Friday, 2nd April 2010
Madrasa and Khanqah
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen, the present Imam and the 31st spiritual guide of Sarwari Qadri order said:
In the madrasa, Allah is known through knowledge but He is truly recognized in the Khanqah. In the madrasa, a Mullah is trained whereas in the Khanqah, a lover of Allah is nurtured. No matter how hard a Mullah tries, he cannot alter the hearts of people whereas a lover of Allah changes many hearts with a single glance. Sultan Bahoo says, “Reciting the shahada, your glance will be so blessed that if you cast it on dust, wall or stone, it will transmute into gold and silver.”
Doing the work of Allah vs your own task
The one who treads the path to Allah finds his own chores and tasks to be meagre. The one who takes up the tasks of God finds that He also completes the works of man in no time. “The Companions once inquired of Abu Bakr Siddiq, noting that he was not only ahead of them in worldly matters but also in the Mohammadan Assembly to which he replied, “When I take up the works of God, He takes responsibility for my worldly matters.” Therefore, a traveller of spirituality should prioritize the works of his spiritual guide. When a disciple focuses on the tasks of his spiritual guide, the spiritual guide, in return, focuses on the tasks of his disciple. The Holy Prophet said, “When a person detaches from the world solely focusing on the Creator then the Creator takes up the responsibility of fulfilment of his worldly chores.”
The Start of the Journey of Spirituality
Today’s literate ignorants claim that Sufism originated after Islam, which is not accurate. The correct term is Faqr, as evidenced by the Quran and the Hadith. Therefore, Sultan ul Ashiqeen advocate using the term Faqr to prevent any objections that it began after Islam. It is in the Quran:
اَلشَّیْطٰنُ یَعِدُکُمُ الْفَقْرَ
(سورۃالبقرۃ۔268)
Meaning: Satan makes you afraid of Faqr and enjoins you to commit indecency.
A Hadith tells:
اَلْفَقْرُ فَخْرِیْ وَالْفَقْرُ مِنِّیْ
Meaning: Faqr is my pride and Faqr is from me.
Sultan Bahoo titled his teachings Faqr and even Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani uses the term Faqr.
Imam Hasan Basri says, “There were 70 Companions of the Holy Prophet who resided in Suffa and also fought in the Battle of Badr. They had attained advanced knowledge in sharia, mysticism and reality. They were men of piety and spirituality.”
Imam Malik said, “The one who acquired knowledge of spirituality without the knowledge of Fiqh became an infidel and who acquired the knowledge of Fiqh without the knowledge of spirituality became a transgressor. However, those who acquired both became researchers.”
Spirituality is not only knowledge
In Hadith, the term ihsan (احسان) is also used in Arabic to refer to spirituality and Sufism. A Gabriel Hadith states, “What is Ihsan? Allah’s apostle replied, ‘To worship Allah as if you are beholding Him and if you cannot achieve it you must consider that He is looking at you’.” It is crystal clear from this Hadith that it is not merely knowledge, but an esoteric state. This is a path to be trodden, not one of idle chatter. Take the example of the aforementioned Hadith. Does knowing this Hadith make one a Mystic? Definitely not! Rather, the one who has crossed this state and experienced it, is a Mystic
Sultan Bahoo has said:
دِل دا کلمہ عاشق پڑھدے، کی جانن یار گلوئی ھوُ
Explanation: The verbose people are unable to understand the secret of shahada.
The Eminence of the Holy Prophet
The Holy Prophet himself has stated about his superiority over all the other Prophets in this Hadith:
اَلْفَقْرُ فَخْرِیْ وَالْفَقْرُ مِنِّیْ فَاَفْتَخِرُّ عَلٰی سَائِرِ الْاَنْبِیَآئِ وَ الْمُرْسَلِیْنَ
Meaning: Faqr is my pride and Faqr is from me and Faqr is the reason of my superiority over all the Prophets and Messengers.
The Divine Will
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen quoted, “Sarwari Qadri spiritual guide tries to bring the disciple in peace with the Divine will. If the disciple does not acquiesce or obey, the spiritual guide says, ‘Go, do as you please’. My spiritual guide quoted in this regard, ‘God gives meat to one and vegetable to another. He does not let anyone starve.” When a person is in peace with the Divine will then He grants everything. Even the fruits that were out of season reached my spiritual guide. Whatever he wished to eat, God would grant it by means of someone. Once my spiritual guide confided (his secret), ‘I have never asked Allah for anything other than Divine will and His countenance’.”
How to recognize a Fakir?
Someone inquired Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen, “Why is it difficult to recognize a Fakir?”
He quoted his spiritual guide, Sultan-ul-Faqr VI, “Just as Allah remains veiled, He desires for His beloved to be veiled as well, so that none can recognize them except Himself.”
Reforming a Nation
Someone remarked that to reform a nation, its leaders must first be reformed.
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen disagreed quoting, “Scholars have strayed from the right path and forgotten that Islam is not reformed by leaders, but rather when the nation itself is ready. Therefore, it is crucial to reform the people first, as the upper tier will then naturally reform itself. Today’s so-called scholars attempt to correct the leadership of society, but this is not the way of the Holy Prophet. Instead, one strays further from the true path of the Holy Prophet. If someone treads the right path of correcting the nation, the so-called scholars attack him. Quaid-e-Azam was successful because he soon realized this fact. Ulema of that age targeted him by labelling that he was an Ismaili Shia.
Furthermore, Quaid-e-Azam distanced himself from this propaganda and did not let anyone realize whether he was a Sunni or a Shia and said, ‘He is the follower of Prophet Mohammad. Whatever his sect was, is his too.’ Those who sell religion for money should know that sustenance is from Allah. If one truly works for the cause of the Holy Prophet, blessings will come in abundance. However, if one focuses solely on wealth and neglects the way of the Holy Prophet, failure is inevitable. If wealth were everything, then Aaron (Haroon) would have included Korah (Qaroon) amongst his companions.”
Politicians and Trading Faith
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen said, “When compared, materialistic politicians are better than Mullahs. The so-called religious scholars sell religion for money. Politicians do not sell faith, instead, these scholars exploit the name of Allah and Islam to misguide the innocent. They give lectures for money. Pakistan has been exploited more by these literate scholars. They divide and rule for greed. The way of the Holy Prophet was to reform the nation first. Allah does not like those who make religion hard for people. He removes rulers and brings down empires. The Prophet said, ‘A nation mirrors its leadership. A virtuous nation is guided by a righteous leader.’’ People (have become materialistic and) are after money and so is their leadership. For the creation of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam was (striving on) one side and all the scholars (were opposing) on the other side.
Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was successful in creating Pakistan putting at rest their schemes. Allah could have let any renowned scholar create Pakistan. The Quran states, ‘Allah chooses whom He wills.’ In fact, Allah had chosen Quaid-e-Azam even though the scholars knew Hadith, Arabic etc. It is reminiscent to the scholars of the children of Israel that many among them became renowned scholars yet Allah would chose someone else as His Prophet. Conclusively, the scholars would turn against the chosen one. Before the advent of Pakistan all the scholars and so-called spiritual guides were against the idea but migrated at once when Pakistan got independence. They were the same scholars who sat and ate meals with Jawaharlal Nehru and avoided Quaid-e-Azam…. Islam will once again gain strength when the nation will be reformed from the bottom. It is important because when nations are reformed, they themselves overthrow corrupt leaders.”
Fearing Allah
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen elaborated what fearing Allah truly meant by stating, “Umar ibn Khattab was one of the rightly guided Caliphs and was guaranteed paradise. He fought alongside the Holy Prophet in the battles of Badr and Uhud. He was with Prophet Mohammad from the very inception of Islam till the conquest of Makkah yet the level of his fear for Allah mounted to the level that he went to Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman to inquire whether his name was in the list of hypocrites. The Prophet of Islam confided the names of hypocrites to Hudhayfah.”
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen further said, “When Bilal ibn Rabah walked on earth, it could be heard in the heavens yet he feared Allah, praying for an early death so that he would not commit any mistake. The pious Companions of the Holy Prophet had many guarantees, yet they feared Allah the most. Contrarily, the scholars of today have no guarantee yet they are fearless. The person in whose eyes dirt and gold becomes one is successful. It is they whose horses even run on water. Such guidance is only from the Holy Prophet because he is the guidance. Therefore, Sultan Bahoo urges to reach the Mohammadan Assembly. Even Allama Iqbal says the same as is evident from the following verse:
بمصطفٰیؐ برساں خویش را کہ دین ہمہ اوست
اگر بہ او نرسیدی، تمام بولہبی است
Ba-Mustafa Barasaan Khuwaish Ra Keh Deen Hama Aust
Agar Ba Oo Naraseedi, Tamam Bu’lahabi Ast
Explanation: You must take yourself to Prophet Mohammad (that is the Mohammadan Assembly) as he is the complete and perfect faith. If you do not take yourself to Prophet Mohammad, your whole faith is like that of Abu Lahab. (Iqbal and Faqr)
Islam-A Peaceful Religion
Once, Umar ibn Khattab saw an elderly non-Muslim begging. He asked, “Why are you begging?” The non-Muslim replied, “To pay the tax (jizya).” Umar ibn Khattab took him home, gave him some money and issued an order to exempt such non-Muslims from paying the tax.
When Jerusalem was conquered and the time for the afternoon (Asr) prayer approached, Umar ibn Khattab was at a cathedral. The priest invited him to pray there. When he declined, the priest asked if he considered the place impure. Umar ibn Khattab responded, “Allah has declared every place a place of prostration. I fear that if I prayed here, people might turn this place into a mosque.”
Umar ibn Khattab signed the agreement of protection and safety:
- This is the security granted by the servant of Allah to the people of this region. This agreement ensures the protection of life, property, cathedrals, Christianity, the healthy, the sick and all followers of this religion. The cathedrals will not be used for habitation nor will they be demolished. They will not be encroached upon and their wealth will not be plundered. They will not be forced to convert or be harmed.
When the Companions went to conquer a place, they first invited the people to embrace Islam. If the people refused, the Companions would then invite them to submit and pay the tax (jizya). If they laid down their arms, the Muslims would not fight them. Water reservoirs were not destroyed, and children, women and the elderly were not harmed. It is in the Holy Quran:
- Allah does not forbid you to be good to them and treat them with equity and justice who did not fight against you on (the question of) religion, nor did they drive you out of your homes (i.e., homeland). Surely, Allah likes those who conduct themselves with equity and justice.
(Quran 60:8)
- And fight (in defence) in the cause of Allah against those who impose war on you. (Yes,) but do not exceed limits. Surely, Allah does not like those who exceed limits.
(Quran 2:190)
Seventy Thousand Bodies of a Fakir
The perfect spiritual guide and the master of the worlds has seventy thousand bodies. He can be present in seventy thousand places simultaneously. Once, forty people invited Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani to break their fast with a meal, and he attended each of their gatherings.
Empty Hands of a Fakir
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen quoted: Despite having empty pockets, my spiritual guide, Sultan-ul-Faqr VI Sultan Mohammad Asghar Ali, would receive expensive clothes and delicious food from God. Similarly, even though my pockets are empty (he showed his pockets), God has always fulfilled my needs. He provides me with savoury food to eat and cares for me in ways that are impossible even for those with money. This only happens when a person sacrifices everything for the cause of Allah. In return, God takes care of them. If a person fails to do this, God makes their daily chores, tasks, and jobs difficult for them.
کار ساز ما بہ فکرِ کار ما
فکر ما در کار ما آزار ما
Explanation: The one who makes everything possible for me is seated in the heavens yet I am severely grieved for the same tasks.
Trial and Tribulations
Once, Ghawth al-Azam Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani faced a trial and prayed for it to go away, which it immediately did. However, after a few days, he encountered another trial. He said, “If it is Allah’s will, then I am pleased with it,” and did not pray for it to go away.
Allah observes whether His servant remains content with the trial. He creates various situations and waits to see if the servant asks for relief. If the servant does not ask, Allah grants him relief but if he wavers, Allah puts him through a trial. A person is spiritually demoted if they fail to remain steadfast in the Divine will.
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