HAZRAT
GHAUS-UL-AZAM
AND THE
SILSILA-I-QADARIA
S.W. Zaman
Affectionately styled as Hazrat Ghau-al-Azam
(the highest in the hierarchy of saints). Hazrat Sheikh Muhiuddin Abdul Qadir
Gilani is the founder of the Qadaria order of Islamic sufism. He is revered for
his piety, erudition, love for truth and as the symbol of spiritual eminence.
The Sheikh was born in 470 A.H. or according to some in 471 A.H. in village
Gila situated in the suburb of Tibristan in northern Iran, his date of demise
is differently recorded as 8th to 17th Rabi-us-Sani, 561 A.H., but according to
Dara Sheikoh the consensus is on 9th Rabi-us-Sani. This was a time
of spiritual crisis. In setting right the prevailing conditions and
rehabilitating the glory Faith, the reverend saint Gilan and the mystic order,
he founded, did yeoman's service.
This was especially
so, in so far as conditions then prevailing in the Sub-Continent. The order
with its preaching of simple truths based on the teachings of the Qur'an, won
the hearts of the people and became the most popular way of life with the multitudes throughout the Islamic
world. Its precepts such as to hold fast the Book of Allah, to model our lives
upon the Uswah-i-Hasna of the Apostle (Peace be on him), to eat only what is
lawful, to refrain from hurting others even though they hurt you, to avoid
forbidden things, to fulfil obligations without delay, etc. were in essence
similar to those enjoined by Tasawwuf to its votaries, in general.
Definite Code
The
order was given a definite code of working by Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani. Among
his personal qualities, gentleness, truthfulness and humility of spirit were
the most prominent. A number of Karamat are attributed to him even from
his childhood days. Coming of parents distinguished for religiosity and
goodness his line of descent is traced back to Hazrat Imam Hasan (R.A.) on the
father's side and Imam Hussain (R.A.) on that of the mother both of them sons
of Hazrat Ali (R.A.) and Lady Fatimah
(R.A). The Holy Qur'an was the first book, he was introduced to, in his early
career which he learnt by heart. Then followed the courses on humanities,
jurisprudence (Fiq/i), Hadith literature and other branches of Islamic
learning. After gaining introduction to theology and jurisprudence at his
village home, he went to Baghdad at the age of 18 years for completing his
education. He spent the major part of his life at Baghdad and lies buried in a
grand mausoleum frequented by thousands of his votaries from all over the
world. At that time Baghdad was the centre of learning for the whole . of the
Middle East and the countries around. In Baghdad, under the guidance of Sheikh
Hammad, Qazi Abu Saeed Mobarak Makhzumi and Sheikh Abu Yaqub Hamadani, all
leading divines of the region, he mastered the arts and gained initiation into
sufism. He was in his teens only when he showed signs of becoming a great sufi,
shunning worldly dpsires and preferring to live a retired life in voluntary
poverty devoting his time, to meditation and recitation of the Holy Qur'an in
complete submission to the will of Allah.
Spirit and Charity
In recognition of his
attainments, his spiritual master, Sheikh Abu Said Mubarak, head of the Muslim
School of Hambalite Law, made him his Khalifa. Soon after he received the
Khirka (the dress of the sufi), he was chosen to head the enlarged school of
Mubarak al Makhzumi, Here he delivered lectures'! and at the Khanqah specially
built for him, he regularly preached his sermons to his "students and
disciples who I thronged there from all sides. Imbibing his missionary spirit,
the disciples of the Shaikh spread out to all parts of the world enabling Islam
to reach even die farthest lands of China, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Far East
Asia where even now thousands of Muslims
owe alle- J giance to the
Qaderia order.' MAHBUB-E-SUBHANI
(the belovedl of God) is yet another titles lovingly bestowed on him. The Shaikh's
preachings and sermons have come down to us according to Encyclopaedia of
Islam, in eight books prominent among them being 'FUTUH; AL-GHAYUR' GHVNIYAT
AL TALIBEEN, AL PATH AL-RABBANI.
Some of the themes
and keynotes of; his sermon, are given below:
Be humble and treat yourself as such.
When the heart gets sound and recognises God it renounces all
others. You! strengthen your faith, you will pass through the domain of MARIFAT (enlightenment).
Do not feed yourself to the full. Those who abide by the Law of
Sharia achieve enlightenment.
It is the absence of the self that distinguishes the
Sufi from the Faqir. Do not beg unless you are starving. When compelled
to beg, do not accept more than you need.
Let no thought of the morrow enter your mind: else you will incur ever-lasting
perdition.
One who is not troubled,
bears no virtue. Trials are supports from God.
Be good natured and uncomplaining and thank God for your poverty.
Do not /latter the
rich for giving nor blame them for withholding.
Take what is voluntarily offered; it is the daily bread which God
sends to you, do not refuse God's gift.
The Qadaria order
founded some nine centuries ago, occupies a position of eminence in the
four-principal orders of sufism. It has a creditable history of service in the
spread of Islam and the upholding the tenets of the faith even in the darkest
phases of our ethical life. This most tolerant and charitable of the Sunni
order of Derveshes has FAQR as the hallmark of spiritual perfection.
The Message of this
noble saint of Baghdad was brought to the Indo-Pakistan Sub-Continent by Shah
Nematullah Qadri of Deccan (died 1430 A.D.). But the divine who established
this order in the real sense is reported to be Hazrat Makhdoom Muhammed Gilani
Halbi a scion of the founder, who crossing the border settled in Uch. This was
at a time when the influence of Chishtia and Suhrawardia orders was on the
wane. Stepping into a sort of spiritual vacuum, the Qadariah order considerably
met the need of the times to uphold the teachings of Islam and the traditions
of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) in the expanding Muslim empire. With a number of devout holy
men this school of mysticism gained immense popularity both with the masses
and the rulers. This fraternity has a definite organisation centered in the
personality of the Pir (Shaikh) who enjoys absolute position of authority in
spiritual matters. He regulates the functions of the members and is the
vehicle for passing on the divine knowledge of the order to the murids or disciples.
The abode of the 'pir1 is the headquarters of the fraternity which
is also known as Khanqah or monastery. The members are enjoined to certain
practices in the meditation of the Divine Being, the most important being.
'ZIKR JAHAR', This consists in recitation every day of SURA IKHLAS eleven
times followed by praying with raised hands for the soul of the founder. Practice
by rosary beads for recitation of ZIKR is recommended and a set procedure is
laid down for the purpose wherein the devotees perform 'Muraqaba'. These
practices aim at affecting union of devotee's soul with the Almighty and in
the process differ in superficial details with the practices followed by other
order of sufism but they are the same in essentials and ideals subscribed to
by sufis of all shades of thought.
Outstanding saints of
the order in the Sub-Continent are many, notably Hazrat Makhdoom Abdul Qadir
Sani (died 1533 A.D.), his grandson Hazrat Syed Hamid popularly known as Hafnid
Ganj, Bakhsh. One of his sons Shaikh Moosa Pak Shaheed attained equal spiritual
eminence. He lies buried in pak Darwaza Multan. Hamid one of his Khalifas,
Shaikh Dawood Kirmani Sher-garhi was a gifted Qadri divine. He lies buried in
Shergarh in Sahiwal District. On his death in 1574 Shaikh Abu Ma'alee Qadri
succeeded him. His tomb in Lahore is visited by devotees in large numbers. So
also the mausoleum of Hazrat Mian Mir Qadri, Lahore. Shaikh Abdul Qadir
Muhaddis Dehlavi is another erudite and scholar saint of the order. Among the
members of the ruling families, Prince Dara Shikoh took personal interest in the
order and called himself Qadri. He also built a beautiful mausoleum at Lahore
on the grave of Hazrat Mian Mir. Lahore has the distinction of being the last
resting place of Hazrat Maulana Ahmad AH. The most recent exponent of the
Qadaria order of mysticism throughout the world, was Hazrat Moulana Shah
Muhammed Abdul Aleem-al-Siddiqui al-Qaderi Rah-matullah Alaihi, the father in
law and Murshid of Hazrat Maulana Dr. Muhammed Fazl-ur-Rahman Al-Ansari
Al-Qaderi (R.A.), the Founder President of the World Federal of Islamic
Missions and Muhammed Jafer, al-Aleemi al-Qaderi, the Editor of the Minaret.
Popularity
Dr. G.M.D. Sufi in
his history book entitled "Kashmir" records the popularity of the
Order in Kashmir and the efforts that spread Islam there through Muslim
divines. One such was Hazrat Shah Fariduddin Qadri of Baghdad who came to
Kashmir via Sind. From Sind he travelled to Agra and then to Delhi. He was 75
years old when he reached Kashmir on a mission of preaching Islam along with
four companions. He was successful in converting the Rajput ruler of the Valley
to Islam. Emulating his example, a large number of his relations and subjects
joined the faith which in contrast to Hinduism is a levelling religion with a
message for equality. And the Qadari Silsila along with other schools of
mysticism still continues to spread the light of Islam all over the world. The
Aleemiyah Institute of Islamic Studies founded by a Qaderi divine is one such
institution engaged in the cause of propagation of Islam the world-over. It was
established at Karachi in 1958 by the late Maulana Dr. Muhammad Fazlur Rahman
Al-Ansari Al-Qaderi, himself steeped in the learning of both the East and the
West in memory of the world-roving missionary ' of Indo-Pakistan Sub Continent.
Hazrat Allama Shah Muhammad Abdul Aleem Al-Siddiqui Al-Qaderi Al-Madni. Institutions
like Halqa-i-Aleemiyah Qadiriyah are serving to meet the challenges to the
faith in the modern way and propagating Islam in regions requiring the divine
message. The guidelines as spelled out in Shaikh Jilani's monumental work,
Al-Fath Al-Rabbani are available in English translations by Maulana S.A.H.
Bokhari. Given below are some excerpts.
On Faith
My boy! If you
strengthen your faith, you will pass through the domain of Marifat
(enlightenment) to the forest of knowledge and will finally reach the desert of
extinction. You will separate yourself from your own self and the creatures,
and you will be granted an existence quite independent of all the other
creatures, as it would depend solely on God. Then shall your grief come to an
end. God will be your protector and guide; the angels would surround you, the
spirit will greet you and pull you into his closeness.
On Truth
The Truth calls to
God while falsehood calls to Satan. Listen to me, God will take pity on you;
follow me so that I may conduct you to the door of God. The truth and falsehood
differ from each other, and every believer who sees in the light of God
recognises either of them separately. O people of Iraq, you claim to possess
keen understanding though you cannot distinguish between the truthful and the
liar. If you give me a lie you will suffer its consequences, not I.
On Remembrance
Remember Him so that
He may remember you: remember Him so that He may reduce the burden of your
sins and cleans you. You will then become obedient shorn of every vestige of
disobedience. God will remember you amidst the gathering of the angels. You
will be reluctant of the society of men and the remembrance of God will not leave
enough time with you to beg of Him. God will become your ultimate aim and then
shall God hand over the keys of His treasures to your heart. One who loves God
wholeheartedly, finds no space in his heart for anyone also.
On Repentance
When a believer repents
of his sins and determines to avoid them busies himself in prayers, day and
night and eats out of his lawful earning, he progresses in virtue and becomes
the watchful (Muhtat). His earnings then decrease because of his cautiousness
against the unlawful and at this stage he becomes incorrupt (Mowzza. He
further progresses and becomes ascetic (Zahid) progressing still
further, he becomes the enlightened (A'rif) and at this stage his heart clings
to God. Of all of his requirements he remains in the service of his Lord and
negotiates with Him as the creatures have been driven out of his heart to give
way to the Lord whom he need and adores.
On Seeking
Seek from your Lord,
a Physician who would cure the ailments of your heart, who would give you
medicine. Seek from Him a guide who would hold your hand and show you the path.
Seek the company of those who are close to Allah and who stick to the threshold
of Allah and stamp it with their kisses.
On Knowledge
My boy! Had you the
fruit of knowledge and the blessings thereof you should not have resorted to
the doors of the kings. The scholar has no feet to go to the door of the
creatures. The asceric has no hands to receive favours from the people. The
love of God has no eyes which can see others than God. Try to get enlightenment
which can be had by abandoning all for God's sake and agreeing with His Will,
Knowledge and Power,
On Self
My
boy! Stick to the first row, as it is the row of the brave men, abandon the
last row as it is the row of the unmanly. Employ yourself in hard work, '• accustom it to sticking
to what is noble, for it will carry all that you will lord it with. Do not Spare
your rod, as it would then go to sleep and throw away its load.
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