Sometimes

Sometimes

Saturday 10 December 2011

Sometimes: Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz R.A.

Sometimes: Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz R.A.: Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz is said to have been born in 536A.H./1141 CE in Sistan region of Afghanistan. He was a Syed, a descendant of the ...

Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz R.A.

Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz is said to have been born in 536A.H./1141 CE in Sistan region of Afghanistan. He was a Syed, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad SAW through Hazrat Jafa AsSadiq A.S..He grew up in Persia.His parents died when he was only 15 years old.


He inherited a windmill and an orchard from his father. During his cjildhood Khwaja Gharib Nawaz was different from others and kept himself busy in praying and meditation.


Legend has it that once he was watering his pllants, a revered Sufi, Shaikh Ibrahim Qunduzi,(or Kunduzi)--the name deriving from his birth place , Kunduz in Afghanistan- came to his orchard.
Youn Moinuddin Chishty (R.A.) approached him and offered him some  fruits. In return ,Sheikh Kunduzi gave him a piece of bread and asked him to eat it.Moinuddin chishty got enlighted and foun himself in a strange world after eating the Bread.


He disposed of his property and other belongings and distributed the money to the poor.He rnounced the world and left for Bukhara, in search of knowledge.


He became the Murid of Hazrat Khwaja Usman Harooni R.A. and remained in his company for 20 years.
He turned towards India, after a dream in which Prophet Muhammad (SAW) blessed him to do so.


After a brief stay in Lahore, he reached Ajmer and settled down there.In Ajmer, he attracted a substantial following, acquiring a great deal of respect amongst the residents of the city.


He practiced the Sufi Sullh-e-Kul(peace to all)concept to promote understanding between the Muslims and the Non-Muslims.


Even today , he is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishty Order in India and is also known as the Sultan-Ul-Hind ,and the Gharib Nawaz, or "Beneficent of the Poor".


His Dargah Sharif (Shrine) is visited by the thousands of Muslim Pilgrims as well as by the Hindus and the Sikhs and is a symbol of inter-communal harmony.

Monday 28 November 2011

Jalal al- Din Rumi

Jalal al-Din Rumi was born on September 30 1207 in Balkh (Afghanistan).His father Baha'Walad was descended from first caliph Abu Bakhr R.A. and was influenced by the ideas of Ahmed Ghazali,brother of the famous philospher. Baha' Walad's sermons were published and still exist as Divine Sciences.
In 1219 ,it was reported that young Rumi met 'Attar' at Nishapur, who gave him a copy of his book of Mysteries(Asrar Nama).After a pilgrimage to Mecca and other travels, the family went to Rum(Anatolia). Baha' Walad was given an important teaching position o\in capital Konya(Iconium) in 1228 by Seljuk kin 'Ala' al din Kayqubad(1219-1236) and his vizier Mu'in al Din.Rumi married and had a son, who later wrote his biography. In 1231 succeeded his late father as religious teacher.His father's friend Burhan al Din arrived and for nine years taught Rumi Sufism. Rumi probably met the philospher Ibn al- Arabi at Damacus.
In 1244 Rumi's life changed dramatically when he met the dervish Shams al -Din Tabriz.To the music of flute and drums Rumi invented the circling movements of the whirling dervishes and began writing mystical love poetry and his diciples formed the dervish order called the Mevlevis.
After 1249, the Seljuk governors paid trbute to the Mongol Empire. As vassal of Mongol Baiju, Mu'in a-Din governed Rum for twenty years starting in 1256 and he patronized the mystical poet.
His diciple Husam al- Din Hasan urged Rumi to write mystical poetry and tales called Masnavi in the style of Sana'i and 'Attar. Rumi completed six books of these before he died on December 17 1272. Many of his talks were wrtten down in the book FIHI MA FIHI,which mean,'In it what is in it' and is often referred to as his discourses.