TOPPeople particularly in the West, who casually refer to themselves and others as Sufis, do not realize the exalted position of those who have attained such spiritual refinement through the grace and blessings of Almighty Allah. In fact, it would constitute a kind of unparallel arrogance to presume to describe oneself as at the pinnacle of spiritual perfection. Since true Sufis would of necessity exhibit the height of humility and selflessness, it is difficult to locate one who would admit to such a condition. Some mistakenly assert that Sufism is separate from Islam, that it is broad and open-minded, whereas Islam is narrow, static, backward, and old-fashioned. Not only is such a concept ignorant, but also it does a tremendous disservice to those who are seeking the Truth.
A wrong doer is going to Baghdad
Time and again he is making the following request to Ghaus-e-Azam
You have guided the robbers on the right path
May you help me walk on the same path O the King of Baghdad
To write a complete biography of His Eminence and truly do justice to him would require months, if not years of research, traveling, and interviews with many eminent personalities, dignitaries and sincere disciples with whom His Eminence has established relationships and contacts with during his entire missionary career. To dive into such a vast and deep ocean to gather the innumerable pearls from the beginning of His Eminence missionary activities is certainly no easy task. His Eminence attainments and tributes have been compiled by some very important and eminent writers, journalist and scholars from different parts of the globe. I trust that this humble effort of ours will inspire and encourage a nobler and more talented pen to dive into that vast ocean and produce a comprehensive biography of this great roving ambassador of Islam.
To dive into such a vast and deep ocean to gather the innumerable pearls from the beginning of His Eminence missionary activities is certainly no easy task. His Eminence attainments and tributes have been compiled by some very important and eminent writers, journalist and scholars from different parts of the globe. I trust that this humble effort of ours will inspire and encourage a nobler and more talented pen to dive into that vast ocean and produce a comprehensive biography of this great roving ambassador of Islam.
Most human beings strive for a name and fame. His Eminence humbly declares he has no thirst for publicity. However he acknowledges that he has received a great 'treasure' from Almighty Allah through the mediation of the beloved Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace), Sayyiduna Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah be pleased with him) and Imam Ahmad Raza Khan (may Allah be pleased with him).
We call His Eminence, a mystic. But what is a mystic? He is someone who cannot be put into words, as words will show us one side of him, but the other side is beyond words. A real Sufi does not care what name people call him. Who calls him a Sufi, it is not he. But if he does not call himself, someone else is sure to find a name for him, it is man that gives names. If you call yourself 'New Way', it will be made into some name of a new sect one-day. He is a mystic who cannot be described in our prose or poetry. Even if we write volumes and volumes on him, ordinary mortals like ourselves will never be able to do justice to him. We leave it other mystics to do it.
The more Almighty Allah raises his statue, the more he crumbles himself before his fellow men and those who humble themselves never crumble. In his lectures he always emphasizes this point to his followers, "I am Nothing, He is Everything." This quality of nothingness that he attributes to himself undoubtedly stems from the countless Halqa-e-Zikr that he has participated in throughout the world for more than 44 years. Hazrat Maulana Ibrahim Khushtar emphasized that the first lesson in Tariqat is, "I am Nothing". Our master has indicated that a valuable lesson can be learnt from a dog. For example when you push your dog out of the house, sometime later he will come back, waiting eagerly, wagging his tail, waiting for his master to give him food. Even if the master beats or kicks the dog, the following day the dog will still be at his door.
Kia dabe jis pe himayat ka ho panje tera
shair ko hatre naheen kootta tera
Very brave are your protected men.
Your dog frightens a lion in the den.
His Eminence is not only a theologian, a missionary, but also a writer, a poet and a mystic. While reading his poetry, we can feel the poet has dived so deep within himself that he can touch the depths where he is united with the whole of life, with all souls, and that he can derive from that Source harmony, beauty, peace and power. What is it that awakens his soul to this rhythm that brings about poetry? It is something that touches in the poet that predisposition which is called Love. For with love come harmony, beauty, rhythm, and life. As such, his quatrains, his poems, his odes, etc have a therapeutic value as well as metaphysical motivation. "The demand of the day is that you try to understand me", states His Eminence in an amatory verse and, he invites us, again and again, to "search" for him. Where? That is the question. Would his "Qaseem-e-Baukhshish" [Urdu poetry] bring ecstasy to our soul where we may find him?
On all sides flutes are being played
Yet, I am in utter solitude.
My madness, oh Khushtar! is only that,
They say, I am passionately in love.
To those who may claim that all Paths lead to God, He has replied: "If you don’t know where you are going, any path will do. Literally millions of volumes exist which establish beyond any possibility of doubt that Sufism took seed directly from Islam, was nurtured by Islam, and has reached maturity in Islam. The Sufis may be considered a special class of teachers within Islam, whose responsibility is to maintain and transmit the hidden, deeper knowledge and understandings of the Holy Quran.
Islam is alive as long as the Sufi Saints breathe. Most of them prefer to be anonymous unless Almighty Allah in His Wisdom wills otherwise. For anyone to claim to be a Sufi is presumptuous. The Pir is humble to make any claim of any sort. Nevertheless, the Pir is as evident as broad daylight. Those who have association with a Pir are said to be in the Sufi tradition.