The Preaching of Islam in India! Part 4 (SHAYKH AHMAD SIRHINDI part-2)

 

Mujaddid Alf thani 

Imam Rabbani Shaykh Farooq Ahmad Sirhindi...

image credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tomb_of_Ahmad_Sirhindi,_Rauza_Sharif_Complex,_Sirhind.jpg

Mujaddid’s initiation in the Khawaja’s order:

The Mujaddid was received warmly by Khawaja Baqi Billah when the former called upon him for initiation in his spiritual order. Ordinarily the Khawaja never showed any interest in enrolling novices for spiritual training but his treatment of the Mujaddid suggested as if he had been awaiting his arrival. Of a fact, the Mujaddid was to become the chief propounder of the Khawaja’s spiritual order in India and to renovate the spiritual climate then obtaining in the country by bringing the then liberal mystic thoughts and practices within the orthodox confines of the Shari’ah. Thus, deviating from his usual practice, the Khawaja asked the Mujaddid to extend his stay with him for a month or so as his guest. When the Khawaja was thinking of coming to India a parrot is stated to have perched on his hand. When the Khawaja narrated the incident to his spiritual mentor Khawaja Amkangi, he replied that parrot being an Indian bird the Khawaja would guide someone in India on the path of spirit who would illuminate the entire world. The Mujaddid accepted the invitation of Khawaja Baqi Billah and prolonged his stay with the latter to one and a half months. He was so impressed by the Khawaja that he expressed the desire to be enrolled as a disciple for undergoing the Naqshbandi discipline. The Khawaja, after enrolling the Mujaddid in his spiritual order, advised him to practice the silent remembrance.

The Mujaddid covered the path of spirit with vigorous strides and acquired knowledge of esoteric secrets of the order so quickly that the Khawaja was led to believe that the Mujaddid answered the providential sign of Indian parrot who would renovate and revive the faith in India. Thus, within the short period of his stay with Khawaja Baqi Billah, the Mujaddid acquired perfection in outward and inward knowledge and was rewarded with a speedy ascent from one stage to another in the realm of spirit difficult to be expressed in words. The Mujaddid then returned to Sirhind but only when he was assured by Khawaja Baqi Billah that he had fully imbibed the Naqshbandi doctrine. The Khawaja also expressed the hope that the Mujaddid would make steady progress in attaining the proximity of divine essence. On his second visit to Delhi the Mujaddid obtained from his spiritual guide permission to impart instruction and to perfect disciples in the Naqshbandi order. The Khawaja also gave him permission to impart spiritual training to a few of his own disciples. After some time the Mujaddid paid the third and the last visit to Khawaja Baqi Billah. The Khawaja came out of his house to receive him, gave him certain happy tidings and accorded him the honor of acting as the chief guide at a meeting of mystics engaged in devotions. The Khawaja also instructed his disciples that they ought to direct their attentions to the Mujaddid for spiritual guidance. Before bidding farewell to the Mujaddid, the Khawaja said, “I feel too weak now and do not expect to live for long.” The Khawaja also asked the Mujaddid to apply his mind upon the spiritual training of his two sons, Khawaja ‘Ubaid Ullah and Khawaja ‘Abd Ullah, who were still young, and also to meditate in a similar manner for the wellbeing of his wives in absentia 

It is reported that the Mujaddid’s meditation was instantly rewarded with fruitful results. The Khawaja later on wrote in a letter to one of his friends, “Shaikh Ahmad who belongs to Sirhind is a man of great learning and piety. He has lived for a few days with this mendicant who has witnessed his wonderful qualities and attainments. I hope that he would one day illuminate the whole world. I am fully convinced of his spiritual perfection.” The Mujaddid, on his part felt assured from the day he had been led on the path of spirit by his mentor that he would one day attain the highest stage of the discipline. At the same time, he had no doubt that all his attainments were attributable to his guide. He often used to recite the verses which said:— The light I am getting from your heart on mine, Assures me that my spirit will unite with thine. Neither learning nor spiritual attainment of the Mujaddid ever stood in the way of his showing greatest honor to the Khawaja. If Khawaja Baqi Billah ever sent for him, the complexion of his face would turn pale and he would appear visibly agitated. The Khawaja, on the other hand, always spoke so highly of the Mujaddid as few spiritual guides have seldom commended their disciples. Once, it is reported, he remarked about the Mujaddid . “Shaikh Ahmad is the sun whose brilliance steals the light of innumerable stars like us.”

MUJADDID AS A SPIRITUAL GUIDE:

 Stay at Sirhind 

After completing the probationary period with Khawaja Baqi Billah, the Mujaddid withdrew to the seclusion of his house in Sirhind subjecting himself to the severe discipline of spiritual exercises. For a long time he kept his doors closed to all those who came to seek his spiritual guidance. He felt reluctant to act as their spiritual mentor since he was himself, making a rapid progress on the path of inward perfection which did not allow him to divert his attention to the guidance and training of others. A recession (nuzul) from transports of religious ecstasy was needed for imparting training to others and hence he hardly felt inclined to it. In a letter written during this period, he remarked : “I was conscious of this shortcoming and so I called for all the students and disciples to tell them, about my diffidence in this regard, but they took it as my humility and continued to pin their faith in me until the Gracious God settled me in the (ahwal-i-muntazirah) state of expectancy.”

The Mujaddid began, at last, accepting disciples in his order and guiding them on the path of spiritual illumination. He used to keep the Khawaja informed of his own spiritual experiences as well as the states and stages attained by his disciples. His writings of the period show that his progress on the path of inward perfection was leading him t o t he fulfilment of divine will, that is, accomplishment of those immensely important tasks which were to prove beneficial to the faith. The Mujaddid was only once to meet his spiritual mentor during this period after which he had no opportunity to see him again.

Journey to Lahore

The Mujaddid undertook the journey to Lahore, at the instance of the Khawaja, after a brief stay at Sirhind. Lahore was then the second largest intellectual and religious Centre of India because of the large number of scholars and men of God living in that city. The Mujaddid was warmly received by the divines and scholars of Lahore, some o f whom even entered the fold of his spiritual order. Maulana Tahir was one of those who bound themselves to the Mujaddid’s spiritual allegiance and later rose to become his chief successor. Other notable persons enlisting themselves as the Mujaddid’s disciples were Maulana Haji Muhammad and Maulana Jamal-ud-din Talwi. We find Mujaddid and his friends at Lahore having frequent seances for meditation or recital of God’s praises. 

The news about Khawaja Baqi Billah’s death was received by Mujaddid while he was still in Lahore. Extremely agitated and disturbed, he set out for Delhi immediately. He went straight to Delhi, bypassing Sirhind, and paid a visit to his mentor’s grave. The Mujaddid prolonged his stay a t Delhi to console the bereaved members of the Khawaja’s family which also helped to infuse a new spirit in the late Khawaja's disciples. The Mujaddid then returned to Sirhind. Thereafter he had an occasion to visit Delhi only once and made two or three trips to Agra. Then, during the last few years of his life he happened to pass through a few more cities with the troops escorting the Emperor. Wherever the Khawaja went, people seeking spiritual guidance flocked round him to derive benefit from his company.