May Allah Sanctify His Soul
"Mayest Thou deign to be sweetness and let life be bitter!
If Thou art content, what matter that men be angry.
Let everything between me and Thee be cultivated,
Between me and the worlds let all be desert!
If Thy love be assured, all is then easy,
For everything on earth is but earth."
Anonymous.
Hazrat Sayyidinā Alī bin Ahmad Khwājā Abul Hasan Kharaqānī quddis sirruhū(352-425 AH) was one of the greatest Sufi masters ever born. He was a spiritual student of Sultān al-Ārifīn Khwājā Bāyazīd Bastāmī, though he was born in 325 AH (963 CE), 64 years after the death of Sayyidinā Bastāmī (d. 261 AH).
He was the Ghawth (Arch-Intercessor) of his time and unique in his station. He was the Qiblah (focus of attention) of his people and an Ocean of Knowledge from which saints still receive waves of light and spiritual knowledge.
He devoided himself of everything except Allah's Oneness, refusing for himself all titles and aspirations. He would not be known as a follower of any science, even a spiritual science, and he said: "I am not a rahib (hermit). I am not a zahid (ascetic). I am not a speaker. I am not a Sufi. O Allah, You are One, and I am one in Your Oneness."
Of knowledge and practice he said:
"Scholars and servants in the lower world are numerous but they don't benefit you unless you are engaged in the satisfaction of Allah's desire, and from morning to night are occupied with the deeds that Allah accepts."
About being a Sufi he said:
"The Sufi is not the one who is always carrying the prayer rug, nor the one who is wearing patched clothes, nor the one who keeps certain customs and appearances; but the Sufi is the one to whom everyone's focus is drawn, although he is hiding himself."
"The Sufi is the one who in the daylight doesn't need the sun and in the night doesn't need the moon. The essence of Sufism is absolute nonexistence that has no need of existence because there is no existence besides Allah's existence."
He was asked about Truthfulness (Sidq). He said, " Truthfulness is to speak your conscience."
Of the heart he said:
"What is the best thing? The heart which is always in Remembrance of God (dhikr Allah)."
"The best of hearts is the heart which contains nothing but the presence of Allah, Almighty and Exalted."
"Today it will have been 40 years that Allah has been looking in my heart and has seen nothing except Himself. I have had nothing in my heart nor my breast except Allah for 40 years; and while my ego is asking for cold water and a drink of milk, I have not allowed it that for 40 years in order to control myself."
"The vision with the eyes of the head doesn't bring happiness, but the vision with the eyes of the heart and the secret that Allah gives to the soul will bring out that happiness."
Of Bayazid he said:
"When Abu Yazid said, 'I want not to want' that is exactly the wanting which is real desire (irada).
He was asked, "Who is the appropriate person to speak about fana' (annihilation) and baqa' (permanence)?" He answered, "That is knowledge for the one who is as if suspended by a silk thread from the heavens to the earth and a great cyclone comes and takes all trees, houses, and mountains and throws them in the ocean until it fills the ocean. If that cyclone is unable to move the one who is hanging by the silk thread, then he is the one who can speak on fana' and baqa'."
One time Sultan Mahmoud al-Ghazi visited Abul Hassan and asked his opinion of Bayazid al-Bistami. He said, "Whoever follows Bayazid is going to be guided. And whoever saw him and felt love towards him in his heart will reach a happy ending." At that Sultan Mahmoud said, "How is that possible, when Abu Jahl saw the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ و سلم and he was unable to reach a happy ending but rather ended up in misery?" He answered, "It is because Abu Jahl didn't see the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ و سلم but he saw Muhammad bin `Abdullah. And if he saw the Messenger of Allah he would have been taken out of misery into happiness. As Allah said, "You see them looking at you but without clear vision" [7:198]. He continued with the saying already quoted, "The vision with the eyes of the head..."
Other sayings of his:
"Ask for difficulties in order for tears to appear because Allah loves those who cry," referring to the advice of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ و سلم to cry much.
"In whatever way you ask Allah for anything, still the Qur'an is the best way. Don't ask Allah except through the Qur'an."
"The Inheritor of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ و سلم is the one who follows his footsteps and never puts black marks in his Book of Deeds."
Abul-Hasan al-Kharqani died on Tuesday, 10th of Muharram in 425 H. (1033 CE). He was buried in Kharqan, a village of the city of Bistam in Persia. He passed on the Secret of the Golden Chain to Abu `Ali al-Fadl bin Muhammad al-Farmadhi at-Tusi (q).
