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The
Imam, The Master of Tariqah
The master, he is the
Imam of the sincere, the holder of the secrets of sainthood, cleanser of
the souls, master of Shari’ah, master of Tariqah the Reviver of the 20th
Century CE, the mirror of Truth and Wisdom. The jewel in the crown of
the Awliya, the Imam and Sultan of the Awliya, the changer of fates and
the reviver of the dead, he is the reviver of the soul. He is the crown
and master of Tasawwuf, the leader of the men of guidance and the
carrier of the Divine Light. The essence of the Naqshbandi Order. The
embodiment of uniqueness.
He who brought the
Light of all lights with him, distributing it by Divine Will and
Prophetic Guidance, reviving the Ummah who migrated into the darkness
being tainted with the terror of this world. Spreading his cloak upon
humanity which has regaled in its blessings. Taking the servants of The
Merciful into the Divine Presence. He who blossomed when planted on the
plain of darkness of the Universe, the living fountain of Prophetic
Actions, adorned with the Divine Language. The river of Mercy whose
course came into the valley of darkness in which all who entered were
consumed.
He is a Miracle of
Allah and the Representative of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him
and give him peace) walking on the Earth, which smiled when he was born
and was honoured by his existence, extinguishing all despair. He was
nurtured under the care of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and
give him peace). He possessed the seat of Qutub ul-Aqtab and his station
was that of Ghawth and of the Great Viceroy.
He is a Qibla for the
hearts of those who advance in the way leading towards Allah the
Exalted. Qibla-Alam Hazoor Khawajah-e-Khawajaghan Hazrat Khawajah
Sufi Muhammad Aslam an-Naqshbandi al-Mujaddidi (May Allah have Mercy on
him & May Allah be satisfied with him & May He allow us to benefit from
his secrets and knowledge).
His
birth
He was born in Shadpur
Sharif, formerly known as Shah-pur Sharif, in Taaliyawala
(‘District of the Trees’), Jhelum, Pakistan on the 19th
Dhul-Hijjah 1352 H, a Wednesday, the 4th April 1934 CE. He
opened his eyes into a very pious and upright household which held true
to the teachings of the Inheritors of the Messenger of Allah (Allah
bless him and give him peace). His father, Miah (a term of respect
reserved for the learned amongst the people) Karam Daad (Allah be well
pleased with him) was known in the community for his strict adherence to
the Sunnah and commands of the Shari’ah. Within this pious household,
the Shaykh received his first instructions within the religion, Deen.
His father was known for his truthful and wise speech, unblemished
character, and he was an individual upon whom the rays of steadfastness
had shone. He was seen observing all the compulsory as well as the
supererogatory obligations through which people came from everywhere to
sit with him and seek his counsel. Speaking of his noble father, (Allah
be well pleased with him), the secrets that were contained within him;
he disclosed to his beloved son.
In respect of our
Grand Spiritual Mother (Allah be well pleased with her), the mother of
our Shaykh, it is related by those blessed to see her, her tongue
remained moist in remembering the Divine, Exalted and Majestic is He,
and praising his Beloved (Allah bless him and give him peace). Allah the
Exalted had given her a special light as her face gleamed with that
Divine Radiance seen in those who are Bought Near. She was often heard
praising Allah the Exalted for giving her a son who raised all who came
to him to the presence of the Eternal, Majestic is He. She remembered
her son as ‘Hazrat Sahib’ and said of him “Why did you have to
leave?” this meaning, as it is related, she possessed a love for her son
that she could not bear to be separated from him.
As a youth, the Shaykh
was given great consideration; importance was placed upon his activities
because of the peculiar traits seen in his person at a very tender age.
He never fought with his younger brothers, and never allowing his family
to fall into worldly pursuits and familial arguments. It was seen, in
his childhood, he possessed a very strong spiritual aura. The Shaykh
related of his childhood,
“When I was a young
child in my early years before I reached adulthood, I was put into the
habit of reading the Dawn prayer with extreme vigilance. My grandfather
(Allah be well pleased with him) gave me the duty to wake him for the
Fajar (Dawn) Prayer, a task that I relished. However, on one occasion I
overslept, I found my grandfather had woken and performed the ablution
readying himself for the prayer. He called me but I did not immediately
answer, he found me only to his amazement still in bed. I inquired of
him ‘Have you prepared for the prayer?’ he replied ‘Yes!’ in amazement
‘It was you who awoke me, telling me to ready myself for prayer and now
you ask me such a question.’ The Shaykh, praising Allah the Exalted
continued, this is the special blessing of Allah Almighty upon his
righteous servants in allowing them to be in various places
simultaneously.”
The
Shaykh received his education from the regional Islamic Institutions
where he gained both the secular and religious knowledge. From an early
age, he displayed a very high level of intellect for which his teachers
respected him, seeking to transmit to him knowledge from the advanced
curriculum. Through his intuitiveness, the Shaykh sought to complete his
secular knowledge graduating to Metric Level, college level by modern
standards, but saw upon the completion of this to pursue such knowledge
no further. He sought to pursue the various branches of Sacred Knowledge
and underwent a very extensive private study in his youth to the
wonderment of his elders and contemporaries. The Shaykh illustrated
practically the importance of pursuing Sacred Knowledge and not
discarding it as a trivial matter. There are volumes of sound narrations
of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace)
illustrating the importance of pursuing knowledge and the rewards that
are accumulated for doing so.
Chosen by the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace)
It was at this time
in his life, Allah the Exalted decided it was time His saint became
known to the people of the world. In the year 1371 H/1953 CE, the light
of Wilaya shone upon the Shaykh as he was shown the duties
delegated to him. From this opening, he acquired the ever-increasing
Prophetic glow that emanated from his presence. The Shaykh (Allah be
well pleased with him) relates to us the event when The Truth,
Transcendent is He, smiled upon him and opened the Path leading to His
Beloved (Allah bless him and give him peace) and ultimately to Him,
Majestic is He.
“I was in my 19th
year and had returned home for the day. When I entered my room I busied
myself in clearing up my things, whilst doing this the room suddenly was
consumed by a very bright light. The luminosity of this light was such
it enveloped the room with a blanket of white light the likes of which I
had never encountered. I was struck with an urge to inquire as to the
source of this radiance; upon turning towards my right side I beheld the
Beauty of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace). I
realised how Sayyidunaa Abu Bakr (Allah be well pleased with him) felt
when he proclaimed ‘I have seen none more handsome than you O Beloved of
Allah.’ and how Hasaan bin Thabit and Imam Busairi (Allah be well
pleased with them) made known the state of their hearts. The Messenger
of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) asked of me ‘Would you do
the work of the Deen for us?’ To which I replied dutifully ‘As you have
asked I shall do, inshallah.’
The following night, I
was inspired with a dream in which I was blessed with the visitation of
the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace). He
presented to me some unripe dates which he (Allah bless him and give him
peace) had in his blessed hands and asked of me ‘Will you eat these?’ I
responded ‘The Master has presented a gift to me and refusal is no
option.’ I began to eat the dates, they had the most unique taste, and I
happily ate all the dates that were presented to me. Upon finishing the
dates my chest became illuminated with a very peculiar light, the light
I felt penetrated my heart then my whole essence, it brought upon me
states that I had never reached before. The extent of this penetration
took me from the state of the Knowledge of Certainty (`ilm al-yaqin),
to the Eye of Certainty (`ayn al-yaqin), and then to the Truth of
Certainty (haqq al-yaqin). The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless
him and give him peace) raised me to the highest levels in the Path,
placing me in the thresholds of the Rightful Champions of Truth,
Maqam al-Siddiqiyya. To me it occurred I had reached the pinnacle
and obtained the ultimate goal of those who have trodden the Path
leading to Allah the Exalted. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him
peace) had blessed me in a manner of which a person of my standing is
not worthy of.”
The
noble father of the great Shaykh,
Hazrat Miah Karam Daad Sahib
(May Allah have Mercy on him)
He reached the station
of al-‘Arifu bi’llah (one who knows Allah the Exalted and His
Attributes as much as possible). The Shaykh was instilled with al-haqiqa
al-Muhammadiyya (the Muhammadan Reality), as we have seen all who
sat in his associations were raised to the presence of the Messenger of
Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace).
The Shaykh (May Allah
perfume his final resting place) emphasised the need of not falling prey
to what manifestations are shown to the seeker by way of dreams or
visions, and the fault lies in being attached to them. At this juncture
it is related that Grandshaykh Khawajah al-Hafiz Muhammad Abdul Kareem
(May Allah have Mercy on him & May Allah be satisfied with him & May He
allow us to benefit from his secrets and knowledge) stated “Dreams or
visions are shown to the seeker according to his level and he should not
get embroiled within them but see what his reality is, when in a waking
state.”
The Shaykh continued:
“When I awoke from the
dream, the eruption that occurred within my soul when the Prophetic rays
penetrated my essence remained with me but grew stronger with every
passing moment when I was gaining consciousness. I found the Station of
Love had occurred within me as the Love for Allah the Exalted and His
Beloved (Allah bless him and give him peace) had taken firm root. The
love for any other thing did not remain, all I yearned for, was to be
with my Lord, Majestic is He and to bask in the Rays of Mercy from the
Presence of the Divine. At that moment I desired nothing more than to be
with Him (Luminous is He) and to set my eyes upon the Messenger of Allah
(Allah bless him and give him peace). I found that I observed all the
obligatory and supererogatory prayers with greater vigilance, I found a
profound sense of peace when I prayed the Tahajjud (after-midnight)
prayer. It became a daily routine for me to continuously send Salawaat (Durood,
prayers) upon the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him
peace). The recitation of the Holy Quran al-Karim increased greatly
within me as it is the supreme form Remembrance.
Through the blessings
of Allah the Exalted, I felt within me a yearning to be close to His
(Luminous is He) chosen people, the righteous Saints. I began to attend
the Khanqahs (Spiritual Sanctuary) of many pious Saints of the past,
feeling a lot of spiritual attraction towards them. I would present my
greetings whilst praying at their resting places. I frequented the
Khanqahs of Hazrat Miah Muhammad Baksh (Allah be well pleased with him),
a great Sufi Saint and poet, who is known as the ‘Rumi of Kashmir’ and
his magnum opus ‘Saif al-Mulook’ is read by every Muslim on the
Sub-Continent and also world-wide. Within this great work he documented
the knowledge given to him by Allah the Exalted touching upon all
aspects of life. I attended at the Khanqah of Peer e Shah Ghazee (Allah
be well pleased with him). He was a great Sufi Saint of the 13th
Century H/19th Century CE; I had a great fondness of him and
felt a strong spiritual connection. In attending his Khanqah, I received
many hidden forms of knowledge and states that increased my love for
him. I found my own grasp of Sufi poetry increased as he filled my heart
with the special knowledge of explaining things to people by use of
poetry so they ponder upon and benefit from it.”
The light of Tawfiq
shined upon the Shaykh as he found himself increasing in his worship and
remembrance of Allah, Transcendent is He. It is transmitted, he used to
fast during the day and observed the night vigils with great
steadfastness, spending majority of his time in seclusion pondering upon
the Majesty of the Eternal. He saw within him the spiritual traits that
have been transmitted through the Golden Chain by Sayyidunaa Shah
Naqshband (Allah be well pleased with him), Muraqaba
(Contemplation) Mushahada (Witnessing) Muhasaba
(Reckoning). Contemplating upon the blessings of Allah the Exalted that
He (Transcendent is He) has showered upon humanity, and pondering upon
his own standing in the Divine Presence.
The Messenger of Allah
(Allah bless him and give him peace) had raised his righteous Saint to
the state enabling him to spend every second in worship of Allah the
Exalted. He was instilled with a very high level of self-discipline,
speaking only when it was necessary for him to communicate with others.
Acting upon the methods of the Masters of the Way (Allah be well pleased
with them all), the Shaykh devised a timetable encompassing working for
a living, studying the Sacred Knowledge, reading the Quran al-Karim,
sending Salawaat upon the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give
him peace) and observing all the compulsory and optional prayers. He
exercised control upon all his inclinations and executed all his duties
according to the Prophetic practices. It is told that during this early
period, the Shaykh observed his food intake for he knew, like those
Brought Near, that the stomach is at the origin of corruption and
blameworthy attributes. He strove to reduce the evil effects of the
stomach, as the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace)
said in a sound narration “The son of Adam (Upon him be peace) fills no
vessel worse than his stomach” and “The devil runs within you through
the blood, therefore straiten his paths with hunger.”
During this period in
his life the Shaykh continued to be inspired directly by the Messenger
of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) through the spiritual
link, raising him from one station to another, as well as receiving
close attention from Peer e Shah Ghazee (Allah be well pleased with
him). In spite of this great showering of blessing and increased direct
Prophetic nurturing, he yearned to be in the servitude of a Perfect
Shaykh, Shaykh al-Kamil, and to receive direct physical
instruction from the Ones Brought Near.*
*(The ‘Ones Brought
Near’ (al-muqarrabun) are mentioned in the Holy Quran al-Karim [Surah
al-Waqi’a 56: Verse 11, Surah al-Mutaffifeen 83: Verse 21]. They are
the highest ranks of the pure-hearted, and thus are higher than ordinary
good believers, the People of the Right Hand (ashab al-yameen))
On one particular
occasion the Shaykh went to the Khanqah of Peer e Shah Ghazee, sitting
at his tomb he made contact, rabita, with him, upon which he
proceeded to tell him of his wish to become the student of a Perfect
Shaykh and to seek initiation, bay’ah, into the Tariqah.
Subsequently, that same evening Peer e Shah Ghazee appeared to the
Shaykh in a dream, informing him of what he had longed to hear since the
initial opening. “My son for you, the physical allegiance lies across
the river.” (Referring to the famous river Jhelum) Upon hearing this
from the venerable Shaykh (Allah be well pleased with him), he commenced
his search for the Perfect Guide, Murshid al-Kamil.
Meeting the Grand Shaykh (May Allah perfume his final resting place)
A considerable amount
of time had elapsed in searching for the Shaykh, until Allah the Exalted
extinguished the growing sense of despair when he came upon a disciple,
mureed, of Grandshaykh, master of Tasawwuf,
Khawajah-e-Khawajaghan Hazrat Khawajah Sufi Nawab-ud-Deen an-Naqshbandi
(May Allah have Mercy on him & May Allah be satisfied with him & May He
allow us to benefit from his secrets and knowledge). Upon meeting this
individual, he heard him speak of the great ocean of guidance, the
unique exemplar in following the Sunnah, the pillar of Wilaya and
Ma’rifah who resided in Moree Sharif in Gujarat, Pakistan. Upon
hearing the name of Grandshaykh, he sensed great attraction towards him
in his heart and wanted to meet and seek guidance from him (Allah be
well pleased with them).
Some have spoken of
what is narrated in the preceding paragraph as a chance meeting, but
those who say such are not privy to the reality of how Allah the Exalted
guides His saints along the Path leading to Him, Majestic is He. On 7th
Rabi al-Awwal 1377 H, a Tuesday, the 1st October 1957 CE, the
Shaykh travelled with his friend Raza Ahmad to Khanqah Moree Sharif to
attend the gathering of Grandshaykh. There was a very large gathering of
the seekers of The Truth, Majestic is He, who had travelled from all
over the world to obtain guidance from Grandshaykh. In entering the
gathering and maintaining the correct model behaviour he sat down
towards the back, the attention of Grandshaykh was directed towards him,
smiling and acknowledging the seeker who had entered the gathering.
Grandshaykh (May Allah perfume his final place of rest) was relating the
event that occurred four years prior:
“The person who has
been blessed by The Truth (Majestic is He) in having the Uwaysi
link and transmission with the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and
give him peace) is also in need of a physical outwardly zahiri
link. Such a person upon whom the Sun of Gnosis has dawned needs to take
the physical outwardly initiation for his wayfaring sulook to be
complete.”
Khawajah Shaykh
as-Sufi Muhammad Aslam al-Uwaysi an-Naqshbandi (May Allah sanctify his
noble secret) was blessed to have the Uwaysi transmission of spiritual
knowledge. The Shuyukh of the Naqshbandiyya (Allah be well pleased with
them all) explain thus; the spirits meet in the world called the world
of spirits, alam al-arwaah which is beyond the material world,
alam al-ajsaam. Whoever takes knowledge through this chain of
spirituality from a deceased Master in the Naqshbandi Way, is called
both Uwaysi and Naqshbandi. Grandshaykh was blessed with this
illustrious connection as he was nurtured, personally, by the Messenger
of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace). This spiritual connection
is as powerful and effective as the physical connection. Verily it is a
sign of the Favour of Allah the Exalted on his servant, to authorise one
of His saints to uplift that servant to the Divine Presence. Many saints
have been under the guidance and training of Prophets and other saints
that have lifted them up. They are known as the Shaykhs of the Two
Wings, Dhul Janahain, meaning that both the physical and
spiritual lineage are combined in them. These saints are only nine in
number. Each one represents one of the nine spiritual points on the
chest of the human being. Through these points, these saints can reach
their followers at any time. Because they have the authority of these
nine points, they consider all of humankind to be their followers,
whether they are aware of their spiritual connection to them or not.
Through these points, which are of ‘Uwaysi’ nature, they can reach and
affect any human being, intercede for them, and inspire their hearts in
order to direct them to the Divine Love, although they have never met
physically.
Khwajah-e-Khwajgan
Sultan-ul-Auliyah, Hadrat Khwajah
Sufi Nawab-Uddin Sahib
Naqshbandi (RA) of Mohry Sharif, District Gujrat, Pakistan
Upon listening to
Grandshaykh (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) mentioning this state,
the Shaykh proceeded forward, placing his hand, sitting in front of him,
into the hand of Grandshaykh and took initiation into the Most
Distinguished Naqshbandi Sufi Order, Tariqah Rasooliyya Siddiqiyya
Tayfuriyya Naqshbandiyya Mujaddidiyya. In entering the noblest
Naqshbandi Tariqah, Grandshaykh gave to him the daily litany, wird,
which is to be recited every morning before or after Fajar. In receiving
the noble office, wazifa:
-
100 times Salawaat ul-Khidri,
-
300 times Ya Hayyu Ya
Qayyoom,
-
100 times Salawaat ul-Khidri;
Grandshaykh informed
him, upon reciting the wazifa, to blow upon the right hand and wipe it
(fully) over the face and then over the heart (which is located in the
left chest). He was struck with a heighten sense of admiration upon
receiving this most sacred litany from Grandshaykh seeming so small in
its recitation for an individual who spent all his time in complete
devotion to Allah the Exalted i.e. reciting many litanies, awrad,
and incantations, hizbs. The Shaykh pondered upon how such a
litany will be of benefit to him in comparison to his extensive schedule
of worship, ibadaat. A vision came to him that respective evening
of which he relates:
“Grandshaykh appeared
to me that evening; I had never beheld such a Shaykh before. Light was
pouring from his forehead like the rain of the Monsoon and gleaming like
the midday sun, his smile had the likeness of a piercing arrow drawing
my heart ever more close to him. I sensed the warmth of his spirituality
enveloping me. His eyes shone with the mysteries of Ma’rifah.
Grandshaykh focused his spiritual attention, tawajjuh, towards me
and I found that my heart was transmitting the Dhikr of Allah Hu
with every beat. The transmission starting from my heart spread all over
my body until every atom was busy in proclaiming Allah Hu Allah Hu
Allah Hu! I found to my amazement that in one tawajjuh of
Grandshaykh my whole essence began to transmit this great Dhikr. This
brought upon me a state that I had never experienced before and he
caused an expansion in my soul as if he had renewed it by the permission
of Allah the Exalted. Al’hamdu’lil’lah!
After this meeting in
the spiritual realm, alam al-arwaah, I journeyed to Khanqah Moree
Sharif to gaze once more upon Grandshaykh and to sample further the
sense of happiness I felt in our meeting. Sitting in his presence, he
told me ‘If you were to put all of your ibadaat that you have
accomplished thus far my son, Muhammad Aslam, on one side of a scale and
my spiritual attention nigah on the other. You will find my
attention outweighing and overpowering all of it’”
Khawajah Sufi Muhammad
Aslam (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) accompanied Grandshaykh
never leaving his presence and serving him dutifully. Grandshaykh
disclosed to his son the inner secrets of the Naqshbandiyya, as those
who saw him testified that the Shaykh possessed complete control upon
the principles transmitted by Sayyidunaa Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdwani and
Sayyidunaa Shah Naqshband (Allah be well pleased with them). This was
the meeting of the perfect Shaykh and the perfect student, in that he is
a rightful inheritor of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give
him peace). The elder students marvelled at the newcomer who was
engulfed in the mystery of Grandshaykh (May Allah sanctify his noble
secret), as an esteemed Shaykh and student of Grandshaykh relates:
“Khawajah Sufi Muhammad Aslam (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) was
a mystery to all who saw him, he had a very peculiar glow emanating from
his presence which bought tranquillity to the heart. I have seen that he
was a mirror image of Grandshaykh, his mannerisms, outlook; knowledge,
insight and adherence to the Sunnah resembled completely the actions of
Grandshaykh. I see there is no difference between him and our master
(Allah be well pleased with him). When he appeared before our master, we
all knew (referring to the students who were authorised to carry the
Tariqah), Khawajah Sufi Muhammad Aslam would inherit the inner secrets
of Grandshaykh.” The bearers of Tariqah as transmitted from Grandshaykh,
khulafah, were sent to all corners of the Globe to direct the
path of people towards Allah the Exalted except Europe.
Khawajah Sufi Muhammad
Aslam (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) expressed his ever-growing
love for Grandshaykh (Allah be well pleased with him) in the following,
well-known, verse of poetry:
“Through the light
of you secret, house upon house has been illuminated;
Europe has been
cleansed and raised, which is the darkness of this world”
The reality of this
utterance being Grand shaykh allotted this secret to Khawajah Sufi
Muhammad Aslam (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) and at his hand the
inhabitants of Europe were raised from the darkness into the light.
(Safeguarding people against the attacks of shaytan and raising them to
the Presence of Allah the Exalted) |
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His
coming to Europe
Grandshaykh spoke to his close mureeds; “We have sent our disciples to
all the lands of Earth; however I have not sent a representative towards
the people of Europe. Towards that barren land I shall send one who is
dear to me.” Upon the instructions of Shaykh al-Kamil Khawajah
Sufi Nawab-ud-Deen an-Naqshbandi (Allah be well pleased with him) on 13th
Jumada al-Awwal 1383 H, a Tuesday, 1st October 1963 CE at the
age of 29, Qibla-Alam ‘The Guide for the World’ blessed Europe in
arriving into London from Pakistan. The Truth, Majestic is He, sent His
perfect saint into the abyss of this world, into which the Muslims who
had migrated were consumed. Upon arriving into this country Khawajah
Sufi Muhammad Aslam (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) saw people had
fallen prey to the inclinations of the lower self, more appropriately
referred to as the Inciting Soul, al-nafs ammara bi’l su
(inciting to evil). This aforementioned soul seeks gratification in
pursuing all its desires, and consorts with the Appetitive Soul or Vital
Spirit rejoining the rank of animals and its praiseworthy attributes are
changed into blameworthy ones. The social structure was in that period
progressing in its level of depravity; drugs, pursuing the carnal
desires, consumption of alcohol, and no respect for elders were
controlling the course of lives. It has been transmitted on the
authority of Sayyidunaa Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (Allah bless him and give
him peace) “Allah the Exalted told the lower world, ‘Serve the one who
serves Me and tire the one who serves you.’” The migrant Muslim
community had fallen prey to such vices to their own detriment leading
them further away from Allah the Exalted, the net result was Muslims
were consumed in amounting wealth and luxuries. There was no proper
infrastructure of Masaajids nor had any Ulama or Shuyukh of Tasawwuf
travelled to this part of the world to maintain the sanctity of Islam.
(Right) Kiblah Hadrat
Sahib
(Allah be
well pleased with him) on their arrival to Europe in 1962
Khawajah Sufi Muhammad
Aslam (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) integrated himself into the
local community and started work at a local carpentry factory where he
encountered the inhabitants of this country. He found a large proportion
of the Muslims who had migrated to England were situated within Greater
London. Alongside earning a righteous living, the Shaykh commenced
calling people towards Allah the Exalted and that which has been
promised to the Muslims, by Allah the Exalted, who possess righteous
conduct in the Quran al-Karim i.e. Endless Bliss. In this period
of history, we saw from the hand of the Great Murshid, humanity
benefiting as he stripped them of the vices of this world and led them
onto the Straight Path, siraatal mustaqeem. Indeed it was seen in
his person all the respective levels of Murshid. Through Divine
inspiration he operated, in this period, on the level of Murshid at-Tabarruk
(Murshid of Blessings) and Murshid at-Tazkiyya (Murshid of
Purification) simultaneously. This spiritual practitioner set about the
task of curing the spiritually sick who had become detached from their
Lord, Mighty and Majestic is He, as he had inherited the secrets from
the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace). He taught
and put on people’s tongues the sweetness, talkin, of Dhikr,
teaching them how to remember and call upon Allah the Exalted, and how
to follow Allah’s orders. In addition, he guided them through the
cleansing process called tazkiyat an-nafs. It is appropriate to
mention the Hadith sharif where the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him
and give him peace) described this struggle, al-jihad an-nafs, as
the jihad al-akbar: “We returned from the jihad al-asghar to the
jihad al-akbar.” The Companions (Allah be well pleased with them all)
asked him, “What is the jihad al-akbar?” He replied, “The jihad al-nafs.”
Furthermore, the
Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Whoever
guarantees me whatever is between his two jaws and his two thighs, I
will guarantee him paradise.” Desire is whatever comes and goes from the
mouth and whatever proceeds from sexual desire, shahwat al-haraam.
Jihad an-nafs brings control of such desires. The Shaykh controlled the
desires of nafs, dunya, hawa and shaytan, by showing people practically
how to follow the footsteps of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him
and give him peace).
However, in spite of
the great benefit to the inhabitants of England, the Shaykh (May Allah
sanctify his noble secret) relates:
“I felt unease within
my heart and did not prefer living in this country. I attempted to carry
on with my duties despite a feeling of uneasiness of being far from
Grandshaykh. After a short period, I decided it was time for me to
return to Pakistan to settle there permanently with my family. I started
up, upon my arrival, a local business with the view of earning a lawful
livelihood and serving the community. However, my high hopes of running
a business were short-lived as I suffered a great loss and the business
went into liquidation. Baffled by this sudden change in circumstance I
presented my self before Grandshaykh. Upon meeting him, he admonished me
‘My son, Muhammad Aslam, your work, your business is in England and
Europe not here in this country. This is the reason why your business
venture failed and you suffered a big loss. We have been ordered to
inform you my son, to go back to England and start your work, Allah the
Exalted will make you successful.’
Upon the instructions
of Grandshaykh Qutub al-Aqtab Khawajah Nawab-ud-Deen (May Allah sanctify
his noble secret) I returned once more to England with my wife and young
children. I was returning not to start a business venture but to act
upon the commands of Grandshaykh in calling people to Allah the
Exalted.”
Upon my arrival to
England once again, a vision came to me and I was blessed with the
visitation of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him
peace). He inquired of me ‘You are very happy and ecstatic.’ I replied
‘The source of my happiness is because I have prepared for you, my
liege, a very beautiful place for you to rest your feet.’ I saw
accompanying the Mercy to the Universe was another enlightened
individual who remarked ‘Sarvar e Kaeenat (Allah bless him and
give him peace) is pleased as he has placed you in England as his
viceroy, his representative.’ In hearing this, the Messenger of Allah
(Allah bless him and give him peace) said ‘Yes of course, and without
doubt, to remember the Divine, Majestic is He, in this country and to
make others remember Him is a work of very high merit.’”
Following this vision,
the Shaykh relates:
“When I was waking
from the vision, I found my heart was illuminated with a great sense of
happiness. Of course, what else should have been my state at that moment
if not a great sense of adulation? Al’hamdu’lil’lah Murshid al-Kamil
sent me to this country for the propagation of Islam, the Messenger of
Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) showered upon me his special
attention and affection. This attention and the prayers of Grandshaykh
have enabled me, by the leave of Allah the Exalted, to arrive at this
station.”
Spreading the Light of Guidance
Stemming from this
opening, we saw that the tide of darkness changed as the climate of
guidance was now taking control. The Shaykh was blessed with the station
of Mujtahid Mutlaq* in Shari’ah and Haqiqah as it said of those
occupying this rank “… are given the full trust of Allah the Exalted.”
*(Among religious
scholars, those who are capable of understanding how Religious actions
are to be done after comparing them are called Mujtahid, those
who follow him have to perform it in accordance with his deduction or
choice (ijtihad). A Mujtahid is either absolute (mutluq)
or belonging to a Madhhab (muqayyad))
For further
clarification of the lofty station occupied by the Shaykh, we refer to
the often-cited Hadith sharif “al-‘ulamaau warathatul al-anbiya.”
However, what is the meaning of this? Referring to the learned opinion
of Imam ar-Rabbani Sayyidunaa Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sarhandi (May Allah
sanctify his noble secret) “The knowledge of the Anbiya is of two
kinds: knowledge of laws and knowledge of secrets. The scholar cannot be
called an inheritor if he does not inherit both branches of knowledge.
If he takes only one knowledge he is incomplete. Thus the real
inheritors are the ones who take the knowledge of the Laws and the
knowledge of the Secrets, and only the saints have truly received and
protected this inheritance.” Now we know this, know that the Shuyukh of
Tariqah are the inheritors of the Prophets (Upon them be peace) as they
possess knowledge of both ilm ash-Shari’ah (law) and ilm al-Haqiqah
(spirituality). One has to understand the virtue of the knowledge of the
Awliya, Allah the Exalted raised some people above others “ootul ilma
darajat”, the rank of knowledge being the highest. As Imam al-Azam
Imam Abu Hanifah (Allah be well pleased with him) stated “If the kings
knew the pleasure we are witnessing, they would have fought with swords
to get it!” Only if the knowledge is about Allah the Exalted then it is
of importance as all other knowledge belongs to this world, or instance
fiqh, hadith etc. as it something people can boast about. Understand
that he (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) was raised above others
for he possessed knowledge of Allah the Exalted.
Wherever Khawajah Sufi
Muhammad Aslam (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) travelled
throughout the country, people sought allegiance with him and at his
hand received guidance. People were attracted towards him because of the
immense spiritual attraction emanating from him as Allah the Exalted
opened everything to His obedient and true servant. The initial period
starting from 1384 H/1964 CE, the Shaykh began to usher people towards
Allah the Exalted, spreading the Sacred Knowledge and the Knowledge of
Light. Whilst he was resident in London, he established the Friday
Congregational Prayer where he worked, due to the very high turnout of
worshippers from all over London, his employers allocated a very large
space exclusively for prayer. Of this time, the Shaykh relates:
“During the time I was
living in London, I worked in a factory owned by a Jewish man. On one
particular occasion, the owner of the factory called me to his office,
asking me ‘Aslam since you have started working for us our business and
profits have increased. We are getting more orders now as compared to a
year ago. Please tell me what it is you are doing that has bought our
enterprises so much success?’ I replied ‘When I work I am praising Allah
the Exalted, furthermore, I ensure all the work I do is to the best of
my abilities. It is due to this that you have been so successful.’ Upon
hearing my response, he asked me ‘Whatever you need please ask me and I
shall have it made available to you.’
Al’hamdu’lil’lah
through this we were able to get the facilities we needed for the Muslim
community. We were able to hold the main functions of the community
within the hall that was reserved specifically for our use.”
Through the Favour of
Allah the Exalted, the Great Khawajah (May Allah sanctify his noble
secret) established commencing in the capital, the Circle of the
Remembrance of Allah the Exalted, ‘Majlis/Mehfil e Dhikr’.
Encompassing the recitation of Khatam ul Khawajaghan an-Naqshbandiyya
Aliyya; followed by reciting the Shajarah Naqshbandiyya Mujaddidiyya
Aslamiyya (invoking Allah the Exalted to forgive and lift us for the
sake of His Beloved (Allah bless him and give him peace) and His saints
within our Golden Chain. (Allah be well pleased with them all)) After
the Shajarah, was the recitation of ‘Allah Hu’ followed by
sending benedictions (Durood/Salawaat) on the Messenger of Allah
(Allah bless him and give him peace). This was preceded by the
recitation of the Supreme Dhikr, La’i’laha il’lAllah. We shall
mention a few Ahadith to illustrate our need for such gatherings and the
bearing it has had on the course of the lives of the inhabitants of not
only this country but worldwide. Such an illustration is appropriate for
one to comprehend the bestowing of the Favour of Allah the Exalted
through the hand of His saints.
The Messenger of Allah
(Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “I and the Prophets before me
have said nothing superior to La’i’laha il’lAllah.” Moreover “La’i’laha
il’lAllah is the best of invocations and the best of deeds. The
people who most benefit from my intercession are those who utter it with
sincerity. No servant utters it, and then dies still upholding it, but
that he shall enter the Garden; even were he to commit adultery and
theft, even were he to commit adultery and theft, even were he to commit
adultery and theft.” He (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
“Rejuvenate your Iman” the Companions (Allah be well pleased with them
all), asked, “Ya Rasoolallah, how can we rejuvenate our Iman?” He
answered, “Recite with regularity La’i’laha il’lAllah.”
Khawajah Sufi Muhammad Aslam (May Allah sanctify his noble secret)
travelled all over the country establishing the gatherings of Dhikr not
only within the Masjids but more importantly in the houses of people,
and spreading the light of spirituality. For he was reminded of the
following utterance of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give
him peace) “Do not make your houses into graveyards.” The surface-level
understanding being within a graveyard, one finds nothing but death and
grief. People were faced with many worldly problems which emanated from
the instability within their homes. He turned these graveyards into the
Meadows of Paradise because of the following:
The Beloved of Allah the Exalted (Allah bless him and give him peace)
said in a sound narration “When you pass by the meadows of the Garden
(gatherings of Paradise), graze.” He was asked, “What are the meadows of
the Garden?” he replied “The circles of remembrance (‘Majlis/Mehfil e
Dhikr’).” The Shaykhs travels took him to all the major cities and
towns of the United Kingdom, spanning from Bristol to Glasgow. Passing
through these places, he set up many spiritual centres and left many
students who carried on the work.
He ignited within the hearts of the Muslims, as well as non-Muslims, the
undying Love for the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him
peace). He established in Blackburn and all over the United Kingdom, a
grand Milad un Nabi celebration encompassing a great procession and a
grand gathering. Thousands attended this event, many received guidance
at his hand in attending such gatherings. Understand that the sign of
true love is the constant remembrance of the beloved, in imitating him,
adopting his way and in holding a celebration in his honour. The Shaykh
made the object of affection of humanity not this world but the
Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and Allah the
Exalted. In a sound narration, a man came to the Messenger of Allah
(Allah bless him and give him peace) and asked, “When will the Last Hour
come, O Messenger of Allah?” “What have you prepared for it?” he asked.
He replied, “I have not prepared a lot of prayer or fasting or charity
for it, but I love Allah and His Messenger.” The Prophet (Allah bless
him and give him peace) said, “You will be raised with the ones you
love.”
The noble Shaykh was a pillar of the highest level of scholarship, whose
job it was to guide and take people to Allah the Exalted; a man whose
knowledge was about Allah and of Him, Majestic is He, a man reflecting
the Divine Mercy. He (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) instilled
within people the true understanding of ilm at-Tawheed (Oneness
of Allah the Exalted), removing from their hearts all other loves and
filling it with the love of Him (Luminous is He). This knowledge is of
various levels: firstly, blind following, one is a Muslim because his
parents are Muslims; Imam Sanusi (Allah be well pleased with him) said
this is an invalid approach. Secondly, a person is a believer due to
textual proofs; beyond this, an individual is a believer because of his
total conviction which no one can change. To illustrate this, a person
is sitting in a closed room; someone comes to tell him that the sun is
shining outside, if he is trustworthy then that person will believe him.
The highest level is you open the door, go outside and look at the sun.
When does the daylight need a proof? This is the case of al-Arifeen,
scholars of theology engage in research into the proofs of the existence
of Allah the Exalted whilst the great Awliya witness Him (Majestic is
He). One of the learned Shuyukh said “If you see the sun in the midday
by your own eyes, then you do not need any proof.” This is why the
Shaykh was different from others as he had witnessed Allah the Exalted
and it was his duty to usher people to the presence of the Truth,
(Transcendent is He), as the great Khawajah (May Allah sanctify his
noble secret) had experienced “wahdatu shuhood” in that he saw no
one except Allah the Exalted in the universe.
Inspiring the Youth
He finally settled in year circa 1400 H/1980 CE in Blackburn which is a
fitting allegory to explain the state of affairs before he began to
usher people to Allah the Exalted. In this city he established Khanqah
Naqshbandiyya Mujaddidiyya Aslamiyya, a centre for spreading the Sacred
Knowledge of Shari’ah and Haqiqah. The youth of the United Kingdom were
particularly attracted to the Shaykh as it was made known to him they
are the future of the Nation of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him
and give him peace). Surely, the future of this sweet-musked Nation was
falling prey to the attractions of this world and parents faced
difficulties in nurturing them into upright members of society.
We have related the
vision which appeared to the Shaykh upon his return to England,
Grandshaykh admonishing him in delaying calling people towards Allah the
Exalted. The Truth, Majestic is He, opened to Khawajah Sufi Muhammad
Aslam (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) five elements of Irshad:
Allah the Exalted’s care (inayatullah); the Messenger of Allah’s
(Allah bless him and give him peace) care, vision and support (inayat
an-nabi); the preceding Guides’ care and vision (inayatan
minal-murshideen al-idham). Furthermore, the care of Grandshaykh (inayat
al-murshid), care and vision received from the two angels on the
right and left shoulders (inayat Kiramun Katabeen). This level of
Irshad is for the one who occupies the highest level of Murshid known as
Murshid at-Tarbiyya. Understand the rank of those who Allah the
Exalted blesses, as He, Majestic is He, is forever wanting to increase
their nearness to Him. Narrating the opening of Shaykh al-Imam Abu Nasr
Bishr bin al-Harith al-Hafi (Allah be well pleased with him). He came
upon a piece of paper, returning home from drinking, on which was
written the Name of Allah the Exalted. It had been trodden underfoot in
the road. He picked it up; bought perfume with a dirham he had with him,
perfumed it and put it high up in a crack in the wall. Then, as if he
were asleep, he had a vision. It seemed someone was saying to him, “O
Bishr! You have made My name fragrant; I will make your name fragrant in
this world and the next.”
In addition, what
distinguished him further from others (May Allah sanctify his noble
secret) was his ‘Haal’ Spiritual State, to teach with words is
very easy but to teach by states, this is not within a person’s control.
A learned Shaykh commenting, “You can train to be a public speaker, but
you cannot train to transmit your Haal to other people, this is in the
Hands of Allah the Exalted.” For this very reason, Ibn Ata’illah (Allah
be well pleased with him) says, “Do not be in the company of those whose
states do not elevate you or their words do not benefit you or lead you
to the Lord, Mighty and Majestic is He.” The Shaykh was from those whose
face, silence and presence would teach you books and volumes of
Knowledge and his state of heart would change you by him looking at you
only once!
Those who entered into
the Most Distinguished Naqshbandi Sufi Order at his hand were blessed
the very same evening with the visitation of the Messenger of Allah
(Allah bless him and give him peace) in their dreams. This baffled many
people, as people steeped in sin were blessed with the Prophetic
countenance by putting their hand into the Shaykh’s. He was granted
power to clean the bad characteristics that are found in every person.
One who is open to the level of Murshid at-Tasfiyya performs such
a feat. With the initial meeting, and with a single sight, Khawajah Sufi
Muhammad Aslam (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) erased those bad
traits and presented the students to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless
him and give him peace). He was often referred to as ‘The Changer of
Fates’ by those who saw him and were honoured to take secrets from him,
but the reality was; Allah’s righteous saint was only interested in Him
(Luminous is He). “ilahi anta maqsoodi wa rida’ ka matlubi” (“O
Allah, You are my Goal and Your Good Pleasure is my purpose.”)
The Shaykh’s spiritual
gaze was not reserved to the sinful Muslims, but people of other faiths
such as Jews, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and atheists. These groups also
received guidance at his hands and the Light of Islam. High-ranking
priests received this Sacred Light from the Shaykh when they came to
inquire about this fountain of guidance. It is related on one such
occasion, a priest came to inquire of the Shaykh what he had
accomplished in spreading the word of Allah the Exalted. He proceeded to
tell the Shaykh “You should read our Bible, by reading it you will find
satisfaction and will be successful in everything you do.” He asked the
priest “How long have you been propagating Christianity?” who replied,
“I have been preaching for 23 years.” The Khawajah inquired of him
“Within these 23 years, how many people have converted to Christianity?”
the priest responding “None.” The Noble Shaykh told him “Through the
Blessings of Allah the Exalted and the favour of His Beloved (Allah
bless him and give him peace), many thousands of Christians have
converted to Islam in attending our associations.” During the course of
their meeting, a new Muslim student of the Shaykh, Professor Hassan
Jilani, a former Christian priest, phoned the Shaykh. The Shaykh put the
priest on the line to Professor Hassan Jilani. The priest began to
inform the student about Christianity and was unrelenting in his
approach. The Shaykh in addressing the priest said “I shall take you to
the presence of Sayyidunaa Isa (Upon him be peace), and you can ask him
who is on the correct path. Furthermore, can you inform me of any verse
of the Bible and give me an assurance, if I recited it I would find
peace.” The priest responding, “I cannot give such an assurance.” The
Shaykh enlightened the priest “If you were to recite the Noble Quran you
will find peace and satisfaction!” Asked about the wisdom of this, he
explained, “This is the reality, for if you remember Allah the Exalted
with sincerity your heart will obtain peace.”
Many scholars were astounded in seeing the sincere mureeds of the Shaykh,
and commending them highly for being upright in following the Sunnah of
the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace). The reality
of this highly commendable feat being; the Shaykh (Allah be well pleased
with him) was sent as the personal representative of the Messenger of
Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) to this barren land. Those
who frequented his associations felt an immediate attraction towards him
and sought initiation into the Noble Naqshbandi Order. |
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From his
miracles (karamaat)
People tend to speak about
saints possessing the ability to bring about supernatural events known as
karamaat not miracles mujiza, the former performed by a Saint and
the latter by a Prophet. It has been witnessed Allah the Exalted at the hand
Khawajah Sufi Muhammad Aslam (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) caused
many karamaat to appear. On this point, the Shaykh stated:
“To bring a dead person
back to life is a work which is of little significance to a perfect dervish
nor is this to be regarded as from the karamaat. Reviving a dead heart is
the greatest karamaat! (Restoring a heart into a state of awareness so that
it becomes aware once again of Allah the Exalted)”
It was seen the Shaykh
practically revived hundreds of thousands of hearts wherever he set foot.
The Muslims who had come to Europe to pursue a wealthy and comfortable
lifestyle became neglectful of the state of their hearts. The reality of the
Shaykh’s approach was, he first purified the heart of people by the Dhikr of
The Truth, Mighty and Majestic is He, then he expanded the breast of people
by sending benedictions on the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give
him peace). Once the heart was cleansed by the Dhikr, and the breast
expanded by the praising of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him
peace), he then filled it with the Sacred Knowledge. The outcome of the
Shaykh’s method resulted in, all who sat with him and had received guidance
at his hand acted upon what they knew, had heard or read, or had seen by
studying the Shaykh.
A leading Shaykh and
master of Scared Knowledge questioned a student of the Shaykh “By what
method of teaching have you achieved this praiseworthy state we see in you?”
to which he replied “I have been studying and reading my Shaykh.” The Ulama
marvelled at his murideen and their strict adherence to the Shari’ah and in
fulfilling all of the obligatory religious duties, found within them were
the praiseworthy traits as documented by the Awliya. Now we know this, one
is able to comprehend the approach of the Khawajaghan, the Masters of
Wisdom. He was a phenomenon of Irshad. He stressed on the combination of
al-shari’ah and al-haqiqah in a time when people where taking
from Tasawwuf its name rather then its content. For knowledge is dry, if the
only the mind is nourished and not the spirit this leads to ignorance, we
can see this today people are studying courses like how to argue better.
When the minds are blocked the hearts have to be opened, the Shaykh (May
Allah perfume his final place of rest) worked on the hearts of people.
A leading scholar asked
the Shaykh (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) in Madinah al-Munawwarah
after taking initiation at his hand “O Shaykh, have you written any books in
your lifetime that have chronicled the knowledge given to you by Allah the
Exalted. I am asking because this Nation of the Messenger of Allah (Allah
bless him and give him peace) would benefit greatly from your writings.” He
replied “I have written walking and talking books in the form of my mureeds,
study them and you will find for instance the chapter on how to perform wudu.
Observe how they sit and you will find the chapter of what is refined
conduct.” The reality is; it is not about knowledge but ‘it is about
knowledge and practice and about following the footsteps of the Messenger of
Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace).’ He instilled into the hearts of
the people their duty in upholding the Shari’ah, leading by example and
practically acting upon the Commands of the Shari’ah
For barakah we
relate the saying of Sayyidunaa Khawajah Bayazid al-Bistami (Allah be well
pleased with him) who said:
“Even
if you see a man who has been granted such power to work miracles that he
rises into the air, do not let him deceive you. Wait until you find out his
attitudes toward the command of good and the prohibition of evil, the
preservation of the limits set by Allah the Exalted, and the performance of
his duties of the Shari’ah.”
About his character
The Shaykh possessed a
character which is difficult for one to describe, it is more appropriate to
refer to Imam al-Qushayri’s Risalah (Allah be well pleased with him)
and how he classified the characteristics of the Ones Brought Near. Khawajah
Sufi Muhammad Aslam (Allah be well pleased with him) possessed a very caring
and gentle heart, never uttering a word in anger nor to embarrass another.
People who sat in his association had difficulty in comprehending his
silence yet in spite of this, he changed the course of humanity. Many
spiritually challenged people attempted to undermine him but where overcome
by looking at him and thus where guided at his hand. He understood when the
Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said “Let him who
believes in Allah the Exalted and the Last Day either speak good or keep
silent.” For when he spoke, he uttered pearls of wisdom which became
embedded in the hearts of people. We saw in him the following Hadith
Sharif: A man came to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him
peace) and said: “O Messenger of Allah, direct me to an act which, if I do
it, [will cause] Allah to love me and people to love me.” He answered,
“Renounce the world and Allah will love you, and renounce what people
possess and people will love you.” The Shaykh used to say, “Live in this
world but do not fall in love with it!”
He bore testimony to when
it was commanded: “Say “If you love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you
and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”. In
explaining this Verse, he possessed nafs al-kamila (the perfect
soul), known also as nafs al-muhabba and nafs al-muhammadiyya
and his station was al-baqa ba’d al fana, remaining with Allah the
Exalted after perishing from his self, controlling all his desires, whims
and temptations. He saw nothing except Allah the Exalted although he walked
the face of the Earth, for him the Sun was always shining. Invested in him
was the station of the Greater Vicegerency, al-Khalifa al-Kubra, this
is the investiture of the Hadith Qudsi “When I love him I am his hearing
with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he
strikes, and his foot with which he walks.” This truly describes his
station. This was due to his obligatory and supererogatory practices and by
the help of Allah the Exalted. Beware of misunderstanding this and believing
that Allah the Exalted either penetrates into anything or is penetrated by
anything.
It is related, a seeker of
the Truth, Transcendent is He; asked the Shaykh in a gathering “I want to
obtain nearness to Allah the Exalted, how can I achieve this?” Sitting next
to the Shaykh was a learned scholar and the Shaykh inquired of him “The
young seeker has asked an excellent question. What should he do?” The
scholar answering, “He has asked a very important question. However, seeing
as he is still young he should study the main branches of Sacred Knowledge
for several years. He should study extensively the Quran al-Karim then maybe
when he is older he may start to seek the nearness he speaks of.” The Shaykh
responding “You have given a very extensive task for him to complete, what
if he dies before he has completed it? He has asked for nearness to Allah
the Exalted today. Inform him of a shortcut.” The scholar was dumbfounded “O
Shaykh, it is you who can inform him of what he should do.”
The Shaykh (Allah be well
pleased with him) enlightening the association “He should seek the company
of those who have achieved the nearness of Allah the Exalted. Once he has
found them, he should keep their company and inshallah he will
achieve nearness to Allah the Exalted.” The seeker petitioned “O Shaykh when
I look at you I am reminded of Allah the Exalted. Please accept me as your
mureed.” The Shaykh gave him initiation for he knew ‘The distance between a
person and Allah the Exalted is himself! All it takes is one step and you
walk.’ On this point we refer to Ibn Mashish (Allah be well pleased with
him) who stated, “He who tells you, go to business is cheating on you. He
who tells you, to stay up the whole night in qiyaam and exhaust
yourself in fasting, praying all day and night, is making you tired, after a
while you will stop. He who tells you, go to Allah the Exalted and here is
the way is giving you all the comforts.” Qibla-Alam (Allah be well
pleased with him) ushered people to Allah the Exalted, not tiring them nor
cheating on them but taking them by the hand and leading them all the way
until they reached Him, Majestic is He.
Whenever anyone called
upon him, he would appear to them either in a waking state or in a dream,
guiding his mureeds and seekers of Allah the Exalted. This is true today as
it was when he was present on this Earth. He was present with all the saints
that have passed away from this physical world, as well as those who are
living in this world. They were connected with him at all times, feeding him
their secrets, as he was Allah’s perfect saint.
About his
mastery
He safeguarded his breath
from heedlessness, inhaling and exhaling, thereby keeping his heart always
in the Divine Presence
(Conscious Breathing “Hosh dar dam”). His heartbeat was to the
tune of the Dhikr ‘Allah Hu’ to such an extent that many saw his
heart and body pulsating rhythmically (all of the hairs on his body and his
limbs moved). His spiritual aura engulfed his whole body as he had a
luminous Prophetic glow circulating around his person. Sayyidunaa Shah
Naqshband (Allah be well pleased with him) said, “This Order is built on
breath. So it is a must for everyone to safeguard his breath in the time of
his inhalation and exhalation and further, to safeguard his breath in the
interval between the inhalation and exhalation.” He never let his gaze
wonder, but kept his eyes firmly lowered, illustrating his high state
looking nowhere except towards his Lord, Majestic is He
(Watch Your Step “Nazar bar
qadam”). He completed the
Journey Homeward (“safar dar
watan”) internal as well as external arriving in the Divine
Presence. He returned to take others on that journey to the Lord, Majestic
is He.
He was simultaneously with
Allah the Exalted and the people
(Solitude in the Crowd
“khalwat dar anjuman”), for he spoke when it was necessary. The
following was seen in him, in the words of Sayyidunaa al-Kharraz (Allah be
well pleased with him): “Perfection is not in exhibitions of miraculous
powers, but perfection is to sit among people, sell and buy, marry and have
children; and yet never leave the presence of Allah even for one moment.” It
was observed he made the Supreme Dhikr an infinite number of times in every
breath, never living Him (All Praise due to Him),
(Essential Remembrance “yad
kard”). As it has been mentioned he saw none except Allah the
Exalted, therefore Returning (“baz gasht”)
to Allah the Exalted. The meaning of the phrase “baz gasht” is the
return to Allah the Almighty by showing complete surrender and submission to
His Will, and complete humbleness in giving Him all due praise.
The Shaykh (May Allah
sanctify his noble secret) safeguarded his heart from bad thoughts and
protected it from low inclinations,
(Attentiveness “nigah dasht”). For whoever accomplishes these two
goals will know his heart, and whoever knows his heart will know his Lord,
Majestic is He. In a sound narration from the Prince of Believers
Sayyidinnah Ali (May Allah ennoble his countenance), “Whoever knows himself
knows His Lord.” Shaykh Sayyidunaa Abu Bakr al-Qattani (Allah be well
pleased with him) said “I was the guard at the door of my heart for 40
years, and I never opened it for anyone except Allah the Exalted, until my
heart did not know anyone except Allah, Almighty and Exalted.” For the heart
of Khawajah Sufi Muhammad Aslam (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) was
occupied solely by the Truth, Luminous is He. Contained within his heart was
the Light of the Unique Essence (anwar adh-dhat al-Ahadiyya) of Allah
the Exalted, as he kept his heart in Allah the Exalted’s Divine Presence
continuously, leading him to embrace the Reality which is the Oneness of
Allah, 'Azza wa Jall,
(Recollection “yada dasht”).
The venerable Shaykh
assessed every passing moment, utilising every second in the remembrance of
Allah the Exalted, (Awareness of
Time “wuquf zamani”). Sayyidunaa Shah Naqshband (Allah be well
pleased with him) stating on this point, “You have to evaluate how you spend
every moment: with Presence or in Negligence.” Khawajah Sufi Muhammad Aslam
(May Allah sanctify his noble secret) was very strict in observing the
number of repetitions when making Silent or Loud Dhikr, ensuring that the
heart remained in constant remembrance of Allah the Exalted,
(Awareness of Numbers “wuquf
adadi”). For he understood when Sayyidunaa Shah Naqshband (Allah be
well pleased with him) said “Observance of the numbers in Dhikr is the first
step in the state of acquiring Heavenly Knowledge (ilm ul-ladunni).”
His heart was directed towards the Divine Presence for he (May Allah
sanctify his noble secret) saw none except Him, Majestic is He,
experiencing His
Manifestation in all states, (Awareness of the Heart “wuquf qalbi”).
The reality of Khawajah Sufi Muhammad Aslam (May Allah sanctify his noble
secret) was, he made others like him!
From his
sayings
For barakah we shall
relate a few sayings attributed to him (Allah be well pleased with him).
“The highest ranking
karamaat is in following and implementing the Sunnah of the Messenger of
Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace).”
We relate an incident to
illustrate the above-mentioned saying. A scholar of the local Jamia Masjid
attended the Khanqah after Salat al-Jumu’ah. He asked the scholar “Today in
your sermon you narrated a sound Hadith ‘Before going to sleep, the one who
recites the final three Surahs of the Quran al-Karim then blows on both his
hands passing them all over his body. That person will be safe from the
attacks of shaytan.’ We know this was the regular actions of the Prophet
(Allah bless him and give him peace), my dear scholar have you acted upon
this?” The scholar replied in the negative, the Shaykh inspiring him said,
“If you had implemented this before you mentioned it in your sermon it would
have influenced the people. The difference between a Sufi and a public
speaker is, that the latter acquires knowledge so he can tell others of it.
Whilst the former, the Sufi, acquires knowledge in order to act upon it and
to increase his station.”
“To bring a dead person
back to life is a work which is of little significance to a perfect dervish
nor is this to be regarded as karamaat. Reviving a dead heart is the
greatest karamaat! (Restoring a heart into a state of awareness so that it
becomes aware once again of Allah the Exalted)”
“Tasawwuf is in essence
following the footsteps of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give
him peace), adopting his Sunnah and possessing good character.”
“Do not yearn nor seek the
dunya, the lower world, but yearn for the Maker, Majestic is He, of this
world. Once you have found Him then everything is yours.”
“Refined conduct adab
(model behaviour) is the first step in Tariqah. Whoever has reached a
station in the Path has obtained it through refined conduct.”
“Do not place importance
on your tribe, thinking that through the worldly social ranking of your
tribe you will attain a praiseworthy station. The one who performs righteous
deeds and abstains from evil inclinations has no need to seek the cover of
his tribes’ social standing. Sayyidunaa Bilal from the Righteous Companions,
Sayyidi Imam Bayazid, Sayyidi Imam al-Junaid, the Imams of the Madhhabs, the
many Kamileen of al-Hind (Allah be well pleased with them all); who were
they, what was their standing? These pious people possessed the Love ishq
of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and in
following his way they were successful.”
“The one who adorns the
robes of a Dervish and uses it to earn a living is in reality destroying his
life. His final reckoning will not be pleasant.”
“Always inform others of
that, which you are acting upon yourself.”
On the point of receiving
praise from people and accorded long titles, he said:
“A Sufi is never in need
of lofty titles. Why? The ones who are alive in the Love of the Messenger
of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) they can be likened to gold.
For wherever gold is, it is still gold and when you attach a price to it, it
has its own price and value for nothing can be compared to it in likeness.
Even if you compared it to the tasbih of a Sufi or the crown of a king, it
is still viewed as gold and people pay the price that is attached to it.”
His
passing from this world
We
observed many wondrous events during the reign of Khawajah Sufi Muhammad
Aslam (May Allah sanctify his noble secret). His life was dedicated to
serving the community. He would never scold anyone nor humiliate them. He
would serve his guest with his own hands never feeling belittled as; this
was the way of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace).
He would go to the market to purchase food or any other amenities needed for
the Khanqah, and he also used public transport in the early years to attend
gatherings, never waiting for someone to escort him. His life was a mystery
in his display of humility, taqwa, zuhd, tawakkul and istiqama. His
movements were acts of goodness, and his every breath was an act of worship.
When people saw him they were reminded of Allah the Exalted. His joy and
delight was in people turning towards Allah the Exalted; his sorrow and
anger was in seeing people turn away from Him, Majestic is He. He loved
seekers of Truth more than he loved his own children. He would recite poetry
of Mawlana Rumi, Mawlana Jami, Miah Muhammad Baksh, Allama Iqbal and others
(Allah be well pleased with them all) when explaining a certain point.
As he advanced in age, he
was full of pains, weak in his body and movements but those who saw him,
were amazed at his excellent control of his health. As time progressed he
became more absorbed in the Divine Beauty, he would exhaust himself for the
sake of his mureeds. Telling his mureeds who inquired of him as to what they
should recite, “Only recite Dhikr for a short length of time before you
sleep.” The reality was that he carried the burdens of humanity, and through
him many progressed to Allah the Exalted; because for him The Truth,
Majestic is He, was his hope and goal. As it is related when Sayyidunaa
Khawajah Bayazid al-Bistami (Allah be well pleased with him) reached Allah
the Exalted he said, “O my Lord, open for me Your door. This is my hope, my
yearning. Open for me Your door.” And he heard a voice: “O Bayazid. My door
cannot be opened until you become a servant to My servants, mazballatan
lil‘ibad for other creation ‑ a place for carrying the burdens of
people. Then I will open for you My door.” The Shaykh carried the burden of
others like Bayazid (Allah be well pleased with him) and raised them
gradually in to the Divine Presence.
His desire was that of the
Real, Luminous is He, and his pleas were immediately answered. The strain of
carrying the burdens took their toll and he was admitted to hospital due to
his ill health. On 25th Dhul-Hijjah 1419 H, a Monday, the 12th
April 1999 CE, humanity suffered a great calamity, the loss of mercy and
guidance, as Allah the Exalted called His saint Khawajah Sufi Muhammad Aslam
(May Allah sanctify his noble secret) back to Him. The news of his passing
shocked his murideen and the world, as they had difficulty in believing the
departure of the Cardinal Pole. At the time of his passing Khawajah Sufi
Muhammad Aslam (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) had a smile on his
face. His face gleamed like the midday sun and his body was engulfed with
the Prophetic glow, which was seen emanating from his person when he was
present on this world. To those who were honoured to have seen him after his
passing, testify he (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) seemed as he was
resting peacefully. The reality of this mystery in explained by the
following Verse of the Quran al-Karim; “In the case of those who say, “Our
Lord is Allah”, and, further, stand straight and steadfast, the angels
descend on them (from time to time): “Fear ye not!” (they suggest), “Nor
grieve! but receive the Glad Tidings of the Garden (of Bliss), the which ye
were promised!” [Surah Fussilat 41: Verse 30]. Understand this was
state of the noble Shaykh on his departure from this world, as he
proclaimed, “My Lord is Allah the Exalted” in his illustrious life and made
others testify to this esteemed declaration. For him (Allah be well pleased
with him) there was no grief nor fear but happiness as he was returning to
Allah the Exalted. This happiness was seen on his passing by the radiant
smile on his most beautiful face.
His funeral was performed in
Blackburn on Wednesday, 27th Dhul-Hijjah H/14th April
1999 CE, attended by thousands including all the leading scholars and all of
his followers. At the funeral, his khulafah crowned his successor who would
take his place in the seat of guidance. The Amaanah (Trust) of the
Shaykh (May Allah perfume his final place of rest) was passed onto Khawajah
Riaz Ahmad an-Naqshbandi who lead the funeral prayer. His body was flown to
Pakistan; hundreds of thousands flocked to the airport to catch a glimpse of
his coffin and accompanied it as it was transported to Shadpur Sharif, where
his funeral was performed. He was laid to rest inside the mausoleum in the
grave, he had dug in his illustrious life on the commands of the Messenger
of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace). Hundreds of thousands
journeyed from all over the world to pay their respects to Allah’s perfect
saint. Coming from his grave was a very sweet and heavenly scent which
engulfed the whole city and province for forty days, as people who journeyed
to pay their respects where guided to Shadpur Sharif by the scent before
entering the province or the city.
Shaykh ‘Ali Ajhuri (Allah
be well pleased with him), a prominent Maliki scholar, said, “The wali, when
he is alive, is like a sword in its sheath. After his death, his influence
becomes stronger like that of a sword out of its sheath.” We observed at his
hand the Tariqah was made known to the inhabitants of the West and many
seekers of The Truth, Majestic is He, continue receive guidance from him.
A student of Khawajah Sufi
Muhammad Aslam (May Allah sanctify his noble secret) journeyed to Umrah
after his death, thousands in Makkah al-Mukarramah and Madinah al-Munawwarah
asked him about the Shaykh. When they were informed of his departure, the
cities where in mourning at this loss. It is related, those who visited him
in his last illness, found him overwhelmed with happiness. To illustrate the
reality of this we refer to Sayyidi Makhul al-Shami (Allah be well pleased
with him) and his final days. When people came to visit him in his illness
they found him laughing. They asked about this. “Why should I not laugh,” he
told them, “when I am about to leave everything I feared, about to approach
to all I have hoped and dreamed off.” For him was happiness as was the
conditioned of Sayyidunaa Bilal (Allah be well pleased with him) upon his
death for he was making preparations to reunite with his Lord, Luminous is
He.
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The Great Khwajah
