Photo One : The Mosque of Syed Ahmad Rifai Alayhi Rahma

Photo Two : The Immama of Syed Ahmad Rifai Alayhi Rahma

Photo Three : The Darbar of Syed Ahmad Rifai Alayhi Rahma

Photo Four : ADrawing of Syed Ahmad Rifai Alayhi Rahma

One of the illustrious bright light of this line of saints was Syed ul Auliya Muhiuddin Abu Al Abbas Hadrat Syed Ahmad Kabeer Rifai Sha’fai, a true example of faith and one of the great inheritors of the perfection of the Prophet of Islam.

Muhiuddin is the pen name of Hadrat Syed Ahmad Kabeer. One of his ancestors was Rifa’a, therefore he is also known as Rifai and since he was a follower of Hadrat Imam Sha’fai (may Allah be pleased with him) he is also called Sha’fai.

The venerable Hadrat Syed Ahmed (may his soul be sanctified) was a direct descendant of Syed ul Shuhada, Hadrat Imam Hussain(May Allah be pleased with him) due to which he is known as Hussaini. Hadrat Ahamed’s father was Hadrat Syed Ali.

Hadrat Syed Ahmed Rifai Alayhi Rahma was born on Rajab 15th in the year 512 (Hijri) at Hasan which is situated near the city of Umme Ubaida in IRAQ. It was a time Mustarshid Billah was the Abbasid Caliph of the Muslim world. Prophet Muhammad (May peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) had foretold the birth of Hadrat Syed Ahmed Kabeer to his maternal uncle Hadrat Mansur Bitahi. Forty days before the birth of Syed Ahmed, Shaikh Mansur had seen the blessed Prophet in the dream telling Shaikh Mansur that his sister will give to a son who will be the chief of saints (Syed ul Auliya) and who should be named Ahmed. Shaikh Mansur was also instructed by the blessed Prophet to depute his yet to be born nephew for education under Shaikh Ali Qadri Wasti. Exactly forty days after this dream, Syed Ahmed Kabeer was born AT Hasan.

Syed Ahmed Rifai Alayhi Rahma was brought up by his parents at Hasan until he was seven years of age when his father Hadrat Syed Ali died in Baghdad. After the death of the father Syed Ahmed came under the care of his maternal uncle Hadrat Shaikh Mansur Bitahi (May Allah be pleased with him) who arranged for his education and upbringing.

Syed Ahmed Rifai Alayhi Rahma had read & memorised the holy Qur’an as Hasan under Shaikh Abdul Sami Harbuni. He now came under the care of Shaikh Abul Fazal Wasti at Wasta. The gifted Shaikh Wasti took great interest in Hadrat Ahmed’s education and by the age of twenty, Syed Ahmed had mastered Hadith, religious literature, philosophy etc.

After completion of his religious education & instruction and having obtained degree & permission, Hadrat Syed Ahmed began his preachings. At the same time he began to acquire the knowledge of the secrets (uloome Batni) from his uncle Hadrat Mansur Bitahi (May Allah be pleased with him) and mastered the science of the secrets in a short time.

In the beginning, his God-gifted abilities and sagacity made him very popular with the people and established ulema and other scholars began to attain his sermons for their own benefit. And when his piety became known all around he was appointed resident at the Khaniqah of Umme Ubaida to serve as people’s guide & instructor, by his uncle Hadrat Mansur Bitahi.

As his fame spread far and wide, huge crowd began to assemble in the Khaniqah of Umme Ubaida and hundreds and thousands of ulema and other scholars of religion began to reside in the Khaniqah. Hadrat Syed Ahmed Rifai Alayhi Rahma provided for their boarding & loading so that the seekers of knowledge devoted their full time in the praise and remembrance of Allah.

Many authoritative sources claim that on certain day’s attendance at the Khaniqah used to be about ten thousand and all were fed and looked after by Hadrat Ahmed’s public kitchen. (Albayan Almushaiyad p.7)

Yet Hadrat Syed Ahmed Rifai Alayhi Rahma showed no signs of arrogance for his popularity. According to Allama Ibne Jauzi’s grandson Shamsuddin Abul Muzaffar Yusuf, when he visited Hadrat Shaykh Syed Ahmed Rifai Alayhi Rahma on 15th of Sha’aban he witnessed a congregation of about one hundred thousand people. When he expressed his surprise at such a large gathering, Hadrat Shaykh Syed Ahmed Rifai Alayhi Rahma is reported to have said:

If in my heart, there is any trace of arrogance or pride, for leading this congregation, then I may meet the same fate as that of Hamaan.

(Qalaid al Jawahir p. 290)

Hadrat Tadni (May Allah be pleased with him) states that Shaikh Ahmed was a personage of wonders, his status was most eminent and his popularity was immense.

It is believed that Shaykh Syed Ahmed Rifai Alayhi Rahma was one of the four great Islamic saints who, with Allah’s grace, restored eyesight to the blind, health to the sick and resurrected the dead.

In every town and village the venerable Shaikh had countless followers and hi Khaniqahs were spread across the length and breadth of the entire Muslim world.

In the science and practice of religion he was a great master of his time. He knew about invisible and mysterious things. His sermons were very erudite and noble and in Sufism he had amazing command and fame. At the same he was a magnanimous and humble soul. (Qalaid al Jawahir p.289)

Syedul Auliya Hadrat Shaykh Syed Ahmed Rifai Alayhi Rahma (May Allah be pleased with him) was a true copy of Prophet Muhammad (May peace & blessings of Allah be upon him). He possessed the qualities of humility, modesty, humbleness and gentleness. He used to say that he had seen and considered other ways of conduct but had come to the conclusion that civility and modesty were the best. Hadrat Syed Ahmed was a steadfast follower of the sunnah of the Prophet. He disliked those sufis who were busy reaping the fruits of this world. He led a simple life befitting a Fakeer. He disliked formalities & comforts and was a man of few words. Bashful modesty dominated his personality. When he departed from this world, he left behind no worldly possessions. (Bahjat ul Asrar p. 23)

Inspite of the vast knowledge in the literature of the sharia and other religious texts, Shaikh Ahmed paid little attention to compilation and composition of what he preached. However his disciples and devotees took notes from his sermons and out of these some books were compiled such as: Majalis al Ahmedia; Kitab ul Hukum, Asrar al Nafe, and Al burhan al Mueed. This book is based on the extracts of Al burhan a Mueed.

Hadrat Syed Ahmed Kabeer Rifai devoted 66 years of his life in the service of Allah’s children by teaching them righteous guidance. He left this mortal world in the year 578 (Hijri) and was laid to rest in the sameKhaniqah of Umme Ubaida where his ancestors were buried. The venerable Shaikh declared before his death: I am the shaikh of the undoubting; I am the destination of all those goats who have separated from their flock; And I am Shaikh of all those who have no shaikh.

Aftab Shahryar New Delhi

MIRACLES AT THE HANDS OF

HADRAT AHMED

Hadrat Allama Shatnufi (May Allah be pleased with him) states that Hadrat Shaykh Syed Ahmed Rifai Alayhi Rahma (May Allah be pleased with him) was an extraordinary noble and pious saint, with a luminous heart and mind. He was a gift from Allah whose miracles made him an eminent religious divine of his time. His companions were so competent that they could ride the beasts and could hold serpents like a whip in their hands and some of them had the ability to climb tall trees and jump from there without contracting injury. (Qalaid al Jawahir p. 293)

Shaikh Shamsuddin, son of Allama Ibn i Jauzi writes in his memoirs that Hadrat Syed Allama Kabeer (May Allah be pleased with him) performed many miracles while he was in Umme Ubaida.

Hadrat Allama Shatnufi recalls that one person went to visit an elder sage in the jungle. When he took permission to leave the elder saint that he had seen a line of misfortune on the forehead of the visitor. That visitor then paid a pilgrimage to the Khaniqah of Syed Ahmed Kabeer who presented him a garment. When this person returned to the jungle to the same elder sage, then that saint said that due to the blessings of Hadrat Syed Ahmed Kabeer the line of misery had been replaced by an auspicious line. (Bahjat al Asrar p. 236)

Allama Shatnufi also recalls that one visitor came to see Hadrat Syed Ahmed and estables were placed before him. That visitor refused to eat saying that he eats only when it was time for him to eat. Hadrat Ahmed asked him about the time time of his meals. He replied that he eats only after the dusk prayers.

The visitor was served dinner after Maghrib. He requested Hadrat Ahmed to join him for dinner. But the Shaikh told the guest that he eats at his own time. What will be your time? The guest enquired. Hadrat Ahmed replied: once in six months. (Bahjat al Asrar p. 236)

Hadrat Allama Jami (May Allah be pleased him) records that many people used to come to Hadrat Ahmed Kabeer for amulets to be written out for their benefit. Sometimes if by chance there was no ink, hadrat Ahmed used to write amulets without ink. Once Hadrat Ahmed wrote an amulet for a person without the aid of ink. After a long interval that person returned it to Hadrat Ahmed, in order to test him. But Hadrat Ahmed told the visitor that the paper given to him had an amulet written over it. (Nafhat al Uns p. 785)

Hadrat Allama Jami (May Allah be pleased with him) records the one day two pupils of Hadrat Ahmed Kabeer went to the forest and sat down for conversation. One of them asked the other: you have been serving Hadrat Ahmed for long; what reward have you got for your services? The other pupil replied that if have a wish then why not say it; may be granted by Allah.

The first pupil said, my brother I wish that the warrant of release from hell, for both of us, should descend from heaven. Within minutes a paper fell from above which was picked up by the pupils. It was a plain paper and they took it to Hadrat Syed Ahmed Kabeer. When Hadrat saw the paper he prostrated himself in prayer and later said:

Allah does not write with ink. The letter has been written with light and praised Allah for granting freedom, from hell, for his pupil, in his lifetime. (Nafhat al Uns p. 786).

Hadrat Allama Tadni (May Allah be pleased with him) relates that one of the followers of Shaikh Ahmed saw in his dream that Hadrat Syed Ahmed was present in a magnificent house & that his wife was beating him on his shoulders with a lighted stick and Hadrat Ahmed was sitting silently. After waking up the pupil angrily told other disciples that they were not doing anything while Hadrat Ahmed was facing trouble.

One disciple disclosed that Hadrat Ahmed was not in apposition to pay five hundred dinars as alimony to his wife. One of them offered to Hadrat Ahmed five hundred dinars to pay to his wife as alimony.

HadratShaykh Syed Ahmed Rifai Alayhi Rahma smiled and said if I did not bear my wife’s torture with patience, you would not have seen me in a splendid house in your dream. (Qalaid al Jawahir p. 293)

In his heart Hadrat Shaykh Syed Ahmed Rifai Alayhi Rahma had great respect for Hadrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (May Allah be pleased with him). Very often he would shower praises on the Ghaus-e-Azam and instruct his followers & audience to honour and eulogize Ghaus E Azam Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani Alayhi Rahma.

According to Allama Shatnufi (May Allah be pleased with him) one persons came to seek the permission of Hadrat Syed Ahmed before making a journey to Baghdad. The Shaikh instructed him to pay a visit to Hadrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, in case he was alive, at the first instance or otherwise pay his respects at his grave because the venerable Shaikh had been promised that those who come to Baghdad & do not pilgrimage to his shrine shall be punished. (Bahjat ul Asrar p. 238)

In the year 555 (Hijri) Hadrat Syed Ahmed journeyed towards Makkah for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. During his visit to the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina he offered his prayers at the blessed mausoleum of Prophet Muhammad (May peace & blessings of Allah be upon him).

In a loud voice he addressed the Prophet: peace be upon you, my ancestor. Then a voice from the blessed shrine replied: peace be with you, my descendant. On hearing this voice Hadrat Syed Ahmed was over powered with ecstasy. Many others in attendance heard the blessed voice of the Prophet at the same time. With tears in his eyes, Hadrat Syed Ahmed disclosed to those parents, that when he was away from the sacred resting place of the Prophet (Peace & blessings of Allah be upon him). Then his spirit used to visit and kiss the blessed shrine of the Prophet.

He pleaded with the Prophet for physical touch & requested that the holy hands be extended to enable the lips of the devotee to kiss them. At the urging of Hadrat Ahmed, the Prophet extended his holy hands from his grave and Hadrat Ahmed kissed the blessed hand. Many thousands devotees, present at that time, were honoured by the sight of the blessed hand.

Among them were many illustrious Sufi saints such as Hadrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, Hadrat Shaikh Ali bin Musafir al Amomi and Hadrat Shaikh Abdul Razaq Hussain Wasti. (May Allah be pleased with them all). (Al-byan al Mushaiyad p. 8)

Hadrat Syed Ahmed Kabeer Rafai’s nephew Abul Fazal Abdur Rehman bin Ali Rifai recalls that one day as he was attending a sermon of his uncle he saw a man descend from the sky and told Hadrat Syed Ahmed that he was hungry for the last twenty days and expressed his desire to eat and drink according to his preferences.

Hadrat enquired about his wish. That man looked at the sky and saw five wild ducks flying and said that he wanted to eat one of those ducks along with wheat bread and a jug of cold water.

Hadrat Ahmed declared that the ducks were for the guest. He looked towards the soaring wild ducks and said: fulfil the desire of this man. Before completed his sentence, one roasted wild duck fell in him front of him. Hadrat Ahmed then raised his hands in the air and one jug of cold water appeared in his hands. He took out two stones from his side & turned them into water bread.

After a hearty meal the guest left and HadratShaykh Syed Ahmed Rifai Alayhi Rahma the bones of the duck in his hand and with his right hand commanded the bones & muscles to join together. The moment he said: Bismillah (I begin in the name of Allah), then the wild duck resurrected and flew back towards the sky. (Qalaid al Jawahir p. 291).

According to an account of Hadrat Ahmed Shatnufi (May Allah be pleased with him) one day Shaikh Ahmed was sitting on the banks of river Dajla with his disciples & friends. He expressed his desire to eat fried fish. Before he could complete his sentence many kind of fish jumped on the river bank.

The disciples fried some of the fish and all of them had a heartily meal and only some portion of the fish was left at the end. After finishing his meal the Shaik addressed the left over portions of the fish:

O’ fish, by the command of Allah, get moving. In a moment the left over of the fish came alive and jumped into the river. (Bahjat ul Asrar p. 237).

According to Hadrat Allam Jami (May Allah be pleased with him) Hadrat Syed Ahmed nephew’s Abul Hasan Ali was sitting at the gate of the room of Hadrat Ahmed when he heard somebody talking to the Shaikh. When he looked inside he saw some unfamiliar person who left through the ventilator of his room and like a lightning vanished into thin air.

A curious Abul Hasan enquired about it and was told that the man was one of the four people who were appointed for the protection of the Atlantic Ocean (Bahr-e-Muhit) and few days back he was a disgraced and dismissed but does not know the reason of his punishment. Abul Hasan then asked the Shaikh the reason for his punishment. The Shaikh explained that the person lives in one of the Islands of the Atlantic Ocean (Bahr-e-Muhit) where it had been raining heavily for the past few days. He had expressed his opinion that the rains could be diverted to some inhabited place and due to his opinion based on criticism he was disgraced.

Abul Hasan enquired if the person had been told the reason for his disgrace, the Shaikh replied in the negative sayings he was reluctant to disclose the reason to him. The Abul Hasan offered to do the same. Hadrat agreed & asked Abul Hasan to hide his face in his collar. Hasan did so, and then heard a voice directing him to take his head out of his collar. When he did so, he found himself on an island of the Atlantic Ocean (Bahr-e-Muhit); there he met that disgraced person and narrated the reasons of his punishment.

That person then requested Hasan to tie his garment around his neck and then he be dragged along. Hasan did accordingly but before he could drag him, a voice from beyond commanded him to released the disgraced person, for angels were crying for him and Allah, in his mercy, had forgiven him.

Hasan fell down in an unconscious state after hearing this voice and found himself with Shaikh Ahmed after regaining consciousness. (Nafhat ul Uns p. 785)

According to Allama Shatnufi (May Allah be pleased with him) Shaikh Imam Abu Abdullah Bitahi travelled to Umme Ubaida and stayed in the Khaniqah of Shaikh Sayed Ahmed Rifai for a few days, Shaikh Ahmed requested him to describe the grace & virtues of Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (May Allah be pleased with him). Imam Abu Abdullah began to speak when one person intervened and said:

Cut this out and tell us the virtues of others, referring to Shaikh Ahmed Rifai.

The Shaikh of Umme Ubaida stared at the intruder with such anger that he fell down dead on the ground. And then Hadrat Shaikh Ahmed Rifai remarked: who has the power to praise Hadrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani? And who has the capability to attain the spiritual heights achieved by him? He told his audience that Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani was a great saint on whose right flows the ocean of Shariat and on the left flows the ocean of Haqeeq (Reality). Out of these two one can choose one’s pick. In out time, he said, No one can be compared with Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (May Allah be pleased with him). (Bahjat ul Asrar p. 232)

According to Hadrat Allama Shatnufi, Shaikh Abbas Khizr Bin Abdullah Hasani of Mosul was once sitting in the company of Hadrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (May Allah be pleased with him) when suddenly he had this urge to meet Hadrat Shaikh Ahmed Rifai (May Allah be pleased with him) Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani asked him if he wanted to pay a visit to Shaikh Ahmed Rifai and he said he most definitely wanted to. Hadrat Shaikh Jilani than lowered his head and said: O’ Khizr, Look! Shaikh Ahmed Rifai is here. Shaikh Khizr saw the awe-inspiring personality of Shaikh Ahmed said: O’ Khizr a person who sits in the august company of the patriarch of the auliyas, Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, why should be want to see me? I am one of his subjects and then Shaikh Ahmed Rifai disappeared from the sight of the devotee.

After the passing away of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (May Allah be pleased with him) Shaikh Khizr travelled to Umme Ubaida to see the spiritual sight of Hadrat Ahmed Rifai. There he saw the same face that he had seen at the abode of Hadrat Abdul Qadir Jilani. He heard Shaikh Ahmed say: was the first meeting not enough for you O’ Khizr? (Bahjat ul Asrar p. 238)

SPIRITUAL SERMONS

THE WAY TO GOD

A lover cannot attain the beloved until he turns away from the enemies of the beloved. Listen then! This world is the enemy of Allah and you are entangled with this world. Then how can you be a friend of Allah? One disciple went to fetch water from the well and when he pulled out his utensil it was filled with gold. He threw the gold back into the well and pleaded with Allah that he did not seek anything else but Him.

Such are the true man of Allah. If you cannot emulate them then at least you should not earn your livelihood through prohibited means.

THE WAY TOWARDS ALLAH IS OPEN

It is imperative to believe in your hearts the basic principles or pillars of Islam which prayers (namaz) fasting(Roda) pilgrimage,(Hajj) poor-due (Zakat) and unity of Allah(Tawhid) and the divine mission of Prophet Muhammad(peace of Allah & blessings be upon him). And the believers relations with Allah depends on his abstinence from what is prohibited by Allah and the momin should remember Allah always. This is the only way. (Alburhan al Muaiyad p. 61)

Friends! I have tried my level best & attempted many ways with best of intentions & efforts. But I could not find a better way that is dear to Allah than the sunnah (tradition of Holy Prophet and the virtues of gentleness and humility.

Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddique (May Allah be pleased with him) used to say that it is Allah’s mercy that He did not seek anything but Humbleness in His believers, for them to attain nearness of Allah. For humbleness and humility are so easy to practice. Humans are humble from head to toe. Had there benn any other way to attain nearness of Allah then it would have been very difficult. Humility and modesty are the surest ways to attain proximity of Allah.

There is a tradition that Allah commanded Hadrat Musa (Moses) (Peace be upon him) to bring to Him things that were not on His treasures. Hadrat Musa answered: My lord you are the Lord of the wolds. What is it that is not in Your treasure?

My treasures are full of glory, grandeur, power & magnificence, said Allah, you bring to Me gentleness, humility & humbleness which My treasures do not have. I am near to those whose hearts are tormented due to their love for Me. O’ Moses, none has attained My nearness except those who have the virtues of humility, humbleness & modesty.

SEEK ALLAH’S PLEASURE

Your devotion to your own self and to your family is a reflection of your ignorance. I do not say that you leave your family and go to the mountains for meditation. But I only ask you to look after your children to attain Allah’s pleasure, that is, do not love them to serve your ardent desires but do it to please Allah. Give respite to your desire and seek the Mercy and nearness of Allah. Your work should not be for your happiness of others but it should be please Allah.

Because the glory of Allah in all situations is pure of infidelity. The deeds of sin are returned to the infidels and thrown at their faces, and the deeds of the faithful are accepted by Allah. Remember! Divine worship is a pure deed.

And Allah commands those who wish to attain His proximity, they should do noble deeds and should not associate any one with Allah in worship. (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p 101).

THE STATUS OF THE PROPHET

My elders! Consider the status of your Prophet (May peace & blessings of Allah be with him) as exalted. He is the link between humanity and Allah. He alone his defined the difference between the Creator and the creatures. He is the servant of Allah, the beloved of Allah and Messenger of Allah. In entire humanity he is Most perfect and among Allah’s prophets he is most venerable. He showed us the way towards Allah, invited us towards His way, delivered to us the message of Allah. He is our sole source and door to Allah’s court. Anyone who is near him is near Allah and one who is far from him is far away from Allah.

The prophet (May peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) has said: None can become a believer unless he has submitted his self to the sharia that I have given to the world. (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p 17)

Beware! Do not say that certain things belong to the habits of the Prophet and not to his prayers and then abstain from them. For such abstinence will close one of the doors of blessing. And in his divine worship, I think none has any objection to obey the Prophet unless such a person is either an idiot or has concealed disbelief in his heart. May Allah save us and save you from such a conduct. Ameen ! (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p. 86)

THE RANKS OF THE COMPANIONS

Among the companion of the Prophet the most venerated is Syedna Abu Bakr Siddique, after him Syedna Umar Farooq and after him Syedna Usman Ghani (May Allah be pleased with him).

The Prophet stated that his companions (sahaba) were like stars whosoever you follow you shall attain righteousness. And abstain from discussing the differences among the companions. Instead discuss their noble deeds, their miracles and laudable actions. You should love them & praise them. Love the sahabas of the Prophet and develop such character as was that of the companions. (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p 17)

LOVE THE HOUSE OF THE PROPHET

Dear friends! Illuminate your hearts with the love of the members of the house of the Prophet. For, those noble men & women are the luminous stars of blessings. The Prophet had said that the members of his family should be respected & honoured. The men Allah favours, He guides them to carry out the will of the Prophet regarding his family members.

Then such a person loves them, favours them, respects them & defends them. On the last day such a person will be with the members of the House of the Prophet.

And those who love Allah will love his Prophet and those who love Muhammad shall love his house and they shall be with them on the day of Judgement. So respect & favour the members of family of the Prophet. Theblessings of Allah shall be with you for this deed. (Al Muaiyad p. 82)

WHO IS A SAINT ?

Listen! Wali is a person who has turned his favour away from worldly desires and the Satan and has turned his face and heart towards Allah and has given up this world & hereafter for seeking Allah alone and nothing else. (Al Burhan Al Muaiyad p 18)

BEFRIEND THE HOLY SAINTS (AULIYA)

And make friends with the auliya. Without doubt those friends of Allah are free form fear and worries. Walis are those who love Allah, have faith in Him and follow the path of piety. Therefore do not make enemies of these friends of Allah commands that those who hurt Him Walis then from His side it will be a declaration of war against them. Allah will take revenge on those who humiliate or hurt His saints. And He favours those who love his saints & blesses those who come under their protection. Make the love of holy men (walis) obligatory for yourself. Seek their company.

For, then you shall be blessed. They(Auliya) belong to the party of Allah. Join them and remember, it is Allah’s faction that will triumph. (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p 19).

O’ men! Whoever befriends an auliya befriends Allah. Simillarly those who are enemies of auliyas are enemies of Allah. My dear, if somebody loves your enemy can you then love him? Definitely not ! Towards the enemies of auliyas, Allah sends his wrath and revenge. By God, you will not. So remember Allah is Most Merciful and Compassionate. Therefore he shall never hate the friend of His auliyas, but will surely shower His blessings & favour on him. (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p 36)

AND KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ULEMA

The sages of knowledge advise you to keep in touch with the ulemas. I do not say that you should study philosophy but only ask you to acquire the knowledge of religion. If Allah wants to favour some one then He gives him understanding of religion. Allah has never made any ignorant a saint and if He does do it, then he makes the ignorant learned. Saints (walis) cannot be ignorant of the science of religion. They know very well how to Zakat, how to keep fast and how to perform pilgrimage. Such a person consolidates his relationship with Allah. Even if such a person is ignorant, he is not devoid of knowledge of religion.

DEVOUT ULEMAS ARE AULIYA

All alims (Islamic scholars) are worthy of respect & prestige. According to the Prophet (May peace & blessing of Allah be upon him) those who practise their beliefs Allah grants them such knowledge (which was unknown to them before). The same knowledge is also with the auliyas. Thus, it is established that devout ulemas are really auliya.

And the Prophet had said that ulemas are the inheritors of his legacy. This is a great virtue with which devout ulemas are honoured. Such ulemas are exalted men among all humanity. (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p 72)

ADVICE TO THE ULEMA

O’ Ulema you should not enjoy the deliciousness of knowledge and forsake the bitterness of action & practice. The deliciousness of knowledge without the bitterness of action is not fruitful. The fruit of bitterness is sweetness for ever (that is, the pleasure of paradise that shall never end).

Some Quranic verses make it clear that Allah does not lat a good work go waste & rewards all good conduct. If they are performed with good intentions. But such work should be in the way of Allah alone, not for this world or for the sake of Hereafter. Such action should be done with full faith in Allah and with a favourable view. In practice, it is important to achieve perfect sincerity.

ADVICE TO THE SUFIS

Dear elders! Why do you quote Haris, Bistami and Ibn e Mansur? What has become of you? You should be referring to Imam Shafi, Imam Malik & Imam Abu Hanifa. The quotes of Haris & Bistami can neither reduce nor enhance your stature. For, they only talk about incidents & events which are faced by individual differently. Imam Shafi & Imam Malik discuss the wise ways of the shariah with knowledge & practice, then go into the intricacies of knowledge & action and mysteries. One congregation of knowledge is better than seventy years of worship. (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p 74)

SUFIS ARE OF FOUR KINDS

The sufis can be divided into four types:

One, there are sufis who seek followers, try to attract people towards them and feel happy at their followers, Khaniqah and prestige.

Second, are those who seek a spiritual guide because they have respect for the party of the sufis. They love it and wants to follow the system with all their true faith.

Third, are those who after having found a spiritual teacher, start moving around but halt on listening to the world of Allah: "We shall show Our signs in this world and in their lives.”

Now sometimes he considers Allah’s creation as His sign and in this attempt to understand becomes indifferent towards Allah. And sometimes he succumbs to his desires thinking that in it may be Allah’s wisdom & power.

Forth type are those who follow on each step and in their words & deeds. In all conditions, the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (May peace & blessings of Allah him),, raise the flag of devotion and lowers their head in all humility in the court of Allah and travel on path in the belief that ‘Except for Allah everything shall perish’ And "Allah alone is Creator and His will shall prevail.’ They understand their limits and their attention is always towards Allah. The first kind of sufis is unfortunate, the second type is only is love, the third one is busy travelling on the path but has not reached his goal, the fourth type is perfect. (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p. 113).

FOUR KINDS OF ULEMA

Ulema & other Islamic scholars are of four kinds. The first type is one who acquires knowledge to contest, argue, take pride and make worldly gains.

Second kinds are those who wish to seek knowledge so that they are regarded as ulemas by the society and the family.

Third types are those who solve difficult problems, discover the intricacies of traditions, swim in the rivers of debate and in all this the intention is to seek knowledge. But at the same time they are intellectual snobs and consider others as lesser men in the field. They cross all limits, use foul language against their opponents and declare them unbelievers and attack them as a beast attacks his prey.

The fourth kind are those who have been gifted to Allah in the realm of knowledge which they use to wake the negligent, show the way to the ignorant, to bring back those who have gone astray and use their knowledge for the benefit of others. And they opposes all that is prohibited by the shariah and advocate all that is permitted by the shariah.

They invite people towards noble deeds, never transgress their limits & refrain from oppression.

The first type is bad, the second type is deprived, third type is in illusion and the fourth type is perfect. (Al Muaiyad p 104)

THE GOAL OF SUFIS & ULEMA IS THE SAME

The destination of the path of Sufis and the ulema is the same. Love of the World and love of grandeur in the undoing of both the Sufis & the ulemas. And denial of the world and sincerity & purity leads them towards their cherished goal. Shariah and Tariqat are the same. The goal of both is the same. In my view if a sufi speaks ill of an a’alim (Islamic Scholars) he is inviting Allah’s wrath. And that scholars whose speaks ill of a Sufis is also a sinner.

But if either of the sufis or ulema deviates from the straight path & shariah then it is not sin to speak ill of them.

Sufis is accomplished and a’alim is wise. They cannot deny each other. If they do, then certainly they are ignorant of shariah and mysticism. (Al Muaiyad p 115)

ISLAM NEEDS BOTH ULEMA & SUFIS

Tell those poor sufis, who live behind the walls, do they not want that i their towns there are some auliya who removes doubts of disbelievers and faithless and of those who lave gone astray, with their brilliant arguments. If they do not want this, then they are ignorant & stupid. And if they want it, then they have accepted the necessity & need of the ulema, then why do they oppose them & raise objections?

And tell those poorulema, do they not want that in their towns are people who with their miracles force the disbelievers, faithless opponent of Islam to see the truth in Islamic religion so that even the need for argument does not arise. Do you want that the spiritual legacy of the Prophet comes to an end and do you want that the ascendancy of miracles of the Prophet & his Companions & holy men sees its end.?

If your desire is such, then save your faith. If this is not your want then tell us who is the spiritual representative of Prophet Muhammad? Is it the sufis or the ulema?

If these sufis cease to exist then who will show to the world the example of the spiritual wonders of Prophet Muhammad (May peace & blessing of Allah be upon him).

FOLLOW THE SUNNAH STEADFASTLY

Dear elders! A mystic remains a follower of the true path (tariqat) as long as he follows sunnah. And when he deviates from the tradition of the Prophet he will go astray from the right path (TARIQAT).

TARIQAT IS NOT LEGACY

My dear! You think that this Tariqat is a legacy left by your father. It has come down from your ancestors and will automatically be inherited by you. You have come to believe that this treasure is your Tariqat—the woollen robe, the turban, the wand and the personality of a venerable saint. No, by God, Allah has no consideration for such things but looks into your hearts. How does one put Allah’s secrets and nearness in your heart for that is a prisoner of a garment, rosary, walking stick and is negligent of Allah. What is the use of such intelligence which is devoid of the light of knowledge?

O’ poor man! You do not follow the rules of the jama’at, you have only borrowed its clothes. If you had discarded your pride and escaped from your weaknesses, then it would have been much better. But how does one make you understand this. You think your face, your garment is like theirs (aulia).

If you had understood the reality, then you would have forsaken your family, your long robe & your turban and would have come to us in search of Allah. Then you would have wrapped yourself up in the clothes of knowledge and you would have discarded all such things which make you forsake Allah.

O’ wretched one! You are following your illusion, your vanity and superstition. You are in fact loaded with the filth of arrogance, you cannot take one step on this path. Learn the art of politeness, modesty & humility.

O’ foolish one! You have learned the lesson of knowledge but what have you achieved by this? You definitely have earned this rejected world. Your example is that of a person who is trying to buy filth with filth.

Why are you bent on deceiving yourself. And what lies you tell about yourself as a man of Allah and about your disciples. But the truth is that you are not a man of God and your disciples know nothing about the ways of Allah. (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p. 42)

SHARIAT AND TARIQAT ARE SAME

You must not believe what some ignorant say that they belong to the internal world and others to the external life. This is wrong because this faith is a combination of both the internal & external life. What is internal is the essence of the external and the apparent is the protector of the latent. If there were no external condition, where would you hide the internal? Heart cannot function without the body and heart is the light of the body; without the heart, body would be lifeless. Therefore the external is dependent on the internal and vice versa.

Faith intends to reform the hearts of men. If your heart believers in the unity of Allah & divine mission but, at the same time, if you commit crimes, accept interest, tell lies, and are rude in your behaviour, then what is the point of your good intentions & purity of heart.

In the same fashion if you are devoted to Allah, pray and fast, speak the truth and are polite but in your heart your conceal hatred & violence, then what is the point in your being a virtuous person for the show of it?

When you have understood that your internal is the essence of your external behaviour and your external is the guardian of the internal and the two cannot be separated, then you should never accept the dichotomy between the internal and external condition of your existence. For this is deviation and heresy of the worst kind. (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p 73).

REASON & FAITH

Wisdom is the summit of knowledge. We cannot acquire knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is the attribute of Allah and wisdom is the attribute of humans. But may I say that the status of wisdom & intelligence is higher than knowledge. Therefore without wisdom we cannot acquire knowledge.

Hadrat Ali has said that Reason is not reason that does not comprehend faith and faith is not faith that does not subdue reason. There are many things of faith that are allowed to us and there are other things which are prohibited. When reason is laced with such practise & abstinence then such reason is in accord with the shariah. (Alburhan al Mueed p 49)

THE TRAP OF IGNORANCE & THE REALITY OF KNOWLEDGE

Any person who has forsaken his unknown desires and kicked away his negative temperament he has found release from the prison of ignorance. The reality of knowledge is not what you consider it—a woollen robe and a crown on the head, but grief and sorrow are clothes of knowledge, the crown of truth and the garment of perfect reliance on Allah. If it is so, then you are devout and wise. The external appearance of a learned man sparkles with the light of shariah and his internal condition is not empty from the fire of love. His heart rests on the sparks of excessive love (of Allah) And this ecstasy is his faith. (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p 33)

TIME & HEART ARE PRECIOUS

Keep an eye on your heart and on your time because these are the two most precious things. If you have wasted your time and frittered away the tranquillity of your heart, then you will be a loser.

And wasting time and being carried away with your feelings may lead you towards sin & ignorance. Sin blinds and blackens the heart and makes it stick. It is mentioned in the TORAH that in the heart of the infidel resides a singer who is on song. The heart of the devotee, on the other hands, is soulful. (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p 62).

REALITY OF RELIGION IN TWO WORDS

Hadrat Imam Muarraf Kaskhi and Hadrat Daud Tayi and Hadrat Hasan Basri (May Allah be pleased with them) and all those sufis who have been blessed with the association of these imams, have described the way to attain nearness of Allah in two words:

1.To follow the sharia steadfastly
2.To seek Allah alone, that is to forsake all desires except the desire to attain Allah’s nearness. (Alburhan al Muaiyad p 79)
SAVE YOURSELF FROM INDIFFERENCE & SIN

My dear! I do not ask you to give up your business but only ask you to save your self from all that is prohibited, while pursuing your vocations. I do not ask you to forsake your wives & children, or decent clothes. I only wish to say beware! Do not get involved with your family so much that you forget Allah. Do not exhibit your riches to such an extent that it breaks the hearts of the poor.

I suspect that such wallowing in luxury will result in arrogance and indifference. Of course, I expect you to keep your garments clean but at the same time your must keep your hearts pure & clean. For that is more important than your clothes. Allah will not assess your clothes. He will assess your hearts. Such is the declaration of our beloved Prophet. (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p 81).

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM ENVY

Beware of envy for envy, is the root of all sin. When Satan envied Hadrat Adam and turned arrogant, refused to bow before him and told lies to harm him, then Satan earned Allah’s displeasure. Thus untruthfulness, pride & arrogance take you away from the doors of Allah. Do not let these feelings dominate you. And invite all your attentions towards Allah. Remember that fate provides you with your livelihood and when you understand this you will not envy. And we all shall meet death. If you consider this, you will not be arrogant and know that your deeds will be accounted for. When you realise this, you will never speak falsehood (Al Myaiyad p 110).

AND ABSTAIN FROM CERTAIN THINGS

I would like you to fear certain things. Beware! Do not make room for them in your heart for this poison is fatal. I instruct you to fear Allah and keep away from habits such as:

Envy, that compels you to wish for the downfall of the other.

And forsake arrogance which makes you think you are better than others.

Do not tell untruth, which makes you talk useless & frivolous things.

Do not indulge in talking behind the back because you tend to talk ill about others.

Abstain from greed, for it makes the desires of the world grow fonder in you.

Abstain from hatred that boils your blood and makes you vengeful.

Do not practice hypocrisy which makes you happy with the fact that others are watching your actions.

And abstain from tyranny which makes you a prisoner of your base desires even if it hurts you as well as others. (Al Muaiyad p. 83).

DO GOOD DEEDS & ABSTAIN FROM EVIL ACTIONS

Make this your habit. Those who do good deeds and prevent others from doing prohibited deed such people are the vicegerent of Allah on earth & deputies of the Prophet. The true Prophet has told us so.

Hadrat Ali observed that the best jihad is to do good deeds and prevent others from doing prohibited things. And those who become enemies of sinner and express anger on those who do not obey the word of Allah, and struggle in the way of Allah and submit to Allah’s last religion then Allah will surely be merciful to them.

Holy Hadith says: In those communities which lead a life of sin and in it there may be people who are in a position to prevent sin but do not do it, then in the near future, they shall have face Allah’s wrath. (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p 84).

IT IS NO MATTER IF THOSE WHO PREACH DO NOT PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACH.

Dear elders! I wish to share with you that it is Allah’s graciousness that what I teach you to do, I already follow those things. But it is better for you that you do good deeds and prevent others from doing forbidden deeds before you start following what you preach others to do. Do not say that you will only ask others not to do prohibited things unless you have stopped doing them yourself.

The result of this attitude will be that the door of accountability will be closed. Nobody is innocent of sin. You guide people towards the right path even through you may not follow all that you preach. And prevent others doing prohibited deeds even though you may have no prevented yourself from doing what is forbidden. This is the command of our beloved prophet. (Al Muaiyad p 85).

YOUR SPEECH ALONE SHOULD NOT BE KNOWLEDGEABLE

After having acquired knowledge do not just talk, give sermons & speeches. Your knowledge should reside in your hearts too. After you have been blessed with knowledge let fear of Allah rule your heart. Your condition should not be such that your tongue speaks knowledge and in your deeds you do not have any fear of Allah!

This is not the glory of knowledge but is a reflection of ignorance. (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p 98)

HolyHadith says that on the Day of the Judgement those learned will share maximum wrath, who do not follow, what they have learned & believed in.

Dear one! Think of those who have gone before you which includes the prophets, saints, kings & sultans who all passed away from this world as if they did not exist. They have departed & others will follow. So keep yourself on the path of piety & virtue. And remember it will be Allah’s faction that shall attain salvation. The battalion of the satan will never succeed (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p 107).

HABITS & ASSOCIATIONS.

You tend to acquire different traits of character due to your associations. If you make friends rulers, Allah shall increase your pride & mercilessness. Those who associate with the rich, they shall acquire the greed for material things. Those who make friends with dervishes (Mendicants), they shall have satisfaction in their hearts.

Those who spend time with children they shall have aptitude for fun and games. And those who enjoy the company of women Allah will enhance their lust. And those who keep the company of the virtuous, they shall have knowledge. Those who keep company with disbelievers, he will give them inclination towards sin and evasiveness in seeking forgiveness of Allah. (Al Muaiyad p 87)

GREET YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS WITH HUMILITY

My dear ones!

You should greet with humility and gratitude towards Allah your wealth, your family, your knowledge, your achievements, virtues & so on.

If you do so, it shall be favourable for you and you shall be victorious in life. But if you take pride in what you have, then these will be a cause of temptation & perversion. Therefore take care and reform yourself and if mistaken notions of your greatness cross your mind then rake up sentiments of humility, repentance, gentleness & thanksgiving to Allah. Do not give any place to insolence & pride. For this will be at the cost of divinity within you. (Al Burhan Al Muaiyad p 84).

THE REALITY OF MYSTICISM

It is not mysticism that a Sufi asks his followers to love him, respect him and pay visits to him. Those who have got this perfect wisdom they do not stand at the gates of the worldly. Those who seek respect & honour from others than Allah shall come to grief. Those who have forsaken everything but Allah will attain all respect & honour.

AND REMEBER DEATH

My elders! The secrets of reality are apparent and the doors of Allah are open and the flag of religion is high. But these noble things you do not see because you are so busy in the love of this world and ignorant of death.

I am surprised at those who know that they will meet death one day and yet they forget about death. Those who know that they will have to leave this world, how do they get involved with worldly life?

And the one who knows he has to leave towards kingdom of God how does he forsake Allah and pays attentions to others? By God your indifference is a big problem. (Alburhan al Mueed p 107).

Beware! Do not be forgetful of death. Your indifference is a result of your failure to remember Allah. And the root of inadequate faith is your ignorance and ignorance is deviation from the way of Allah.

In many holy Books it is mentioned that Allah questions man. O’ son of Adam, what is your great achievement? Due to the health & prosperity granted by Me you became capable of worshiping Me and it is due to My graciousness that you perform your duties towards me. Tell me what if your great achievement?

After enjoying the sustenance provided by Me you turned dis-obedient. Due to My favour you are able to stand & sit.

In my protection you spend your days & evenings. You are alive only because of My mercy and from head to toe, you have my gifts. And after all this, you have the temerity to forget Me and remember others. You do not offer your gratitude that is due to Me and are always prepared to thank anyone everyone but me. (Al Burhan al Muaiyad p 87).

WORLD IS A MIRAGE

My dear believers! Remain stead fast on shariah in your internal as well as external existence. And keep a close watch on your heart lest it forgets Allah. Serve holy men and make haste in doing noble deeds. Make your nights the time of worship. Weep & repent on your sin openly & secretly.

Dear one! This world is only a mirage. Whatever it has, will perish one day.

If you are wish you will not bow before this world even if this world kneels before you. For this world is false, it makes fun of its lovers. Those who are indifferent to it shall triumph. Those who get involved with it, shall perish.

Holy Hadith warns: Love for this world is the root of all sins. So as love for it is the root of all sin, similarly indifference towards it is the root of all virtue. The world is like a snake. If you touch it, it feels soft but its position is fatal.