The
Chishti Nizami Habibi Soofie
Pietermaritzburg
South Africa
786/92
Sura al-Anaam 6 Verse 122
And is he who was dead, and then We gave him life and gave him a light by which he walks among mankind be like him who is in darkness…
According to
all the true Spiritual Masters, those who have transmitted the teachings of The
Science of Spirituality or Tasawwuf
orally or in writing, Allah controls His universe, through a class of people
known as Awliya. Due to their reaching
a high stage of surrender to Him, He has replaced their will, with His will.
Allah radiates on them with His attribute of al-Wali,
the Protecting Friend, and they become the means through which Allah activates
His attribute of protective friendship. The level of Wilayat or sainthood is based on the level of spiritual advancement.
The intellectual proof of Islam is found among the Ulema
or scholars whilst the personification of 'surrender to the Will of Allah' or
the visible proof are the Awliya.
The truth
of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) 's integrity is manifested
through these Awliya. Through the
blessings of the coming of Awliya it rains and because of their pure
lives we are blessed with plant growth. Allah acts through Awliya
in particular ways allowing them to utilize His powers. This in no way
constitutes that they act as advisories or influence Allah (Almighty and
Glorious is He). They have been
blessed with the service of filtering Allah's energy throughout the world due to
their closeness to him. Those Awliya who pass into the
realm of Divine Beauty, physically, continue to perform duties in the spiritual
realm. Because man is superior to
the Angels as Khalifatullah and not as
a sinful human being, those who become Allah’s beloved, friends are given the
freedom of both the worlds. Allah says in Sura 16 Nahl Verse 97
“ I revive them immediately after death to a new
functioning life
Which
is extremely healthy, pure and a life of felicity
And I will
reward them in a most beautiful manner for what they have done”
The
reward, which is to come on the Day of Judgment, has been mentioned separately
from this, that Allah says, ‘I revive them’. What happens is, because man is
superior to the angels and the angels are the functionaries of Allah in this
universe, about which the whole Islamic theology stands on as proof, these
people are joined to the company of angels and are made their leaders. One of
the last great thinkers in Islam, Shah
Waliullah, the great Muhadith of
Delhi, (ad. 1077/1166) says[1]:
“When
a human being passes away no relation is left between his soul and the world
of matter. The souls return to their origin, become like angels, and like
them, give inspiration and help to men. They help in the dissemination and
strengthening of Allah ‘s religion. They rush to help those who work for
this path. It has been witnessed that they come to help in groups”
These
Awliya Allah become the leaders of
companies of Angels, since they are Superior to Angels, they become
functionaries and they have the freedom. Like the Angels performance of duties
for Allah in no way constitutes that, He is not all Powerful, Awliya have
the ability to spiritually heal, spiritually protect, transform weather patterns
and display many different powers that Allah blesses them with.
Electricity
at the powerhouse is produced at a high voltage. Transformers are established to
bring down the voltage at each level. When it reaches 220V it is allowed to go
into the homes. For everything in the universe there is only one powerhouse, the
‘Being of Allah’- life, light, beauty and knowledge flows from here. This
blessing must flow into the universe so that everything functions and remains
alive. The first transformer is the heart of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi
wa sallam) and the others in the serial order are the hearts of those abd's
(totally surrendered to the Divine Will) that have attained the status of Awliya
Allah. Through them the blessings of Allah flow into this dead universe
giving it life and light. This is explained in a Hadith E Qudsi included in Bukhari -
"Do not become
enemies of My Walis or be prepared to make war with Allah. When My
servant after accomplishing his Faraiz (compulsory devotion) seeks My nearness through Nawafil (optional devotion,) I begin to love him. When I love him, I become his
Faculty of Audition so that he hears by Me, I become his faculty of sight, so
he sees by Me, I become his Faculty of speech so that he speaks by Me and I
become his faculty of grasp so that he holds by Me. In another report it says
"anything he asks I give." I become his "Heart with which he
loves."
It
is also said in another Hadith,
"Beware
of the penetrating insight (firaasa) of the believer (mumin) for
he sees by the light of Allah."
Among the Awliya there are four thousand who are hidden. They don't know one
another and are themselves unaware of their excellent state, being hidden from
themselves and from mankind. These elite beings are in the realm of 'general
saint-ship' (Wilayat aama). The
functionaries of Allah's court, involved in the Spiritual Administration are in
the realm of 'special saint-ship' (Wilayat khaassa): They are classified in the hierarchy as:
1.
Three
hundred Akhyaar
(good) - very good 'righteous' and upright servants of Allah’
2.
Forty
Abdaal (substitute)- the pegs of the
universe, who live physically on the earth and who are 'substituted' (badal)
every time one leaves the physical realm. . In a Hadith Prophet (sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam) said, “There will be 40 Abdaal
on the soil of Mulk-e-Sham (Syria)
till the Day of Judgement. If one dies another will take his place”
3.
Seven
Abraar (pious) from
among the Abdaal - spiritual guardians
4.
Four
Awtaad (pillars) from
among the Abdaal
5.
Three
Nuqaba (leaders) and
6.
One
called Qutb or Ghawth.
The
Abdaal, amongst whom the higher category is called Abraar and Awtaad are the
deputies of the Qutb or Ghawth
who is the main receiver of Allah's spiritual energy. All others receive
spiritual energy through the Qutb. The
Abraar and Awtaad are
assigned as regional Qutb's in
separate areas of the earth. All are answerable to the Supreme Qutb
and to spiritual superiors within the network. The identity of the Qutb
is veiled to the world due to the sensitive nature of the job. There is also
no need for disclosure of his identity since his work is to filter Allah's
energy into the world. The teachers of Tasawwuf
or Shaykhs are made apparent and
visible in the world, since people need contact with them. One of the Shaykhs
may hold one of the positions of Qutb
or Abdaal but, again, it is not necessary to disclose this.
Abu Muhammad Muhay ud-din Abd' al Qadir Jilani
(Rahmatullah-alai)
or Ghous
al-Azam (The supreme Ghous) is
unique. He was born as ‘one
totally submitted’ (Nisbate Abdiat) and with everything submitting to
him (Wilayate Muhammadi). ).
This is the reason why in being a beloved (Mahboobiyat),
He was called “Beloved of Allah’ (Mehboobe
Subhani). He is unique and the
leader amongst the Aulia. All Aulia are under him. Sheikh Bataa'ihi states,
We, and all other saints
(Awliya), are within the safekeeping of the breaths he breathes, under the
protection of his foot, and within the orbit of his command.
Ghous Al Azam (Rahmatullah-alai) is
‘annihilated in Allah’ (fana), and remains active through Allah (baqa).
His famous saying in Qasida Ghausia, which he said as ‘one whose faculty
of speech Allah becomes’,
"Qaddami
Hazihi alla raqabati Kulli Waliyyin li llah"
"My
foot is on the neck of all Walis".
When
our Master uttered this statement 313 Aulia in this world, and in the world of
souls etc. bent their necks. This
declaration, by Sheik Abd al-Qadir Jilani (Rahmatullahi alaihi) concerns the
'station of uniqueness' (fardiyya).
All Awliya witnessed at the time of this declaration the flag of Central
Administration (Qutbiyya) or ‘being
the key player in Allah’s mode of administration’ paraded in front of Shaykh
Abd al-Qadir (Radiallahu anhu), and the crown of Assisting with Allah’s leave (Ghawthiyya)
placed upon his head.[2]
Complete ‘Managerial Disposition’ (tasrif)
was given to him. It is also stated in Qalaaid al-Jawahir[3],
"He donned this robe in the presence of all the
saints, those of former times and those more recent, those still alive in
their physical bodies and those (physically) dead but alive in their
spirits…there was not a saint anywhere on earth, who did not bend his neck
towards him."
All Aulia receive the ‘Spiritual flow of
Kindness of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) or Faize Mustawi) from Ghous Al
Azam (Rahmatullah-alai). It is stated that once a highly spiritualised
person came to him from Jerusalem. He was at a state that one step transported
him from Jerusalem to Baghdad. Shaykh Abd al-Qadir said that he had come to
repent on his hand. The pupils asked that why should such a spiritually elevated
being need to repent. He answered,
"He experienced the
state of walking through the air, but he needs me to teach him the path that
leads to love (mahabba)."
Hazrath Ahmad Sirhindi Naqshbandi a.k.a Mujaddid
Alf Sani (Rahmatullahi alaihi) says
that there are 2 Levels of Sainthood (Wilayat) i.e.
1)
Wilayate Sughra (small Wilayat) which all Awliya have, but
2)
Wilayate Kubra (the great Wilayat) is given exclusively to Ghous al Azam (Radiallahu anhu).
According
to the Aarifeen he will only
relinquish the position of being the ‘Main Player in the Central
Administration’ (Qutbe Kubra) to Imam Mahdi (Alai' his
salaam).
Remember
in Sura al-Fatiha 1 Verse 5
Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek,
Here
Allah speaks of ibaadat or ‘worship’ and istiyaanat or
‘seeking assistance’. Worshipping other than Allah is shirk. The asking of
help from a helper, as the asking of dua from a pious Muslim, in no way
implies that the person who asks believes any good can come apart from Allah. In
effect he is asking Allah, but he is using the means that Allah put at his
disposal, including the intercession of those who may be closer than him to
Allah
IRSHAD SOOFI
28 RABI UL AWWAL 1422
21 JUNE 2001
