The
tomb of Sheikh Sayyid Amir Kulal.
Shah Bahauddin Naqshaband (ral) was born in the
village of Qasr al-Arifan near Bukhara in the year 711
AH/1317 CE. He is reported to have had miraculous powers
even during his childhood. When he was still a youth
Muhammad Baba as Samasi, a Sheikh of the Naqshabandi
Tariqa asked for him and to fulfill this request he
went to the village of Samas in order to serve him.
Of this period of time Shah Bahauddin (ral), has this
to say,
Rising
in the morning hours at least three hours before fajr
I would perform the sunnah prayers and thereafter in
the position of sajda (prostration) ask Allah Almighty
to give me the power to carry the pain of His Divine
love. Thereafter I would pray salat ul fajr with my
Sheikh. It seems that my Sheikh was aware of my supplication,
for he told me, You will have to change your method
of supplication as Allah Almighty does not like His
servants to ask for difficulties. He might however in
order to test his creatures give them some difficulties.
This is different. The servant should not however ask
to be in difficulties because this will not be showing
proper respect to Allah Almighty. Therefore change your
supplication and instead say to this weak servant
of Yours, oh my Lord grant Your pleasure.
After
the death of Sheikh Muhammad Baba Samasi I went to Bukhara
and also got married there. I lived in Qasr al-Arifan
near Seyyid Amir Kulal in order to serve him.
It is related that Sheikh Baba Samasi had a long time
ago told Seyyid Amir Kulal to take good care of shahBahauddin
Naqshaband.
The tomb and monument of Shah.
Shah Bahauddin (ral) relates of a vision that he had.
When I was in seclusion with a friend of mine
the heaven suddenly opened and a great vision came to
me. In this vision I heard a voice say, Leave
everyone and come to Our Presence alone. I began
to tremble and ran away from that place to where there
was a river and threw myself into it. I
washed my clothes and then prayed two rakaats
of prayer in a manner that I had never prayed before
as I felt that I was praying in the very Divine Presence.
Unveiling was taking place in my heart and it was opening
to everything. The entire universe vanished and I was
not conscious of anything other than praying in His
Divine Presence.
There
is also a very unusual story about this very great saint
Shah Bahauddin Naqshaband (ral). Shah Bahauddin Naqshaband
(ral) relates about this incident, At the beginning
of my state of attraction I was asked as to why I was
entering on this path. I answered so that whatever
I say and want will happen I was answered, It
cannot be like
that, whatever We say and whatever We want is what will
happen to which I replied, I cannot agree
to that. I must be able to say and to do whatever
I like; if this is not going to be the way then I have
no need for this path. Then I received the answer,
no it is whatever We desire to be said and whatever
We desire to be done, that must be said and
done. To this I replied again whatever I
say and whatever I do should be the way. After
this I was left alone.
For
fifteen days I was left alone. This made me go into
a deep state of depression. Then suddenly to my joy
I heard a voice saying, Oh Bahauddin, it is as
you wish We will grant to you whatever that you wish.
I asked for my wish which was give me a way which
will lead all who travel on it directly to the Divine
Presence. Then I experienced a great vision and
heard You have been granted what you have asked
for. This story is unusual as everyone complies
with the Divine Orders and does not ask for what they
wish. Generally it would be considered discourteous
to refuse to accept the Divine Orders and insist on
wanting what one wants. Yet after the initial refusal
Shah Bahauddin (ral) was granted his request. It may
be that because he asked on behalf of others and not
for himself that what he wanted was granted. This then
was the consideration that Shah Bahauddin Naqshaband
(ral) had for others and this we assumed was the reason
that this request was granted.
The tomb of Sheikh Muhammad Baba as Samasi.
There
is another interesting story about how Shah Bahauddin
Naqshaband (ral) was tested by his Sheikh. This test
was a heavy one. Shah Bahauddin Naqshaband (ral) relates
this incident, Once I was in a state of divine
attraction where I was not conscious of myself and I
was moving about not knowing what I was doing. At nightfall
I found myself
bleeding in both my feet which were torn and pricked
with thorns. Then I felt that I should go to the house
of my Sheikh, Seyyid Amir Kulal. It was biting cold
in the night and the night too was dark with no moon
or stars. To prevent the cold I had nothing on me but
an old leather cloak. Then I arrived at my sheikhs
house and saw him together with his friends and followers.
He saw me and told his followers, take him out
of my house, I do not wanting him in my house,
so the followers came and put me out of the house. I
could not bear it.
I
felt that my ego was going to defeat me and that it
would take over my feelings by trying to poison me concerning
the trust I had in my Sheikh. How could I carry this
disgrace and humiliation? Then the Divine Mercy came
upon me which made me able to carry this insult in the
cause of Allah and in the cause of my Sheikh. I firmly
told my ego, I am not
going to allow you to make me lose the love and trust
for my Sheikh.
I
then felt a deep depression overcome me. I held fast
to the state of humbleness, put my head down on the
entrance of my Sheiks house and swore that I would
not remove it from there until he accepted me one more
time. I could feel the snow and the cold wind going
right through my bones which were making me shiver and
tremble in this cold dark night.
There
was not even the light of the moon or the stars for
consolation and warmth. I almost froze. It was only
the warmth of the love that I had for Allah Almighty
and my Sheikh that kept me warm.
The Tomb of Sheikh Abd al Khaliq Gujadawani.
I
waited in this condition until the break of day. Then
my Sheikh stepped out and without seeing me his foot
trod on my head. When my sheikh saw that this was me,
he quickly took me into his house and with great concern
and care he started pulling out the thorns from my feet,
he said Oh my son you have been today dressed
with the dress of
happiness and the dress of Divine Love. This dress which
your have been adorned with neither my Sheikh before
me nor I have been dressed in such a manner. Allah is
happy with you and the Prophet Muhammad (sal)is happy
with you. The Saints of the Golden Chain are also all
happy with you.
While
pulling the thorns out of my feet and washing my wounds
my Sheikh poured into my heart such knowledge that I
had never before experienced. Then in a vision I saw
myself entering into the secret of Muhammad ur Rasolullah.
This was entering into the secret of
the verse that is the Reality of Muhammad. Thereafter
this led me on to enter into the secret of la ilaha
illallah which is the secret of the Uniqueness of Allah.
This in turn led me to enter the secrets of Allah Almightys
names and attributes that are in the secret of the
Oneness of Allah. It is not possible for words to explain
this state. This can only be experienced by tasting
through the heart.
Shah
Bahauddin Naqshaband (ral) was trained by Baba as Samasi
and Seyyid Amir Kulal both of whom are great Sheikhs
of the Golden Chain of the Naqshbandi order. He was
also trained by another very big Grandsheikh of this
very same Golden Chain. This incident is referred to
by Shah Bahauddin Naqshaband in the following story,
At the start
of my journey on the Sufi way I used to wander at night
from one place to another in the suburbs of Bukhara.
In order to learn a lesson from the dead I used to visit
many cemeteries in the darkness of night and this was
also specially during the winter. One night I went over
to visit the burial place of Sheikh Ahamed al Kashghari
and to recite fatiha for him. When I went to his grave
I found there two men waiting for me. I had never met
them before. They had a horse with them. They made me
sit on the horse and tied on my belt two swords, then
they directed this horse to the tomb of Sheikh Mazdakhin.
We then dismounted from our horses and entered the tomb
and the mosque of this sheikh
and started meditation.
While
meditating I saw in a vision the wall facing the kabah
come crashing down. A big made man was seated on a huge
throne. He was gigantic. I felt familiar with him as
if I had met him before. Whichever way I turned my face
I would see this person. Around this
person were my Sheikhs Baba Samasi and Seyyid Amir Kulal
together with a large crowd. I felt a love for this
huge man and at the same time I felt afraid of him.
I had awe and fear of his presence and love and attraction
for his beauty. I was asking myself who could this
great and gigantic man be. Suddenly I heard a person
from the crowd around this man saying this man
is your Sheikh and he looked after you on your spiritual
path. He looked at your soul when it was still an atom
in the Divine Presence. You have been under his training.
His name is Abdul Khaliq Al Gujadawani and the crowd
that you see around him
are the Saints who carry his great secrets, the secrets
of the Golden Chain. Then this Sheik began to point
to each Sheikh and say, this is Sheik Ahmed, this
is Arif Rawakri,this is Sheikh Ali Ramitani, this is
your Sheikh Baba as Samasi who gave you his cloak during
his lifetime. He asked me, Do you know him.
I replied yes. Then he said, The
cloak that he gave you is still in your house and with
his blessings Allah Almighty has removed from you many
troubles.
Then
another voice said the Sheikh who is sitting on
the throne will be teaching you something that you will
need while traveling on this path. I asked them whether
they would allow me to touch his hand. This was allowed
and I took his hand. Then he began to tell me about
the path, its beginning, middle and end. He said,
You have to adjust the wick
of yourself so that the light of the invisible can be
strengthened in you and its secrets can be seen. You
have to show constancy and you have to keep firmly the
Divine Law of the Prophet Muhammed (sal) in all your
states. He also said, You have to dispense
with comfort and keep away from innovation and make
your kiblah the traditions of the Prophet
Muhammad (sal). You have to go into and investigate
the life of the Prophet Muhammed (sal)and his companions.
You must ask people to read and to follow the Quran
both during the day and night and to do the compulsory
prayers and all the sunnah worship.
Do not overlook even the tiniest thing of the Prophet
Muhammads (sal) deeds and good works.
As soon as Abd al-Khaliq al-Ghujadawani (ral)
finished, his khalifs told me so that you can
be certain of this vision he will be sending you a sign.
He was told that certain things and incidents would
happen and as to what he had to do, as and when they
happened.
Likewise
these incidents took place in the manner described to
him and Shah Bahauddin (ral) also acted in the manner
that he was instructed to act, thus fulfilling the truth
of this vision. He was also asked to take the cloak
of Azizan to Seyyid Amir Kulal (ral). After this vision
ended I went to my house on the next day and looked
for the cloak and asked my
family as to its whereabouts. They told me, it
has been here for a long time, and brought and
gave it to me. I started crying inside when I saw the
cloak.
After
the fulfillment of all the things that was said in his
vision, as ordered I took the cloak of Azizan to Sheikh
Seyyid Amir Kulal (ral) and gave it to him. After some
silence Sheikh Amir Kulal told me, I was told
about this cloak of Azizan last night and that you would
bring it to me. I have been ordered to keep it in ten
different layers of covering. He then asked
me to come into his room and taught me and placed in
my heart the silent zikr. I was asked to keep to this
zikr day and night. I kept to this silent zikr which
is the highest form of zikr. I also went to the external
scholars to study the Divine Law and the traditions
of the Prophet Muhammad (sal) and also to study about
the character of the Prophet
Muhammad (sal)and his companions. I followed the orders
that were given to me in my vision and my life took
on a big change. All what was taught to me by Sheikh
Abd al-Khaliq al-Gujadawani (ral) in the vision benefited
me and bore fruit. His spirit always accompanied me
and taught me. Sheikh Abd al-Khaliq al-Ghujadawani
(ral) was also one
of the masters of Shah Bahauddin Naqshaband (ral) although
he lived a long time before the time of Shah Naqshaband
(ral). This connection is known as the Uvaisi Connection
which means that the guide is spiritually connected
and guides, although he is from another time. Sheikh
Abd al-Khaliq al-Ghujadawani (ral) is also a Master
of the Golden Chain of Masters.
Shah Bahauddin Naqshaband's (ral) Mausoleum.
Shah Bahauddin Naqshband (ral) also followed and learned
from Mawlana Arif ad-Din Karani for a period of seven
years. After which he followed Mawlana Kuthum Shaykh
for many years. He also kept the company of Dervish
Khalil Ghirani about whom he said, in
his company new unseen knowledge was opened to my heart
and he always looked after me, praised me and lifted
me up. There was another lover of Allah about
whom Shah Bahauddin Naqshaband (ral) talks, He
ordered me to help and serve the poor and needy
and to help the broken hearted. He asked me to be humble
and to keep to tolerance. He also told me to take care
of animals and to cure their deceases and to clean their
wounds and also to help them find their food.
Shah
Bahauddin Naqshband (ral) refers to another incident
regarding the cloak of Azizan. One day I was in
my garden and around me were my disciples. I was wearing
the cloak of Azizan. I suddenly felt overwhelmed by
heavenly blessings and attraction and I felt that
I was adorned and dressed with Allah Almightys
attributes. I began shaking in a way that I had never
experienced before so much so that I could not remain
standing. I then saw a great vision in which I was totally
annihilated and I could not see anything other than
the Existence of my Lord.
Then
I saw myself coming out from His Divine Presence reflected
through the mirror of Muhammad ur Rasoolullah which
was in the form of a star in an ocean of light without
beginning and without end. My external life ceased to
be and I saw the meaning of la ilaha
illallah Muhammad ur Rasoolullah. This in turn led me
to the meaning of the Essence of the name Allah
which led me to the Absolute Unseen which is the Essence
of the name Huwa (He). As soon as I entered
this ocean my heart stopped beating and my life ended.
I was in the state of death. All those around me started
crying thinking that I had
died. However after about six hours I was ordered to
return to my body. I could see my soul re-entering my
body slowly and then the vision ended.
Shah
Bahauddin Naqshaband (ral) also says that he received
secrets from all sides and specially from Uways al-Qarani
(ral) who he says influenced him to give up worldly
things and to attach himself to spiritual matters. He
says, I did this by keeping to the sunnah and
the orders of the Prophet Muhammad (sal)until I began
spreading the unseen
knowledge and the granted secrets from the Unique Oneness
that no one before me had ever shared.
There
is another interesting story related by this great Saint
Shah Bahauddin Naqshaband (ral) regarding his spiritual
power. He says, I went one day into the desert
with one of my sincere disciples named Muhammad Zahid.
We started digging with a pick axe and working but at
the same time also discussing very deep states of knowledge.
We
threw away the pick axes as were got deeper and deeper
into this subject. Then he suddenly asked me, to
what limit does worship reach, I replied, worship
reaches to such a level that you will be able to point
out at someone and say die and then he will
die. As I said this I unconsciously pointed at
Muhammad Zahid. When I said the word die,
to my horror he fell down dead. From sunrise up to mid
day the time passed and he still remained dead. At mid
day it got very hot and the body started deteriorating
due to the intense heat. I did not know what to do and
was afraid and confused. All I could do was pull him
towards the shade under a tree. I then sat down and
started thinking and
contemplating as to what I should do in this situation.
Suddenly Divine Inspiration came to me and I said pointing
to him Oh Muhammad Live! three times. To
my joy his soul slowly started to return to his body
and then he gradually returned to his original state.
I quickly went to my sheikh and told him about this
incident to which he replied, Oh my son, Allah
Almighty has given you a secret which he has not given
to anyone else.
In
his last days Shah Bahauddin Naqshaband (ral) was confined
mostly to his room.Many were the people who came to
see him. Crowds thronged to see him as his illness became
graver. When his time began to draw near he ordered
the sura yasin to be recited. When this was finished
he raised his hands to Allah Almighty and then also
raised
up his finger and recited the Shahada Kalima, bearing
witness to the One God and the messenger hood of the
Prophet Muhammad (sal). With this his soul returned
to Allah.
The date was the 3rd of Rabi-al-Awwal, 791 AH/1388 CE,
on a Monday night. As he had requested, he was buried
in his own garden. Regarding this a great Saint of the
time Abd al Wahab ash-Sharani said, when the sheikh
was buried in his grave a window to paradise was opened
for him, making his grave a paradise from heaven. Two
beautiful spiritual beings came and greeted him saying,
We have been waiting to serve you from the time
that Allah created us and now the time has come for
us to serve you, to which Shah Bahauddin Naqshaband
(ral) had replied, I am not in need of looking
at anything other than Him. I do not need you, I need
Him. This is how the passing away and the burial
of this great Sheikh has been described. Such was the
greatness of the Pir or the Pillar of the most distinguished
Naqshabandi Tariqa. This Tariqa was before his time
called Siddiqiya. After Shah Bahauddin Naqshaband
(ral), however it came to be known as the Naqshbandiyya
Tariqa.
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