Memorable Meetings - Sept 1995

Index

Publications from South Africa

A gift to Hazrat Maulana Khushtar

Material for Research

Urs Qadiri at the Khanqah in Mesnil

Master and disciples

Proper conduct for the best use of Time

Self-annihilation

The Right Path

Attendance

 

Publications from South Africa

On 12th September, His Eminence returned from South Africa where several Urs Qadiri Razvi were organized under his patronage. After Esha prayers on the following day I got the opportunity to sit in his company. Hazrat Maulana Khushtar distributed a few publications and made some remarks:

Qaseedah Ghausiah, the poem by Sayyiduna Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah be pleased with him), each line, said His Eminence, is an ocean by itself. Some lines are hereunder given:

He enrobed me with determination embroidered

And He crowned me with the Crown of Perfection

 

Had I thrown my secrets into the Oceans

They would have at once dried up

A gift to Hazrat Maulana Khushtar

A friend came in with a gift. His Eminence took it, opened it and kissed it. He then related how he once had the golden opportunity to sit in the precincts of Shaikh Sayyiduna Abdul Qadir Jilani’s (may Allah be pleased with him) tomb in Baghdad, Iraq. During closing, he was not asked to leave. On the contrary, the person in charge requested him to come nearer the tomb. It was an immense spiritual pleasure that he did so, but he cannot recollect what took place afterwards for he felt as if transported with delight, no doubt, in an immense state of ecstasy!

Material for research

I fully realize that there is no dearth of reliable material to help any dedicated person prepare some research work on Hazrat Maulana Khushtar. However, I prayed that the ‘Memorable Meetings’ could be of some help in that respect. I made no sign whatsoever of my desire but His Eminence by himself requested me to make some copies of the ‘Memorable Meetings’ for these may be helpful in the event of any research work.

Urs Qadiri at the Khanqah, Mesnil

Every Thursday, there is a spiritual gathering at the Khanqah. I enquired whether Urs Qadiri would be celebrated on the following day and was unable to obtain the necessary information. So, I made up my mind to contact Hazrat Maulana Khushtar on that subject. While I was in his company, he received an inkling of what was passing in my mind, and, just as a matter of information, said that the Urs Qadiri would be held at the Khanqah on Thursday 14 September. By the grace of Almighty Allah, I was present although a bit late.

Master and disciples

Some days before I read a book on Nizamuddeen Auliya (may Allah be pleased with him) whom, as we are aware, is a saint of an outstanding caliber. He adopted the principle of accepting everybody to his disciple and by doing so, he caused a sort of revolution. Needless to say, people from all walks of life would call on him by thousands and thousands for the solution of their problems and for spiritual enlightenment.

I could not cease asking myself why the topic master/disciple and asked Hazrat Maulana Khushtar to enlighten me thereon. He stated that there was a time when the Master lived only for Almighty Allah, and the disciples took oath (bayat) only for Allah. But in today’s world, things have totally changed. In the circumstances, many people are not doing things because of Allah but because of their own selfish interests.

The above brought to my mind the circumstances, which led to my taking 'bayat' on the hands on Hazrat Maulana Khsuhtar. It was in 1965. A friend of mine who had neither traveled abroad nor seen a photograph of His Eminence reported that he had seen His Eminence in his dream even before his arrival in Mauritius. Another friend told me that he was convinced on his very first contact that Hazrat Khushtar could guide hi to his attainment of the Truth and the Supreme Station. On my part, I entered the Jummah Mosque one-day and the voice of His Eminence just reached my ears through the loudspeaker when I told myself, "This is the Master ".

For one reason or another, all three of us were a bit shy, however, when His Eminence told us to translate into action what was in our hearts, we lost no time. And, on a fine morning before Fajr Azaan, on 12 Rabbi-ul-Awwal 1385 (12 February 1965), we had the extraordinary chance of being admitted as disciples of Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ibrahim Khushtar Siddiqui Qadiri Razvi.

Proper conduct for the best use of time

On the 15th, I was at the Eidgah Sunni Razvi Central Mosque on the occasion of the 525th weekly Jummah prayers held there. His Eminence spoke on the time factor. He stressed on the fact that time is running quick and we are definitely approaching our grave. To illustrate on the element of fastness and time, he said he was at three different parts of South Africa for the last three Jummah prayers. Very quickly, more than three weeks have already elapsed since he last left Mauritius. He therefore made an appeal that we make the best use of time.

Pursuing this subject he said that the Companions of the Noble Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) are Companions of the Prophet not simply because they had faith and they performed prayers, fasted, etc, but mainly because they were in the good company of the beloved Prophet and they kept contact with him.

Hazrat Maulana Khushtar further stated that contact with Sayyiduna Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah be pleased with him) and other pious servants of Allah are all important. Without such a blessed connection, no proper contact can be established with the beloved Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). An, if we do not have the appropriate contact, we would not be able to use time profitably.

In the circumstances we should select the company we keep and should go where we are advised to do good deeds and counseled to be steadfast. We should not attend places where backbiting is allowed. A backbiter added His Eminence is faithless, aimless and has no good contact. He also declared that we should not forget that without our contact with Alahazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (may Allah be pleased with him), We would not have been in a position to propagate the mission of peace and love. Today, by the grace of Almighty Allah, the Sunni Razvi Society has been launched in many parts of the world. We are but humble servants of Almighty Allah.

To conclude, may I be allowed to cite the following pithy saying of Nizamuddeen Auliya (may Allah be pleased with him), "Time is the most precious thing with a mystic, it is lamentable if he wastes it."

Self-annihilation

Somebody, who wants to understand the virtues of Allah, that is, Allah being omnipresent, omniscient, all-powerful, etc, has to erase himself completely, to eradicate himself totally. A seed, added His Eminence, is placed upon a rock will not yield anything. But when it is placed in the earth, it looses its identity and finally bears fruits. In the same way, Ghaus-ul-Azam Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah be pleased with him) annihilated himself in the love of Allah. His heart was then illuminated by the majesty of Allah. It was only at that time that he could understand Allah’s virtues. His feet became the feet of Allah, his hands the hands of Allah, his tongue the tongue of Allah, his ears the ears of Allah and his eyes the eyes of Almighty Allah.

A person came to Ghaus-ul-Azam and related that Nur-ul Hassan, overpowered by ecstasy, was continually in a state of exhilaration. Ghaus-ul-Azam enquired whether Nur-ul-Hassan was performing the compulsory prayers. In the affirmative was the answer for at the time of the compulsory prayers he would come back to his normal state. Then concluded Huzoor Ghaus-ul-Azam (may Allah be pleased with him), the intoxication of Nur-ul-Hassan is all genuine and authentic.

The Right Path

I attended the 1412th Monday weekly Halqa Zikr held at the Sunni Razvi Academy on 18th September 1995. On that day, His Eminence talked on "eh-dinass seratal mustaqeem" (guide us on the right path) and raised the issues below.

Everybody claims that he is on the right Path and that contact is strong. Contact with the beloved Prophet is not sufficient. We should first of all establish our connection with Shaikh Sayyiduna Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah be pleased with him) and other loyal servants of Allah, including Alahazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (may Allah be pleased with him), then our contact with the beloved Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) would be of real worth. We should show much love and respect for the beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace).

Several times in our daily prayers do we fervently ask Allah to guide on the right path? Have we ever cogitated how does Allah respond? In all his Majesty He advises us to follow with love the path of the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous. Have we ever asked ourselves who these special servants are?

Much devotion and respect must be shown to all the loyal servants of Allah including those of our spiritual genealogy. We must have faith upon them and be more constant than the northern star. A disciple of Imam Ahmed Raza (may Allah be pleased with him) once reported that, were his parents to come out of their graves and speak any ill of his spiritual master, he would not trust them.

To the best of our capacity, we must be engaged in the remembrance of Allah and implore Him not to let us fall into the trap of Satan. We must at the same time make a Holy war against our material ego (nafs).

Raza nafs dushman he damme mein na aa-na

Kahan toum ne deikhe hein chandrane wale

 

Raza! Do not trust your lower self: It is your enemy

You do not know how dehumanizing is the evil of envy.

A few days after the zikr session, I met a friend who told me that before coming to the spiritual gathering, he was meditating on 'eh-dinass seratal mustaqeem' and 'on the path of whom those Allah has favored'. When he heard Hazrat Maulana Khushtar talking on the same subject he was most surprised and overjoyed.

Attendance

On the 22nd of September 1995, at the Qadiri Razvi Central Mosque, His Eminence explained that Eid-ul-Fitr comes once yearly but Almighty Allah has favored the Muslims by granting them an Eid every week on Friday. On that day, we should be in attendance for the Jummah prayers. Otherwise we are going to fail in our duty and not show our faithfulness and sincerity. We should seize the opportunity to make a sort of self-analysis, go over what we have done during the past week and take such remedial actions where necessary.

In our daily life, continued Hazrat Maulana Khushtar, attendance plays a very important role. At our place of residence, our attendance is vital; likewise, in our work and daily prayers, attendance is necessary. In our relation with our spiritual guide also, attendance is essential, and he emphasized that attendance should not depend on our whims and caprices (impulses).

The Imam in the Mosque, Hazrat Maulana Khushtar went on to say, should be in attendance to conduct prayers. In addition he should demonstrate a certain degree of love and understanding. When our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) fell ill, he selected Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqui (may Allah be pleased with him) to conduct prayers. Once in the process of prayer, the Companions, who vied (competed) with one another to be in attendance in the threshold of the Prophet, felt that the Prophet had opened a door and was looking at them. They thought that their beloved Master had recovered. To manifest their happiness and love, they not only, as was a custom among the Arabs, started a sort of clapping their hands but also turned towards him. The Prophet as last closed the door lest the Companions got out of control.

Pursuing on the same subject, His Eminence said that we should bear well in mind that Shariat requires us to face the Qibla while performing prayer, but we must also not forget that the beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) has said, "He who seen me has seen God." His Eminence ended his discourse by relating an event, which took place during the student days of Nizamuddeen Auliya (may Allah be pleased with him). The latter was asked by his spiritual master, Hazrat Shaikh Fariduddeen Ganj-i-Shakar (may Allah be pleased with him) to go and purchase some sweets. When Nizamuddeen Auliya (may Allah be pleased with him) reached the sweets shop, he was asked to wait as the shopkeeper was going to have a glimpse of Hazrat Shaikh Najmuddeen Kubra (may Allah be pleased with him), a most revered Sufi Saint, who had made a public announcement that whosoever shall look at him shall enter paradise. Nizamuddeen Auliya (may Allah be pleased with him) waited and waited and when the shopkeeper returned, he purchased the sweets and went back to his spiritual master. When asked about his lateness, he related the incident and finally added that his duty was to be in attendance at the feet of his spiritual master whom he preferred to paradise.

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