d. 1001 - 1250 HIJRI
Short Biographies [5] d. 1001 - 1250 HIJRI
MULLA ALI AL QARI [d.1014 H - 1605 CE]
MUJADDID ALIF THANI SIRHINDI [d.1034 H - 1624 CE]
ABD 'AL HAQ MUHADDITH DEHLWI [d.1052 H - 1642 CE]
SAYYAD NAUSHA GANJ BAKSH [d.1064 H - 1654 CE]
SHAYKH SULTAN BAHU [d.1104 H - 1693 CE]
ABD'ALLAH IBN ALAWI AL-HADDAD [d.1132 H - 1720 CE]
ABD'AL GHANI AN-NABLUSI [d.1143 H - 1733 CE]
SHAH WALI 'ALLAH DEHLWI [d.1176 H - 1762 CE]
SHAH ABUL GHAUS AL-FARUQI [d.1178 H - 1764 CE]
SHAH ALE AHMAD ACH'CHE MIA [d.1235 H - 1820 CE]
SHAH ABD 'AL AZIZ DEHLWI [d.1239 H - 1823 CE]
KHALID AL-BAGHDADI [d.1242 H - 1827 CE]
Mulla Ali Qari
Mulla Ali al Qari [d.1014AH / 1605CE] 'alayhir al rahman w'al ridwan
Imam Mullah Ali al-Qari Rahmatullahi alayh was one of the great Hanafi masters of hadith and Imams of fiqh, Qur'anic commentary, language, history and tasawwuf, he authored several great commentaries such as al-Mirqat on Mishkat al-masabih in several volumes, a two-volume commentary on Qadi 'Iyad's al-Shifa', and a two-volume commentary on IMAM AL GHAZALI'Sabridgment of the Ihya entitled 'Ayn al-'ilm wa zayn al-hilm (The spring of knowledge and the adornment of understanding). His book of prophetic invocations, al-Hizb al-a'zam (The supreme daily dhikr) forms the basis of Imam al-Jazuli's celebrated manual of dhikr, Dala'il al-khayrat, which along with the Qur'an is recited daily by many pious Muslims around the world.
He writes in the foreword to his commentary on al-Ghazali:
I wrote this commentary on the abridgment of Ihya' 'ulum al-din by the Proof of Islam and the Confirmation of Creatures hoping to receive some of the outpouring of blessings from the words of the most pure knowers of Allah, and to benefit from the gifts that exude from the pages of the Shaykhs and the Saints, so that I may be mentioned in their number and be raised in their throng, even if I fell short in their following and their service, for I rely on my love for them and content myself with my longing for them.[1]
On the obligation to seek purification of the heart he writes:
The greatest of the great (al-akabir) have striven to pray only two rak'at without conversing with their ego about dunya in the midst of their prayer, and they were unable to do this. Therefore there is not any such ambition for us of ever achieving this. Would that one saves only half of his prayer, or only a third, from the whisperings and the passing thoughts turning over in the mind. He is like him who mixes good and bad, like a glass full of vinegar into which water is poured: inevitably vinegar is spilled in proportion to the water poured and the two amounts never coexist. We ask for Allah's help! [2]
The last chapter of Qari's commentary on Ghazali, perhaps the most valuable of the entire work, is devoted to Ghazali's and Qari's explanations of the verse "If you love Allah, follow me, and Allah will love you!" (3:31) and is reminiscent of al-Harawi's Kitab sad maydan on the same topic. In it Qari cites al-Hasan al-Basri as saying: "Whoever (truly) knows his Lord loves Him, and whoever (truly) knows the world does without it." Mullah Ali Qari Rahmatullahi alayhbegins the chapter with a warning that the various spiritual states of love for Allah described by Sufis in their terminology all proceed from the same Qur'anic source and that it is not permitted to deny them unless one denies the source itself: Love and the discipline of the path (al-mahabba wa al-suluk) mean the path of love and longing, and whoever does not scoop his drink from the ocean of gnosticism does not know the reality of love, even if the genus, examples, and terminology are different. Love has no other meaning than the exhortation to obedience, and whoever denies love denies familiarity (uns) and passion (shawq) and taste (dhawq) and effacement (mahu) and clarity (sahu) and extinction (fana') and subsistence (baqa') and contraction (qabd) and expansion (bast) and all the rest of the necessary characteristics of love and longing, and the rest of the stations of the People of Gnosis.[3]
Reproduced with permission from Shaykh M. Hisham Kabbani's The Repudiation of "Salafi" Innovations (Kazi, 1996) p. 397-398.
Notes:[1]. al-Qari, Sharh 'Ayn al-'ilm wa zayn al-hilm 1:1.
[2]. Ibid. 1:78.
[3]. Ibid. 2:354-355.
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Shaykh Ahmad as-Sirhindi
Mujaddid Alif Thani, Imam al Rabbani Shaykh Ahmad al Faruqi as-Sirhindi, [d.1034H /1624CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
He was the Pearl of the Crown of the Knowledgeable Saints. He was the Reviver of the Second Millennium, Sayyidina wa Mawlana (our Leader & Master) ash-Shaykh Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi, ibn ash-Shaykh 'Abdul Ahad s/o Zainu-l-'Abidin s/o 'Abdulhayy, s/o Muhammad s/o Habibullah, s/o Rafi'uddin, s/o Nur, s/o Sulayman, s/o Yusuf, s/o 'Abdullah, s/o Ishaq, s/o 'Abdullah, s/o Shu'ayb, s/o Aad, s/o Yusuf, s/o Shihabuddin, known as Farq Shah al-Qabidi, s/o Nairuddin, s/o Mahmud, s/o Sulayman, s/o Mas'ud, s/o 'Abdullah al-Wa'i al-Asghari, s/o 'Abdullah al-Wa'i al-Akbar, s/o Abdu-l-Fattah, s/o Ishaq, s/o Ibrahim, s/o Nair, s/o Sayyidina Abdullah radi Allahu ta'ala anhu, the s/o Amir al-Mu'minin, the khalif of the Beloved Prophet [Allahs grace & blessings upon him], Sayyidina 'Umar al-Faruq radi Allahu ta'ala anhu.
He was born on the day of 'Ashura, the 10th of Muharram in the year 971 H., in the village of Sihar Nidbasin. In some translations it is called Sirhind in the city of Lahore, in India. He received his knowledge and education through his father and through many shaikhs in his time. He made progress in three tariqats: Suhrawardiyya, Qadiriyya, and Chistiyya. He was given permission to train followers in all three tariqats at the age of 17 years. He was busy in spreading the teachings of these tariqats and in guiding his followers, yet he felt that something was missing in himself and he was continuously searching for it. He felt an interest in the Naqshbandi Sufi Order, because he could see by means of the secrets of the other three tariqats that it was the best and highest. His spiritual progress eventually brought him to the presence of the Ghawth and Qutb of his time, ash-Shaikh Muhammad al-Baqi, who had been sent from Samarqand to India by the order of his shaykh, Muhammad al-Amkanaki. He took the Naqshbandi Order from the shaykh and stayed with him for two months and some days, until Sayyidina Muhammad al-Baqi alayhir ar-rahman opened to his heart the secret of this tariqat and gave him authorization to train his murids in the Order. He said about him,
"He is the highest Qutb in this time."
The Shari'ah is of fundamental importance to the Sufi path. This point is very strongly made by the great Naqshbandi Sufi, Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi (also known as Imam ar-Rabbani), in his letters. Here is a small excerpt from one of his letters, where he clarifies this topic:
The Shari'ah has three parts: knowledge, action, and sincerity of motive (ikhlas); unless you fulfil the demands of all these parts, you do not obey theShari'ah. And when you obey the Shari'ah you obtain the pleasure of God, which is the most supreme good in this world and the Hereafter. The Qur'an al kareem says:
"The pleasure of God is the highest good."
Hence, the Shari'ah comprehends all the good of this world and the next, and nothing is left out for which one has to go beyond the Shari'ah.
The tariqah ["way"] and the haqiqah ["reality"] for which the Sufis are known, are subservient to the Shari'ah, as they help to realize its third part, namely, sincerity. Hence they are sought in order to fulfil the Shari'ah, not to achieve something beyond the Shari'ah. The raptures and ecstasies which the Sufis experience, and the ideas and truths which come to them in the course of their journey, are not the goal of Sufism. They are rather myths and fancies on which the children of Sufism are fed. One has to pass over them all and reach the stage of satisfaction (rida) which is the final goal of suluk ["travelling", i.e. the Sufi path] and jadhbah ["overwhelming love"].The purpose of traversing the stages of tariqah and haqiqah is nothing other than the realisation of ikhlas which involves the attainment of rida. Only one out of a thousand Sufis is graced with the three illuminations (tajalliyat sih ganah) and gnostic visions, given ikhlas and elevated to the stage of rida.
[Quoted from "Sufism and Shari'ah: A study of Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi's Effort to Reform Sufism," by Muhammad Abdul Haq Ansari, pp. 221-2. Originally from Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi's letters, Vol. I:36.]
It is said that the shaykh of his father, Shaykh Abdul Ahad, who was a shaykh of the Qadiri Order, had been given a jubba (cloak) from his shaykh which had been passed down from the Ghawth al-Azam, Sayyadina Shaykh 'Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu.Ghawth al-Azam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu had said about it to his successors, "Keep it for that one who is going to appear at the end of the first millennium. His name is 'Ahmad'. He is going to revive this religion. I have dressed him with all my secrets. He combines in himself both the internal and external knowledge."
He wrote many books, one of the most famous of which is the Maktubat.
In it he said,
"It must be known that Allah has placed us under His Obligations and His Prohibitions. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said,
'Whatever the Prophet gave you, take it, and whatever he prohibited you, leave it.' [59:7]
If we are going to be sincere in this, we have to attain to Annihilation and the love of the Essence. Without these we cannot reach this degree of obedience. Thus we are under another obligation, which is to seek the Way of Sufism, because this Way will lead us to the state of Annihilation and the love of the Essence. Each Order differs from the other in its states of perfection; so too does each Order keep the Sunnah of the Prophet [Allahs grace & blessings upon him] and have its own definition of what that entails. Every order has its own way of keeping the Sunnah of the Prophet [Allahs grace & blessings upon him]. Our Order, through its shaikhs, requires us to keep all the commands of the Prophet [Allahs grace & blessings upon him] and to leave all the things he prohibited. Our shaykhs don't follow the easy ways (rukhas) but insist on keeping the difficult ways. In all their seeking they keep in mind the verse of Qur'an ;
'Men whom neither business nor trade will divert from the Remembrance of Allah' [24:37].
He passed away on the 17th of Safar 1034 H. at the age of 63. He was buried in the village of Sirhind. He was a shaikh in the four tariqats: Naqshbandi, Qadiri, Chisti and Suhrawardi. He preferred the Naqshbandi, because he said, "It is the Mother of all tariqats."
Source:
Also from the 'Maktubat' of Mujaddid Alf Thani : NECESSITY OF FINDING THE PERFECT MASTER & AVOIDING THE IGNORANT SHAYKHS
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Shah Abd 'al Haqq Dehlwi
Shaykh as-Shah Abd 'al Haqq Muhaddith Dehlwi [ d. 1052 H - 1642 CE ] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Hadrat Mawlana as-Shaykh as-Shah 'Abd-al-Haqq al Muhaddith Rahmatullahi alayh was born in Delhi [Dehlwi, Dehlawi, Dehlvi], India. His father Saif al-DinRahmatullahi alayh was a very pious and intellectual man, and this is a reason why Shah 'Abd-al-Haqq Rahmatullahi alayh's education and breeding was based on similar well founded principles. He was extremely fond of education and had a particular zest for learning from a very young age. Many hours of the day and the night were spent in reading and writing. After gaining his education in India, he was directed towards the Haramayn, Makkah in 996H. He stayed there for approx 3 and a half years, in which he attained his knowledge of hadith and also authored several books.
Some of his most popular and recognised works are listed below;-
Ash'at al-Lam'at : This is a commentary on the Mishqat Shareef, and is recognised as one of his important works.
Tarikh al Madina' : Another well known and important book.
Madarij an-Nabbuwaah' : A highly acclaimed classic.
Akhbarul Akhyar' : A ground breaking piece of writing in which the respected positions of the Saints of Hindustan are mentioned.
'Momin ke Mah o Sal' : Months & Years for a Believer
Shah 'Abd-al-Haqq Rahmatullahi alayh was also a noted poet who went by the pen name of Hanfi. During his time the King known as Jahangir was a great believer in him. Jahangir praised many of his works, and also had many of his letters published.
On Dhikr, Shaykh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlawi Rahmatullahi alayh says:
"Undoubtedly, loud Zikr is permissible. One of its proofs is the saying of Allah Ta'ala, 'Remember Allah as you used to remember your forefathers'". (Ash'atul Lam'aat, Vol. 2, pg. 278) Allah Ta'ala also says in the Qur'an al karim :
"Then, when you have finished your prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting and lying on your sides". (Surah an-Nisa: 103)
In Sahih Muslim, it is reported from Abdullah Ibn Zubair Rahmatullahi alayhi : "When the beloved Rasool Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam uttered the Salutation at the end of his Salaah, he used to say 'LA ILAHA ILLALLAHO WAHDA HU LA SHARIKA LAHU' aloud" (Mishkaat, pg. 88)
Commenting on this Hadith Shareef, Shah Abdul Haq Muhaddith DehlawiRahmatullahi alayhi says: "This Hadith is categorical proof that RasoolullahSalla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam used to perform loud Zikr". (Ash'atul Lam'aat, Vol. 1, pg. 419)
Shah 'Abd-al-Haqq Rahmatullahi alayh passed away at the age of 96, [17th Rabbi al Awwal 1052AH - 1642 C.E.] and is buried near the shrine of Khawaja Qutb al-Din Bahtyar Kaki Rahmatullahi alayh, in Delhi, India.
Madarij An Nabuwwah-Vol 1 urdu
Madarij An Nabuwwah-Vol 2 urdu
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Shah Nausha Ganj Baksh
Shaykh as-Sayyad as-Shah Muhammad Nausha Ganj Baksh al-Qadiri [d.1064H / 1654 CE] 'alayhir ar-rahman w'al ridwan
Sayyad Nausha Bakhsh Qadri 'alayhir ar-rahman, was a renowned scholar, a saint and amuballigh of Islam in the Indo-Pak subcontinent. He was also the founder of the Naushahiya Order, whose adherents call themselves Qadiri Naushahi or just Naushahi. He preached Islam in the ninth and tenth hijri and brought non-Muslims into the fold of Islam. He was anAshiq al-Rasul; loved the Prophet Muhammad [Peace & Blessings upon him] and modelled his own life and teachings on the Qur'an and Sunnah [tradition of the Beloved Prophet].
Sayyad Nausha Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman was born on the first day of Ramadan in 959 A.H. (21st August 1552) at Ghogganwali, district Gujrat in Punjab, Pakistan. The name of his father was Sayyad Ala'uddin, who was respected for being a great Sufi in his own time.Despite the many difficulties of undertaking long journey's in those days he had completed his pilgrimage to Makkah Mukarramah and Madinah Munawwarah seven times by foot, which shows how devoted to Islam he was. At his birth he was named (Haji) Muhammad. Later on he was more renowned by the names & titles of Haji Nausha, Abul Hashim, Bhoora Wala Pir (the enshrouded one), Mujaddid-i Islam (the great reviver of the Islam), Nausha Ganj Bakhsh, Sayyad Nausha Pir and Nausha Pak. The name Nausha is also spelt and pronounced as Noshah.
It has been recorded that the first ancestor of Sayyad Nausha Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman, who came to the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, was Sayyad Awn ibn Ya'la, also known as Qutb Shah Qadiri alayhir ar-rahman (born in 1028CE in Baghdad). This eastern journey was instructed by al-Ghawth al-Adham Sayyadina as-Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu in the fifth century A.H. Moreover, he [Qutb Shah Qadiri alayhir ar-rahman] was an uncle of as-Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani and one of his spiritual successors. He is also the first person who introduced the Qadiriya Order in India. Qutb Shah Qadiri alayhir ar-rahman was an appointed Qutb (spiritual pole) by as-Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani for the Indian subcontinent. Through his tremendous devotion and dedication many of the Hindu tribes converted to Islam and attained notable lives. Qutb Shah Qadiri alayhir ar-rahman returned to his spiritual home of Baghdad after his mission, where he was finally laid to rest in 1157 CE.
Sayyad Nausha Ganj Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman was an expert in the religious fields of fiqh(Islamic law), hadith (traditions) tafsir (exegeses of the Qur'an), philosophy and kalam(theology concerning the tenets of belief). Besides being fluent in arabic and persian he also knew kashmiri, sanskrit and many another regional languages and dialects as well. After Islamic knowledge, he was regularly engaged in many spiritual exercises, mentally and physically. He was widely respected and honoured for his knowledge of tasawwuf. It is recorded that he memorised the Qur'an al-karim within a period of only three months. Amongst his teachers were Qari Qaym al-Din and Shaykh Abd 'al-Haqq [Radi Allahu anhum].
One of his famous sayings about shari'ah :
My way of life is the shari'ah of the Prophet,*
My way of the tariqah is the shari'ah of the Prophet,
The way of life of the Prophet implies also my way of life,
To walk through the shari'ah, is like walking on an illuminated way!
*[Peace & Blessings upon him]
On purification :
Sayyad Nausha Ganj Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman made it very clear, that one is not asufi until he has purified himself totally. This purification is achieved by eliminating the sensual desires. This is eliminated in his turn, when the nafs (the ego that inclines to the evil) has been conquered by him. He conquers this by taking distance from pleasures in this worldly life and to consider this as transitory. He has to perform all his actions in contradiction to his nafs in order to attain this.
On death :
He usually gave instructions to his murid to commemorate death all the time and to be aware of it. “One has to live without any allegation or false attitude (= a clear mind)”, he said. He encouraged his friend to be in the company of saints and stated that one can only then become a good human being.
On intention :
With great emphasis he pointed out the fact that action has to be done with sincere intention. He said that by sincerity, piety or Allah fearing, the body and by eating halaal [permissible] the tongue is cleaned. One has according to him, not to expound the deficiencies and small faults of others, but he should rely on Allah’s trust and be satisfied with His will. He paid much attention to take care of the parents and those poor and in need. He said that the most claims belong to them and that taking care of them, it can be a significant cause attaining the divine grace. He incited also to eat little and to keep oneself awake in the night for the voluntary prayers and recollections. ''By waking up the heart is illuminated'' he said.
All his teachings had their origin in the primary sources of the Islam: The Qur'an and the hadiths, supported by the conclusions of the mujtahidin (those qualified to make religious decisions, according to one’s own capacity). He approved no more than the prescribed exercises that agreed with this.
There are many works of Sayyad Nausha Ganj Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman. As time passes they are compiled and published from manuscripts. At present there are five books of poetry and prose:
1] Kulliyat-i Nausha (urdu poetry) consisting of 76 risala's and 2400 verses,
2] Kulliyat-i Nausha (punjabi poetry) In this work 126 risala's are alphabetically arranged there are four thousand verses in total,
3] Ma'arif-i Tasawwuf (persian poetry) dealing with assignments on the spiritual path,
4] Mawa'iz-i Nausha Pir (punjabi prose) comprises delivered speeches and advices,
5] Ganj al-Asrar (the treasure of mysteries), a short risala in prose ascribed to him.
Shaykh Nausha Ganj Baksh passed away on the 15th of Rabi al Awwal 1064 Hijri [1654 CE], and is laid to rest at Ranmal Shareef, Gujrat, Pakistan. The present janasheen is Pir Sayyad Maruf Hussain Shah Naushahi, the founder of the Jamiyat Tabligh al Islam, based in the UK.
FURTHER READING SILSILA AL QADIRIYA AL NAUSHAHIYA :
http://www.qadri-naushahi.com/
http://www.jamiyattablighulislam.org/
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Hadrat Sultan Bahu
Hadrat Shaykh Muhammad Sultan Bahu [d.1104 H - 1693 CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
'Sultan al Arfieen' Sultan Muhammad Bahu Radi Allahu anhu is acknowledged as one of the most prominent Sufi poets of the Indo-Pak subcontinent. He is known to be the author of over 140 books in Persian and Arabic dealing with a variety of religious and mystic subjects. He was a strict upholder of the Shari'a and did not in his entire life forego even one Mustahab.
According to some sources Hadrat Sultan Bahu Radi Allahu anhu was born in the village of Shorkhote in Punjab Province in the year 1039 CE, during the reign of the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Hadrat Sultan Bahu Radi Allahu anhu belonged to the Sarwari Qadiri tariqat and was a descendent of Amir al Momineen Imam Ali Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu.
Hadrat Sultan Bahu Radi Allahu anhu did not acquire the worldly sciences. Due to immense spiritual attractions and ecstasy it became difficult to attain to formal education. Yet his own person was luminous with Divine Light. In one of his writings the great wali (saint) refers to this when he says that: 'I did not have time to spare for formal education but spiritual experiences, divine favour and guidance and esoteric conquests has enabled me to acquire such vast knowledge that it would require many files of paper to record. Spiritual realities have so enlightened my inward that both the esoteric and exoteric sciences have been revealed to me....neither did I have the time to perform daily litanies (wird) because since the beginning I have been immersed in the ocean of Unity (Tawheed)'.
The blessed soul of Hadrat Sultan Bahu Radi Allahu anhu departed in a blissful state to its Lord on a Thursday evening, on the 1st of Jamadi al Thani, in the year 1102/1693 at the age of 63.
Extracted from :http://www.bahu.co.za/hazrat_sultan_bahu.htm
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Imam al-Haddad
Imam 'Abd 'Allah al-Haddad [d.1132 H - 1720 CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
The Beloved Messenger of God, may the Blessings of Allah & peace be upon him & and his Family, prophesised that in every century God would raise up amongst his nation a man who would renew its religion. Imam 'Abdallah al-Haddad Radi Allahu anhu was the renewer, or Mujaddid, of the twelfth Islamic century. He was renowned, and deservedly so, for the breadth of his knowledge and his manifest sanctity. The profundity of his influence on Muslims is reflected by the fact his books are still in print throughout the Islamic world.
He was born in Tarim, in the hills of Hadramaut, one of the southerly regions of the Arabian peninsula, and grew up in an environment where the accent was upon piety, frugality, erudition, and an uncompromising thirst for gnosis (ma'rifa). His lineage is traced back to the Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, and his family, through Imam al-Husayn. His illustrious ancestors, the 'Alawi sadat, had for centuries produced generation after generation of great scholars, gnostics, and summoners to the Straight Path.
Imam al-Haddad's Radi Allahu anhu writings, if we except a few short treatises, and his volume of poetry, are mostly concerned with establishing within his readers the firmest possible foundations for faith and certainty. He recognised the signs of his times and of the times to come, and observed how people were drawing away from religion, exhibiting a reluctance to study and a diminishing inclination to seek spiritual growth. He therefore endeavoured to produce concise, clear, and uncontroversial texts. His concern for brevity is manifest throughout his books, many of which are abbreviated adaptations of Imam al-Ghazali's Radi Allahu anhu monumental Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya 'Ulum al-Din). Al-Ghazali Radi Allahu anhu had himself been the renewer of the sixth century.
Imam al-Haddad Radi Allahu anhu died on the eve of the seventh of Dhu'l-Qa'da, 1132 A.H. having spent his life bringing people to their Lord through his oral and written teaching, and his exemplary life. He was buried in a simple grave in the cemetary at Tarim.
Books by : Imam ibn Alawi al-Haddad 'alayhir rahman
Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi Al-Madina al-Munawwara [Ramadan 1408]
Source: Imam Abdallah ibn Alawi Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance,
The Quilliam Press, London, 1989, p.vii-viii.
Courtesy : http://www.iqra.net/articles/al-haddad.html
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'Abd al-Ghani al-Nablusi
Shaykh al Islam 'Abd al-Ghani al-Nablusi [d. 1143A.H/1733C.E] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
'Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi radi Allahu anhu was born in Damascus in 1641[C.E] into a family of Islamic scholarship. His father, Isma'il 'Abd al-Ghani, was a jurist in the Hanafi school of fiqhand contributor to Arabic literature. 'Abd al-Ghani showed diligence in the pursuit of Islamic knowledge and before the age of twenty he was both teaching and giving formal legal opinions (fatwa). He taught in the Umawi Mosque in Damascus and the Salihiyya Madrasa, his fame as an accomplished Islamic scholar spreading to all neighbouring Islamic cities. He died in 1733[C.E] at ninety years of age, having left behind hundreds of written works in virtually all the Islamic sciences.
His status as a scholar and wali (friend of Allah) is also unstintingly acknowledged by Islamic scholars who came after him. As a prolific contributor to Hanafi fiqh, there is hardly a work in the school that appeared after him that does not depend on or discusses his legal opinions. In the well known and most depended upon work in Hanafi fiqh, Radd al-Muhtar, commonly known as The Hashiya of Ibn `Abidin, the author and Imam of the school in his time, Muhammad Amin ibn 'Abidin (d.1836), frequently quotes the legal opinions of Shaykh 'Abd al-Ghani, referring to him with a reverence and respect that is not apparent in the mention of other scholars quoted in his work. Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tahtawi (d.1816), the al-Azhari Shaykh of the Hanafi Jurists, in his well known Hashiya of Maraqi al-Falah, when discussing a legal opinion of Shaykh 'Abd al-Ghani refers to him as "The knower of Allah, my master 'Abd al-Ghani (al-arif billah Sayyidi 'Abd al-Ghani)". It is unthinkable that such eminent scholars should lend such respect to and depend on the scholarship of an individual who might remotely be accused of heresy. Nor is it thinkable that the numerable godfearing scholars who came after them and use and quote their works would find that acceptable (Ibn 'Abidin's work in particular has been used since it was authored by Islamic rulers implementing the shari'a in government, by judges, muftis, jurists and students of Islamic Law). This is particularly true in view of his book Wujud al-Haqq (On True Being), which details his Sufi ontology and which he taught in public seminars to hundreds of contemporary scholars in his own lifetime.
I believe that a valid point can be made here; namely, that in the time of such scholars as Ibn 'Abidin and al-Tahtawi Islamic culture was a great deal more integrated and balanced than it is today, such that Sufism was understood by shari'a specialists and even considered necessary for a complete understanding and practice of the Din. In the time in which we live Muslims have been engulfed by a civilization that is completely materialistic in its outlook. I believe that this saturation of the worldly has had the adverse effect on the Muslims of making it difficult for them to comprehend anything beyond the physical, which is why the words and experience of the Sufis seem alien to them. This over emphasis on the material also seems to be the reason that modern day reform minded Muslims have found the concept of an anthropomorphic god acceptable as well as the focus of religion being limited primarily to the outward manifestations of the shari'a only, such as salat and hijab for example, without there being any emphasis on internal development. It is not uncommon to find that such an attitude leads to a spiritual crisis of stagnation and meaninglessness, when after several years of practice the initial sense of euphoria of faith fades and one no longer feels the forward motion of increasing in closeness to Allah Most High.
Regarding the scholarship of Shaykh 'Abd al-Ghani radi Allahu anhu, one need only read his works to understand how truly brilliant this man was. In whatever subject he addressed, he wrote as an authority, whether Hanafi fiqh, hadith, Islamic ontology and metaphysics, Arabic literature, Quranic readings or other. Some of his works have been published, while the majority are still in manuscript form. Any skeptic could avail himself his works and make an honest investigation.
Ref; Umm Sahl
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Shah Wali 'Allah
Qutb al-Din Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Rahim Shah Wali 'Allah [d.1176 H - 1760 CE]'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
b.1114 - d.1176 HIJRI
b.1703 - d.1762 C.E
Hadrat Shaykh Qutb al-Din Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Rahim Rahmatullahi alayh, popularly known as Shah Wali Allah, lived at a critical juncture of Muslim history. India had enjoyed the peaceful and prosperous rule of the Mughals for more than 200 years, but by the time of Shah Wali Allah Rahmatullahi alayh, mutually hostile principalities had begun to emerge. Many of the newly emerging quasi independent states were the result of the rising influence of the militant Maratha, Sikh and Hindu communities and Muslim power and glory in the sub-continent, as in other parts of the world, were gradually eroded. It was at this time of utter despair and despondency for Muslims that Shah Wali Allah Rahmatullahi alayh was born.
Shah Wali Allah Rahmatullahi alayh was able to diagnose, at an early period of his life, the malaise of his society. In his view, it consisted of: (i) lack of strong faith, (ii) disunity in the Muslim ranks, and (iii) acute moral degeneration. He tried to redress lack of faith by presenting a rational interpretation of Islam. He intuitively presented rational arguments side by side with traditional dialectics. Shah Wali Allah addressed the disunity by attempting to bring about reconciliation between the diverse schools of law and theology. Shah Wali Allah knew very well that, without purification of the heart, it was not possible to overcome the moral degeneration which permeated the individual and collective life of the Muslim community and he advocatedtasawwuf, which, for him, meant a direct approach to the heart. His father Shah 'Abd al-Rahim (d. 1131/1719) had initiated him into the realm of spirituality.
Shah Wali Allah Rahmatullahi alayh adopted both short-term and long-term measures for rebuilding the culture, polity and ideological orientation of the Muslims. The thrust of his reform movement ranged from matters of belief to social structure, from politics and statecraft to economy, from legal and juristic concepts to philosophical and metaphysical ideas. He addressed himself to the needs of this world but at the same time did not forget to respond to the requirements of ultimate success in the Hereafter.
The principles of Qur'anic exegesis, which he set forth in al-Fawz al-Kabir, introduced a new dimension in the science of tafsir. He emphasized a direct approach to the Qur'an. Prior to Shah Wali Allah, because of the notion that the Qur'an may not be translated, Qur'anic scholarship had been an exclusive domain of specialists. Shah Wali Allah took a bold initiative and translated the Qur'an into Persian, the lingua franca of the Muslim literati in the sub-continent. Thereafter it became increasingly possible for ordinary people to understand the teachings of the Qur'an. A growing number of scholars concentrated their efforts in explicating the message of the Qur'an. 'Ubayd Allah Sindhi, one of the most prominent exponents of Shah Wali Allah's philosophy, expressed the view that after being imbued with the philosophy of Shah Wali Allah, one can understand the overall message of the Qur'an directly from its text and can be satisfied with it without being compelled to seek any external aid.
The Qur'an had always been regarded as the primary source of legal doctrines, yet later jurists tended to regard only approximately five hundred verses as legally important. Even men like Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 505 /1111) had not considered it necessary for a mujtahid to master the rest of the verses. Further, the classical exegetes tended to assign a certain strict context to each verse of the Qur'an. Shah Wali Allah emphasized that the Qur'an was applicable to the entire human thought and experience, emphasizing the essential comprehensibility of all the verses of the Qur'an, including those assigned by the exegetes to the category of mutashabih.
After a comprehensive survey of the contents of the Qur'an, he classified its themes under five subjects: (i) ahkam (injunctions); (ii) mukhasamah (dialectics); (iii) tadhkir bi ala' Allah(reminding man of the Divine favours); (iv) tadhkir bi ayyam Allah (reminding man of God's interventions in history); and (v) tadhkir bi al-mawt wa ma ba'd al-mawt (reminding man about death and the life thereafter). This classification clarified many misunderstandings of the Qur'an as well as a number of problems in the sequence of the verses, their inter-relationship and thematic coherence. Many 'ulama' had been neglecting dialectics of the Qur'an and thus were unable to appreciate the discourse of the Revelation which was addressed to all mankind, belonging to either of the following categories: (i) the faithful, (ii) the people of the Book, (iii) the polytheists or atheists, and (iv) the hypocrites.
Shah Wali Allah's approach to the Science of Hadith is characterized by his view that theSunnah is essentially a commentary on the Qur'an itself, rather than something independent of it. An intensive analysis of the Prophet's traditions led him to see an organic relationship between the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Further, he brought out the rational and beneficent considerations underlying the directives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He also took note of the severe criticism made against Ahl al-Sunnah by the rationalists, partly under the impact of Hellenistic philosophy in the classical period of Islamic thought. He advocated the traditional point of view of the former and supported it with strong rational arguments.
Shah Wali Allah adopted a method of interpreting the traditions of the Prophet in which he has shown an evolutionary process in the lives of all Prophets from Ibrahim up to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), in that they received Divine guidance gradually and commensurate with the onward progress of human civilization. He looked upon the teachings of all Prophets as a continuous commentary on the ever-unfolding process of revealed guidance. Moreover, unlike many other jurists, Shah Wali Allah did not assign to ijma'(consensus) a categorical position as an independant source of law. He had, rather, a restricted conception of ijma'. He recognized the binding character of the consensus based on the rulings of the early caliphs, especially Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman, the three immediate successors of the beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), on any interpretation of the Qur'an or the Sunnah. He granted this special status to these Companions on grounds of their close association with the Prophet and their temporal proximity to him. Any other consensus which took place at any later period was, in his opinion, not of the same consequence in as much as it does not bind Muslims of any other era or area to any particular view. Thus, Shah Wali Allah gave ijma' a somewhat diminished position. According to him,ijma' is an explanatory source and an authentic interpretation of the Qur'an by those whose understanding is less fallible than of others for the reasons we have stated earlier. The fourth source of law, according to the generally held view of jurists, is qiyas (analogy). Again, this is not recognized by Shah Wali Allah as an independent source because it is integral to our process of understanding the Qur'an and its interpretations that are either embodied in theSunnah or can be derived from the collective understanding of the Companions in the Best Era (khayr al-qurun).
In the field of law and jurisprudence, Shah Wali Allah had a remarkable ability to reconcile the differing views found among Muslims and explain them with reference to the basic principles that may be deduced from the Qur'an and be plausible on rational grounds. He mentions this ability as a great Divine favour to him. Shah Wali Allah did this with theology and mysticism as well. This is evident, for instance, from his synthesized version of the doctrines of wahdat al-wujud (unity of existence) and wahdat al-shahud (unity of manifestation).
These Muslim scholars, known as mutakallimun, resorted to articulating their position in the intellectual terms which they shared with the main exponents of Greek philosophy. As these discussions went on, a distinct corpus of knowledge emerged and the bulk of literature thus produced by Muslim scholars came to be known as 'I1m al-Kalam. In this process there appeared a galaxy of scholars who contributed to the development of 'I1m al-kalam and in the course of time diversified those discussions. Notable among them were such luminaries as al-Juwayni (d. 478/1085) al-Ghazali (d.505/1111), al-Ash'ari (d. 324/936), al-Maturidi (d. 333/944), al-Shahrastani (d. 548/1153) and many others. The last prominent representative of these intellectual giants was Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d.606/1209). The later mutakallimundeveloped their themes in scholastic discussions more or less on the same pattern. With the passage of time, it became fashionable for Muslim scholars to be immersed in highly formalised discussions of a theoretical nature in utter disregard of their diminishing value for their own ethos.
The corpus of Kalam which had evolved often lacked the coherence and consistency required of a well-organized and full-fledged discipline. The questions dealt with by the mutakallimun, in a great many cases, had no logical or sequential relationship with each other. The point of culmination in these discussions was a severe criticism and strong rebuttal of the premises of Greek thought by men like al-Ghazali and al-Razi. Shah Wali Allah re-stated the fundamental postulates of the Islamic belief system within the framework of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, provided external evidence drawn from pure reason, empirical observation and intuitional imagination to reinforce the propositions derived from Revelation and tradition. While the expositions of earlier mutakallimun had exclusively focused on questions of belief ('aqidah), Shah Wali Allah sought to substantiate the inimitability (i'jaz) of the shari'ah (revealed code of law) by establishing an organic link between 'aqidah and shari'ah. He emphasized the inimitability of the latter in as much as it responds to the diversity of the varying conditions of human life. Avoiding as far as possible a discussion of what he considered the archaic issues of early theology such as the eternity of the Qur'an and free will, pre-determination, and the indivisibility of Divine Essence and Attributes, his approach consisted chiefly in presenting the rationale of the injunctions of Islam on the premise of their compatibility with human nature. By developing this comprehensive approach to Kalam, Shah Wali Allah’s contribution was that he put in bold relief not only the rationality of belief, but also established a necessary nexus between the ordinances of the shari'ah and the innate urges of human nature.
One of the striking features of the writings of Shah Wali Allah is his stress on the necessary relation between the creation and the Creator which consistently pervades all his thinking. Whether the subject of his discussion is highly spiritual or purely mundane, the consciousness of the Ultimate Reality is always uppermost in his mind. This characterizes all his discussions including those pertaining to such questions as the evolution of man as a moral being or man's role as an active member of the society. This also characterizes his analysis of human instincts and behaviour, or his survey of the development of human society even when it is in the nature of an empirical enquiry.
In his discussions on the genesis of man and the creation of the universe, Shah Wali Allah developed three main terms namely ibda' (creation ex nihilo), khalq (creation), and tadbir(governance). Ibda' is creation out of sheer nothingness. Khalq is to create something out of an existing substance. Tadbir is to manage and employ a set of created things so as to derive the required benefits which are conducive to universal balance. With reference to these concepts, which signify different stages of the Divine creative process, Shah Wali Allah discusses the created phenomena.
In explaining the doctrine of 'universal soul' (al-nafs alkulliyyah), Shah Wali Allah says that deep and profound thought on the diversity of universal phenomena leads human intelligence to the notion that God has created a universal soul ex-nihilo. From this 'universal soul' or 'universal genus' emanate all existents. But the relationship between the Creator ex-nihilo and the 'universal soul' cannot be explained in terms of this material world. There is unity between the Creator and the 'universal soul'. But this unity is neither real, nor comprehensible to the finite human intelligence. The highest degree of perception attainable by human intellect is this 'universal soul' where it is able to combine all diversity of existence on one point. At this point the voyage of human intellect ends. This unique relationship between the Creator and the 'universal soul', which is called ibda' by Shah Wali Allah, is far beyond the grasp of the human mind.
Shah Wali Allah's position on the problem of existence was to reconcile the well-known doctrine of wahdat al-wujud (Unity of Existence) of Ibn 'Arabi (d. 638/1240) and wahdat al-shuhud (unity of manifestation), which was put forward by Ahmad Sirhindi (d.1034/1624) in the course of his criticism of the doctrine of Ibn 'Arabi. Shah Wali Allah maintained that there was no significant disagreement between the two ideas, but simply a problem of semantics. Both, according to him, ultimately arrived at the same conclusion.
Explaining his stand on the problem of Existence, Shah Wali Allah said that when we look at the things in existence, we find both common and distinctive features in them. For example, all human beings share the characteristic of humanness although in several other respects they are distinct from one another. At the same time, being a man or a horse distinguishes one from the other. But all the existents do have a common feature of existence. Both the 'contingent' (mumkin) and 'essential' (wajib) have the characteristic of existence. 'Existence', however, does not merely mean 'to be'. It rather signifies the 'Reality' on the basis of which we regard something as existent. This 'Reality' itself exists without any external cause, giving it its existence. Since this 'Reality' is the cause of all existence, therefore, it must, of necessity, exist by itself. Hence its existence is all-pervading. For if this 'Reality' were not there, every other thing would have been nonexistent. Now all other things that exist (other than this Essential Reality) are merely accidental. For without the Essential Existence they would disappear into sheer nothingness. This is the nature of all the things of this world. They merely have an accidental existence, the only exception being the 'Real Existence'. Thus it is clear that existence is a common feature of all existents. If there is no existence then all things shall vanish. The mystics known as wujudiyyah or 'ayniyyah maintain that God consists in the existents, or that He has manifested Himself in these existents. There are other Sufis known aswara'iyyah who believe that the existence of all things that exist is contingent upon this Real Existence and that the Essence of God is beyond this cosmic phenomena. There are some statements attributed to Ibn 'Arabi which suggest that his position is closer to the school of 'ayniyyah or wujudiyyah, and Shah Wali Allah has taken these statements in a metaphorical rather than literal sense. It may be pointed out that on other occasions Ibn 'Arabi clearly draws a line of distinction between the 'Essential Existent' (wajib al-wujud) and the contingent existent (mumkin al-wujud) and discusses at length the five stages (tanazzulat) of determination. These stages, according to Ibn 'Arabi, are ahadiyyah, lahut, jabarut, 'alam al-mithal and nasut, all of which emanate from the 'Essential Existent' (i.e. God). Like many other Muslim thinkers before and after him, Shah Wali Allah offers an explanation of the ideas of Ibn 'Arabi which conform to the views held by the major theological schools of Islam. Shah Wali Allah interprets all such statements of Ibn 'Arabi, statements in which he identifies a unity between the creational phenomena and the 'Essential Existent', to mean unity of the latter with the 'universal soul'. This is so because the stages of existence beyond the 'universal soul' fall, in his opinion, outside the cognitive domain of human intellect.
A Survey of Shah Wali Allah's Works
Shah Wali Allah's main focus was on the Qur'an, Hadith, Kalam, socio-political and ethical philosophy and spiritual sciences. He wrote extensively in Islamic studies, including Tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis), Hadith (traditions of the Prophet), Fiqh (law), usulal' Fiqh, (principles of jurisprudence), 'Aqa'id (beliefs), Kalam (scholastics), philosophy, Tasawwuf (spiritual sciences), history, biography, Arabic poetry, and grammar. He also wrote in the areas of sociology, politics, psychology and ethical philosophy.
Studies on the Qur'an
'Fath al-Rahman al Tarjamat al-Qur'an', Karachi, 1984. It is among the first popular renderings of the Qur'an into simple Persian language. It was completed by the author in Ramadan 1151 A.H.
• Al-Fawz al-Kabir, Lahore, 1951, 52 pp. It is a concise, but extremely valuable treatise on the principles of Qur'anic exegesis. It is among the most popular works of Shah Wali Allah, which has made an outstanding contribution to the study and understanding of the Qur'an. Originally written in Persian, it has been translated into Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, and English languages. It was first published in Delhi in 1898 A.H.
• Al-Fath al-Kabir (Arabic), Lucknow, 1314 A.H. It deals with the explanation of the difficult words used in the Qur'an, with terms that are usually called ghara'ib, i.e. words that are not quite familiar in the common diction.
Hadith Sciences
• Al-Musawwa min Ahadlth al-Muwatta', It is a highly technical commentary in Arabic on this early collection of traditions compiled by Malik ibn Anas (d. 179 A.H.). It was first published in Delhi in 1293 A.H.
• Musaffa Sharh-i Muwatta'. It is a commentary in Persian on the Muwatta'. It represents Shah Wali Allah's methodology in the teaching of Hadith. It was first published in 1293 A.H. in Delhi in two volumes. It has been translated into Urdu by Sayyid 'Abd Allah and was published from Calcutta in 1294 A.H.
• Sharh Tarajim Ba'dAbwab al-Bukhan (Arabic), Hyderabad, 1949. In this treatise, Shah Wait Allah has discussed the wisdom of the topical headings adopted by Imam Bukhari for different chapters of ahadith of this important compendium of traditions compiled by Imam Bukhari (d. 256 A.H.). It was first published in Hyderabad (India) in 1323 A.H.
Law and Jurisprudence
• Al-lnsaffl Bayan Sabab al-lkhtilaf (Arabic), Beirut, 1977, 114 pp. It is a juridical discourse on the compilation of the early compendia of ahadith, and the evolution of different schools of jurisprudence. It also discusses the nature of disagreement among the jurists and the principles of resolving various conflicting opinions so as to arrive at a synthetic view within the broad framework of Islamic jurisprudence. It was first published in Delhi in 1308 A.H. It was also translated into Urdu.
• Iqd al-Jld ft Bayan Ahkam al-ljtihad wa al-Taqlid (Arabic), Delhi, 1925. This treatise discusses various dimensions of the issues involved in ijtihad and taqlid and presents a balanced view on this oft-discussed and much-debated question. It was also translated into Urdu.
Philosophy and Scholastics
• Hujjat Allah al-Balighah (Arabic), Cairo, 1933. It is the magnum opus of the author and constitutes a highly significant exposition of the Islamic worldview. We shall separately present an introduction to this work in some detail. It was first published in Bareily (India) in 1286 A.H. A number of Urdu translations of this work have appeared. It has also been recently translated into English under the title: The Conclusive Argument from God by Marcia Hermansen, and the first part of the translation has been published by E.J. Brill at Leiden in 1996.
• Al-Budur al-BQzighah (Arabic), Hyderabad, 1970. It is the second most important contribution of the author to a philosophical and rational interpretation of Islam after Hujjat Allah al-Balighah. It has also been translated into English by J.M.S. Baijon.
• Al-Khayr al-Kathir (Arabic), Bijnaur, India, 1325 A.H. It is a brief work in which he attempts to explain the fundamentals of faith with an approach combining rational and traditional arguments.
• Maktub-i Madam (Persian), Lahore, 1965. It is a long letter addressed by Shah Wali Allah to one Isma'il ibn 'Abd Allah Rumi. It deals with the metaphysical dimensions of the concept of existence. The work explains the position of the author on the problem of existence which syntheses the views of Ibn 'Arabi and Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi. This letter has also been included in al-TafhTmat al-Ilahiyyah.
• Al- 'Aqidah al-Hasanah (Arabic), Lucknow, 1962, 72 pp. It is a plain and rational presentation of the fundamentals of belief in Islam. It has also been translated into Urdu.
• Al-Muqaddimah al-Saniyyah fi Intisar al-Firqah al-Sunniyyah (Persian), Delhi, (n.d.). This work attempts a rational expose of the Sunni theological doctrines in comparison with the doctrines of the Shi'ah. This is in fact Shah Wali Allah's introduction to the Persian translation of a treatise by Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi entitled Radd-i-Rawafii.
Spiritual Sciences
• Al-Tafhimat al-Ilahiyyah (Arabic and Persian) (Bijnaur India: 1936), 264 pp. This work is in two volumes and includes a number of stray writings of the author, in which he has explained subtle points of rational and spiritual import with regard to the teachings of the true faith. Some of these writings are in Arabic and others in Persian.
• Altaf al-Quds (Persian) Delhi, n.d. It deals with the basic principles of the spiritual sciences. It has been translated into Urdu (Lahore; 1975), and also English under the title: The Sacred Knowledge of the Higher Functions of the Mind (Lahore: 1982).
• Sata'at (Persian) (Hyderabad: 1970), 54 pp. It discusses various aspects and dimensions of Divine theophany and attempts to explain the nature of the abstract and material worlds and their respective characteristics. It has been translated into English and Urdu.
• Fuyud al-Haramayn (Arabic) (Delhi: n.d.), 144 pp. Shah Wali Allah relates his spiritual experiences during his sojourn in Makkah and Madinah. It has also been translated into Urdu. The Urdu version was published in Lahore in 1947.
• Anfas al- 'Arifin (Persian). It narrates the spiritual attainments of the author's forefathers and spiritual ancestors. It was first published in 1335 A.H. in Delhi.
History and Biography
• Izalat al-Khafa' 'an Khilafat al-Khulafa' (Persian), 2 vols. (Karachi; 1286 A.H.) It is a work on the early Caliphal model. Its contents have also been included in Anfas al- 'Arifin.
• Qurrat al-'Aynayn fi Tafdil al-Shaykhayn (Persian) (Delhi: 1320 A.H.), 336 pp. It discusses the significant achievements of the first two Caliphs and their place in Islam. The discussion is substantiated by reference to the relevant verses of the Qur'an and traditions of the Prophet.
• Al-'Atiyyah al-Samadiyyah fi al-Anfas al-Muhammadiyyah (Persian). It is a short treatise on the biography of Shaykh Muhammad Phulati, a saint and maternal grand-father of Shah Wali Allah. Details as to the place and date of publication are not available.
• Al-lmdad fi Ma'athir al-Ajdad (Persian). It is a biographical account of some ancestors of the author. Its contents have also been included in Anfas al- 'Arfin.
• Surar al-Mahzun (Persian), 24 pp. It is a short comprehensive biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him). It was first published in Tonk, India in 1271 A.H.
• Al-Juz' al-Latif fi Tarjamat al-'Abd al-Za'if (Persian). It is a short autobiography of the author. It has been translated into Urdu by Muhammad Ayyub Qadiri and published in the monthly al-Rahim, vol. II. no. 5. October 1964. pp. 18-26.
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Shah Abul Ghaus al-Faruqi
Shah Abul Ghaus Gharam Diwan al-Bhirivi al-Faruqi [d.1178H/1764CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Within 700 years in the Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, (India) a large number of Ulema andMasha'ikh served and spread both, Islam and Islamic Knowledge, and became the beloved of Allah Almighty. Amongst them, Hadrat Shah Abul Ghaus Gharam Divan al-Bhirivi al-Lauhraviand Hadrat Mullah Mehmood al-Jaunpuri Allah be pleased with them are two such great personalities.
Hadrat Mawlana Shah Abul Ghaus 'Gharam Divan' al-Faruqi [d.1178 H] was a renowned sufi and a very famous scholar of his time. Such was Shah Abul Ghaus al-Faruqi's spiritual standing amongst his contemporaries that he also earned the title of 'Mahboob ar Rahman'. His legacy continued with his son Mawlana Shah Hafiz Abu Is'haq [d.1234 H] who also also a great scholar in his time. As Shah Abul Ghaus al-Faruqi's title suggests he was a direct descendent of Amir al Momineen Hadrat Umar al Farooq Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu. With such a distinguished pedigree, his fathers and forefathers were naturally remarkable scholars and masha'ikh from which the following Islamic scholars and spiritual leaders descended:
Shaykh Khizr Faruqi, his son Shaykh Muhammad Faruqi, and his son Shaykh Mushayyid Faruqi, also Shaykh Abu Sa'id Faruqi, his son Shaykh Abul Khayr Faruqi and finally Hadrat Abul Ghaus Gharam Divan al-Faruqi.
A historian writes about them that ;
1. In the kingdom and period of Sultan Ibrahim Shah Sharki, Shaykh Khizr Faruqi and his son Shaykh Muhammad came to Jaunpur from Delhi. When Shaykh Muhammad passed away, Sultan Ibrahim Sharki gave Waleed Pur village (at Pargana Muhamadabaad), to Shaykh Mushayyid Faruqi. Therefore all members of the family came to this village from Jaunpur. Mawlana Shah Abu Sa'id and his son Maulana Shah Abul Khayr, Shah Ismail, Kazi Manjhan (Kazi Jaunpur), Shaykh Bar'e, Mawlana Shah Abul Ghaus Gharam Divan and Mawlana Shah Abu Is'haaq were extraordinarily religious. The lamp of this generation, Hadrat Mullah Mehmood Jaunpuri is very famous. This family is superior in knowledge, dignity, spiritualism, guidance and miracle powers. (Dayar-e-purab mein ilm aur ulema, pgs 288-289).
2. Mawlana Shah Haji Abul Khayr, son of Shah Abu Sa'id Faruqi Bhirivi wrote a book during Hajj. His book contains four chapters and in the 3rd chapter he mentioned family details from Jaunpur to Muhamadabaad and of Hadrat Umar Faruqi's Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu generation, including details of the Faruqi family. (pg 289)
3. Mawlana Shah Abul Khayr Faruqi was eight years older than Mullah Mehmood. His unprinted work is present in Da'ira shah ajmal, Allahbaad. (Page 210)
4. Mawlana Ghulam Ali Azaad Belgram writes in his book, 'Sajjattul Marjaan' (in Arabic), 'that undoubtedly there are two matchless ''Faruqi's'' in India;
a) MUJADDID ALIF THANI SIRHINDI [d.1034H] alayhir al rahman in tariqah and ma'rifa'a (knowledge of mysteries and secrets) and,
b) Mullah Mehmood in knowledge of logic, philosophy and literature. (pg 294)
Ancestors of Hadrat Abul Ghaus al-Faruqi 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Hadrat Abul Ghaus Faruqi s/o
Shah Muhammad s/o
Shah Abul Khayr s/o
Shah Abu Sa'id s/o
Shah Ma'aruf s/o
Shah Uthman s/o
Shah Maah s/o
Shah Chaand s/o
Shah Ma'aruf s/o
Shah Mushayyid s/o
Shah Muhammad s/o
Shah Khizr s/o
Shah Giyas al-Din s/o
Shah Taj al-Din s/o
Shah Izz 'al-Din s/o
Shah Abu Faw'aris Sulayman Shah s/o
Numan Shah s/o
Sultan Ahmad Faruq Shah s/o
Amir Masud s/o
Mawlana Wa'iz Asghar s/o
Mawlana Wa'iz Akbar s/o
Abul Fatah s/o
Imam Is'haaq s/o
Imam Salem s/o
Hadrat Abdullah s/o
Hadrat Umar al-Faruq Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu
Source: Dayar-e-purab mein ilm aur ulema : Ref pages (296 & 430)
The above lineage, historical and factual testimonies prove conclusively that Hadrat Abul Ghaus Gharam Divan al-Faruqi alayhir al rahman is the 25th descendent of Hadrat Umar al-Faruq Radi Allahu Ta'ala anhu. Hadrat Mullah Mehmood Jaunpuri Rahmatullahi ta'ala alayh is the 23rd descendent of Amir al Momineen Hadrat Umar al-Faruq Radi Allahu Ta'ala anhu and Hadrat Shah Chaand Faruqi Rahmatullahi ta'ala alayh is the grandfather of both these pious personalities.
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Shah Ale Ahmad Ach'che miya
Sayyad Shah Abul-Fadl Shams ud-Din Ale Ahmad Ach'che Miya [d. 1235 H - 1820 CE]'alayhir al-rahman w'al ridwan
'Ghousul-Waqt', 'Khatimal Akaabir', Abul-Fadl Shams ud-Din, Sayyad Sha Ale 'Ahmad Ach'che miya 'alayhir al-rahman was born on the 28th Ramadan 1160 Hijri in Mahrerah Shareef, U.P. India. He was the eldest son of Sayyad Shah Hamza al-Qadiri al-Barakaati 'alayhir al-rahmanand a Sayyad (a direct descendent of the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa sallam). His ancestors migrated from Madina t'ul Munawwarah to Iraq because of political harassment. Later, they moved to the Indo-Pak sub-continent, where the elders of the family settled in Mahrerah.
Shah Ach'che miya 'alayhir al-rahman undertook his entire external shari'ah and spiritual training under the guidance of his noble father Shah Hamza al-Qadiri al-Barakaati 'alayhir al-rahman. It is also mentioned by his family members that Sayyad Sha Ale' Ahmad Ach'che Mia'alayhir al-rahman resembled al Ghawth al A'zam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu in physical outlook.
He also studied medicine [hikmat] from the then celebrated physician, Hakim Nasrullah. Hundreds of patients came to him to be cured. The medication was mostly leaves from ordinary trees. This simple medication was successfully used to cure any common or complicated sickness. Curing the sick was a special gift of Almighty Allah bestowed upon Him. This was one of his many karamat (miracles). He was a very devout sufi and performed some of the most strenuous forms of devotion in the path of sulook. He was a master of habse kabeer (to engross oneself so intensely in Zikr-Allah that the saalik only breathes twice in 24 hours). He also regularly practised salaatul makoos (to be hung upside down, tied with ropes to the feet and perform salaah). All sunnah and nafil duties were strictly performed by him daily. Even from the age of 10, he never missed his tahajjud salaah [night prayer].
His biggest academic contribution was the compilation of a master-piece, "Ah'een-e-Ahmadi", in 34 bulky volumes. The uniqueness of these volumes is that they consist of every science of knowledge known to man on earth. This alone will tell us of the depth of his comprehensive knowledge. Some of his other known works :
1. Bayaade Amal wa Mah'mool
2. Adaab-us-Salikeen
3. Mathnawi - Poetry in Tasawwuf
4. Dewaane Ash'aar (in Persian)
Many of his karamat are recorded, one such is ;
It is recorded in "Aa'thar-e-Ahmadi" that once a young man came to Mahrerah Shareef from Bukhara (Russia) to visit Sayyad Ach'che Miya 'alayhir al-rahman. He first went to the masjid and offered zuhr salaah. Thereafter, he humbled himself at the feet of the Shaykh and said: "Your Holiness! I heard of you and travelled a long way to meet you. I am a very weak servant of Almighty Allah and do not possess the strength and courage to make strenuous mujahidah (spiritual devotion). I have come to you for divine blessings so that I may achieve this enormous gift without any effort and struggle".
On hearing this, the spiritual master smiled and said: "You wish to achieve such great wealth in so little time". One of the disciples present, remarked: "Do you think that this is some type of sweet that can just be placed into the mouth and eaten!" Themurshid-e-kaamil was displeased with this remark and reprimanded the disciple by saying: "Nothing is impossible in the Qudrat of Almighty Allah". He then taught the young man a specific Durood Shareef with necessary instructions and ordered him to recite it at night. The same night the devotee obeyed all instructions and began the recital in seclusion. Suddenly, he experienced a state of spiritual upliftment. He was blessed with the ziyarat of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa sallam. This vision was not spiritual but physical. Early the next morning, he immediately went to the murshid-e-kaamil and cried: "Subhan-Allah! Last night I met Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa sallam who said to me, 'In every century there will be a person in my Ummah who will revive my Deen'. Hence, O Master! Verily in this century, you are that eminent personality."
Just by the prescription of a single Durood Shareef and personally rendering his spiritual guidance, this grand master, in a short period of time without mujahidah, led a disciple to spiritual perfection. It is said that mujahidah is the most difficult science in the mystical path of sulook. According to the exalted mystics, it takes a minimum of 80 consecutive years of absolute devotion to reach this stage. But here the blessings of this august wali [saint] of Almighty Allah, condensed a long period of 80 years to less that 80 moments!
Ghousal-Waqt, Murshid-e-Kabeer 'alayhir al-rahman was married and had one son and a daughter. The son, as ordained by Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala, passed away at a very young age. He was born a Wali and whatever he said became a reality. His daughter also passed away when she was an infant.
He had thousands of murids and many khulafa. There are also numerous devotees that lived at the khanqah undertaking spiritual training of sulook. He also cared for hundreds of poor and destitute. He adopted his nephew, Khatimul Akabir Shah Ale' Rasool Ahmadi 'alayhir al-rahman as his son. Sayyad Shah Ale' Ahmad Ach'che miya was the fourth succeeding Qutb[pole] of the Barakaati Silsila and Sayyad Shah Ale' Rasool, his successor, was the fifthQutbul-Waqt. Khatimul Akabir was the 'Pir-o-Murshid' of A'la Hadrat Imam Ahmad Rida Khanal-Qadiri 'alayhir al-rahman.
Sayyad Shah Ale' Ahmad Ach'che miya al-Qadiri Barakaati 'alayhir al-rahman peacefully left this mundane world at the age of 75 in the morning of 25 Rabbi-ul-Awwal Shareef 1235 Hijri.
references : raza.co.za
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Shah Abd'al Aziz
Hafiz Ghulam Halim Shah Abd'al Aziz Muhaddith Dehlwi [d.1239AH/1823CE]'alayhir al rahman w'al ridwan
Shaykh Abdul Aziz Rahmatullahi alayh was born on the 25th of Ramadan al-Mubarak, in 1159AH [1746 Common Era], Dehli, India and was the eldest son of SHAH WALI 'ALLAH. Shaykh Abdul Aziz Rahmatullahi alayh memorised the Qur'an al kareem at an early age, and by the time when he was only 17, he became an expert in the sciences of tafsir, hadith, fiqh, Usul al Fiqh, Aqaid, mantiq, kalam, maths, history, geopgraphy etc. He had a great passion of all mental and written sciences. Shah Abdul Aziz was the most learned Islamic theologian in India, and his views on Muslim law were accepted by all parties among the Sunnis. Unlike most Muslims during this period, he recognized the value of learning English, and displayed no bitterness toward the conquerors. But he was a teacher and thinker rather than a leader.
Shah Abdul Aziz translated the Qur'an into Urdu, 50 years of the Persian translation by Shah Wali 'Allah, when the Urdu language had started to replace the Persian. He completed the exegesis of his father from Surat al-Maida to the thirteenth verse of al-Hujurat.
Shah Abdul Aziz soon built a reputation and a big following at his lectures which were extremely cultured and eloquent. When he spoke, he commanded his audience so much that his listeners were totally absorbed in his words. He would state some of the most difficult issues in an amazing clear way. His memory was matchless, he would dictate extremely long texts from books almost immediately after reading them. His compilations were reliable and trustworthy among the people of excellence. His compliations were reliable and trustworthy among the people of excellence.
Some known students of Shah Abdul Aziz Rahmatullahi alayh ;
Mawlana Sayyid Shah Al'e Rasul Qadri Barkati Marahrawi
Sayyad Ahmad Barelwi
Mawlana Fazl-e-Haq Khayrabadi
Mawlana Mahboob Ali Dehlawi
Mufti Sadr al-Din Aazurdah
Mawlana Muhammad Ali
Mawlana Ahmad Ali
He wrote and dictated many books, some of which were ;
Shaykh Abdul Aziz Rahmatullahi alayh passed away in the year 1823 [Common Era], 1239 After Hijri.
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Khalid al-Baghdadi
Khalid ibn Husayn al-Baghdadi al-Uthmani [d.1242 H - 1826 CE] 'alayhir ar-rahman w'al ridwan
Khalid al-Baghdadi was a Naqshbandi shaykh and founder of the Khalidi branch of theNaqshbandi order. He was born [in the year 1193 H./1779 CE] in Shehrezur, Karadag an area near to Sulaymaniye in northern Iraq. His full name was Khalid ibn Husain taking the nickname "Ziyauddin" and al-Baghdadi later.
His grandfather was Par Mika'il Chis Anchit, which means Mika'il the Saint of the six fingers. His title is 'Uthmani because he is a descendant of Sayyidina 'Uthman ibn 'Affan Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu, the third caliph of Islam. He studied the Qur'an al-kareem and its explanation and fiqh according to the Shafi'i school. He was famous in poetry. When he was fifteen years of age he took asceticism as his creed, hunger as his horse, wakefulness as his means, seclusion as his friend, and energy as his light.
Young Khalid studied with the two great scholars of his time, Shaykh 'Abdul Karam al-Barzinji and Shaykh 'Abdur Rahim al-Barzinji [Allah be pleased with them], and he read with Mullah Muhammad 'Ali. He studied the sciences of mathematics, philosophy, and logicas well as the principles of jurisprudence. He studied the works of Ibn Hajar, as-Suyuti, and al-Haythami. He memorized the commentary on Qur'an by Baydawi. He was able to find solutions for even the most difficult questions in jurisprudence. He memorized the Qur'an according to the fourteen different ways of recitation, and became very famous everywhere for this.
He then entered seclusion, leaving everything he had studied behind, coming to Allah's door with all kinds of pious actions and much dhikr, both loud and silent. He no longer visited the sultans, but kept to himself and to his murids, until the year 1220 H./1806 CE, when he decided to make the Pilgrimage and to visit the Beloved Prophet . He left everything and went to Hijaz through the cities of Mosul and Yarbikir and ar-Raha and Aleppo and Damascus, where he met its scholars and followed its Shaykh, the master of both the ancient and the modern knowledge and the teacher of hadith, ash-Shaykh Muhammad al-Kuzbara. He received authorization in the Qadiri Tariqat from Shaykh al-Kuzbari and his deputy, Shaykh Mustafa al-Kurdi, who travelled with him until he reached the city of the Beloved Prophet .
He praised the Prophet in Persian poetry in such a way that people were astonished at his eloquence. He spent a long time in the City of the Beloved Prophet . He reported,
"I was looking for someone of rare piety in order to take some advice when I saw a Shaykh on the right-hand side of the Blessed Gravesite (Rawdatu-sh-Sharifa). I asked him to give me advice, counsel from a wise scholar to an ignorant person. He advised me not to object when I enter Makkah to matters which might appear to be counter to the shari`a, but to keep quiet. I reached Makkah, and keeping in my heart that advice, I went to the Holy Mosque early on the morning of Friday. I sat near the Ka’ba reading Dala'il al-Khayrat, when I saw a man with a black beard leaning on a pillar and looking at me. It came to my heart that the man was not showing the proper respect to the Kacba, but I didn't say anything to him about the matter.
"He looked at me and scolded me, saying, 'O ignorant one, don't you know that the honor of the heart of a believer is far more than the privilege of the Ka`ba? Why do you criticize me in your heart for standing with my back to the Ka`ba and my face to you. Didn't you hear the advice of my Shaykh in Madinah who told you not to criticise?' I ran to him and asked his forgiveness, kissing his hands and feet and asking him for his guidance to Allah. He told me, 'O my son, your treasures and the keys to your heart are not in these parts, but in India. Your Shaykh is there. Go there and he will show you what you have to do.' I didn't see anyone better than him in all the Haram. He didn't tell me where to go in India, so I went back to Sham and associated with its scholars."
He then returned to Sulaymaniyyah and continued his teachings of self-denial. He was always looking for someone to show him the way. Finally, there came to Sulaymaniyyah the Shaykh Mawlana Mirza Rahimullah Beg al-M'aruf, known by the name of Muhammad ad-Darwish 'Abdul 'Azim al-Abadi, one of the khalifs of the spiritual pole, Qutb al-A'zam, 'Abdullah ad-Dehlawi (q). He met with him and gave him respect and asked him about the perfect guide to show him the way. He told him, "There is one perfect Shaykh, a Scholar and a Knower, showing the seeker the way to the King of Kings, expert in this delicate matter, following the Naqshbandi Way, carrying the Character of the Beloved Prophet , a guide in the Knowledge of Spirituality. Come back with me to his service in Jehanabad. He had told me before I left, 'You are going to meet someone, bring him back with you.'"
After travelling to India where he studied under revivalist Naqshbandi Sufi Shaykhs he returned to Syria where he engaged himself in teaching his students. He died in 1242 after Hijri [1826 Common Era]. His funeral was performed at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
MULLA ALI AL QARI [d.1014 H - 1605 CE]
MUJADDID ALIF THANI SIRHINDI [d.1034 H - 1624 CE]
ABD 'AL HAQ MUHADDITH DEHLWI [d.1052 H - 1642 CE]
SAYYAD NAUSHA GANJ BAKSH [d.1064 H - 1654 CE]
SHAYKH SULTAN BAHU [d.1104 H - 1693 CE]
ABD'ALLAH IBN ALAWI AL-HADDAD [d.1132 H - 1720 CE]
ABD'AL GHANI AN-NABLUSI [d.1143 H - 1733 CE]
SHAH WALI 'ALLAH DEHLWI [d.1176 H - 1762 CE]
SHAH ABUL GHAUS AL-FARUQI [d.1178 H - 1764 CE]
SHAH ALE AHMAD ACH'CHE MIA [d.1235 H - 1820 CE]
SHAH ABD 'AL AZIZ DEHLWI [d.1239 H - 1823 CE]
KHALID AL-BAGHDADI [d.1242 H - 1827 CE]
Mulla Ali Qari
Mulla Ali al Qari [d.1014AH / 1605CE] 'alayhir al rahman w'al ridwan
Imam Mullah Ali al-Qari Rahmatullahi alayh was one of the great Hanafi masters of hadith and Imams of fiqh, Qur'anic commentary, language, history and tasawwuf, he authored several great commentaries such as al-Mirqat on Mishkat al-masabih in several volumes, a two-volume commentary on Qadi 'Iyad's al-Shifa', and a two-volume commentary on IMAM AL GHAZALI'Sabridgment of the Ihya entitled 'Ayn al-'ilm wa zayn al-hilm (The spring of knowledge and the adornment of understanding). His book of prophetic invocations, al-Hizb al-a'zam (The supreme daily dhikr) forms the basis of Imam al-Jazuli's celebrated manual of dhikr, Dala'il al-khayrat, which along with the Qur'an is recited daily by many pious Muslims around the world.
He writes in the foreword to his commentary on al-Ghazali:
I wrote this commentary on the abridgment of Ihya' 'ulum al-din by the Proof of Islam and the Confirmation of Creatures hoping to receive some of the outpouring of blessings from the words of the most pure knowers of Allah, and to benefit from the gifts that exude from the pages of the Shaykhs and the Saints, so that I may be mentioned in their number and be raised in their throng, even if I fell short in their following and their service, for I rely on my love for them and content myself with my longing for them.[1]
On the obligation to seek purification of the heart he writes:
The greatest of the great (al-akabir) have striven to pray only two rak'at without conversing with their ego about dunya in the midst of their prayer, and they were unable to do this. Therefore there is not any such ambition for us of ever achieving this. Would that one saves only half of his prayer, or only a third, from the whisperings and the passing thoughts turning over in the mind. He is like him who mixes good and bad, like a glass full of vinegar into which water is poured: inevitably vinegar is spilled in proportion to the water poured and the two amounts never coexist. We ask for Allah's help! [2]
The last chapter of Qari's commentary on Ghazali, perhaps the most valuable of the entire work, is devoted to Ghazali's and Qari's explanations of the verse "If you love Allah, follow me, and Allah will love you!" (3:31) and is reminiscent of al-Harawi's Kitab sad maydan on the same topic. In it Qari cites al-Hasan al-Basri as saying: "Whoever (truly) knows his Lord loves Him, and whoever (truly) knows the world does without it." Mullah Ali Qari Rahmatullahi alayhbegins the chapter with a warning that the various spiritual states of love for Allah described by Sufis in their terminology all proceed from the same Qur'anic source and that it is not permitted to deny them unless one denies the source itself: Love and the discipline of the path (al-mahabba wa al-suluk) mean the path of love and longing, and whoever does not scoop his drink from the ocean of gnosticism does not know the reality of love, even if the genus, examples, and terminology are different. Love has no other meaning than the exhortation to obedience, and whoever denies love denies familiarity (uns) and passion (shawq) and taste (dhawq) and effacement (mahu) and clarity (sahu) and extinction (fana') and subsistence (baqa') and contraction (qabd) and expansion (bast) and all the rest of the necessary characteristics of love and longing, and the rest of the stations of the People of Gnosis.[3]
Reproduced with permission from Shaykh M. Hisham Kabbani's The Repudiation of "Salafi" Innovations (Kazi, 1996) p. 397-398.
Notes:[1]. al-Qari, Sharh 'Ayn al-'ilm wa zayn al-hilm 1:1.
[2]. Ibid. 1:78.
[3]. Ibid. 2:354-355.
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Shaykh Ahmad as-Sirhindi
Mujaddid Alif Thani, Imam al Rabbani Shaykh Ahmad al Faruqi as-Sirhindi, [d.1034H /1624CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
He was the Pearl of the Crown of the Knowledgeable Saints. He was the Reviver of the Second Millennium, Sayyidina wa Mawlana (our Leader & Master) ash-Shaykh Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi, ibn ash-Shaykh 'Abdul Ahad s/o Zainu-l-'Abidin s/o 'Abdulhayy, s/o Muhammad s/o Habibullah, s/o Rafi'uddin, s/o Nur, s/o Sulayman, s/o Yusuf, s/o 'Abdullah, s/o Ishaq, s/o 'Abdullah, s/o Shu'ayb, s/o Aad, s/o Yusuf, s/o Shihabuddin, known as Farq Shah al-Qabidi, s/o Nairuddin, s/o Mahmud, s/o Sulayman, s/o Mas'ud, s/o 'Abdullah al-Wa'i al-Asghari, s/o 'Abdullah al-Wa'i al-Akbar, s/o Abdu-l-Fattah, s/o Ishaq, s/o Ibrahim, s/o Nair, s/o Sayyidina Abdullah radi Allahu ta'ala anhu, the s/o Amir al-Mu'minin, the khalif of the Beloved Prophet [Allahs grace & blessings upon him], Sayyidina 'Umar al-Faruq radi Allahu ta'ala anhu.
He was born on the day of 'Ashura, the 10th of Muharram in the year 971 H., in the village of Sihar Nidbasin. In some translations it is called Sirhind in the city of Lahore, in India. He received his knowledge and education through his father and through many shaikhs in his time. He made progress in three tariqats: Suhrawardiyya, Qadiriyya, and Chistiyya. He was given permission to train followers in all three tariqats at the age of 17 years. He was busy in spreading the teachings of these tariqats and in guiding his followers, yet he felt that something was missing in himself and he was continuously searching for it. He felt an interest in the Naqshbandi Sufi Order, because he could see by means of the secrets of the other three tariqats that it was the best and highest. His spiritual progress eventually brought him to the presence of the Ghawth and Qutb of his time, ash-Shaikh Muhammad al-Baqi, who had been sent from Samarqand to India by the order of his shaykh, Muhammad al-Amkanaki. He took the Naqshbandi Order from the shaykh and stayed with him for two months and some days, until Sayyidina Muhammad al-Baqi alayhir ar-rahman opened to his heart the secret of this tariqat and gave him authorization to train his murids in the Order. He said about him,
"He is the highest Qutb in this time."
The Shari'ah is of fundamental importance to the Sufi path. This point is very strongly made by the great Naqshbandi Sufi, Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi (also known as Imam ar-Rabbani), in his letters. Here is a small excerpt from one of his letters, where he clarifies this topic:
The Shari'ah has three parts: knowledge, action, and sincerity of motive (ikhlas); unless you fulfil the demands of all these parts, you do not obey theShari'ah. And when you obey the Shari'ah you obtain the pleasure of God, which is the most supreme good in this world and the Hereafter. The Qur'an al kareem says:
"The pleasure of God is the highest good."
Hence, the Shari'ah comprehends all the good of this world and the next, and nothing is left out for which one has to go beyond the Shari'ah.
The tariqah ["way"] and the haqiqah ["reality"] for which the Sufis are known, are subservient to the Shari'ah, as they help to realize its third part, namely, sincerity. Hence they are sought in order to fulfil the Shari'ah, not to achieve something beyond the Shari'ah. The raptures and ecstasies which the Sufis experience, and the ideas and truths which come to them in the course of their journey, are not the goal of Sufism. They are rather myths and fancies on which the children of Sufism are fed. One has to pass over them all and reach the stage of satisfaction (rida) which is the final goal of suluk ["travelling", i.e. the Sufi path] and jadhbah ["overwhelming love"].The purpose of traversing the stages of tariqah and haqiqah is nothing other than the realisation of ikhlas which involves the attainment of rida. Only one out of a thousand Sufis is graced with the three illuminations (tajalliyat sih ganah) and gnostic visions, given ikhlas and elevated to the stage of rida.
[Quoted from "Sufism and Shari'ah: A study of Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi's Effort to Reform Sufism," by Muhammad Abdul Haq Ansari, pp. 221-2. Originally from Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi's letters, Vol. I:36.]
It is said that the shaykh of his father, Shaykh Abdul Ahad, who was a shaykh of the Qadiri Order, had been given a jubba (cloak) from his shaykh which had been passed down from the Ghawth al-Azam, Sayyadina Shaykh 'Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu.Ghawth al-Azam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu had said about it to his successors, "Keep it for that one who is going to appear at the end of the first millennium. His name is 'Ahmad'. He is going to revive this religion. I have dressed him with all my secrets. He combines in himself both the internal and external knowledge."
He wrote many books, one of the most famous of which is the Maktubat.
In it he said,
"It must be known that Allah has placed us under His Obligations and His Prohibitions. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said,
'Whatever the Prophet gave you, take it, and whatever he prohibited you, leave it.' [59:7]
If we are going to be sincere in this, we have to attain to Annihilation and the love of the Essence. Without these we cannot reach this degree of obedience. Thus we are under another obligation, which is to seek the Way of Sufism, because this Way will lead us to the state of Annihilation and the love of the Essence. Each Order differs from the other in its states of perfection; so too does each Order keep the Sunnah of the Prophet [Allahs grace & blessings upon him] and have its own definition of what that entails. Every order has its own way of keeping the Sunnah of the Prophet [Allahs grace & blessings upon him]. Our Order, through its shaikhs, requires us to keep all the commands of the Prophet [Allahs grace & blessings upon him] and to leave all the things he prohibited. Our shaykhs don't follow the easy ways (rukhas) but insist on keeping the difficult ways. In all their seeking they keep in mind the verse of Qur'an ;
'Men whom neither business nor trade will divert from the Remembrance of Allah' [24:37].
He passed away on the 17th of Safar 1034 H. at the age of 63. He was buried in the village of Sirhind. He was a shaikh in the four tariqats: Naqshbandi, Qadiri, Chisti and Suhrawardi. He preferred the Naqshbandi, because he said, "It is the Mother of all tariqats."
Source:
Also from the 'Maktubat' of Mujaddid Alf Thani : NECESSITY OF FINDING THE PERFECT MASTER & AVOIDING THE IGNORANT SHAYKHS
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Shah Abd 'al Haqq Dehlwi
Shaykh as-Shah Abd 'al Haqq Muhaddith Dehlwi [ d. 1052 H - 1642 CE ] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Hadrat Mawlana as-Shaykh as-Shah 'Abd-al-Haqq al Muhaddith Rahmatullahi alayh was born in Delhi [Dehlwi, Dehlawi, Dehlvi], India. His father Saif al-DinRahmatullahi alayh was a very pious and intellectual man, and this is a reason why Shah 'Abd-al-Haqq Rahmatullahi alayh's education and breeding was based on similar well founded principles. He was extremely fond of education and had a particular zest for learning from a very young age. Many hours of the day and the night were spent in reading and writing. After gaining his education in India, he was directed towards the Haramayn, Makkah in 996H. He stayed there for approx 3 and a half years, in which he attained his knowledge of hadith and also authored several books.
Some of his most popular and recognised works are listed below;-
Ash'at al-Lam'at : This is a commentary on the Mishqat Shareef, and is recognised as one of his important works.
Tarikh al Madina' : Another well known and important book.
Madarij an-Nabbuwaah' : A highly acclaimed classic.
Akhbarul Akhyar' : A ground breaking piece of writing in which the respected positions of the Saints of Hindustan are mentioned.
'Momin ke Mah o Sal' : Months & Years for a Believer
Shah 'Abd-al-Haqq Rahmatullahi alayh was also a noted poet who went by the pen name of Hanfi. During his time the King known as Jahangir was a great believer in him. Jahangir praised many of his works, and also had many of his letters published.
On Dhikr, Shaykh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlawi Rahmatullahi alayh says:
"Undoubtedly, loud Zikr is permissible. One of its proofs is the saying of Allah Ta'ala, 'Remember Allah as you used to remember your forefathers'". (Ash'atul Lam'aat, Vol. 2, pg. 278) Allah Ta'ala also says in the Qur'an al karim :
"Then, when you have finished your prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting and lying on your sides". (Surah an-Nisa: 103)
In Sahih Muslim, it is reported from Abdullah Ibn Zubair Rahmatullahi alayhi : "When the beloved Rasool Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam uttered the Salutation at the end of his Salaah, he used to say 'LA ILAHA ILLALLAHO WAHDA HU LA SHARIKA LAHU' aloud" (Mishkaat, pg. 88)
Commenting on this Hadith Shareef, Shah Abdul Haq Muhaddith DehlawiRahmatullahi alayhi says: "This Hadith is categorical proof that RasoolullahSalla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam used to perform loud Zikr". (Ash'atul Lam'aat, Vol. 1, pg. 419)
Shah 'Abd-al-Haqq Rahmatullahi alayh passed away at the age of 96, [17th Rabbi al Awwal 1052AH - 1642 C.E.] and is buried near the shrine of Khawaja Qutb al-Din Bahtyar Kaki Rahmatullahi alayh, in Delhi, India.
Madarij An Nabuwwah-Vol 1 urdu
Madarij An Nabuwwah-Vol 2 urdu
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Shah Nausha Ganj Baksh
Shaykh as-Sayyad as-Shah Muhammad Nausha Ganj Baksh al-Qadiri [d.1064H / 1654 CE] 'alayhir ar-rahman w'al ridwan
Sayyad Nausha Bakhsh Qadri 'alayhir ar-rahman, was a renowned scholar, a saint and amuballigh of Islam in the Indo-Pak subcontinent. He was also the founder of the Naushahiya Order, whose adherents call themselves Qadiri Naushahi or just Naushahi. He preached Islam in the ninth and tenth hijri and brought non-Muslims into the fold of Islam. He was anAshiq al-Rasul; loved the Prophet Muhammad [Peace & Blessings upon him] and modelled his own life and teachings on the Qur'an and Sunnah [tradition of the Beloved Prophet].
Sayyad Nausha Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman was born on the first day of Ramadan in 959 A.H. (21st August 1552) at Ghogganwali, district Gujrat in Punjab, Pakistan. The name of his father was Sayyad Ala'uddin, who was respected for being a great Sufi in his own time.Despite the many difficulties of undertaking long journey's in those days he had completed his pilgrimage to Makkah Mukarramah and Madinah Munawwarah seven times by foot, which shows how devoted to Islam he was. At his birth he was named (Haji) Muhammad. Later on he was more renowned by the names & titles of Haji Nausha, Abul Hashim, Bhoora Wala Pir (the enshrouded one), Mujaddid-i Islam (the great reviver of the Islam), Nausha Ganj Bakhsh, Sayyad Nausha Pir and Nausha Pak. The name Nausha is also spelt and pronounced as Noshah.
It has been recorded that the first ancestor of Sayyad Nausha Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman, who came to the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, was Sayyad Awn ibn Ya'la, also known as Qutb Shah Qadiri alayhir ar-rahman (born in 1028CE in Baghdad). This eastern journey was instructed by al-Ghawth al-Adham Sayyadina as-Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu in the fifth century A.H. Moreover, he [Qutb Shah Qadiri alayhir ar-rahman] was an uncle of as-Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani and one of his spiritual successors. He is also the first person who introduced the Qadiriya Order in India. Qutb Shah Qadiri alayhir ar-rahman was an appointed Qutb (spiritual pole) by as-Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani for the Indian subcontinent. Through his tremendous devotion and dedication many of the Hindu tribes converted to Islam and attained notable lives. Qutb Shah Qadiri alayhir ar-rahman returned to his spiritual home of Baghdad after his mission, where he was finally laid to rest in 1157 CE.
Sayyad Nausha Ganj Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman was an expert in the religious fields of fiqh(Islamic law), hadith (traditions) tafsir (exegeses of the Qur'an), philosophy and kalam(theology concerning the tenets of belief). Besides being fluent in arabic and persian he also knew kashmiri, sanskrit and many another regional languages and dialects as well. After Islamic knowledge, he was regularly engaged in many spiritual exercises, mentally and physically. He was widely respected and honoured for his knowledge of tasawwuf. It is recorded that he memorised the Qur'an al-karim within a period of only three months. Amongst his teachers were Qari Qaym al-Din and Shaykh Abd 'al-Haqq [Radi Allahu anhum].
One of his famous sayings about shari'ah :
My way of life is the shari'ah of the Prophet,*
My way of the tariqah is the shari'ah of the Prophet,
The way of life of the Prophet implies also my way of life,
To walk through the shari'ah, is like walking on an illuminated way!
*[Peace & Blessings upon him]
On purification :
Sayyad Nausha Ganj Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman made it very clear, that one is not asufi until he has purified himself totally. This purification is achieved by eliminating the sensual desires. This is eliminated in his turn, when the nafs (the ego that inclines to the evil) has been conquered by him. He conquers this by taking distance from pleasures in this worldly life and to consider this as transitory. He has to perform all his actions in contradiction to his nafs in order to attain this.
On death :
He usually gave instructions to his murid to commemorate death all the time and to be aware of it. “One has to live without any allegation or false attitude (= a clear mind)”, he said. He encouraged his friend to be in the company of saints and stated that one can only then become a good human being.
On intention :
With great emphasis he pointed out the fact that action has to be done with sincere intention. He said that by sincerity, piety or Allah fearing, the body and by eating halaal [permissible] the tongue is cleaned. One has according to him, not to expound the deficiencies and small faults of others, but he should rely on Allah’s trust and be satisfied with His will. He paid much attention to take care of the parents and those poor and in need. He said that the most claims belong to them and that taking care of them, it can be a significant cause attaining the divine grace. He incited also to eat little and to keep oneself awake in the night for the voluntary prayers and recollections. ''By waking up the heart is illuminated'' he said.
All his teachings had their origin in the primary sources of the Islam: The Qur'an and the hadiths, supported by the conclusions of the mujtahidin (those qualified to make religious decisions, according to one’s own capacity). He approved no more than the prescribed exercises that agreed with this.
There are many works of Sayyad Nausha Ganj Bakhsh 'alayhir ar-rahman. As time passes they are compiled and published from manuscripts. At present there are five books of poetry and prose:
1] Kulliyat-i Nausha (urdu poetry) consisting of 76 risala's and 2400 verses,
2] Kulliyat-i Nausha (punjabi poetry) In this work 126 risala's are alphabetically arranged there are four thousand verses in total,
3] Ma'arif-i Tasawwuf (persian poetry) dealing with assignments on the spiritual path,
4] Mawa'iz-i Nausha Pir (punjabi prose) comprises delivered speeches and advices,
5] Ganj al-Asrar (the treasure of mysteries), a short risala in prose ascribed to him.
Shaykh Nausha Ganj Baksh passed away on the 15th of Rabi al Awwal 1064 Hijri [1654 CE], and is laid to rest at Ranmal Shareef, Gujrat, Pakistan. The present janasheen is Pir Sayyad Maruf Hussain Shah Naushahi, the founder of the Jamiyat Tabligh al Islam, based in the UK.
FURTHER READING SILSILA AL QADIRIYA AL NAUSHAHIYA :
http://www.qadri-naushahi.com/
http://www.jamiyattablighulislam.org/
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Hadrat Sultan Bahu
Hadrat Shaykh Muhammad Sultan Bahu [d.1104 H - 1693 CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
'Sultan al Arfieen' Sultan Muhammad Bahu Radi Allahu anhu is acknowledged as one of the most prominent Sufi poets of the Indo-Pak subcontinent. He is known to be the author of over 140 books in Persian and Arabic dealing with a variety of religious and mystic subjects. He was a strict upholder of the Shari'a and did not in his entire life forego even one Mustahab.
According to some sources Hadrat Sultan Bahu Radi Allahu anhu was born in the village of Shorkhote in Punjab Province in the year 1039 CE, during the reign of the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Hadrat Sultan Bahu Radi Allahu anhu belonged to the Sarwari Qadiri tariqat and was a descendent of Amir al Momineen Imam Ali Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu.
Hadrat Sultan Bahu Radi Allahu anhu did not acquire the worldly sciences. Due to immense spiritual attractions and ecstasy it became difficult to attain to formal education. Yet his own person was luminous with Divine Light. In one of his writings the great wali (saint) refers to this when he says that: 'I did not have time to spare for formal education but spiritual experiences, divine favour and guidance and esoteric conquests has enabled me to acquire such vast knowledge that it would require many files of paper to record. Spiritual realities have so enlightened my inward that both the esoteric and exoteric sciences have been revealed to me....neither did I have the time to perform daily litanies (wird) because since the beginning I have been immersed in the ocean of Unity (Tawheed)'.
The blessed soul of Hadrat Sultan Bahu Radi Allahu anhu departed in a blissful state to its Lord on a Thursday evening, on the 1st of Jamadi al Thani, in the year 1102/1693 at the age of 63.
Extracted from :http://www.bahu.co.za/hazrat_sultan_bahu.htm
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Imam al-Haddad
Imam 'Abd 'Allah al-Haddad [d.1132 H - 1720 CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
The Beloved Messenger of God, may the Blessings of Allah & peace be upon him & and his Family, prophesised that in every century God would raise up amongst his nation a man who would renew its religion. Imam 'Abdallah al-Haddad Radi Allahu anhu was the renewer, or Mujaddid, of the twelfth Islamic century. He was renowned, and deservedly so, for the breadth of his knowledge and his manifest sanctity. The profundity of his influence on Muslims is reflected by the fact his books are still in print throughout the Islamic world.
He was born in Tarim, in the hills of Hadramaut, one of the southerly regions of the Arabian peninsula, and grew up in an environment where the accent was upon piety, frugality, erudition, and an uncompromising thirst for gnosis (ma'rifa). His lineage is traced back to the Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, and his family, through Imam al-Husayn. His illustrious ancestors, the 'Alawi sadat, had for centuries produced generation after generation of great scholars, gnostics, and summoners to the Straight Path.
Imam al-Haddad's Radi Allahu anhu writings, if we except a few short treatises, and his volume of poetry, are mostly concerned with establishing within his readers the firmest possible foundations for faith and certainty. He recognised the signs of his times and of the times to come, and observed how people were drawing away from religion, exhibiting a reluctance to study and a diminishing inclination to seek spiritual growth. He therefore endeavoured to produce concise, clear, and uncontroversial texts. His concern for brevity is manifest throughout his books, many of which are abbreviated adaptations of Imam al-Ghazali's Radi Allahu anhu monumental Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya 'Ulum al-Din). Al-Ghazali Radi Allahu anhu had himself been the renewer of the sixth century.
Imam al-Haddad Radi Allahu anhu died on the eve of the seventh of Dhu'l-Qa'da, 1132 A.H. having spent his life bringing people to their Lord through his oral and written teaching, and his exemplary life. He was buried in a simple grave in the cemetary at Tarim.
Books by : Imam ibn Alawi al-Haddad 'alayhir rahman
Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi Al-Madina al-Munawwara [Ramadan 1408]
Source: Imam Abdallah ibn Alawi Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance,
The Quilliam Press, London, 1989, p.vii-viii.
Courtesy : http://www.iqra.net/articles/al-haddad.html
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'Abd al-Ghani al-Nablusi
Shaykh al Islam 'Abd al-Ghani al-Nablusi [d. 1143A.H/1733C.E] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
'Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi radi Allahu anhu was born in Damascus in 1641[C.E] into a family of Islamic scholarship. His father, Isma'il 'Abd al-Ghani, was a jurist in the Hanafi school of fiqhand contributor to Arabic literature. 'Abd al-Ghani showed diligence in the pursuit of Islamic knowledge and before the age of twenty he was both teaching and giving formal legal opinions (fatwa). He taught in the Umawi Mosque in Damascus and the Salihiyya Madrasa, his fame as an accomplished Islamic scholar spreading to all neighbouring Islamic cities. He died in 1733[C.E] at ninety years of age, having left behind hundreds of written works in virtually all the Islamic sciences.
His status as a scholar and wali (friend of Allah) is also unstintingly acknowledged by Islamic scholars who came after him. As a prolific contributor to Hanafi fiqh, there is hardly a work in the school that appeared after him that does not depend on or discusses his legal opinions. In the well known and most depended upon work in Hanafi fiqh, Radd al-Muhtar, commonly known as The Hashiya of Ibn `Abidin, the author and Imam of the school in his time, Muhammad Amin ibn 'Abidin (d.1836), frequently quotes the legal opinions of Shaykh 'Abd al-Ghani, referring to him with a reverence and respect that is not apparent in the mention of other scholars quoted in his work. Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tahtawi (d.1816), the al-Azhari Shaykh of the Hanafi Jurists, in his well known Hashiya of Maraqi al-Falah, when discussing a legal opinion of Shaykh 'Abd al-Ghani refers to him as "The knower of Allah, my master 'Abd al-Ghani (al-arif billah Sayyidi 'Abd al-Ghani)". It is unthinkable that such eminent scholars should lend such respect to and depend on the scholarship of an individual who might remotely be accused of heresy. Nor is it thinkable that the numerable godfearing scholars who came after them and use and quote their works would find that acceptable (Ibn 'Abidin's work in particular has been used since it was authored by Islamic rulers implementing the shari'a in government, by judges, muftis, jurists and students of Islamic Law). This is particularly true in view of his book Wujud al-Haqq (On True Being), which details his Sufi ontology and which he taught in public seminars to hundreds of contemporary scholars in his own lifetime.
I believe that a valid point can be made here; namely, that in the time of such scholars as Ibn 'Abidin and al-Tahtawi Islamic culture was a great deal more integrated and balanced than it is today, such that Sufism was understood by shari'a specialists and even considered necessary for a complete understanding and practice of the Din. In the time in which we live Muslims have been engulfed by a civilization that is completely materialistic in its outlook. I believe that this saturation of the worldly has had the adverse effect on the Muslims of making it difficult for them to comprehend anything beyond the physical, which is why the words and experience of the Sufis seem alien to them. This over emphasis on the material also seems to be the reason that modern day reform minded Muslims have found the concept of an anthropomorphic god acceptable as well as the focus of religion being limited primarily to the outward manifestations of the shari'a only, such as salat and hijab for example, without there being any emphasis on internal development. It is not uncommon to find that such an attitude leads to a spiritual crisis of stagnation and meaninglessness, when after several years of practice the initial sense of euphoria of faith fades and one no longer feels the forward motion of increasing in closeness to Allah Most High.
Regarding the scholarship of Shaykh 'Abd al-Ghani radi Allahu anhu, one need only read his works to understand how truly brilliant this man was. In whatever subject he addressed, he wrote as an authority, whether Hanafi fiqh, hadith, Islamic ontology and metaphysics, Arabic literature, Quranic readings or other. Some of his works have been published, while the majority are still in manuscript form. Any skeptic could avail himself his works and make an honest investigation.
Ref; Umm Sahl
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Shah Wali 'Allah
Qutb al-Din Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Rahim Shah Wali 'Allah [d.1176 H - 1760 CE]'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
b.1114 - d.1176 HIJRI
b.1703 - d.1762 C.E
Hadrat Shaykh Qutb al-Din Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Rahim Rahmatullahi alayh, popularly known as Shah Wali Allah, lived at a critical juncture of Muslim history. India had enjoyed the peaceful and prosperous rule of the Mughals for more than 200 years, but by the time of Shah Wali Allah Rahmatullahi alayh, mutually hostile principalities had begun to emerge. Many of the newly emerging quasi independent states were the result of the rising influence of the militant Maratha, Sikh and Hindu communities and Muslim power and glory in the sub-continent, as in other parts of the world, were gradually eroded. It was at this time of utter despair and despondency for Muslims that Shah Wali Allah Rahmatullahi alayh was born.
Shah Wali Allah Rahmatullahi alayh was able to diagnose, at an early period of his life, the malaise of his society. In his view, it consisted of: (i) lack of strong faith, (ii) disunity in the Muslim ranks, and (iii) acute moral degeneration. He tried to redress lack of faith by presenting a rational interpretation of Islam. He intuitively presented rational arguments side by side with traditional dialectics. Shah Wali Allah addressed the disunity by attempting to bring about reconciliation between the diverse schools of law and theology. Shah Wali Allah knew very well that, without purification of the heart, it was not possible to overcome the moral degeneration which permeated the individual and collective life of the Muslim community and he advocatedtasawwuf, which, for him, meant a direct approach to the heart. His father Shah 'Abd al-Rahim (d. 1131/1719) had initiated him into the realm of spirituality.
Shah Wali Allah Rahmatullahi alayh adopted both short-term and long-term measures for rebuilding the culture, polity and ideological orientation of the Muslims. The thrust of his reform movement ranged from matters of belief to social structure, from politics and statecraft to economy, from legal and juristic concepts to philosophical and metaphysical ideas. He addressed himself to the needs of this world but at the same time did not forget to respond to the requirements of ultimate success in the Hereafter.
The principles of Qur'anic exegesis, which he set forth in al-Fawz al-Kabir, introduced a new dimension in the science of tafsir. He emphasized a direct approach to the Qur'an. Prior to Shah Wali Allah, because of the notion that the Qur'an may not be translated, Qur'anic scholarship had been an exclusive domain of specialists. Shah Wali Allah took a bold initiative and translated the Qur'an into Persian, the lingua franca of the Muslim literati in the sub-continent. Thereafter it became increasingly possible for ordinary people to understand the teachings of the Qur'an. A growing number of scholars concentrated their efforts in explicating the message of the Qur'an. 'Ubayd Allah Sindhi, one of the most prominent exponents of Shah Wali Allah's philosophy, expressed the view that after being imbued with the philosophy of Shah Wali Allah, one can understand the overall message of the Qur'an directly from its text and can be satisfied with it without being compelled to seek any external aid.
The Qur'an had always been regarded as the primary source of legal doctrines, yet later jurists tended to regard only approximately five hundred verses as legally important. Even men like Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 505 /1111) had not considered it necessary for a mujtahid to master the rest of the verses. Further, the classical exegetes tended to assign a certain strict context to each verse of the Qur'an. Shah Wali Allah emphasized that the Qur'an was applicable to the entire human thought and experience, emphasizing the essential comprehensibility of all the verses of the Qur'an, including those assigned by the exegetes to the category of mutashabih.
After a comprehensive survey of the contents of the Qur'an, he classified its themes under five subjects: (i) ahkam (injunctions); (ii) mukhasamah (dialectics); (iii) tadhkir bi ala' Allah(reminding man of the Divine favours); (iv) tadhkir bi ayyam Allah (reminding man of God's interventions in history); and (v) tadhkir bi al-mawt wa ma ba'd al-mawt (reminding man about death and the life thereafter). This classification clarified many misunderstandings of the Qur'an as well as a number of problems in the sequence of the verses, their inter-relationship and thematic coherence. Many 'ulama' had been neglecting dialectics of the Qur'an and thus were unable to appreciate the discourse of the Revelation which was addressed to all mankind, belonging to either of the following categories: (i) the faithful, (ii) the people of the Book, (iii) the polytheists or atheists, and (iv) the hypocrites.
Shah Wali Allah's approach to the Science of Hadith is characterized by his view that theSunnah is essentially a commentary on the Qur'an itself, rather than something independent of it. An intensive analysis of the Prophet's traditions led him to see an organic relationship between the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Further, he brought out the rational and beneficent considerations underlying the directives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He also took note of the severe criticism made against Ahl al-Sunnah by the rationalists, partly under the impact of Hellenistic philosophy in the classical period of Islamic thought. He advocated the traditional point of view of the former and supported it with strong rational arguments.
Shah Wali Allah adopted a method of interpreting the traditions of the Prophet in which he has shown an evolutionary process in the lives of all Prophets from Ibrahim up to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), in that they received Divine guidance gradually and commensurate with the onward progress of human civilization. He looked upon the teachings of all Prophets as a continuous commentary on the ever-unfolding process of revealed guidance. Moreover, unlike many other jurists, Shah Wali Allah did not assign to ijma'(consensus) a categorical position as an independant source of law. He had, rather, a restricted conception of ijma'. He recognized the binding character of the consensus based on the rulings of the early caliphs, especially Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman, the three immediate successors of the beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), on any interpretation of the Qur'an or the Sunnah. He granted this special status to these Companions on grounds of their close association with the Prophet and their temporal proximity to him. Any other consensus which took place at any later period was, in his opinion, not of the same consequence in as much as it does not bind Muslims of any other era or area to any particular view. Thus, Shah Wali Allah gave ijma' a somewhat diminished position. According to him,ijma' is an explanatory source and an authentic interpretation of the Qur'an by those whose understanding is less fallible than of others for the reasons we have stated earlier. The fourth source of law, according to the generally held view of jurists, is qiyas (analogy). Again, this is not recognized by Shah Wali Allah as an independent source because it is integral to our process of understanding the Qur'an and its interpretations that are either embodied in theSunnah or can be derived from the collective understanding of the Companions in the Best Era (khayr al-qurun).
In the field of law and jurisprudence, Shah Wali Allah had a remarkable ability to reconcile the differing views found among Muslims and explain them with reference to the basic principles that may be deduced from the Qur'an and be plausible on rational grounds. He mentions this ability as a great Divine favour to him. Shah Wali Allah did this with theology and mysticism as well. This is evident, for instance, from his synthesized version of the doctrines of wahdat al-wujud (unity of existence) and wahdat al-shahud (unity of manifestation).
These Muslim scholars, known as mutakallimun, resorted to articulating their position in the intellectual terms which they shared with the main exponents of Greek philosophy. As these discussions went on, a distinct corpus of knowledge emerged and the bulk of literature thus produced by Muslim scholars came to be known as 'I1m al-Kalam. In this process there appeared a galaxy of scholars who contributed to the development of 'I1m al-kalam and in the course of time diversified those discussions. Notable among them were such luminaries as al-Juwayni (d. 478/1085) al-Ghazali (d.505/1111), al-Ash'ari (d. 324/936), al-Maturidi (d. 333/944), al-Shahrastani (d. 548/1153) and many others. The last prominent representative of these intellectual giants was Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d.606/1209). The later mutakallimundeveloped their themes in scholastic discussions more or less on the same pattern. With the passage of time, it became fashionable for Muslim scholars to be immersed in highly formalised discussions of a theoretical nature in utter disregard of their diminishing value for their own ethos.
The corpus of Kalam which had evolved often lacked the coherence and consistency required of a well-organized and full-fledged discipline. The questions dealt with by the mutakallimun, in a great many cases, had no logical or sequential relationship with each other. The point of culmination in these discussions was a severe criticism and strong rebuttal of the premises of Greek thought by men like al-Ghazali and al-Razi. Shah Wali Allah re-stated the fundamental postulates of the Islamic belief system within the framework of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, provided external evidence drawn from pure reason, empirical observation and intuitional imagination to reinforce the propositions derived from Revelation and tradition. While the expositions of earlier mutakallimun had exclusively focused on questions of belief ('aqidah), Shah Wali Allah sought to substantiate the inimitability (i'jaz) of the shari'ah (revealed code of law) by establishing an organic link between 'aqidah and shari'ah. He emphasized the inimitability of the latter in as much as it responds to the diversity of the varying conditions of human life. Avoiding as far as possible a discussion of what he considered the archaic issues of early theology such as the eternity of the Qur'an and free will, pre-determination, and the indivisibility of Divine Essence and Attributes, his approach consisted chiefly in presenting the rationale of the injunctions of Islam on the premise of their compatibility with human nature. By developing this comprehensive approach to Kalam, Shah Wali Allah’s contribution was that he put in bold relief not only the rationality of belief, but also established a necessary nexus between the ordinances of the shari'ah and the innate urges of human nature.
One of the striking features of the writings of Shah Wali Allah is his stress on the necessary relation between the creation and the Creator which consistently pervades all his thinking. Whether the subject of his discussion is highly spiritual or purely mundane, the consciousness of the Ultimate Reality is always uppermost in his mind. This characterizes all his discussions including those pertaining to such questions as the evolution of man as a moral being or man's role as an active member of the society. This also characterizes his analysis of human instincts and behaviour, or his survey of the development of human society even when it is in the nature of an empirical enquiry.
In his discussions on the genesis of man and the creation of the universe, Shah Wali Allah developed three main terms namely ibda' (creation ex nihilo), khalq (creation), and tadbir(governance). Ibda' is creation out of sheer nothingness. Khalq is to create something out of an existing substance. Tadbir is to manage and employ a set of created things so as to derive the required benefits which are conducive to universal balance. With reference to these concepts, which signify different stages of the Divine creative process, Shah Wali Allah discusses the created phenomena.
In explaining the doctrine of 'universal soul' (al-nafs alkulliyyah), Shah Wali Allah says that deep and profound thought on the diversity of universal phenomena leads human intelligence to the notion that God has created a universal soul ex-nihilo. From this 'universal soul' or 'universal genus' emanate all existents. But the relationship between the Creator ex-nihilo and the 'universal soul' cannot be explained in terms of this material world. There is unity between the Creator and the 'universal soul'. But this unity is neither real, nor comprehensible to the finite human intelligence. The highest degree of perception attainable by human intellect is this 'universal soul' where it is able to combine all diversity of existence on one point. At this point the voyage of human intellect ends. This unique relationship between the Creator and the 'universal soul', which is called ibda' by Shah Wali Allah, is far beyond the grasp of the human mind.
Shah Wali Allah's position on the problem of existence was to reconcile the well-known doctrine of wahdat al-wujud (Unity of Existence) of Ibn 'Arabi (d. 638/1240) and wahdat al-shuhud (unity of manifestation), which was put forward by Ahmad Sirhindi (d.1034/1624) in the course of his criticism of the doctrine of Ibn 'Arabi. Shah Wali Allah maintained that there was no significant disagreement between the two ideas, but simply a problem of semantics. Both, according to him, ultimately arrived at the same conclusion.
Explaining his stand on the problem of Existence, Shah Wali Allah said that when we look at the things in existence, we find both common and distinctive features in them. For example, all human beings share the characteristic of humanness although in several other respects they are distinct from one another. At the same time, being a man or a horse distinguishes one from the other. But all the existents do have a common feature of existence. Both the 'contingent' (mumkin) and 'essential' (wajib) have the characteristic of existence. 'Existence', however, does not merely mean 'to be'. It rather signifies the 'Reality' on the basis of which we regard something as existent. This 'Reality' itself exists without any external cause, giving it its existence. Since this 'Reality' is the cause of all existence, therefore, it must, of necessity, exist by itself. Hence its existence is all-pervading. For if this 'Reality' were not there, every other thing would have been nonexistent. Now all other things that exist (other than this Essential Reality) are merely accidental. For without the Essential Existence they would disappear into sheer nothingness. This is the nature of all the things of this world. They merely have an accidental existence, the only exception being the 'Real Existence'. Thus it is clear that existence is a common feature of all existents. If there is no existence then all things shall vanish. The mystics known as wujudiyyah or 'ayniyyah maintain that God consists in the existents, or that He has manifested Himself in these existents. There are other Sufis known aswara'iyyah who believe that the existence of all things that exist is contingent upon this Real Existence and that the Essence of God is beyond this cosmic phenomena. There are some statements attributed to Ibn 'Arabi which suggest that his position is closer to the school of 'ayniyyah or wujudiyyah, and Shah Wali Allah has taken these statements in a metaphorical rather than literal sense. It may be pointed out that on other occasions Ibn 'Arabi clearly draws a line of distinction between the 'Essential Existent' (wajib al-wujud) and the contingent existent (mumkin al-wujud) and discusses at length the five stages (tanazzulat) of determination. These stages, according to Ibn 'Arabi, are ahadiyyah, lahut, jabarut, 'alam al-mithal and nasut, all of which emanate from the 'Essential Existent' (i.e. God). Like many other Muslim thinkers before and after him, Shah Wali Allah offers an explanation of the ideas of Ibn 'Arabi which conform to the views held by the major theological schools of Islam. Shah Wali Allah interprets all such statements of Ibn 'Arabi, statements in which he identifies a unity between the creational phenomena and the 'Essential Existent', to mean unity of the latter with the 'universal soul'. This is so because the stages of existence beyond the 'universal soul' fall, in his opinion, outside the cognitive domain of human intellect.
A Survey of Shah Wali Allah's Works
Shah Wali Allah's main focus was on the Qur'an, Hadith, Kalam, socio-political and ethical philosophy and spiritual sciences. He wrote extensively in Islamic studies, including Tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis), Hadith (traditions of the Prophet), Fiqh (law), usulal' Fiqh, (principles of jurisprudence), 'Aqa'id (beliefs), Kalam (scholastics), philosophy, Tasawwuf (spiritual sciences), history, biography, Arabic poetry, and grammar. He also wrote in the areas of sociology, politics, psychology and ethical philosophy.
Studies on the Qur'an
'Fath al-Rahman al Tarjamat al-Qur'an', Karachi, 1984. It is among the first popular renderings of the Qur'an into simple Persian language. It was completed by the author in Ramadan 1151 A.H.
• Al-Fawz al-Kabir, Lahore, 1951, 52 pp. It is a concise, but extremely valuable treatise on the principles of Qur'anic exegesis. It is among the most popular works of Shah Wali Allah, which has made an outstanding contribution to the study and understanding of the Qur'an. Originally written in Persian, it has been translated into Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, and English languages. It was first published in Delhi in 1898 A.H.
• Al-Fath al-Kabir (Arabic), Lucknow, 1314 A.H. It deals with the explanation of the difficult words used in the Qur'an, with terms that are usually called ghara'ib, i.e. words that are not quite familiar in the common diction.
Hadith Sciences
• Al-Musawwa min Ahadlth al-Muwatta', It is a highly technical commentary in Arabic on this early collection of traditions compiled by Malik ibn Anas (d. 179 A.H.). It was first published in Delhi in 1293 A.H.
• Musaffa Sharh-i Muwatta'. It is a commentary in Persian on the Muwatta'. It represents Shah Wali Allah's methodology in the teaching of Hadith. It was first published in 1293 A.H. in Delhi in two volumes. It has been translated into Urdu by Sayyid 'Abd Allah and was published from Calcutta in 1294 A.H.
• Sharh Tarajim Ba'dAbwab al-Bukhan (Arabic), Hyderabad, 1949. In this treatise, Shah Wait Allah has discussed the wisdom of the topical headings adopted by Imam Bukhari for different chapters of ahadith of this important compendium of traditions compiled by Imam Bukhari (d. 256 A.H.). It was first published in Hyderabad (India) in 1323 A.H.
Law and Jurisprudence
• Al-lnsaffl Bayan Sabab al-lkhtilaf (Arabic), Beirut, 1977, 114 pp. It is a juridical discourse on the compilation of the early compendia of ahadith, and the evolution of different schools of jurisprudence. It also discusses the nature of disagreement among the jurists and the principles of resolving various conflicting opinions so as to arrive at a synthetic view within the broad framework of Islamic jurisprudence. It was first published in Delhi in 1308 A.H. It was also translated into Urdu.
• Iqd al-Jld ft Bayan Ahkam al-ljtihad wa al-Taqlid (Arabic), Delhi, 1925. This treatise discusses various dimensions of the issues involved in ijtihad and taqlid and presents a balanced view on this oft-discussed and much-debated question. It was also translated into Urdu.
Philosophy and Scholastics
• Hujjat Allah al-Balighah (Arabic), Cairo, 1933. It is the magnum opus of the author and constitutes a highly significant exposition of the Islamic worldview. We shall separately present an introduction to this work in some detail. It was first published in Bareily (India) in 1286 A.H. A number of Urdu translations of this work have appeared. It has also been recently translated into English under the title: The Conclusive Argument from God by Marcia Hermansen, and the first part of the translation has been published by E.J. Brill at Leiden in 1996.
• Al-Budur al-BQzighah (Arabic), Hyderabad, 1970. It is the second most important contribution of the author to a philosophical and rational interpretation of Islam after Hujjat Allah al-Balighah. It has also been translated into English by J.M.S. Baijon.
• Al-Khayr al-Kathir (Arabic), Bijnaur, India, 1325 A.H. It is a brief work in which he attempts to explain the fundamentals of faith with an approach combining rational and traditional arguments.
• Maktub-i Madam (Persian), Lahore, 1965. It is a long letter addressed by Shah Wali Allah to one Isma'il ibn 'Abd Allah Rumi. It deals with the metaphysical dimensions of the concept of existence. The work explains the position of the author on the problem of existence which syntheses the views of Ibn 'Arabi and Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi. This letter has also been included in al-TafhTmat al-Ilahiyyah.
• Al- 'Aqidah al-Hasanah (Arabic), Lucknow, 1962, 72 pp. It is a plain and rational presentation of the fundamentals of belief in Islam. It has also been translated into Urdu.
• Al-Muqaddimah al-Saniyyah fi Intisar al-Firqah al-Sunniyyah (Persian), Delhi, (n.d.). This work attempts a rational expose of the Sunni theological doctrines in comparison with the doctrines of the Shi'ah. This is in fact Shah Wali Allah's introduction to the Persian translation of a treatise by Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi entitled Radd-i-Rawafii.
Spiritual Sciences
• Al-Tafhimat al-Ilahiyyah (Arabic and Persian) (Bijnaur India: 1936), 264 pp. This work is in two volumes and includes a number of stray writings of the author, in which he has explained subtle points of rational and spiritual import with regard to the teachings of the true faith. Some of these writings are in Arabic and others in Persian.
• Altaf al-Quds (Persian) Delhi, n.d. It deals with the basic principles of the spiritual sciences. It has been translated into Urdu (Lahore; 1975), and also English under the title: The Sacred Knowledge of the Higher Functions of the Mind (Lahore: 1982).
• Sata'at (Persian) (Hyderabad: 1970), 54 pp. It discusses various aspects and dimensions of Divine theophany and attempts to explain the nature of the abstract and material worlds and their respective characteristics. It has been translated into English and Urdu.
• Fuyud al-Haramayn (Arabic) (Delhi: n.d.), 144 pp. Shah Wali Allah relates his spiritual experiences during his sojourn in Makkah and Madinah. It has also been translated into Urdu. The Urdu version was published in Lahore in 1947.
• Anfas al- 'Arifin (Persian). It narrates the spiritual attainments of the author's forefathers and spiritual ancestors. It was first published in 1335 A.H. in Delhi.
History and Biography
• Izalat al-Khafa' 'an Khilafat al-Khulafa' (Persian), 2 vols. (Karachi; 1286 A.H.) It is a work on the early Caliphal model. Its contents have also been included in Anfas al- 'Arifin.
• Qurrat al-'Aynayn fi Tafdil al-Shaykhayn (Persian) (Delhi: 1320 A.H.), 336 pp. It discusses the significant achievements of the first two Caliphs and their place in Islam. The discussion is substantiated by reference to the relevant verses of the Qur'an and traditions of the Prophet.
• Al-'Atiyyah al-Samadiyyah fi al-Anfas al-Muhammadiyyah (Persian). It is a short treatise on the biography of Shaykh Muhammad Phulati, a saint and maternal grand-father of Shah Wali Allah. Details as to the place and date of publication are not available.
• Al-lmdad fi Ma'athir al-Ajdad (Persian). It is a biographical account of some ancestors of the author. Its contents have also been included in Anfas al- 'Arfin.
• Surar al-Mahzun (Persian), 24 pp. It is a short comprehensive biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him). It was first published in Tonk, India in 1271 A.H.
• Al-Juz' al-Latif fi Tarjamat al-'Abd al-Za'if (Persian). It is a short autobiography of the author. It has been translated into Urdu by Muhammad Ayyub Qadiri and published in the monthly al-Rahim, vol. II. no. 5. October 1964. pp. 18-26.
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Shah Abul Ghaus al-Faruqi
Shah Abul Ghaus Gharam Diwan al-Bhirivi al-Faruqi [d.1178H/1764CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Within 700 years in the Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, (India) a large number of Ulema andMasha'ikh served and spread both, Islam and Islamic Knowledge, and became the beloved of Allah Almighty. Amongst them, Hadrat Shah Abul Ghaus Gharam Divan al-Bhirivi al-Lauhraviand Hadrat Mullah Mehmood al-Jaunpuri Allah be pleased with them are two such great personalities.
Hadrat Mawlana Shah Abul Ghaus 'Gharam Divan' al-Faruqi [d.1178 H] was a renowned sufi and a very famous scholar of his time. Such was Shah Abul Ghaus al-Faruqi's spiritual standing amongst his contemporaries that he also earned the title of 'Mahboob ar Rahman'. His legacy continued with his son Mawlana Shah Hafiz Abu Is'haq [d.1234 H] who also also a great scholar in his time. As Shah Abul Ghaus al-Faruqi's title suggests he was a direct descendent of Amir al Momineen Hadrat Umar al Farooq Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu. With such a distinguished pedigree, his fathers and forefathers were naturally remarkable scholars and masha'ikh from which the following Islamic scholars and spiritual leaders descended:
Shaykh Khizr Faruqi, his son Shaykh Muhammad Faruqi, and his son Shaykh Mushayyid Faruqi, also Shaykh Abu Sa'id Faruqi, his son Shaykh Abul Khayr Faruqi and finally Hadrat Abul Ghaus Gharam Divan al-Faruqi.
A historian writes about them that ;
1. In the kingdom and period of Sultan Ibrahim Shah Sharki, Shaykh Khizr Faruqi and his son Shaykh Muhammad came to Jaunpur from Delhi. When Shaykh Muhammad passed away, Sultan Ibrahim Sharki gave Waleed Pur village (at Pargana Muhamadabaad), to Shaykh Mushayyid Faruqi. Therefore all members of the family came to this village from Jaunpur. Mawlana Shah Abu Sa'id and his son Maulana Shah Abul Khayr, Shah Ismail, Kazi Manjhan (Kazi Jaunpur), Shaykh Bar'e, Mawlana Shah Abul Ghaus Gharam Divan and Mawlana Shah Abu Is'haaq were extraordinarily religious. The lamp of this generation, Hadrat Mullah Mehmood Jaunpuri is very famous. This family is superior in knowledge, dignity, spiritualism, guidance and miracle powers. (Dayar-e-purab mein ilm aur ulema, pgs 288-289).
2. Mawlana Shah Haji Abul Khayr, son of Shah Abu Sa'id Faruqi Bhirivi wrote a book during Hajj. His book contains four chapters and in the 3rd chapter he mentioned family details from Jaunpur to Muhamadabaad and of Hadrat Umar Faruqi's Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu generation, including details of the Faruqi family. (pg 289)
3. Mawlana Shah Abul Khayr Faruqi was eight years older than Mullah Mehmood. His unprinted work is present in Da'ira shah ajmal, Allahbaad. (Page 210)
4. Mawlana Ghulam Ali Azaad Belgram writes in his book, 'Sajjattul Marjaan' (in Arabic), 'that undoubtedly there are two matchless ''Faruqi's'' in India;
a) MUJADDID ALIF THANI SIRHINDI [d.1034H] alayhir al rahman in tariqah and ma'rifa'a (knowledge of mysteries and secrets) and,
b) Mullah Mehmood in knowledge of logic, philosophy and literature. (pg 294)
Ancestors of Hadrat Abul Ghaus al-Faruqi 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan
Hadrat Abul Ghaus Faruqi s/o
Shah Muhammad s/o
Shah Abul Khayr s/o
Shah Abu Sa'id s/o
Shah Ma'aruf s/o
Shah Uthman s/o
Shah Maah s/o
Shah Chaand s/o
Shah Ma'aruf s/o
Shah Mushayyid s/o
Shah Muhammad s/o
Shah Khizr s/o
Shah Giyas al-Din s/o
Shah Taj al-Din s/o
Shah Izz 'al-Din s/o
Shah Abu Faw'aris Sulayman Shah s/o
Numan Shah s/o
Sultan Ahmad Faruq Shah s/o
Amir Masud s/o
Mawlana Wa'iz Asghar s/o
Mawlana Wa'iz Akbar s/o
Abul Fatah s/o
Imam Is'haaq s/o
Imam Salem s/o
Hadrat Abdullah s/o
Hadrat Umar al-Faruq Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu
Source: Dayar-e-purab mein ilm aur ulema : Ref pages (296 & 430)
The above lineage, historical and factual testimonies prove conclusively that Hadrat Abul Ghaus Gharam Divan al-Faruqi alayhir al rahman is the 25th descendent of Hadrat Umar al-Faruq Radi Allahu Ta'ala anhu. Hadrat Mullah Mehmood Jaunpuri Rahmatullahi ta'ala alayh is the 23rd descendent of Amir al Momineen Hadrat Umar al-Faruq Radi Allahu Ta'ala anhu and Hadrat Shah Chaand Faruqi Rahmatullahi ta'ala alayh is the grandfather of both these pious personalities.
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Shah Ale Ahmad Ach'che miya
Sayyad Shah Abul-Fadl Shams ud-Din Ale Ahmad Ach'che Miya [d. 1235 H - 1820 CE]'alayhir al-rahman w'al ridwan
'Ghousul-Waqt', 'Khatimal Akaabir', Abul-Fadl Shams ud-Din, Sayyad Sha Ale 'Ahmad Ach'che miya 'alayhir al-rahman was born on the 28th Ramadan 1160 Hijri in Mahrerah Shareef, U.P. India. He was the eldest son of Sayyad Shah Hamza al-Qadiri al-Barakaati 'alayhir al-rahmanand a Sayyad (a direct descendent of the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa sallam). His ancestors migrated from Madina t'ul Munawwarah to Iraq because of political harassment. Later, they moved to the Indo-Pak sub-continent, where the elders of the family settled in Mahrerah.
Shah Ach'che miya 'alayhir al-rahman undertook his entire external shari'ah and spiritual training under the guidance of his noble father Shah Hamza al-Qadiri al-Barakaati 'alayhir al-rahman. It is also mentioned by his family members that Sayyad Sha Ale' Ahmad Ach'che Mia'alayhir al-rahman resembled al Ghawth al A'zam Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu in physical outlook.
He also studied medicine [hikmat] from the then celebrated physician, Hakim Nasrullah. Hundreds of patients came to him to be cured. The medication was mostly leaves from ordinary trees. This simple medication was successfully used to cure any common or complicated sickness. Curing the sick was a special gift of Almighty Allah bestowed upon Him. This was one of his many karamat (miracles). He was a very devout sufi and performed some of the most strenuous forms of devotion in the path of sulook. He was a master of habse kabeer (to engross oneself so intensely in Zikr-Allah that the saalik only breathes twice in 24 hours). He also regularly practised salaatul makoos (to be hung upside down, tied with ropes to the feet and perform salaah). All sunnah and nafil duties were strictly performed by him daily. Even from the age of 10, he never missed his tahajjud salaah [night prayer].
His biggest academic contribution was the compilation of a master-piece, "Ah'een-e-Ahmadi", in 34 bulky volumes. The uniqueness of these volumes is that they consist of every science of knowledge known to man on earth. This alone will tell us of the depth of his comprehensive knowledge. Some of his other known works :
1. Bayaade Amal wa Mah'mool
2. Adaab-us-Salikeen
3. Mathnawi - Poetry in Tasawwuf
4. Dewaane Ash'aar (in Persian)
Many of his karamat are recorded, one such is ;
It is recorded in "Aa'thar-e-Ahmadi" that once a young man came to Mahrerah Shareef from Bukhara (Russia) to visit Sayyad Ach'che Miya 'alayhir al-rahman. He first went to the masjid and offered zuhr salaah. Thereafter, he humbled himself at the feet of the Shaykh and said: "Your Holiness! I heard of you and travelled a long way to meet you. I am a very weak servant of Almighty Allah and do not possess the strength and courage to make strenuous mujahidah (spiritual devotion). I have come to you for divine blessings so that I may achieve this enormous gift without any effort and struggle".
On hearing this, the spiritual master smiled and said: "You wish to achieve such great wealth in so little time". One of the disciples present, remarked: "Do you think that this is some type of sweet that can just be placed into the mouth and eaten!" Themurshid-e-kaamil was displeased with this remark and reprimanded the disciple by saying: "Nothing is impossible in the Qudrat of Almighty Allah". He then taught the young man a specific Durood Shareef with necessary instructions and ordered him to recite it at night. The same night the devotee obeyed all instructions and began the recital in seclusion. Suddenly, he experienced a state of spiritual upliftment. He was blessed with the ziyarat of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa sallam. This vision was not spiritual but physical. Early the next morning, he immediately went to the murshid-e-kaamil and cried: "Subhan-Allah! Last night I met Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa sallam who said to me, 'In every century there will be a person in my Ummah who will revive my Deen'. Hence, O Master! Verily in this century, you are that eminent personality."
Just by the prescription of a single Durood Shareef and personally rendering his spiritual guidance, this grand master, in a short period of time without mujahidah, led a disciple to spiritual perfection. It is said that mujahidah is the most difficult science in the mystical path of sulook. According to the exalted mystics, it takes a minimum of 80 consecutive years of absolute devotion to reach this stage. But here the blessings of this august wali [saint] of Almighty Allah, condensed a long period of 80 years to less that 80 moments!
Ghousal-Waqt, Murshid-e-Kabeer 'alayhir al-rahman was married and had one son and a daughter. The son, as ordained by Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala, passed away at a very young age. He was born a Wali and whatever he said became a reality. His daughter also passed away when she was an infant.
He had thousands of murids and many khulafa. There are also numerous devotees that lived at the khanqah undertaking spiritual training of sulook. He also cared for hundreds of poor and destitute. He adopted his nephew, Khatimul Akabir Shah Ale' Rasool Ahmadi 'alayhir al-rahman as his son. Sayyad Shah Ale' Ahmad Ach'che miya was the fourth succeeding Qutb[pole] of the Barakaati Silsila and Sayyad Shah Ale' Rasool, his successor, was the fifthQutbul-Waqt. Khatimul Akabir was the 'Pir-o-Murshid' of A'la Hadrat Imam Ahmad Rida Khanal-Qadiri 'alayhir al-rahman.
Sayyad Shah Ale' Ahmad Ach'che miya al-Qadiri Barakaati 'alayhir al-rahman peacefully left this mundane world at the age of 75 in the morning of 25 Rabbi-ul-Awwal Shareef 1235 Hijri.
references : raza.co.za
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Shah Abd'al Aziz
Hafiz Ghulam Halim Shah Abd'al Aziz Muhaddith Dehlwi [d.1239AH/1823CE]'alayhir al rahman w'al ridwan
Shaykh Abdul Aziz Rahmatullahi alayh was born on the 25th of Ramadan al-Mubarak, in 1159AH [1746 Common Era], Dehli, India and was the eldest son of SHAH WALI 'ALLAH. Shaykh Abdul Aziz Rahmatullahi alayh memorised the Qur'an al kareem at an early age, and by the time when he was only 17, he became an expert in the sciences of tafsir, hadith, fiqh, Usul al Fiqh, Aqaid, mantiq, kalam, maths, history, geopgraphy etc. He had a great passion of all mental and written sciences. Shah Abdul Aziz was the most learned Islamic theologian in India, and his views on Muslim law were accepted by all parties among the Sunnis. Unlike most Muslims during this period, he recognized the value of learning English, and displayed no bitterness toward the conquerors. But he was a teacher and thinker rather than a leader.
Shah Abdul Aziz translated the Qur'an into Urdu, 50 years of the Persian translation by Shah Wali 'Allah, when the Urdu language had started to replace the Persian. He completed the exegesis of his father from Surat al-Maida to the thirteenth verse of al-Hujurat.
Shah Abdul Aziz soon built a reputation and a big following at his lectures which were extremely cultured and eloquent. When he spoke, he commanded his audience so much that his listeners were totally absorbed in his words. He would state some of the most difficult issues in an amazing clear way. His memory was matchless, he would dictate extremely long texts from books almost immediately after reading them. His compilations were reliable and trustworthy among the people of excellence. His compliations were reliable and trustworthy among the people of excellence.
Some known students of Shah Abdul Aziz Rahmatullahi alayh ;
Mawlana Sayyid Shah Al'e Rasul Qadri Barkati Marahrawi
Sayyad Ahmad Barelwi
Mawlana Fazl-e-Haq Khayrabadi
Mawlana Mahboob Ali Dehlawi
Mufti Sadr al-Din Aazurdah
Mawlana Muhammad Ali
Mawlana Ahmad Ali
He wrote and dictated many books, some of which were ;
- 'Taufa Ithna Ashari' (Gift to the Twelvers) [Refutation of the shi'ah sect]
- 'Sirush Shahadhathayn'
- 'Fatawa Aziz', another famous book, is the collection of Fatawa (questions and answers on religious issue)
- 'Tafsir Fath al-Aziz' or 'Tafsir-i-Aziz' (in Persian)
Shaykh Abdul Aziz Rahmatullahi alayh passed away in the year 1823 [Common Era], 1239 After Hijri.
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Khalid al-Baghdadi
Khalid ibn Husayn al-Baghdadi al-Uthmani [d.1242 H - 1826 CE] 'alayhir ar-rahman w'al ridwan
Khalid al-Baghdadi was a Naqshbandi shaykh and founder of the Khalidi branch of theNaqshbandi order. He was born [in the year 1193 H./1779 CE] in Shehrezur, Karadag an area near to Sulaymaniye in northern Iraq. His full name was Khalid ibn Husain taking the nickname "Ziyauddin" and al-Baghdadi later.
His grandfather was Par Mika'il Chis Anchit, which means Mika'il the Saint of the six fingers. His title is 'Uthmani because he is a descendant of Sayyidina 'Uthman ibn 'Affan Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu, the third caliph of Islam. He studied the Qur'an al-kareem and its explanation and fiqh according to the Shafi'i school. He was famous in poetry. When he was fifteen years of age he took asceticism as his creed, hunger as his horse, wakefulness as his means, seclusion as his friend, and energy as his light.
Young Khalid studied with the two great scholars of his time, Shaykh 'Abdul Karam al-Barzinji and Shaykh 'Abdur Rahim al-Barzinji [Allah be pleased with them], and he read with Mullah Muhammad 'Ali. He studied the sciences of mathematics, philosophy, and logicas well as the principles of jurisprudence. He studied the works of Ibn Hajar, as-Suyuti, and al-Haythami. He memorized the commentary on Qur'an by Baydawi. He was able to find solutions for even the most difficult questions in jurisprudence. He memorized the Qur'an according to the fourteen different ways of recitation, and became very famous everywhere for this.
He then entered seclusion, leaving everything he had studied behind, coming to Allah's door with all kinds of pious actions and much dhikr, both loud and silent. He no longer visited the sultans, but kept to himself and to his murids, until the year 1220 H./1806 CE, when he decided to make the Pilgrimage and to visit the Beloved Prophet . He left everything and went to Hijaz through the cities of Mosul and Yarbikir and ar-Raha and Aleppo and Damascus, where he met its scholars and followed its Shaykh, the master of both the ancient and the modern knowledge and the teacher of hadith, ash-Shaykh Muhammad al-Kuzbara. He received authorization in the Qadiri Tariqat from Shaykh al-Kuzbari and his deputy, Shaykh Mustafa al-Kurdi, who travelled with him until he reached the city of the Beloved Prophet .
He praised the Prophet in Persian poetry in such a way that people were astonished at his eloquence. He spent a long time in the City of the Beloved Prophet . He reported,
"I was looking for someone of rare piety in order to take some advice when I saw a Shaykh on the right-hand side of the Blessed Gravesite (Rawdatu-sh-Sharifa). I asked him to give me advice, counsel from a wise scholar to an ignorant person. He advised me not to object when I enter Makkah to matters which might appear to be counter to the shari`a, but to keep quiet. I reached Makkah, and keeping in my heart that advice, I went to the Holy Mosque early on the morning of Friday. I sat near the Ka’ba reading Dala'il al-Khayrat, when I saw a man with a black beard leaning on a pillar and looking at me. It came to my heart that the man was not showing the proper respect to the Kacba, but I didn't say anything to him about the matter.
"He looked at me and scolded me, saying, 'O ignorant one, don't you know that the honor of the heart of a believer is far more than the privilege of the Ka`ba? Why do you criticize me in your heart for standing with my back to the Ka`ba and my face to you. Didn't you hear the advice of my Shaykh in Madinah who told you not to criticise?' I ran to him and asked his forgiveness, kissing his hands and feet and asking him for his guidance to Allah. He told me, 'O my son, your treasures and the keys to your heart are not in these parts, but in India. Your Shaykh is there. Go there and he will show you what you have to do.' I didn't see anyone better than him in all the Haram. He didn't tell me where to go in India, so I went back to Sham and associated with its scholars."
He then returned to Sulaymaniyyah and continued his teachings of self-denial. He was always looking for someone to show him the way. Finally, there came to Sulaymaniyyah the Shaykh Mawlana Mirza Rahimullah Beg al-M'aruf, known by the name of Muhammad ad-Darwish 'Abdul 'Azim al-Abadi, one of the khalifs of the spiritual pole, Qutb al-A'zam, 'Abdullah ad-Dehlawi (q). He met with him and gave him respect and asked him about the perfect guide to show him the way. He told him, "There is one perfect Shaykh, a Scholar and a Knower, showing the seeker the way to the King of Kings, expert in this delicate matter, following the Naqshbandi Way, carrying the Character of the Beloved Prophet , a guide in the Knowledge of Spirituality. Come back with me to his service in Jehanabad. He had told me before I left, 'You are going to meet someone, bring him back with you.'"
After travelling to India where he studied under revivalist Naqshbandi Sufi Shaykhs he returned to Syria where he engaged himself in teaching his students. He died in 1242 after Hijri [1826 Common Era]. His funeral was performed at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.