Three Tales Of Sufi Wisdom

ZAhraJ,

Thanks. As for the stories you recall, the first one sounds like it was Shaykh Abd al Qadir al Jilani, al Ghawth al Azam, Peeran e Peer -may his secret be sanctified! As for the story about the lion I know some stories which involves saints and lions but not sure if it was Shah Shams who was the one involved.

I will see, perhaps a part 2 to this would be good! :-)

***

malik99,

Point taken and I have been to the blessed tomb of Hazrat Daata Sahib in Lahore and I didn`t see anyone prostrating; if anyone does out of ignorance it does not mean that the scholars of ahlus sunnah condone it but it is also not enough evidence to call them mushriks as the wahabis do because intention [niyyat] is the crux of the matter and not even ignorant muslims from the villages or elsewhere actually believe if you ask them that any wali can help without Allah`s Will. To call directly upon Daata Sahib, or any other wali or Prophet--living or passed to the next world--is also permissible as long as the intention and belief is that the person can only help via the power granted to him/her by Allah and not independently . And no person I`ve ever met, even from the most backward pind, ever believes that any wali can help if Allah does not wish it.
So, the charges of shirk are baseless. Also, by not calling other Muslims mushriks, and giving even ignorant fellows the benefit of the doubt, husn e zann, you are protecting yourself from the sin of calling a Muslim a non-Muslim since if that person is committing shirk he/she is a non-Muslim!

As for your point about Daata being one of Allah`s Names, ie The Provider, it is permissible to call a human being your daata too (for example your parents or a wali) as long as you believe that they are only able to help you through Allah`s Will and NOT independently.

This exact topic has been explained best here, in this extract from a transcribed lecture by Allama Sa`eed Ahmad As`ad sahib:

Daata

Opponents render a fatwa of Shirk upon the referring of Syed Ali Hajweri as Daata Sahib. They claim that Allah is ‘Daata’ and to refer to any of the creation as Daata is a major type of Shirk.

However they seem ignorant to the fact that the term `Daata` is not Arabic but restricted to Hindu/Urdu diction, whose meanings are

1. Bestowed, generous
2. Nourisher, God
3. Devotee, dervish, pauper

To contemplate Allah as Daata in the meanings of dervish and pauper is Kufr (heresy). However,
in terms of bestowed, nourisher the word Daata is applicable to Allah. But this does not prevent its use for creation.

For example the word ‘Rabb’ (Lord) is much more stronger in meaning than Daata but the Prophet Yusuf has used the word Rabb to describe one of the creation.

In Sarah Yusuf, when explaining the dreams of the vessel carrier and the cook of the king Hazrat Yusuf said

``O two companions of the prison! As for one of you, he will pour out wine for his lord`` (Yusuf 12 v 41)

Hazrat Yusuf described the vessel carrier`s king as Rabb. Allah is Rabb but a king has also been labelled as Rabb. Even though the same word has been used there is no Shirk since there is no similarity in meaning. Allah Nourishes but so too does a king.
In nourishing Allah does not need anything whereas the King needs resources in order to nourish others, he taxes some, penalises others and receives gifts from other.

Similarly Allah is Daata and there is also a Daata in Lahore. Despite using the same word and recognising both as Daata there is a world of difference in meaning. Allah is a Daata but does not need anyone in being a Daata whilst the king of Lahore receives from Allah and passes it on to the creation.




Read the rest of this discussion on what is and isn`t shirk by clicking on the link below
http://aqdas1.tripod.com/aqdas/index.blog?entry_id=500901
note for non-Muslim readers: shirk = polytheism, associating partners to Allah..
***
Thanks for all those who gave me encouraging words.
In an age when the extremists are hijacking Islam, it is a turn towards authentic tassawuf which will save our religion.

***

nasah,

Huzoor main khud bahut baRa gunehgaar o syaahkaar hooN...
but,

Main tau accha nahin lekin acchoN se hai nisbat meri!


``If my murid is not good, let him not worry--for I am good!``
-these are the words of Sayyidina Ghawth al Azam, Huzoor Peeran i Peer and are enough for his devotees like me and most of the Muslim world is his devotee! As Martin Lings writes in his book, What is Sufism?, the blessed tomb of Shaykh Abd al Qadir al Jilani in Baghdad is probably the most visited Muslim shrine after Makkah and Madina!

urstruly,

the words `like us` in your last post 46 are not correct. Yes, Prophets are human beings and not angels but they are NOT like us, ordinary mortals, in many many ways and your understanding of this matter is flawed as evident by your interpretation of some of the events you mention from the Sirah in your post.

As al-Busiri said,

Like a ruby is a stone but unlike other stones, the Prophet is likewise a human but unlike other humans in any aspect. This discussion can get technical so we can discuss it in private or at www.sunniport.com/forum/ if you like as most of the people on here will not get it and this forum isn`t an appropriate place for this discussion. Suffice it to say, as Qadi `Iyad has shown in his magisterial Kitab al Shifa Bi Ta`rif Huquq al Mustafa (?) [The Book of Healing with the recognition of the rights of the Chosen One], which is the most authoritative biography of the Prophet ever penned, Prophets have two aspects to their nature: an angelic [noor] aspect and a human, [bashar] aspect and inwards, in reality they are angelic-like and exteriorly like humans.

And the hadith of sawm-al-wisaal [continuous fasting] in Bukhari Sharif where the Prophet went many many days without breaking his fast and the Sahaba, in imitation, began to also fast continuously but they, being ordinary humans, soon began to get weak and ill and after a while the Prophet noticed that the number of people at prayers in mosque was getting less and less so he called all of the Sahaba and asked them what was the matter. When they told him that they had seen Allah`s Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) fasting continuously for day upon day upon day without breaking his fast they, out of love, wanted to imitate him. At this Allah`s Habib said these words, which are recorded in Bukhari,
``ayyukum mithlee?`` (Who amongst you is like me?) and the Prophet continued by saying that Allah fed him and gave him to drink.

This is one of the proof-texts to show that to believe that Prophets are just like us is a fallacy.

As for the Qur`anic verse, which you will no doubt quote, Say: I am a man like you... (Qul: Innama ana basharun mithlukum....) , the ulama and mashaikh have explained its purpose in great detail. Besides, Shaykh Abd al Haqq Muhaddith Dehlavi has listed this verse as amongst the Mutashabihaat, and as such, it is not permissible to take one`s aqidah from it as its real meaning cannot be known for certain, since the `like you` in the verse was referring to the pagan Arabs of Mecca and no Muslim can believe that Allah`s Habib was a man like them (nauzubillah)! Therefore, since it`s meaning is doubtful, we cannot base our aqidah from it. Only clear cut verses of command [ayat e muhkam] can be used to make one`s aqaid. This topic will again become very technical so I`ll stop here.

The Prophet was not, in any manner, like ordinary humans. Fact.

t# 48

``...all paths lead to Truth...the seeker must be earnest! ``


I don`t think so.

Consider this:

The Heifer 2:255-256

GOD: there is no other god besides Him, the Living, the Eternal. Never a moment of unawareness or slumber overtakes Him. To Him belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth. Who could intercede with Him, except in accordance with His will? He knows their past, and their future. No one attains any knowledge, except as He wills. His dominion encompasses the heavens and the earth, and ruling them never burdens Him. He is the Most High, the Great.

There shall be no compulsion in religion: the right way is now distinct from the wrong way . Anyone who denounces the devil and believes in GOD has grasped the strongest bond; one that never breaks. GOD is Hearer, Omniscient.

talha, asif, urstruly:

...all paths lead to Truth...the seeker must be earnest!

Mirror of Truth
the sages found and fought over
now the mirror of Truth lies
shattered, each piece valued, possessed
for the truth it deflected

nazarhayatkhan #39

``Asif

Thanks. You are a pious man.``

Are you kidding, NHK? You could not be unaware of the other beliefs this person has repeatedly expressed on Chowk.

Did I fail to notice some intended sarcasm?

Naqshbandi

``Prophets are both infallible and innocent [mas`um]. This is the aqidah of the Ahlus Sunnah and the Shiah therefore it is the aqidah of the vast majority of Muslims throughout history. Wahabis and a few modernists like Moududi, Syed Qutb and other deviants have dissented in this. ``

Yes. They have ``deviated`` because they have based their deviance on facts rather than on aqeedah alone.

The facts is that Allah chose a man who was among us to deliver His message and not an angel; the man who had needs like us, who used to eat, drink, and sleep like us, who used to marry women like us, who used to plan battles like us, who used to fight battles like us, and he used to earn his living like us. Had God sent an angel we would have an excuse that the obligations that God was subjecting us to were beyond human capacity. So He chose a man among us, who set an example by his actions, to show us that it was well in human capacity to live by the Divine message. Fallibility is part of being human without it we are either angels or robots. Accepting this fact is not akin to degrading someone. After all you respect and love your parents despite their shortcomings. But lets not get carried away with the word ``shortcoming`` because Prophets have an added quality that no other human beings have and that is their virtue of being innocent. As humans, Prophets sometimes show weaknesses and sometime they err but unlike other humans Divine guidance immediately guides them through so that their followers understand the difference between right and wrong.

Let us not forget the Hadith which mentions that after first revelation in cave Hira, no other revelation came to Prophet (pbuh) for the next three and half years. The desperation and impatience of Prophet lead him to believe that God has rejected him for his role as a Prophet. He became so depressed that he intended to commit suicide by jumping off the cliff. It was his wife Khadija (RA) who encouraged him to be patient and have hope in Allah. This Hadith shows the extent of vulnerability of Prophet (pbuh)

Another Hadith tells us that when Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) migrated to Medina he observed that the date farmers there had a peculiar custom of rubbing flowers of date tree with each other (for pollination). Upon enquiring, farmers told him that they rub male and female flowers in order to impregnate them. Prophet`s modesty and his haya urged him to order farmers to stop that custom. That year Medina had a very poor date harvest. Upon realizing that Prophet allowed farmers to continue the ritual. This hadith shows his fallibility and yet innocence. In this particular case Allah lets Prophet correct his error on his own.

A third hadith tells us about some men of a Jewish tribe who told Prophet that they were sick (probably with Jaundice). Prophet ordered them to go outside the Medina city and live in a camel farm where open fresh air and change of elements could cure them. These men went to the farm and killed the camel shepherds and stole the camels. Later these men were apprehended and presented before Prophet. Since these men were Jews and according to the Constitution of Medina it was agreed with Jews that they would be treated with Jewish law, Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) sentenced them that their eyes be gouged and they be tied and thrown in the desert and left there to die. The reason for this punishment was that these men killed the camel shepherds exactly the same way and hence the Jewish law of an eye for an eye demanded the justice to be done in the same way.

Now keep in mind that Prophet has not done anything wrong here not according to any Divine law or the constitution of Medina and yet Allah reprimanded him in very harsh words and urged him to be compassionate to his people. At that occasion a string of verses were revealed to him that later form the basis of the Muslim law of Qisas and Diyat (Compensation) and thus annulling the Mosaic Law of an eye for an eye forever. Since then compassion has become an integral part of Muslim law and that is the reason the terms Adl-o-Ehsan (justice & Compassion) are always used in conjunction with each other in Islamic jurisprudence.

The purpose of bringing these facts to the fore was to elaborate on our error that we unwittingly are committing in the likeness of Christians. By attributing infallibility to Prophet and other men we are doing excess (ifraat) like Christians who invented the concept of Lord in Jesus Christ (pbuh). And look what this concept has lead them into – the Holy Trinity – the three gods. We must save Islam from the holy trinity of Sheikh>Prophet>Allah. We must keep them separate and keep them in their respective exalted places. It does not diminish their respective position but it sure saves us from Shirk, which is the result of Excess. And Holy Prophet (pbuh) explicitly forbade both Ifraat and Tafreet.

Yes NZ u r right I have heard this story too. Cooking on solar power.

These stories are coming heart to heart stregthniing our believes. The other two stries are also well known amongs the generation, we belong to. But the need of the time is to pass them on to our coming generations. Because these stories are their ``Amanat``.

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zahraJ # 38 - ahem :) I may have mixed up the order of words in the second verse. But I don`t think I have ``added`` my bit - at least not intentionally :)

You say:

``Most of the wahabis have a tough time in understanding the above myth :) They are way too much into rituals and rituals only. Often times, their hearts are not open enough to appreciate the above concept. ``

Actually my understanding of wahabis seems to be that they are a puritnical movement and the least ritualistic of all. In fact, they call many rituals as `biddaa`. And hence don`t allow any tombstones even in Jaanat al-Baqee cemetry in Madina for the fear that people would come and worship there. In fact, they don`t even let you stand there for too long.

Many of the `ritualistic` practices prevalent in Pakistan, such as ``500 daanay kee tasbeeh paRhna`` or ``taaveez bandhna`` or ``chaaleeswaaN`` or ``7 dafa qul, 14 dafa fatiha, 11 dafa durood parhna`` etc are highly disliked by wahabis.

Naqshbandi # 35 - you are right that i do not understand tawassul as well as perhaps you do - which is ample enough reason for me to shut up. But I am a pain in the neck and will keep at it :)

The point that I was trying to make was really simple and based on my obersvations. Indeed, as you say, no one should ever consider doing sajda to anyone but Allah. However, one visit to Gunj Baksh`s tomb in Lahore will reveal that he has a God like status (nauz billah). He is called ``daata sahib`` - which means giver - an attribute of Allah. Also, people do not make him a `waseelah` for their prayers. Contrary to that, they actually ask FROM him.

In any case, my point was really what I mentioned in my previous post - great caution is needed in the territory of mysticism. A learned and well trained person like you would know what you are doing. But the millions of semi-literate people who may follow you into doing the same, may make something completely different out of it.

The second story of Shah Shamas Tabraiz is transmitted by hearts of local people of land where he is resting..Multan.. One more story I remember of him belonging to the city Multan is cooking of meal for a poor women out of resources by utilizing solar energy...Its hazily in my mind but thats also a miracle of him!

On Miracles

If we accept the allegoric interpretation of these stories then I am sure it would be acceptable to most of the faithfuls.
Problem arises when these stories are interpreted literally while trying to extend credence to the phenomenon of miracles which break the law of nature!! By publicising their so called ability to contravene the laws of physics and every other natural sciences many charlatans try to become temporal power centres ........that is something unacceptable to most of the modern Gnostics!!

Asif

Thanks. You are a pious man.

Makes me feel very worldly & guilty.

NHk

#32: Malik99

Are you sure these were the exact words of Iqbal? It seems that you have added your bit as well :)

By the way, Iqbal also highlighted the following:

Jo Main Sar`basaj`daa Hooa` Kabhi Toa` - Zameen Sae` Anae` Lagi Sa`daa
Tae`raa Dil Toa` Hae Sanam Ashnaa`- Tujhae` Kiya Milae` Ga` Namaz Main

?

Naqshbandi
This was a very refreshing narrative. It took me back to my childhood days when our weekends used to begin with the stories of saints and sinners, miracles and human transformation.

I was talking to a friend about the following story when I realized that I have forgotten the name of the saint addressed here. If you know the name then let me know? The story revolved around one of the very enlightened saints who was distracted by Shai`taan many times. Shaitaan was quite annoyed by his humility. Often times, Shaitaa`n would hover over him to divert his attention and focus and try to fill him with negative thoughts about Allah Taa`la. The moral of the story was that Allah Ta`ala has the ultimate knowledge; no matter how knowledgeable a human being may be. In this case, the saint`s faith was too deep in God to be shaken by shaitaan. He slightly stumbled once, but his woke up pretty soon. I am not sure if this was about Hazrat Ghaus`al`Azam or Hazrat Shams Tabraiz? Any idea? My guess is the former than the latter.

On the same topic, there was another very enchanting story about a lion`s ferocity. I think that had something to do with Hazrat Shams Tabraiz. If you are aware of that story, you must post it as part 2 of this narrative. If I am not mistaken, Hazrat Shams Tabraiz could either influence wild animals or transform into one based on the spiritual powers he had.

Someone questioned on why ``such things(miraculous events)`` happen when the above two are alone. In my opinion, when the two are together (without any intrusion), there is more concentration on learning. The teachings are not necessarily spelled out. The disciple has to have the intellect as well to decipher the experiences/teachings. The experiences can be in many shapes and forms - from a tiny movement to a major transformation. Usually, in these scenarios, there is a lot of open talk back and forth within one`s own self. If you do not have the focus and concentration then you may lose the opportunity to grab the moment and grasp the teachings and the moral. The power of concentration is the most important aspect here. And that aspect gets transferred even during many wazai`f prescribed by many holy men - saints. This point cannot be taken lightly. It`s real serious matter.

By the way, Moses, King Solomon, Jesus, and the Holy Prophet(pbuh) were all blessed with a few powers and happened to have miracles in their era. King Solomon had many supernatural powers, in addition to worldly status and knowledge.

[Tawassul in no way negates that or argues otherwise; if you think so, you have not understood tawassul. ]

:)

Most of the wahabis have a tough time in understanding the above myth :) They are way too much into rituals and rituals only. Often times, their hearts are not open enough to appreciate the above concept.

I think Islam strongly needs variety and muslims have to appreciate and acknowledge that only prescribed rituals are not enough to ``gauge`` muslims. Also, definitive halal and haram are not enough to gauge the depth of one`s faith and belief. It`s better to be open hearted and be able to appreciate or absorb (and not necessarily acquire) what others have to offer than be so damn rigid about the ritualistic outlook.

I concur with your point on being respectful toward the saints and sages.

As they say,

Ba`adab, Ba` Naseeb
Bae` Adab, Bae` Naseeb.

Asif this was really nice.
``“You are trying to reach Allah and yet you haven’t even reached Junayd yet!” replied Imam Junayd Baghdadi. `` I found this story to be the best of the lot. Some people talk about reaching God but they still have to progress from reaching out to their fellow men.