Introduction
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman is the perfect being who, by Divine command, is training Divine seekers both exoterically and esoterically. He guides true seekers through the stages of Faqr (Sufism). Only the perfect spiritual guide who has successfully traversed these stages can guide others through them.
Stages or Levels of Spirituality
There are four stages of spiritual journey:
- Station of Sharia
- Station of Mysticism (Tariqa)
- Station of Reality (Haqiqa)
- Station of Gnosis (Marifa)
A perfect spiritual guide possesses comprehensive knowledge of all these stages. This can be understood through an analogy: if a student is in the first grade, the teacher will instruct him according to his mental capacity; and if a student is in the tenth grade, he will guide him according to his mental capacity.
In short, the teacher has complete knowledge and experience of every grade, which he expresses individually. Similarly, a perfect spiritual guide trains his disciples according to their respective stages. In the stage of Sharia, that ‘Being’ manifests in one way, and in the stage of Mysticism, in another. When a seeker, under the supervision of a perfect and accomplished spiritual guide, steps into the stage of Gnosis, he recognizes his spiritual guide as the Universal Divine Man or a perfect Fakir.
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman guides the seekers through these four stages – Sharia, Mysticism, Reality, and Gnosis – in accordance with the true essence of Faqr.
The purpose of this article is to describe the glory of Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen in relation to these four stages of spiritual journey and to highlight his services in making these stages easier for Divine seekers.
Station of Sharia
The station of sharia is the most fundamental. Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen’s every step is in complete accordance with the sharia of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him). In this regard, he has been bestowed with the great responsibility by Mohammadan Assembly to uphold the essence of both the outward and inward aspects of the sharia; and to propagate and disseminate it according to the requirements of the present era. He has fulfilled this responsibility so well that Mohammadan Assembly has honored him with titles such as Shabeeh e Ghaus al-Azam, Shan-e-Faqr, and Aftab-e-Faqr. No stage of Faqr (Sufism) can be attained without adhering to the sharia.
Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sultan Bahoo says:
- Bahoo attained all ranks through adherence to sharia, and he made Sharia his leader.
- All ranks are attained through adherence to the sharia of Mohammad (peace be upon him).” (Ameer-ul-Kaunain)
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman says regarding following the sharia:
- All the perfect Fakirs who have passed away strictly adhered to the sharia of Prophet Mohammad.
- The true essence of sharia is also attained through Faqr (Sufism).
- Sharia is related to the material world and this physical body. As long as this body exists, adherence to sharia is obligatory upon it, and there is punishment for turning away from it.
Sharia is a branch of the religion of Prophet Mohammad; and Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen is fulfilling the duty of conveying the true message and purpose of this Divine religion (Islam) to the mankind. In this regard, he is also the Imam, reviver, and jurist in the present era.
It is narrated by Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah said:
‘’Allah will send for this umma, at the beginning or end of every century, someone who will revive its religion for it.” (Abu Dawud 4291)
Here, reviving does not mean bringing a new religion at all, but it means eliminating any wrong beliefs, concepts, and innovations that have become prevalent in the religion and acquainting the general public with the soul of Islam.
According to Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen, the biggest danger to the religion in the present era is excess focus on exoteric aspects or self-worship. People perform prayers, fasting and give zakat under the pretence of piety, instead for the pleasure of Allah, or they limit the sharia to its esoteric aspects only, and this is hypocrisy, which is most disliked by Allah.
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen says:
‘’The present era is an era of hypocrisy; the bigger the hypocrite, the bigger the righteous person he appears to be.”
In short, according to the teachings of Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen, Muslims can truly understand sharia only if they remove the veil of pretence or hypocrisy adopt the esoteric aspects of the religion along with the outward aspects.
Station of Mysticism
When (the soul of) a seeker, under the supervision of a perfect spiritual guide, ascends into the station of mysticism, his spiritual guide instructs and trains him regarding both the physical and spiritual aspects of religion. He grants the strength to oppose the ‘self’ to deepen the Divine connection.
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen says regarding mysticism:
‘’Islam has an outward (exoteric/physical) and an inward (esoteric/spiritual) aspect. The exoteric aspect of Islam is Sharia, and the esoteric aspect is mysticism, which is the path to reality and gnosis.’’
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman grants the seekers of Allah with the contemplation and invocation of Ism-e-Azam to successfully ascend towards mysticism. Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen is the spiritual successor of Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sultan Bahoo and the present Imam of the Sarwari Qadri order. Sultan Bahoo also based all his teachings on the opposition of ‘self’ and the invocation and contemplation of Ism-e-Azam (Ism-e-Allah Zaat)
It is stated in the Holy Quran regarding the invocation and contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat:
- Meaning: “Indeed, in the remembrance of Allah (i.e., the invocation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat) alone that brings calm to the inwards.’’ (Surah ar-Rad: 28)
- Meaning: “And remember Allah much, that you may attain to prosperity.” (62: 10)
The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Breaths are numbered, and any breath that passes without the remembrance of Allah is dead.”
Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sultan Bahoo explains this Hadith, saying:
جو دم غافل سو دم کافر، سانوں مرشد ایہہ پڑھایا ھوُ
سنیا سخن گیاں کھل اکھیں، اساں چت مولا وَل لایا ھوُ
کیتی جان حوالے ربّ دے، اساں ایسا عشق کمایا ھوُ
مرن توں اگے مر گئے باھوؒ، تاں مطلب نوں پایا ھوُ
Jo dam ghaafil so dam kaafir, saanun murshid aihe parhaya hoo
Suniya sukhan gayaan khul akhiyan, assan chit Maula wal laya hoo
Keeti jaan hawalay Rabb de, assan aisa ishq kamaya hoo
Maran toon agge mar gaye Baho, taan matlab nu paaya hoo
Explanation: My spiritual guide taught that breath without Allah’s remembrance is paganism. It opened my eyes and I turned towards Him. I offered my life to the Lord and felt His love. O Bahoo! I died before death to reach the One I desired.
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman says:
- ‘’The invocation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat enlightens the invoker’s inward with light of faith. Just as the Zikr of Ism-e-Allah Zaat creates light within, so does the contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat illuminate the soul. Through this, truth and falsehood become clear, and the paths to reality and gnosis opens.’’
- ‘’Without the awakening of the soul and the esoteric self, a person can neither recognize himself nor Allah. The key to opening this locked self is the invocation and contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat.’’
Sultan-ul-Faqr Publications:
For spiritual development, Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen not only grants the invocation and contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat to his disciples on the very first day of bayah but has also provided guidance on the spiritual (esoteric) aspects of religion through his writings. He has provided the means to benefit the world through his scholarly services.
For this purpose, he founded Sultan-ul-Faqr Publications. He has conveyed the message of the teachings of Faqr (Sufism) to the general public through articles, books, and blogs. Sultan-ul-Faqr Publications has published twenty-four of his works so far.
Social Media:
To spread the teachings of Faqr worldwide, he has used every social media platform and fulfilled the responsibility of spiritual reformation of people. Today, Muslims have become so lost in this physical world that they have become completely unaware of the soul of Islam (Faqr/Sufism). But it is the result of his efforts that every year, thousands of disciples are joining him to attain blessings of Mohammadan Faqr.
Station of Reality
Inspired Knowledge (Ilm-e-Ladunni)
When a seeker, under the guidance of a perfect spiritual guide, progresses in invocation and contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat and steps into the station of reality, the perfect spiritual guide, through his spiritual grace, opens upon him the treasures of inspired knowledge, waham, and ilm-e-dawat.
The inspired knowledge is also known as Divine presence knowledge. It is the knowledge of truth that the perfect spiritual guide instills into the seeker’s inward. The inspired knowledge can be bestowed through any means, such as invocation, reflection, concentration, meditation, inspiration, unveiling, and waham. This is the very knowledge about which Allah Almighty says: Meaning: “He taught man that which he knew not.” (96: 5)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whatever I have been taught, my Lord has taught me.”
Regarding Khidr, it is stated in Surah Al-Kahf: Meaning: “And We had bestowed from Our Presence (special) mercy and had taught him inspired knowledge.” (18: 65)
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman is enriched with the wealth of inspired knowledge. Clear evidence of this is found in his writings and sayings. By the grace of Allah, he is also bestowing this grace upon his disciples. He says:
There are two basic types of knowledge:
- Gained or Acquired Knowledge
- Inspired Knowledge
Gained or Acquired Knowledge
This is the knowledge that is acquired within the realm of intellect, i.e., all the knowledge that we acquire through the five senses of seeing, hearing, and smelling, or the knowledge that is acquired through research by studying in a school, college, university, or by reading books.
Inspired Knowledge
This is the knowledge that is acquired through Divine love. It is the knowledge of the gaze that the perfect spiritual guide instills into the seeker’s inward through attention, and the greatest means and source of acquiring this knowledge are the perfect spiritual guide of Sarwari Qadri order; and the invocation and contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat.
The writings of Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sultan Bahoo are a masterpiece of inspired knowledge He himself states in his writings:
- “Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) and I did not acquire exoteric knowledge; we were granted inspired knowledge through the revelations, of which we were blessed with such vast knowledge in the outward and inward that many books would be required to write it down.” (Ain-ul-Faqr)
- “Although I did not acquire outward knowledge, by acquiring inward knowledge, I became pure and purified; therefore, my body has absorbed the comprehensive knowledge.”
All the writings of Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sultan Bahoo are in Persian, except for one, Abyat-e-Bahoo, which is in Punjabi. This honor also goes to Sultan-ul-Faqr Publications, which, under the supervision of Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen, published Urdu and English translations of Sultan Bahoo’s books and spread the grace of his inspired knowledge all over the world.
Waham:
Waham is the spiritual communication or conversation with Allah in the esoteric self whereby the seeker is truly guided by Allah in different matters. (Sufism-The Soul of Islam)
When a seeker progresses in the contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat and the contemplation of Ism-e-Mohammad and ascends from this physical world towards the realm of Divinity (spiritually); he is blessed with the ‘waham’ through Divine grace and the spiritual grace of his perfect spiritual guide.
Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sultan Bahoo says regarding this: “Waham is the seeing, hearing, speaking, and understanding of the inward.’’ (Sultan-ul-Waham)
Allah Almighty says:
And every man does not have the faculty that Allah should speak to him (directly) except by Revelation (He bestows upon some the holy status of Prophethood), or (should speak) from behind a veil (as He spoke to Musa [Moses] on Mount Tur of Sinai), or by sending some angel as a messenger to reveal with His permission what Allah may will. Surely, He is Most High, Most Wise. (42:51)
The Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘’There will be none among you with whom his Lord will not speak, and there will be no interpreter between him and his servant, and no veil to conceal him.’’ (Bukhari: 7443)
Sultan-ul-Waham:
A seeker is not blessed with the power of waham until the perfect spiritual guide purges and purifies the seeker’s self. It is impossible to acquire the ability of waham without a perfect spiritual guide; therefore, the perfect and accomplished spiritual guide is called Sultan-ul-Waham.
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman has enriched many seekers of Allah with the blessing of inspired knowledge through his perfect spiritual power of waham, who have used this inspired knowledge in invite mankind towards gnosis. He has written countless books and articles that are a beacon for Divine seekers.
He has blessed ilm-e-dawat upon many seekers of Allah and, through his power of waham, has supported them in the spiritual knowledge so that they may remain respectful and steadfast on the righteous path in the presence of holy beings in the spiritual world.
Ilm-e-Dawat (Knowledge of Invitation):
Just as there are many means of communication in the physical world, such as telephone, internet, etc., through which we stay in contact with our relatives and friends. Similarly, in the esoteric (spiritual) world, ilm-e-dawat is the means of our connection with all the Prophets, Companions, Sufi Saints, and perfect Fakirs.
The Prophet (pbuh) said: “When you are distressed in your affairs, seek help from the (blessed) people of the graves.”
There is no other perfect spiritual guide like Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman, who is so accomplished, kind, and of the highest ranks. He has opened his doors for everyone without any distinction of sect or group.
Station of Gnosis
In the stages of Faqr, Divine gnosis is the stage where the seeker, under the supervision of a perfect spiritual guide, ascends to the level of self-recognition (spiritually) and reaches the Divine destination (gnosis). His esoteric self transforms from inciting self to repenting self, then to inspiring self, and finally to the self at peace.
The perfect spiritual guide bestows upon the seeker of Allah the two highest stages of Faqr:
- Presence in Mohammadan Assembly
- Divine vision
Human Being:
The human being is composed of two things:
- the physical body (self) and
- the soul.
This body, i.e., the ‘self (an-nafs)’, is the garment of the soul. When the self of a person becomes weak and the soul becomes strong, the soul gains power to ascend from this physical world to the realm of Divinity. These stages cannot be attained by the seeker of Allah without the perfect spiritual guide and the invocation and contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat.
Beneficence of Prophet Mohammad
In the present era, most people hold the view that the beneficence of the Prophet was limited only to his outward life. They believe that after his outward departure from this world, attaining the beneficence of prophet Mohammad is not possible. It is to the credit of Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman that he has spread awareness and blessed Divine lovers of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) with presence in his (Mohammadan) Assembly.
True seekers of Allah can still benefit from the Mohammadan Assembly as the Companions did in his time. Therefore, he also grants his disciples the contemplation of Ism-e-Mohammad. Before him, this beneficence was bestowed upon only a few special seekers of Allah, but due to his perfect beneficence and exalted spiritual rank, this blessing is now being bestowed upon seekers of Allah without any rigorous spiritual exercises and hardships.
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen says:
‘’For the Companions, Ism-e-Allah Zaat was the sacred countenance of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), and Ism-e-Mohammad was his holy being. In the present era, the only way to reach the court of the Holy Prophet is through the contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat and Ism-e-Mohammad. The only condition is that it must be attained from the perfect spiritual guide who is authorized by the Mohammadan Assembly to grant.
The seeker knows this on the very first day of the contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat or Ism-e-Mohammad that the court from where he has attained Ism-e-Allah Zaat or Ism-e-Muhammad is the court of a perfect and accomplished spiritual guide.’’ (Shams-ul-Fuqara)
Divine Vision:
Divine vision is the greatest blessing in this universe and the purpose of human creation. When we talk about the station of gnosis, this means recognition. Gnosis of Allah is not possible without the vision of Allah.
Syedna Ghaus al-Azam says:
‘’Whoever claims to worship Allah without recognizing Him is a hypocrite.’’ (Sirr al-Asrar)
In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty has given glad tidings to those who reach this stage through Divine love, inward struggle, and the kindness of a perfect spiritual guide:
Meaning: “Wherever you turn, there is the countenance of Allah.” (02: 115)
This stage can only be attained under the guidance and leadership of a perfect spiritual guide. Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sultan Bahoo says:
“Without a perfect spiritual guide, even if someone struggles and performs recitals, he will not benefit. No one can reach Allah without a perfect spiritual guide because he is aware of all the stages and stations of the spiritual world and is the remover of every difficulty.” (Ain-ul-Faqr)
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen says:
‘’The purpose of this life is the gnosis of Allah. The gnosis is not possible without vision. Therefore, Divine vision is actually the gnosis of Allah. It is the blessing that is bestowed upon the Mystics and Fakirs. Therefore, there is no greater pleasure than vision, and the vision of Allah is attained not with the light of sight but with the light of insight.’’ (Shams-ul-Fuqara)
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman is leading the seekers of Allah to the exalted stage of Divine vision (gnosis). Whoever comes with good intentions, removing prejudice from the inward and having a special desire for Allah in the inward, will surely benefit from this blessing through his kindness.
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen – The Universal Divine Man
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen is that perfect spiritual guide who is honored with the exalted rank of the Universal Divine Man (al-Insan al-Kamil). This is the stage beyond which there is no higher stage. There is neither multiplicity of stages and stations nor duality in this stage. At all times, there is one person in the world who is exactly on the sacred footsteps of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), who is the spiritual successor of the Holy Prophet and is honored as the Universal Divine Man.
Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sultan Bahoo considers the Universal Divine Man to be the perfect and accomplished spiritual guide. The completion of Faqr (Sufism) is at this level. All spiritual stages (sharia, mysticism, reality and gnosis) are united in him. This is the stage of Oneness of Allah about which there is a Qudsi Hadith:
‘’His speaking is the speaking of Allah, his seeing is the seeing of Allah, his grasping is the grasping of Allah.’’
It is necessary to pass through the stages of Faqr under the guidance and leadership of the Universal Divine Man because he himself has passed through these stages and has reached the highest stage of Faqr where Faqr is completed, which is Allah. He is aware of every difficult and easy path of this way, and he can take the seeker of Allah to the ultimate destination (Divine Essence).
Sultan-ul-Faqr VI Sultan Mohammad Asghar Ali says:
‘’The perfect Fakir, i.e., the Universal Divine Man, is the bearer of Divine Trust. His rank is the stage of belovedness, which is never taken away. The perfect Fakir is one in the world who performs the duty of exoteric and esoteric guidance for Divine seekers in the path of gnosis. In the beginning, he is not very famous because he keeps himself hidden from the world, but within a few years, his fame spreads in all four directions, and seekers of Allah flock to him. His sign is that he does not put the seekers of Allah into rigorous devotional exercises, hardships, and recitations but takes them to Divine destination through the contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat.’’
Sarwari Qadri Order
When the seekers of other Mystic orders pass through the stages of spiritual journey, they have to face difficult asceticism like rigorous devotional exercises. But the Sarwari Qadri spiritual guide who possess the absolute light of guidance, is at such a stage of spiritual beneficence and perfections where he takes the seeker to the highest stage of Faqr on the very first day of bayah without any physical hardships.
Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sultan Bahoo says:
Remember there are two kinds of Qadri way. In Zahidi Qadri, the disciple is considered a man of hard mystic exercise by people around him. He strikes his heart with loud invocation, keeps check on his inciting self by reflection, remains busy in recitals and spends his nights in prayers and days in fasting. Even then he remains unaware of esoteric observation and pretends to be a man of spiritual states on the basis of verbosity.
The true Qadri order is Sarwari Qadri in which the seeker remains passionate and reaches the station of Divine vision, closeness and union. He (is so accomplished that he) blesses his disciples with Divine presence and union by his single spiritual sight and grants the station of truth of certainty. Only such Sarwari Qadri Fakir is trustworthy because he is the killer of inciting self. He is the commander who steps forward boldly (besides all odds) in the battlefield of righteousness. (Mehak-ul Faqr Kalan)
The Universal Divine Man Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen, while describing the glory of the perfect spiritual guide of the Sarwari Qadri order, writes:
‘’In the Sarwari Qadri method, there are absolutely no hardships of asceticism, rigorous physical hardship, breath control, preliminary spiritual journey, and complexities of invocation and concentration. This order is free from exoteric dervish attire and style, and it is averse to all kinds of shaikh-like practices, such as staffs, rosaries, robes, and turbans. The specialty of this order is that the perfect spiritual guide, on the very first day (of bayah), bestows the invocation of Sultan-ul-Azkar Hoo, the contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat, and method of its inscription on the body, taking the seeker to the ultimate stage. Whereas, in other orders, this is not the case. That is why Sultan Bahoo says: ‘The beginning of a seeker in the Sarwari Qadri order is equal to the end of other orders.’’ (Shams-ul-Fuqara)
Conclusion:
In the present era, Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman is the current Imam and the thirty-first perfect spiritual guide of the Sarwari Qadri order. All seekers of Allah are invited to pledge oath of allegiance (bayah) at the blessed hand of Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen to achieve spiritual and esoteric development and to reach the stage of gnosis, and to attain Ism-e-Azam (Ism-e-Allah Zaat) for the sake of Allah.
- What is the significance of the perfect spiritual guide?
Without perfect spiritual guide, one can never ascend to the station of gnosis (Divine Essence). To become successful, the guidance and supervision of perfect and accomplished is essential.
- How can I attain Ism-e-Azam from Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen, the Universal Divine Man of this era?
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman is the Universal Divine Man of this era. Any person willing to attain Ism-e-Azam can meet him at Khanqah Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen. Only in this way, one can reach to the realm of Divinity (esoterically) and attain success in every field.
- What is Ism-e-Azam (Ism-e-Allah Zaat)?
Ism-e-Azam is the Greatest Name of Allah, i.e. Ism-e-Allah Zaat. Sultan Bahoo says, Ism-e-Allah Zaat is exact Divine Essence. Only the perfect and accomplished spiritual guide can grant the invocation and contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat to Divine seekers.
- When and how can I meet Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen?
You can meet Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen at Khanqah Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen, Rangilpur Sharif, via Sundar Adda, Multan Road, Lahore. You can book appointment by contacting on this number: 92-321-4507000
- How Sarwari Qadri order is different from other Mystic orders?
When the seekers of other Mystic orders pass through the stages of spiritual journey, they have to face difficult asceticism like rigorous devotional exercises. But the Sarwari Qadri spiritual guide who possess the absolute light of guidance, is at such a stage of spiritual beneficence and perfections where he takes the seeker to the highest stage of Faqr on the very first day of bayah without any physical hardships. Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen is the 31st perfect spiritual guide of Sarwari Qadri order.
This blog is English translation of an Urdu article of the magazine “Mahnama Sultan-ul-Faqr Lahore” for the month of March, 2025. The title of the Urdu article is:
انسانِ کامل سلطان العاشقین حضرت سخی سلطان محمد نجیب الرحمٰن مدظلہ الاقدس
Originally penned by Mrs. Fatima Burhan is presently in English by Dr. Mohammad Waseem Akram, exclusively for websites.
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