Imam Mahdi (Descendent of Prophet Muhammad PBUH)

by Mufti A.H. Elias and Mohammad Ali ibn Zubair Ali - Who Is Imam Mahdi?

Note: Please do not confuse Imam Mahdi with Hadhrat Isa (Jesus) Alayhis Salaam. They are two different persons, and both will come during the last days.

According to Hadeeth, Imam Mahdi will appear first, and Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will appear during Imam Mahdi's lifetime. Furthermore, only Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will be able to kill Dajjal (the "anti-Christ").   The term "MAHDI" is a title meaning "The Guided one".


Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas'ood (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, "This world will not come to an end until one person from my progeny does not rule over the Arabs, and his name will be the same as my name." (Tirmidhi)


Hadhrat Ali (R.A.) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, "Even if only a day remains for Qiyamah to come, yet Allah will surely send a man from my family who will fill this world with such justice and fairness, just as it initally was filled with oppression." (Abu Dawood)
His Features


Hadhrat Abu Saeed Khudri (R.A.) relates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, "Al Mahdi will be from my progeny. His forehead will be broad and his nose will be high. He will fill the world with justice and fairness at a time when the world will be filled with oppression. He will rule for seven years."


Other ahadeeth inform us that:

* He will be tall * He will be fair complexioned * His facial features will be similar to those of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) * His character will be exactly like that of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) * His father's name will be Abdullah * His mother's name will be Aamina * He will speak with a slight stutter and occasionally this stutter will frustrate him causing him to hit his hand upon his thigh. * His age at the time of his emergence will be forty years * He will receive Knowledge from Allah.


His Emergence and Rule


Hadhrat Umme Salmah (R.A.) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, " After the death of a Ruler there will be some dispute between the people. At that time a citizen of Madina will flee (from Madinah) and go to Makkah. While in Makkah, certain people will approach him between Hajrul Aswad and Maqaame Ibraheem, and forcefully pledge their allegiance to him.


Thereafter a huge army will proceed from Syria to attack him but when they will be at Baida, which is between Makkah and Madina, they will be swallowed into the ground.


On seeing this, the Abdaals of Shaam as well as large numbers of people from Iraq will come to him and pledge their allegiance to him. Then a person from the Quraish, whose uncle will be from the Bani Kalb tribe will send an army to attack him, only to be overpowered, by the will of Allah. This (defeated) army will be that of the Bani Kalb. Unfortunate indeed is he who does not receive a share from the booty of the Kalb. This person (Imam Mahdi) will distribute the spoils of war after the battle. He will lead the people according to the Sunnat and during his reign Islam will spread throughout the world. He will remain till seven years (since his emergence). He will pass away and the Muslims will perform his Janazah salaat." (Abu Dawood)

According to a Hadeeth, Sayyidena Eesa (A.S.) will lead the Janaazah of Imam Mahdi (A.S.).

While the people will be pledging their allegiance to Imaam Mahdi, a voice from the unseen will call out:

"This is the representative of Allah, The Mahdi, listen to him and obey him"

This announcement which will be heard by all those present will establish his authenticity. Another sign which will indicate the authenticity of Imaam Mahdi wil be that in the Ramadhaan prior to his emergence an eclipse of the sun and moon will occur.


Hadhrat Abu Umamah (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "There will be four peace agreements between you and the Romans. The fourth agreement will be mediated through a person who will be from the progeny of Hadhrat Haroon (A.S.) and will be upheld for seven years."


The people asked: "O Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam), who will be the Imaam of the people at the time?"


Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "He will be from my progeny and will be forty years of age. His face will shine like a star and he will have a black spot on his left cheek. He will don two "Qutwaani" cloaks and will appear exactly as a person from the Bani Israeel..." (Tabrani)


According to hadith narrated by Abu Saeed Khudri (R.A.) Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "...(regarding the rule of Imaam Mahdi) the skies will rain down in abundance and the earth will yield forth its crop in abundance, and those alive will desire that those who have already passed away should have been alive to enjoy this prosperity..."


Hadhrat Buraidah (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "There will be many armies after me. You must join that army which will come from Khurasaan." (Ibn Adi)


Abu Hurairah (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "(Armies carrying) black flags will come from Khurasaan. No power will be able to stop them and they will finally reach Eela (Baitul Maqdas) where they will erect their flags."
 from: "Signs of Qiyamah" by Mohammed Ali Ibn Zubair Ali


More Hadeeth (with references) (contributed by Bradley Bilal).


1) The Prophet (PBUH and HF) said: "Even if the entire duration of the world's existence has already been exhausted and only one day is left (before the day of judgment), Allah will expand that day to such a length of time, as to accommodate the kingdom of a person from my Ahlul-Bayt who will be called by my name. He will fill out the earth with peace and justice as it will have been full of injustice and tyranny (by then)."


References:Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v2, p86, v9, pp 74-75 Sunan Abu Dawud, v2, p7 Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v1, pp 84,376; V3, p63


2) The Prophet (PBUH and HF) said: "al-Mahdi is one of us, the members of the household (Ahlul-Bayt)."
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #4085


3) The Prophet (PBUH and HF) said: The Mahdi will be of my family, of the descendants of Fatimah (the daughter of the Prophet (PBUH)).

References:

Sunan Abu Dawud, English version, Ch. 36, Tradition #4271 (narrated by Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet) Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #4086

4) The Prophet (PBUH and HF) said: "We (I and my family) are members of a household that Allah (SWT) has chosen for them the life of the Hereafter over the life of this world; and the members of my household (Ahlul-Bayt) shall suffer a great affliction and they shall be forcefully expelled from their homes after my death; then there will come people from the East carrying black flags, and they will ask for some good to be given to them, but they shall be refused service; as such, they will wage war and emerge victorious, and will be offered that which they desired in the first place, but they will refuse to accept it till they pass it to a man from my family (Ahlul-Bayt) appears to fill the Earth with justice as it has been filled with corruption. So whoever reaches that (time) ought to come to them even if crawling on the ice/snow since among them is the Vice-regent of Allah (Khalifatullah) al-Mahdi."
References:

Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #4082, The History Tabari al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar, Ch. 11, section 1, pp 250-251

5) Abu Nadra reported: We were with the company of Jabir Ibn Abdillah... Jabir Ibn Abdillah kept quite for a while and then reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) having said: "There would be a Caliph in the last (period) of my Ummah who would freely give handfuls of wealth to the people without counting it." I said to Abu Nadra and Abu al-Ala: Do you mean Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz? They said: NO, (he would be Imam Mahdi).

References:

Sahih Muslim, English version, v4, chapter MCCV, p1508, Tradition #6961 Sahih Muslim, Arabic version, Kitab al-Fitan, v4, p2234, Tradition #67

6) "al-Mahdi is from our Ahlul-Bayt, no doubt Allah will enforce his appearance within a night (i.e., his coming is very unpredictable and is very sudden)."
References: Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, p269

Compiled from various sources by Islam.tc, webmaster@islam.tc  

ALLAH EXISTS WITHOUT BEING IN A PLACE OR DIRECTION

by Syed Muhammad SyedAbdullah Al-Husayni on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 at 7:13pm ·

Source : Assuna.org

Question:

Assalamalaykum,

I know that English is not as rich as Arabic, but I read some translations for some of the books and they quote that Allah is above his creations or above everything. And reading from your site that Allah exists without a beginning, that means He existed before the places and directions, so did any of the salaf scholars Say that "Allah is above the Throne"? And how would you explain the "Aboveness" when it's said about Allah?

Answer:

Bismillah, praise be to Allah the creator of everything, and the one who is Eternal and exists without a place, we ask Allah to increase the rank of Prophet Muhammad and his kind Aal and Companions,

The belief of all the Muslims from the Salaf and Khalaf is that Allah exists without being in a place or direction, because He (the exalted and most high in status) existed before all the creations and is clear from change.

The Aboveness and Highness when attributed to Allah always refers to highness in status and cannot be taken literally as high in a place or position or direction, because Allah existed eternally before time and place and directions. And that's the meaning of "Allah Ta^ala Jalla Wa ^ala"; that is Allah the one who is most high in status and is clear from all imperfections.

وقالَ أهلُ الحقّ: ليس الشأنُ في عُلوّ الجهةِ بل الشأنُ في علوّ القدرِ، والفوقية في لغةِ العربِ تأتي على معنيينِ فوقية المكانِ والجهةِ وفوقية القدرِ قال الله تعالى إخبارًا عن فرعون: {وإنا فوقهم قاهرون} أي نحنُ فوقَهُم بالقوةِ والسيطرةِ لأنه لا يصحُّ أن يقالَ إن فرعونَ أرادَ بهذا أنه فوقَ رقابِ بني إسرائيلَ إلى جهةِ العلوّ إنما أرادَ أنهُم مقهورونَ لَهُ مغلوبونَ.

فقول الله تعالى اخباراً عن فرعون الكافر {أنا ربكم الأعلى} معناه علو القدر. وكذا قوله {وإنا فوقهم قاهرون} أي فوقية القوة والسيطرة وليس فوقية المكان. فلهذا نص العلماء أن الفوقية والعلو أذا أطلق على الله فالمراد منه علو قدر وفوقية قهر سبحانه وتعالى وليس علو مكان وجهة لأن الله كان قبل الخلق والمكان والجهات بلا مكان كما أجمع كل علماء أهل السنة على ذلك ونص على ذلك ابن حجر العسقلاني في شرحه على صحيح البخاري.

It's clear linguistically in al-Qur'an that "al-^uloo" and "al-Fawqiyah" (Highness and Aboveness) has two meanings: Above in place, and above in Status. And the proof that "Highness" and "Aboveness" means above in status what was mentioned in al-Qur'an about Pharaoh the blasphemer who said: "أنا ربكم الأعلى"Which means Pharoah said to his people [I'm your Lord the most High] and that clearly means highness of status. Also Allah said about Pharaoh: {وإنا فوقهم قاهرون} which means that Pharaoh said {And we are Above them Subduing them}. The Above here cannot mean that Pharaoh is literally above the necks of the children of Israel nor in the upper direction!! Rather it's clear that what's meant is that they are under his subjugation and control.

Scholarly Sayings Clearing Allah from Being in a Direction

Allah is the most high in status, He is attributed with all attributes of perfection and He is clear from any imperfection. He existed eternally before time and place as Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said "كان الله ولم يكن شىء غيره" Which means: "Allah existed eternally and there was nothing else." This hadith proves that Allah was alone in al-'azal, (the status of existence without a beginning,) i.e., before creating any of the creation. There was nothing with Him: no place, no space, no sky, no light, and no darkness.

It is determined in the rules of the Religion and the judgments of the sound mind that Allah, the Exalted, does not change. Hence, it is impossible that after having been existing without a place, He would become in a place, because this is a development, and the development is a sign of needing others, and the one who needs others is not God. Imam Abu Mansur al-Baghdadiyy related in his book, Al-Farqu Bayn al­Firaq, that Imam ^Aliyy, the fourth of the caliphs, may Allah reward his deeds, said which means: "Allah existed eternally and there was no place, and He now is as He was", i.e., without a place.

Imam al-Hafidh al-Bayhaqiyy said in his book, Al-Asma'u was-Sifat, on page 400: ".... What was mentioned towards the end of the hadith is an indication of denying Allah has a place and denying the slave is alike to Allah, wherever he was in proximity or remoteness. Allah, the Exalted, is adh­-Dhahir--hence, it is valid to know about Him by proofs. Allah is al-Batin--hence, it is invalid that He would be in a place."He also said: "Some of our companions used as a proof to refute the place to Allah the saying of the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam : 'You are adh-Dhahir and there is nothing above You, and You are al-Batin and there is nothing underneath You.' Therefore, if there is nothing above Him and nothing underneath Him, He is not in a place."

Imam Ahmad Ibn Salamah, Abu Ja^far at­Tahawiyy said in his book at-Tahawiyah: "Allah is supremely clear of all boundaries, extremes, sides, organs and instruments. The six directions do NOT contain Him--these are attributed to all created things."

Such is the saying of Imam Abu Ja^far who is among the heads of as-Salaf. He explicitly stated that Allah is clear of being contained by the six directions, that is he is confirming that Allah exists without a place. The six directions are above, below, in front of, behind, right, and left. So this is clear evidence that the Salaf cleared Allah from organs, bodily parts, place, direction, limits and al-Kayf (manners of beings). Imam at-Tahawiy also said: "And whoever attributes to Allah any of the manners of beings is considered a blasphemer". This is the creed of the true Salafis and not the wahhabis.

In his book, Ihya'u ^Ulum ad-Din, Imam al-Ghazaliyy said: "... places do not contain Allah, nor do the directions, earth, or heavens. He is attributed with an "istiwa'" over al-^arsh as He said in the Qur'an--with the meaning that He willed--and not as what people may delude. It is an istiwa' which is clear of touching, resting, holding, moving and containment. Al-^arsh does not carry Him, but rather al-^arsh and those that carry al-^arsh are all carried by Allah with His Power and are subjugated to Him. He is above al-^arsh and above the heavens and above everything--in status-- an aboveness that does not give Him proximity to al-^arsh or the heavens as it does not give Him farness from earth. He is higher in status than everything: higher in status than al-^arsh and the heavens, as He is higher in status than earth and the rest of the creation." Imam al-Ghazaliyy also said: " Allah, the Exalted, existed eternally and there was no place. He is not a body, jawhar (atom), or property, and He is not on a place or in a place."

Shaykh ^Abdul-Ghaniyy an-Nabulsiyy said: "He who believes that Allah filled the heavens and earth or that He is a body sitting above al-^arsh, is a kafir."

And Imam Ibn Hajar al-^Asqalaniy (who is also an Ash^ari hafidh) said in his explanation of Sahih al-Bukhary (Fath al-Bari):

"Attributing aboveness (Fawqiyah) to Allah is a matter of status, and the impossibility lies in it being physical." This means Allah exists without a place and is clear from being in a direction or place. And the "Fawqiyah" or aboveness when attributed to Allah it refers to abovness of status and greatness of Allah, the exalted. He is the creator Subhanahu Wa Ta^ala that does not need any of the creations in any way.

Ibn Hajar also said that this is the creed of Ahlus-Sunnah, the Salaf, Khalaf, Ash^aris and Maturidis, which is the creed of the majority of the Muslim nation that Allah exists without being in a place or a direction.

Allah knows best.

IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD SYAYKH - BY SYAYKH (MUHYIDDIN) ABD'AL-QADIR JILANI

ORIGINAL SOURCE

Importance of a good shaykh by Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi Allahu anhu

Al Ghawth al-Adham Shaykh Sayyad Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani Radi 'Allahu anhu said: You must work hard to ensure that your hearts are not locked out of the door of His nearness. Be sensible! You are getting nowhere. You must seek the company of a Shaykh who is learned in the law [hukm] and knowledge ['ilm] of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He), and who will show you the way toward Him. Without seeing the successful [muflih], one cannot succeed. If a person does not seek the company of scholars who put their knowledge into practice ['ulama 'ummal], he is a chicken from an egg abandoned by the rooster and the mother hen.

Seek the fellowship of those who enjoy fellowship with the Lord of Truth (Almighty and Glorious is He). What each of you should do, when the night has grown dark and people have gone to bed and their voices are silent, is get up, take an ablution [yatawadda'], perform two cycles of ritual prayer [yusalli rak'atain] and say: "O my Lord, guide me to one of Your righteous servants near to You, so that he may guide me toward You and make me familiar with Your path." The instrument [sabab] is necessary. Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) was quite capable of guiding [His servants] to Him without the Prophets [anbiya']. Be sensible! You are getting nowhere. You must awaken from your heedless folly. As the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam has said: If someone relies entirely on his own subjective judgement, he will go astray. Try to find someone who will be a mirror for the face of your religion [din], just as you look in the mirror to check the appearance of your outer face, your turban and your hair. Be sensible! What is this crazy foolishness? You say, "I don't need anyone to teach me," and yet the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam has said: The believer is the believer's mirror [al-mu'minu mir'atu 'l-mu'min].

When the believer's faith is sound, he comes to be a mirror for all creatures. They behold their religious faces [wujuh adyanihim] reflected in the mirror of his speech, every time they see him and get close to him. What is this craziness? Not a moment goes by without your begging Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) to provide you with more than you already have to eat, to drink, and to wear, with more sexual opportunities and more income. These are not things that could increase or decrease, even if you were to be joined in your plea by every supplicant whose prayers are answered [da 'in mujab].

Supplication [da 'wa] will neither increase one's sustenance by so much as an atom, nor reduce it by an atom. This is a foregone conclusion [mafrugh minhu]. You must devote your attention to doing what you have been commanded to do, and to avoiding what you have been forbidden to do. You should not worry about that which is bound to come your way, because He guarantees that it will come to you. Allotted shares [aqsam] arrive at their appointed times, whether they be sweet or bitter, whether you like them or dislike them.

The people [of the Way] attain to a condition in which they no longer have any prayer of supplication [du'a] or request [su'al] to make. They do not beg [in their prayers] to gain advantages, nor to get rid of disadvantages. Their supplication comes to be a matter concerning their hearts, sometimes for their own sake and sometimes for the sake of all creatures, so they utter the prayer of supplication without conscious premeditation [fi ghaiba].

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'O '' Allah, endow us with good behaviour in Your company under all circumstances!
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[When the believer's faith is sound], fasting [sawm], prayer [salat], remembrance [dhikr] and all acts of obedience [ta 'at] become second nature to him, mingled with his flesh and blood. Then he receives protection from Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) under all circumstances. The restraint of the law [hukm] does not desert him, not for an instant, while he is on this course. The law comes to be like the vessel in which he sits, as he travels over the ocean of the power [qudra] of his Lord (Almighty and Glorious is He). He goes on traveling over it until he arrives at the shore of the hereafter, at the shore of the ocean of grace and the hand of nearness. Thus he is sometimes in the company of creatures and at certain times in the company of the Creator. His work and toil are with creatures, while his relaxation is with the Creator.

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From Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, "The Sublime Revelation (Al-Fath ar-Rabbani)," translated by Muhtar Holland (Al-Baz Publishing, Houston, 1992), p. 426-8.

AL-ALLAMAH TUAN GURU HAJI MAHMUD NASRI OTHMANI

AL-ALLAMAH TUAN GURU HAJI MAHMUD NASRI OTHMANI




Dilahirkan pada 13 Safar 1316 / 14 Julai 1898
di Kampung Alor Besar, Kota Sarang Semut, Kedah.

Pulang ke Rahmatullah pada 28 Safar 1400 / 16 Januari 1980
Dilahirkan dan kembali ke Rahmatullah pada hari Rabu

Pengenalan

Nama Tuan Guru Sheikh Mahmud Nasri bukanlah nama yang asing di kalangan masyarakat negeri Kedah dan Seberang Perai. Beliau dikenali sebagai seorang ulama, tuan guru dan pengasas Pondok Lanai Negeri Kedah Darul Aman yang dikenali sebagai Madrasah Misbahul Salam. Selain itu, beliau juga menjadi guru agama di surau-surau dan masjid-masjid yang menjemput beliau mengajar kitab-kitab dalam bidang tauhid, feqah , usuluddin, tasauf dan lain-lain. Isterinya juga mengajar Al-Quran dan kitab-kitab asas fardhu ain. Tuan Guru Sheikh Mahmud banyak memenuhi masa lapangnya dengan beruzlah bersendirian bagi mendekatkan dirinya kepada Allah S.W.T.

Silsilah Keturunan

Keturunan bapa : Haji Mahmud Nasri Othmani bin Haji Othman bin Haji Senik bin Haji Wan Hashim bin Haji Wan Abdul Wahab.

Datuknya ialah Allahyarham Assyahid Tok Nik Had keturunan Tok Mekong Awang Hitam, seorang hulubalang melayu yang syahid dipancung oleh tentera siam ketika sedang menunaikan solat di pinggir medan perang mempertahankan Pattany sekitar tahun 1730M.

Keturunan ibu : Haji Mahmud Nasri bin Hajjah Kamaliah binti Haji Saman bin Haji Abd Samad (Tok Fakeh) bin Hashim bin Wan Abdul Wahab.

Haji Mahmud adalah cicit kepada penghulu kampung Bera Pattany. Semasa kejatuhan Pattany, Wan Hashim (anak kepada AsSyahid Tok Nik Had (Tok Mekong Awang Hitam) telah berpindah ke Negeri Kelantan. Bapanya Haji Othman dilahirkan di Kampung Kuala Lengkung, kawasan bendang padi di pendalaman Kampong Belimbing dalam Jajahan Pasir Mas. Haji Othman dibesarkan dan dididik oleh datuknya dengan pelajaran agama dan kemudiannya di Pondok. Setelah dewasa, Haji Othman dibawa oleh datonya ke Negeri Kedah dan dijodohkan dengan ibunya (Hajjah Kamaliah) bagi merapatkan semula pertalian keluarga keturunannya.

Hasil perkongsian hidup itu, ibubapanya telah dikurniakan Allah SWT dengan 10 orang anak iaitu Ismail, Mahmud Nasri, Saat, Ahmad, Aisyah , Salmah, Cik, Zainab, Rokiah, dan Huduh.

Pengajian Agama

Haji Othman dan Hajjah Kamaliah yang mempunyai pendidikan agama yang baik telah membesar dan mendidik Haji Mahmud. Pada usia 7 tahun, Haji Mahmud telah khatam Al-Qu’ran dan beliau diserahkan kepada seorang guru Al-Quran yang mahir (berasal dari Pattany tetapi telah menetap di Kedah selama 5 tahun) iaitu Pak Ngah Idris untuk mempelajari Al-Quran dan pendidikan agama secara lebih mendalam. Ketika itu, pengajian Islam merupakan pelajaran utama untuk orang Melayu Malaya dan ramai anak-anak watan telah berjaya melanjutkan pelajaran ke Makkatul Mukarramah.

Pada usia 12 tahun, beliau telah berguru pula dengan Tuan Guru Haji Ismail (Tok Chik Dol) di Pondok Gajah Mati, Pendang, Kedah selama 3 tahun. Tidak lama kemudian, beliau telah berguru dengan Tuan Guru Haji Yaakob Kemelong Sik Kedah, seorang ulamak yang masyhur ketika itu.

Selepas itu, beliau telah berhijrah ke Kelantan (bersama kakandanya Ismail) pada usia 18 tahun dan berguru pula dengan seorang lagi ulama terkenal iaitu Tuan Guru Haji Wan Ahmad bin Wan Abdul Halim (Tok Padang Jelapang).Pondok Jelapang juga ketika itu merupakan pusat pengajian yang terkenal. Pada usia 21 tahun, Haji Mahmud masih meneruskan pelajarannya dengan Haji Wan Ahmad tetapi di Pondok Pasir Mas Salor.

Semasa di Pondok Pasir Mas Salor inilah, Haji Mahmud mengenali seorang lagi Ulama Terkemuka iaitu Al-Allamah Syeikh Yusuf Kenali (Tok Kenali)

Akhirnya Haji Mahmud telah berguru dengan Tok Kenali.

Perguruan dengan Tok Kenali

Tok Kenali adalah seorang tokoh ulama yang menguasai banyak bidang ilmu agama. Beliau juga merupakan murid kesayangan Al-Allamah Tuan Guru Syeikh Wan Ahmad bin Muhammad Zin Mustafa Al-Fathoni.

Tok Kenali rata-rata dikenali di Kelantan ketika itu sebagai seorang ‘keramat’ dan ‘wali’ di samping seorang ilmuwan yang bertanggungjawab di atas penerbitan Majalah Pengasuh, Majlis Agama Islam Kelantan.

Di sinilah Tok Kenali telah mengajar Syeikh Mahmud ‘rahsia shatar’ (titik perbezaan antara hak-hak hamba dengan Allah SWT) dan ‘amalan khalifah pusaka wali agama Islam’ bagi melayakkan manusia menjadi Khalifah dalam ertikata sebenar di muka bumi dan tahu membezakan antara ar-risalah (yang dikurniakan kepada Para Rasul) dan an-nubuwah (yang dikurniakan kepada Para Anbia) serta mengikuti sunnah/contoh/teladan.

Dengan adanya hak-hak kehambaan kepada Allah SWT semata-mata barulah seseorang manusia yang digelar Khalifah itu dapat mentadbir dan memakmurkan seluruh isi alam ciptaan Allah SWT.

Tok Kenali juga telah mengarahkan Syeikh Mahmud untuk mempelajari langkahan hulubalang (Jabat dll)/Silat Khalifah dengan Tuan Guru Haji Muhammad Taib (rakan kepada Datuk Perdana Nik Mahmud) di Kota Bharu. Syeikh Mahmud juga telah menerima amalan aurad dengan ayah kepada Haji Taib iaitu Al-Allamah Tuan Guru Haji Abdul Rahman Pattany (juga dikenali sebagai Tuan Guru Haji Abdul Rahman Jabat/Tengku Abdul Rahman Tok Tama) Tok Kenali telah menjelaskan antara lain tujuan mempelajari langkahan hulubalang dan amalan aurad ini ialah untuk mempertahankan agama, keluarga, bangsa dan negara dari sebarang bentuk penjajahan/serangan luar.

Akhirnya Tok Kenali telah mengijazahkan Amalan Khalifah Pusaka Wali Agama Islam kepada Syeikh Mahmud Nasri Osman.

Sebelum kembali ke Kedah pada usia 27 tahun (bersama sahabat-sahabatnya Tuan Guru Haji Othman Yunusi dan Tuan Guru Haji Abdul Aziz Ibrahim) Tok Kenali telah mendoakan Syeikh Mahmud dan berwasiat :

“Di mana ada rimba di situ tempatmu, di mana kamu duduk, hendaklah mendirikan madrasah, kamu jangan tinggal madrasah”.

Pulang Ke Kedah

Syeikh Mahmud Nasri Othmani telah pulang ke kampung halamannya dan tinggal bersama keluarganya. Tidak lama selepas itu, beliau kembali semula ke Pondok Gajah Mati dan tinggal di sana. Beliau telah dikunjungi oleh Tuan Guru Syeikh Othman Jalaluddin (Lebai Salam Penanti) untuk ke Madrasah Manabil Ulum Penanti Bukit Mertajam bagi guru ganti kepada Tuan Guru Syeikh Othman sementara anaknya Haji Muthalib pulang dari Makkatul Mukarramah.

Berkhidmat Di Penanti

Syeikh Mahmud berkhidmat di Madrasah Manabil Ulum Penanti Bukit Mertajam selama setahun sehingga anak Tuan Guru Syeikh Othman iaitu Setelah itu Tuan Guru Haji Muthalib pulang mengambilalih tugasnya sebagaimana pesanan ayahandanya.

Berkhidmat dan berhijrah ke Lenggong

Syeikh Mahmud Nasri kemudiannya dijemput pula oleh saudara sepupunya iaitu Tuan Imam Haji Yusuf Haji Ibrahim, Imam Masjid Lenggong Perak untuk mengajar agama. Imam Haji Yusuf merupakan murid kepada Tuan Guru Haji Abdul Malik bin Haji Hasan Pondok Sungai Pinang.

Syeikh Mahmud telah berhijrah/bermukim di Lenggong selama 2 tahun. Sepanjang tempoh itu, beliau mengajar tauhid, feqah, tasauf di masjid dan surau-surau yang terdekat. Pada usia 31 tahun, beliau kemudiannya berkahwin dengan anak saudara sepupunya Tuan Imam Haji Yusuf yang bernama Azizah. Isterinya merupakan seorang guru Al-Qur’an dan Fardhu Ain dan merupakan murid kepada bapanya sendiri dan bapa saudaranya iaitu Haji Ahmad (Pak Chu Mat Kelantan – murid kepada Tuan Guru Haji Abdullah Senik, Pondok Padang, Pasir Mas Kelantan) yang juga telah berhijrah dan menetap di Lenggong.

Selain Pak Chu Mat, Imam Haji Yusuf iaitu mertua Syeikh Mahmud juga telah berhijrah ke Lenggong selepas Hulu Perak, Kelantan dan Pahang telah dibuka dengan selamatnya oleh Tuan Guru Syeikh Abdul Rahman Jabat. Sebelum pembukaan, kawasan ini amat digeruni orang kerana ‘permainan raja orang asli’ yang mempunyai amalan memuja binatang-binatang buas bagi mengganggu sesiapa sahaja yang mencerobohi kawasan-kawasan yang ‘dijaga’ oleh mereka.

Kisah pembukaan ini telah meninggalkan kesan sejarah di hulu Perak, Kelantan dan Pahang menerusi lambang Gajah Putih iaitu tunggangan Tengku Abdul Rahman Tok Tama atau Sheikh Abdul Rahman Jabat.

Kembali Ke Kedah

Tiada berapa lama selepas perkahwinan beliau, Syeikh Mahmud merasakan amanat gurunya Tok Kenali belum dapat dilaksanakan. Pada tahun 1932 M, dia telah kembali ke Kedah dengan hasrat untuk membuka pondoknya di kawasan rimba yang baru diterokai di mana penduduknya tidak mempunyai guru yang boeh mengajar mereka tentang ilmu-ilmu agama.

Membuka Madrasah Misbahus Salam.

Pada 12 Rabi’ul awal 1351 H bersamaan 15 Ogos1932 M, Syeikh Mahmud telah berhijrah ke Kampung Lanai, Baling, Kedah Darul Aman; selaras dengan amanat Tok Kenali; Kampung Lanai merupakan suatu kawasan yang asalnya rimba yang belum diterokai dan hanya didiami oleh beberapa keluarga sahaja.

Semasa itu, penduduk Lanai mengerjakan solat Jumaat dengan berjalan-kaki sejauh 15km di Masjid Kampung Padang. Syeikh Mahmud telah berbincang dengan penduduk setempat seterusnya mencapai kata persetujuan untuk membuka Madrasah Misbahul Salam bagi digunakan sebagai tempat solat dan mempelajari agama.

Madrasah ini akhirnya menjadi terkenal dan semakin ramailah orang berhijrah ke Kampung Lanai untuk mempelajari agama dengan Syeikh Mahmud Nasri Osmani, murid kepada Ulama Terkemuka Asia Tenggara iaitu Al-Allamah Syeikh/Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Al-Kenali Al-Kelantani (Tok Kenali) Akhirnya Madrasah Misbahus Salam telah dipindahkan ke Caruk Salang, 3 km dari tapak asal.

Titah DYMM Sultan Badlishah

Selepas hampir tamat zaman pemerintahan Jepun, komunis cuba mengambilalih pentadbiran dengan menangkap Syed Abu Bakar dan Tuan Adam, DO Baling dan Residennya dan dibawa ke Kampung Dalam Wang Bawah Gunung, Baling dengan diikat seluruh badan mereka untuk ditanam dalam satu lubang secara hidup-hidup.

Syeikh Mahmud Nasri Osmani telah diminta oleh Tuan Guru Syeikh Yahya Taha, Kg. Pisang, Kupang (bapa mertua Tuan Guru Haji Umar Zuhdi) atas titah DYMM Sultan Badlishah untuk mengetuai operasi menyelamatkan Syed Abu Bakar dan Tuan Adam yang ditangkap bagi memaksa DYMM Sultan Badlishah menyerah diri kepada komunis.

Syeikh Mahmud Nasri dibantu oleh Tuan Haji Ahmad Bok Bak dan Tuan Haji Daud Bongor. Mereka telah pergi tanpa menggunakan sebarang senjata. Dengan Izin Allah, komunis seramai 600 orang yang diketuai oleh Chin Peng menjadi seperti terpukau dan melihat sahaja malah membenarkan Syeikh Mahmud dan rakan-rakannya membawa keluar Syed Abu Bakar/Tuan Adam sehingga jarak 40 meter. Komunis tiba-tiba menembak pasukan penyelamat selama 30 minit tetapi sekali lagi dengan izin Allah SWT, tidak ada satu pun peluru yang mengena mereka.

Tuan Guru Haji Mahmud Nasri Othmani dan rakan-rakannya telah menyerahkan Syed Abu Bakar dan Tuan Adam kepada DYMM Tuanku Sultan Badlishah dan Tuan Guru Haji Yahya Taha di Kampung Caruk Bembam, Kupang. Tempat penyerahan inilah hari ini telah didirikan Sekolah Menengah Syed Abu Bakar, Baling sempena nama Syed Abu Bakar.

Perasmian Madrasah Misbahul Falah

Pembukaan semula Madarasah Misbahul Falah telah disempurnakan pada tahun 1957 setelah terjadinya kesepakatan di antara Tuan Haji Abu Bakar dan menantunya Tuan Guru Haji Omar Zuhdi Solih, Tuan Guru Haji Mahmud Nasri Othmani dan penduduk tempatan.

Tuan Guru Haji Omar Zuhdi Solih adalah anak kelahiran Kelantan yang berasal dari Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu. Beliau merupakan anak murid kepada Tuan Guru Haji Yahya Taha Kampung Pisang yang kemudiannya telah melanjutkan pelajaran ke Makkatul Mukarramah. Semasa di Mekah, Tuan Guru Haji Umar Zuhdi telah berguru kepada beberapa orang ulama terkenal seperti Tuan Guru Syeikh Wan Ismail bin Wan Abdul Qadir (Pak Da’el), Syeikh Mukhtar Abdul Malik Kudri Al-Makki, Syeikh Abdul Qadir bin Abdul Muthalib Al-Mandili dan Sheikh Muhammad Daud Sulaiman Al-Kelantani Al-Makki.

Sekembalinya beliau dari Makkatul Mukarramah bersama isteri dan anak-anaknya, Tuan Guru Haji Umar berhasrat untuk menyebarkan ilmu pengetahuan agama yang dipelajarinya kepada anak-anak bangsanya. Atas kehendak bapanya, Tuan Guru Hj Umar Zuhdi mengambil keputusan untuk menetap di Banggol Berangan, Lanai, Kupang, Kedah dan bersama-sama membuka semula pondok Madrasah Misbahul Falah.

Atas mengenang jasa Tuan Guru Haji Mahmud Nasri Othmani dan rakan-rakannya menyelamatkan Syed Abu Bakar dan Tuan Adam, DYMM Sultan Badlishah telah berkenan merancang untuk berangkat merasmikan Misbahul Falah. Namun, hasrat baginda tidak kesampaian kerana telah mangkat pada hari berkenaan Majlis kenduri untuk menyambut baginda telah bertukar menjadi majlis tahlil untuk Almarhum DYMM Baginda dan akhirnya Madrasah Misbahul Falah telah dirasmikan sendiri oleh Tuan Guru Haji Umar Zuhdi Solih.

Madrasah Misbahul Falah terus berkembang mengikut manhaj yang telah disediakan oleh Tuan Guru Haji Omar Zuhdi sendiri, mengikut system pengajian Nizhomi dan Umumi.Sistem pengajian nizhomi adalah system pengajian kelas bermula tahun I’dadi hingga ke thanawi dan sistem pengajian umumi adalah pengajian kitab-kitab torah dari kulit ke kulit.Sistem pengajian nizhomi dan umumi mendapat sambutan yang hangat di kalangan masyarakat yang dahagakan ilmu pengetahuan agama dan suasana ini berjalan baik sehingga ke hari ini. Tuan Guru Sheikh Mahmud Nasri Osmani pula mendirikan sebuah madrasah dengan mengekalkan nama madrasah Misbahus Salam di rumahnya berhampiran dengan madrasah tersebut.Beliau membantu mengajar kitab-kitab torah secara umumi kepada pelajar-pelajar Madrasah Misbahul Falah yang gemar menuntut ilmu dengannya.

Gerak Seni Silat Abjad.

Gerak Seni Silat Abjad telah diasaskan oleh Tuan Guru Sheikh Mahmud Nasri Osmani adalah sebagai menggantikan nama ilmu dan amalan yang asal diterima daripada gurunya Sheikh Yusuf Kenali dan menerima latihan daripada gurunya Sheikh Muhammad Taib bin Tuan Guru Sheikh Abdul Rahman Jabat. Nama asal ialah Amalan Khalifah Pusaka Wali.

Syeikh Mahmud Nasri memperkenalkan Gerak Seni Silat Abjad ini ialah kerana pada masa itu beliau melihat kedudukan umat Melayu Islam terumbang-ambing selepas peristiwa 13 Mei, 1969. Ketika itu lahirlah berbagai-bagai unsur-unsur syirik, khurafat dan bidaah berlaku berleluasa dalam masyarakat melayu. Lalu beliau berhasrat untuk membersihkan amalan-amalan karut yang tiada dalam ajaran agama.

Amanat Al-Allamah Syeikh Mahmud Nasri Osmani :

Banyak barang tiruan dalam pasaran,
Barang asli dalam rumah ahli,
Dapat beza dalam majlis tandingan,
Datang benar hancur binasa yang bathil,
Benar tetap benar, bathil tetap bathil,
Datanglah kepada kami jika mahu barang yang asli,
Tiada menjadi korban pengorbanan,
Tiada dimahkotakan pahlawan,
Nafsu tujuh rupa tujuh terbit,
Taulannya di luar atas rupanya baik atau jahat,
Tiap-tiap bergerak ditanya guru asal,
Dosa pahala dikira melaluinya,
Tiada guru syaitan mengaku jadi guru,
Ahli sufi palsu berbagai ragam ratib jampian,
Lumrah insan kalah memakai menang membeli.
----------------------------------

AL-FATIHAH

LIGHT OF THE PROPHET

http://www.baalawi.com

LECTURE TITLE:
The Light of the Prophet

LECTURER:
Sayyid Mostafa (M.) al-Badawi (PhD)

LANGUAGES :
In English.


LECTURE :

"Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth . . . "[1] The Light is one of the ninety-nine Beautiful Names of Allah. Light is that by which things become known. Things may exist in the dark, but they cannot be seen. Light may be physical, such as the light of the sun or the moon, or intelligible, like the light of the intellect. The latter is that which illuminates the darkness of ignorance with the light of knowledge. Total darkness is non-existence, thus light is that which brings created beings out of non-existence into existence. It is the creative act of Allah and this is one of the meanings of "Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth . . . " The other meaning is that every light in the universe is but a reflection of His mercy, every knowledge a reflection of His knowledge and so on. "Allah created His creation in darkness," said the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, "then He sprayed them with His light. Those whom this light reached became rightly guided, while those it did not went astray."[2] And he also said, as recorded by Muslim, "Allah, August and Majestic is He, wrote the destinies of creation fifty thousand years before He created the Heavens and the earth. His throne was on the water. Among what He wrote in the Remembrance, which is the Mother of the Book, was: Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets."

The Mother of the Book is the source of all knowledge, including the Divine Scriptures. It is the essential knowledge of Allah before He created creation. This is why it is said to have been written fifty thousand years before the creation of the cosmos, a symbolic number, since without stars and planets there cannot be days and years as we understand them. Allah conceived His creation in the darkness of non-existence, then with the light of His creative act brought them out into existence. Thus the First Light was created, a being appearing against the dark background of non-existence. "The first thing that Allah created was the Intellect,"[3] said the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. He also said, "The first thing that Allah created was the Pen," which amounts to the same thing, since the first intellect is the primordial light in its passive aspect as recipient of the knowledge of what is to be, while the Pen is the primordial light in its active aspect of writing this knowledge on the Guarded Tablet at Allah’s command. "The first thing that Allah created was the Pen and He said to it: Write! So it wrote what is to be forever."[4] From this First light all of creation, with all its varied forms and meanings till the end of time unfolds.

This primordial light is what is called the Light of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, since he is the created being who received the major share of it.

This light was also the origin of the lights of all other Divine Messengers, of the angels, then of all other beings. This is how the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, could say, "I was a Prophet when Adam was still between spirit and body."[5] The power of this light made the Prophet’s radiation so powerful, once he appeared on earth, that Allah calls him in the Qur’ān "an illuminating lamp." Allah describes the sun and the moon in the Qur’ān in like manner explaining what He means when He says that He made the Prophet "an illuminating lamp". He says, Exalted is He:

"Have you not seen how Allah created seven heavens, one upon another, and set the moon therein for a light and the sun for a lamp?"[6] Here he calls the sun a lamp, since its light is self generating, but He calls the moon a light, since it but reflects the light of the sun. He also says: " . . . and We appointed a blazing lamp . . . "[7] The sun’s light being extremely hot, and, "Blessed is He who has set in the sky constellations and has set among them a lamp and an illuminating moon,"[8] emphasizing that the moon’s light is light with little heat. When He says to His Prophet: " O Prophet! We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of good tidings and of warning, as a caller to Allah by His leave and as an illuminating lamp,"[9] we are to understand that He made the Prophet’s light powerful like the sun’s, yet cool and gentle like the moon’s.

Some of the Prophet’s Companions were given to see this light as even brighter than both the sun and moon, for when they walked with him they noticed that he cast no shadow on the ground.[10] Those who saw him in the full moon noticed that his blessed face was brighter than the moon,[11] and one of his Companions, the Lady Rubayyi‘, when asked to describe him, said, "My son, had you seen him, you would have seen the sun shining."[12]

The light of the Prophet shone at all levels, it filled the material, intermediary, and spiritual worlds, dispelled the darkness of ignorance and disbelief, and is destined to shine across the ages till the end of time.

That this light was physical as well as spiritual was borne witness to most amply by those who saw him. The Lady ‘A‘isha related how she saw the whole room fill with light one night, then it disappeared, while the Prophet continued to call upon his Lord. Then the room was filled with a more powerful light which disappeared after a while. She asked, "What is this light I saw?" he said, "Did you see it. O ‘A‘isha?" "Yes!" she replied. He said, "I asked my Lord to grant me my nation, so He gave me one third of them, so I praised and thanked Him. Then I asked him for the rest, so He gave me the second third, so I praised and thanked Him. Then I asked Him for the third third, so He gave it to me, so I praised and thanked Him." She said that had she wished to pick up mustard seeds from the floor by this light she could have.[13] In the famous description of Hind ibn Abi Hala, the Prophet’s stepson from the Lady Khadija, "He was dignified and awe inspiring, radiant like the radiance of the moon on the night it is full…"[14] Ibn ‘Abbas described how he saw light shining from between his front teeth.[15] Abu Qursafa, as a boy, went to swear allegiance to the Prophet, together with his mother and her sister. When they returned home they told him, " My son, we have never seen the like of this man, nor anyone better looking, cleaner dressed, or gentler in his speech; and we saw as if light came out of his mouth." [16]

The Companion, Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, described how, when the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, first entered Madina, everything in Madina became illuminated, then how, when he died and was buried in ‘A’isha’s house, the light disappeared. The phenomenon was so sudden that the Companions were taken aback and began to doubt whether they had really seen it at all.[17] This was only the light that radiated from his blessed body, for Madina itself remained the city of Light. Abū Hurayra related how they were once praying the night prayer of ‘isha’ with the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, and how the Prophet’s two grandsons, Hasan and Husayn climbed onto his back when he went into prostration. When he was done, he placed one of them on his right and the other on his left. Abu Hurayra asked him, "Shall I take them to their mother?" he replied, "No". Then a flashing light appeared from the sky, at which he said, "go to your mother." The light remained until they reached their house.[18] On another occasion, Anas said that, he accompanied the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, into the mosque where they saw a group of people with their hands raised, calling upon Allah. "Do you see in their hands what I see?" the Prophet asked. "What is in their hands?" Anas replied. "There is light in their hands," replied the Prophet. "Ask Allah the Exalted to show it to me," said Anas. At the Prophet’s request, Allah showed it to him.[19] Another Companion, ‘Amr al-Aslami, said that once they were with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, on a very dark night and lost sight of each other. Suddenly ‘Amr’s fingers shone forth with light so that they were able to round up their mounts and gather again. The light did not subside until they had finished gathering.[20] As for Abu ‘Abs, he used to pray all the ritual prayers with the Prophet, then walk back to his dwelling, at Bani Haritha, a few miles from the mosque. One dark rainy night, as he left the mosque, his staff was made to shine forth with light, so that he was able to walk safely back home.[21] On another occasion, two of the Prophet’s well known Companions, Usayd ibn Hudayr and ‘Abbad ibn Bishr, left the Prophet’s house late on a dark night. The tip of the staff of one of them lit up like a lamp and they were able to walk. When they came to the place where they usually separated, the tip of the other staff lit up as well.[22] Another Companion, al-Tufayl ibn ‘Amr al-Dawsi, related how, after his first visit to the Prophet, when he accepted Islam and was about to return to his tribe, he asked the Prophet for a sign to show to his tribesmen, at which a light shone forth from his forehead. He exclaimed, "Not here, O Messenger of Allah, they will think it a curse!" So the Prophet moved the light to the tip of al- Tufayl’s whip. He returned to his tribe with this sign and most of them accepted Islam.[23]

Ka‘b ibn Zuhayr was a man from Muzayna, a highly talented poet who used his talent against the Prophet and his companions. Once Macca had been conquered, Ka`b became a fugitive, aware that the Prophet had ordered him executed. His brother, Bujayr, was a Muslim. He sent Ka`b a message that he could only save his life if he came to the Prophet repentant. Eventually Ka‘b agreed to this and came to Madina. The Prophet forgave him, accepted his allegiance, and gave him permission to recite the poem Ka`b had composed in his praise. When he came to the passage,

The Messenger is a light that illuminates

An Indian blade, a sword of Allah, drawn

the Prophet took his mantle, his burda, off his shoulders and put it on Ka‘b’s, signalling his approval. The best swords of the time were Indian and the connection between the sword and light is that the Arabs signalled the way by standing on a rise and brandishing their swords in the sun so that they flashed like mirrors.[24]

The light of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, manifested itself in his parents before and during his birth. His biographers have recorded that his father’s forehead shone with a light that a certain women from Quraysh noticed. She knew that the appearance of the Prophet of the End of Time was imminent and felt that ‘Abdallah’s forehead signalled his being the father. She offered herself to him, but he refused. Soon `Abdallah married Amina and, once she became pregnant with the Prophet, the light vanished from his forehead. He met the same woman again and, noticing she no longer wanted him, asked her why. She replied that he no longer carried that light on his forehead.[25] As for the Lady Amina, when she became pregnant, she saw in a dream-vision that a light came out of her that lit the land as far north as Syria.[26] She was also told in her dream that she was pregnant with the master of this nation and the sign of that would be that when she gave birth to him she would see a light coming out with him that would shine over Bosra in Syria. "When this happens", she was told, "call him Muhammad!"[27] "I conceived him, " she said, "and suffered no pain until delivery. When he came out of me, a light came out with him that illuminated everything from East to West…"[28] She also said, "I saw the night I gave birth to him a light that illuminated the palaces of Syria so that I saw them."[29] The Prophet later confirmed this, saying, "My mother saw, when she gave birth to me, a light that illuminated the palaces of Bosra."[30] This event is also a very clear indication of the spiritual rank of the Lady Amina, for to see the palaces of Bosra in Syria from Macca demands the spiritual vision of sanctity. Later, the Prophet’s uncle, ‘Abbas, praised him with a poem, on his return from the Tabuk expedition, saying:

You, when you were born, the earth was lit

And with your light so was the sky

When his wet-nurse, Halima al-Sa‘dia, first saw him, she laid her hand on him and he smiled. "When he smiled," she said, "a light appeared from his mouth that rose to the sky."[32]

Some of the hadiths we have quoted here have strong chains of transmission, others have weaker ones. However, we must remember that even the chain considered weakest by Muslim traditionists, is quite acceptable as historical proof to any professional historian on this planet, being far stronger and better authenticated than other ancient sources he works with. It is also well known that weak traditions strengthen each other so as to become acceptable. This is why those we have quoted here have been accepted by leading scholars such as Ibn Kathir, Suyutiī, Qadi ‘Iyad, Bayhaqi, and others.

Commenting on the verse of Qur’an,"There has come to you a light from Allah and a clear Book,"[33] the well-known scholar al-Alusi says that the light in question is no other than the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. He quotes the Follower, Qatada, as an authoritative source for this opinion, as well as other well known scholars, pointing out that this is the most logical interpretation of the construction of the verse, Then he also quotes those whose opinion differs from his in that they believe that both the light and the Book refer to the Qur’an. This he does because real Muslim scholars, as opposed to pretenders and impostors, always quote, along with their own opinions, the contrary opinions of other reputable scholars, so weighing both in the most objective manner. Qadi ‘Iyad, the famous author of al-Shifa’, is of the same opinion as al-Alusi, an opinion, an opinion shared by other famous commentators such as Tabari and Qurtubi.

Although the Prophet’s light is the most powerful in the universe, since he is the nearest created being to Allah, it is not the only one. Angels are made of light, the Qur’an is light, the spirits of human beings are light, faith is light, knowledge is light, the sun, the moon, and the stars are also lights. The light of each human being depends upon his faith, knowledge, and virtue. Thus the most powerful lights are those of Divine Messengers, then those of Prophets, saints, virtuous believers, and finally those of sinful believers. This is the hierarchy of human beings. Both the first and the last are human, all have lights, and all are slaves of Allah, but the distance between the top of the pyramid and its bottom is so great that those at the bottom, in Paradise, will see those at the top as distant as, in this world, we see the stars at night.[34]

NOTES

1. Qur'an (24:35).
2. Tirmidhi.
3. Tirmidhi.
4. Tabarani and Abu Nu'aym.
5. Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Hakim and Bukhari in Tarikh.
6. Qur'an (71:16)
7. Qur'an (78:13)
8. Qur'an (25:61)
9. Qur'an (33:45 - 46)
10. al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi
11. Tirmidhi
12. Tirmidhi
13. Abu Nu'aym in Hilia.
14. Tirmidhi in Shama'il, Bayhaqi, Tabarani, and ibn Sa'd.
15. Tirmidhi in Shama'il, Darimi, Bayhaqi, Tabarani, and ibn Asakir.
16. Tabarani.
17. Ahmad and ibn Majah.
18. Ahmad, Hakim, and Bazar.
19. Bukhari in Tarikh, Bayhaqi and Abu Nu'aym.
20. Bukhari in Tarikh, Bayhaqi and Tabarani.
21. Bayhaqi.
22. Bukhari
23. Ibn Hisham.
24. Ibn Ishaq.
25. Ibn Hisham.
26. Hakim, Ahmad, Bazzar, Tabarani, Bayhaqi and Abu Nu'aym.
27. Ibn Ishaq.
28. Ibn Sa'd, Tabarani, Bayhaqi, Abu Nu'aym, Abu Ya'la, Ibn Ishaq.
29. Abu Nu'aym.
30. Ibn Sa'd, Ahmad, Bazzar, Tabarani, Abu Nu'aym, and ibn Asakir.
31. Hakim and Tabarani.
32. Bayhaqi, Abu Nu'aym, ibn Ishaq and Abu Ya'la.
33. Qur'an (5:15)
34. Tirmidhi.



BIBLIOGRAPHY :



Author : Sayyid Mostafa (M.) al-Badawi (PhD)

Copyright : © Sayyid Mostafa (M.) al-Badawi (PhD)

Retrieved from : Mas'ud Ahmad Khan's Web Presence




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* Shaykh Gibril Fouad (G.F.) Haddad (PhD) : The Prophetic Title "Best of Creation" -04/09/2008
* Shaykh Abdal-Hakim Murad : Understanding the Four Madhhabs -02/09/2008
* Shaykh Nuh Keller : The Place of Tasawwuf in Traditional Islam -31/08/2008


INTERESTING READS

* Shaykh Nuh Keller : Adab of Islam -30/08/2008
* Shaykh Nuh Keller : Adab of Sunna -30/08/2008
* Shaykh Nuh Keller : The Basmalah Is Part of al-Faatihah -08/03/2008
* Al-Habib Umar Bin Hafidh : The Advice of Al-Habib Umar Bin Hafidh -31/01/2008
* Al-Habib Ali al-Jifri : Interview of Al-Habib Ali Zain al-Abideen al-Jifri
-08/11/2007

DEMAK SULTANATE

WIKIPEDIA


Demak Grand Mosque

DEMAK SULTANATE

Demak’s origins are uncertain although it was apparently founded in the last quarter of the fifteenth century by a foreign Muslim, probably a Chinese who was perhaps named Cek Ko-po.[1] It is thought that perhaps it was his son to whom the Portuguese gave the name 'Rodim', which most likely meaning 'Badruddin' or 'Kamaruddin', and he is thought to have died c. 1504.[1] Rodim’s son, or possibly his brother, was the founder of the Demak’s brief domination in Java. Known as Trenggana, later Javanese traditions say he gave himself the title Sultan. It appears Trenggana had two reigns—c 1505–1518 and c 1521–1546—between which his brother in law, King Yunnus of Jepara filled in.[1] One of Wali Songo, Sunan Kalijaga was the teacher of Raden Patah and had great influence on the philosophy of the Kingdom. Raden Patah was a Chinese descendant - his Chinese name was Jin Bun ('strong man'), Babad Tanah Jawa(or the Javanese Chronicle) recorded him as Jimbun.

Trenggana spread Demak’s influence east and west and c 1527, during his second regin, he conquered the last Javanese Hindu-Buddhist state, Majapahit of East Java. Majapahit had been in decline since the later fifteenth century and was in an advanced state of collapse at the time of the Demak’s conquest.[1] Majapahit's heirlooms were brought to Demak and adopted as Demak's royal icons.[citation needed] Demak was able to subdue other major ports and its reach extended into some inland areas of East Java that are not thought to have been Islamised at the time. Although evidence is limited, it is known that Demak's conquests covered much of Java: Tuban, an old Majapahit port mentioned in Chinese sources from the eleventh century, was conquered c. 1527;

Raden Patah was succeeded by Pati Unus (1518 - 1521), known best for his two attempts in 1511 and 1521 to seize the port of Malacca from the control of Portuguese. This campaign attempt ended with a loss of the King's life.

The King's brother-in-law, Trenggana (1522 - 1548), crowned by Sunan Gunung Jati (one of Wali Songo), became the Third and the greatest King of Demak. He conquered the Hindu based ressistance in Central Java, Banten, Sunda Kelapa (which will become Jakarta) in the future, and ended his campaign as he was killed in Panarukan, [East Java] in 1548.

SYAYKH MUHYIDDIN ABDUL QADIR JILANI (Ghawth al A'zam)

(Note from Webmaster) THIS ARTICLE IS DEDICATED TO AL-ALLAMAH USTAZ AHMAD BIN CHE DIN AL-HAJ, SELAMA, PERAK DARUL RIDZUAN - MALAYSIA - the Grandsyaykh of Abjad (as per his request to the webmaster to publish articles about the Syaikh)

I was told and STRICTLY reminded by the Grandsyaykh that anyone who wishes to recite/practice any of the zikr, aurad, hizb or equivalent MUST be bestowed with the 'ijaza' (bai'a/talqin) from the rightful masters/syaykh.

Source : http://www.iqra.net/articles/Jilani/jilani1.htm

Narrated by : Siddiq Osman Noormuhammad

Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani is Both Hasani and Husayni

The most universally acclaimed saint of all times and the most celebrated in all the ‘aalamin (worlds), among jinn and men as well as among the arwaah (souls), the malaaika (angels), and the rijaal u’l ghayb (men of the unseen), the beloved of Allah Ta'ala who throughout history has been showered the titles of Muhyiddin (reviver of the faith), Qutb Rabbani (the spiritual axis established by the Lord), and Ghawth al A'zam (the greatest helper, the greatest saint), Sayyidi wa Imami Abu Muhammad ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu was born in Ramadan 470 A.H/1077 C.E in Jilan, Persia. His father, Abu Salih, was a man of taqwa (piety) and a direct descendant of Sayyidina Imam Hasan ibn ‘Ali Rady Allahu ‘Anhu. His mother, Ummu’l Khayr Fatima was a saintly daughter of a saintly father Shaykh ‘Abdullah Sawma'i who was a direct descendant of Sayyidu’sh shuhadaa Imam Husayn ibn ‘Ali Rady Allahu ‘Anhu.

Thus Muhyiddin Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani was both Hasani and Husayni, a descendant of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam from his beloved daughter Sayyidatina Fatima az-Zahra, Rady Allahu ‘Anha. For this reason, the Sindhis for example, lovingly call him "putar mithe mahbub jo" (the blessed son of the sweet beloved Holy Prophet), Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam.

The genealogical roots of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anhu can be traced to Habib u’l A’zam Sayyidina Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam, as follows:

Gawth al A’zam Sayyidina Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, son of
As-Sayyid Abu Salih Musa, son of
As-Sayyid ‘Abdallah al-Jili, son of
As-Sayyid Yahya as-Zahid, son of
As-Sayyid Muhammad, son of
As-Sayyid Dawud, son of
As-Sayyid Musa, son of
As-Sayyid Abdallah, son of
As-Sayyid Musa al-Jawn, son of
As-Sayyid ‘Abdallah al-Mahd, son of
As-Sayyid al-Hasan al-Muthanna, son of
Sayyidina al-Imam al-Hasan, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu, son of
Imam u’l mashariqi wa’l magharib, Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu,
and of Sayyidatina Fatima az-Zahra, Rady Allahu ‘Anha, the blessed daughter of
Khaatam an-Nabiyyin Habibi Rabbi’l ‘aalamin Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah, Nurin min Nurillah, Allahumma Salli wa Sallim wa Baarik ‘alayh.

(cited by Shaykh ‘Abdur Rahman ibn Shaykh ‘Umar ‘Ali al-Qadiri, in Al-Jawhar u’n Nafis, The Most Precious Pearls, p. 29).

What better way is there to end this section and indeed all the remaining sections than with this hymn which is full of blessings and mercy of Allah.

Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum
Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum

O The Ever-Living, O The Ever-Living, O The Self-Subsisting by whom all subsist
O The Ever-Living, O The Ever-Living, O The Self-Subsisting by whom all subsist

Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Attained The Spiritual Station of Siddiqin

The Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam is the last Prophet and there is no prophet after him. But people can still aspire to spiritual progress, acquire taqwa (piety) and saintliness and become awliya Allah (friends of Allah). And the highest spiritual state after the anbiya (prophets), belongs to the siddiqin (the truthful). That is why the Holy Prophet Muhammad taught us to make the supplication: Allahummaj 'alnaa min-as-siddiqin (O Allah make us among the truthful). Well, Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anhu manifested to the world that he ranked among the siddiqin at the ripe age of 18. At that age, his thirst for knowledge and eagerness for the company of the awliya Allah (friends of Allah) took him to the city of Baghdad.

It is related that as he was about to leave home on this momentous journey, his widowed mother sewed forty gold coins inside his coat as part of his inheritance, and as parting advice told him to be forever truthful. The caravan with which he was travelling had gone as far as Hamadan when it was attacked by a gang of robbers. In the course of their loot, one of the robbers asked him whether he had anything with him and he truthfully replied that he had forty gold coins sewn in his coat. The robber obviously thought he was joking and narrated this incident to his chief who decided to see this young man. When his coat was torn open, sure enough there were forty gold coins. The gang leader was astounded. He asked Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani as to why he revealed this when he could have kept it secret. Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani told him that his mother had advised him not to lie and he was duty bound to obey his mother, Hearing this, the gang leader was overtaken with remorse, repented, accepted Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani as his Shaykh and so did all his followers and they went on to acquire wilayah (sainthood) themselves. This is how Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani came to be ranked among the Siddiqin. Allahummaj 'alnaa min-as-Siddiqin, Aameen Yaa Rabbal 'Aalamin.

This incident has been narrated in almost all the biographies of the Shaykh, among them being Qalaid al-Jawahir (Necklaces of Gems, p. 33), one of the earliest and major biographies, by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Yahya at-Tadifi, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (passed away 963 A.H, 1556 C.E)

Sayyid ‘Abdur Rahim ibn Muhammad Isma’il Shirazi Rahmatullahi ‘alayh has captured the essence of this incident most beautifully in the following verse of his Urdu poem on the Ghawth al A'zam:

Choron pay tum nay kar kay tawajjoh
Abdal banaaya 'aali shaan
Yaa Ghawth al A'zam ajab tumhaaree shaan

Focusing your spiritual glance at the thieves
You turned them into great saints
O, the great helper, your stature is truly astounding

(Gulzare Tayyiba, The Pleasant Garden, vol. 3, p. 18)

Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum
Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum

The Tariqa of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

Muslims follow Tariqa (spiritual path leading to Allah Ta’ala) based on Shari’a (sacred Muslim law).

In matters of Shari’a (sacred Muslim law), Mahbub Sub-hani Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anhu was an authority in the Hanbali madhhab (school of sacred Muslim law) as well as the Shafi’i madhhab, and a chief exponent of the Ahl u’s-Sunnah wa’l Jama'ah (the people who follow the lifestyle of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and of his blessed Companions).

The way to draw nearer to Allah Ta'ala is through the fulfilment of obligatory religious duties, additional voluntary prayers day and night, through constant remembrance (zikr) of Allah, unceasing salawaat (invocations of blessings) on the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam, Sunnah fasting, charity, zuhd (abstinence) and juhd (exertion in the way of Allah Ta'ala) as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad himself. This then is the tariqa (spiritual path leading to Allah Ta'ala) which is rooted in shari’a (sacred Muslim Law).

Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani learned about the mysteries of tariqa and imbibed spiritual culture (tasawwuf) at the hands of Shaykh Hammad ibn Muslim al-Dabbas, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh. Traditionally, when someone is initiated into a tariqa, he is given a khirqa (sufi robe). Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani was bestowed the khirqa by Shaykh Qadi Abi Sa’id al-Makhzumi, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh, (referred to as Al-Mukharrimi or Al-Makhrimi in some texts).

A Shaykh (spiritual master), musk-scented in shari’a, tariqa and haqiqi ma'rifa (knowledge of spiritual realities), is able to ascertain the spiritual level of a murid (spiritual seeker/disciple) and can assign additional awraad and azkaar (regular voluntary invocations) to be performed to attain spiritual progress. Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani went on to become the epitome of such spiritual masters.

The tariqa followed by Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anhu came to be called after him as the Qadiriyya tariqa and it came to be universally accepted as a divinely-guided path to spiritual progress through zikr (remembrance) of Allah to cleanse one's heart of all evil, to lead a virtuous life, to attain the love of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam, the love of the Ahl u’l Bayt (the Prophet's blessed Household), the love of his Sahaba (Companions) and the love of the awliya Allah (friends of Allah); and to follow the shari’a (sacred Muslim law) according to the teachings of any one of the four Imams of madhhab, that is Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi’i, Imam Malik and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah Ta'ala be pleased with them all.

Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum
Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum

The Spiritual Roots of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

Any tariqa has a silsila or spiritual chain linking the teachings of the Shaykh to the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. The spiritual roots of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anhu are traced back to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as follows:

Imam u’l Anbiya, Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah, Nurin min Nurillah,
(53 B.H-11 A.H; 571-632 C.E), the master of

Sayyiduna’l Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (23 B.H-40 A.H; 600-661 C.E), the father of

Sayyid-ush-shuhadaa Imam Husayn ibn ‘Ali (4-61 A.H), the father of

Sayyidina Imam Zayn u’l ‘Abidin ‘Ali ibn Husayn (38-94 A.H), the father of

Sayyidina Imam Muhammad al-Baqir ibn ‘Ali (59-114 A.H), the father of

Sayyidina Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (83-148 A.H), the father of

Sayyidina Imam Musa al-Kazim (passed away 182 A.H), the father of

Sayyidina Imam ‘Ali ar-Rida (passed away 203 A.H), the master of

Sayyidina Shaykh Ma’ruf al-Karkhi (passed away 201 A.H/817 C.E), the master of

Sayyidina Shaykh as-Sari as-Saqati (passed away 251 A.H/866 C.E), the master of

Sayyidina Shaykh Abu’l Qasim, Junayd al-Baghdadi (passed away 298 A.H/910 C.E),
the master of

Sayyidina Shaykh Abu Bakr ibn Jahdar ash-Shibli (passed away 334 A.H/945 C.E),
the master of

Sayyidina Shaykh ‘Abdul Wahid at-Tamimi, the master of

Sayyidina Shaykh Abu’l Faraj at-Tarsusi

(Abu’l Farah according to some narrations, instead of Abu’l Faraj), the master of

Sayyidina Shaykh Abu’l Hasan, al-Qurashi al-Hakaari, the master of

Sayyidina Shaykh Qadi Abu Sa’id al-Mubarak al-Makhzumi (passed away 513 A.H),
the master of

Sayyidina Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani (470-561 A.H; 1077-1166 C.E).

(Cited in al-Jawhar u’n Nafis, The Most Precious Pearls p. 34).

Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Rahmatullahi ‘alayh, (1272-1340 A.H, 1856-1921 C.E) has versified on these spiritual roots in “Shajara Qadiriyya” (“The Spiritual Tree of the Qadiriyya Spiritual Masters”), in Hadaaiqi Bakhshish (The Gardens of Gifts, p. 65-66).

It has been narrated in Qalaid al-Jawahir (Necklaces of Gems) by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Yahya at-Tadifi, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh that Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani did not start preaching in Baghdad until he reached the age of 50. Before that, for many years, he was a wandering darwish in the wilderness of Iraq practicing zuhd (abstinence), totally immersed in the worship of Allah. Then the Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad, peace be upon him, and Amir u’l Mu’minin Sayyidina ‘Ali, may Allah ennoble his face, came to him in a dream to bless him and to encourage him to start preaching in Baghdad. This then was the direct ijaza (permission) to him to preach from the Beloved Prophet himself who is the Madinat u’l ‘ilm (the City of Knowledge) as well as from Sayyidina ‘Ali who is Bab u’l ‘ilm (the Gate of Knowledge). With such an ijaza, was there anything that the beloved Piran-e-Pir (Shaykh of Shaykhs), Dastagir (the helping hand) could not accomplish?

Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum
Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum

The ‘Aqida of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

His ‘aqida (tenets of belief) was that of the Ahl u’s-Sunnah wa’l Jama'ah, based on the Qur'an, and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. All the sufi saints and mashaayikh (spiritual masters) through centuries have expounded on and lived by this ‘aqida, foremost among them being Imam ul A’zam Imam Abu Hanifa (80-150 A.H), Imam Abu’l Hasan al-Ash’ari (260-324 A.H, 874-935 C.E), and Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (passed away 332 A.H, 944 C.E), Rahmatullahi ‘alayhim ajma’in. Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anhu has explained it in Al-Ghunya Li Talibi Tariqi’l Haqq (Sufficient Provision for Seekers of the Path of Truth).

The foundation of this aqida is the belief that Allah Ta’ala is the only One worthy of worship and that Prophet Muhammad is His Divinely Ordained Final Prophetic Messenger (Rasul). Its nurturing is with Asma u’l Husna and mahabba (love) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, his Pure Household and Blessed Companions. Its manifestation is the spontaneous pride felt in the achievements of the Khulafa ar-Rashidun, that is, Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, Sayyidina ‘Umar al-Faruq, Sayyidina ‘Uthman Dhun-Nurayn, and Sayyidina ‘Ali al-Murtada, Rady Allahu ‘Anhum. Its daily life is governed by shari’a (sacred Muslim law). Its spread is through nasiha (good advice), zikr of Allah Ta'ala and salawaat and salaam on the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. Its peak is jihad (battle to eliminate oppression of Muslims by non-Muslims and to establish Islamic justice), and its ultimate is fana Fillah (annihilation of oneself for the sake of, and in the love of Allah Ta'ala), after which Allah Ta'ala showers you with Baqa Billah (spiritual life everlasting) in His Rida (Pleasure).

So you begin with rida’l waalidayn (living in the pleasure of your parents) and end with Ridallah (living to please Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala). And the Sahaba (Companions) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad are referred to as Rady Allahu ‘Anhum wa Radu ‘Anhu (Allah is well pleased with them and they are pleased with Him as their Lord). And according to Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, his own position is equal to the dust under the feet of the Sahaba. If that is the case, then what is the stature of the blessed Sahaba of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam? Their spiritual stature derives from the fact that they were blessed with the opportunity of beholding the Holy Prophet Muhammad with the eyes of iman (faith). That being the case, how can anyone be capable enough to explain in full the sifat (attributes) of Muhammad ‘Arabi, Rasuli Rabbi’l ‘Aalameen, Rahmatullil ‘Aalamin. Only Allah Ta’ala is aware of what He bestowed on His beloved Prophet Muhammad, Allahumma salli wa sallim ‘alayh.

Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum
Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum

The Nasiha of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anhu taught Muslims and preached to non-Muslims in Baghdad. His nasiha (advices) and mawa’iza (sermons, discourses) were written down by scribes as he delivered them and they have been compiled and handed down through centuries as classics of Muslim spirituality. One of the beauties of his discourses is that you feel he is addressing you directly.

His major spiritual works, that is, the kutub (books) he wrote, as well as collections of his discourses are:

1. Al-Ghunya Li Talibi Tariqi’l Haqq (Sufficient Provision for Seekers of the Path of Truth)

This kitab (book) is a comprehensive explanation of Arkan al-Iman (Pillars of Faith), Arkan al-Islam (Pillars of Islam), and Ihsan (Spiritual Excellence). It is a kitab (book) on Hanbali fiqh (jurisprudence) with special emphasis on salah (obligatory five times daily prayer). It is indispensable for those who want to do tabligh (propagate Islam) as it deals with amr bi’l ma’ruf wa nahi anil munkar (enjoining good and forbidding evil).
2. Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen), a collection of 78 discourses.

3. Al-Fath ur Rabbani (The Endowment of Divine Grace).

This a collection of 72 discourses, the main message of which is to raise yourself up to such spiritual heights as to devote your whole life in worshipful service of Allah, purely to earn His Rida (Pleasure) and His Qurb (Nearness) without hoping for any other reward in the Hereafter. In these discourses, he admonishes the munafiqin (hypocrites) who forget their religion and who cringe before kings and princes for worldly gain.

4. Jila al-Khatir (Purification of the Mind), a collection of 45 discourses.

5. Sirr al-Asrar (The Secret of Secrets).

This kitab (book) explains matters related to shari’a (sacred law), tariqa (spiritual path), haqiqi ma’rifa (knowledge of spiritual realities) and tasawwuf (spiritual culture).
6. Malfuzat (Talks and Sayings).

7. Khamsata ‘Ashara Maktuban (Fifteen Letters).

These were written in Persian and translated into Arabic by ‘Ali ibn Husam ud-Din al-Muttaqi, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (passed away 977 A.H/1569 C.E).

Besides the Qur'an Karim and Hadith Sharif, these can be considered to be required minimum reading for someone who aspires to be an ‘aalim (scholar).

To catch a glimpse of his nasiha (advice), perhaps the best place to begin is to see how he advises his own son Shaykh ‘Abdur Razzaq, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh. He advised him to acquire eight character traits that are basic to tasawwuf (spiritual culture). These are:

1. Sakha (generosity) of Nabi (Prophet) Ibrahim, ‘alayhissalam (peace be upon him)

2. Rida (joyful contentment with whatever Allah ordains) of Nabi Is-haq, ‘alayhissalam

3. Sabr (patience) of Nabi Ayyub, ‘alayhissalam

4. Ishara (symbolic instruction) of Nabi Zakariyya, ‘alayhissalam

5. Ghurba (life as a stranger in far-off lands) of Nabi Yusuf, ‘alayhissalam

6. Lubs us suf (the wearing of Sufi clothes) of Nabi Yahya, ‘alayhissalam

7. Siyaha (wandering travel) of Nabi ‘Isa, ‘alayhissalam

8. Faqr (worldly poverty with spiritual riches) of� Nabiyyuna wa Habibuna wa Shafi’una Muhammad Mustafa, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam.

(cited by Al-Hajj Isma’il ibn as-Sayyid Muhammad Sa’id al-Qadiri, in al-Fuyudaat ur Rabbaniyya, Emanations of Lordly Grace, p. 40).

�His mawa’iza (exhortations, discourses) deal with various subjects. For example, the first few discourses in Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen) are on “The essential tasks of every believer”, “Sharing good advice”, “Being tried and tested”, “Spiritual death”, “The nature of this world, detachment from which is strongly advised”, “Passing beyond the creation”, “Removing the cares of the heart”, “Drawing near to Allah”, “Disclosure and contemplation”, “The self and its states”, and “Controlling carnal desire”.

The theme of each discourse is supported with verses of the Holy Qur’an and Hadith Sharif. For example, in the First Discourse of Al-Fath ur Rabbani (The Endowment of Divine Grace), he quotes the following verse of the Holy Qur’an:

Surely, Allah is with those who are patient. (2:153)

And in the Sixth Discourse of Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen, p. 17-18), he quotes this Hadith Qudsi which is dear to the heart of every Muslim (translation is by Shaykh Muhtar Holland).

In a sacred tradition (hadith qudsi) the blessed Prophet related that Allah (Exalted is He) says, “My servant constantly approaches Me through supererogatory acts of worship until I love him, and when I love him, I become his eyes with which he sees, his hands with which he holds, and his legs with which he walks.” In another version, the wording is: “So through Me he hears, through Me he sees, and through Me he understands.”

This Hadith Qudsi has been narrated by Hadrat Abu Hurayra, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu and reported by Imam Bukhari, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (194-256 A.H, 810-870 C.E).

The essence of his teaching is to achieve qurb Ilallah (nearness to Allah) in the sense of achieving His love, as He is our Khaliq (Creator) and the Musabbib ul Asbab (the Original Cause of all the causes). The description of someone who has attained nearness to Allah is succinctly summarised in Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen, p. 12, translation is by Shaykh Muhtar Holland).

“Gone forth from his own self out into his Master’s work, he now sees nothing but that Master and His work, and neither hears nor comprehends from any other source. If he perceives at all, if he does hear and learn, His speech is what he listens to, and His knowledge is what he comes to know. His favour he enjoys, through His nearness he prospers, through His proximity he is graced and honoured, by His promise he is pleased and reassured. With Him he feels at peace, and in His discourse he takes delight, while from all others he recoils and shrinks away. In remembrance of Him he finds refuge and support. In Him, the Almighty and Glorious, he puts his faith and in Him he places his trust. By the light of His awareness he is guided as he wraps and clothes himself therein. Strange marvels of His science he discovers, and of the secrets of His power he is apprised. To Him he listens and from Him he learns, then for all this he offers praise, gives thanks, and turns to prayer.”

The next step to take is perhaps to open another of the compilations of his mawa’iza (discourses). This is a suggested interpretation of the opening of his first discourse in Al-Fath ur Rabbani (The Endowment of Divine Grace).

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
O Allah! O You Who know my inability to praise You,
I ask of You – for the sake of the most perfect of all those who praise You,
(that is, Sayyidina Muhammad),
to whom You unveiled the realities of Your Names and Your Attributes,
and the subtleties of the emanations of Your Essence,
so that he came to know You in a manner befitting Your Perfection,
and whom You thereupon inspired with Your praises
as You inspired none other than him,
as You will inspire him many times more
on the Day when his uniqueness will be manifested,
(that is, on the Day of Judgement),
when his glorious character will be manifested in all its glory,
(I ask of You, O Allah!)
to bestow upon him,
who is more precious than any other being,
such blessings and salutations that befit Your most Sanctified Perfection,
and let the noble blessings and peace You confer upon him,
encompass the whole of his physical being as well as his essence,
as well as everything that pertains to him
in the world of creation and in the world of the Divine Command,
so that, O our Lord, You leave out none of
Your Prophets, Your Messengers, Your Angels and Your righteous servants,
but include them all
within the compass of Your Tremendous Grace.

Sallu ‘ala’r Rasul
Allahumma Salli wa Sallim ‘alayh.

We find that Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anhu begins his discourse with an exalted, inspiring and comprehensive salaat (invocation of blessings on Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) in which he manifests his deep love for him. In one breath he tells us that Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, praised Allah as no one else did, that he knew Allah as no one else did and that he was inspired by Allah as no one else was. He reminds us that the grandeur of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, has already been manifested in this world and is yet to be revealed in all its glory on the Day of Judgement.

The salaat begins with the Name of Allah and uses the wasila (means) of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. In the same breath, it breathes in the Asma and Sifat of Allah, the Most Beautiful Names and Attributes of Allah, Wahdahu laa sharika lahu. The salaat is on the reality and essence of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as well as everything that pertains to him or is connected with him in the world of creation and in the world of Allah’s Commad. And all the Prophets, as well as the Messengers of Allah, the angels and the pious people are connected with him. So the salaat is on all of them as well. In one sweep, both the reality and the essence of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, have been linked to the two worlds of Allah’s creation and Allah’s Command.� When you have completed reciting this salaat, you know for sure that you are in the presence of a shaykh, a man of Allah, and you want to establish ta’alluq (connection) with him, as you know that following his teaching and obtaining his baraka (blessings), coming as they do from the pure fount of his blessed ancestor, will lead you to salvation. Aameen.

As we read his masterpieces, we are struck by the fact that his style of expression is different from that of any other shaykh, ‘aalim or wali. He is so much saturated with the spiritual power of Tawhid (monotheism) that his exposition and its flow has a spiritually confident personality all its own so that anyone who reads his nasiha spontaneously admits that he is the Qutb-al-aqtaab (the centre of all spiritual pillars), the Shaykh-ul-Mashaayikh (the spiritual master of all spiritual masters), the Gawth al A'zam (the greatest helper) and much more.... a Shaykh who epitomised mujaddidiyyah (faith revival) and wilayah (sainthood), QaddasAllahu sirrahu’l ‘aziz (may Allah sanctify his sublime innermost being)

Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum
Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum

The Salawaat of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rday Allahu ‘Anhu has composed so many salawaat on the beloved holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam that their compilation would fill a volume. His three most well-known salawaat are:

1. As-Salaat u’l Gawthiyya, named after him as it is the most famous.

2. As-Salaatu Kibriti’l Ahmar which means red sulphur or “the Philosopher’s Stone”, or something that is very rare to come by.

3. As-Salaat u’l Kubra or the “big salaat”. This looks like a bouquet of flowers straight from Paradise consisting of 33 salawaat, and du’a (supplication), all richly interspersed together with 25 verses of the Holy Qur’an.

Muslims love these salawaat so much that they make them their wazifa (regular voluntary devotion). For this reason, spiritual masters as well as spiritual seekers include them in their books of salawaat. Two such great Muslim luminaries who have included As-Salaat u’l Gawthiyya in their compilations of salawaat are Imam Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli (passed away 870 A.H/1465 C.E) in Dalaail u’l Khayraat (Proofs of Good Deeds), and Hadrat Mulla ‘Ali al-Qaari (passed away 1014 A.H/1606 C.E) in Hizb u’l A’zam (The Exalted Supplication).

Some of the kutub (books) that contain all three of these salawaat (and more) are:

1. Al-Fuyudaat u’r Rabbaniyya (Emanations of Lorldly Grace) of al-Hajj Isma’il ibn as-Sayyid Muhammad Sa’id al-Qadiri,

2. Awraad u’l Qadiriyya (Regular Voluntary Invocations of the Qadiriyya) of Muhammad Salim Bawwab, and

3. As-Salawaat li’l Awliya wa’s Salihin (Invocations of Blessings by the Saints and the Pious), published by Iqra Islamic Publications in Toronto.

At this juncture, let us seize the opportunity of reciting his most famous salaat, that is, As-Salaat u’l Gawthiyya.

Allahumma Salli ‘alaa Sayyidina Muhammad-in
as-Saabiqi li’l khalqi nuruhu
wa Rahmatulli’l ‘aalamina zuhuruhu
‘adada man madaa min khalqiqa wa man baqiya
wa man sa’ida minhum wa man shaqiya
Salaatan tastaghriqu’l ‘adda wa tuhitu bi’l haddi
Salaatan laa ghaayata lahaa wa laa muntahaa wa lanqidaa’a
Salaatan daaimatan bi-Dawaamika
wa ‘alaa aalihi wa sahbihi
wa sallim tasleeman mithla dhaalik.

O Allah! Bestow blessings on our master Muhammad
whose light was created first,
and whose appearance is a mercy for all the worlds,
as many times as the number of Your creations past and yet to come
among those that are blessed and those that are unfortunate;
such blessings that are unlimited and unbounded,
countless, endless, never finishing;
such blessings that are permanent by virtue of Your permanence,
and on his family and companions,
and in the same manner complete salutations as well.

Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum
Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum

The Zikr and Du’a of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

The Qadiriyya tariqa is one of Zikrullah, remembrance of Allah. The plural of zikr is azkaar. The azkaar and du’a (supplications) of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anhu have been compiled in many kutub (books), one of which is al-Fuyudhaat ur Rabbaniyya (Emanations of Lorldly Grace). It gives the invocations and supplications of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani to be recited after every salah (regular obligatory prayer), for each day of the week, as well as for various special occasions.

The zikr mainly consists of the recitation of the Kalima Shahada (Declaration of Faith), Asma u’l Husna (the Most Beautiful Names of Allah) and of salawaat (invocation of blessings on the beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him). One of the voluntary zikr recommended to be recited individually after every salah (regular obligatory prayer) is as follows:

After Fajr: Yaa ‘Azizu Yaa Allah (100 times)
(O The Mighty, O Allah)

After Zuhr: Yaa Karimu Yaa Allah (100 times)
(O The Generous, O Allah)

After ‘Asr: Yaa Jabbaru Yaa Allah (100 times)
(O The Compeller, O Allah)

After Maghrib: Yaa Sattaru Yaa Allah (100 times)
(O The Concealer of faults, O Allah)

After ‘Isha: Yaa Ghaffaru Yaa Allah (100 times)
(O The Forgiver, O Allah)

A short article such as this one cannot explain in any detail all the invocations and supplications of the Shaykh. But we can perhaps benefit from reciting at least one of his du’a (supplications). His du’a entitled Du’a u’l Jalalah (The Majestic Supplication) is so rich and rewarding that many mashaayikh choose to include it in their kutub (books), among them being Imam Muhammad ibn ‘Alawi al-Maliki al-Hasani of Makka who has included it in his Duru’ u’l Wiqaya bi Ahzaabi’l Himaaya (Armours of Protection For Security Forces, p. 58).

Bismillah i’r Rahman i’r Rahim
Allahumma inni as’aluka
bi-Sirri-dh-Dhaati wa bi-Dhaat-is-Sirri
Huwa Anta wa Anta Huwa
ihtajabtu bi-Nurillah
wa bi-Nuri ‘Arshillah
wa bi-kulli Ismillah
min ‘aduwwee wa ‘aduwwillah
bi maa’ati alfi
Laa hawla walaa quwwata illaa Billah
khatamtu ‘alaa nafsi wa ‘alaa ahli
wa ‘alaa kulli shay-in A’taaneehi Rabbi
bi-Khaatamillahi’l manee’illadhi
khatama bihi aqtaar-as-samaawaati wa’l ard, wa
Hasbunallahu wa Ni’mal Wakil
Ni’mal Mawlaa wa Ni’man Naseer
Wa laa hawla walaa quwwata illaa Billahi’l ‘Aliyyi’l ‘Azim
wa Sallallahu ‘alaa Sayyidina Muhammad-in
wa ‘alaa aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallama ajma’een. Aameen

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. (1:1)
O Allah! I ask of You
for the sake of the Mystery of the Essence
and for the sake of the Essence of the Mystery,
both the Essence and the Mystery being Yours,
that may I be protected by the Sacred Light of Allah,
by the Light of the Throne of Allah
and by all the Names of Allah
from my enemies and from all the devils (enemies of Allah),
(I supplicate to You O Allah)
with a hundred thousand times recitation of (this glorification of Yours):
“There is no strength nor power except with Allah”.
I have sealed myself and my family
and all the things that my Lord has given me,
with the impregnable seal of Allah with which
He has sealed all the regions of the heavens and the earth, and
Allah is sufficient for us and what an excellent Trustee is He. (3:173)
What an Excellent Patron and what an Excellent Helper. (8:40)
“And there is no strength nor power except with Allah, the Exalted, the Almighty”.
And may Allah bestow blessings and peace on our master Sayyidina Muhammad,
on his family and all his companions, Aameen.

Such was the spiritual status of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani that in response to his du’a (supplication), Allah would turn a shaqiy (unfortunate person) into a sa’id (someone destined for salvation). Indeed he has so spiritually transformed the lives of so many Muslims in such significant ways that they never forget to mention him in their du’a (supplications to Allah). May Allah, the Glorified and the Exalted make us benefit from him, Aameen.

Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum
Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum

The Qasaaid of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

In his qasaaid (religious poems), Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anhu talks mainly about the spiritual station of being intoxicated with the love of Allah. Nine of his qasaaid are given in Al-Fuyudaat u’r Rabbaniyya (Emanations of Lordly Grace). Of these, Qasida Gawthiyya, his nazm (didactic poem) on the Asma u’l Husna, and his mathnawi perhaps call for more comment.

Allah, the Glorified and the Exalted, says in the Holy Qur’an:

Allah’s are the Most Beautiful Names, so invoke Him by them. (7:180)

In fulfilment of this Command, Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani has invoked Him in both prose and in verse, using the wasila (means) of the Asma Allah u’l Husna. His emphasis in immersing yourself in the Asma Allah u’l Husna until they run through your veins is breathtaking. He has composed a nazm (didactic poem) in which the Asma u’l Husna appear in the same sequence as they do in the Hadith Sharif. His nazm is a laamiyya: all its 63 verses end and rhyme in the letters “laam-alif “. Each verse invokes Allah with one or more of His Names in such a way that the true meanings of these Names of Allah are also conveyed and understood. The opening verses of this nazm are:

Shara’tu bi Tawhidi’l Ilaahi mubasmilaa
Sa akhtimu bi-dh-dhikri’l Hamidi Mujammilaa

Wa Ash-hadu Annallaha laa Rabba Ghayruhu
Tanazzaha ‘an hasri’l ‘uquli Takammulaa

I begin to expound on monotheism with the Name of Allah
I will end with the Praiseworthy and beautiful remembrance of Allah

And I bear witness that there is no Lord but He
Transcendant is He, completely beyond human understanding

Next, we come to Qasida Gawthiyya which is universally popular. It is an exposition on some of the spiritual powers that Allah has granted him so that people may be educated about spiritual matters and Muslims may gain confidence in themselves. It is chanted from Rabat to Lahore and from Mombasa to Toronto, that is world-wide. Some of the kutub (books) which contain this qasida are:

1. Hadaaiqi Bakhshish (The Gardens of Gifts), with a poetic translation in Urdu by Imam Ahmad Raza Khan, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh.

2. Al-Fuyudaat u’r Rabbaniyya (Emanations of Lordly Grace), translated by Shaykh Muhtar Holland.

3. ‘Abdul Qadir Fee Iydaah-it-Tasawwuf (Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir in Clarifying the Subject of Spiritual
Culture), of Nur-ud-Din ibn ash-Shaykh Husayn Mahmud al-Ghasani.

4. Majmu’ah Mushtamila (A Compendium of Writings), of Shaykh ‘Abdur Rahman ibn Ahmad al-Qadiri az-Zayla’i, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh of Somalia.

5. Majmu’ah Wazaaif (A Compendium of Regular Voluntary Invocations), compiled by Women Islamic Mission, Karachi, with an Urdu translation.

6. Majmu’ah Wazaaif, compiled by Qari Ridaa al-Mustafa A’zami, with an Urdu translation.

7. Qadiri Ridwi Majmu’ah Wazaaif (A Compendium of Regular Voluntary Invocations of the Qadiriyya), compiled by Iqbal Ahmad Nuri and Anis Ahmad Nuri, with an Urdu translation by ‘Allamah Shams Brelwi.

8. Khatam Sharif Sarwari Gawthi Qadiri (The Completion of the Noble Zikr Among The Sarwari Qadiriyya).

There are various refrains or congregational responses when this qasida is recited. A popular response in Arabic is:

Mawaali yaa mawaali yaa mawaali
Wa Muhyiddin-i Sultan ur rijaali

O freedmen emancipated from (the) slavery (of your passions)
The reviver of the faith (Shaykh Jilani) is the Sultan of men

A well-known refrain in Urdu is:

As-salaam ay Nur-e chashmay Anbiya
As-salaam ay Baadshah-e Awliya

Salaams to you, O fountain of the lights of the Prophets
Salaams to you, O Sultan of the saints

One of the qasaaid of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani is a mathnawi.� A mathnawi is a poem in which the two hemistich (half verses) of a verse rhyme, and the rhyme keeps on changing from one verse to the next. Shaykh ‘Abdul Ghani Nabulsi Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (1641-1731 C.E) has composed a takhmis of this qasida. A takhmis is the augmentation of a couplet to a quintent, in other words the quintification of a couplet!

So far, we have talked about his qasaaid from Al-Fuyudaat ur Rabbaniyya which are very popular. Now we come to an appreciation of much shorter pieces of a few verses each from Qalaid al-Jawahir (Necklaces of Gems).

It is a tradition among the mashaayikh (spiritual masters) to explain about matters pertaining to the religion of Islam in both prose and poetry. For example, when Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anh was asked to explain the meaning of the word faqir (poor, needy before Allah), he said that the word faqir is formed with four letters, “faa”, “qaaf “, “yaa”, and “raa”, as cited in Qalaid al Jawahir (Necklaces of Gems). Then he explained the significance of each of these letters in four verses to convey the meaning and the essence of the word faqir.

faa-u’l faqiri fanaa-u-hu fee Dhaatihi
wa faraaghu-hu min na’tihi wa sifaatih
wa’l qaafu quwwatu qalbihi bi-Habibihi
wa qiyaamuhu Lillahi fee Mardaatih
wa’l yaayu yarju bihi wa yakhaafuhu
wa yaqumu bi’t taqwa bi-haqqi tuqaatih
wa’r raa’u riqqatu qalbihi wa safaauhu
wa ruju’uhu ‘an shahawaatih

The letter faa in the word faqir stands for his annihilation for the sake of Allah
and getting rid of his own description and attributes

The qaaf stands for the strength of his heart that is with his Beloved Allah
and his standing up for the sake of Allah is purely for His Good Pleasure

The yaa stands for his hope in Him and his reverential awe of Him
and he performs his duty as true devotion demands

The raa stands for the softness of his heart and its purity
and its return to Allah from its carnal desires.

Allahu Akbar!

We notice that when he talks about the letter “faa”, the Shaykh uses two words that begin with the letter “faa”. These are fanaa and faraagh. Similarly, when he comes to the letter “qaaf”, he uses three words – quwwah, qalb and qiyaam – that begin with the letter “qaaf” . The words associated with the letter “yaa” are yarju, yakhaafu and yaqumu while those that go with the letter “raa” are riqqah and ruju’. Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anhu was for sure not only a master of the religion of Islam but a master of the Arabic language as well.

Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum
Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum

How Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Spread Islam

Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu as the model of a Sufi saint, through his nasiha, azkaar and salawaat, through giving a living reality to Islam, in his complete surrender to the Will of Allah and in his showing of tawakkul (trust in Allah) and through his teaching and preaching converted more than five thousand Jews and Christians to Islam while more than a hundred thousand ruffians, outlaws, murderers, thieves and bandits repented and became devout Muslims and gentle dervishes, explains Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti in his “Introduction” to the translation of Sirr al-Asrar (The Secret of Secrets, p XXXI). Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani says in the 35th Discourse (khutba) in Al-Fath-ur-Rabbani (The Endowment of Divine Grace) that this was among the blessings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu had four wives, each a model of virtue, and devoted to him. He had forty-nine children, twenty-seven sons and twenty-two daughters. Four of his sons, Shaykh ‘Abdul Wahhab, Shaykh ‘Isa, Shaykh ‘Abdul Razzaq and Shaykh Musa became famous for their education and learning, and they and their descendants spread Islam in other parts of the world.

Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anhu passed away with the zikr of Allah on his lips on 11 Rabi’ u’l Akhir 561 A.H, 1166 C.E, at the age of 91. A special zikr session is held that night. It is variously known as Khatm Gawthiyya, Ziyara Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, ‘Urs Shareef, or Gyarween Shareef. In Eastern Africa, a whole night zikr session is held in congregation ending with Fajr salah after which breakfast is served. In some places, zikr sessions continue for days. These zikr sessions draw murideen (spiritual seekers) in their thousands who come out spiritually rejuvenated, with their characters transformed and refined, ready to sacrifice everything they have for the sake of Allah. And these halaqa (gatherings) of zikr in Tariqatul Qadiriyya have continued to attract millions of people to Islam through centuries and will continue to do so, Insha-Allah, till the Day of Judgement, Aameen.

Besides this annual zikr congregation, zikr sessions are also held on the eleventh of every month (hence called Gyarween Shareef in Urdu), as well as every Thursday night, as the night before Jumu’a is considered auspicious. The murideen (spiritual seekers) also do zikr everyday individually in a mosque or at home. This then is one of the enduring legacies of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu.

Other mashaayikh (spiritual masters) came who continued with the work of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani. A few examples suffice to illustrate this. The first example is that of Khawaja Mu'inuddin Chishti Ajmeri Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (passed away 627 A.H/1230 C.E), who acknowledged Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani as his Shaykh and spread Islam in India. He achieved such a high spiritual status that he is called Sultanu’l Hind (the sultan of saints in the Indian sub-continent) and all the saints in that region are under his banner while he is under the banner of the Gawth al A'zam. In the same way Shaykh Uways ibn Muhammad Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (1263-1326 A.H, 1847-1909 C.E) of Somalia became a khalifa (vicegerent) in Tariqatu’l Qadiriyya at the shrine of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani in Baghdad and spread Islam in the whole of Eastern Africa through congregations of zikr. And Shaykh Hamzah Fansuri, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh, considered to be one of the greatest saints in Indonesia in the 16th century C.E. proudly proclaimed that he learned Islam from Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani.

It can truly be said that the muhibbin (loving disciples) of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anhu have spread Islam throughout the world through zikr. The barakaat (blessings) of zikr are truly unending. May Allah Ta'ala make us among the zakirin (those who remember Him), Aameen.

And the granting of wilayah (the status of a saint) by Allah Ta'ala to the zakirin (those who remember Him), ‘abidin (those who worship Him), salihin (pious), and muhibbin (those who love Him and the Holy Prophet Muhammad) is in all instances mediated by the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam, Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani and one's own Shaykh. After all, the awliya Allah (Friends of Allah) and the ‘ulama (learned scholars) are the Khalifatullah, vicegerants of Allah. Allahumma’j’alnaa fee zumrati’l awliya wa’s salihin (O Allah! Keep us in the company of the saints and the pious), Aameen Yaa Rabba’l ‘Aalamin.

Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum
Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum

The Biographies of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

Some scholars have written whole books of biography on Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anhu. Some have written articles on him while others have mentioned him in their writings by way of illustration. A preliminary survey reveals the following biographies of the Shaykh in various languages.

A: In Arabic

Biographies which deal with the virtues and the glorious deeds of a Muslim luminary are called manaqib in Arabic. Some of the learned scholars who have written the manaqib of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, expounding on his exemplary character, his achievements in piety, and his miracles are:

1. Imam Muhyiddin an-Nawawi (631-676 A.H), in Bustan u’l ‘Arifin (Gardens of the Spiritual Masters).

2. Shaykh Abu’l Hasan ‘Ali ash-Shattanawfi of Egypt (passed away 713 A.H, 1314 C.E), in Bahjat al-Asrar (Splendour of the Mysteries). This is the first major biography of the Shaykh from which others have benefited.

3. Shaykh ‘Afif u’d Din al-Yafi’i ash-Shafi’i of Yemen (718-768 A.H, 1318-1367 C.E), in Khulasat al-mafakhir fi’ktisar manaqib ash-Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir (A Biography of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir summarising his glorious qualities), and in Mir’at al-Jinan (The Mirrors of Paradises).

4. Al-Hafiz Imad-ud-Din ibn Kathir (701-774 A.H, 1302-1373 C.E), in his Tarikh (History) entitled Al-Bidaya wa’n Nihaya (The Beginning and the End).

5. Shaykh Muhammad ibn Yahya at-Tadifi (passed away 963 A.H, 1556 C.E), in Qalaid al-Jawahir (Necklaces of Gems), translated by Shaykh Muhtar Holland. In this major biography, Shaykh at-Tadifi records, in addition to the ones mentioned above, more than 40 great Imams and mashaayikh who have expounded on the spiritual achievements of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, among them being:

- Shaykh As-Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifa’i (passed away 578 A.H, 1182 C.E),

- Shaykh Abu Madyan Shu’ayb (520-594 A.H, 1126-1198 C.E),

- Shaykh Shihabuddin ‘Umar as-Suhrawardi (539-632 A.H, 1145-1234 C.E),

- Imam Ahmad ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (773-852 A.H)

He also quotes from about a dozen biographies of the Shaykh by various well-known ‘ulama (learned scholars).

6. Shaykh Hasan ibn ‘Umayr ash-Shirazi in ‘Iqd al-‘Iqyan. This is a manaqib (biography) of 17 chapters in poetic prose in which the verses alternatively rhyme in the letters “yaa”, and “alif”.

7. Shaykh ‘Abdur Rahman ibn Ahmad al-Qadiri az-Zayla’i, entitled “Fayd ur Rahmani” (“The Grace of the Beneficent”), consisting of 11 chapters in Majmu’a Mushtamila (A Compendium of Writings).

8. Habib Muhammad ibn ash-Shaykh Sidq Muhammad Ibrahim al-Qahiri, given in Al-Fuyudaat u’r Rabbaniyya (Emanations of Lordly Grace),

Rahmatullahi ‘alayhim ajma’een.

B: In Urdu, by

1. Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadiri, in Jinnat Ka Baadshah (The King of Jinns and Other Marvels of Ghawth-e-Azam), in which he has primarily referenced the original source, that is the biography of the Shaykh entitled Bahjat al-Asrar of Shaykh ash-Shattanawfi. He also quotes a few verses from Shah Waliyullah Dehlawi Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (passed away 1176 A.H, 1762 C.E) in honour of the Shaykh.

2. Miya ‘Umar Din, in Anwar-e-Qadiriyya (The Lights of the Qadiriyya). This is a comprehensive biography of about 200 pages. In it, Miyan ‘Umar Din has given an Urdu translation of 412 selected pieces of advice from the discourses of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani which he considers constitute the core of this teaching. He has also included biographical accounts of the Shaykh written by

- Mujaddid Alfi Thani Shaykh Ahmad Faruqi as-Sirhindi, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (972-1034 A.H, 1564-1625 C.E) who has written about Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani in Maktub Number 123 in his Maktubat (Letters).

- Shaykh ‘Abdul Haqq Muhaddith Dehlawi Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (passed away 1052 A.H, 1642 C.E), in Akhbar ul-Akhyar (Narratives About The Chosen Ones). He translated the Futuh al-Ghaib of the Ghawth al-A’zam into Persian.

3. ‘Allamah ‘Abdur Rahim Khan Qadiri, in Sirat-e-Ghawth-e-A’zam (The History of the Ghawth al-A’zam). This is another comprehensive biography of about 250 pages.

4. Mawlana ‘Ashiq Ilahi Mirthi, in the “Introduction” to his translation of Al-Fath-ur-Rabbani.

5. Mawlana Sayyid ‘Abd ud Daim Jilani , in the “Introduction” to his translation of Al-Ghunya Li Talibi Tariqi’l Haqq.

C: In Turkish, by

Shaykh Muzaffar Ozak Effendi, in Ziynet ul Qulub (The Adornment of Hearts), translated by Shaykh Muhtar Holland.

D: In English, by

1. Dr. Zahurul Hasan Sharib, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh, entitled Ghawth ul A’zam Pirane Pir (The Greatest Spiritual Helper, The Shaykh of Shaykhs).

2. Dr. Muhammad Haroon, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh, “The World Importance of Ghawth Al A’zam Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani”.

3. Shaykh Tosun al-Jerrahi al-Halveti, in the “Introduction” to his translation of Sirr al-Asrar (The Secret of Secrets).

4. Shaykh Muhtar Holland, in the “Introduction” to his translation of Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen).

5. Shaykh Muhammad al-Akili, in the “Preface” to his translation of Al Fath-ur- Rabbani (The Endowment of Divine Grace).

6. Professor Shetha al-Dargazelli and Dr. Louay Fatoohi, in the “Introduction” to their translation of Jila al-Khatir (Purification of the Mind).

Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum
Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum

The Marvels of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

Sayyidi wa Imami, Imam ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Alawi al-Haddad, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu, (1044-1132 A.H) in expounding on tawakkul (trust and reliance on Allah) in his spiritual masterpiece Risalat u’l Mu’awanah (The Book of Assistance) explains the signs of tawakkul and supports his position with the example of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu whom he calls “sayyidi” (“my master”).

“The one whose reliance is sincere has three marks. The first is that he neither has hopes in nor fears other than God. The sign of this is that he upholds the truth in the presence of those in whose regard people usually have hope or fear, such as princes and rulers. The second is that worrying about his sustenance never enters his heart, because of his confidence in God’s guarantee, so that his heart is as tranquil when in need as when his need is fulfilled, or even more. The third is that his heart does not become disturbed in fearful situations, knowing that that which has missed him could never have struck him, and that which has struck him could never have missed him. An example of this was related of my lord ‘Abdal-Qadir al-Jilani, may God spread his benefit. He was once discoursing on Destiny when a great viper fell on him, so that his audience panicked. The viper coiled itself around the shaykh’s neck, then entered one of his sleeves and came out from the other while he remained firm and unperturbed, and did not interrupt his discourse”. (Risalat u’l Mu’awanah, The Book of Assistance, translated by Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi, p. 121-122).

This incident demonstrates that Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani was matchless in a very special way. It also reminds us about the following verses of the Holy Qur’an on the awliya Allah (friends of Allah):

Surely, on the friends of Allah, there is no fear, nor do they grieve. Those who believed and guarded (against evil). For them are glad tidings in this world’s life and in the Hereafter; there is no changing the words of Allah; that is the Supreme Triumph. (10:62-64)

It has been narrated in the biographies of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani that once he saw a dazzling light which filled the whole sky. Then a human frame appeared in it and told him he was his lord and that he had made everything that was prohibited in Islam lawful for him. Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani recognized him as the devil and told him to get lost. Then the sky turned dark and the human frame fizzled out into smoke. Following this, Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani heard someone say to him that he had misled seventy people in this way but that his knowledge and piety had saved him. To this the Shaykh responded that it was through the Grace of Allah that he had been saved! The machinations of shaytan could obviously never make Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani abandon the shari’a (sacred Muslim law).

Professor Shetha al-Dargazelli and Dr. Louay Fatoohi explain in their “Introduction” to the translation of Jila al-Khatir how Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani came to be called Muhyiddin. Once on a Friday in the year 511 A.H, Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani came across a frail old invalid who greeted him and asked him to help him to sit up. When he helped him to sit up, he became well again and his whole condition improved. He told Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani that he was the religion of Islam which had been forgotten but which he had helped to revive. Following this incident, Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani went to the congregational mosque where people greeted him as “Muhyid Din” (Reviver of Religion). He had never been called by that name before!

All the biographers of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani marvel at his miracles. Dr. Muhammad Haroon Rahmatullahi ‘alayh of the Raza Academy in England has described the miracles of the Shaykh in detail in "The World Importance of Ghawth al A’zam Hadrat Sheikh Muhyiddin Abdul Qadir Jilani". To gain baraka (blessings), let us at this juncture recall one of these miracles which relates to fasting in the month of Ramadan. It is related that as it was cloudy, the new moon had not been sighted and people were confused whether to fast or not to fast. They came to Ummu’l Khayr and asked if the child had taken milk that day. As he had not, they surmised that they had to fast. His mother relates; "My son 'Abdul Qadir was born in the month of Ramadan. No matter how hard I tried he refused to suckle in the daytime. Throughout his infancy he would never take food during the month of fasting." (Sirr al-Asrar, “Introduction” by Shaykh Tosun al-Jerrahi al-Halveti, p. XIII)

This is how Shaykh Tosun al-Jerrahi al-Halveti explains about the daily life of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu: "He himself had given all of himself to Allah. His nights passed with little or no sleep in secluded prayer and meditation. He spent his days like a true follower of the Prophet in the service of humanity. Three times a week he would deliver public sermons to thousands of people. Every day in the morning and the afternoon he gave lessons in Qur'anic commentary, Prophetic traditions, theology, religious law and sufism. He spent the time after the midday prayer giving advice and consultation to people, whether beggars or kings, who would come from all parts of the world. Before sunset prayers, rain or shine, he took to the streets to distribute bread among the poor. As he spent all his days in fasting he would eat only once a day, after sunset prayer, and never alone. His servants would stand at his door asking passers-by if they were hungry, so that they could share his table." (Sirr al-Asrar, p. XLIV)

Shaykh Hammad al-Dabbas Rahmatullahi ‘alayh had predicted that one day Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani would be commanded to proclaim that his foot is on the neck of every Waliyallah (friend of Allah). This prediction was fulfilled when Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani declared at one of his majalis (religious sessions) in the presence of more than forty mashaayikh (spiritual masters) of Iraq that his foot was on the neck of every Waliyallah. All the mashaayikh, those that were present as well as those in far off lands and places acknowledged and accepted this fact. Qutb u’l Irshad Imam ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Alawi al-Haddad has versified on this spiritual reality in one of his qasaaid (eulogies) in Ad-Durr ul Manzum li Dhawil ‘Uqul wa’l Fuhum (Poetic Pearls For Discerning and Understanding Minds). A’la Hadrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Rahmatullahi ‘alayh has versified on it in his “Salaams”, while Shaykh ‘Abdul Haqq Muhaddith Dehlawi has expounded on its spiritual reality in Akhbar u’l Akhyar (Narrations About The Chosen Ones).

But the initiate sometimes wonders why Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani revealed so many spiritual secrets when most other shuyukh (spiritual masters) are reticent. To answer this question, we will need to turn to Sayyidi wa Imami Qutb u’l Irshad al-Habib Mawlana ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Alawi al-Haddad, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu. In It-haaf i’s-saail (Gifts for the Seeker), he explains that Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu had received permission to divulge these spiritual secrets - "for the man who receives such permission is under an order which he can but obey - and the secret of the permission granted in such matters is itself one that cannot be divulged." (Gifts for the Seeker, translation by Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi, p.11).

Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum
Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum



http://www.iqra.net/articles/Jilani/advice.php

Wise advice offered by the Helper

[al-Ghawth], our master
‘Abd al-Qādir (sanctified be his innermost being),
to his son, ‘Abd ar-Razzāq

The reader should know that our venerable master and our revered Shaikh, the venerable Shaikh ‘Abd ar-Razzaq (may Allah the Exalted sanctify his innermost being) asked his father for advice, and that the venerable Helper [al-Ghawth] (sanctified be his innermost being) responding by saying:

"O my son, may Allāh (Exalted is He) bestow His enabling grace upon us, and upon you and all the Muslims. Āmīn.

"This you must know and understand: I am advising you to practice true devotion [taqwā] to Allāh, and obedience to Him, and adherence to the Sacred Law [Shar’ ], and careful observance of the limits [hudūd] set by Him.

"O my son, may Allāh (Exalted is He) bestow His enabling grace upon us, and upon you and all the Muslims. You must also know that this Spiritual Path [Tarīqa] of ours is founded upon the Book and the Sunna, and integrity of [the feelings within] the breasts, the generosity of the hand, the giving of liberal donation, abstinence from crudity, endurance of injury, and readiness to pardon the mistakes of our spiritual brethren [ikhwān].

"I am also advising you, O my son, to make a practice of spiritual poverty [faqr], which means preserving the ordinances of the Shaikhs, maintaining good relations with spiritual brethren, giving sincere counsel to juniors and seniors alike, and refraining from argument, except where matters of religion are at stake.

"O my son, may Allāh (Exalted is He) bestow His enabling grace upon us, and upon you. You must also know that the true significance of spiritual poverty [faqr] is that you are not in need of anyone like yourself, while the true significance of spiritual affluence [ghinā] is that you are independent of anyone like yourself. As for spiritual culture [tasawwuf], it is a state that does not belong to anyone who indulges in idle talk and gossip. When you have an opinion to offer, you should not begin by expressing it in terms of knowledgeability. You should rather present it initially as an expression of sympathetic friendliness. This is because knowledgeability tends to alienate the listener, whereas friendliness makes him feel comfortably at ease.

"O my son, may Allāh (Exalted is He) bestow His enabling grace upon us, and upon you and all the Muslims. You must also know that spiritual culture [tasawwuf] is built on eight fundamental qualities, namely:

1. Liberal generosity [sakhā’]
2. Contentment [ridā’]
3. Patience [sabr]
4. Symbolic instruction [ishāra]
5. Living away from home [ghurba]
6. The wearing of wool [sūf]
7. Wandering travel [siyāha]
8. Spiritual poverty [faqr]

* Liberal generosity [sakhā’] is the special virtue of Allāh's Prophet
Abraham [Ibrāhīm] (peace be upon him).
* Contentment [ridā’] is the special virtue of Allāh's Prophet Isaac
[Ishāq] (peace be upon him).
* Patience [sabr] is the special virtue of Allāh's Prophet Job [Ayyūb]
(peace be upon him).
* Symbolic instruction [ishāra] is the special talent of Allāh's Prophet
Zachariah [Zakariyyā] (peace be upon him).
* Life in exile [ghurba] is the special characteristic of Allāh's Prophet
Joseph [Yūsuf] (peace be upon him).
* The wearing of wool [sūf] is the special property of Allāh's Prophet
John the Baptist [Yahyā] (peace be upon him).
* Wandering travel [siyāha] is the special feature of Allāh's Prophet
Jesus [‘Īsā] (peace be upon him).
* Spiritual poverty[faqr] is the special characteristic of Allāh's Prophet
and Messenger, our dear friend, our chieftain and our intercessor [shafī’] the owner of vast respect, Muhammad the Chosen [al-Mustafā] (may Allāh bless him and give him peace, and may He ennoble, honor, glorify and exalt him).

"You must also regard it as your duty, O my son, to maintain a dignified detachment in the company of the rich, and an attitude of humble self-effacement in the company of the poor. You must practice sincere devotion [ikhlās], which means forgetting about the impression you may be making on your fellow creatures [khalq], and paying constant attention to the view of the Creator [Khāliq].

“You must not entertain suspicious doubts about Allāh, where the material means (asbāb) are concerned. You must rely on him with confidence in all circumstances and conditions. You must not entrust your needs to anyone else, on the basis of some connection between you and him, such as kinship, affection and friendship.

"It is incumbent upon you to provide the spiritual paupers with three forms of service. The first of these is modest humility. The second is good moral conduct. The third is a complete lack of selfishness. You must put your lower self [nafs] to death, so that you may come to life. The nearest of all creatures [khalq] to Allāh (Exalted is He) is the one who is richest in good character [khuluq], and the most meritorious of all deeds is the preservation of the innermost being [sirr] from paying attention to anything apart from Allāh.

"It is also incumbent upon you, when you are together with the spiritual paupers [fuqarā’], to engage in the mutual counseling of patience [sabr] and the mutual counseling of truth [haqq]. As far as this world is concerned, two things should be enough for you: the fellowship of a spiritual pauper [faqīr] and the respect of a saint [walī].

"You must also know, O my son, that the spiritual pauper [faqīr] has absolutely no need of anything apart from Allāh (Exalted is He).

"You must also know, O my son, that aggressive behavior toward someone below you is actually a form of weakness, while such behavior toward someone superior to you is a form of boastful pride. Spiritual poverty [faqr] and spiritual culture [tasawwuf] are two very serious matters, so you must not mix them with any kind of frivolity.

"This is my advice to you, and to anyone else among the seekers [murīdīn] who is capable of heeding it. May Allāh (Exalted is He) cause them to multiply, and may He enable you, and us, to succeed in fulfilling all that we have mentioned and explained. May He include us among those who follow in the footsteps of the righteous forebears [salaf], and who follow in their footsteps in honor of our master, our Prophet and our intercessor [shafī’] Muhammad. May Allāh bless him, his family and his Companions, and may He grant them abundant peace, until the Day of Judgment [Yawm ad-Dīn]. Praise be to Allāh, Lord of All the Worlds."


Source: As-Sayyid Ismā’īl Muhammad Sa’īd al-Qādirī, Al-Fuyūdāt ar-Rabbāniyya (Emanations of Lordly Grace), translated from the Arabic by Muhtar Holland, Al-Baz Publishing Inc, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 2000, p. 62-65.
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http://tamansufi.tripod.com/asrar01.html

UCAPAN UNTUK PARA PEMBACA
(Petikan surat Syeikh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani)

Sahabat-sahabatku yang dikasihi. Hati kamu adalah seumpama cermin yang berkilat. Kamu mesti membersihkannya daripada debu dan kekotoran yang menutupinya. Cermin hati kamu itu telah ditakdirkan untuk memancarkan cahaya rahsia-rahsia Ilahi.

Bila cahaya dari “Allah adalah cahaya bagi semua langit dan bumi…” mula menyinari ruang hati kamu, lampu hati kamu akan menyala. Lampu hati itu “berada di dalam kaca, kaca itu sifatnya seumpama bintang berkilau-kilauan terang benderang…” Kemudian kepada hati itu anak panah penemuan-penemuan suci akan hinggap. Anak panah kilat akan mengeluarkan daripada awan petir maksud “bukan dari timur atau barat, dinyalakan dari pohon zaitun yang diberkati…” dan memancarkan cahaya ke atas pokok penemuan, sangat tulen, sangat lutsinar sehingga ia “memancarkan cahaya walaupun tidak disentuh oleh api”. Kemudian lampu makrifat (hikmah kebijaksanaan) akan menyala sendiri. Mana mungkin ia tidak menyala sedangkan cahaya rahsia Allah menyinarinya?

Sekiranya cahaya rahsia Ilahi bersinar ke atasnya, langit malam kepada rahsia-rahsia akan menjadi terang oleh ribuan bintang-bintang “…dan berpandukan bintang-bintang (kamu) temui jalan (kamu)…”. Bukanlah bintang yang memandu kita tetapi cahaya Ilahi. Lantaran Allah “…menghiaskan langit rendah dengan keindahan bintang-bintang”. Sekiranya lampu rahsia-rahsia Ilahi dinyalakan di dalam diri batin kamu yang lain akan datang secara sekaligus atau beransur-ansur. Sebahagiannya kamu telah ketahui sebahagian yang lain akan kami beritahu di sini. Baca, dengar, cuba fahamkan. Langit ketidaksedaran (kelalaian) yang gelap akan dinyalakan oleh kehadiran Ilahi dan kedamaian serta keindahan bulan purnama yang akan naik dari ufuk langit memancarkan “cahaya di atas cahaya” berterusan meninggi di langit, melepasi peringkat yang ditentukan sebagaimana yang Allah telah tentukan bagi kerajaan-Nya, sehingga ia bersinar penuh kemuliaan di tengah-tengah langit, menghambat kegelapan kelalaian. “(Aku bersumpah) demi malam apabila ia senyap sepi…dengan cuaca pagi yang cemerlang…” malam ketidaksedaran kamu akan melihat terangnya hari siang. Kemudian kamu akan menghirup air wangi kenangan dan “bertaubat di awal pagi” terhadap ketidaksedaran (kelalaian) dan menyesali umur kamu yang dihabiskan di dalam lena. Kamu akan mendengar nyanyian burung bulbul di pagi hari dan kamu akan mendengarnya berkata:
Mereka tidur sedikit sahaja di malam hari dan pada awal pagi mereka memohon keampunan Allah
Allah bimbangkan kepada cahaya-Nya sesiapa yang Dia kehendaki.

Kemudian kamu akan melihat di ufuk langit peraturan Ilahi akan matahari ilmu batin mula terbit. Ia adalah matahari kamu sendiri, Lantaran kamu adalah “yang Allah beri petunjuk” dan kamu “berada pada jalan yang benar” dan bukan “mereka yang Dia tinggalkan di dalam kesesatan”. Dan kamu akan memahami rahsia:
Tidak diizinkan matahari mengejar bulan dan tidak pula malam mendahului siang. Tiap sesuatu berjalan pada landasan (masing-masing).

Akhirnya ikatan akan terurai selaras dengan “perumpamaan yang Allah adakan untuk insan dan Allah mengetahui tiap sesuatu”, dan tabir-tabir akan terangkat dan kulit akan pecah, mendedahkan yang seni di bawah pada yang kasar. Kebenaran akan membuka tutupan mukanya.

Semua ini akan bermula bila cermin hati kamu dipersucikan. Cahaya rahsia-rahsia Ilahi akan memancar Padanya jika kamu berhajat dan bermohon kepada-Nya, daripada-Nya, dengan-Nya.