HADHRAT AHMAD KHADHRAWIYAH (Rahmatullah alayh)

HADHRAT AHMAD KHADHRAWIYAH

(Rahmatullah alayh)

* Hadhrat Ahmad Khadhrawiyah (Rahmatullah alayh) had a thousand such mureeds who were able to miraculously walk on the surface of the water and fly in the air. All had the ability of karaamat.

* “I had subjected my nafs to great deprivation and struggled against it for ages. Once I developed an intense desire to participate in Jihad. The nafs whispered to me the Ahaadith which mention the virtues of Jihad. I pondered: ‘The nafs does not derive any pleasure from obedience and ibaadat, hence it is goading me to participate in Jihad. This is undoubtedly a ploy of the nafs. I thought that because I perpetually fast and subject the nafs to hunger, hence it wants me to go for Jihad where I will not be fasting. I resolved to fast even on the journey. However, my nafs accepted this and the urge to go remained strong. It occurred to me that since I remain awake at night in Salaat, the nafs wants me to go on the journey so that I would sleep at night. I said to my nafs that even on the journey, I shall remain awake at night and engage in Salaat. This too was acceptable to the nafs and the desire to go remained. I reflected and said that perhaps the nafs is overwhelmed with solitude and seclusion, hence wants to associate with people. I resolved to abstain from company wherever I go. I shall not mingle and converse with people. The nafs was satisfied with even this attitude. The urge to go on the journey persisted.

I failed to detect the deception of the nafs. I cried to Allah Ta’ala to make be aware of the ploy of my nafs. It was then revealed to me that I was killing my nafs a hundred times a day by opposing its every desire, and this daily jihad against the nafs is hidden from the people. There is no fame in it. Now the nafs is seeking release from this constant jihad against it. It wants to be killed once and for all, and its death will be in the public. The people will acclaim Ahmad Khadrawi and say that he was a great Mujahid. This was the ploy of my nafs.

Subhaanallah! Allah is glorious! He created such a nafs which remains a munaafiq and refuses to accept Islam in this world and in the next world. I said to my nafs: “I was unaware that you were wearing a cross.” From that day, I involved in greater struggle against the nafs.”

* Once Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah (Rahmatullah alayh) set off on a journey through the wilderness. He had walked only a short distance when a thorn penetrated his foot. He could not remove the thorn. Nevertheless, he continued walking with his foot bleeding and full of pain. He walked the entire night. The next day some people who saw his plight and removed the thorn. Despite his wounded foot, he continued until he reached Bustaam where he met Hadhrat Bayazid Bustaami (Rahmatullah alayh) who spontaneously commented: “What did you do when that calamity befell your foot?” Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah said: “I resigned my volition to His Volition.” (When the thorn had penetrated his foot, he did not even attempt to remove it believing it would be against Tawakkul. This attitude was revealed to Hadhrat Bayazid by kashf). Hadhrat Bayazid responded: “O Mushrik! Is this not shirk?”

The concept of Tauheed of Hadhrat Bayazid was extremely lofty and subtle. The slightest existence of volition was also a dimension of ‘shirk’. The Slave who has attained perfection in Tauheed knows only of Allah’s Volition. As for the Slave, he has no volition of his own.

* Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah (Rahmatullah alayh) said: “A Durwaish once in the month of Ramadhaan took a wealthy man to his home. There was nothing but a piece of dry bread. When the wealthy man returned to his home he sent a bag full of gold coins to the Durwaish as a gift. The Durwaish declined to accept it and commented: “We shall not sell this durwaishi for the wealth of both worlds.” (Durwaishi: the state of poverty of the Auliya).

* One night a thief entered Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah’s home, but he found nothing of value to take. As he was about to leave, Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah called him and said: “O young man, make Wudhu and perform Salaat this night. Whatever I shall receive in the morning will be for you so that you do not leave my home empty-handed.” The thief complied and engaged in Salaat. He passed the remainder of the night in Salaat.

In the morning a man came and handed Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah a gift of a hundred dinars (gold coins). Hadhrat said to the thief: “Take this. It is the reward of your night’s ibaadat.” A haal (spiritual state) overcame the thief. He began to shiver, and he said: “I have indeed lost the path. Just for this night’s Salaat, The Gracious Allah sent this reward for me.” He refused to accept the gold. He repented and became the mureed of Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah.

* A Buzrug once saw Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah seated in a beautiful coach in the air. Angels were pulling the coach with golden chains. The Buzrug called to Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah and said: “Where are you going in such pompous style?” He said: “To visit a friend.” The Buzrug said: “Despite having this lofty status, what need do you have to visit a friend?” Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah responded: “If I do not visit him, he will come to visit me. Then he will gain the status of a visitor, not me.”   (Visiting a genuine Wali for Allah’s sake is an ibaadat of high merit. The reward of the visitor is superior to the reward of the one being visited. It is like the one who initiates Salaam receiving 90 of the hundred virtues which descend when Salaam is made.)

* Once Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah (Rahmatullah alayh) halted for a few days at a khaanqah. He was not recognized by anyone. He sat in solitude and engaged in Thikrullah. The mureeds at the khaanqah thought him to be a fake. One day when he was about to draw water from the well, the bucket slipped and fell to the bottom of the well. The khaadim (servant of the khaanqah) was annoyed and severely reprimanded Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah. Hadhrat went to the Shaikh of the khaanqah and said: “O Shaikh, supplicate (make dua) so that the bucket surfaces.” The Shaikh, surprised at this queer suggestion, remained silent. Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah said: “If you will not supplicate, grant me permission to supplicate..” The Shaikh consented. When Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah supplicated, the bucket miraculously appeared at the surface.

Surprised and perplexed, the Shaikh said: “O young man! Who are you? You have humbled us.” Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah said: “Instruct your mureedeen not to hold travellers in contempt.” Then he left the khaanqah.

* “Whoever renders service to the Auliya is ennobled with three attributes – humility, beautiful morality and generosity.”

* “Whoever desires that Allah becomes his, should make incumbent on himself Sidq (Truth). Allah Ta’ala says (in the Qur’aan): “Be with the Saadiqeen.”

* “Sabr is the provision of those restless in calamity. Ridha’ (contentment in adversity) is the stage of the Aarifeen.”

* “Ma’rifat is to love Allah with the heart, remember him with the tongue and to sever relationship with all besides Him.”

* “The noblest by Allah Ta’ala is the one whose character is the noblest.”

* He was asked for the signs of Divine Love. He said: “Nothing in both worlds should have any significance in his heart because his heart will be brimming with the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala. He should have no wish except to serve Allah Ta’ala, for nothing in both worlds is dearer to him than service to Allah Ta’ala. He is always forlorn even in the midst of his family because no one conforms to what is in his heart.”

* “The heart is always wandering. It is either   wandering in proximity of the Arsh or in places of purity. (That is, the heart of the Lover of Allah Ta’ala.)

* The heart is an abode. When it is pervaded with Truth, the abundance of Anwaar becomes manifest on his physical limbs. When the heart is filled with baatil, the abundance of its darkness becomes manifest on the limbs.”

(From the Arsh of Allah Azza Wa Jal there is a constant and perpetual cascade of Anwaar (radiant rays of spirituality). These Anwaar seek abodes in which to settle. The only abodes in which they can settle are the purified hearts of the Mu’mineen. Only such hearts are the sole repositories for these Anwaar. These celestial rays of spiritual light bypass the hearts polluted and darkened with sin, transgression and worldly love.)

* “No dream is worse than the dream of ghaflat (obliviousness). There is no stronger controller than bestial lust. In the absence of ghaflat, lust cannot overpower you.”

* “In the dunya and the Deen, you have to pass a life in two opposites.” (These two entities are mutually repelling. There will always be the conflict between Deen and the dunya. This earthly abode is the arena for this conflict – the conflict between truth and falsehood, vice and virtue. Life has to gallantly traverse this gauntlet.)

* “The Path of the Deen is conspicuous and Haqq is radiant. The Caller (Allah Azza Wa Jal) is the Hearer. There is therefore no reason for bewilderment except with induced blindness.” (Siraatul Mustaqeem is straight and brightly lit.)

* “Kill your nafs so that you gain life.”

* Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah was indebted to people for 70,000 dirhams which he had borrowed to give to the Fuqara and Masaakeen. When his Maut was imminent, all his creditors assembled at his home demanding payment. Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah supplicated: “O Allah! I am being taken away (from this world) whilst my life is pawned by these creditors. Appoint someone to fulfil their rights, then only take me.” As he was supplicating, there was a knock on the door. A man appeared and asked the creditors to step outside. He paid every creditor his due. Only then did Hadhrat Khadhrawiyah (Rahmatullah alayh) leave this earthly abode for his journey into Barzakh.