When did Physical and Spiritual Leadership Separate?
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman said:
The oath to a Caliph, oath to enter Islam, oath of repentance and piety, and the oath to jihad were one till the time of the Rashidun Caliphate. Imam Hasan ibn Ali was the fifth Rashidun Caliph. When he abdicated caliphate, both the oath to a Caliph and oath of repentance and piety were detached. To articulate it precisely, physical and spiritual leadership were separated. Imam Hasan ibn Ali counselled Imam Husayn ibn Ali, “Allah has decided that He will not give both caliphate (physical leadership) and sainthood (spiritual leadership) in our family.” What is meant by sainthood? It is the straight path to reach Allah or the true faith. What is the meaning of caliphate? Political leadership or kingship
The Pledge of Women
The conversation took a surprising turn to whether women needed their husbands’ permission to take oath of allegiance.
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen gave a befitting reply:
To walk the path of Islam, a woman does not need her husband’s permission. Allah comes first and then marriage because one is married in the name of Allah as is stated in the Holy Quran that it is Allah’s name on which women become lawful on men. First relation is with Allah, then husband and after him are the relatives.
Allah has mentioned women’s oath in Quran:
یٰۤاَیُّهَا النَّبِیُّ اِذَا جَآءَكَ الْمُؤْمِنٰتُ یُبَایِعْنَكَ عَلٰۤى اَنْ لَّا یُشْرِكْنَ بِاللّٰهِ شَیْــٴًـا وَّ لَا یَسْرِقْنَ وَ لَا یَزْنِیْنَ وَ لَا یَقْتُلْنَ اَوْلَادَهُنَّ وَ لَا یَاْتِیْنَ بِبُهْتَانٍ یَّفْتَرِیْنَهٗ بَیْنَ اَیْدِیْهِنَّ وَ اَرْجُلِهِنَّ وَ لَا یَعْصِیْنَكَ فِیْ مَعْرُوْفٍ فَبَایِعْهُنَّ وَ اسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُنَّ اللّٰهَؕ-اِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَفُوْرٌ رَّحِیْمٌ
Meaning: O Prophet! When the believing women appear in your presence to take the oath of allegiance that they will not set up anything as partner with Allah and will not steal, nor will they commit adultery, or kill their children, or bring false blame which they have invented between their hands and feet (i.e., will not deceive their husbands declaring some other’s baby as their own), or disobey you in (any) matter pertaining to law, then accept their allegiance and seek forgiveness for them from Allah. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Ever-Merciful. (Quran 60:12)
Quran clearly states of the oath of women. This verse is not about those who come to pledge to accept Islam, rather it is about the believing (momin) women.
The Way to Pledge Women
Someone inquired Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen, the light of Divine Guidance, that how the Holy Prophet pledged women?
He answered:
The method of pledging women by the Holy Prophet was that he would put water in a bowl and would place his hand on one end of the bowl and women on the other end, then he would pledge. He also pledged by holding a piece of cloth at one end and the women would hold it by the other end
Mediation
Allah says in the Holy Quran:
یٰۤاَیُّهَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَ ابْتَغُوْۤا اِلَیْهِ الْوَسِیْلَةَ
Meaning: O believers! Fear Allah persistently and keep looking for a mediator towards Him. (5:35)
The word mediator does not mean faith as Allah is already addressing the believers rather it means as you have already brought faith, now adopt these two attributes: firstly, fear Allah and secondly, to search for a mediator. Here it is ordered to search and find a mediator. If we read its literal meanings, then Lisan al-Arab is a famous and an authentic dictionary. It defines the word mediator (vaseela) as, “By means of whom closeness to someone is achieved.” (Vol. XI p. 725)
It is said that all Arabic dictionaries are derived from Lisan al-Arab. According to sharia, mediation means to find closeness to Allah through a person who is Allah’s beloved and is already close to Him, who has travelled the mystic path and knows its ups and downs.
The thing is, one achieves expertise in anything from its expert. If one talks of madrasas, then off course an expert in Fiqh will teach it, similarly experts in Hadith and exegesis will teach it. If we move to colleges, then the subjects taught there be it chemistry, biology or Urdu and social sciences etc are taught by at least someone who has a Master’s degree in its respective field. It is not possible that a physics teacher starts to give lectures on chemistry. It is also not possible that a professor who has a PHD in physics and is head of physics department starts to give lectures on biology, chemistry or psychology. Aforementioned proves that as in worldly fields it is not possible similarly in verse thirty-five of sura al-Maida it is being said that a person who is perfectly accomplished by annihilating and achieving immortality in Allah should be chosen as a mediator.
The Real Job of a Scholar (Alims)
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen articulated with deep spiritual insight:
The job of a scholar is to teach students or people about the exoteric knowledge of Quran, Hadith, sharia and Fiqh. They should also tell people about the orders of Allah and convey what has been forbidden instead of (dividing people by) making them fight. They should talk about the (straight) path. Unfortunately, many scholars pledge oath from people which is an utter folly. This is not their work.
Fitna of Conjurers (Amils)
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen brought light onto the fitna of conjurers (amils عامل) practising openly in society nowadays:
The second fitna spreading nowadays is of conjurers (amils عامل). They are of two types. One are the black magicians and second ironically call themselves magicians of light (noori aamil نوری عامل). They have captured supernatural beings. People visit these so-called magicians and surprisingly women have also joined this absurd field. Many visit them and among them are also those senseless people who are appointed at reputable designations. These magicians perform forty-days seclusions to capture supernatural beings. Many worldly people visit them to get their work done for example to find the winning number of lotteries… These magicians claim that they will get impossible feats done. They adopt the ways of Hindus. Ridiculously palmists and astrologist have joined them.
I know of good astrologists too who stay within the limits of their field or knowledge. Nowadays many palmists while looking at hands predict that a tough time is approaching and they can solve it by forty days seclusion. They have become (fake) spiritual guides. Do not think of them as spiritual guides. Let alone their claim of spiritual guide, they are not even Muslims. To visit them is haram and even to sit among them is haram. The followers of Sufism do not consider them Muslims. They challenge the Oneness of Allah and give guarantee that they can convince Allah whereas no one knows the knowledge of hidden (ilm-e-ghaib علمِ غیب) except for the Prophets.
It is in the Holy Quran:
عٰلِمُ الْغَیْبِ فَلَا یُظْهِرُ عَلٰى غَیْبِهٖۤ اَحَدًا — اِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضٰى مِنْ رَّسُوْلٍ
Meaning: (He is) the Knower of the unseen. So He does not inform any (common man) of His unseen, except for His Messengers with whom He is well-pleased. (72 : 26-27)
Allah does not bestow anyone the knowledge of the hidden and unseen except for the Prophets whereas these magicians are claiming that they have this knowledge. Therefore, keep distance from them. These are the ones who have defamed (the pure and genuine) spiritual guides.
The Biggest Fitna of Today
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen says:
Even women nowadays claim to be spiritual guides. Strangely enough, many men are their disciples. Now try to understand, that not only in Faqr but in any order of Sufism, a woman cannot hold the seat of spiritual guidance and training (i.e. be a spiritual guide and take oath from people) just like in sharia a woman cannot be an Imam but men are rapidly becoming disciples of women. This is a new fitna in Islam because not so long ago it was not practiced.
Who is a Perfect Spiritual Guide?
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen says:
A perfect spiritual guide is the one who treads this path and after the death of his spiritual guide adorns the throne of Divine guidance and persuasion. He never practices it in the lifespan of his spiritual guide as his respect and honour for the spiritual guide is at its peak that he does not practice it unless his spiritual guide orders him to do so in another city or region.
اگر کوئی شعیبؑ آئے میسر
شبانی سے کلیمی دو قدم ہے
Explanation: Finding the perfect spiritual guide is the only way to achieve the spiritual elevation from the level of a common person to the one who converses with Allah like Prophet Moses. Perfect spiritual guide is to the disciple as Prophet Jethro was to Moses. His beneficence is everything. (Iqbal and Faqr)
When Moses went from Egypt, he came to Prophet Jethro who trained him, married him to his daughter and ordered to graze goats. The word shabanee in the above verse of Allama Mohammad Iqbal means a shepherd. When Moses was trained, Prophet Jethro ordered him to go back to Egypt. Iqbal says in the verse that from being a simple shepherd to the one who converses with Allah is two steps away, if one finds Prophet Jethro i.e. a spiritual guide.
Rumi says:
پیر را بگزیں کہ بے پیر ایں سفر
ہست بس پرُ آفت و خوف و خط
Explanation: Find a spiritual guide because without him (to travel on) this journey (of Truth) is arduous.
If you want to travel safe and sound on this difficult journey, then become a disciple of a perfect spiritual guide.
The Sight of a Spiritual Guide
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen says:
Just like a jealous person has an envious sight similar to it there is good sight. Just like an evil sight puts a camel into cooking pot and alters destiny likewise the good sight of a spiritual guide progresses one’s destiny.
Allama Mohammad Iqbal says:
خرد کے پاس خبر کے سوا کچھ اور نہیں
ترا علاج نظر کے سوا کچھ اور نہیں
Explanation: Verbosity is the only thing that intellect has, it can just inform but cannot give awareness. The cure (for diseases of the soul) is found in the mystical glance of the perfect spiritual guide. (Iqbal and Faqr)
The Literal and the Popular meanings of the Word ‘Piety’
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen brilliantly quotes:
One is the literal meaning and the other is the popular meaning of any word e.g. the word salat (namaz) literally means prayer (dua دعا) but it commonly means the prayer we perform five times a day in a specific manner according to sharia. Similarly, saum (fasting) literally means to stop or halt but popularly It is from dawn to sunsett; it is defined as the fast kept from sunrise till sunset when a person does not eat or drink and also does not do all the things that are prohibited according to sharia. It is also called roza and the month of Ramadan is also called mah-e-sayam (ماہِ صیام). Hajj literally means to visit but it popularly means to perform the specific acts of worship in the month of Dhul al-Hijjah at Mina, Arafat, Muzdalifah and Kaaba. Piety literally means a pious person, but it popularly means closeness of Allah. The more a person is close to Allah, the more he is pious.
Assembly of a Spiritual Guide
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen says:
At the time of conquest of Makkah, the Companions did not stay at Makkah as the Kaaba was there, rather they returned to Madina with the Holy Prophet as they were well aware of the fact that the assembly and company of the Holy Prophet is everything.
The Self (Nafs) becomes more Powerful with Verbal Invocations
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen says:
With verbal invocations, the self becomes even more stubborn and powerful. The sustenance of soul is the invocation by the soul. Soul will reach Allah only when it gets its sustenance. Allah says in Quran about the Trust he gave to mankind:
اِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الْاَمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ وَ الْجِبَالِ فَاَبَیْنَ اَنْ یَّحْمِلْنَهَا وَ اَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَ حَمَلَهَا الْاِنْسَانُؕ-اِنَّهٗ كَانَ ظَلُوْمًا جَهُوْلًا
Meaning: Indeed, We offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they declined to bear this and felt scared of it, but man took it on. Verily he is ever so cruel (towards the self) and ignorant (of his highest rank near Allah). (33:72)
To return this Trust is success in the hereafter.
یَوْمَ لَا یَنْفَعُ مَالٌ وَّ لَا بَنُوْنَ – اِلَّا مَنْ اَتَى اللّٰهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِیْمٍ
Meaning: The Day when neither wealth nor sons will profit. But he alone (will be the gainer) who appears before the presence of Allah with a heart protected (from) and pure (of all evils). (Quran 26: 88-89)
A Callous Inward
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen says:
Those who try to reach Allah without the Holy Prophet, their hearts become callous. As softness of heart is due to Allah’s beauty (jamal) and the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is the Divine beauty. If one denies the Divine beauty, then how can he have a soft heart or inward.
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