transcend artificial borders and the retention of a global culture and political identity are seen as a threat by the ruthless, capitalist governments of the West, which today also includes Russia. In Muslim majority countries, that are naturally rich in natural resources, any attempts to establish an Islamic value system, are termed as "fundamentalist" and "terrorist" and crushed by any means. The reigning governments in the 50+ Muslim majority countries of the world have to be western "puppet governments" or the prevalent authorities will be directly opposed or elements within that country will be funded to keep the country in the grip of instability and poverty. Recent history, the genocide's and massacres in Bosnia, Kosova, Chechnya and the continuing occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq has made the fact, universally accepted to all sober thinkers, that the west is determined to eradicate all remaining traces of Genuine Islam, that threatens its ‘unholy grip’ of Muslim Wealth and lands.

 

Islam is viewed as being the only source of challenge to the western capitalist domination of the world. This challenge indeed exists as in the form of a widespread realization amongst Muslims everywhere that they have to free themselves from the stronghold that the west has acquired over them and Islam. A dynamic, vibrant, living Islam left in peace will offer the world peace, security, moral upliftment and economic and social justice. Bombs and technology will not decide who wins, but the emergence of a superior civilization will determine this.

 

It has become even more necessary, in these turbulent times to relate to our children and youth born and being raised in the west, or in western influenced environments that we tell them the story of one of the greatest sacrifices in the history of mankind. It has to be related so lessons may be learned from it.

 

Muharram, the first month of the Islamic Calendar, marks the concept of emigration (Hijra) in the cause of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He). It is also sacred for many other reasons. Jews used to fast on this day but Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him and his family) advised Muslims to fast both ninth and tenth of Muharram. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family) has enumerated the significance of this day in many Traditions (Hadith). He has stated that

Allah created the heavens, mountains, and oceans, pen (qalam) and tablet (lawh) on this day. Hazrath Ibrahim (may Allah bless him with peace) was born on this day, and Allah saved him from the furnace on this day. Pharaoh was drowned, Allah relented towards Adam (may Allah bless him with peace) Jesus or Isa (may Allah bless him with peace) was born and The Day of Judgment (qiyama) will occur on this day. In another tradition it is stated that, heaven, earth, stars, heavenly throne (arsh), pedestal (kursi), tablet (lauh) and pen (qalam) were created on this day. Gabriel (may Allah bless him with peace), all angels and, Adam (may Allah bless him with peace) were created on Ashura. The first rains and the first gift of mercy (rahmah) descended on this day.

 

However, it is the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain (may Allah be well pleased with him) and seventy-one members of his family and associates which took place of this day at Karbala that we Muslims, who love the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family) remember most. Caliph Muawiya (may Allah be well pleased with him) called for appointing his son Yazid to follow him. After Muawiya's death his son Yazid declared himself the caliph starting an unprecedented tradition. Imam Hussain (may Allah be well pleased with him) took a stand against tyranny at the age of 56 years, on the day of Ashura 61 AH. He gave the ultimate sacrifice of position, family and life for the restoration of justice. It is a Day of triumph over falsehood and a Day of the reaffirmation of a true Muslims determination to make Jihad or strive against corrupt and un-Islamic forces within or without its ranks as a first duty. The problem of the Muslim Ummah on a global level is a real and living problem- it is our Karbala today. Since March 3, 1924 (eighty years) we are Muslims without a Caliphate, in which Allah is Sovereign. To accept the monarchs and presidents as sovereign is an act of shirk. The huge oil wealth of Arabia belongs to the world of Islam. The handing over of the effective control of this oil wealth to the Americans is an act of treason. Volumes can be written on the economic subordination of the Muslim world.

Imam Jafar Saadiq (may Allah be well pleased with him) rightly proclaimed,

Every Day is Ashura and every place is Karbala.

We need to find and enforce a solution to our present degradation and decline whether we are from Africa, The Indo-Pak Subcontinent, or the Arab World. We have a population of over 1.2 Billion in the world and yet we have no say in the International Affairs. The propaganda

machinery of the west has misrepresented Islam on a global level. We need to enforce ways and means to counter this propaganda. One method that can be enforced is to adapt and modify existing functions and observances to serve the original spirit of mobilizing the spirit and educating society as to how we can gain the pleasure of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) and serve the cause of Islam.

 

Islam has produced numerous stars within the Galaxy of Prophets, truthful, martyrs, and saints who illuminated the world when the forces of darkness threatened. We have to reattach ourselves to this fellowship and seek their guidance if we want success. Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the 4th Sura, al-Nisa: Verse 69

 

Whosoever obeys Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) and His Messenger becomes the companion of one of those upon whom Allah’s blessings descend…

 

Who are the recipients of Allah’s blessings - there are four categories, The Prophets, The Siddiqs - the embodiment of Truth, The Martyrs and Saliheen or righteous who have attained the status of being Aulia Allah. In the Islamic concept of Democracy the majority is not necessarily right. We do not count heads but look at competency and proximity to Allah and his Beloved Rasul (Peace be upon him and his family) Equality does not mean physical sameness. A thousand fools cannot be equal to a beloved of Allah. Islam insists on duty and competency Imam Hussain (Radiallahu anhu) represented truth, justice, purity, love, service and sacrifice. Islamic democracy relies on the strength of argument whilst western democracy is based on the argument of strength. The Holy Qur'aan says in the 6th Sura, al-Anaam: Verse 163,

“Say you, ‘Undoubtedly, my prayer, and my sacrifices, and my living and my dying are all for

Allah, Lord of the Universe." A leader must have complete mastery over his animal self, seeking neither power, position nor pleasure. Under the rule of the Yazidi brand of Islam, enforcing a spiritless brand of Islam, devoid of love and respect, the blood of a Hussain has to purify the Ummah. Wahabbism and Capitalism are room-mates. When it is clear that the rulers are not really functioning as servants of humanity as they were supposed to. How does one to deal with the flagrant breach of the divine trust?

The answer to this question is to be found in the Qur'aan which lays down the ground rules of a clear-cut policy 4th Sura, al-Nisa: Verse 135

“O believers! Stand firmly for justice, giving witness for Allah, even against yourself, or of your parents or of your relations and whether it be against rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both."

The Qur'aan clearly declares in the 2nd Sura, al-Baqarah: Verses 191 that:

“Their mischief is more grievous than killing”

 

The tragic events of Karbala is an annual reminder to practice Islam honestly and sincerely, to do what is right irrespective of consequences, and fear none but Allah. To stand for the truth and fight to the death is more honorable than submitting to the wrongful.

 

Irshad Soofi

January 20, 2004

Memoirs Of Mr. Hempher The British Spy To The Middle East

PREFACE

Memoirs Of Mr. Hempher, The British Spy To The Middle East is the title of a document that was published in series (episodes) in the German paper Spiegel and later on in a prominent French paper. A Lebanese doctor translated the document to the Arabic language and from there on it was translated to English and other languages. Waqf Ikhlas publications put out and circulated the document in English in hard copy and electronically under the title: Confessions of a British spy and British enmity against Islam. This document reveals the true background of the Wahhabi movement which was innovated by Mohammad bin Abdul Wahhab and explains the numerous falsehood they spread in the name of Islam and exposes their role of enmity towards the religion of Islam and towards prophet Mohammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and towards Muslims at large. No wonder the Wahhabis today stand as the backbone of terrorism allowing and financing and planning shedding the blood of Muslims and other innocent people. Their well known history of terrorism as documented in Fitnatul Wahhabiyyah by the mufti of Makkah, Sheikh Ahmad Zayni Dahlan, and their current assassinations and contravention is due to their ill belief that all are blasphemers save themselves. May Allah protect our nation from their evils.

PART ONE

Our Great Britain is very vast. The sun rises over its seas, and sets, again, below its seas. Our State is relatively weak yet in its colonies in India, China and Middle East. These countries are not entirely under our domination. However, we have been carrying on a very active and successful policy in these places. We shall be in full possession of all of them very soon. Two things are of importance: 1- To try to retain the places we have already obtained; 2- To try to take possession of those places we have not obtained yet. The Ministry of Colonies assigned a commission from each of the colonies for the execution of these two tasks. As soon as I entered the Ministry of Colonies, the Minister put his trust in me and appointed me the administrator of the company of East India. Outwardly it was a company of trade. But its real task was to search for ways of taking control of the very vast lands of India. Our government was not at all nervous about India. India was a country where people from various nationalities, speaking different languages, and having contrasting interests lived together. Nor were we afraid of China, for the religions dominant in China were Buddhism and Confucianism, neither of which was much of a threat. Both of them were dead religions that instituted no concern for life and which were no more than forms of addresses. For this reason, the people living in these two countries were hardly likely to have any feelings of patriotism. These two countries did not worry us, the British government. Yet the events that might occur later were not out of consideration for us. Therefore, we were designing long term plans to wage discord, ignorance, poverty, and even diseases in these countries. We were imitating the customs and traditions of these two countries, thus easily concealing our intentions. What frazzled our nerves most were the Islamic countries. We had already made some agreements, all of which were to our advantage, with the Sick Man (the Ottoman Empire). Experienced members of the Ministry of Colonies predicted that this sick man would pass away in less than a century. In addition, we had made some secret agreements with the Iranian government and placed in these two countries statesmen whom we had made masons. Such corruptions as bribery, incompetent administration and inadequate religious education, which in its turn led to busying with pretty women and consequently to neglect of duty, broke the backbones of these two countries. In spite of all these, we were anxious that our activities should not yield the results we expected, for reasons I am going to cite below: 1- Muslims are extremely devoted to Islam. Every individual Muslims is as strongly attached to Islam as a priest or monk to Christianity, if not more. As it is known, priests and monks would rather die than give up Christianity. The most dangerous of such people are the Shiites in Iran. For they put down people who are not Shiites as disbelievers and foul people. Christians are like noxious dirt according to Shiites. Naturally, one would do one's best to get rid of dirt. I once asked a Shiite this: Why do you look on Christians as such? The answer I was given was this: "The Prophet of Islam was a very wise person. He put Christians under a spiritual oppression in order to make them find the right way by joining Allah's religion, Islam. As a matter of fact, it is a State policy to keep a person found dangerous under a spiritual oppression until he pledges obedience. The dirt I am speaking about is not material; it is a spiritual oppression, which is not peculiar to Christians alone. It involves Sunnites and all disbelievers. Even our ancient Magian Iranian ancestors are foul according to Shiites." I said to him: "Well! Sunnites and Christians believe in Allah, in Prophets, and in the Judgment Day, too; why should they be foul, then?" He replied, "They are foul for two

reasons: They impute mendacity to our Prophet, Hadrat Muhammad may Allah protect us against such an act! (1)* And we, in response to this atrocious imputation, follow the rule expressed in the saying, If a person torments you, you can torment him in return', and say to them: 'You are foul.' Second; Christians make offensive allegations about the Prophets of Allah. For instance, they say: Isaa (Jesus) 'Alaihis-salaam' would take (hard) drinks. Because he was accursed, he was crucified." In consternation, I said to the man that Christians did not say so. "Yes, they do," was the answer, "and you don't know. It is written so in the Holy Bible." I became quite. For the man was right in the first respect, if not in the second respect. I did not want to continue the dispute any longer. Otherwise they might be suspicious of me in an Islamic attire as I was. I therefore avoided such disputes. 2- Islam was once a religion of administration and authority. And Muslims were respected. It would be difficult to tell these respectable people that they are slaves now. Nor would it be possible to falsify the Islamic history and say to Muslims: The honor and respect you obtained at one time was the result of some (favorable) conditions. Those days are gone now, and they will never come back. 3- We were very anxious that the Ottomans and Iranians might notice our plots and foil them. Despite the fact that these two States had already been debilitated considerably, we still did not feel certain because they had a central government with property, weaponry, and authority. 4- We were extremely uneasy about the Islamic scholars. For the scholars of Istanbul and Al-adh-har, the Iraqi and Damascene scholars were insurmountable obstacles in front of our purposes. For they were the kind of people who would never compromise their principles to the tiniest extent because they had turned against the transient pleasures and adornments of the world and fixed their eyes on the Paradise promised by Qur'aan al-kereem. The people followed them. Even the Sultan was afraid of them. Sunnites were not so strongly adherent to scholars as were Shiites. For Shiites did not read books; they only recognized scholars, and did not show due respect to the Sultan. Sunnites, on the other hand, read books, and respected scholars and the Sultan. We therefore prepared a series of conferences. Yet each time we tried we saw with disappointment that the road was closed for us. The reports we received from our spies were always frustrating, and the conferences came to naught. We did not give up hope, though. For we are the sort of people who have developed the habit of taking a deep breath and being patient. The Minister himself, the highest priestly orders, and a few specialists attended one of our conferences. There were twenty of us. Our conference lasted three hours, and the final session was closed without reaching a fruitful conclusion. Yet a priest said, "Do not worry! For the Messiah and his companions obtained authority only after a persecution that lasted three hundred years. It is hoped that, from the world of the unknown, he will cast an eye on us and grant us the good luck of evicting the unbelievers, (he means Muslims), from their centers, be it three hundred years later. With a strong belief and long-term patience, we must arm ourselves! In order to obtain authority, we must take possession of all sorts of media, try all possible methods. We must try to spread Christianity among Muslims. It will be good for us to realize our goal, even if it will be after centuries. For fathers work for their children." A conference was held, and diplomats and religious men from Russia and France as well as from England attended. I was very lucky. I, too, attended because I and the Minister were in very good terms. In the conference, plans of breaking Muslims into groups and

making them abandon their faith and bringing them round to belief (Christianizing them) like in Spain was discussed. Yet the conclusions reached were not as had been expected. I have written all the talks held in that conference in my book "Ilaa Melekoot-il-Meseeh." It is difficult to suddenly uproot a tree that has sent out its roots to the depths of the earth. But we must make hardships easy and overcome them. Christianity came to spread. Our Lord the Messiah promised us this. The bad conditions that the east and the west were in, helped Muhammad. Those conditions being gone, have taken away the nuisances (he means Islam) that accompanied them. We observe with pleasure today that the situation has changed completely. As a result of great works and endeavors of our ministry and other Christian governments Muslims are on the decline now. Christians, on the other hand, are gaining ascendancy. It is time we retook the places we lost throughout centuries. The powerful State of Great Britain pioneers this blessed task [of annihilating Islam].

PART TWO

In the Hijra year 1122, C.E. 1710, the Minister of Colonies sent me to Egypt, Iraq, Hidjaz and Istanbul to act as a spy and to obtain information necessary and sufficient for the breaking up of Muslims. The Ministry appointed nine more people, full of agility and courage, for the same mission and at the same time. In addition to the money, information and maps we would need, we were given a list containing names of statesmen, scholars, and chiefs of tribes. I can never forget! When I said farewell to the secretary, he said, "The future of our State is dependent on your success. Therefore you should exert your utmost energy." I set out on a voyage to Istanbul, the center of the Islamic caliphate. Besides my primary duty, I was to learn very well Turkish, the native language of the Muslims being there. I had already learned in London a considerable amount of Turkish, Arabic (the language of the Qur'aan) and Persian, the Iranian language. Yet learning a language was quite different from speaking that language like its native speakers. While the former skill can be acquired in a matter of a few years, the latter requires a duration of time several times as long as this. I had to learn Turkish with all its subtleties lest the people should suspect me. I was not anxious that they should suspect me. For Muslims are tolerant, open-hearted, benevolent, as they have learnt from their Prophet Muhammad 'alai-his-salaam'. They are not skeptical like us. After all, at that time the Turkish government did not have an organization to arrest spies. After a very tiresome voyage I arrived in Istanbul. I said my name was Muhammad and began to go to the mosque, Muslims' temple. I liked the way Muslims observed discipline, cleanliness and obedience. For a moment I said to myself: Why are we fighting these innocent people? Is this what our Lord the Messiah advised us? But I at once recovered from this diabolical [!] thought, and decided to carry out my duty in the best manner. In Istanbul I met an old scholar named "Ahmed Effendi." With his elegant manners, open-heartedness, spiritual limpidity, and benevolence, none of our religious men I had seen could have equaled him. This person endeavored day and night to make himself like the Prophet Muhammad. According to him, Muhammad was the most perfect, the highest man. Whenever he mentioned his name his eyes would become wet. I must have been very lucky, for he did not even ask who I was or where I was from. He would address me

as "Muhammad Effendi." He would answer my questions and treat me with tenderness and with compassion, for he considered me a guest who had come to Istanbul to work in Turkey and to live in the shadow of the Khalifa, the representative of the Prophet Muhammad. Indeed, this was the pretext I used to stay in Istanbul One day I said to Ahmed Effendi: "My parents are dead. I don't have any brothers or sisters, and I haven't inherited any property. I came to the center of Islam to work for a living and to learn Qur'aan al-kereem and the Sunnat, that is, to earn both my worldly needs and my life in the Hereafter." He was very delighted with these words of mine, and said, "You deserve to be respected for these three reasons." I am writing down exactly what he said: "1 You are a Muslim. All Muslims are brothers. 2 You are a guest. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) declared: 'Offer kind hospitality to your guests!' 3 You want to work. There is a Hadith shereef stating that 'a person who works is beloved to Allah.' " These words pleased me very much. I said to myself, "Would that there were such bright truths in Christianity, too! It's a shame there aren't any." What surprised me was the fact that Islam, such a noble religion as it was, was being degenerated in the hands of these conceited people who were quite unaware of what was going on in life. I said to Ahmed Effendi that I wanted to learn Qur'aan al-kereem. He replied that he would teach me with pleasure, and began to teach me (Fatiha soora). He would explain the meanings as we read. I had great difficulty pronouncing some words. In two years' time I read through the whole Qur'aan al-kereem. Before each lesson he would make ablution himself and also command me to make ablution. He would sit towards the Qiblah (Kaaba) and then begin teaching. What Muslims call ablution consisted of a series of washings, as follows: 1) Washing the face; 2) Washing the right arm from fingers to elbows; 3) Washing the left arm from fingers to elbows; 4) Making masah of (moistening both hands and rubbing them gently on) the head, backs of ears, (back of) neck; 5) Washing both feet. Having to use the miswaak vexed me very much. "Miswaak" is a twig with which they (Muslims) clean their mouth and teeth. I thought this piece of wood was harmful for the mouth and teeth. Sometimes it would hurt my mouth and cause bleeding. Yet I had to use it. For, according to them, using the "miswaak" was a muakkad sunnat of the Prophet. They said this wood was very useful. Indeed, the bleeding of my teeth came to an end. And the foul breath that I had till that time, and which most British people have, was gone. During my stay in Istanbul I spent the nights in a room I had rented from a man responsible for the service in a mosque. This servant's name was "Marwaan Efendi". Marwaan is the name of one of the Sahaba (Companions) of the Prophet Muhammad. The servant was a very nervous man. He would boast about his name and tell me that if I should have a son in the future I should "name him Marwaan, because Marwaan is one of Islam's greatest warriors." "Marwaan Efendi" would prepare the evening dinner. I would not go to work on Friday, a holiday for Muslims. On the other days of the week I worked for a carpenter named Khalid, being paid on a weekly basis. Because I worked part time, from morning till

noon, that is, he would give me half the wage he gave the other employees. This carpenter would spend much of his free time telling about the virtues of "Khalid bin Waleed." Khalid bin Waleed, one of the Sahaba of the Prophet Muhammad, is a great mujaahid (a warrior for Islam). He accomplished various Islamic conquests. Yet his (Khaalid bin Waleed's) dismissal from office by 'Umar bin Hattaab during the latter's caliphate chafed the carpenter's heart(2)*. "Khalid", the carpenter for whom I worked, was an immoral and extremely neurotic person. He somehow trusted me very much. I do not know why, but perhaps it was because I always obeyed him. He ignored the Sharee'at (Islam’s commandments) in his secret manners. Yet when he was with his friends he would display obedience to the commandments of the Shariah. He would attend the Friday prayers, but I am not sure about the other (daily) prayers. I would have breakfast in the shop. After work I would go to the mosque for noon prayer and would stay there till afternoon prayer. After the afternoon prayer I would go to Ahmed Efendi's place, where he would teach me such lessons as (reading) Qur'aan al-kereem, Arabic and Turkish languages for two hours. Every Friday I would give him my weekly earnings because he taught me very well. Indeed, he taught me very well how to read Qur'aan al-kereem, requirements of the Islamic religion and the subtleties of Arabic and Turkish languages. When "Ahmed Efendi" knew that I was single, he wanted to marry me to one of his daughters. I refused his offer. But he insisted, saying that marriage is a sunnat of the Prophet's and the Prophet had stated that "A person who turns away from my sunnat is not with me." Apprehending that this event might put an end to our personal dealings, I had to lie to him, saying that I lacked sexual power. Thus I ensured the continuance of our acquaintance and friendship. When my two-year stay in Istanbul was over, I told "Ahmed Efendi" I wanted to go back home. He said, "No, don't go. Why are you going? You can find anything you might look for in Istanbul. Allaahu ta'aalaa has given both the religion and the world at the same time in this city. You say that your parents are dead and you have no brothers or sisters. Why don't you settle down in Istanbul?..." "Ahmed Efendi" had formed a compulsive dependence upon my company. For this reason he did not want to part company with me and insisted that I should make my home in Istanbul. But my patriotic sense of duty compelled me to go back to London, to deliver a detailed report concerning the center of the caliphate, and to take new orders. Throughout my stay in Istanbul I sent reports of my observations monthly to the Ministry of Colonies. I remember asking in one of my reports what I was to do should the person I was working for ask me to practice sodomy with him. The reply was: You can do it if it will help you attain your goal. I was very much indignant over this answer. I felt as if the whole world had fallen down on my head. I already knew that this vicious deed was very common in England. Yet it had never occurred to me that my superiors would command me to commit it. What could I do? I had no other way than to empty the drug to the dregs. So I kept quiet and went on with my duty. As I said farewell to "Ahmed Efendi", his eyes became wet and he said to me, "My son! May Allaahu ta'aalaa be with you! If you should come back to Istanbul and see that I am dead, remember me. Say the (soora) Faatiha for my soul! We will meet on the Judgment Day in front of 'Rasulullah'." Indeed, I felt very sad, too; so much so that I shed warm tears. However, my sense of duty was naturally stronger.

PART THREE

My friends had returned to London before I did and they had already received new commands from the Ministry. I, too, was given new commands upon returning. Unfortunately, only six of us were back. One of the other four people, the secretary said, had become a Muslim and remained in Egypt. Yet the secretary was still glad because, he said, he (the person who had remained in Egypt) had not betrayed any secrets. The second one had gone to Russia and remained there. He was Russian in origin. The secretary was very sorry about him, not because he had gone back to his homeland, but because perhaps he had been spying on the Ministry of Colonies for Russia and had gone back home because his mission had been over. The third one, as the secretary related, had died of plague in a town named "Imara" in the neighborhood of Baghdad. The fourth person had been traced by the Ministry up to the city of San'aa in the Yemen and they had received his reports for one year, and thereafter his reporting had come to an end and no trail of him had been found despite all sorts of efforts. The Ministry put down the disappearance of these four men as a catastrophe, for we are a nation with great duties versus a small population. We therefore do very fine calculations on every man. After a few of my reports, the secretary held a meeting to scrutinize the reports given by four of us. When my friends submitted their reports pertaining to their tasks, I, too, submitted my report. They took some notes from my report. The Minister, the secretary, and some of those who attended the meeting praised my work. Nevertheless I was the third best. My friend “George Belcoude” won the first grade, and "Henry Fanse" was the second best. I had doubtlessly been greatly successful in learning Turkish and Arabic languages, the Qur'aan and the Shariah. Yet I had not managed to prepare for the Ministry a report revealing the weak aspects of the Ottoman Empire. After the two-hour meeting, the secretary asked me the reason for my failure. I said, "My essential duty was to learn languages and the Qur'aan and the Shariah. I could not spare time for anything in addition. But I shall please you this time if you trust me." The secretary said I was certainly successful but he wished I had won the first grade. (And he went on): "O Hempher, your next mission comprises these two tasks: 1 To discover Muslims' weak points and the points through which we can enter their bodies and disjoin their limbs. Indeed, this is the way to beat the enemy. 2 The moment you have detected these points and done what I have told you to, [in other words, when you manage to sow discord among Muslims and set them at loggerheads with one another], you will be the most successful agent and earn a medal from the Ministry." I stayed in London for six months. I married my paternal first cousin, "Maria Shvay". At that time I was 22 years old, and she was 23. "Maria Shvay was a very pretty girl, with average intelligence and an ordinary cultural background. The happiest and the most cheerful days of my life were those that I spent with her. My wife was pregnant. We were expecting our new guest, when I received the message containing the order that I should leave for Iraq. Receiving this order at a time while I was awaiting the birth of my son made me sad. However, the importance I attached to my country, doubled with my ambition to attain fame by being chosen the best one among my colleagues, was above my emotions as a husband and as a father. So I accepted the task without hesitation. My wife wanted me to

postpone the mission till after the child's birth. Yet I ignored what she said. We were both weeping as we said farewell to each other. My wife said, "Don't stop writing to me! I shall write you letters about our new home, which is as valuable as gold." These words of hers stirred up storms in my heart. I almost cancelled the travel. Yet I managed to take control of my emotions. Extending my farewell to her, I left for the ministry to receive the final instructions. Six months later I found myself in the city of Basra, Iraq. The city people were partly Sunnite and partly Shiite. Basra was a city of tribes with a mixed population of Arabs, Persians and a relatively small number of Christians. It was the first time in my life that I met with the Persians. By the way, let me touch upon Shi'ism and Sunnism. Shiites say that they follow 'Ali bin Abu Taalib, who was the husband of Muhammad's 'alaihis-salaam' daughter Faatima and at the same time Muhammad's 'alaihis-salaam' paternal first cousin. They say that Muhammad 'alaihis-salaam' appointed Ali, and the twelve imams, 'Ali’s descendants to succeed him as the Khalifa. In my opinion, the Shi'as are right in the matter pertaining to the caliphate of 'Alee, Hasan, and Huseyn. For, as far as I understand from the Islamic history, Alee was a person with the distinguished and high qualifications required for caliphate. Nor do I find it alien for Muhammad 'alaihis-salaam' to have appointed Hasan and Huseyn as Khaleefas. What makes me suspect, however, is Muhammad's 'alaihis-salaam' having appointed Huseyn's son and eight of his grandsons as Khaleefas. For Huseyn was a child at Muhammad's 'alaihis-salaam' death. How did he know he would have eight grandsons? If Muhammad 'alaihis-salaam' was really a Prophet, it was possible for him to know the future by being informed by Allaahu ta'aalaa, as the Messiah had divined about the future. Yet Muhammad's 'alaihis-salaam' Prophethood is a matter of doubt to us Christians. Muslims say, "There are many proofs for Muhammad's 'alaihis-salaam' Prophethood. One of them is the Qur'aan (Koran)." I have read the Qur'aan. Indeed, it is a very high book. It is even higher than the Torah (Torah) and the Bible. For it contains principles, regulations, moral rules, etc. It has been a wonder to me how an illiterate person such as Muhammad 'alaihis-salaam' could have brought such a lofty book, and how could he have had all those moral, intellectual and personal qualifications which could not be possessed even by a man who has read and travelled very much. I wonder if these facts were the proofs for Muhammad's 'alaihis-salaam' Prophethood? I always made observations and research in order to elicit the truth about Muhammad's 'alaihis-salaam' Prophethood. Once I brought out my interest to a priest in London. His answer was fanatical and obdurate, and was not convincing at all. I asked Ahmed Efendi several times when I was in Turkey, yet I did not receive a satisfactory answer from him, either. To tell the truth, I avoided asking Ahmed Efendi questions directly related to the matter lest they should become suspicious about my espionage. I think very much of Muhammad 'alaihis-salaam'. No doubt, he is one of Allah's Prophets about whom we have read in books. Yet, being a Christian, I have not believed in his Prophethood yet. It is doubtless that he was very much superior to geniuses. The Sunnites, on the other hand, say that "After the Prophet's passing away, Muslims considered Aboo Bekr and 'Umar and 'Uthmaan and 'Alee suitable for the caliphate." Controversies of this sort exist in all religions, most abundantly in Christianity. Since both 'Umar and 'Alee are dead today, maintaining these controversies would serve no

useful purpose. To me, if Muslims are reasonable, they should think of today, not of those very old days(3)*. One day in the Ministry of Colonies I made a reference to the difference between the Sunnites and the Shiites, saying, "If Muslims knew something about life, they would resolve this Shiite-Sunnite difference among themselves and come together." Someone interrupted me and remonstrated, "Your duty is to provoke this difference, not to think of how to bring Muslims together." Before I set out for my travel to Iraq, the secretary said, "O Hempher, you should know that there has been natural differences among human beings since God created Abel and Cain. These controversies shall continue until the return of the Messiah. So is the case with racial, tribal, territorial, national, and religious controversies. "Your duty this time is to diagnose these controversies well and to report to the ministry. The more successful you are in aggravating the differences among Muslims the greater will be your service to England. "We, the English people, have to make mischief and arouse schism in all our colonies in order that we may live in welfare and luxury. Only by means of such instigations will we be able to demolish the Ottoman Empire. Otherwise, how could a nation with a small population bring another nation with a greater population under its sway? Look for the mouth of the chasm with all your might, and get in as soon as you find it. You should know that the Ottoman and Iranian Empires have reached the nadir of their lives. Therefore, your first duty is to instigate the people against the administration! History has shown that 'The source of all sorts of revolutions is public rebellions.' When the unity of Muslims is broken and the common sympathy among them is impaired, their forces will be dissolved and thus we shall easily destroy them."  

PART FOUR

When I arrived in Basra, I settled in a mosque. The imaam of the mosque was a Sunnite person of Arabic origin named Shaikh 'Umar Taaee. When I met him I began to chat with him. Yet he suspected me at the very beginning and subjected me to a shower of questions. I managed to survive this dangerous chat as follows: "I am from Turkey's Igdir region. I was a disciple of Ahmed Efendi of Istanbul. I worked for a carpenter named Khaali (Haalid)." I gave him some information about Turkey, which I had acquired during my stay there. Also, I said a few sentences in Turkish. The imaam made an eye signal to one of the people there and asked him if I spoke Turkish correctly. The answer was positive. Having convinced the imaam, I was very happy. Yet I was wrong. For a few days later, I saw to my disappointment that the imaam suspected that I was a Turkish spy. Afterwards, I found out that there was some disagreement and hostility between him and the governor appointed by the (Ottoman) Sultan. Having been compelled to leave Shaikh 'Umar Efendi's mosque, I rented a room in an inn for travellers and foreigners and moved there. The owner of the inn was an idiot named Murshid Efendi. Every morning he would disturb me by knocking hard at my door to wake me up as soon as the adhaan for morning prayer was called. I had to obey him. So I would get up and perform the morning prayer. Then he would say, "You shall read Qur'aan-al kereem after morning prayer." When I told him that it was not fard (an act commanded by Islam) to read Qur'aan al-kereem and asked him why he should insist so much, he would answer, "Sleeping at this time of day will bring poverty and misfortune to the inn and the inmates." I had to carry out this command of his. For he said otherwise

he would send me out of the inn. Therefore, as soon as the adhaan was called, I would perform morning prayer and then read Qur'aan al-kereem for one hour. One day Murshid Efendi came to me and said, "Since you rented this room misfortunes have been befalling me. I put it down to your ominousness. For you are single. Being single (unmarried) portends ill omen. You shall either get married or leave the inn." I told him I did not have property enough to get married. I could not tell him what I had told Ahmed Efendi. For Murshid Efendi was the kind of person who would undress me and examine my genitals to see whether I was telling the truth. When I said so, Murshid Efendi reproved me, saying, "What a weak belief you have! Haven't you read Allah's aayat purporting, If they are poor, Allaahu ta'aalaa will make them rich with His kindness'?" I was stupefied. At last I said, "All right, I shall get married. But are you ready to provide the necessary money? Or can you find a girl who will cost me little?" After reflecting for a while, Murshid Efendi said, "I don't care! Either get married by the beginning of Rajab month, or leave the inn." There were only twenty-five days before the beginning of the month of Rajab. Incidentally, let me mention the Arabic months; Muharram, Safar, Rabi'ul-awwal, Rabi'ul-aakhir, Jemaaziy-ul-awwal, Jemaaziy-ul-aakhir, Rajab, Sha'baan, Ramadaan, Shawwaal, Zilqa'da, Zilhijja. Their months are neither more than thirty days, nor below twenty-nine. They are based on lunar calculations. Taking a job as an assistant to a carpenter, I left Murshid Efendi's inn. We made an agreement on a very low wage, but my lodging and food were to be at the employer's expense. I moved my belongings to the carpenter's shop well before the month of Rajab. The carpenter was a manly person. He treated me as if I were his son. He was a Shiite from Khorassan, Iran, and his name was Abd-ur- Ridaa. Taking the advantage of his company, I began to learn Persian. Every afternoon Iranian Shiites would meet at his place and talk on various subjects from politics to economy. Most often than not they would speak ill of their own government and also of the Khaleefa in Istanbul. Whenever a stranger came in they would change the subject and begin to talk on personal matters. They trusted me very much. However, as I found out later on, they though I was an Azerbaijani because I spoke Turkish. From time to time a young man would call at our carpenter's shop. His attirement was that of a student doing scientific research, and he understood Arabic, Persian, and Turkish. His name was Muhammad bin Abd-ul-wahhaab Najdee. This youngster was an extremely rude and very nervous person. While abusing the Ottoman government very much, he would never speak ill of the Iranian government. The common ground which made him and the shop-owner Abd-ur-Ridaa so friendly was that both were inimical towards the Khaleefa in Istanbul. But how was it possible that this young man, who was a Sunnee, understood Persian and was friends with Abd-ur-Ridaa, who was a Shi'ee? In this city Sunnites pretended to be friendly and even brotherly with Shiites. Most of the city's inhabitants understood both Arabic and Persian. And most people understood Turkish as well. Muhammad of Najd was a Sunnee outwardly. Although most Sunnites censured Shiites, in fact, they say that Shiites are disbelievers this man never would revile Shiites. According to Muhammad of Najd, there was no reason for Sunnites to adapt themselves to one of the four madh-habs; he would say, "Allah's Book does not contain any evidence pertaining to these madh-habs." He purposefully ignored the aayet-i-kereemas in this subject and slighted the hadeeth-i-shereefs.

Concerning the matter of four madh-habs: A century after the death of their Prophet Muhammad 'alaihis- salaam', four scholars came forward from among Sunnite Muslims: Aboo Haneefa, Ahmad bin Hanbal, Maalik bin Anas, and Muhammad bin Idris Shaafi'ee. Some Khaleefas forced the Sunnites to imitate one of these four scholars. They said no one except these four scholars could do ijtihaad in Qur'aan al-kereem or in the Sunna. This movement closed the gates of knowledge and understanding to Muslims. This prohibition of ijtihaad is considered to have been the reason for Islam's standstill. Shiites exploited these erroneous statements to promulgate their sect. The number of Shiites was smaller than one-tenth that of Sunnites. But now they have increased and become equal with Sunnites in number. This result is natural. For ijtihaad is like a weapon. It will improve Islam's fiqh and renovate the understanding of Qur'aan al-kereem and Sunna. Prohibition of ijtihaad, on the other hand, is like a rotten weapon. It will confine the madh-hab within a certain framework. And this, in its turn, means to close the gates of inference and to disregard the time's requirements. If your weapon is rotten and your enemy is perfect, you are doomed to be beaten by your enemy sooner or later. I think, the clever ones of the Sunnites will reopen the gate of ijtihaad in future. If they do not do this, they will become the minority and the Shiites will receive a majority in a few centuries. [However, the imaams (leaders) of the four madh-habs hold the same creed, the same belief. There is no difference among them. Their difference is only in worships. And this, in turn, is a facility for Muslims. The Shiites, on the other hand, parted into twelve sects, thus becoming a rotten weapon. There is detailed information in this respect in the book Milal wa Nihal]. The arrogant youngster, Muhammad of Najd, would follow his nafs (his sensuous desires) in understanding the Qur'aan and the Sunna. He would completely ignore the views of scholars, not only those of the scholars of his time and the leaders of the four madh-habs, but also those of the notable Sahaabees such as Aboo Bakr and 'Umar. Whenever he came across a Koranic (Qur'aan) verse which he thought was contradictory with the views of those people, he would say, "The Prophet said: I have left the Qur'aan and the Sunna for you.' He did not say, I have left the Qur'aan, the Sunna, the Sahaaba, and the imaams of madh-habs for you.' Therefore, the thing which is fard is to follow the Qur'aan and the Sunna no matter how contrary they may seem to be to the views of the madh-habs or to the statements of the Sahaaba and scholars." During a dinner conversation at Abd-ur-Ridaa's place, the following dispute took place between Muhammad of Najd and a guest from Kum, a Shiite scholar named Shaikh Jawad: Shaikh Jawad. Since you accept that 'Alee was a mujtahid, why don't you follow him like Shiites? Muhammad of Najd Alee is no different from 'Umar or other Sahaabees. His statements cannot be of a documentary capacity. Only the Qur'aan and the Sunna are authentic documents. [The fact is that statements made by any of the As-haab-i kiraam are of a documentary capacity. Our Prophet commanded us to follow any one of them]. Shaikh Jawaad Since our Prophet said, "I am the city of knowledge, and 'Alee is its gate," shouldn't there be difference between 'Alee and the other Sahaaba? Muhammad of Najd, If 'Alee's statements were of a documentary capacity, would not the Prophet have said, "I have left you the Qur'aan, the Sunna, and 'Alee"?

Shaikh Jawaad Yes, we can assume that he (the Prophet) said so. For the stated in a hadeeth-i-shereef, "I leave (behind me) Allah's Book and my Ahl-i-Bayt." And 'Alee, in his turn, is the greatest member of the Ahl-i-Bayt. Muhammad of Najd denied that the Prophet had said so. Shaikh Jawaad confuted Muhammad of Najd with convincing proofs. However, Muhammad of Najd objected to this and said, "You assert that the Prophet said, I leave you Allah's Book and my Ahl-i-Bayt." Then, what has become of the Prophet's Sunna?" Shaikh Jawad. The Sunna of the Messenger of Allah is the explanation of the Qur'aan. The Messenger of Allah said, "I leave (you) Allah's Book and my Ahl-i-Bayt." The phrase 'Allah's Book' includes the 'Sunna', which is an explanation of the former. Muhammad of Najd. Inasmuch as the statements of the Ahl-i-Bayt are the explanations of the Qur'aan, why should it be necessary to explain it by hadeeths? Shaikh Jawaad When hadrat Prophet passed away, his Ummat (Muslims) considered that there should be an explanation of the Qur'aan which would satisfy the time's requirements. It was for this reason that hadrat Prophet commanded his Ummat to follow the Qur'aan, which is the original, and his Ahl-i-Bayt, who were to explain the Qur'aan in a manner to satisfy the time's requirements. I liked this dispute very much. Muhammad of Najd was motionless in front of Shaikh Jawaad, like a house-sparrow in the hands of a hunter. Muhammad of Najd was the sort I had been looking for. For his scorn for the time's scholars, his slighting even the (earliest) four Khaleefas, his having an independent view in understanding the Qur'aan and the Sunna were his most vulnerable points to hunt and obtain him. So different this conceited youngster was from that Ahmed Efendi who had taught me in Istanbul! That scholar, like his predecessors, was reminiscent of a mountain. No power would be able to move him. Whenever he mentioned the name of Aboo Haneefa, he would stand up, go and make ablution. Whenever he meant to hold the book of Hadeeth named Bukhaaree, he would, again, make ablution. The Sunnees trust this book very much. Muhammad of Najd, on the other hand, disdained Aboo Haneefa very much. He would say, "I know better than Aboo Haneefa did." In addition, according to him, half of the book of Bukhaaree was wrong. [As I was translating these confessions of Hempher's into Turkish, I remembered the following event: I was a teacher in a high school. During a lesson one of my students asked, "Sir, if a Muslim is killed in a war, will he become a martyr?" "Yes, he will," I said. "Did the Prophet say so?" "Yes, he did." "Will he become a martyr if he is drowned in sea, too?" "Yes," was my answer. "And in this case he will attain more thawaab." Then he asked, "Will he become a martyr if he falls down from an aeroplane?" "Yes, he will," I said. "Did our Prophet state these, too?" "Yes, he did." Upon this, he smiled in a triumphant air and said, "Sir! Were there aeroplanes in those days?" My answer to him was as follows: "My son! Our Prophet has ninety-nine names. Each of his names stands for a beautiful attribute he was endowed with. One of his names is Jaami'ul-kalim. He would state many facts in one word. For example, he said, 'He who falls from a height will become a martyr.' " The child admitted this answer of mine with admiration and gratitude. By the same token, Qur'aan al-kereem and hadeeth-i-shereefs contain many words, rules, commandments and prohibitions each of which denotes various other meanings. The scientific work carried on to explore these meanings and to apply the right ones to the right cases, is called Ijtihaad. Performing ijtihaad requires having profound

knowledge. For this reason, the Sunnees prohibited ignorant people from doing ijtihaad. This does not mean to prohibit ijtihaad. After the fourth century of the Hegiral Era, no scholars were educated so highly as to reach the grade of an absolute mujtahid [scholar profoundly learned (enough to perform ijtihaad)]; therefore, no one performed ijtihad, which in turn naturally meant the closure of the gates of ijtihaad. Towards the end of the world, Isaa (Jesus) 'alaihis-salaam' shall descend from heaven and Mahdee (the expected Islamic hero) shall appear; these people shall perform ijtihaad. Our Prophet 'sall-allaahu alaihi wa sallam' stated, "After me Muslims shall part into seventy-three groups. Only one of these groups shall enter Paradise." When he was asked who were to be in that group, he answered, "Those who adapt themselves to me and my Ashaab." In another hadeeth-i-shereef he stated, "My As-haab are like celestial stars. You will attain hidaayat if you follow any one of them!" In other words, he said, "You will attain the way leading to Paradise." A Jew of Yemen, Abdullah bin Saba, by name, instigated hostility against the As-haab among Muslims. Those ignorant people who believed this Jew and bore enmity against the As-haab were called Shi'ee (Shiite). And people who obeyed the hadeeth-shereefs, loved and followed the As-haab-i-kiraam were called Sunnee (Sunnite).] I established a very intimate friendship with Muhammad bin Abd-ul-wahhaab of Najd. I launched a campaign of praising him everywhere. One day I said to him: "You are greater than 'Umar and 'Alee. If the Prophet were alive now, he would appoint you as his Khaleefa instead of them. I expect that Islam will be renovated and improved in your hands. You are the only scholar who will spread Islam all over the world." Muhammad the son of Abd-ul-wahhaab and I decided to make a new interpretation of the Qur'aan; this new interpretation was to reflect only our points of view and would be entirely contrary to those explanations made by the Sahaaba, by the imaams of madh-habs and by the mufassirs (deeply learned scholars specialized in the explanation of the Qur'aan). We were reading the Qur'aan and talking on some of the aayats. My purpose in doing this was to mislead Muhammad. After all, he was trying to present himself as a revolutionist and would therefore accept my views and ideas with pleasure so that I should trust him all the more. On one occasion I said to him, "Jihaad (fighting, struggling for Islam) is not fard." He protested, "Why shouldn't it be despite Allah's commandment, 'Make war against unbelievers.'?" I said, "Then why didn't the Prophet make war against the munaafiqs despite Allah's commandment, 'Make Jihaad against unbelievers and munaafiqs." [On the other hand, it is written in Mawaahibu ladunniyya that twenty- seven Jihaads were performed against unbelievers. Their swords are exhibited in Istanbul's museums. Munaafiqs would pretend to be Muslims. They would perform namaaz with the Messenger of Allah in the Masjeed-i- Nabawee during the days. Rasoolullah 'sall-allaahu alaihi wasallam' knew them. Yet he did not say, " You are a munaafiq," to any of them. If he had made war against them and killed them, people would say, "Muhammad 'alaihis- salaam' killed people who believed in him." Therefore he made verbal Jihaad against them. For Jihaad, which is fard, is performed with one's body and/or with one's property and/or with one's speech. The aayat-i-kareema quoted above commands to perform Jihaad against unbelievers. It does not define the type of the Jihaad to be performed. For Jihaad against unbelievers must be performed by fighting, and Jihaad against munaafiqs is to be performed by preaching and advice. This aayat-i-kereema covers these types of Jihaad]. He said, "The Prophet made Jihaad against them with his speech."

I said, "Is the Jihaad which is fard (commanded), the one which is to be done with one's speech?" He said, "Rasoolullah made war against the unbelievers." I said, "The Prophet made war against the unbelievers in order to defend himself. For the unbelievers intended to kill him." He nodded. At another time I said to him, "Mut'a nikaah is permissible." He objected, "No, it is not." I said, "Allah declares, In return for the use you make of them, give them the mehr you have decided upon'." He said, "'Umar prohibited two examples of mut'a practice existent in his time and said he would punish anyone who practiced it." I said, "You both say that you are superior to 'Umar and follow him. In addition, 'Umar said he prohibited it though he knew that the Prophet had permitted it. Why do you leave aside the Prophet's word and obey 'Umar's word?" He did not answer. I knew that he was convinced. I sensed that Muhammad of Najd desired a woman at that moment; he was single. I said to him, "Come on, let us each get a woman by mut'a nikaah. We will have a good time with them. He accepted with a nod. This was a great opportunity for me, so I promised to find a woman for him to amuse himself. My aim was to ally the timidity he had about people. But he stated it a condition that the matter be kept as a secret between us and that the woman not even be told what his name was. I hurriedly went to the Christian women who had been sent forth by the Ministry of Colonies with the task of seducing the Muslim youth there. I explained the matter to one of them. She accepted to help, so I gave her the nickname Safiyya. I took Muhammad of Najd to her house. Safiyya was at home, alone. We made a one-week marriage contract for Muhammad of Najd, who gave the woman some gold in the name of "Mehr." Thus we began to mislead Muhammad of Najd, Safiyya from within, and I from without. Muhammad of Najd was thoroughly in Safiyya's hands now. Besides, he had tasted the pleasure of disobeying the commandments of the Sharee'at under the pretext of freedom of ijtihaad and ideas. The third day of the mut'a nikaah I had a long dispute with him over that hard drinks were not haraam (forbidden by Islam). Although he quoted many aayats and hadeeths showing that it was haraam to have hard drinks, I cancelled all of them and finally said, "It is a fact that Yezeed and the Umayyad and Abbasid Khaleefas had hard drinks. Were they all miscreant people and you are the only adherent of the right way? They doubtless knew the Qur'aan and the Sunna better than you do. They inferred from the Qur'aan and the Sunna that the hard drink is makrooh, not haraam. Also, it is written in Jewish and Christian books that alcohol is mubaah (permitted). All religions are Allah's commandments. In fact, according to a narrative, 'Umar had hard drinks until the revelation of the aayat, 'You have all given it up, haven't you?" If it had been haraam, the Prophet would have chastised him. Since the Prophet did not punish him, hard drink is halaal." [The fact is that 'Umar 'radiy-allaahu anh' used to take hard drinks before they were made haraam. He never drank after the prohibition was declared. If some of the Umayyad and Abbasid Khaleefas took alcoholic drinks, this would not show that drinks with alcohol are makrooh. It would show that they were sinners, that they committed haraam. For the aayat-i-kereema quoted by the spy, as well as other aayat-i-kereemas and hadeeth-i-shereefs, shows that drinks with alcohol are haraam. It is stated in Riyaad-un-

naasiheen, "Formerly it was permissible to drink wine. Hadrat 'Umar, Sa'd ibni Waqqas, and some other Sahaabees used to drink wine. Later the two hundred and nineteenth aayat of Baqara soora was revealed to declare that it was a grave sin. Sometime later the forty-second aayat of Nisaa soora was revealed and it was declared, 'Do not approach the namaaz when you are drunk!'" Eventually, the ninety-third aayat of Maaida soora came and wine was made haraam. It was stated as follows in hadeeth-i- shereefs: "If something would intoxicate in case it were taken in a large amount, it is haraam to take it even in a small amount." and "Wine is the gravest of sins." and "Do not make friends with a person who drinks wine! Do not attend his funeral (when he dies)! Do not form a matrimonial relationship with him!" and "Drinking wine is like worshipping idols." and "May Allaahu ta'aalaa curse him who drinks wine, sells it, makes it, or gives it."] *** Muhammad of Najd said, "According to some narratives, 'Umar drank alcoholic spirits after mixing it with water and said it was not haraam unless it had an intoxicating effect. 'Umar's view is correct, for it is declared in the Qur'aan, 'The devil wants to stir up enmity and grudge among you and to keep you from doing dhikr of Allah and from namaaz by means of drinks and gambling. You will give these up now, won't you?' Alcoholic spirits will not cause the sins defined in the aayat when it does not intoxicate. Therefore, hard drinks are not haraam when they don't have an intoxicating effect." I told Safiyya about this dispute we had on drinks and instructed her to make him drink a very strong spirit. Afterwards, she said, "I did as you said and made him drink. He danced and united with me several times that night." From them on Safiyya and I completely took control of Muhammad of Najd. In our farewell talk the Minister of Colonies had said to me, "We captured Spain from the disbelievers [he means Muslims] by means of alcohol and fornication. Let us take all our lands back by using these two great forces again." Now I know how true a statement it was. One day I broached the topic of fasting to Muhammad of Najd: "It is stated in the Qur'aan, 'Your fasting is more auspicious for you.' It is not stated that fasting is fard (a plain commandment). Then, fasting is sunna, not fard, in the Islamic religion." He protested and said, "Are you trying to lead me out of my faith?" I replied, "One's faith consists of the purity of one's heart, the salvation of one's soul, and not committing a transgression against others' rights. Did not the Prophet state, 'Faith is love'? Did not Allah declare in Qur'aan al-kereem, 'Worship thine Rab (Allah) until yaqeen comes to thee? Then, when one has attained yaqeen pertaining to Allah and the Day of Judgement and beautified one's heart and purified one's deeds, one will become the most virtuous of mankind." He shook his head in reply to these words of mine. Once I said to him, "Namaaz is not fard." "How is it not fard?" "Allah declares in the Qur'aan, 'Perform namaaz to remember Me.' Then, the aim of namaaz is to remember Allah. Therefore, you might as well remember Allah without performing namaaz." He said, "Yes. I have heard that some people do dhikr of Allah instead of performing namaaz.' I was very much pleased with this statement of his. I tried hard to develop this notion and capture his heart. Then I noticed that he did not attach much importance to namaaz and was performing it quite sporadically. He was very negligent especially with the morning prayer. For I would keep him from going to bed by talking with him until midnight. So he would be too exhausted to get up for morning prayer. I began to pull down the shawl of belief slowly off the shoulders of Muhammad of Najd. One day I wanted to dispute with him about the Prophet, too. "From now on, if you talk with me on these topics, our relation will be spoilt and I shall put an end to my friendship

with you." Upon this I gave up speaking about the Prophet for fear of ruining all my endeavors once and for all. I advised him to pursue a course quite different from those of Sunnites and Shiites. He favored this idea of mine. For he was a conceited person. Thanks to Safiyya, I put an halter on him. On one occasion I said, "I have heard that the Prophet made his As-haab brothers to one another. Is it true?" Upon his positive reply, I wanted to know if this Islamic rule was temporary or permanent. He explained, "It is permanent. For the Prophet Muhammad's halaal is halaal till the end of the world, and his haraam is haraam till the end of the world." Then I offered him to be my brother. So we were brothers. From that day on I never left him alone. We were together even in his travels. He was very important for me. For the tree that I had planted and grown, spending the most valuable days of my youth, was now beginning to yield its fruit.   I was sending monthly reports to the Ministry of Colonies in London. The answers I received were very encouraging and reassuring. Muhammad of Najd was following the path I had drawn for him. My duty was to imbue him with feelings of independence, freedom and skepticism. I always praised him, saying that a brilliant future was awaiting him. One day I fabricated the following dream: "Last night I dreamed of our Prophet. I addressed him with the attributes I had learnt from hodjas. He was seated on a dais. Around him were scholars that I did not know. You entered. Your face was as bright as haloes. You walked towards the Prophet, and when you were close enough the Prophet stood up and kissed between your both eyes. He said, 'You are my namesake, the heir to my knowledge, my deputy in worldly and religious matters.' You said, 'O Messenger of Allah! I am afraid to explain my knowledge to people.' 'You are the greatest. Don't be afraid,' replied the Prophet." Muhammad bin Abd-ul-Wahhaab was wild with joy when he heard the dream. He asked several times if what I had told him was true, and received a positive answer each time he asked. Finally he was sure I had told him the truth. I think, from then on, he was resolved to publicize the ideas I had imbued him with and to establish a new sect.

PART FIVE

It was on one of those days when Muhammad of Najd and I had become very intimate friends that I received a message from London ordering me to leave for the cities of Kerbelaa and Najaf, the two most popular Shiite centers of knowledge and spirituality. So I had to put an end to my company with Muhammad of Najd and leave Basra. Yet I was happy because I was sure that this ignorant and morally depraved man was going to establish a new sect, which in turn would demolish Islam from within, and that I was the composer of the heretical tenets of this new sect. 'Alee, the fourth Khaleefa of the Sunnites, and the first one according to the Shiites, was buried in Najaf. The city of Koofa, which was a distance of one fersah (league), i.e., an hour's walk from Najaf, was the capital of 'Alee's caliphate. When 'Alee was killed, his sons Hasan and Huseyn buried him outside Koofa at a place called Najaf today. In the course of time, Najaf began to grow, while Koofa gradually fell into decay. The Shiite men of religion came together in Najaf. Houses, markets, madrasas (Islamic schools and universities) were built.

The Khaleefa in Istanbul was kind and generous to them for the following reasons: 1- The Shiite administration in Iran was supporting the Shiites. The Khaleefa's interfering with them would cause tension between the states, which in turn could lead to warfare. 2- The inhabitants of Najaf included a number of armed tribes supporting the Shiites. Although they did not have much significance in terms of weaponry and organization, it would be unwise for the Khaleefa to run the risk of getting into trouble with them. 3- The Shiites in Najaf had authority over the Shiites all over the world, particularly those in Africa and India. If the Khaleefa disturbed them, all the Shiites would rise against him. Huseyn bin 'Alee, the Prophet's grandson, i.e., his daughter Faatima's son, was martyred in Kerbelaa. The people of Iraq had sent for Huseyn in Medina and invited him to Iraq to elect him their Khaleefa. Huseyn and his family were in the territory called Kerbelaa when the Iraqis gave up their former intention and, acting upon the order given by Yazeed bin Muaawiya, the Umayyad Khaleefa living in Damascus, set out with the intention of arresting him. Huseyn and his family put up a heroic last-ditch fight against the Iraqi army. The battle ended in their death, so the Iraqi army was the winning side. Since that day, the Shiites have accepted Kerbelaa as their spiritual center, so that Shiites from all over the world come here and form such a huge crowd that our religion of Christianity does not have a likeness to it. Kerbelaa, a Shiite city, contains Shiite madrasas. This city and Najaf support each other. Upon receiving the order to go to these two cities, I left Basra for Baghdad, and thence to a city named 'Hulla' situated alongside the Euphrates. The Tigris and Euphrates come from Turkey, cut through Iraq, and flow into the Persian Gulf. Iraq's agriculture and welfare are due to these two rivers. When I was back in London, I proposed to the Ministry of Colonies that a project could be drawn up to change the beds of these two rivers in order to make Iraq accept our proposals. When the water was cut off, Iraq would have to satisfy our demands. From Hulla to Najaf I travelled in the guise of an Azerbaijani tradesman. Establishing close friendships with Shiite men of religion, I began to mislead them. I joined their circles of religious instruction. I saw that they did not study science like the Sunnites, nor did they have the beautiful moral qualities possessed by the Sunnites. For example: 1- They were extremely inimical towards the Ottoman State. For they were Shiites and the Turks were Sunnites. They said that the Sunnites were disbelievers. 2- The Shiite scholars were entirely absorbed in religious teachings and had very little interest in worldly knowledge, as was the case with priests during the period of standstill in our history. 3- They were quite unaware of Islam's inner essence and sublime character, nor did they have the smallest notion of the time's scientific and technical improvements. I said to myself: What a wretched sort of people these Shiites are. They are sound asleep when the whole world is awake. One day a flood will come and take them all away. Several times I attempted to entice them to revolt against the Khaleefa. Unfortunately, no one would even listen to me. Some of them laughed at me as though I had told them to destroy the earth. For they looked on the Khaleefa as a fortress impossible to capture. According to them, they would get rid of the caliphate with the advent of the promised Mahdi. According to them, Mahdi was their twelfth imaam, who was a descendant of Islam's Prophet and who disappeared in the Hijree year 255. They believed he was still alive and would one day reappear and rescue the world from this state of utter cruelty and injustice, filling it with justice.

It is consternating! How come these Shiite people believe in these superstitions! It was like the superstitious doctrine, "Jesus Christ will come back and fill the world with justice," held by our Christians. One day I said to one of them: "Isn't it fard for you to prevent injustice like the Islamic Prophet did?" His reply was: "He managed to prevent injustice because Allah helped him." When I said, "It is written in the Qur'aan, If you help Allah's religion, He will help you in return.' "If you revolt against the torture of your shaahs, Allah will help you" He answered, "You are a tradesman. These are scientific matters. You cannot understand this." The mausoleum of Alee the Emeer-ul-mu'mineen was profusely decorated. It had a splendid yard, a gold-covered dome, and two tall minarets. Every day great numbers of Shiites visited this mausoleum. They performed namaaz in jamaa'at in it. Every visitor first stooped in front of the threshold, kissed it, and then greeted the grave. They asked for permission and then entered. The mausoleum had a vast yard, which contained numerous rooms for men of religion and visitors. There were two mausoleums similar to that of 'Alee's in Kerbelaa. One of them belonged to Huseyn and the other belonged his brother Abbaas, who had been martyred with him in Kerbelaa. In Kerbelaa the Shiites repeated the same practices as they did in Najaf. The climate of Kerbelaa was better than that of Najaf. It was surrounded with graceful orchards and lovely brooks. During my mission to Iraq I met with a scene that gave relief to my heart. Some events heralded the end of the Ottoman Empire. For one thing, the governor appointed by the administration in Istanbul was an uneducated and cruel person. He acted as he wished. The people did not like him. The Sunnites were uneasy because the governor restricted their freedom and did not value them, and the Shiites felt indignant over being governed by a Turk while among them there were sayyeds and shareefs, the Prophet's descendants, who would have been a much better choice for governorship. The Shiites were in an utterly woebegone situation. They lived in squalid and dilapidated environments. The roads were not safe. Highwaymen always awaited caravans, and attacked whenever they saw that there were no soldiers escorting them. For this reason, convoys would not set out unless the government would appoint a detachment to escort them. The Shiite tribes were mostly warlike with one another. They killed and plundered one another daily. Ignorance and illiteracy were dreadfully widespread. This state of the Shiites reminded me of the time when Europe had been under an ecclesiastical invasion. With the exclusion of the religious leaders living in Najaf and Kerbelaa and a small minority, who were their votaries, not even one out of every thousand Shiites knew how to read or write. The economy had collapsed entirely, and the people were suffering utter poverty. The administrative system was quite out of order. The Shiites committed treasons against the government. The State and the people viewed each other with suspicion. As a result, there was no mutual aid between them. The Shiite religious leaders, totally given to vituperating the Sunnites, had already relinquished knowledge; business, religious and worldly alike. I stayed in Kerbelaa and in Najaf for four months. I suffered a very serious illness in Najaf. I felt so bad that I completely gave up hope of recovery. My illness lasted three weeks. I went to a doctor. He gave me a prescription. Using the medicine, I began to recover. Throughout my illness I stayed in an underground room. Because I was ill, my

host prepared my medicine and food in return for an insignificant sum of money and expected great thawaab for serving me. For I was, so to speak, a visitor of 'Alee the Emeer-ul-mu'mineen. The doctor advised me to have only chicken broth during the first few days. Later on he permitted me to eat chicken as well. The third week I had rice soup. After becoming well again I left for Baghdad. I prepared a report of one hundred pages on my observations in Najaf, Hulla, and Baghdad and while on the way. I submitted the report to the Baghdad representative of the Ministry of Colonies. I waited for the Ministry's order on whether I should remain in Iraq or return to London. I wished to go back to London. For I had been abroad for a long time. I missed my homeland and my family. Especially, I wanted to see my son Rasputin, who had been born after my departure. For this reason, I appended to my report a petition for permission to return to London for a short time at least. I wanted to give an oral report of impressions about my three years' mission in Iraq and to get some rest in the meantime. The Iraq representative of the Ministry advised me not to call on him often lest I should arouse suspicion. He also advised to rent a room in one of the inns alongside the Tigris River, and said, "I shall inform you of the Ministry's answer when we receive the mail from London." During my stay in Baghdad I observed the spiritual distance between Istanbul, the capital of the caliphate, and Baghdad. When I left Basra for Kerbelaa and Najaf, I was very much anxious that Muhammad of Najd would swerve from the direction I had led him. For he was an extremely unstable and nervous person. I feared that the aims I had built upon him might be spoilt. As I left him he was thinking of going to Istanbul. I did my best to dissuade him from the notion. I said, "I am very anxious that when you go there you may make a statement whereby they will pronounce you a heretic and kill you." My apprehension was quite the other way round. I was anxious that upon going there he should meet profound scholars capable of setting his fallacies right and converting him to the Sunnee creed and thus all my dreams should come to naught. For there was knowledge and Islam's beautiful morality in Istanbul. When I found out that Muhammad of Najd did not want to stay in Basra, I recommended that he go to Isfahan and Sheeraaz. For these two cities were lovely. And their inhabitants were Shiites. And Shiites, in their turn, could not possibly influence Muhammad of Najd. For Shiites were inefficient in knowledge and ethics. Thus I made it certain that he would not change the course I had charted for him. As we parted I said to him, "Do you believe in Taqiyya?" "Yes, I do," he replied. "The unbelievers arrested one of the Sahaaba and tormented him and killed his parents. Upon this he made Taqiyya, that is, he said openly that he was a polytheist. (When he came back and said what had happened), the Prophet did not reproach him at all." I advised him, "When you live among the Shiites, make Taqiyya; do not tell them that you are Sunnee lest they become a nuisance for you. Utilize their country and scholars! Learn their customs and traditions. For they are ignorant and stubborn people." As I left, I gave him some money as zakaat. Zakaat is an Islamic tax collected in order to be dealt out to the needy people. In addition, I gave him a saddled animal as a present. So we parted. After my departure I lost contact with him. This made me utterly uneasy. When we parted we decided that both of us were to return to Basra and whichever party was back first and did not find the other party was to write a letter and leave it with Abd-ur-Reedaa.

PART SIX

I stayed in Baghdad for a time. Then, receiving the message ordering me to return to London, I left. In London, I talked with the secretary and some officials of the Ministry. I told them of my activities and observations during my long mission. They rejoiced greatly at the information I gave about Iraq and said that they were pleased. On the other hand, Safiyya, the girl friend of Muhammad of Najd, sent a report agreeing with mine. I found out also that throughout my mission I had been followed by men from the Ministry. These men also sent reports concurrent with the reports I had sent and with the account I had given to the secretary. The secretary made an appointment for me to meet the Minister. When I visited the Minister, he met me in a manner that he had not shown towards me upon my arrival from Istanbul. I knew that I occupied an exceptional place in his heart now. The minister was very pleased to know that I had obtained Muhammad of Najd. "He is a weapon our Ministry has been looking for. Give him all sorts of promises. It would be worth while if you spent all your time indoctrinating him," he said. When I said, "I have been anxious about Muhammad of Najd. He may have changed his mind," he replied, "Don't worry. He has not given up the ideas he had when you left him. The spies of our Ministry met him in Isfahan and reported to our Ministry that he had not changed." I said to myself, "How could Muhammad of Najd reveal his secrets to a stranger?" I did not dare to ask this question to the Minister. However, when I met Muhammad of Najd later, I found out that in Isfahan a man named Abd-ul-kereem had met him and ferreted out his secrets by saying, "I am Shaikh Muhammad's [meaning me] brother. He told me all that he knew about you." Muhammad of Najd said to me, "Safiyya went with me to Isfahan and we cohabited with mut'a nikaah for two more months. Abd-ul-kereem accompanied me to Sheeraaz and found me a woman named Asiya, who was prettier and more attractive than Safiyya. Making mut'a nikaah with that woman, I spent the most delightful moments of my life with her." I found out later that Abd-ul-kereem was a Christian agent living in the Jelfa district of Isfahan and working for the Ministry. And Asiya, a Jewess living in Sheeraaz, was another agent for the Ministry. All four of us coordinated to train Muhammad of Najd in such a way that in future he would do what was excepted from him in the best way. When I related the events in the presence of the Minister, the secretary, and two other members of the Ministry whom I did not know, the Minister said to me, "You have deserved to receive the greatest award of the Ministry. For you are the best one among the most significant agents of the ministry. The secretary will tell you some State secrets, which will help you in your mission." Then they gave me a ten-day leave during which I could see my family. So I went home right away and spent some of my sweetest moments with my son, who resembled me very much. My son spoke a few words, and walked so elegantly that I felt as if he were a piece from my own body. I spent this ten-day leave so cheerfully, so happily. I felt as if I were going to fly from joy. It was such a great pleasure to be back home, to be with my family. During this ten-day leave I visited my old paternal aunt, who loved me very much. It was wise of me to visit my paternal aunt. For she passed away after my departure for my third mission. I felt so sad about her decease. This ten-day leave elapsed as fast as an hour. Whereas cheerful days such as these go by as quickly as an hour, days of grief seem to take centuries. I remembered the days when I had suffered that illness in Najaf. Those days of affliction had seemed like years to me.

When I went to the Ministry to receive new orders, I met the secretary with this cheerful face and tall stature. He shook my hand so warmly that his affection was perceptible. He said to me, "With the command of our minister and the committee in charge of Colonies, I shall tell you two State secrets. Later you will benefit very much from these two secrets. No one except a couple of confidential people know these two secrets." Holding my hand, he took me to a room in the Ministry. I met with something very attractive in this room. Ten men were sitting around a round table. The first man was in the guise of the Ottoman Emperor. He spoke Turkish and English. The second one was dressed in the attire of the Shaikh-ul-islaam (Chief of Islamic Matters) in Istanbul. The third one was dressed in an attirement identical with that of the Shah of Iran. The fourth one was in the attire of the vizier in the Iranian palace. The fifth one was dressed like the great scholar leading the Shiites in Najaf. The last three of these people spoke Persian and English. Each of these five people had a clerk sitting beside him to write down whatever they would say. These clerks were imparting to the five men the information collected by spies about their archetypes in Istanbul, Iran, and Najaf. The secretary said, "These five people represent the five people there. In order to know what their archetypes think, we have educated and trained these people exactly like their archetypes. We intimate the information we have obtained about their originals in Istanbul, Teheran and Najaf to these men. And these men, in their turn, imagine themselves to be their originals in those places. Then we ask them and they answer us. We have determined that the answers given by these people are seventy-percent agreeable with the answers that their originals would give. "If you like, you may ask questions for assessment. You have already met the scholar of Najaf." I replied in the affirmative, for I had met the great Shiite scholar in Najaf and asked him about some matters. Now I approached his copy and said, "Dear teacher, would it be permissible for us to wage war against the government because it is Sunnee and fanatical?" He reflected for a while, and said, "No, it is not permissible for us to wage war against the government because it is Sunnee. For all Muslims are brothers. We could declare war on them (Sunnite Muslims) only if they perpetrated cruelty and persecution on the Ummat (Muslims). And even in this case we would observe the principles of Amr-i-bi-l-ma'roof and Nahy-i-ani-l-munkar. We would stop interfering with them as soon as they stopped their persecution." I said, "Dear teacher, may I have your opinion concerning the matter that Jews and Christians are foul?" "Yes, they are foul," he said. "It is necessary to keep away from them." When I asked the reason why, he replied, "It is done so in retaliation for an insult. For they look on us as disbelievers and deny our Prophet Muhammad 'alaihis-salaam'. We therefore retaliate for this." I said to him, "Dear teacher, isn't cleanliness an issue of eemaan? Despite this fact, the avenues and streets around the Sahn-i-shareef [the area surrounding hadrat 'Alee's mausoleum] are not clean. Even the madrasas, which are the places of knowledge, cannot be said to be clean." He replied, "Yes, it is true; cleanliness is from eemaan. Yet it cannot be helped because the Shiites are negligent over cleanliness." The answers given by this man in the Ministry were precisely concurrent with the answers I had received from the Shiite scholar in Najaf. Such accurate identity between this man and the scholar in Najaf amazed me utterly. In addition, this man spoke Persian. The secretary said, "If you had met the archetypes of the other four personages, you would talk to their imitations now and see how identical they are with their originals." When I said, "I know how the Shaikh-ul-islaam thinks. For Ahmad Efendi, my hodja in

Istanbul, gave a detailed description of the Shaikh-ul-islaam to me," the secretary said, "Then you can go ahead and talk with his model." I went near the Shaikh-ul-islaam's model and said to him, "Is it fard to obey the Khaleefa?" "Yes, it is waajib," he replied. "It is waajib, as it is fard to obey Allah and the Prophet." When I asked what evidence he had to prove this, he answered, "Didn't you hear about Janaab-i-Allah's aayat, 'Obey Allah, His Prophet, and the Ulul amr from among you'?" I said, "Does this mean that Allah commands us to obey the Khaleefa Yazeed, who permitted his army to plunder Medeena and who killed our Prophet's grandson Huseyn, and Waleed who drank alcoholic spirits?" His answer was this: "My son! Yazeed was the Ameer-ul-mu'mineen with Allah's permission. He did not command the killing of Huseyn. Do not believe in the Shiite lies! Read the books well! He made a mistake. Then he made tawba for this (he repented and begged for Allah's forgiveness and mercy). He was right about his ordering Medina-i-munawwara plundered. For the inhabitants of Medina had become quite unbridled and disobedient. As for Waleed; yes, he was a sinner. It is waajib not to imitate the Khaleefa, but to obey his commandments compatible with the Sharee'at." I had asked these same questions to my hodja Ahmed Efendi and received identical answers with slight differences. Then I asked the secretary, "What are the ultimate reasons for preparing these models?" He said, "With this method we are assessing the mental capacities of the (Ottoman) Sultan and the Muslim scholars, be they Shi'ee or Sunnee. We are searching for the measures that will help us cope with them. For instance, if you know what direction the enemy forces will come from, you will make preparations accordingly, post your forces at suitable positions, and thus rout the enemy. On the other hand, if you aren't sure about the direction of the enemy assault you will spread your forces here and there in a haphazard way and suffer a defeat. ... By the same token, if you know the evidences Muslims will furnish to prove that their faith, their madh-hab is right, it will be possible for you to prepare the counter-evidences to rebut their evidences and shock their belief with those counter-evidences." Then he gave me a book of one thousand pages containing the results of the observations and projects carried out by the aforenamed five representative men in areas such as military, finance, education, and religion. He said, "Please read this book and return it to us." I took the book home with me. I read through it with utmost attention during my three-week holiday. The book was of a wonderful sort. For the important answers and the delicate observations it contained sounded genuine. I think that the answers given by the representative five men were more than seventy percent agreeable with the answers that their archetypes would have given. Indeed, the secretary had said that the answers were seventy percent correct. Having read the book, I now had more confidence in my State and I knew for certain that the plans for demolishing the Ottoman Empire in time shorter than a century had already been prepared. The secretary also said, "In other similar rooms we have identical tables intended for countries we have been colonizing as well as for those we are planning to colonize." When I asked the secretary where they found such diligent and talented men, he replied, "Our agents all over the world are providing us intelligence continuously. As you see, these representatives are experts in their work. Naturally, if you were furnished with all the information possessed by a particular person, you would be able to think like him and to make the decisions he would make. For you would be his substitute now." The secretary went on, "So this was the first secret I was ordered by the Ministry to give you.

"I shall tell you the second secret a month later, when you return the book of one thousand pages." I read the book part by part from the beginning to the end, focusing all my attention on it. It increased my information about the Muhammadans. Now I knew how they thought, what their weaknesses were, what made them powerful, and how to transform their powerful qualities into vulnerable spots. Muslims' weak spots as recorded in the book were as follows: 1- The Sunnite-Shiite controversy; the sovereign-people controversy; the Turkish-Iranian controversy; the tribal controversy; and the scholars-states controversy. 2- With very few exceptions, Muslims are ignorant and illiterate. 3- Lack of spirituality, knowledge, and conscience. 4- They have completely ceased from worldly business and are absorbed in matters pertaining to the Hereafter. 5- The emperors are cruel dictators. 6- The roads are unsafe, transportation and travels are sporadic. 7- No precaution is taken against epidemics such as plague and cholera, which kill tens of thousands of people each year; hygiene is altogether ignored. 8- The cities are in ruins, and there is no system of supplying water. 9- The administration is unable to cope with rebels and insurgents, there is a general disorderliness, rules of the Qur'aan, of which they are so proud, are almost never put into practice. 10- Economical collapse, poverty, and retrogression. 11- There is not an orderly army, nor adequate weaponry; and the weapons in stock are classical and friable. [Are they unaware of the systematic army established by Orhan Ghaazee, who ascended to the (Ottoman) throne in 726 (C.E. 1326), Yildirim (The Thunderbolt) Baayezeed Khan's immaculate army, which routed the great army of crusaders in Nighbolu in 799 (C.E. 1399)?] 12- Violation of women's right. 13- Lack of environmental health and cleanliness(42). After citing what was considered as Muslims' vulnerable spots in the paragraphs paraphrased above, the book advised to cause Muslims to remain oblivious of the material and spiritual superiority of their faith, Islam. Then, it gave the following information about Islam: 1- Islam commands unity and cooperation and prohibits disunion. It is stated in the Qur'aan, "Hold fast to Allah's rope altogether." 2- Islam commands being educated and being conscious. It is stated in the Qur'aan, "Travel on the earth." 3- Islam commands to acquire knowledge. It is stated in a hadeeth, "Learning knowledge is fard for every Muslim, male and female alike." 4- Islam commands to work for the world. It is stated in the Qur'aan, "Some of them: O our Allah! Allot to us whatever is beautiful both in the world and in the Hereafter." 5- Islam commands consultation. It is stated in the Qur'aan, "Their deeds are (done) upon consultation among themselves." 6- Islam commands to build roads. It is stated in the Qur'aan, "Walk on the earth." 7- Islam commands Muslims to maintain their health. It is stated in a hadeeth, "Knowledge is (made up) of four (parts): 1) The knowledge of Fiqh for the maintenance of faith; 2) The knowledge of Medicine for the maintenance of health; 3) The knowledge of Sarf and Nahw (Arabic grammar) for the maintenance of language; 4) The knowledge of Astronomy so as to be aware of the times."

8- Islam commands development. It is stated in the Qur'aan, "Allah created everything on the earth for you." 9- Islam commands orderliness. It is stated in the Qur'aan, "Everything is based on calculations, orders." 10- Islam commands to be strong economically. It is stated in a hadeeth. "Work for your world as though you would never die. And work for your hereafter as if you were going to die tomorrow." 11- Islam commands to establish an army equipped with powerful weapons. It is stated in the Qur'aan, "Prepare as many forces as you can against them." 12- Islam commands to observe women's rights and to value them. It is stated in the Qur'aan, "As men legally have (rights) over women, so women have rights over them." 13- Islam commands cleanliness. It is stated in a hadeeth, "Cleanliness is from eemaan." The book recommended to degenerate and to impair the following power sources: Islam has negated racial, lingual, traditional, conventional, and national bigotry. 2- Interest, profiteering, fornication, alcoholic spirits, and pork are forbidden. 3- Muslims are firmly adherent to their 'Ulamaa (religious scholars). 4- Most of the Sunnee Muslims accept the Khaleefa as the Prophet's representative. They believe that it is fard to show him the same respect as must be shown to Allah and the Prophet. 5- Jihaad is fard. 6- According to the Shee'ee Muslims, all non-Muslims and Sunnee Muslims are foul people. 7- All Muslims believe that Islam is the only true religion. 8- Most Muslims believe that it is fard to expel the Jews and Christians from the Arab peninsula. 9- They perform their worships, (such as namaaz, fast, hajj...), in the most beautiful way. 10- The Shi'ee Muslims believe that it is haraam (forbidden) to build churches in Muslim countries. 11- Muslims hold fast to the principles of the Islamic belief. 12- The Shi'ee Muslims consider it fard to give one-fifth of the Humus, i.e. booties taken in Holy War, to the 'Ulamaa. 13- Muslims raise their children with such education that they are not likely to abandon the way followed by their ancestors. 14- Muslim women cover themselves so well that mischief can by no means act on them. 15- Muslims make namaaz in jamaa'at, which brings them together five times daily. 16- Because the Prophet's grave and those of Alee and other pious Muslims are sacred according to them, they assemble at these places. 17- There are a number of people descending from the Prophet, [who are called Sayyeds and Shereefs]; these people who remind of the Prophet and who keep Him always remain alive in the eyes of Muslims. 18- When Muslims assemble, preachers consolidate their eemaan and motivate them to do pious acts.19- It is fard to perform Amr-i-bi-l-ma'roof [Advising piety] and nahy-i-ani-l-munkar [admonishing against wrongdoing]. 20- It is sunnat to marry more than one women in order to contribute to the increase of Muslim population.21- Converting one person to Islam is more valuable to a Muslim than possessing the whole world. 22- The hadeeth, "If a person opens an auspicious way, he will attain the

thawaabs of people who follow that way as well as the thawaab for having attained it," is well known among Muslims. 23- Muslims hold the Qur'aan and hadeeths in very profound reverence. They believe that obeying these sources is the only way of attaining Paradise. The book recommends to vitiate Muslims' staunch spots and to popularize their weaknesses, and it prescribed the methods for accomplishing this. It advised the following steps for popularizing their vulnerable spots: Establish controversies by inducing animosity among disputing groups, inoculating mistrust, and by publishing literature to further incite controversies. 2- Obstruct schooling and publications, and burn literature whenever possible. Make sure that Muslim children remain ignorant by casting various aspersions on religious authorities and thus preventing Muslim parents from sending their children to religious schools. [This British method has been very harmful to Islam]. 3-4- Praise Paradise in their presence and convince them that they need not work for a worldly life. Enlarge the circles of Tasawwuf. Keep them in an unconscious state by encouraging them to read books advising Zuhd, such as Ihyaa-ul-'uloom-id-deen, by Ghazaalee, Mesnevee, by Mawlaanaa, and various books written by Muhyiddeen Arabee. 5- Wheedle the emperors into cruelty and dictatorship by the following demagogic falsifications: You are Allah's shadows on the earth. In fact, Aboo Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthmaan, 'Alee, Umayyads and Abbasids came to seize power by sheer force and the sword, and each of them was a sovereign. For example, Aboo Bakr assumed power with the help of 'Umar's sword and by setting fire to the houses of those who would not obey him, such as Faatima's house. And 'Umar became Khaleefa upon Aboo Bakr's commendation. 'Uthmaan, on the other hand, became the president with 'Umar's order. As for 'Alee; he became head of the State by an election held among bandits. Muaawiya assumed power by the sword. Then, in the time of the Umayyads, sovereignty was turned into an inheritance transferred through paternal chain. So was the case with the Abbasids. These are the evidences for the fact that in Islam sovereignty is a form of dictatorship. 6- Delete death penalty for homicide from the penal code. [Death punishment is the only deterrent to homicide and banditry. Anarchy and banditry cannot be prevented without death penalty]. Hinder the administration in punishing highwaymen and robbers. Make sure that traveling is unsafe by supporting and arming them. 7- We can make them lead an unhealthy life with the following scheme: Everything is dependent on Allah's foreordination. Medical treatment will have no role in restoring health. Does not Allah say in the Qur'aan, "My Rab (Allah) makes me eat and drink. He cures me when I am ill. He alone will kill me and then resurrect me." Then, no one will recover from an illness or escape death outside Allah's will. 8- Make the following statements for encouraging cruelty: Islam is a religion of worship. It has no interest in State matters. Therefore, Muhammad and his Khaleefas did not have any ministers or laws. 9- Economic decline is a natural consequence of the injurious activities advised so far. We can add to the atrophy by rotting the crops, sinking the trade ships, setting fire to the market places, destroying dams and barrages and thus leaving agricultural areas and industrial centers under water, and finally by contaminating their networks of drinking water. 10- Accustom statesmen to such indulgences as [sex, sports,] alcohol, gambling, corruption which cause sedition and intriguing, and spending the State property for their personal advantages. Encourage the civil servants to do things of this sort and reward

those who serve us in this way. Then the book added the following advice: The British spies assigned this duty must be protected secretly or openly, and no expense must be spared to rescue the ones arrested by Muslims.11- Popularize all sorts of interest. For interest not only ruins national economy, but also accustoms Muslims to disobeying the Koranic rules. Once a person has violated one article of law, it will be easy for him to violate the other articles, too. They must be told that "interest is haraam when in multiples, for it is stated in the Qur'aan, 'Do not receive interest in multiples.'Therefore, not every form of interest is haraam." [The pay-off time of a loan must not be appointed in advance. Any extra payment agreed on (at the time of lending) is interest. This type of interest is a grave sin, be the extra payment stipulated worth only a dirham. If it is stipulated that the same amount (borrowed) must be repaid after a certain time, this is interest according to the Hanafee madh-hab. In sales on credit, time of repayment must be appointed; yet if the debtor cannot pay off at the appointed time and the time is protracted and an extra payment is stipulated, this kind of interest is called Mudaa'af. The aayat-i-kareema quoted above states this type of interest in trade]. 12- Spread false charges of atrocity against scholars, cast sordid aspersions against them and thus alienate Muslims from them. We shall disguise some of our spies as them. Then we shall have them commit squalid deeds. Thus they will be confused with scholars and every scholar will be looked upon with suspicion. It is a must to infiltrate these spies into Al-Az-har, Istanbul, Najaf, and Kerbelaa. We shall open schools, colleges for estranging Muslims from scholars. In these schools we shall educate Byzantine, Greek and Armenian children and bring them up as the enemies of Muslims. As for Muslim children; we shall imbue them with the conviction that their ancestors were ignorant people. In order to make these children hostile towards Khaleefas, scholars, and statesmen, we shall tell them about their errors and convince them that they were busy with their sensuous pleasures, that Khaleefas spent their time having fun with concubines, that they misused the people's property, that they did not obey the Prophet in anything they did. 13- In order to spread the calumniation that Islam abhors womankind, we shall quote the aayat, "Men are dominant over women," and the hadeeth, "The woman is an evil altogether." 14- Dirtiness is the result of lack of water. Therefore, we must deter the increasing of the water supplies under various schemes. The book advised the following steps for destroying Muslims' strongholds: 1- Induce such chauvinistic devotions as racism and nationalism among Muslims so as to retract their attention towards their pre-Islamic heroisms. Rejuvenate the Pharaoh period in Egypt, the Magi period in Iran, the Babylonian period in Iraq, the Attila and Dzengiz era[tyrannisms] in the Ottomans. [They contained a long list on this subject]. 2- The following vices must be done secretly or publicly: Alcoholic spirits, gambling, fornication, pork, [and fights among sports clubs.] In doing this, Christians, Jews, Magians, and other non-Muslims living in Muslim countries should be utilized to a maximum, and those who work for this purpose should be awarded high salaries by the treasury department of the Ministry of the Commonwealth. 3- Sow suspicion among them concerning Jihaad; convince them that Jihaad was a temporary commandment and that it has been outdated. 4- Dispel the notion that "disbelievers are foul" from the hearts of Shiites. Quote the Koranic verse, "As the food of those given a (heavenly) Book is halaal for you, so is your food halaal for them," and tell them that the Prophet had a Jewish wife named Safiyya

and a Christian wife named Maariya and that the Prophet's wives were not foul at all. 5- Imbue Muslims with the belief that "what the Prophet meant by Islam' was 'a perfect religion' and therefore this religion could be Judaism or Christianity as well as Islam." Substantiate this with the following reasoning: The Qur'aan gives the name 'Muslim' to members of all religions. For instance, it quotes the Prophet Joseph (Yoosuf 'alaihis-salaam') as having invoked, "Kill me as a Muslim," and the Prophets Ibraaheem and Ismaa'eel as having prayed, "O our Rab (Allah)! Make us Muslims for Yourself and make a Muslim people for Yourself from among our offspring,"and the Prophet Ya'qoob as having said to his sons, "Die only and only as Muslims." 6- Repeat frequently that it is not haraam to build churches, that the Prophet and his Khaleefas did not demolish them, that on the contrary they respected them, that the Qur'aan states, "If Allah had not dispelled some people by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques wherein Allah's name is mentioned very much would have been annihilated (by now)," that Islam respects temples, that it does not demolish them, and that it prevents those who would otherwise demolish them. 7- Confuse Muslims about the hadeeths, "Deport the Jews from the Arabic Peninsula," and, "Two religions cannot coexist on the Arabic peninsula." Say that "If these two hadeeths were true, the Prophet would not have had a Jew wife and a Christian one. Nor would he have made an agreement with the Najran Christians." 8- Try to hamper Muslims in their worships and make them falter about the usefulness of worships by saying that "Allah does not need men's worships." Prevent them from their worship of Hajj as well as from any sort of worship that will bring them together. Likewise, try to obstruct construction of mosques, mausoleums and madrasas and the restoration of Ka'ba. 9- Mystify the Shiites about the rule that one-fifth of the ghaneema property taken from the enemy in combat is to be given to the 'Ulamaa and explain that this one-fifth belongs to the ghaneema property taken from (Daar-ul-harb) and that it has nothing to do with commercial earnings. Then add that "Humus (the one-fifth mentioned above) is to be given to the Prophet or to the Khaleefa, not to the 'Ulamaa. For the 'Ulamaa are given houses, palaces, animals, and orchards. Therefore, it is not permissible to give them the (Humus)." 10- Insert heresies into Muslims' creedal tenets and then criticize Islam for being a religion of terror. Assert that Muslim countries are retrogressive and that they have undergone shocks, thus impairing their adherence to Islam. [On the other hand, Muslims established the greatest and the most civilized empire of the world. They declined as their adherence to Islam deteriorated]. 11- Very important! Alienate children from their fathers, thus depriving them of their elders' education. We shall educate them. Consequently, the moment children have parted from their fathers' education, there will no longer be any possibility for them to maintain contact with their belief, faith, or religious scholars. 12- Provoke the womenfolk to get rid of their traditional covers. Fabricate such falsifications as "Covering is not a genuine Islamic commandment. It is a tradition established in the time of the Abbasids. Formerly, other people would see the Prophet's wives and women would join all sorts of social activities." After stripping the woman of her traditional cover, tempt the youth towards her and cause indecencies between them! This is a very effective method for annihilating Islam. First use non-Muslim women for this purpose. In the course of time the Muslim woman will automatically degenerate and will begin to follow their example.

13- Exploit every opportunity to put an end to performing namaaz in jamaa'at by casting aspersions on the imaams in mosques, by revealing their mistakes, and by sowing discord and adversity between them and the jamaa'ats (groups of Muslims) who perform their daily prayers of namaaz behind them. 14- Say that all mausoleums must be demolished to the ground, that they did not exist in the Prophet's time. In addition, deter Muslims from visiting the graves of Prophets, Khaleefas and pious Muslims by arising doubts about visiting graves. For instance say, "The Prophet was buried by his mother and Aboo Bekr and 'Umar were buried in the cemetery called Baakee'.'Uthmaan's grave is unknown. Huseyn's head was buried at (a place called) Hannana. It is not known where his body was buried. The graves in Kaazimiyya belong to two caliphs. They do not belong to Kaazim and Jawaad, two descendants of the Prophet. As to the one in Tus (city); that grave belongs to Haarun, not to Ridaa, a member of the Ahl-i-Bayt (the Prophet's Family). The graves in Samerra belong to the Abbasids. They do not belong to Haadee, Askeree, and Mahdee, members of the Ahl-i-Bayt. As it is fard to demolish all the mausoleums and domes in Muslim countries, so is it a must to bulldoze the cemetery called Baakee'." 15- Make people feel skeptical about the fact that Sayyeds are the Prophet's descendants. Mix Sayyeds with other people by making non-Sayyeds wear black and green turbans. Thus people will be perplexed in this matter and will consequently begin to distrust Sayyeds. Strip religious authorities and Sayyeds of their turbans so that the Prophetic pedigree will be lost and religious authorities will not be respected any more. 16- Say that it is fard to demolish the places where Shiites mourn, that this practice is a heresy and aberration. People should be prevented from visiting those places, the number of preachers should be decreased and taxes should be levied on preachers and owners of the places for mourning. 17- Under the pretext of love of freedom, convince all Muslims that "Everyone is free to do whatever he likes. It is not fard to perform Amr-i-bi-l-ma'roof and Nahy-i-anil-munkar or to teach the Islamic principles." [On the contrary, it is fard to learn and teach Islam. It is a Muslim's first duty]. In addition, imbue them with this conviction: "Christians are to remain in their own faith (Christianity) and Jews are to abide by theirs (Judaism). No one will enter another person's heart. Amr-i-ma'roof and Nahy-i-anil-munkar are the Khaleefa's duties." 18- In order to impede Muslims from increasing in number, births must be limited and polygamy must be prohibited. Marriage must be subjected to restrictions. For instance, it must be said that an Arab cannot marry an Iranian, an Iranian cannot marry an Arab, a Turk cannot marry an Arab. 19- Make sure to stop Islamic propagations and conversions to Islam. Broadcast the conception that Islam is a religion peculiar to the Arabs only. As an evidence for this, put forward the Qur'aanic verse which reads, "This is a Dhikr for thee and thine people." 20- Pious institutions must be restricted and confined to the State monopoly, to the extent that individuals must be unable to establish madrasas or other similar pious institutions. 21- Arouse doubts as to the authenticity of the Qur'aan in Muslims' minds; publish Koranic translations containing excisions, additions, and interpolations, and then say, "The Qur'aan has been defiled. Its copies are incongruous. A verse one of them contains does not exist in another." Excise the verses insulting Jews, Christians and all other non-Muslims and those commanding Jihaad, Amr-i-bi-l-ma'roof and Nahy-i-anil munkar.Translate the Qur'aan into other languages such as Turkish, Persian, Indian, thus to prevent Arabic from being learned and read outside Arabic countries, and again,

prevent the (Ad-haan), (Namaaz), and (Duaa) from being done in Arabic outside Arabic countries. Likewise, Muslims will be made to feel doubts about hadeeths. The translations, criticisms and interpolations planned for the Qur'aan should be applied to hadeeths as well. When I read through the book, which was entitled How Can We Demolish Islam, I found it really excellent. It was a peerless guide for the studies I was going to carry on. When I returned the book to the secretary and told him that it afforded me great pleasure to read it, he said, "You can be sure that you are not alone in this field. We have lots of men doing the same job as you have been carrying on. Our Ministry has assigned over five thousand men to this mission. The Ministry is considering increasing this number to one hundred thousand. When we reach this number we shall have brought all Muslims under our sway and obtained all Muslim countries." Sometime later the secretary said: "Good news to you! Our Ministry needs one century at the most to realize this program. We may not live to see those happy days, but our children will. What a beautiful saying this is: I have eaten what others sowed. So I am sowing for others.' When the British manage this they will have pleased the whole Christian world and will have rescued them from a twelve-century-old nuisance." The secretary went on as follows: "The crusading expeditions which continued for centuries were of no use. Nor can the Mongols [armies of Dzengiz] be said to have done anything to extirpate Islam. For their work was sudden, unsystematic, and ungrounded. They carried on military expeditions so as to reveal their enmity. Consequently, they became tired in a short time. But now our valuable administrators are trying to demolish Islam by means of a very subtle plan and a long-range patience. We must use military force, too. Yet this should be the final phase, that is, after we have completely consumed Islam, after we have hammered it from all directions and rendered it into a miserable state from which it will never recover again and fight against us." The secretary's final words were these: "Our superiors in Istanbul must have been very wise and intelligent. They executed our plan precisely. What did they do? They mixed with the Muhammadans and opened madrasas for their children. They built churches. They were perfectly successful in popularizing alcoholic spirits, gambling, indecencies, and breaking them into groups by means of instigation [and football clubs.] They aroused doubts in the minds of young Muslims. They inserted controversies and oppositions into their governments. They spread mischief everywhere. They depraved administrators, directors, and statesmen by filling their houses with Christian women. With activities of this sort they broke their forces, shocked their adherence to their faith, corrupted them morally, and disrupted their unity and communication. Now the time has come to commence a sudden war and extirpate Islam."

PART SEVEN

Having enjoyed the first secret, I was looking forward to knowing the second secret. Eventually one day the secretary explained the second secret he had promised. The second secret was a fifty page scheme prepared for the high ranking officials working in the Ministry for annihilating Islam altogether within a century's time. The scheme was comprised of fourteen articles. The scheme was closely guarded for fear that it might be obtained by Muslims. The following are the articles of the scheme:

We have to form a well-established alliance and an agreement of mutual help with the Russian Tsar in order to invade Bukhaara, Taajikistaan, Armenia, Khorasan and its neighborhood. Again, a sound agreement must be established with Russians in order to invade their neighbor, Turkey. 2- We must establish cooperation with France in demolishing the Islamic world both from within and from without. 3- We must sow very ardent rows and controversies between the Turkish and Iranian governments and emphasize nationalistic and racist feelings in both parties. In addition, all the Muslim tribes, nations and countries neighboring one another must be set against one another. All the religious sects, including the extinct ones, must be recovered and set against one another.4- Parts from Muslim countries must be handed over to non-Muslim communities. For example, Medina must be given to the Jews, Alexandria to the Christians, Imaara to the Saaiba, Kermanshah to the Nusayriya group, who have divinized 'Alee, Mousul to the Yazeedees, the Iranian gulf to Hindus, Tripoli to the Druzis, Kars to the Alawees, and Masqat to the Khaarijee group. The next step should be to arm these groups so that each of them will be a thorn on the body of Islam. Their areas must be widened till Islam has collapsed and perished. 5- A schedule must be concocted to divide the Muslim and Ottoman States into, as small as possible, local states that are always at loggerheads with one another. An example of this is today's India. For the following theory is common: "Break, and you will dominate," and "Break, and you will destroy." 6- It is necessary to adulterate Islam's essence by adding interpolated religions and sects into it, and this we must devise in such a subtle manner that the religions we are to invent should be compatible with the sensuous tastes and aspirations of the people among whom we are going to spread them. We shall invent four different religions in the Shiite countries: A religion that divinizes hadrat Huseyn; 2- A religion that divinizes Ja'fer Saadiq; 3- A religion divinizing Mahdi; 4- A religion divinizing Alee Ridaa. The first one is suitable for Kerbelaa, the second one for Isfahaan, the third one for Samarra, and the fourth one for Khoraasaan. In the meantime, we must degenerate the existing four Sunnite madh-habs into four self-standing religions. After doing this, we shall establish an altogether new Islamic sect in Najd, and then instigate bloody rows among all these groups. We shall annihilate the books belonging to the four madh-habs, so that each of these groups will consider themselves to be the only Muslim group and will look on the other groups as heretics that are to be killed. Seeds of mischief and malice, such as fornication, pederasty, alcoholic spirits and gambling, will be scattered among Muslims. Non-Muslims living in the countries concerned will be used for this purpose. A tremendous army of people of this sort is on requisition for the realization of this goal. 8- We should spare no effort to train and educate vicious leaders and cruel commanders in Muslim countries, to bring them into power and thus to pass laws prohibiting obedience to the Sharee'at (religious injunctions). We should put them to use, to the extent that they should be subservient enough to do whatever the Ministry (of the Commonwealth) asks them to do, and vice versa. Through them we should be able to impose our wishes on Muslims and Muslim countries by using laws as an enforcement. We should establish a social way of life, an atmosphere wherein

obeying the Shari'at will be looked on as a guilt and worshipping as an act of regression. We should trick Muslims into electing their leaders from among non-Muslims. For doing this, we should disguise some of our agents as Islamic authorities and bring them into high positions so that they may execute our wishes. 9- Do your best to prevent the learning of Arabic. Popularize languages other than Arabic, such as Persian, Kurdish, and Pushtu (Pashto). Resuscitate foreign languages in the Arabic countries and popularize the local dialects in order to annihilate literary, eloquent Arabic, which is the language of the Qur'aan and the Sunna. 10- Placing our men around statesmen, we should gradually make them secretaries of these statesmen and through them we should carry out the desires of the Ministry. The easiest way of doing this is the slave trade: First of all we must adequately train the spies we are to send forth in the guise of slaves and concubines. Then we must sell them to the close relatives of Muslim statesmen, for instance, to their children or wives, or to other people liked or respected by them. These slaves, after we have sold them, will gradually approach the statesmen. Becoming their mothers and governesses, they will encircle Muslim statesmen like a bracelet girding a wrist. 11- Missionary areas must be widened so as to penetrate into all social classes and vocations, especially into such professions as medicine, engineering, and book-keeping. We must open centers of propaganda and publication under such names as churches, schools, hospitals, libraries and charity institutions in the Islamic countries and spread them far and near. We must distribute millions of Christian book free of charge. We must publish the Christian history and intergovernmental law alongside the Islamic history. We must disguise our spies as monks and nuns and place them in churches and monasteries. We must use them as leaders of Christian movements. These people will at the same time detect all the movements and trends in the Islamic world and report to us instantaneously. We must institute an army of Christians who will, under such names as 'professor', 'scientist', and 'researcher', distort and defile the Islamic history, learn all the facts about Muslims' ways, behavior, and religious principles, and then destroy all their books and eradicate the Islamic teachings. 12- We must confuse the minds of the Islamic youth, boys and girls alike, and arouse doubts and hesitations in their minds as to Islam. We must completely strip them of their moral values by means of schools, books, magazines [sports clubs, publications, motion pictures, television], and our own agents trained for this job. It is a prerequisite to open clandestine societies to educate and train Jewish, Christian and other non-Muslim youngsters and use them as decoys to trap the Muslim youngsters. 13- Civil wars and insurrections must be provoked; Muslims must always be struggling with one another as well as against non-Muslims so that their energies will be wasted and improvement and unity will be impossible for them. Their mental dynamisms and financial sources must be annihilated. Young and active ones must be done away with. Their orders must be rendered into terror and anarchy. 14- Their economy must be razed in all areas, their sources of income and agricultural areas must be spoilt, their irrigation channels and lines must be devastated and rivers dried up, the people must be made to hate the performance of namaaz and working, and sloth must be made as widespread as possible. Playgrounds must be opened for lazy people. Narcotics and alcoholic spirits must be made common. [The articles we have cited above were explained very clearly with such aids as maps, pictures and charts]. I thanked the secretary for giving me a copy of this magnificent document.

After a month's stay in London, I received a message from the Ministry ordering me to go to Iraq to see Muhammad of Najd again. As I was leaving for my mission, the secretary said to me, "Never be negligent about Muhammad of Najd! As it is understood from the reports sent by our spies up until now, Muhammad of Najd is a typical fool very convenient for the realization of our purposes. "Talk frankly with Muhammad of Najd. Our agents talked with him frankly in Isfahaan, and he accepted our wishes on terms. The terms he stipulated are: He would be supported with adequate property and weaponry to protect himself against states and scholars who would certainly attack him upon his announcing his ideas and views. A principality would be established in his country, be it a small one. The Ministry accepted these terms." I felt as if I were going to fly from joy when I heard this news. I asked the secretary what I was supposed to do about this. His reply was, "The Ministry has devised a subtle scheme for Muhammad of Najd to carry out, as follows: "1- He is to declare all Muslims as disbelievers and announce that it is halaal to kill them, to seize their property, to violate their chastity, to make their men slaves and their women concubines and to sell them at slave markets. "2- He is to state that Ka'ba is an idol and therefore it must be demolished. In order to do away with the worship of hajj, he is to provoke tribes to raid groups of hadjis (Muslim pilgrims), to plunder their belongings and to kill them. "3- He is to strive to dissuade Muslims from obeying the Khaleefa. He is to provoke them to revolt against him. He is to prepare armies for this purpose. He is to exploit every opportunity to spread the conviction that it is necessary to fight against the notables of Hedjaz and bring disgrace on them. "4- He is to allege that the mausoleums, domes and sacred places in Muslim countries are idols and polytheistic milieus and must therefore be demolished. He is to do his best to produce occasions for insulting Prophet Muhammad, his Khaleefas, and all prominent scholars of madh-habs. "5- He is to do his utmost to encourage insurrections, oppressions and anarchy in Muslim countries. "6- He is to try to publish a copy of the Qur'aan interpolated with additions and excisions, as is the case with hadeeths." After explaining this six-paragraph scheme, the secretary added, "Do not panic at this huge programma. For our duty is to sow the seeds for annihilating Islam. There will come generations to complete this job. The British government has formed it a habit to be patient and to advance step by step. Wasn't Prophet Muhammad, the performer of the great and bewildering Islamic revolution, a human being after all? And this Muhammad of Najd of ours has promised to accomplish this revolution of ours like his Prophet." A couple of days later, I took permission from the Minister and the Secretary, bid farewell to my family and friends, and set out for Basra. As I left home my little son said, "Come back soon daddy!" My eyes became wet. I could not conceal my sorrow from my wife. After a tiresome journey I arrived in Basra at night. I went to Abd-ur-Ridaa's home. He was asleep. He was very pleased when he woke up and saw me. He offered me warm hospitality. I spent the night there. The next morning he said to me, "Muhammad of Najd called on me, left this letter for you, and left." I opened the letter. He wrote the was leaving for his country, Najd, and gave his address there. I at once set out to go there, too. After an extremely onerous journey I arrived there. I found Muhammad of Najd in his

home. He had lost a lot of weight. I did not say anything this concerning this to him. Afterwards, I learned that he had gotten married. We decided between us that he was to tell other people that I was his slave and was back from some place he had sent me. He introduced me as such. I stayed with Muhammad of Najd for two years. We made a programma to announce his call. Eventually I fomented his resolution in 1143 Hijri [A.D. 1730]. Hence by collecting supporters around himself, he insinuated his call by making covert statements to those who were very close to him. Then, day by day, he expanded his call. I put guards around him in order to protect him against his enemies. I gave them as much property and money as they wanted. Whenever the enemies of Muhammad of Najd wanted to attack him, I inspirited and heartened them. As his call spread wider, the number of his adversaries increased. From time to time he attempted to give up his call, especially when he was overwhelmed by the multitude of the attacks made on him. Yet I never left him alone and always encouraged him. I would say to him, "O Muhammad, the Prophet suffered more persecution than you have so far. You know, this is a way of honor. Like any other revolutionist, you would have to endure some difficulty!" Enemy attack was likely any moment. I therefore hired spies on his adversaries. Whenever his enemies meant harm to him, the spies would report to me and so I would neutralize their harm. Once I was informed that the enemies were to kill him. I immediately took the precautions to thwart their preparations. When the people (around Muhammad of Najd) heard about this plot of their enemies, they began to hate them all the more. They fell into the trap they had laid. Muhammad of Najd promised me that he would implement all the six articles of the scheme and added, "For the time being I can execute them only partly." He was right in this word of his. At that time it was impossible for him to carry out all of them. He found it impossible to have Ka'ba demolished. And he gave up the idea of announcing that it (Ka'ba) is an idol. In addition, he refused to publish an interpolated copy of the Qur'aan. Most of his fears in this respect were from the Shereefs in Mekka and the Istanbul government. He told me that "If we made these two announcements we would be attacked by a powerful army." I accepted his excuse, for he was right. The conditions were not favorable at all. A couple of years later the Ministry of Commonwealth managed to cajole Muhammad bin Su'ood, the Ameer of Der'iyya, into joining our lines. They sent me a messenger to inform me about this and to establish a mutual affection and cooperation between the two Muhammads. For earning Muslims' hearts and trusts, we exploited our Muhammad of Najd religiously, and Muhammad bin Su'ood politically. It is an historical fact that states based on religion have lived longer and have been more powerful and more imposing. Thus we continuously became more and more powerful. We made Der'iyya city our capital. And we named our new religion the WAHHABI religion. The Ministry supported and reinforced the Wahhabi government in an underhanded way. The new government bought eleven British officers, very well learned in the Arabic language and desert warfare, under the name of slaves. We prepared our plans in cooperation with these officers. Both Muhammad’s followed the way we showed them. When we did not receive any orders from the Ministry we made our own decisions. We all married girls from tribes. We enjoyed the pleasure of a Muslim wife's devotion to her husband. Thus we had stronger relations with tribes. Everything goes well now. Our centralization is becoming more and more vigorous each day. Unless an unexpected

catastrophe takes place, we shall eat the fruit we have prepared. For we have done whatever is necessary and sown the seeds.

RaqsSpiritual Dancing (Raqs) and Singing (Sama/Qawwali) Allah Y says in the Holy Qur’aan, the 3rd Sura, al-i-Imraan, verse 191:

Men who celebrate the praises of Allah Y, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, Hajai’ta Muhammadan fa-ajabtu 'anhu Wa 'indAllah-i fee zaaka'l jazaau You mocked Muhammad e, but I replied on his behalf, And there is reward with Allah Y for this Hajai’ta Muhammad-an barran taqiyyan RasulAllah-i sheematuhu'l wafaau You satirized Muhammad e, virtuous, righteous, The Apostle of Allah e , whose nature is truthfulness, Fa-inna abee wa waalidahu wa 'irdee Li 'irdi Muhammad-in minkum wiqaau So verily, my father and his father and my honour Are a protection to the honour of Muhammad e   Some non-Muslim poets used to mock the Holy Prophet Muhammad e through their poetry and Hazrath Hassan bin Thabit t is answering38[1] them through poetry in defense of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. This is narrated by The Mother of the Believers, Hazrath Aisha Siddiqa y. This Hadith is in both Bukhari and Muslim reported by Hazrath Urwa39[2], the nephew of Hazrath Aisha Siddiqa y. Hazrath Aisha y said, ‘Forgive Hassan for his transgression for he recites the praises of my beloved.’ This is also

38[1] The whole of Chapter 1026 in Sahih al-Muslim is about "The Merits of Hassaan bin Thabit t And in the above cited (part of a longer) Hadith from that chapter (Vol. 4, Book 29, p. 1328), we get a glimpse of how Hazrath Hassaan bin Thabit y actually replied. In hadith no 6081 Hazrath Aisha y said: I heard Allah's Messenger e as saying to Hassaan: "Verily Ruh ul Quds would continue to help you as long as you put up a defense on behalf of Allah Y and His Messenger e". And she said: I heard Allah's Messenger e as saying: "Hassaan satirized against them and gave satisfaction to the Muslims and disquieted the non-Muslims".

 

39[2] Narrated ‘Aisha: Once Hassaan bin Thabit t asked the permission of the Holy Prophet e to satirize (i.e. compose satirical poetry defaming) the infidels. The Holy Prophet e said, “What about the fact that I have common descent with them?” Hassan replied, “I shall take you out of them as a hair is taken out of dough.” Narrated ‘Urwa: I started abusing Hassan in front of ‘Aisha, whereupon she said. “Don’t abuse him, for he used to defend the Prophet (with his poetry).” (Book #56, Hadith #731) Bukhari

reported in both Bukhari and Muslim. She was referring to Hazrath Hassan t being part of the group that scandalized Hazrath Aisha y yet she forgave him and implored the Holy Prophet Muhammad e to forgive him on account of his poetry praising the Holy Prophet Muhammad e (naat). She loved his poetry so much, that she reports every hadith with reference to Hazrath Hassan t’s poetry. It is reported in Mishkat a'l Masabih (Book 2, Chapter 12, p. 187), the Holy Prophet Muhammad e used to ask Hazrath Hassaan bin Thabit t to answer his enemies on his behalf. Indeed, he had a pulpit erected within the mosque for him to stand upon and recite poetry belittling the unbelievers and praising the beloved Holy Prophet e Sayyidi wa Murshidi al-Habib Ahmad Mash'hur bin Taha al-Haddad talks about this in his classical masterpiece Miftah u'l Jannah (Key To The Garden) and sums it up as follows: "This was done through poetry, and in the mosque, so see what rank a poet may reach who rises to defend religion and make known the good qualities of the Master of the Messengers - his degree is not less than that of a preacher who summons and guides, for they both stand on the pulpit of summoning to Allah Y , defending religion and subduing its enemies". (p. 120) Hazrath Aisha y says, as reported in Bukhari Shareef and in Tirmidhi, Musnad Imam Ahmad, Haakim and numerous collections of ahadith that the Holy Prophet Muhammad e used to set up the minmbar in the Masjid and ask Hazrath Hassaan t to sit thereon and recite naat.   In Bukhari, Musnad Imam Ahmad , Tabarani, Baihaqi it is reported that Hazrath Al-Aswad ibn Suray t said, "I came to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e and said, ‘Messenger of Allah e, I have praised Allah Y and you in poems of praise and eulogies.’ He said, ‘As far as your Lord is concerned, He must be praised40[3], and so I began to recite them.’ In another version it states that the Holy Prophet Muhammad e summoned him to bring all his compositions and to recite them. So the Holy Prophet Muhammad e has established this Sunnah of listening to poetry in praise of Allah Y and in his honour for every lover.   Hazrath Anas t reports as it appears in Tirmidhi, Nasai and Sunan-e-Kubra; also mentioned by Imam Asqalani, Qurtubi etc that upon the Conquest of Makkah when the Holy Prophet Muhammad e was entered the Holy Sanctuary (Haram) in a procession, at its head was the Holy Prophet e , seated on his camel Qaswa; Hazrath Abdullah bin Rawaha t, on foot in front, held the bridle; around on every side were the chief Companions; and behind, in a long extended line, came the rest of the pilgrims on camels

 

40[3] This in no-way signifies the Holy Prophet Muhammad e forbade his praise, but these are words of humility from the personification of humility.

and on foot. Hazrath Abdullah bin Rawaha t41[4] led the procession reciting naat and also the following couplet on entry: "Get out of his way, you disbelievers, make way, we will fight you about its revelation with strokes that will remove heads from shoulders and make friend unmindful of friend." From this we learn that to recite naat in a procession (juloos) is also a Sunnah. Hazrath Umar t objected to his prolific use of poetry and said to him, "Why do you recite so many poems in the House of Allah Y in the presence of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e?" Before Hazrath Abdullah bin Rawaha t, could respond, the Holy Prophet Muhammad e stated on his behalf, "Oh Umar! His poems are more effective (against the disbelievers) than your arrows!" This was the jurist, Hazrath Umar t speaking but the very same lover, Hazrath Umar t would during his caliphate, in a state of ecstasy, ask an old women of Madinah to repeat poetry on the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. The might and power of good oration is clearly illustrated by the statement of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e for we notice that poetry in praise of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e increases love in hearts of lovers whilst some dead hearts feel pain.   These are narrations that belong to the Chapter of Love in this Deen. If this deen is devoid of this Chapter of Love, then it has no relevance in our lives. Imams Haakim, Baihaqi and Tabarani report about Hazrath Ka'b ibn Zuhair t who previously used to compose satirical verses of poetry against the Muslims but later repented on the Hands of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e and accepted Islam. The incident is as follows, ‘After the conquest of Makkah, he arrived in Madinah and stayed at a man’s house from Juhainah as a guest. After the dawn prayer; when he was about to leave, the man suggested that he go to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. He went to Masjid an-Nabawi in disguise and face veiled, sat by the Holy Prophet Muhammad e, and put his hand in the blessed hand. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e who had never seen Ka‘b before, did not recognize him. Ka‘b t said: "O, Messenger of Allah e! If Ka‘b bin Zuhair comes to you as a repentant Muslim; will he be secure and forgiven if I fetch him?" The Messenger of Allah e said, "Yes." "I am Ka‘b bin Zuhair," said he. Upon hearing that one of the Helpers rose to his feet and asked the Messenger’s allowance to cut his throat. "Leave him alone!" said the Holy Prophet e, “He has become a repentant Muslim after his disposal of the past. "He repented on the blessed hands of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e and pledged allegiance. He then said, ‘O Messenger of Allah e! I have written a naat, may I recite it? The Holy Prophet Muhammad e gave permission. Ka‘b then recited his well-known poem, a 58 line ode in Basit (expansive) meter which he had especially composed for the occasion. It is know as Baanat Su'aad or ‘Su’aad has left’42[5]. It is his longest qasida, all of which

41[4] "And whoso obey Allah Y and the Messenger (Muhammad e) then they will be in the company of those on whom Allah Y has bestowed His Grace,...." (4:69) Soon after the revelation of this ayah, Rasulullah e commented, "I can vouch for a Sahabi who is amongst those blessed by Allah Y ." The Sahabah t anxiously waited to hear the name of this auspicious individual. After a slight pause, Rasulullah e uttered from his blessed lips the name, "Abdullah bin Rawaha t

 

42[5] The entire poem is recorded by Ibn Hisham in his Sira. Ibn Hisham, Sirat Rasulullah, p.503-513 of the translation by A.Guillaume, 9th Printing ( Karachi . Oxford Univ. press, 1990)

rhyme in the letter "laam", hence it is a "laamiyyah". Four of these verses have become so popular that they are quoted by many scholars in their books. He sought pardon with the following verse: Verse 39 Nubbitu anna Rasulallahi aw’adani I was told that the Messenger of Allah e had threatened retaliation against me Wa al-afwu ‘inda rasulillai mamulu But with the Messenger of Allah e  have hope of finding pardon

The Holy Prophet Muhammad e honored him when he recited the following verse: Verse 51 innar-rasoola lanurun yustada‘u bihi Indeed the messenger is a light from whom light is sought Muhannadun min suyufillahi maslulu43[6] The unsheathed sword of Allah Y , of the fine Indian make On hearing this verse the Holy Prophet Muhammad e was ushered into a state of ecstasy (wajd). In this state, the Holy Prophet e removed his shawl and presented it to Hazrath Ka’b t. The great Imams state, amongst them Imam Asqalani t, Imam Qastalani t, Imam Ibn Kathir t that, this mantle or shawl was passed down in the family of Hazrath Ka'b ibn Zuhair t and it was eventually acquired by Hazrath Amir Muawiyyah t and passed down to the various caliphs. Imam Shihabuddin as-Suhrawardi (passed away 632 A.H/1235 C.E) in his spiritual classic 'Awaarif u'l Ma'aarif (The Illuminative Knowledge of the Spiritual Masters, p. 158) informs that it became the most valuable piece of clothing ever since. It had been used by the caliphs as a means of ‘blessing’ during battles, being carried in a casket. It is stated that the Muslims won every battle to which it was taken. To this day it is preserved in a museum in Istanbul in a gold casket.   Books of Sirah have recorded up to 188+ poets of naat 44[7]both male and female from amongst the Sahabah. The uncle of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e, Hazrath Abbas t composed and recited naat in praise of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. Has history recorded many uncles who sing the praises of their nephew? Hazrath Abu Taalib, the uncle who cared for the Holy Prophet Muhammad e after the father of the Holy Prophet e had passed away, also recited naat of the Holy Prophet e. His poetry has been preserved and recorded in the hadith collection of Bukhari. Usually a person who has not accepted the faith, his utterance regarding the Holy Prophet Muhammad e is not narrated in hadith collections. Abu Taalib recited: O Messenger of Allah e! the cloud looks at your beautiful face Then only does it rain Imam Bukhari recorded this in his hadith collection. Probably he said, ‘For this I make an exception.’   In Tabarani and Haakim it is recorded that Hazrath Abbas bin Abd al-Mutallib t requested permission to recite poetry of naat. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e granted permission and the Holy Prophet e made the following dua after hearing it:

43[6] Initially Hazrath K’ab t, had recited نار (naar), but the Holy Prophet Muhammad e changed it to نور (nur) and in recitation the Holy Prophet e amended ف اللهسيو to سيوف الهند : refer Al-Malfuz al Sharif A’la Hazrath English Trans: Barkatur Raza Publications, Durban, South Africa pages 234, 235

44[7] The hadith master (hafiz) and historian Ibn Sayyid al-Nas (d. 732) compiled a 400-page anthology of over 180 male and female Companion-poets who recited na`at in praise of the Prophet. In his book, entitled Minah al-madh (The Gifts of Praise), he lists each Companion alphabetically, identifying them by name and tribe and quoting a few representative lines of na`at from each.

‘O My uncle! Allah Y preserve your face and teeth due to your recitation’   It is also reported that Hazrath Qays ibn Abd Allah ibn Amr t a.k.a al-Nabigha al-Ja’di t recited a naat of about 180 verses. The Holy Prophet e was pleased and made a similar dua: ‘Allah Y preserve your face and teeth due to your recitation’ or “May Allah Y not deform your mouth?” The Imams of Hadith report that Hazrath Qays ibn Abd Allah ibn Amr t reached the ripe old age of 120 years, some say 112, and if any teeth of his fell off miraculously a new teeth grew the same day 45[8]. It is stated that each new tooth was more shiny and white than the previous one.   Love leads to obedience (ita’at), imitation (itteba), and desire to see the object of love (shawke liqa), reverence (tazeem) and respect (adab). Respect of the Holy Qur’aan is to recite it. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e has stated, ‘One who loves me must love the Holy Qur’aan and the one that loves the Holy Qur’aan must cry and recite it.’ He e expounded that if one cannot cry, one should force oneself to cry because we need to respond to the Qur’aan in this way. Cry in such a way that the listener feels one is crying out of the fear of Allah Y. The Sahaba would also be deeply moved with emotions when they recited the Qur’aan. Hazrath Abu Bakr t, for example, who was a soft-hearted man, used to cry while reciting the Holy Qur’aan when leading Muslims in prayer. Once, Hazrath Umar t became ill and confined to bed as a result of his reciting the verses,7 and 8 of the 52nd Sura, at-Tur:

“Verily, the Torment of your Lord will surely come to pass. There is none that can avert it.” On another occasion, Hazrath Umar t wept when he was reciting the 86th verse of the 12th Sura,

Say:“I (Prophet Jacob) only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allah Y .” Lovers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e should love the Holy Qur’aan and Hadith. These are signs of love of the Holy Prophet e. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e said and Hazrath Ali t reports: Man ahabbani wa ahabba haazain He who loves me and loves these two [Hazrath Imam Hassan t and Imam Hussain t] Wa aba huma wa umma huma And loves their father Ali t and their mother Fatimah Zahra y Kana maifi darajati yaumul kiyaama

45[8] Ibn Hajar, al-Isaba, No. 8639; Bayhaqi, 6:232; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya, 6:168.

On the Day of Judgment they will be with me on my level This Hadith is in Tirmidhi. The love of those that the Holy Prophet e loved is a sign of loving him.   Hazrath Ali t narrates that the Holy Prophet Muhammad e said46[9]:

“I, Ali, Fatimah, Hassan and Hussain and all those that love us will be together at one place on the Day of Judgment. We will eat and drink together until people will be separated” The Holy Prophet Muhammad also e prayed to Allah Y to love those that he loves and to love those that love them. This is the status of love within the Islamic framework. Sahaba who were mortally wounded in battle, stood up on hearing the voice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. If this is not love, then what is? When the Holy Prophet Muhammad e requested a contribution for the Tabuk47[10] Expedition, the Muslims gave whatever they could give, but Hazrath Abu Bakr Siddique t exceeded all the records by giving all that he had to the Holy Prophet e without leaving anything for his own family. He even included the clothing he was wearing. He appeared in front of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e wearing a sack held together by thorns. When the Prophet asked him what he had left for his family, he replied, “Allah Y and His Messenger e are enough for them.” What can motivate a man to give in the path of Allah Y to this extreme except love? Tirmidhi and Abu Daud records a hadith in the Sihah Collection (sihah sittah), also narrated by ibn Asakir that when Allah Y saw this expression of love of Hazrath Abu Bakr Siddique t, He ordered Jibraeel u, to wear a sack held together by thorns and to go to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e and say, ‘Allah Y has sent salutations (salaam) to Abu Bakr via your Holy Personality and asks if he has at least left food at his home and if he is pleased with Allah Y (hal anta ila Rabbika radhi).’ When Hazrath Abu Bakr Siddique t heard this he went into a state of ecstasy, began whirling and began crying out repeatedly, ‘I am pleased with my Lord!’   The Holy Prophet Muhammad e said as recorded in Bukhari and Muslim: "Do not abuse my Companions, for if any of you were to spend gold equal to (mountain of) Uhud in charity, it would not equal a handful of one of them or even half of that" And he e said as recorded in Sahih, At-Tabaranee "Whoever abuses my Companions, upon them is the curse of Allah Y, the angels and all the people"

46[9] Haythami said in Majmua az-Zawahid (9:174) that he did not know its narrators. Tabarani also narrated it in al-Mujam-al-Kabir (3:41#2623)

47[10] Tabuk (also spelled Tabouk) (Arabic: تبوك) is a province of Saudi Arabia , located along the north-west coast of the country, facing Egypt across the Red Sea . The Holy Prophet Muhammad e decided to lead a Muslim army into Roman territory before the Roman armies crossed the Arab borders and threatened the heart of Islam. The Tabuk expedition took place in Rajab, 9 A.H.

Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban quote Hazrath Abdullah ibn Mughaffal t that the Holy Prophet Muhammad e warned: By Allah Y , By Allah Y ! Refrain from using bad language about my Companions! By Allah Y , By Allah Y ! Refrain from using bad language about my Companions! Do not make them the target of your attacks after me! Whoever loves them, loves them on account of his love of me; whoever hates them, hates them on account of his hatred of me. He who insulted them, has insulted me, and he who insulted me, has insulted Allah Y, he who insulted Allah Y, Allah Y will punish him To love these companions, due to their love for the Holy Prophet e is a sign of love of the Holy Prophet e. A lover loves everyone his beloved loves; loves everyone who are faithful to his beloved and loves those that serve his beloved. Thus is forbidden to cut the trees and hurt even the creatures in Madinah, the City of the Beloved. The family, companions and associates of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e are worthy of love due to their link (nisbah) with him. The food and other likes of the Holy Prophet e is worthy of preference and love. Love makes a lover oblivious of everything other than the beloved and attentive to everything loved by the beloved. Tujhi koh dekhna, terihi sunna, tujh meh ghum hohnahaqiqat,ma'rifat, ahle tariqat is koh keh te hehTo look at beloved, to listen to his every word, to become engrossed in him The adherents to Islamic Law (shariah) term such behaviour as Reality (haqiqat) and Recognition (ma’rifat) Imam'Allamah Mahmud al- Alusi mentions in Tafsir Ruh al Ma’ani48[11]: After the Holy Prophet Muhammad e had passed away the Companions, used to go to the House of his beloved wife Hazrath Maimuna y, to look at a mirror utilized by the Holy Prophet Muhammad e that she had kept safely. In this mirror they did not see themselves but the image of the Holy Prophet e. The mirror had refused to let go of the image of the beloved.   Does intellect allow one to rub saliva on ones face? No! But the companions used to rub the blessed saliva and wudhu water of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e on their faces, collect his blessed hair, rub their faces and hands on objects that he e came into contact with. Mujhe hosh kab thi ruku kie, Mujhe kya khabar thi sujood kie, Tera naqshe pah kie talash thi ke meh jukh raha tha namaaz meh I had no knowledge of bowing (ruku). What did I know about prostration? Was I in search of your footprints or was I prostrating in prayer? Meri zindagi bi ajib heh, Meri bandagi bhi ajib heh, Jaha milgaya tera naqshe pah wahi meh neh Kaaba bana diya Strange is my life and my servitude Wherever I found your footprints I made it my direction It is ingrained in the nature of man that when he sees or hears from his beloved he loses his senses and becomes ecstatic.

48[11] Ruh al-Ma'ani: The full name of this tafseer is 'Ruh al-Ma'ani fi Tafseer al-Quran al-'Azim wa al-Sab al-Mathani' and it was written by 'Allamah Mahmud al-Alusi (died 1270 Hijrah), the famous scholar of the last Period of Baghdad, and comprises of thirty volumes.

Let us see if this level of love existed in the Sahaba. The following is recorded in Bukhari and Muslim49[12] and no scholar, Muhaddith, Aalim, Mufti, Muhaqqiq, can refute its existence or reliability. It is also recorded in Tirmidhi and Abu Daud. The Imams of Hadith have written commentaries on this Hadith. There were African companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e from Ethiopia and/or Abyssinia, the Bani Arfida (sons of Arfida) residents of Madinah that used to come to visit the Holy Prophet Muhammad e annually on the occasion of ‘ Id. In Bukhari it is stated that they were ‘playing’ (yalhabu), dancing and playing in Masjid an-Nabawi, in front of the door of the

49[12] Al Jaami` Al Saheeh. Version 1.07 - By Imam Al Bukhari Volume 44.155:

Narrated `Aisha:

Allah's Apostle came to my house while two girls were singing beside me the songs of Bu'ath (a story about the war between the two tribes of the Ansar, i.e. Khazraj and Aus, before Islam.) The Prophet reclined on the bed and turned his face to the other side. Abu Bakr came and scolded me and said protestingly, "Instrument of Satan in the presence of Allah's Apostle?" Allah's Apostle turned his face towards him and said, "Leave them." When Abu Bakr became inattentive, I waved the two girls to go away and they left. It was the day of `Id when the Africans used to play with leather shields and spears. Either I requested Allah's Apostle or he himself asked me whether I would like to see the display. I replied in the affirmative. Then he let me stand behind him and my cheek was touching his cheek and he was saying, "Carry on, O Bani Arfida!" When I got tired, he asked me if that was enough. I replied in the affirmative and he told me to leave.

 

Sahih Muslim recorded, Book 004, Number 1942.

'A'isha reported: The Messenger of Allah e came (in my apartment) while there were two girls with me singing the song of the Battle of Bu'ath. He lay down on the bed and turned away his face. Then came Abu Bakr and he scolded me and said: Oh! this musical instrument of the devil in the house of the Messenger of Allah e! The Messenger of Allah e turned towards him and said: Leave them alone. And when he (the Holy Prophet) became unattentive, I hinted them and they went out, and it was the day of 'Id and Africans were playing with shields and spears. (I do not remember) whether I asked the Messenger of Allah e or whether he said to me if I desired to see (that sport). I said: Yes. I stood behind him with his face parallel to my face, and he said: “O Banu Arfada, exert yourselves” till I was satiated. He said (to me): Is that enough? I said: Yes. Upon this he asked me to go.

Holy Prophet e house. Bukhari has recorded this in the Chapter, ‘Playing in the Masjid’, since the word ‘playing’ appears in the text. So, readers of this Hadith concentrate more on playing than other aspects. Other Imams have also commented on this hadith. This being in the Chapter, ‘Playing in the Masjid’, in Bukhari, a question arises as to whether anyone has permission to play in the mosque? This is a place of prayer, reflection, bowing and prostration, so the answer is a definite, ‘No!’ Yet, Bukhari has recorded this in the Sub Chapter, ‘Spearplay in the Masjid’. The Muslims of African descent used to come to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e on the Day of ‘Id and it is stated they were ‘playing with spears’ in the Mosque and in front of the house door of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. If one analyses this hadith and reflect as to where the door of the house of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e opened, it opened leading to ‘The Piece of Paradise on Earth’ (Riazul Jannah). Imam Tirmidhi did not use the word ‘playing’ (yalhaboon) but utilized yaznifoon. Some have commentated on the activity saying that they were doing the ‘war dance’ since they had spears etc. Could they have not performed a ‘war dance’ outside in the open fields? They could never have ‘played’ or performed a ‘war dance’ at such a ‘Place of Sacredness’ , the Masjid of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e, in front of the door of his blessed residence, standing on a piece of paradise. Adab gahez zehre asmah az arsh nazuk tar , Nafas ghum kar dami ayaad Junaid oh Bayazid Jah There is a place where respect has to be offered and that place is more delicate than the arsh of God , When great spiritual luminaries from amongst his followers like Junaid Baghdadi t and Byazid Bistami t, When they come to the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) in word or deed, they come trembling So many have inferred and understood this hadith with their subjective limitations and selective concentration. This hadith is in the Musnad of Imam Hamnbal, Tirmidhi, Tabarani, Nasai and as-Sunan al-Kubra etc. Hazrath Aisha t, reported that the Abysinians were standing in front of the door of the Holy Prophet e’s house and were ‘ecstatically dancing’ or performing raqs on anticipation of seeing the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. Hazrath Anas bin Maalik t, reports in the Musnad of Imam Hamnbal t: Kana fil Habashatu yazfiloona byna yada Rasulullahi e, wa yarbasu Here yazfiloo or raqs is mentioned. The Holy Prophet e called Hazrath Aisha t, to witness this ecstatic state of love, thus giving it his approval. Also, he asked the Sahaba as to what they were saying in this ecstatic state? The Sahaba told the Holy Prophet e that they were saying: Muhammadun abdun saleh Muhammad e is the most righteous slave of Allah Y

 

This is in the same spirit as Hazrath Amir Khusro t saying: Muhammad shame mehfil buud Muhammad e is the light of the gathering As the Holy Prophet Muhammad e put his benevolent gaze on the Sahaba performing raqs and singing his praises, I have no doubt that he looks at us “whirling”in “raqs” in the Sama of the Chishtiyyah and Mawlawiyya50[13] tarîqas.   In Tabarani it is recorded that Hazrath Aisha y, said: I had my hand on the Holy Prophet Muhammad e ’s shoulder whilst they, the Africans, performed raqs In another version of this hadith it is stated: The Holy Prophet e invited his wife Aisha to watch the dance, took her into the crowd, and lifted her over his back, so that she could watch them clearly as she eagerly leaned forward, her cheek pressing against his. In Sahih, ibn Hibban51[14] recording this incident the word yazfiloona meaning raks is also used.   Only a dance to please the beloved, extreme love of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e is permitted in the Masjid and no frivolous playing is allowed. Imam Abu’l-Fadl Ahmad ibn Hajar, better known as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani 52[15] t, says in his commentary of Bukhari, Fath ul-Bari fi Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari or Fathul Bari or "Grant of the Creator" is the most valued Sunni commentary of Sahih Bukhari, that this incident was repeated annually on the Day of ‘ Id. In Tirmidhi and Nisai-Sunan al-Kubra it is mentioned that the children of Madinah came to see what was happening and they joined in the dance of the African Companions. Imam Zamakshari53[16] t, in Fraiz Dar-ilm Fariz says: kala az-zakilu ar raqs Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Imam Suyuti and numerous Imams have described the ‘ecstasy and dance’ using the word raqs. In different versions of this Hadith it is stated that Hazrath Umar ibn al-Khattab t felt compelled to interfere and stop them, but the Holy Prophet e intervened on their behalf, directing Umar to leave them alone and noting to

50[13] Rumi, Jalal ad-Din, 1207–73, founded the Mawlawiyya (Mevlevi) Sufi order, who use dancing and music as part of their spiritual method, and who are known in the West as Whirling Dervishes. Rumi's influence spread to Persian-speakers in Afghanistan and central Asia, and beyond, to Turkey and India .

51[14] Ibn Hibban al-Busti, Muhammad (d. 354/965), Sahih ibn Hibban

52[15] Abu’l-Fadl Ahmad ibn Hajar, better known as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (Arabic: ابن حجر العسقالني) (February 18, 1372- d. February 2, 1449) Fath ul-Bari fi Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari or Fathul Bari or "Grant of the Creator" is the most valued Sunni commentary of Sahih Bukhari, written by Ibn Hajr Asqalani in 18 volumes

53[16] Abu al-Qasim Mahmud ibn Umar al-Zamakhshari (1074 - 1143 or 1075-1144) was a medieval Persian Hanafi scholar was born and died in Khiva in Turkey

him that they were "the sons of Arfida," that is, not his (Arab) people. ." This event of the "sons of Arfida"--a familiar Arabian linguistic reference to people of African descent--provides a significant instance of the place of culture (here, of course, Black African culture) within the Prophetic dispensation. The Holy Prophet e's intervention to stop Hazrath Umar t made it clear that the Africans were not to be judged by Hazrath Umar t's local Arabian standards or made to conform to them. The "sons of Arfida" had their own distinctive cultural tastes and traditional behaviour. The fact that they had embraced Islam did not mean they were also required to commit cultural apostasy or become subservient to Arab customs. The Prophet allowed Muslim Arabs agency in their social expression and extended a similar right to non-Arabs. By his affirmation of the "sons of Arfida," he established an overriding sunnah and abiding legal precedent for respecting different ethnic and cultural traditions and acknowledging the emotional needs, tastes, and cultural inclinations of all who embraced his teaching.   In keeping with this sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e, Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti t of Ajmer, who is historically credited with pioneering the propagation of Islam in the Indo-Pak sub-continent and had launched his missionary activity with the blessing of the Holy Prophet e, had spiritually obtained the Holy Prophet e’s permission to utilize sama54[17] with musical instruments as part of his mission. The people of India are culturally attuned to instrumental music. This response to their cultural needs helped Islam spread with ease.   Hazrath Jaafar bin Muhammad t reports55[18] that when Jaafar ibn Abi Talib t returned to Madinah from Abyssinia, he was involved in a 'dispute' with his brother Hazrath Ali t and Zaid bin Haritha t regarding who would take care of an orphan. They went to resolve the case to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e said to Zaid, ‘You are the friend (anta maula) of Allah Y and the Holy Prophet e’. Turning to Jaafar t he e said, ‘You resemble me most in looks and character’ (anta ashbahta khalqi wa khuluqi), then turning to Hazrath Ali t, he e said, ‘You are of me and I am of you’ (anta

54 [17] Sama’: The "spiritual concert" or audition or listening. This term refers specifically to the Sufi gatherings where music and song are employed as a means of opening the heart to inrushes (warid) of knowledge and awareness. During the Sama' the listener may experience ecstasy (wajd) and find Allah, the Real (al-haqq) within that ecstasy. However, before true ecstasy can be experienced the listener must be spiritually mature, having been prepared through discipline (riyada) and perpetual Remembrance of Allah (zikrullah). Without this initial contraction (qabd) of spiritual endevour the expansion (bast) of ecstasy will not be real. The sama is not suited for the novice. True sama is a bird which flies from Allah to Allah. Allah is the singer and Allah is the hearer. At this Divine Feast, the singer and the hearer become one.

 

55[18] A]Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Sa'd al-Baghdadi, Kitab at-Tabaqat (The book of The Major Classes) B] Shamsuddin Zahbi, C] Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fath ul-Bari fi Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari D] Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 1:108, #860 and many others

 

minni wa ana minka). Thereafter the Holy Prophet e awarded the responsibility of the maintenance and care of the orphan to Jaafar t. There is another report on the same incident by Hazrath Ali t wherin he states that when the Holy Prophet Muhammad e addressed Zayd t, he got up and began dancing ecstatically (raqs), then when the Holy Prophet e addressed Hazrath Jaafar t and he danced ecstatically (raqs) around the already ecstatic Zayd t. Then when he e addressed Hazrath Ali t he began dancing ecstatically around both Hazrath Zayd t and Hazrath Jaafar t. Hazrath Jaafar t danced in a particular way, hopping on one leg. When he was asked as to why he danced in that peculiar fashion, he said that the Abyssinians dance in this way when they become really excited happy56[19].   Imam Baihaqi57[20] t has a complete chapter in Sunan al-Kubra called the Chapter on the permissibility of Raqs on the basis of this hadith. Imam Bazzar58[21] in al - musnad also reports this hadith. Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti59[22] t on being questioned about the legality of raqs and the fact that certain Sufis dance in an ecstatic state, has stated in Khasais al-Kubra that the Shariah has not forbidden raqs (La inkara alaihi fi zaalik). He further states that this very question was asked to Shaykh al-Islam, Imam Imam Sirajuddin ibn Al-Mulaqqin t and he had given the same ruling.Imam Suyuti t then quoted the rulings of many prominent scholars of the four schools of fiqh and concludes that none had forbidden raqs but commended those that become ecstatic as people of a high ‘spiritual state’ (sahibe haal). He also quotes the Holy Qur’aan, the 3rd Sura, al-i-Imraan, verse 191 as evidence for the permissibility of raqs:

Men who celebrate the praises of Allah Y, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides,   Throughout the Muslim world there are people who go into an ecstatic state and dance due to their intense love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. The Sufis of the Shadhilyya Order combine the postures of standing, sitting, and lying down in their gathering of zikr called ‘Hadra’60[23] (Arabic:حضرة). He then quotes the hadith of Hazrath Jaafar ibn

56[19] Hazrath Jaafar t, had lived for ten years in Abyssinia .

57[20] Ahmad ibn Husayn Bayhaqi, also known as Imam Al-Bayhaqi

58[21] Abu `Amr al-Kindi al-Bazzar

59[22] Imam Al-Suyuti (c. 1445-1505 AD)

60[23] Hadra (Arabic:حضرة) is the term given to the collective supererogatory rituals performed by Sufi orders. The regular hadra is most often held on Thursday evenings after night prayer, Fridays after Jum`a prayer, or Sunday evenings. The hadra features various forms of dhikr (remembrance), including sermons, collective study, recitation of Qur'an and other texts (especially devotional texts particular to the Sufi order (tariqa), called hizb and wird), religious poetic chanting, centering on praise and supplication to God, religious exhortations, praise of the Holy Prophet e , and requests for intercession (inshad dini or madih - the latter term referring literally to "praise") and rhythmic invocations of Allah, using one or more of His Names (especially "Allah", "Hayy", "Qayyum", "Hu") or the testimony of faith and tawhid: "la ilaha illa Allah" (there is nothing worthy of worship but God). Rhythmic recitation of names and chanting of religious poetry are frequently performed together. In conservative Sufi orders no instruments are used, or the duff (frame drum) only; other orders employ a range of instrumentation. The term in Arabic literally means "presence". The collective

Abu Taalib t, dancing ecstatically around the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. He then makes reference to great Imams that performed raqs, like the great authory of Hadîth and fiqh such as Shaykhul-Islâm `Izzuddîn ibn `Abdis-Salâm t "attended the samâ` and danced in states of ecstasy (wajd)!" (kâna yahdurus-samâ` wa yarqusu wa yatawajadu)! (Ibn al-`Imâd, Shadharatudh-dhahab, 5:302; Ibn Shâkir al-Kutabi, Fawât al-wafâyat, 1:595; al-Yâfi`i, Mir'ât al-jinân, 4:154; al-Nabahâni, Jâmi` karamât al-awliyâ, 2:71; Abu al-Sa`âdat, Tâj al-ma`ârif, p. 250) Imam Zahbi and Imam ibn Kathir61[24], the student of ibn Taymiyya, who is not counted as the Imam of ahle Sunnah (translators note: since he was under the influence of ibn Taimiyya) has written in al-Bidaayah wa al-Nihaayah about the brother-in-law of the pride of the Muslims, the liberator of al-Quds, Sultan Salauddin Ayyubi, Shah Abu Saeed al-Muzaffar as to how he celebrated Meelad on 12 Rabi ul-Awwal. He used to slaughter 5000 sheep, 10 000 chicken and thousands used to attend including Sufis. Imam ibn Kathir writes: Wa yafalu simaa’anu lis Sufiyati min az-zuhri ilal fajr… He says that part of the meelad celebrations consisted of sama, which lasted from zuhr salaah to the fajr salaah, with breaks for performance of salaah. He goes on to say that Shah Abu Saeed al-Muzaffar used to ecstatically dance in raqs with the Sufis. Imam Suyuti t then mentions another hadith on Hazrath Jaafar ibn Abu Taalib t. He says that when Hazrath Jaafar ibn Abu Taalib t returned from Abyssinia and on seeing the Holy Prophet Muhammad e after such a long absence began dancing ecstatically62[25]. In the Sunan of ibn abu Daud63[26] and Asqalani in Fath al-Baari that when the Holy Prophet Muhammad e arrived in Madinah after the Hijra then the Companions having Abyssinian roots danced ecstatically in happiness. Imam Bukhari64[27] has narrated this in at-Tarikh al-Kabeer. Imam Nawawi65[28] and Imam Asqalani have stated that this was a welcoming ecstatic dance (raqs) by the Abyssinians who by nature did this at joyous

Sufi ritual is practiced under this name primarily in the Arab world, but also in some non-Arab Muslim countries such as Indonesia .

 

61[24] Ismail ibn Kathir (Arabic : ابن كثير) ( 1301-1373 ) was an Islamic scholar. His full name is Abu Al-Fida, 'Imad Ad-Din Isma'il bin 'Umar bin Kathir Al-Qurashi Al-Busrawi. He was born in Busra , Syria (hence Al-Busrawi).

62[25] Sulaiman bin Ahmad bin Ayub bin Mutair Al-Lakhmi At-Tabarani [b260 AH] in Al-Mu'jam Al-Awsat

63[26] Abu Da'ud or Abu Dawod, full name Abu Da'ud Sulayman ibn Ash`ath al-Azadi al-Sijistani, was a noted collector of hadith (sayings of Muhammad), and wrote the third of the six canonical hadith collections recognized by Sunni Muslims, Sunan Abi Da'ud. He was born in Sijistan (Sistan or Sagestan , Persia ) in 817, and died in 888.

64[27] Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari (810-870) He traveled widely throughout the Abbasid empire, collecting traditions. He is said to have spent sixteen years writing down those traditions he thought trustworthy.

occasions for they performed raqs on every occasion of ‘ Id. Imam Asqalani says that what can be a bigger Day of ‘Id for them than the coming of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e to Madinah. He says the first raqs was performed by the Abyssinians on this day of arrival and thereafter they continued this mode of expression of love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad e on every ‘Id day. A man from Lahore came to shaykh Hasan Muhammad Chishti t66[29] and said: “In this time there is no one worthy of listening to Sufi music”. He replied: “If that was the case, the world would be destroyed”. The man said: In past days there were men like Shaykh Baba Farid t, Shaykh Nizamuddin Awliya t and shaykh Nasiruddin t. Now there is no one like them”. The Chishti shaykh replied: “In their time men said the very same thing”.    from an urdu lecture by Prof. Tahirul Qadri Adapted and translated By Irshad Soofie Siddiqui

Ur’s RitualsBy Hafez Fuzail SoofieAllah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 22nd Sura, al-Hajj, in Verse 32:

And whoever holds in honour the Symbols of Allah, such (honour) should come truly from piety of heart.  Most respected Mashaikh, Ulama, Elders my brothers and sisters in Islam, as-Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa barakatu. Alhamdulillah, with the grace of Almighty Allah we are gathered here today to celebrate the Ur’s of his eminence Hazrath Shah Ghulam Haafiz Soofie (may Allah be well pleased with him) and we will be observing the

65[28] Abu Zakaria Mohiuddin Yahya Ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi (1233 - 1278) (Arabic: بن يحيى زكريا أبوالنووي - popularly known as al-Nawawi, an-Nawawi or Imam Nawawi (631 - 676 A.H. / 1255 ,(شرف

1300 CE), was a Sunni Muslim author on fiqh and hadith.[2] His position on legal matters is considered the authoritative one in the Shafi'i Madhhab. He was born at Nawa near Damascus , Syria . As with many Arabic and Semitic names, the last part of his name refers to his hometown.

 

66[29] A great Sufi Master of Gujarat from the lineage of Allama Kamaluddeen t and was the nephew and Khalifa of Shaykh Jamaluddin t. Khwaja Hassan Muhammad t was known as an ‘alim of deep knowledge and spirituality. He passed away in 982 AH

symbolic ceremonial rites of the Ur’s such as the Procession (Juloos) Of Sundal and so on, later on in the evening and I wish to base my talk this evening on those symbolic ceremonial rites for those people who may be unaware of its significance and how we can benefit there from, Insha-Allah.  Ur’s as we know is derived from a Hadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) where it is narrated in Mishkaat Shareef67[1] that when the Waliullah, a Beloved Of Allah successfully answers three questions in the grave then the angels (malaika) give him glad tidings of his success in this world and in the hereafter stating, Sleep Like The Sleep Of A Bridegroom (nim ka naumatil aroos) who is only going to be awakened by the Beloved, who is Allah, on the Day Of Qiyaamah.  Khwaja Habib68[2] (may Allah be well pleased with him) expounding on this Hadith of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) stated that you have aroos, you have irs and you have ur’s. Aroos is the ain with a zabar or fatha on the top is bridegroom. The irs, ain with a kasra, the zer at the bottom is the bride and urs with the damma or pesh on the top is actually wedding or ‘the wedding party’ (baraat). This is where ur’s is derived from in brief and it is celebrated, to commemorate and to observe the success which is enjoyed by the Waliullah in the sight of Almighty Allah. For the lovers of Allah, the beloved ones of Allah and the devotees of the beloved ones of Allah it is motivation to follow in the footsteps of the Waliullah so that they may also achieve supreme success in the hereafter as well.  One of the most unique and most beautiful expressions of love, admiration and devotion to a Waliullah, is expressed in what we will be celebrating, what we will be performing after Salaatul Isha, which is known as The Procession Of Sandal (Juloose Sandal). Sundal is literally speaking ‘fragrance or scent’ (khushboo); and Procession of Chaadar (juloose chaadar) that is literally the sheet covers (gilaaf). For very many of us, we may not even know where the origins or what the origins of this juloose sandal may be. We may think wrongfully that this is an innovation of some of over zealous devotees of the Beloved Ones Of Allah, of the Aulia-Allah who created this ceremonial rite just to express their love in this manner. It is not humanly created. It is not a human innovation it has been started of by angels (malaika) themselves because mind you, if you didn’t know Aulia-Allah are loved by the Angels. It’s odd whilst people in this world, some may love Aulia-Allah and some may not love Aulia-Allah, in the heavens every angel loves the Waliullah or the Beloved Ones Of Allah and they have been loving the Waliullah according to Sahih Bukhari69[3] since the time when Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) declared, ‘I

67[1] Tirmidhi Hadith No. 130 narrated by Abu Hurraira (may Allah be well pleased with him) Alim Software; Also in Baihaqi

68[2] Khwaja Habib Ali Shah (may Allah be well pleased with him) the Spiritual Guide of Hazrath Soofie Saheb (may Allah be well pleased with him).

69[3] Hadith no 8:66 narrated by Abu Hurraira (may Allah be well pleased with him), Alim Software.

love so and so’, and then Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) informed Jibraeel (may Allah bless him with peace), that ‘you also love so and so’. Jibraeel, being the Arch- Angel informs the other angels that, ‘Allah loves this Waliullah, I therefore love this Waliullah and all you angels must also love this Waliullah.’ So, they have loved the Waliullah ever since Allah declared his love for the Waliullah. So great is their love for the Waliullah, that according to another Hadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions), to the inhabitants of the heavens, the angels, the home and the place of worship (ibaadah) of the Waliullah is seen like we see stars in the sky. So like we have stars in our sky, in the (view of the earth) ‘sky’ of the angels, the status (maqaam) the Place Of Worship (ibaadah) of a Waliullah, like e.g. Forty-Fifth Cutting, the place of ibaadah of Hazrath Bhaijaan Soofie (may Allah be well pleased with him), seems like a star, which is shining in the horizon. So you can imagine, what love the angels must have for them, for when they see his place of ibaadah, they see it as we see a shining star in the sky.  When the time of the physical demise of the Waliullah takes place and is about to take place and the angels are informed that the one they loved for such a long period of time is going to finally leave the earth and become an inhabitant of the heavens, then something absolutely unique takes place. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) says in a Hadith70[4] that is in Mishkaat Shareef from Musnad Imam Hamnbal (may Allah be well pleased with him) has stated that when a Waliullah , a mumin, a true believer, in the true sense of the word, the one who loves Allah, over flowingly and profusely, and loves the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) infinitely, so much so that he loves the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) more than himself and the rest of humanity as well. When he is about to leave the world, then angels are informed of it, and when the angels are informed that the person that we loved for such a long period of time is going to be coming back to the heavens; then, do you know what happens? Angels descend from the heavens, in large numbers. Allah knows how many and they descend in what we may call a procession. A procession (juloos) from the heavens comes out to welcome that Waliullah to the heavens. When this procession (juloos) leaves the heavens, they don’t come empty handed. According to the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) on the contrary, they come with ‘The Funeral Shroud’ (kafan or chaadar) from the ‘The Funeral Shroud’ of paradise (min akfaan il-jannah). They come with chaadar, they come with kafan from paradise and not only that, they also come with fragrance, khushboo, scent, itr or sandal from paradise as well. So imagine the scenario, as you will see later on that: whom are we imitating here. We are imitating the process and methodology of ‘welcoming’, istiqbaal, congratulation and celebration of the angels that they perform when a Waliullah is leaving this world. When they descend from the heavens in a procession, they come down with kafan and fragrance from paradise. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) described these angels as being white in colour and their faces are more illuminated than the sun. After the procession bearing chaadar and fragrance comes down, they come and sit in front of the Waliullah who is about to leave this world. Like, e.g. you are sitting in front of me now.

70[4] Hadith narrated by Hazrath Baraa bin Aazib (may Allah be well pleased with him) in Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Haakim, Bayhaqi and others.

The Hadith state that As Far As The Eye Can See (mad al basr or ta hadde nazar) is the amount of angels seated there when the Waliullah is about to leave this world. Can you imagine the crowd of angels at the time of wisaal of the Waliullah? At that moment The Angel Of Death (malakal maut) Hazrath Israeel (may Allah bless him with peace) comes and sits at the head side of the Waliullah and gives him glad tidings. He says, ‘O Beloved one of Allah, return to your Lord, in forgiveness and in the pleasure of Almighty Allah (rida).’ This is the good news that is given That you are in the condition, that everything has been forgiven and Allah is pleased with you. This is in accordance with the Holy Qur'aan in the 89th Sura, al-Fajr, verses 27 and 28: 

(To the righteous soul will be said:) "O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction! "Come back thou to thy Lord, well pleased (thyself), and well-pleasing unto Him!  When he says this and is about to remove the soul (ruh), then the Holy Qur'aan again describes the scene in the 56th Sura, al-Waqia: Verse 89:

  (There is for him) Rest and Satisfaction, and a Garden of Delights

 The Waliullah is given sweet smelling plants, flowers from The Garden Of Paradise, which he inhales, and as he smells these fragrant flowers and plants, the Angel Of Death removes his soul. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) describes this removal of the soul. He says it is as if droplets of musk are coming out. You know if you drop a bottle of attar and you see the droplets of musk oozing out. That is the way the ruh of the Waliullah comes out. Now, let me tell you the best part. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) continues and he says, ‘The Angel Of Death, has barely removed the soul of the Waliullah, that so great is the eagerness and love, of the angels to at least get into close proximity of the Waliullah, that before the Angel Of Death has removed the soul, Angels literally in their eagerness, snatch away the soul from the Angel Of Death. The Angel Of Death does not even get a chance for the Angels are literally clamoring over one another just to get into contact with that pure soul that was a lover of Almighty Allah. They literally snatch the soul away from the Angel Of Death. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) has said that the angels snatch it away so quickly, like before one can blink ones eye. They take the ruh and clothe that ruh with the kafan that was brought from paradise. Thereafter they take the sandal, as we know it or the fragrance and they place it on the ruh. I think it a very important note for those who may disagree with placing chaadar on the graves of Waliullah. They object by saying the grave is a piece of stone and not the body of the Waliullah. Here Angels give one an answer to this objection. Does ruh have a material form? No it is A Subtle Entity (jisme lateef). It is not physical in form, yet in spite of the fact, that we are lovers who act senselessly, but the Angels are governed, they wrap the ruh in the kafan from paradise to

show the dignity of the Waliullah. Then once this takes place, and the kafan and itr is placed on the ruh of the Waliullah something absolutely remarkable occurs. Continuing with the Hadith: the Angels had brought fragrance from paradise but the ruh itself emits so much of fragrance that it perfumes the space from the earth to the sky, with the fragrance emitted from the soul of the Waliullah. Can you imagine? Let me inform you. Hazrath Shah Muhammad Habeeb Soofie (may Allah be well pleased with him), known as Hazrath Jande Pir, who is the younger brother of Hazrath Bhaijaan (may Allah be well pleased with him), has written a poetic composition in honor of his brother, describing this very scene of the ruh, fragrance and the fragrance from the ruh perfuming the area from the earth to the sky. This fragrance from the ruh of the Waliullah actually eclipses the fragrance of paradise. Why not? The fragrance that emits from the ruh of the Waliullah is the fragrance of faith (imaan), recognition of Allah (irfaan) and love of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions). No fragrance can compare to a fragrance emitted due to the love of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions). Hazrath Shah Muhammad Habeeb Soofie says referring to this scene,Muattar heh Aalam, yeh kis ki mahek hehAzizoh, yeh jannat fiza ka heh sandalMachi dhoom kaysi, zamin se sama takHeh gulzaar Aalam, nirala heh sandalThe angels ask the Angels that carry this soul through the stages of heaven, on the different planes, ‘who is this ruh?’ (‘maa haza ruhu tayyib’). The question is not asked out of not knowing but out of being flabbergasted. The angels carrying the ruh answer, ‘this is so and so, son of so and so.’ So again Hazrath Shah Muhammad Habeeb Soofie says,Uta kis tajammul se kis ka heh sandalSo he asks the question asked by the on looking angels, and he says that the Angels carrying the soul say,

Yeh farzande Soofie piya ka heh sandal. As the ruh is carried upwards by the Angels, the Hadith continues that they not only name the person, but the Angels the sing the praises of the Waliullah. This is the salutations upon the Holy Prophet or manqabat (poetry in praise of the Waliullah) that we read when we conduct the sandal. We derive this practice from the Hadith, for it states that the angels call him by the greatest titles conferred upon him during his earthly stay. The angels continue singing his praises and addressing him by the best-earned titles until they arrive at the first door of paradise. Here they seek permission to open the door. An enquiry is made as to who has come and the parson is named. The Intimate Angels (malaika e muqarrabun) open the door of paradise and on seeing the pure soul, ask for an opportunity to carry it also. The Angels of the first heaven carry the soul to the second heaven, and proceed with the procession (juloos) to all the levels till the seventh heaven. Bear in mind that I am still continuing with the Hadith. When they reach the seventh heaven, which is the highest heaven, they hear a voice from Almighty Allah saying, ‘O My servants, take the soul of my beloved friend, and his record of good deeds, recorded in ‘illiy yeen’ This ‘illiy yeen’ is spoken of in the Holy Qur'aan in the 83rd Sura, al-Mutaffifeen: Verse 19,

And what will explain to thee what Illiyin is?Allah continues in the next verse: 

(There is) a Register (fully) inscribed,

 It is a well-preserved record that I will call the honours list. The roll of honour that Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) has opened to record the names for His beloved ones and the so-called graduates of the class. The wali has graduated so to speak on top of the class. Do you know where illiyin is? This tablet is above the seven heavens and literally, hanging from the arsh of Almighty Allah.  Due to time restraint, I need to address the other issues, but do you understand. The journey of the ruh is not in earthly time, but in cosmic time. So a long period in earthly time measurement is a short period in cosmic time. So all this takes place and Allah, ensures that the ruh is returned to the body of the Waliullah. What happens here is the connection (ta’alluq) remains. The ruh remains in illiyin and also it maintains a contact with its body, wherever it is buried. So what we do in the sandal is actually the imitation of the expression of love that the angels display, for the Aulia Allah. Congratulation to those who have been partaking and performing the rite of sandal all these years. Alhamdulillah, you have been performing the Sunnah of angels. Aulia Allah have taken it one step foreword and they say not only are you performing the Sunnah of angels, but insaan being khalifatullah fil ard must learn something from it as well. Aulia Allah teach through symbolic instruction.Samajh le ke heh ilm nukhte keh andarYeh raze khafi heh chupane keh kaabilThey teach through subtle instruction and hints. This entire procession (juloos) is a lesson for every devotee of the Waliullah.  To go through this very quickly for I want to get to a very important point; when one walks behind the sandal procession, then for every person desirous of reaching Allah, the solemn motivation and intention must be, ‘O Allah! As I walk behind this sandal physically, spiritually and mentally I am making a commitment to follow in the footsteps of your beloved Waliullah. In the manner he was a personification of Qur’aan and Sunnah, I to desire to become a personification of Qur’aan and Sunnah so by following him, I too might achieve success. You may have noticed the use of a awning or umbrella (shamiana) whose practical use is to shelter one from natural elements like the rain and sun, but the spiritual significance is that it is symbolic of the shade of Almighty Allah, for it is stated that the two people who will be under the shade of Almighty Allah, on the day of Qiyaamah will be those that loved one another for the sake of Allah. So if you love the Waliullah and the Waliullah loves you then know and be rest assured, that on he day of Qiyaamah, the day on which the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) said that there will be no shade except the shade of Allah, you will be under the shade of Allah. The shamiana is the symbolic reminder of that aspect.

  When you enter the mazaar and the chaadar is placed on the grave, then learn this lesson, that as you put on external clothing, the Waliullah put on one more garb. The garbs that we should all wear, the libaas at taqwa according to the Holy Qur'aan. You have to put on the Clothing Of Taqwa and Allah consciousness, for that is the garb of the Waliullah. His external garb was something else, but his internal had been fragranced with the Clothing Of Taqwa (libaas at taqwa). You may have noticed people burn fragrant sticks in the mazaar. This gives you three important lessons.I go over it very quickly due to shortage of time.1.      For a person who merely comes to the mazaar for dua, to ask through the means (wasila) of the Waliullah, that Allah may accept his dua, the fragrant stick is giving you a message, that no dua of yours will reach Allah, until and unless you do it with a burning heart.Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 27th Sura, an-Naml: Verse 62;

Or, who listens to the (burning soul) distressed when it calls on Him, and who relieves its suffering, … besides Allah?  So for an ordinary visitor, take a lesson that until your heart is not burning and restless your dua will not be effective.For a Traveler On The Path To Allah (Saalik) the burning stick gives lessons that until you are not prepared to endure pain, live and sacrifice for the benefit of other people, you will not achieve success. Tariqat bajuz khidmate khalq nehstBa tasbih o sajada o darq nehst  Tariqat is naught but service to creationIt is not a rosary, prayer mat and dress.  The third lesson is, that as you are present at The Station Of A Beloved One Of Allah (maqaam) and seeing the fragrant stick burn, learn what is ‘annihilation in Almighty Allah’ (fana fillah). If you ask the fragrant stick as to what it symbolizes, it will tell you, ‘I am the heart of the lover of Almighty Allah, whose cold sigh reaches the heavens. And when I sigh in the love of Allah, I perfume the entire surroundings. This is the lesson.   To conclude due to restricted time, keep this Hadith we discussed in mind as I relate an occurrence in the life of Hazrath Bhaijaan (may Allah be well pleased with him). He passed away on the day of I’d al-Fitr. We know that on I’d day we are required to put on our best attire and celebrate I’d, since it is a day of rejoicing. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) has stated that for a fasting person there are two glad tidings, one being breaking the fast and the second being the meeting with Allah. Keeping this Hadith in mind let us look at the condition of Hazrath Bhaijaan (may Allah be well pleased with him), who as wali of Allah had kept a perpetual fast of abstained from filling his heart with anything but the love of Allah for the duration of his

life. Not a moment went by when their tongues are not wet with the zikr of Allah, or their eye gazed at anything prohibited, or performed an action contrary to the will of Allah. They kept this fast of the elite for the duration of their lives. This is the fast of haqiqa. Their hearts had nothing except the love of Almighty Allah, and their eyes saw nothing but Allah. I say, whilst the whole world celebrated I’d, Hazrath Bhaijaan was blessed with two I’d at one time. He was blessed with the clothing of paradise before the Day of I’d could end. He has made a reference to his own demise in his poetic composition, when he said  Eh mominoh heh I’d ka kul jashn mubabarakKhaliq ne hamme doh bara ye I’d dikayiCan you imagine his condition at the time of death. With angels descending with kafn and fragrance of paradise. Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 89th Sura, al-Fajr: Verses 27 to 30:

(To the righteous soul will be said:) "O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction! "Come back thou to thy Lord, well pleased (thyself), and well pleasing unto Him! "Enter thou, then, among My Devotees! "Yea, enter thou My Heaven!"  First enter into the company of My Beloveds:Marte dam lab par hoh Ya Soofie Piya!Ayse rang se mere aaqa rang de  Here the Spiritual line of Awliya is there to welcome him. Then the Call To Prayer goes.Aa gaye Kamil damme aakir woh jaane intezaarMarne waale chen se mar, dek ab, ji bar ke dekh  Hazrath ibn Ata (may Allah be well pleased with him) has stated that, nafse mutmainna is that nafs, that does not rest until it gets a Vision Of The Beloved. May Allah grant us the way of love, for deeds without love is absolutely useless. For if one does not possess ishq but has the converse which is disrespect, then according to the Holy Qur'aan, ones amaal can be cancelled.   Lecture given By Hafez Fuzail Soofie on the occasion of the Ur’s in 2004.of Hazrath Shah Ghulam Haafiz Soofie (may Allah be well pleased with him) .Transcribed by Irshad Soofie, from a recording

Love all and hate none.Mere talk of peace will avail you naught.Mere talk of God and religion will not take you far. Bring out all of the latent powers of your being And reveal the full magnificence of your immortal self.Be surcharged with peace and joy, And scatter them wherever you are and wherever you go. Be a blazing fire of truth, Be a beauteous blossom of love and a soothing balm of peace. With your spiritual light dispel the darkness of ignorance; Dissolve the clouds of discord and war. Spread the message of goodwill, peace and harmony among the people. Never seek any help,charity or favours from anybody except God. Never go to the courts of Kings, But never refuse to bless and help the needy and the poor, the widow and the orphan when they come to your door.This is your mission, to serve the people...

Inspirer of my mindConsoler of my heartHealer of my spiritThy spirit lifteth me from earth to heaven.Thy words flow as the sacred riverThy thought riseth as a divine springThy tender feelings awaken sympathy in my heartBeloved Teacher,Thy very being is forgiveness.The clouds of doubt and fearare scattered by thy piercing glanceAll ignorance vanishes in thy illuminating presenceA new hope is born in my heartBy breathing thy peaceful atmosphere.

O inspiring guide,Through life's puzzling waysIn thee I feel abundance of blessings.

To call oneself a Muslim nominally and present oneself as a Muslim formally does not make one a true Muslim. Just to know the teachings of Islam does not help. A person who does not know how to behave like a Muslim, although he or she knows the Shariah, is like a "donkey carrying a load of books." (Sura Jumu'ah.)Islam should make one Godly and not earth rooted. A true Muslim seeks the pleasure of Allah and not the ego.

The adoption of the Shariah has degenerated with the degeneration of Muslims. Sufi orders have also degenerated with the adoption of rituals as an end and not a means to an end.In most cases Sufism is viewed as ritualism through and through.The spirit of the rituals are not explained hence the misconception of attaching mystic significance to rituals, which were originally formulated to mobilise the heart in the quest for Allah, has replaced the "sulook" or journey toward Allah. The true methodology (Tariqah) is not undertaken and the faraid (compulsory requirements) is being neglected.

The love for Allah and Rasul (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) should lead to love for all creation. A Sufi lives for Allah, and in a spiritual sense with Allah and in Allah. To undertake the journey and propel oneself to Allah, human beings possess two wings:The wing of Law and the wing of Love. The Shariah is the (law) and the Tariqah is (love).

To make the Shariah a cult is not what is demanded by Islam. Islam is a revolt against the concept of cult. Islam is based on Tawhid or Unity hence the law and love should be blended with Hikmah (wisdom). If only one aspect is pursued it leads to imbalance and religiously unbalanced personalities. The law leads to academic pursuit or (Fikr) contemplation on the creation leading to knowledge of the creator with the External eye and love leads to Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) , which leads to recognition or Ma'rifah of Allah. So Dhikr and Fikr take one to ones goal and the goal is Allah. The love of Allah leads one to love those who loved Allah ,who showed how to love Allah - to the Aulia.

The demonstration of love , for him who loves Allah and the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and who loved the mission of the

Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) even the act of love is an act of piety,because those who cannot love a person who loved Allah cannot love Allah. It will be a hollow claim if they claim they love Allah, but they don't love those who love Allah and showed the way how to love Allah. The Aulia are the personification of love for Allah.

Electricity at the powerhouse is produced at a high voltage - transformers established to bring down the voltage at each level - reaches 220V allowed to go into the homes. For everything in the universe there is only one powerhouse - the being of Allah - life, light beauty and knowledge flows from here. This blessing must flow into the universe so that everything functions and remains alive but the Quran says that the radiator of this powerhouse is so infinitely powerful - the indirect radiation of this made Moosa (alaihi salaam) faint.

Therefore, it is established that nothing in this universe can bear the impact therefore Allah out of his mercy created the first transformer - the personality of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). Nur-al-Muhammadi or the Light of Muhammed is the foundation of creation which is the cosmic personality of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). The cosmic personality is not separated from the Historic Personality. Only the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) can bear the presence of Allah directly as was observed in the Mi'raj.

There are certain unfortunate people who are so limited in their perception that they are unable to understand this Transcendental Dimension. Islamic cosmology says the first Transformer - heart of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and there are other transformers in the serial line - the hearts of all the Ambiya who came and the hearts of all those who rose to the status of being Awliya Allah. It is through these transformers that the blessing of Allah flow into the dead universe and gives it light. We need to draw inspiration from the personality of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and the true followers of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and make it a means of blessing and comfort for our hearts in these trying times.

KHWAJA NIZAMUDDIN AURANGABADI

This world of multiplicity has an adverse effect,Whereas in reality my origin is unity;These days the garden of my heart is slowly withering.Salutations to you, O beauty of Aurang Chist,O Nizamudeen! May my garden be refreshed.

Hazrat Shah Nizamudeen Aurangabadi (rahmatullahi alaihi) was a leading saint of southern India. As the khalifa-e-azam of Hazrat Shah Kalimullah Jahanabaadi (rahmatullahi alaihi), the responsibility of propagating Islam, as well as the reformation of the Muslim community at large fell onto his able shoulders. The Mughal empire, the light-bearer of civilisation in India for three centuries and more, was on the wane, and political instability had created an all-time low in morale. In these trying times it was Hazrat Nizamudeen (rahmatullahi alaihi) who became the torchbearer for a struggling society.

Khwaja Nizamudeen Aurangabadi (rahmatullahi alaihi)'s birth and early history are somewhat vague, though it is known that he was a descendant of Hazrat Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (rahmatullahi alaihi), the first caliph of Islam. His birthplace is thought to be Kakor, India and it was there that he received his early education. To further his studies he travelled to Delhi, the centre of learning at the time, and sought out a university. Word of the popularity of Hazrat Shah Kalimullah Jahanabaadi (rahmatullahi alaihi) reached his ears, and he decided to meet the great saint. When he arrived at the seminary of Shah Kalimullah (rahmatullahi alaihi), he found the door locked, as the shaykh was engaged in the spiritual musical assembly of Sama, to which outsiders were not permitted. Unaware of this, he knocked at the door and, to the amazement of the other disciples, was welcomed in by Shah Kalimullah (rahmatullahi alaihi) and shown great love.

Soon after, he enrolled in the great saint's university. Initially, his primary aim was to obtain religious external knowledge only; but after a time the intense spiritual atmosphere that surrounded Shah Kalimullah (rahmatullahi alaihi) drew him closer to the path of the sufis. One day, as his shaykh prepared to leave, Hazrat Nizamudeen (rahmatullahi alaihi) came forward, dusted his murshid's shoes, and placed them before him. Upon seeing this, Shah Kalimullah (rahmatullahi alaihi) inquired,

"O Nizamudeen, have you come to acquire knowledge, or do you seek the path to Allah?" To this Hazrat Nizamudeen (rahmatullahi alaihi) humbly replied,

"You know better what is for me;You know better, for us, for me."

Upon hearing these lines, Shah Kalimullah (rahmatullahi alaihi) recalled the prophecy of Hazrat Yahya Madini (rahmatullahi alaihi) who stated that the one who would utter these words would be responsible for the spread and propagation of the Chishtia silsila. Hazrat Nizamudeen (rahmatullahi alaihi)'s spiritual instruction began immediately.After a period of strict spiritual training, Hazrat Nizamudeen (rahmatullahi alaihi) was made the khalifa-e-azam of Shah Kalimullah (rahmatullahi alaihi) and instructed to spread Islam and serve the needs of the community in south India. He travelled extensively throughout the whole of the southern Indian plateau teaching and catering for the needs of the community, before settling down and establishing a seminary in Aurangabad. The seminary had ten doors, and none were forbidden entrance or education. At each door stood a scribe, and whenever anyone came with financial problems, they would write the following lines,

"The remembrance of Allah is the greatest;On this my heart is fully concentrated.

To this world, Nizamudeen is oblivious."

The poor would then take this to the rich who, because of their great respect and deep love for the great saint, would regard it as the highest honour to fulfill their brother's needs. Wit this kind of practice, is it any wonder that the sufis of India were loved and venerated by rich and poor alike? Those who spread Islam not only by words but by actions, who not only preach but live the eternal principles of Islam, such men and women have truly sacrificed their lives for Allah. It is they to whom Rasulallah refers in a hadith wherein he states,

"The saint are like prophets unto their communities."

Hazrat Nizamudeen Aurangabadi (rahmatullahi alaihi) was actively involved in the propagation of Islam, and along with this he gave special attention to the spiritual training of his mureeds. Historians have quoted the number of those disciples as being over one hundred thousand. At any given time after salaat, about 300-500 people would gather in his mosque for zikrullah. Hazrat Nizamudeen (rahmatullahi alaihi) was strict in his observance of the sunnah of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) . His concern for the welfare of the community, as we have seen above, was sincere and very great. He would always ensure that in whatever way possible he would fulfil the need of anyone who Shah Kalimullah (rahmatullahi alaihi) him for assistance. The life of a saint is not only miracles and ecstasies; they live in the real world of ordinary mortals such as ourselves, but yet transcend it, for they breathe Allah's love with every breath.

Hazrat Nizamudeen (rahmatullahi alaihi)'s book, Nizamul Quloob, hold very pertinent lessons for us today, as it stresses the spiritual upliftment of the muslims prior to them commencing propagation of Islam. He states that in order to be a true representative of Islam, one necessarily must possess those qualities of spiritual perfection that would allow the person to spread the religion not only by word but also by practice and principle. Hazrat Nizamudeen (rahmatullahi alaihi) had thirteen khulafah who continued his work after his demise, foremost of whom was his son Hazrat Moulana Fakhrudeen (rahmatullahi alaihi). He left this world on the 12th Zil Qadah 1142AH and lies buried in his mazaar in

Aurangabad. Ample testimony to his great services to Islam both during his life and posthumously can be found in the title afforded to him, "Qutbe Daccan", or "axis around which revolves the south."

The beloved sleeps, covering her face with the beautiful locks of her hair. Khusro, go home! The darkness of evening has engulfed the whole world.

XXX