Who was Sultan ul Hind? Hazrat Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz رحمة الله تعالى عليه
Allah عزوجل who is our
creator and most merciful and kind to us has chosen pure and pious
personalities from his creation to guide humanity. The great blessing and mercy
of Allah عزوجل is that He blessed us with Prophets
and after the seal of Prophethood, our beloved Prophet صلی
اللہ تعالی
علیہ وسلم, He عزوجل gave the
task of guidance to great saints of the Islamic traditions. These saints or
awlia kiraam رحمھم
اللہ المبین are the lamps giving the light of knowledge and
guidance to humanity. In this series of shining luminaries, the name of great
spiritual sultan of India is, Hazrat Khwaja Muinudeen Hasan Sanjari Ajmeri,
famous as Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz رحمةالله
تعالى عليه.
Hazrat Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz was born in Iran in 1142
(537 H) About nine hundred years ago from now. He is a descendant of our
beloved Prophet صلی اللہ
تعالی علیہ وسلم. His
lineage meets to Hazrat imam Hussain رضی
اللہ تعالی عنہ through
twelve generations on the paternal side and to Hazrat imam Hasan رضی
اللہ تعالی
عنہ through ten generations on the maternal side. The name of his father
was Hazrat Khwaja Ghiyasud deen Hasan رحمةالله
تعالى عليه and the
name of his virtuous mother was Hazrat Bibi Mahnur. Hazrat Bibi was also known
as Umm-ul-Wara. Hazrat Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz رحمةالله
تعالى عليه belonged to a most pious family. The most honorable
relationship is that, the
Sultan-ul-Awliya, Crown of the Saints, Hazrat Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani رحمةالله
تعالى عليه famous as Hazrat Ghaus-ul Azam is the maternal uncle
of Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz رحمةالله
تعالى عليه.
His father died in his early age and inherited a
grinding stone and a garden for Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz. These two things were the
means of his livelihood. Once a great saint Hazrat Ibrahim Qandoozi رحمةالله
تعالى عليه visited him. Hazrat Ibrahim Qandoozi رحمةالله
تعالى عليه impressed
by the hospitality of Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz رحمةالله
تعالى عليه and gave him something to eat. This eatable internally
transformed the Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz رحمةالله
تعالى عليه to completely turn away from this world and attached
with the higher realm. As a result he sold off his two belongings and donated
to the poor and needy people and began a spiritual journey in the love of Allah
عزوجل.
Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz رحمةالله
تعالى عليه received
his early education at home. He memorized the entire Holy Quran at the age of
nine years. At that time Samarqand and Bukhara were most renowned centers for
learning like Baghdad so he traveled towards these cities. He also traveled
towards Baghdad Sharif where he met with the greatest saint and the king of
saints Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani رحمةالله
تعالى عليه. Huzoor
Ghaus-e-Pak رحمةالله
تعالى عليه said upon meeting him: “This young man will be a great
figure of his time. He will be a source of inspiration and a center of devotion
and focus of attention of myriads of people.” How true were the words of Huzoor
Ghaus-e- Pak رحمةالله
تعالى عليه!
Hazrat Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz رحمةالله
تعالى عليه spent most of his time acquiring knowledge, traveling
and in the company of great saints of his time. During his early twenties, he
met to his spiritual guide (Peer o Murshid) Hazrat Khwaja Usman Harooni رحمةالله
تعالى عليه and made the spiritual contract (Bait) with him. He got
a lot of knowledge from his murshid. He also traveled towards Lahore where he visited
the tomb of Hazrat Ali Hajveri رحمةالله
تعالى عليه famous as Data Ghanj Bakhsh. The pinnacle of his
travels was his visit to the noble cities of Makkah Mukarramah and Madinah
Munawwarah. When he presented his reverent salutations to the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ
تعالی علیہ
وسلم the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ
تعالی علیہ
وسلم blessed him by conferring upon him the title of “Qutbul Mashaikh”, i.e.
“The Head of the Pious Qutubs”. Finally he reached to Ajmer Sharif, where
thousands of people become Muslim due to his pious personality.
He رحمةالله
تعالى عليه was very pious person as he used to fast throughout the
year and used to recite the Holy Quran twice in a day, once in the day time and
once at night. He always remained in the state of Wuzu. He continued his
prayers throughout the night and prayed his fajar prayer with the Wuzu of Isha
prayer. One day he was present at the Holy Kaba when a voice was heard saying:
“Muinuddeen, We are pleased with you. We have forgiven you. We have granted you
salvation. Ask of Us, whatever you may desire.” The great Shaykh submissively
replied: “O God Almighty! Grant salvation to the spiritual disciples of
Muinuddeen!”
(Siar ul Aqtab)
Once
Sayyiduna Khuwajah Ghareeb Nawaz رحمةالله
تعالى عليه honoured the funeral of one of his disciples with his presence.
He رحمةالله
تعالى عليه laid him to rest with his blessed hands after the
funeral Salah. Sayyiduna Bakhtiyar Kaaki رحمةالله
تعالى عليه narrates: Almost all the people had left, but Sayyiduna
Khuwajah Ghareeb Nawaz رحمةالله
تعالى عليه remained
at his graveside. All of a sudden, he رحمةالله
تعالى عليه became sorrowful. After a little while, he رحمةالله
تعالى عليه thanked Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ by reciting (اَلْحَمْدُ
لِلّٰهِ
رَبِّ
الْعٰلَمِیْنَ) and he رحمةالله
تعالى عليه got satisfied. He رحمةالله
تعالى عليه clarified on my request to explain the situation: This devotee
of mine was surrounded by the angels of punishment that is why I was worried.
Meanwhile, my spiritual mentor, Sayyiduna Khuwajah ‘Usman Harwani عَـلَيْهِ
رَحْـمَةُ
الـلّٰـهِ
الۡـغَنِی came and addressed the angels as an intercessor of the
deceased, ‘O angels! Release him; he is the disciple of my disciple Mu’eenuddin
(رحمةالله
تعالى عليه).’ The angels replied, ‘He was a very sinful person.’ While the
discussion was in progress, an unseen voice was heard, ‘O angels! We have
pardoned the disciple of Mu’eenuddin Chishti for the sake of ‘Usman Harwani.’
(Mu’een-ul-Arwaah)
How
fortunate are the ones who have given their hands in the hands of this great
Spiritual Guide through his living spiritual successors (Khalifas)! His
immediate Spiritual Successor, Khalifa Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddeen Bakhtiar Kaki
(may Allah be pleased with him) said that he spent 20 years in the service of
his Murshid but never found him praying for his health. But instead he used to
say: “O God! Wherever there is pain, grant it to your servant Muinuddin.” He رحمةالله
تعالى عليه had a great respect and love for his Murshid and also advised
others to follow their Murshid. As once he said: A spiritual disciple (Mureed)
should always carry out the commands of his Murshid taking to heart that
whatever his or her Murshid persuades his Mureed to practice is for the benefit
of the Mureed.
He رحمةالله
تعالى عليه used to say that a true believer should bow his head
in front of Allah عزوجل and the true lover of Allah عزوجل should accept all the pains and sorrows with delight
coming in the way of Allah عزوجل. The true lover should not do
anything against the will of his beloved and
said the one who keeps his neck submitted to the Will of God, God Almighty gives
him special blessings.
Once he رحمةالله
تعالى عليه said that the company of the good is better than doing
good work and the company of the bad is worse than doing bad work. He said: It is
the sign of misfortune that a person keeps on committing sins even then he
considers himself chosen in the court of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. He wrote
letters to his beloved Mureed Hazrat Khwaja Bukhtyaar Kaki رحمةالله
تعالى عليه .These
letters contain many of his teachings. He رحمةالله
تعالى عليه also wrote books in Persian language such as Anis-ul-
Arwah – in this book he has written the discourses of his Murshid Pak, Hazrat
Usman Harooni (may Allah have mercy on him); Hadith-ul-Maarif; Risala Mau-
judia; Kanz-ul-Asrar or Ganj-ul-Asrar – this book was written at the behest of
his Murshid for the guidance of Sultan of Delhi Shamsuddin Iltutmish; Kashf-ul-Asrar;
and Afaq-o-Anfas.
It is the rule of this world that every person who
comes into this world has to go back from this world and have to taste death.
Hazrat Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz رحمةالله
تعالى عليه passed away on the sixth of Rajab 627 hijri. After his
demise his Mureeds found him in a state that on his forehead were written these
words: هذا حبيب
الله ماتا في
حب الله means that “He is a beloved of God, he passed away in
the love of God.” اِنَّا
لِلّٰهِ وَ
اِنَّاۤ
اِلَیْهِ
رٰجِعُوْنَ Truly we belong to God, and to Him is our return. His
annual Urs is celebrated every year with much devotion. The Urs starts from
first of Rajab and continues to six of Rajab. On the sixth of Rajab the main
ceremony held and after that the Urs ends. On the ninth of Rajab the mausoleum
is washed by devotees. Hundreds or thousands of people attend the Urs Mubarak
every year.
Hazrat Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz رحمةالله
تعالى عليه was an outstanding preacher of Islam. He رحمةالله
تعالى عليه was a great poet, writer and scholar of Islam. He رحمةالله
تعالى عليه was a true saint of Allah عزوجل at a time when it was very hard to find a true lover
and seeker of Allah عزوجل. May Allah عزوجل keep us in the shadow of the blessings of his saints
and give us the path of guidance and allow us to follow the teachings of Islam!
Ameen
