Karamats Of Ghous-e-Azam Razi Allah Anhu

☼ MIRACULOUS EVENTS SURROUNDING HIS BIRTH

Apart from this, there were many other miraculous events surrounding (1). On the eve his birth, his father saw the Prophet Muhammad ((sall (2). When he was born, he had the impression of the footprint of (3). Almighty Allah gave glad tidings to his parents in their dream (4). On the eve of his birth, approximately eleven hundred males (5). He was born on the eve of Ramadaan and during the entire month Wah kya martabah ai Ghouse hai bala Tera Oonche oonchaun ke saraun se hai qadam ala Tera

Sar bhala kya koi janey ke hai kaisa Tera Auliya maltey hai aakhein woh hai talwa Tera

YA GHOUS-E-AZAM ALMADAD

the stamp of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and not proclaiming their existence and position' until commanded by Allah serve humanity, by their preccipts and examples and pray incessantly for the general forgiveness of human sins.
towards some form of intercession for humanity is borne out by Verses 20-27 of Sura Yasin, a perusal of which will show that even among a nation doomed to destruction for its inequities, there live persons who testify to the truth of a Prophet appearing among them by their powers of reality, recognising the will of Allah. The event is begun with the following words, "And from the remote part of the country there came a man running who said, O' my people follow this messenger, "The story of the prophet Loot as given in Sura Hud, gives an indication to the effect that punishment for the sin of a nation is averted by the presence of an eminent man of spritually.
personality living in its midst.
Holy prophet from Mecca. Al-Quran lay? down this principle in so many words "Nor is Allah going to chastise them while you are among them" (8:33). The well known hadith ascribing to Allah the Words "One who is hostile to my Walli receives an announcement of War from Me" presents only the counterpart of this idea. Because if hostility to a Wali excites the wrath of Allah it follows that the attention and prayers of the Wali can induce the mercy of Allah. Of course the Wali spoken of are Walis of the eminence like that of Hazrat Ghousul Azam Abdul Qadir Mohiyuddin.
performed by the privileged few like the Prophets and Walis of Allah. Perhaps such acts may sound illogical to the rationalist. But they do occur and are beyond ordinary comprehensive. The parting of the Red Sea for the Prophet Moosa and such like events are examples. Even in the life of ordinary mortals, miracles occur, by the mercy of Allah, to save them from catastrophes or accidents.
compared to other Saints. Of these innumerable, miracles, a few are given below.
about his power circulated in Baghdad. The day to day increase in the circulation of such stories made a large number of great scholars of the town to decide to visit him, altogether in other to test his knowledge by posing one, hundred difficult questions. On their arrival, the Hazrat foretold them of their purpose and gave each question the correct answer, even profounding to them explanations beyond the limits of their comprehension on their own special subjects. This" thought reading was daily manifested by him. It was not necessary for the visitors who came with petitions of desires to tell him, for he looked straight at them and gave them the answers.
his audience unobtrusively. The Hazrat immediately stopped his discourse saying "Poor travellers; they have just come a long way and have had practically nothing to eat." He then described correctly their last meal to the astonishment of all concerned.
that even a man's destiny could be deflected from conscious life into the dream state. A merchant of Baghdad one day approached Sheikh Hammad Al-Dabbas for his blessings before taking a caravan to Syria. Sheikh Hammad forbade him to undertake the proposed journey because he foresay that the merchant was likely to be robbed and murdered by highway men. The merchant very much depressed, met Hazrat Ghousul Azam on the way and informed
his personal responsibility for his safe journey and asked the merchant to proceed. He reached his destination safely with his goods.
the place where he had performed his 'ablution. On going to bed he was murdered. On waking he saw blood round his neck and also felt the pain of the blow. However, he realised that what he had seen was a mere dream, but remembering his lost purse, he went back to the place and recovered it.
decide whether seeing Sheikh Hammad first would be proper, as he was the senior Sheikh or seeing Hazrat Ghous first was appropriate as it was his predictions had proved true. He suddenly saw Sheikh Hammad. He asked him instead to first go to Hazrat Ghousul Azam by whose prayers his predistened murder had been changed into a dream and the loss of property the purse changed into forgetfulness.
he had, in a dream slept with man women. Upon this, Hazrat said that it was the servant's destiny to sleep with all those women but this misdeed had been transformed into a dream. Before the servant began to describe the event, Hazrat gave him a list of the names of all the women including those he knew and those he did not.
some bags of gold. He refused, the gift but when the Khalifa begged and pleaded for their acceptance the Hazrat took two bags and pressed them. Blood seemed to ooze out of them, which was indicative of the fact that the wealth had been amassed by oppressing people, which was represented by the blood seen.
Islam from him in an assembly where he had delivered a sermon. After his conversion, he voluntarily stood up and related to the assembly that he was a man of Yeman and had decided to accept Islam from the hands of the most eminent Muslim in Yeman. He reported that had seen Prophet Eesa in a dream who directed him to proceed to Baghdad and accept Islam from Hazrat Abdul Qadir, who was the most eminent at the time in the whole world.
his Imamath (leadership). They did not like his reading of the Quran and formed a low opinion of him. They slept that night and went to the spring for a bath late at night. A Tiger clung to their clothes and cought hold of them. The Faqihs became afraid of their lives. The Hazrat at that moment came out of his closet. The Tiger quietened and crawled (it his feet. Hazrat sternly looked at the Tiger as if to question why it had interfered with his guests though they had formed low opinion of himself. The Faqihs came to him and repented for their conduct and begged his pardon. Hazrat then addressed his guests remarking that while he had been improving his heart, they had only been improving their tongue to speak ill of him and slander people.
voraciously books on scholasticism, inspite of the advice of his uncle to the contrary. Once his uncle took him to Hazrat Ghousul Azam and informed him that the boy was devoting all his time to scholasticism. Upon this Hazrat asked Sheikh Shihabuddin what books he had read on the subject. On getting a reply, he placed his palm on the breast of Sheikh Shihabuddin. No sooner was the plam removed; he surprisingly forgot all he knew of scholasticism. But in lieu of it, he felt his mind replaced by the knowledge of Allah. Sheikh Shihabuddin Umar Suharwardy ultimately became the Imam of the Suharwardy Order and is the author of the famous book on Sufism named "Awariful Maarif."
in the company of a large number of persons. When he sat down with a book on spiritual philosophy, Hazrat without seeing the book but questioning him said that the book was not a good one for him and should be discarded. However, be did not like to discard it owing to his love for the book, but at the same time he neither desired to incur the displeasure of Hazrat also by retaining that book. So he decided to keep it somewhere else and tried to get up to do so. But he could not. He felt as if he was planted to the ground.
passed his hand over it and said that the book was Ibuzari's "Fazil-ul-Quran" and then returned it to him. I opened it and saw that it was "Fazil-ul-Quran'' but without the chapter on spiritual subject and philosophy "contained therein earlier. Hazrat asked him to repent for what had passed through his mind He first repented and then got up, but found that he could not thereafter remember a single portion of that book.
suffering from dropsy and had an enormously swollen stomach. He sought relief. Hazrat passed his hands over his stomach, upon which it contracted to its normal size.
those who called him in an hour of emergency or adversity even from afar, such as the hearing of a thundering shout that rang, to frighten away marauders who tried to molest and loot owners of a caravan in the desert of Samarakand, who, in their hour of peril, called and appealed for the aid of the Hazrat.
until his mother approached him and begged of him to pray to that she may be blessed with a son. Raising His hands in supplication he prayed and said that Allah the Beneficient would grant her wish. He desired the child when born to be named Shihabuddin and predicted that the child would rise up to be a Sheikh of Sheikhs. In the ceurse of time she bore a son though she was above the normal age of child bearing.
grave. One day in Baghdad a man informed him that his deceased father in a dream had desired him to appeal to him to pray for (he redemption of his dead father's soul, as he was suffering. Hazrat asked the visitor "Did your father ever visited my Madrassa?" Yes he answered. Hazrat remained silent for a while and referred no further on the matter. A few days latter, the man returned to Hazrat saying that his father appeared to him in a dream wearing a green robe and had told him that his punishment has been lifted due to Hazrat Ghousul Azam's prayers.
closet with a walking stick in his hand. Abdullah within himself at that moment wished to see Hazrat performing some miraculous act. No sooner this thought had occured to him, the Hazrat set up his stick on ground and it became luminous and began to glow. Soon it became so bright that it illuminated the entire house. He then took up his stick, and looked at Abdullah and remarked you desired this sort of act. Abdullah was amazed.
A few months later she returned and saw him looking under nourished. She complained that Hazrat was himself partaking the delicious dish of chicken daily whereas his poor son had been made to keep up on dry bread. Hazrat on this complaint picked up the bone of a chicken, by this bone suddenly transformed into a live cock, which crowed as if to testify that there is no Allah but Allah. Mohammad is His Prophet "and Sheikh Abdul Qadir is His Wali". Addressing the terrified woman he commented "when your son is able to do this, then there will be no reason why he should not eat the same as I do."
vacate it immediately. No. sooner these people vacated, (he building fell to the ground. He had forseen the occurence and warned them in time.
Mujzub (a mon of distracted mind owing to' divine attraction) he approached Hazrat Ghousul Azam for his blessings and prayers for a son. Hazrat said I have one more son yet unborn in my destiny. I give it to you. Rub your back against mine and name him when born Mohammed Mohiyuddin. He would rise up to be a Qutub of his time. The child was eventually born and was named accordingly. He became a great philosopher and attained high spiritual advancement. He gained the title of Sheikh Akbar and is commonly known as Ibn-al-Arabi.
complained to him of the need for funds and of food grains. Hazrat gave him a reasonable quantity of wheat and asked him to store the grain in a covered receptacle and never to weigh it, but to take out according to necessity, by opening out a small portion of the container. He used to draw grains in this way for an unusually large period. The wife of the servant of Hazrat at last felt very much curious about it and in order to satisfy herself opened the mouth of the container. She surprisingly found almost *he same quantity of grain as was kept in the beginning, still remaining and unexhausted.
account of an unprecedent flood. The inhabitants of Baghdad became frightened of the imminent danger. They came to Saiyidina Hazrat Ghousul Azam and solicited his help. There upon Hazrat went up to the river side and planting his stick on the river bank said "Remain with in this limit. The flood then began to recede slowly and came down to the Limit demarcated by him.
stated that his son has been getting fever for a year and a quarter, and could not shake it off by any means. Hazrat instructed him to speak into the ears of his son and say '0 fever leave my son and go to the village of H Allah.' He acted accordingly, and the fever left his son at once.
Hazrat Ghousul Azam was conversing with some persons assembled to hear his sermon when it began to rain. Hazrat looked upon the sky and solicited "I call together men for your (Allah's) sake but you disperse them." As soon as he had uttered this, the clouds disappeared and rain ceased in the precints of the Madrassa of Hazrat, though it was raining outside.
were present before Saiyidina Hazrat Ghousul Azam in his Madrassa on third Saffar 555 A.H., when Hazrat suddenly got up with his wooden sandles under his feet and performed ablution. He offered two Rakats of prayers and with a loud shout, threw one of the sandles into the air. It disappeared from our sight. With another shout, his Holiness threw the other sandle into the air, which also disappeared. None present dared questioning him on the incident.
Ajam and said that they had brought some presents for Hazrat. Hazrat permitted the acceptance of the presents of valuable things but these the same pair of sandles which were thrown in the air by Hazrat. They related that on the third of Saffar when they were travelling, suddenly a gang attacked them and plundered their merchandise and murdered some of them in the caravan. The gang then entered the jungle to divide the booty. Then they had halted at the outskirts of the jungle and it struck them to solicit the help of Hazrat Ghousul Azam. Just at that time they had heard two loud shouts which reverberated throughout the jungle. They had mistaken the shouts as the aftermath of a scuffle between the gang that attacked us and a stronger gang of Arabs. We were terror stricken. Some members of the gang came to us and said that a calamity had befallen them and requested us to take back the plundered goods. We went to the place where the booty was lying divided and saw two of their leaders lying dead and the two sandles lying close by.
stated "When I used to live in the Madrassa of Saiyidina Ghousul Azam for the acquisition of learning, I generally keep awake, at night in order to serve the Hazrat, if and when required. One night in 553 A.H. Hazrat came out of his room, presuming he required water for ablution, I took it to him but his holiness did not take it. Instead, he proceeded towards the gate of the Madrassa. I quietly followed him. The gate automatically opened and when he passed on, it closed itself. He then went towards the gate of the city which also similarly opened and closed automatically. Shortly after this we reached a town, which I had not seen before. On reaching the town he went to a house which was similar to his own Ribat in appearance. There were six persons in the house, who saluted him. He proceeded further on and I, stood, by a pillar. I heard the groaning of a person in a low voice. After a few minutes, the groaning ceased and another person went to the place whence the groaning came and carried away a dead body on his shoulder. Shortly after this, another person bare headed and with long whiskers, came there.
declaration of faith used in converting one to Islam. Hazrat then cut off his whiskers, put a cap on his head and named him Mohammad. He said that he had appointed him in place of the deceased. The persons residing in the house accepted the decision submissively. He then left the place and in a short time came to the gate of Baghdad, which opened and closed automatically as before. His holiness (hen entered his Madrasa. In the morning when I resumed taking lesson from Hazrat I prayed him to explain the incident of the previous night. Whereupon he said that the town I had seen was Nehawand a distant city in the outskirts of the empire under the Khalif of Baghdad. The six persons in the Ribat, were Abdul and Nujaba. The man ^ho died was one of shem. The man with long whiskers was a Christian of Constantinople who accepted Islam and was appointed by him to fill the place of the deceased. The man who carried away the corpse was Hazrat Khizar.
there exists a sort of hierchy of Saints at all times in the world through whom Allah manifests His mercy to the world of humanity. In the absence of the Prophet, they are the vice gerents of Allah on earth on the Prophet's behalf. They are of three different grades, Abdal is a plural of Badal meaning literally "substitute", so called because should any one of these saints die, Allah immediately substitutes him by another (Sihah). They are righteous persons of whom the world is never destitute. But on more authoratative view is that they are given this name, because of their ever changing spiritual condition. They are inaflux; and are not allowed to remain in one state. Being on their way to Realisation, they are not allowed to settle down at any intermediate point. As to their exact number and their locations, opinion, is divided. They seem to be the lowest in rank amongst the spiritual successors of the Prophet, Ghousul Azam and Qutubs.
of a particular generation and are supposed to be pre-eminently endowed with sanctity and faculties to even perform miracles. If anybody is a Qutub or a Ghouse, he is recognised as such only by his agents. Abdals, themselves reveal their position to a. particular person. The literal meaning of Qutub is axis or pivot, the point upon which a thing turns, the chief around whom the state of affairs turns. So a Qutub is he, whose attention and prayers decide the course of events in a particular society of people? He may be regarded as a kind of spiritual agent in a particular community.
difficulties. So Ghouse is a kind of intercessor, who intercedes at a moment when the sins of a nation or humanity are at the point of being punished. These great men appear to be particularly tender hearted like the Holy Prophet. Their hearts melt at the woes and sufferings of humanity and as such become a means to be able to avert Divine punishment. With the assurance of acceptability of their prayers, their prayers become a plea for Divine forgiveness and mercy. Hazrat Ghousul Azam has once said that the Almishty has given him the knowledge of all his murids up to the end of the world, and His Holiness has proclaimed that none of his murids would die without repentance, and attain the seventh degree to alude in paradise. Once he remarked that he would not have the presence
paradise. His Holiness was once questioned as to the position of a devotee who has regard and love for him, but was not actually his murid nor wore Khirqa from him. He said that such a person was also his murid although the real process of his becoming a murid was not complete. Even a person who had love and reverence for him would not be disappointed by the graciousness of the Almighty.

O, GHOUS HELP

Hazrat-e-Bishr Qarazi narrates that I was travelling with a group of traders along with fourteen camels carrying sugar. We stopped for the night in a dangerous jungle. In the early hours of the night my four loaded camels disappeared, which were not found even after a lot of search. The group also departed. The camel driver stayed back with me . In the morning I suddenly remembered that my Mentor, The King of Baghdad Huzoor Ghous-e-Pak had told me that whenever you get stuck in any problem then call me (my name), Allah willing that problem will be solved, hence I requested this way: YA SHAIKH ABDUL QADIR! MY CAMELS ARE LOST.

All of sudden I saw a saintly man dressed in white clothes on a sand dune towards east, who was signaling me to come to him. As soon as I along with my camel driver reached over there the saintly Man disappeared from vision. We were strangely looking here and there when we suddenly spotted those four lost camels sitting under the sand dune. Then what happened was that we caught the camels and re-joined the group. When Sayyed-e-na Shaikh Ab-ul-Hasan Ali Khabbaz was told the incident of the lost camels He said that Hazrat-e-Shaikh Ab-ul- Qassim has said that I have heard Sayyed-e-na Shaikh Muhi-ud-Din Abdul Qadir Jilani saying:

"THE ONE WHO CRIES OUT FOR MY HELP DURING SOME PROBLEM, THE PROBLEM GETS SOLVED, THE ONE WHO CALLS OUT MY NAME IN ANY HARDSHIP, THAT HARDSHIP; GETS DISMISSED, THE ONE WHO USED ME AS A SOURCE TO ASK ALLAH FOR SOME NEED, IT WILL BE FUFILLED. THE PERSON WHO PRAYES TWO RAK'AT OF NAFL AND IN EACH RAK'AT AFTER SURAH FATIHA RECITIES SURAH IKHLAS ELEVEN TIMES, AFTER SAYING SALAAM i.e AFTER FINISHING THE PRAYER, SENDS DUROOD-O-SALAAM ON THE KING OF MADEENAH AND THEN WALKS A DISTANCE OF ELEVEN STEPS TOWARDS BAGHDAD SHAREEF AND CALLS OUT MY NAME AND PRESENTS HIS NEED, ALLAH WILLING, THAT NEED WILL BE FULFILLED'.

Why should I go from door to door when I have a mentor like You. I received every thing from you 'O, Ghous-e-Azam Dastgir.

Dear Islamic Brother! It is possible that in someone's mind a thought may arise that we should only ask Allah for any help and no one else, because when Allah is the One who helps then why should we ask anyone else for help? The answer to this is that this is the way he makes an unknown number of people go astray. When Allah has not refrained from asking for help from someone else then how can someone get the right of saying that don't ask for help from anyone but Allah. Look in the Holy Quran, where Allah has in various verses allowed asking for help from someone else, but even though being the Omnipotent in every way,. He has asked for help from His beings. Therefore it is stated:

Translation: If you will help the religion of Allah, Allah will help you. (Part-26, Sura: Muhammad)

THE KING OF JINNS

Bushair bin Mahfooz states that once my daughter, Fatima, all of a sudden vanished from the roof of my house. I got worried and want to the blessed presence of Sayyed-e-na Ghouse-e-Pak and requested for help. He told me to go to Karkh, and during the night sit in a deserted place forming a fort (Hisar) around myself. Over there think about em and say:" Bismillah" During the darkness of night groups of Jinns will pass by you, their faces will be very strange, do not get scared by looking at them, at the time of sahari the KING OF JINNS will come to you and will ask you about your requirement. Tell him, "Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani has sent me from Baghdad (my requirement is that) you search my daughter."

Hence, I went to the ruins of KARKH and followed the instructions of Huzoor Ghous-e-Azam. During the silence of night, horrifying Jinns kept on passing outside my hisar. The faces of the Jinns were so horrifying that I could not look at them. At the time of sahari, the KING OF JINNS came on a horse back, there were Jinns surrounding him. He asked my demand from outside the hisar. I told him that Huzoor Ghous-e-Azam has sent me to you. As soon as he beard this, he got down the horse and sat on the ground. The other Jinns too sat outside the hisar.

I narrated the incident of the disappearance of my daughter. He announced amongst all the Jinns, "Who has taken the girl?" Within moments the Jinns caught a Chinese Jinn and presented him as the culprit. The King of the Jinns asked him why did you pick the girl up from the city of the Highest Cadre in Spiritual Pivot (Qutub) of the time? He said, while shivering, Your Highness! After looking at her I fell in love with her. The King ordered the Chinese Jinn to be beheaded and returned my wonderful daughter to me. I thanked the King of the Jinns and said, as Allah will! You are an ardent lover of Sayyed-e-na Ghouse-e-Pak. He then replied, I SWEAR UPON ALLAH WHEN HUZOOR GHOUS-E-PAK LOOKS TOWARDS US, ALL THE JINNS START TREMBLING. WHEN ALL NOMINATES AS QUTUB OF TIME THEN ALL THE JINNS AND HUMANS ARE ORDERED TO FOLLOW HIM. (Bahjaa-tul-Asraar)

All the Jinns start trembling (with fear) on hearing your name. Your Have that majestic awe 'O, Ghous-e-Azam Dastgir.

☼ KARAMAAT

The Walis of Allah, acting on behalf and under The idea regarding the existence of such Walis and their approach
The defernment of such punishment is out of deference to a spiritual The punishment of Quraish was deferred till the migration of the
Miracles are abnormal and extra-ordinary acts that can only be The miracles of Hazrat Ghousul Azam recorded are innumerable, when
After Hazrat Ghousul Azam settled down in Baghdad remarkable stories On one occasion; two weary and hungry travellers from Arabia joined
One of the most remarkable things we hear from this Saint's life is him what the Sheikh had told him. The Hazrat promised the merchant
On his journey the merchant forgot to take back his money kept in While he was returning to Baghdad he was confused in his mind to One of Hazrat's own servants, who visited his master complained that
Khalifa AImustanjid Billah once came to Hazrat and presented him
On one occasion a Christian Clergyman came from Yeman and accepted
Once three Faqihs, who came to see him offered their prayers under
Sheikh Shihabuddin Umar Suharwardy in his youth used to read Sheikh Muzzafar bin Mansur said that in his youth he saw the Hazrat
Hazrat then asked him to show the book to him. It was given. Hazrat
A relattion of the Khalifa was once taken to Hazrat. The man was
Hazrat Ghousul Azam had spiritual powers to hasten to the rescue of Sheikh Shihabuddin Suharwardy's parents were for long childless,
His powers over the souls of this disciples extended beyond the
Abdullah Zayyat once said that one night Hazrat came out of his
A mother brought his son to the Sheikh to become a murid (follower)
He once asked nearly three hundred residents of a dewelling place to
Sheikh Alt Arabi of Spain had no children. At the instance of a
During a famine in Baghdah, Abdul Abbas Ahmed, the servant of Hazrat Once the water in Tigris rose to an extra ordinary high level on
Once a resident of Baghdad approached Saiyidina Ghousul Azam and It is related on the authority of Sheikh Adi Bin Musafir that once
Sheikh Osman Sayrifini and Sheikh Abdul Haq Harimi stated ".We
But thirty days after this incident a caravan came to Baghdad from
Sheikh Abdul Hassan commonly known as Ibn Astantana of Baghdad
The man sat down in front of Hazrat who made him recite the
It seems desire able here to explain that according to the Sufis,
According to the best authorities they are a hirearchy of the saints
The literal meaning of Ghouse is 'AID' or 'Succour' in the midst of of Allah unless He did not accompany him and his murids to enter the birth of Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani (radi Allahu anhu) Shaikh Sayyiduna Shahabud-Din Suharwardi (radi Allahu anhu) quoted the following five miracles (Karamahs) relating to the birth of al-Ghawth al-Azam (radi Allahu anhu) in his distinguished book, Manaqib-e-Ghausia:

Allaho alaihi wasallam)) in his dream. The Prophet Muhammad (sall Allaho alaihi wasallam) gave him the following glad tidings: O Abu Saaleh! Almighty Allah has blessed you with a pious son. He is my beloved and the beloved of Almighty Allah. He is the most exalted amongst the Awliya and Aqtaab. Rasoolullah, (sall Allaho alaihi wasallam)on his shoulder. This alone was the proof of his Wilayah (Sainthood).

that their son would be the Sultaanul Awilyahand those who oppose him would be Gumrah (misled).

were born in Jilan. Every one of them was a Wali Allah.

of Ramadaan he never drank milk after the time of Sehri and before the time of Iftaar. In other words, he kept fast from the day he was born. His mother said that he never cried for milk for the entire day and he would only drink milk at the time of Iftaar!

(MIRACLES)

☼ WRITINGS & TEACHINGS

Despite innumerable handicaps Hazrat Shaikh ul Islam by the dint of his labour, became, an acknowledged teacher of Quran, Fiqh Hadith and Arabic literature and all their subjects. Hazrat has himself referred in his famous Qasida the extent of knowledge acquired by him. He says “I acquired knowledge to such an extent that I became a Qutab and reached perfection through the grace of Allah”.

Once Ajami swore that he would divorce his wife if he could not, for a short time, be engaged in worshipping Allah in such a manner that none else on earth could do likewise. The learned men of Iraq were questioned as to what the man was to do, so that he might not have to divorce his wife. No one could devise a suitable plan. The question at last was referred to Hazrat and he said that such a person should instead go to Mecca and get the Mutafe Ka’aba vacated and make seven circuits around it. In this manner also could his vow be fulfilled, because no one on earth at that time will be engaged in worshipping Allah in that manner in that holy spot.

One of his Murids, during the course of a discussion between dervishes said Hazrat Shaikhul Islam Ghousul Azam was bestowed with the superior spiritual rank than Hazrat Ba-Yazid Bustami, He was so confident about his assertion that he swore that if his assertion was wrong he would divorce his wife. Divorcing one’s wife was considered the greatest penalty for any wrong committed, as such a course would deprive the person concerned of the blessings of a truly married life.
He came and narrated to him about his vow regarding his superiority over Hazrat Ba-Yazid Bustami. He questioned his Murid the wisdom of taking oath to divorcing his wife, lest he went wrong. The Murid replied that it was due to his extreme love and reverence for his Shaikh that he could not accept the superiority of anybody else. Hazrat then replied “you need not divorce your wife. Your belief on my superiority over shaikh Ba-Yazid is borne our by the following facts.

i Hazrat Ba-Yazid Bustami had not under taken preaching of the faith and had not rendered any service towards Fiqh and had given any Fatwas; Whereas I had done; all these.

ii “He had not reach that stage of spiritual advancement and perfection in a married state to comply with Sunnah, whereas I have done so.

“There are many other points of distinction but for the purpose of our oath he said, “I confine to these two reasons only”.

Questions on the law of Shariat were addressed to him from all parts of the Muslims World and he would answer them promptly. Saiyidena Ghousul Azam devoted his time to many religious works, of which the following are known.

‘AL GHUNYA LITIALIBIN. Comparison of “Sunni” laws with those of other schools of Muslim law mainly relating to prayer. Fasting, Haj, Zakat and such other subjects.

‘AL FATH RABBANI A collection of 62 sermons delivered by him during the period 545-546 Hijri

‘FATUH AL GHAIB’. A collection of 78 sermons on various subjects complied by the Shaikh’s son, Seyed Abdul Razak, followed by his dying deposition and his pedigree from his father and mother’s sides. (An English translation of this by Maulvi Aftab-ud-Din Ahmad has been published by Maktaba Nawai Waqat Lahore, West Pakistan) Extracts of this translation appear in the chapter on Preaching and Teaching in particular and the other chapters in general.

‘HISB: BASHAIR AL KHAIRAT’. A collection of mystical prayers.
and held and plat the Hazrat’s foot on his (Ali Bin Hiti’s) neck. All other persons present there stepped forward and bent down their necks.

When Saiyidena Ghousul Azam made this declaration, the Walis all over the World heard it spiritually and they too bent down their necks simultaneously in submission and in acknowledgement of His superiority and leadership. Three hundred Walis and 700 Rijal-il-Ghaibs (hidden persons) some of whom while dwelling on earth could even fly about in the air, also bent down their necks. On this declaration the Walis of the World saw with their spiritual eyes the flag of the rank of “Qutub” planted in front of him with the crown of “Ghouse” placed on his head. They also saw him making the aforesaid declaration, donning a robe, which denoted a higher spiritual rank. The robe, embroidered with flowers, symbolised Shariat and Haqiqat. As he was making the declaration, divine halo appeared to shine from the heart of Ghous-ul-Azam.

When the Walis had bent their necks acknowledging Hazrat’s sole suzerainty, their hearts too appeared to glow brilliantly than before; signifying that their knowledge and status had become higher on account of their submission and acknowledgement. Sultanul Hind Khawaja Moin-ud-din Chishti was at the time in a cave in the hills of Khorasan, when he too heard this declaration with his spiritual ears. He said that the feet of the Ghous-ul-Azam were on his eyes and head as well. For this particular submission; Hazrat Khawaja Miunuddin became the spiritual head of India (vide “Tafrith-ul-Khatir”).

For those in doubt it should be clarified that there is not the slightest tinge of egoism in the aforesaid declaration. Hazrat had completely mastered his lower self and by his conduct, sermons and writings to wean mankind from all low desires and passions, he could not have for a moment think of self exaltation. It was the manifestation of Divine will that he was obliged to make this declaration so that the Walis in particular and the mankind in general may know to whom to turn for guidance in spiritual advancement.

The stages of spiritual advancement and Human conciousness are divided into three categories rising upward in the scale of evolution.

i. Nafs Ammara.-Un-ruly animal self.
ii. Nafs Lawwama.-Struggling moral self.
iii. Nafs Mutmainna.-Composed Allah realised self

In the first stage “Ammara” man is animal-like, restless with bestial urges, impatient of restrictions and indifferent to any pricking, of concience. By a systematic course of religious training, of which obedience to command and Prohibitions is the chief feature, he develops a sense of propriety and impropriety and repents for falling into error each and every time. This if THE “LAWWAMA” state That. State which begins with a faint dawning of the moral scnse and ends in a complete surrender of the animal ego in man, is the third and the highest stage viz “Mutmainna”. The struggle between the lower and the higher self having now ended, the pilgrim enters a condition of perfect peace, of purity, of rectitude and of knowledge. To indicate the experience starting from the thresh old of this stage, further on, the Sufis have coined three more terms.

‘FANA’. A COMPLETE SUBJUGATION OF THE ANIMAL SELF.

At this stage, man ceases to be disturbed by an urge of desire. The only urge left in him, is prayerful surrender of his whole being. ‘BAQA’. This means a restoration of the self to a new consciousness this time not of the flesh, but of the spirit. The urges of the self are no longer from animal passions, but from the controlled spiritual region of Allah, invariably beneficial to humanity and creation. ‘LIQA’. This is the stage wherein man’s spiritual knowledge rises to such a high pitch that the rewards for his faith, sincerity and devotion no longer remain a matter of belief, but becomes a palpable certainty and an experience, as if he had undergone them already. His faith in Allah reaches a point wherein it appears to him that he is seeing Him face to face. Such a man becomes free from all fears of the nature and from all sorrows of the present and past.

In such a state, man is free from all hesitation and obscurity of judgement and doubts and misgivings. In this state, the devotee feels tinted by the attributes of Allah in the manner of a piece of iron, eventually the colour transforming to that of fire if retained there at long enough. In moments of commotion such a man’s feelings assimilate Divine powers, so much so, that this rapture produces the pleasure and blessings of Allah or his displeasure brings in the wrath and curse of Allah. Events seemingly contrary to the laws of nature occur through his action. Having received such powers from Allah, he could even possess a power of creation. He could create events and even determine the course of history.

After a pilgrim had entered the state of Fana which in the language of the Quran is called ‘ISTI-QAMA’, the next two stages of BAQA and LIQA follow as a matter of course. The reason is that, when a person becomes completely void of attachment to creation and desires and personal will, he automatically enters the state of BAQA.

As long as a man is not confirmed in the state of “Fana” self annihilation and his surrender to Allah does not become a spontaneous act, he cannot be deemed to be in the state of “BAQA”; which requires that all acts of devotion and surrender should become natural acts, not needing any effort. When such a state is attained, the man feels that all that belongs to him are really Allah’s. While other people of the World may enjoy the satisfaction of their personal desires, such a person would relish the worship and remembrance of Allah.

Thus, when the pilgrim is confirmed in this state of “BAQA” and it becomes the warp and woof of his very being, a light would appear to descend from heaven and the mist of uncertainty would altogether be lifted from his heart, and filled instead with sweet feelings of love never experienced before. This would be accompanied frequently by a highly pleasant shower of divine communication diffusing a heavenly sweet aroma and atmosphere of coolness like that of spring breeze.

At this stage, the devotee would become so immersed in ecstacy that he would be prepared to sacrifice his all for the sake of Allah even his honour and very life. His heart becomes so much filled with light Divine that it would appear as if he is experiencing the effect of the rays of the midday sun within his bosom, and as if Allah himself had descended on his heart with all His glory. These are the signs of the state of “LIQA”. It should also be remembered that, while attainment of FANA” is the result of Human effort, the two higher stages of “BAQA” and “LIQA are the gifts of Allah proceeding from His grace.
The pilgrim’s spiritual struggle takes him up to the stage of “FANA” only. Thereafter, Divine grace takes him by the hand and carries him to the higher planes.

There are four varieties among men, One is who has no tongue and no heart, and he is a man of ordinary position, dull and lowly, who does not count with Allah and one who has nothing good him. He and people like him are like chaff which has no weight, unless Allah covers then with His mercy and guides their hearts towards faith in himself and moves the organs of their body in obedience to Himself. Beware that you do not become one of them nor entertain them nor yet stand among them. These are the people of chastisemont and wrath of Allah; they are the inhabitants of Fire and its inmates. Let us seek refuge of Allah from them.

You should, on the contrary, endeavour to be equipped with Divine knowledge and to be among the teachers of good and guides of religion. So beware that you should approach and invite them to obedience to Allah and warn them sinning against Allah. You will, then be a fighter in the cause of Allah and will receive the rewards of the Prophet and the messengers of Allah. The Holy Prophet (may peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said to Hazrat Ali “If Allah gives guidance to one person through your guiding him, it is better for you than that on which the sun rises”.

The other kind of person is he who has got a tongue but no heart; he speaks wisdom, but does not act according to it. He calls people to Allah but himself flees from him. He abhors defects in others but he himself persists in having similar defects in himself. He shows to others his piety, but contends with Allah by committing major sins. When he is alone, he is like a wolf in clothes. The Prophet has warned and said “The thing to be most afraid of and which I am afraid of in respect of my followers is the learned men who do evil”. We normally seek the refuge of Allah from such learned men. So you should keep away from such a man and turn away from him, lest you should be misled by the sweetness of his talk contaminated by the fire of his sin, which will consume you, and the filth of his heart, which will smother you.

There is a third category of man who has a heart but no tongue but he is true believer. Allah has screened him away from his creation and hung around him His curtains to provide him and insight into the blemishes of his ownself, and enlightened his heart to make him aware of the mischief in mixing up with people and of the evil of talking and speaking and in ensuring safety in silence and retirement in a corner in keeping with what the prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said, “Whoever kept silent attained salvation”. Surely the service of Allah consists of ten parts, nine of which are in the silence”. Thus this man is a friend of Allah in his secret, and is protected and possessed of safety and abundant intelligence. He is the companion of the Beneficient Allah, and is blessed with his favours.

So mind you, you must keep company with such a man and with him and endear yourself to him by fulfilling the needs which he may want. If you so do, Allah will love you and choose you and include you in the company of His pious servants and shower His blessings, if it pleases Him.

The fourth category of man is one who is invited to the World invisible, clothed in dignity, as it is related in the Hadeeth. “Whoever learns and acts upon his learning and imparts it to others, is invited to the World invisible and made great”. Such a man is possessed of the knowledge of Allah and his sign; and his heart becomes the repository of the rare secrets of His knowledge kept hidden from other to be released only to those whom He has selected. He is drawn towards Himself and expands his heart for the acceptance of these secrets in order to make him a worker in His cause to invite Allah’s servants to the path of virtue and to act as a warner against chastisement of evil deeds as a guide and accepted intercessor who verifies the truth of others.

Such a person achieves culminating point of perfection among mankind and there is no station above this, excepting that of prophethood. Therefore, it is your duty to be aware that you do not oppose such a person and be averse to him or to keep away from him. Do not be hostile to him or avoid accepting him. Be attentive to what he says and admonishes.

When you find in your heart any hatred or love for a person, examine his actions in the light of the book of Allah and the practice of the Prophet. Then, if these are not in accord with these two authorities, be happy to seek refuge in Allah and His prophet. But if his actions are in accord with them but you are opposed to him, then realise that you are opposed to your law desires. You are hating him on account of your low desire unjust to him on account of your hatred towards him and thereby rebelling against Allah, the Almighty the Glorious and His Prophet and opposing both the Quran and Hadith.

Turn therefore towards Allah repenting for your hatred and ask Him for love for that man and the others and from the friends of Allah and His Walis and the pious among His servants. You would then please Allah.

Make your life after death your capital investment and your worldly life its profit. Spend your time, first of all, in acquiring your life after death. Then if any surplus time is left, spend it in acquiring worldly life, and in seeking your livelihood. But do not make your wordly life your capital investment and your life after death, your profit, trying
to utilise any surplus time left, to obtain your life after death by fulfilling obligations of five prayers, like putting different things all together in a single melting pot, and thereby upsetting the order of various obligations and the intervals of fulfillment lying between them you become so exhausted and agitated, you resort to sleep neglecting your duty of prayers, like a dead body at night and make use of the day to serve your animal self and desires, and Satan. It is tantamount to your selling you’re hereafter in exchange for your worldly life, having become a slave of your animal self.

You are commanded to ride your animal self and discipline it, to exercise and traverse on it towards the paths of safety. Thus is the way to life eternal and submission to its Lord. But you act otherwise by succumbing to its urges and handing over to it, its own reins to follow its low desires and enjoyments. You thereby allign yourself with its passions and miss the best things of this life and of the hereafter. You enter on the Day of judgement the poorest of men and a great loser.

On the other hand if you correctly, traverse the path of the hereafther as your capital investment you will gain in your wordly life as well as in the hereafter. Your destined portion of this world’s life would have come to you with all its pleasantness and you would have been secure and respected. Thus, the prophet has said, “Surelly Allah gives facility in this World’s life on the intention pertaining to the hereafter, whereas the felicity of hereafter is not given on the intention pertaining to this world’s life”. Intention for the hereafter is submission to Allah because such intention is the very soul of Allah because such intention is the very soul of service.

So when you obey Allah with obstinacy both in life and in seeking the abode of hereafter, you are among the choosen ones of Allah loving Him and yearning for the life hereafter. Paradise and nearness to Allah will be your reward. The world will be at your service and the portion allotted to you therein will in full measure because everything is subordinate to its Creator and Master. But if you become engrossed in worldly life and turn your face away from the hereafter; The Lord will be displeased with you. You will lose the hereafter and the world will be disobedience to you in that you will encounter trouble and difficulty in obtaining your allotted portion that emanates from Allah. The truth of the saying of the Prophet "The world and the hereafter are two co-wives. If your please any of the hereafter are two the other become angry with you establishes itself Allah the Mighty Glorious says “Surcly there are among you, who desire this world’s life and some other are among you, who desire the hereafter”. Safety lies in following the book of Allah and the practice of the prophet, and destruction, in what is besides them. With the help of these two, the servant of Allah rises towards the state of “Wilayath”.

IT IS INCUMBENT ON A BELIEVER THAT HE SHOULD FIRST FULFIL THE OBLIGATROY DUTIES. WHEN HE FULFILS THEM, HE SHOULD OBSERVE “SUNNA” THE PRACTICE OF THE PROPHET. IT IS ONLY WHEN HE HAS COMPLIED WITH THESE,THAT HE SHOULD EXTEND TO OBSERVE OPTIONAL AND EXTRA DUTIES. SO WHEN, ONE HAS NOT PERFORMED HIS OBLIGATORY DUTIES, BUT ENDEAVOURS TO OBSERVE “SUNNA,” IT WILL BE FOOLISHNESS AND STUPIDITY. IF HE OBSERVES “SUNNA” AND “NAFAL” OR SUPEREROGATORY DUTIES BEFORE HE HAS PERFORMED HIS OBLIGATORY DUTIES, THESE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FROM.

His example is like that of a man who is asked by the king to serve him. But he does not go to the king but stays to serve the chief, who is under the king, and his power and sovereignty. It is reported by Hazrat son of Abu Talib (Allah be pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said, “THE INSTANCE OF A MAN WHO SAYS SUPEREROGATORY PRAYERS WHILE HE IS IN ARREARS WITH REGARD TO HIS OBLIGATORY PRAYERS, IS LIKE THE INSTANCE OF A PREGNANT WOMAN WHO CARRIES THE BABY WITH HER BUT WHEN SHE APPROACHES THE TIME OF DELIVERY, ABORTION TAKES PLACE. THUS SHE NO LONGER REMAINS PREGNANT NOR DOES SHE BECOME A MOTHER. ‘SIMILAR IS THE CASE OF THE PRAYING MAN FROM WHOM ALLAH DOES NOT ACCEPT SUPEREROGATORY PRAYERS SO LONG AS HE HAS NOT PERFORMED HIS OBLIGATORY PRAYERS. It is similar to the business of a man who thinks that he can not have any profit, unless he has first laid his hand on the capital, similar to the supererogatory prayers of one, which will not be accepted unless he has first fulfilled to his obligatory prayers.

Similar is the case of one who discards the Sunna but takes to supererogatory Prayers outside the obligatory duties. Among the obligatory duties the discarding of unlawful things, of associating any thing with Allah, of taking exception to His dispensation and decrees, of responding to people’s voice and following their wishes and of turning away from the commandment of Allah and from obedience to Him. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) has said “No obedience is due to any man where sinning against Allah is involved.

Ref : http://www.algillani.org/index.shtml