Incidents from the lives of our Elders

[noorani link]

The Three Saints

There were three saints in one masjid
of Thānabhawan at one time: �Hājī Imdādullāh occupied one
corner, Shaykh Muhammad Thānawī occupied another, and
Shaykh 'āmin Shahīd would be on a bed at the entrance of the
masjid. When someone would enter and offer greetings, Shaykh
'āmin Shahīd would ask, due to his humorous nature, “What
is the purpose of your visit?” Thereafter, he himself would say,
“If you have come to seek a religious ruling, go to the shaykh over
there (pointing towards Shaykh Muhammad Thānawī ). If you
have come to pledge allegiance to a shaykh, go to the saint in
that corner (pointing towards H�ājī Imdādullāh ). If you would
like to smoke hookah, then sit with us friends.The three
saints would eat, drink and sit together. There was a plate of
currants and dried fruit which they would consume whilst sitting together, as you occasionally sit casually with your friends snatching and taking from them jokily. This was how they sat
together informally, and ate and drank.

A saint with the ability of kashf once went to the graveyard in
which Hāfiz 'āmin Shahīd is buried and began reciting Sūra
al-Fātiha at his grave. The saint said to his companion, “This
seems like the grave of an amazing saint. As I stood to recite by
his graveside, he said,

‘Go from here and recite by the dead. Why
do you recite by the living?’”

His companion replied, “Do you not know he was really martyred and martyrs are alive in their graves?”

http://www.inter-islam.org/

[amr123]

[dr76]

Reading Tadhkirah Hazrat Syed Shah A’lamullah Hasani I’m simply awed by this buzurg.... born on 21 Rabi’ul awwal 1033 Hijri, he was orphaned since childhood. His father Hazrat Syed Muhammed Fudhail passed away two and a half months before he was even born while his mother passed away when he was only a 3yr old.

Hazrat Syed Shah A’lamullah (rah) was raised by his maternal uncle Diwan Qadhi Syed Abu Muhammed, who nurtured him more than his own children and raised him with outmost love and affection. Most of his education remained under his paternal cousin Diwan Syed Khwaja Ahmed (rah). Its possible that his early discourses were under the tutelage of Diwan Qadhi Syed Abu Muhammed and completion of higher education with Diwan Syed Khwaja Ahmed (rah).

Page 38 – 41

A Few days in the Imperial Army

Youth had just taken hold of Hazrat Syed A’lamullah (rah) when Syed Abu Muhammed moved by immense kindness wanted him to join service in the Imperial Army. Since he himself was a Subedar (chief army officer) and amongst the elites, there was no reason for the process to face any delay or hurdles.

He also provided him with a horse and all the materials that were required to take up such a royal service. He dressed up Syed Alamullah in a special uniform and took him along to the Imperial court. The formal procedures were still pending and this period was to make him oriented with the new environment… gaining acquaintance with the royal etiquettes. during this time, Syed Shah A’lamullah had the opportunity to go there a few times and on return he did feel a state of contraction and frigidity of the spirit. But considering his affectionate uncle he bore patience to these visits for a few days more.

A New Turn in life

At one end these formalities were in progress and on the other God had charted a separate course for him. This court orientation opened such a front that changed the entire direction of his life and ushered him into a new world.

Historians of his time have penned down two separate incidents in this regard which in reality are the two parts of the same story bound together.

The incident was that it was the custom of Emperor Shahjahan that wherever he camped down on a tour.. there were always four high ranking officers assigned for night vigil to be present throughout near his throne..

At one occasion the emperor decided to halt at a certain place in Delhi.. and somewhere middle of the night the King awoke..he asked if there was anyone present…incidentally, there was none on duty at that time.. and Syed Shah A’lamullah was around close by. He replied ‘Alamullah!’. The night was dark and cloudy with strong winds..hence with sheer coincidence there were none present at that time.. the king woke up again after sometime..and asked who is present at this hour..? Syed A’lamullah was awake and replied immediately... .’Alamullah!’ ..

Anyway.. Whenever the king awoke he got the same reply..in the morning the king asked him were there not anyone beside you to guard at night..? Syed A’lamullah replied in affirmative. The Emperor was very pleased at this obligation to duty and showered him with many gifts and robes of honour.

But this had the exact opposite effect on Syed Alamullah.. he regretted wasting away that night... a thought passed through his heart that just to appease a mortal I have spent the whole night till dawn.. If only did I spend that night worshipping the creator of heaven and skies. I would have acquired endless wealth and blessings...

A metaphorical king who keeps courtiers rarely accepts private attendance of even his close ones.. Whereas reaching out to the real Emperor does not require any courtiers or guards.. to the near and far.. prince or pauper his doors are always open.. and the final destination of all his creations rests in His will.. then why not turn my direction towards Him and why not ask only from Him..

Renouncing wealth

This thought created such restlessness that he came out of his enclosure bare footed.. bare headed.. Covered only by a lungi.. Proclaiming high to all that these objects of opulence and pomp... horses.. and all the goods of royal luxury within the camp are being given away.. so whosoever wishes may take them away..

The moment he announced everyone broke loose on his camp.. and within no time everything just vanished.. when the news reached Syed Abu Muhammed he was struck with grief.. he reached there to persuade his beloved nephew.. tried hard to shift him away from the decision taken..

The reply given by Syed Shah Alamullah (rah) is, in the view of the author, a complete summary of Tasawwuf.. a true reality of our lives.. denying which one can neither understand oneself nor gain proximity to his beloved..

“Dil e darand wa mahboobe nidarand”

He replied saying my dear uncle…the way you have been showering your kindness and affection.. care and concern for relationship all along… I feel this may be the reason for your sorrow on my changed state..

But what shall I do… a Man possesses only a single heart by his side…and is present everywhere he goes.. and it cannot perform two mutually opposing functions-

" وما جعل الله لرجل من قلبين في جوفه " (Surah Ahzab:4)
Allah has not put for any man two hearts inside his body.

He recited these couplets after this –

“Az dilbaron kanam gham duniya wa aakhirat.. ya khaana jaye rakhat bud ya saraye dost”

Then he said that the time has now come you lose all hope in me and leave my concern..
friends and brothers alike began to dissuade him in every possible way but nothing did ever yield.. and he remained steadfast on his decision..


Contd..

In need of duas..

Wa assalam..

Useless dr76..

[tak]

Duaa go va jo,

A sinner sister, .........

[London786]

mashallah great dr76 looking foreword to more.

[At Tayyib]

The reply given by Syed Shah Alamullah (rah) is, in the view of the author, a complete summary of Tasawwuf.. a true reality of our lives.. denying which one can neither understand oneself nor gain proximity to his beloved..

“Dil e darand wa mahboobe nidarand”

He replied saying my dear uncle…the way you have been showering your kindness and affection.. care and concern for relationship all along… I feel this may be the reason for your sorrow on my changed state..

But what shall I do… a Man possesses only a single heart by his side…and is present everywhere he goes.. and it cannot perform two mutually opposing functions-

" وما جعل الله لرجل من قلبين في جوفه " (Surah Ahzab:4)
Allah has not put for any man two hearts inside his body.

He recited these couplets after this –

“Az dilbaron kanam gham duniya wa aakhirat.. ya khaana jaye rakhat bud ya saraye dost”

Then he said that the time has now come you lose all hope in me and leave my concern..
friends and brothers alike began to dissuade him in every possible way but nothing did ever yield.. and he remained steadfast on his decision..


Use dr76..

[Maripat]

No doubt the temporal kings are very scared of these faqirs.

[afriki_haqq]

Battle of Balakot: The headless body of Shah Isma'il Shahid beheads a Sikh

Balakot is in Pakistan. On 1 May 1831 an epic battle was fought on the mountains of Balakot between a force of Mujahideen under the command of the illustrious Wali, Hadhrat Sayyid Ahmad Shahid, and the Hindu king, Ranjit Singh. The Muslim force arrived during the night and engaged in setting up camp. A local villager betrayed the Mujahideen and informed the forces of Ranjit Singh. During that very night Ranjit Singh’s forces launched their attack from the rear of the mountain. An intense battle followed.

On the fifth day of the battle whilst Hadhrat Sayyid Ahmad Shah was in Sajdah in Tahajjud Salaat, he was beheaded. Shah Ismail Shahid took up the command and the battle continued to rage for the next four days. When a Sikh soldier verbally abused Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), Hadhrat Shah Ismail Shahid, swore an oath: “I shall not die until I have not beheaded you.”

On the fourth day whilst valiantly fighting, the enemy (the Sikh) succeeded in beheading Shah Ismail Shahid. But, miraculously the decapitated body of Shah Ismail continued fighting. Smitten with fear, the Sikh turned and fled. The headless body of Shah Ismail pursued the Sikh for about 200 metres. He flung his sword which severed the head of the Sikh. As the Sikh fell dead to the ground, the body of Hadhrat Ismail Shahid also collapsed. Allah Ta’ala had fulfilled the oath which Hadhrat Ismail Shaid had taken.

450 Mujahideen were also martyred in this battle and about 100 survived. It is said that even today sometimes the blood of the Shuhada could be seen flowing down the mountain.

(Al-Haq, Bulletin 40 March 2012)

[afriki_haqq]

Moulana Qaasim Saheb’s Name and Fame

It was the habit of Moulana [Qaasim Saheb Nanotwi] that he would prefer to remain anonymous in his travels. He would even forbid his associates to divulge his name. If someone had to ask him what his name was, he would reply: “Khurshid Husain”. His name from his date of birth read ‘Khurshid Husain’. [In other words, the numbers of his date of birth represented, as letters, the words ‘Khurshid Husain’. This is called the Abjad count and such a name is referred to as Taareekhi Naam which literally means ‘historical name’.] However, he was not known with this name and hence no one would realize that this was Moulana Muhammad Qaasim Saheb.

And if someone had to enquire about his hometown, he would reply: “Ilahabad”. He would not take the name of Nanota. Some associates would say: “Hazrat! How is Ilahabad your hometown?” In other words, it was fictitious. He would reply: “Nanota is also a town populated by Allah. Thus, literally every town is Ilahabad.” In other words, this is not fictitious; it is open to two interpretations.

Regardless of such care to conceal himself he, still, would not remain hidden. Allah Ta’ala would make him shine out. The honour of the illustrious Ahlullah is so great that they are not in need of external paraphernalia of fame and glory. External paraphernalia are adopted by those who do not have true glory. They resort to external means and agencies to get name and fame.

[A Treasure of Stories by Mawlana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi, no. 17]

[zahed73]