Understanding the Saying of the Masters of Wisdom: “We Cannot Know Allah, But We Do Know You!” By Khwaja Ala’ ad-Din Abizi, Affiliate of Mawlana ‘Abd al-Rahman Jami

Excerpted from: Rashahat ‘Ain al-Hayat [Beads of Dew from the Source of Life: Histories of the Khwajagan: The Masters of Wisdom]. Translated by Muhtar Holland. Al-Baz Publishing. P.194-5, 201-2.

“Mawlana Ala’ ad-Din Abizi was also one of Mawlana Sa’d ad-Din Kashghari’s companions. He came from a village called Abiz in the vicinity of Kuhistan. After the death of the venerable Mawalana Sa’d ad-Din, he continued in the service of the venerable Mawlana Jami, who treated him with great care and attention, and likened his character to fresh and pure soil.

…The venerable Shaikh ‘Abd al-Kabir once asked Mawlana Ala’ ad-Din: “When your Shaikh was ill at ease, what did he say to you?” Mawlana replied: “When you come to my side, you collect yourself and remember Allah. Even if you are far away from me, you must not forget, so that you do not fall apart!”

The Shaikh then asked him: “And how did you respond?” He said: “With silence.” The Shaikh said: “That was very inconsiderate of you! You ought to have said: ‘We cannot know Allah, but we do know you!”

According to the author of the Rashahat:

One of the great saints has said: “The disciple sees himself in his own mirror, but he does not see himself in the mirror of his Shaikh.” In Samarqand, I heard the venerable Khwaja ‘Ubaidu ‘llah say: “Since you have not been able to see Allah while I am still alive, what will you do after I have died?” The saying of Shaikh ‘Abd al-Kabir must also be understood in this sense. What the venerable Shaikh sought to convey is not that one cannot recognize and know Allah from the fundamental standpoint, and that spiritual knowledge of the Divine [ma’rifa Ilahiyya] is of little importance. It is rather intended to show the seeker the method of concentration, and to establish him in this practice. The pilot of those who learn by direct experience, the venerable Amir Husain, says in his works: “The seeker must become annihilated [fani] in his concentration on his spiritual guide, so that inner knowledge may be revealed to him from the countenance of his Shaikh.”

If the seeker strives to reach his goal by ways of the Shaikh alone, he will reach his goal… the seeker must therefore remind himself, the one road to Allah’s good pleasure is the good pleasure of the Shaikh, and he must act accordingly The route to arrival at the Truth, and to contact with the Truth, passes through the heart of the Shaikh. In reality, the heart of the Shaikh is the home of Allah…This means that the wisdom contained in the saying of the venerable Shaikh ‘Abd al-Kabir -“We cannot know Allah, but we know you!”- is also related to this subtlety. It is tantamount to saying: “You are the door that leads to Allah! The house is entered through the door!” It shows the seeker the way to his goal.”

The Principle Rule of the Order of the Masters of Wisdom [Tariqat i-Khwajagan] By Khwaja ‘Abdu’llah Isfahani

Excerpted from: Rashahat ‘Ain al-Hayat [Beads of Dew from the Source of Life: Histories of the Khwajagan: The Masters of Wisdom]. Translated by Muhtar Holland. Al-Baz Publishing. P. 118-119.

Khwaja ‘Abdu’llah Isfahani was yet another of the venerable Khwaja Ala ad-Din’s affiliates. He said: When the venerable Khwaja first honoured me with his company, he recited these verses to me:

Let no trace of you remain;
In this alone perfection lies.
In Oneness make your being naught;
Communion lies in this alone.

Khwaja ‘Abdu’llah Isfahani wrote a very useful treatise on the Order of the Masters of Wisdom, under the patronage of a distinguished descendent of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). We shall now present some excerpts from this work:

“The principle rule of this Order [Tariqat i-Khwajagan] is the following: From whichever perfect guide the seeker receives initiation, he must preserve the guide’s image in the treasure of his heart, until the time when he begins to demonstrate how his heart has been affected by the warmth and quality of that connection. As for what is necessary after that, it is not to abandon that same image, but to embrace it much more tightly than ever. The seeker must rivet that image to his heart, with his eyes, his ears and all his faculties.

What is called the “heart” is the centre of the comprehensive human reality, of which all the higher and lower elements of the universe are detailed particulars. The seeker must exert himself to experience the substance of that lofty reality, by expressing the affirmation of Oneness in his heart, using the formula: “There is nothing in existence, other than Allah!” By making this effort, whatever temptation may be whispered, he will consider it as being from Allah and existing because of Allah. This is because that whispered temptation is also one of the mental entities, and also like so many things that are false and absurd, it actually represents a manifestation of the Truth. If this procedure is followed, an ardour will arise in the heart, putting an end to trouble and dispelling dangers.

Even when whispered temptation departs, it is essential to cling to the same relationship. If whispered temptation still refuses to go away, the seeker must pronounce the word “Allah” in a slowly drawn-out manner, while striving to establish the meaning of Oneness in the heart. He must continue to pronounce the word “Allah” until the moment when boredom and weariness overcome the lower self. If signs of tiredness and exhaustion appear, he must desist.

As the spiritual traveller is obliged to know and understand, while he is making progress in the state of detachment from himself, and in his relationship with the great saints, attention to other things amounts to something resembling unbelief [kufr].”

To be in oneself is unbelief [kufr],
while transcending oneself is true faith [iman].

Regarding Inner Spiritual Authority Transmitted from the Prophet (S) By H.E Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani

“Look, I am not speaking from myself. I am always in contact with the Spiritual Power Center. The Prophet’s servant Anas Ibn Malik once said the following about his life with the Holy Prophet – and from his description you may know whether our methods resemble his, on whom be Peace, or whether we are following some other way. Anas reported: “I served the Messenger of Allah for ten years, and never once did I hear him object to any of my actions, saying ‘Do this’ when I hadn’t done something I should have done, or ‘Don’t do this’ or ‘Why did you do this?’ when I had done something wrong.”

Now do you understand, or not? This is proof that comes down to us from the Prophet; and just as that tradition is still intact that we may refer to it today, so also the inner spiritual authority passed down from the Prophet to our Grandsheikh and then to us remains intact. That spiritual authority for the guidance of people has come down to me, has been given to me. I am not such a person who appoints himself to be a guide for people – no, rather I have been given authority by those who have authority to give.

Our way is a way of authority and integrity, and a way that is safe for a seeker to follow. Because of the high rank that this Path holds among the various ways, the seeker who wishes to follow this path must abandon himself to the discretion, wisdom and understanding of the Sheikh. Our Grandsheikh often said to me: “O Nazim Effendi, don’t put my words and actions in a scale and weigh them. Don’t say ‘Why is that Sheikh saying such-and such or doing so-and-so’. If you are thinking and evaluating in such a manner you will never be able to derive any benefit at all from your teacher, and we will leave you on your way and go on ours. In order to follow us you must follow without judging or objecting. Only if you can follow in this manner may you come to know anything of our realities.

Why did Allah Almighty tell the story of Moses and Khidr in the Holy Qur’an? What does that story have to tell us about using our minds to judge that is beyond our understanding? What is our position when we think that we know so much whereas we actually know nothing?

Yes, that tale was told so that we might take wisdom from it, not just for amusement, for people to read and enjoy such an entertaining story. It is an undisputable fact that hidden wisdom may be found in the actions of Saints, even if those actions appear to contradict our idea of how things should be done. For your own good you must learn how you can acquire the attributes necessary to go with such people.

As far as the actions of your Sheikh are concerned, don’t try to weigh and evaluate them with your mind, even if you be the Prophet Moses! For if you be a Moses, someone else may be a Khidr, and so despite your station, he may be above you and may be able to teach you. Moses kept weighing Khidr’s actions (Peace be upon them both!) and Khidr kept saying: “Don’t confront me or object to anything I do until I explain its meaning to you.” Finally, when Moses found it too difficult to keep these instructions and objected to the actions of Khidr which were beyond his understanding, Khidr told him: “You will never be able to be patient with me – go on your way.”

So, all that the follower of a Sufi Path may do is to try and learn from the Sheikh’s way of dealing with people and form the Sheikh’s attributes in general. A follower can never fully understanding the meanings and implications of an authorized Sheikh’s actions. He cannot know what orders may be coming to the Sheikh from the Holy Prophet. He who has the guidance of the Holy Prophet has been given the wisdom and authority to catch people from the road of self-destruction and degradation and bring them to the Path of Eternal Happiness.

Source: Mercy Oceans: Pink Pearls, p. 44-48

Prayer for Protection from H1N1 Flu Virus By Sayyid Ahmed Amiruddin

The Sunni Position on the Twelve Imams By Sayyid Ahmed Amiruddin

Q. Is it correct for Sunni Muslims to believe in the Twelve Imams?

A. In light of the Hadith of Gabriel (alaihi salam), also known as the Hadith of Ihsan, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) defined his religion as Islam, Iman and Ihsan. Based on the study of this Hadith, it is clear that according to the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alalihi wa aalihi wa sallam) Ihsan is one-third of the faith of Islam.

Unlike those who deny Tasawwuf, Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jam’ah, are clear that the vehicle to taste the Maqam al-Ihsan is Tasawwuf, what is termed as Sufism by the people today.

With that established, to answer your question, I say, based on the teachings of the greatest leaders of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jam’ah throughout history, the Illustrious Twelve Imams (may Allah be well pleased with them all) are THE Qutbul-Aqtaab of Tasawwuf, meaning the highest ranking Saints of Sufism, under whose shelter every Wali attained his Wiliyah, and each Muslim is able to approach or even reach the state of Ihsan. I say to you, that without them, there is no Tasawwuf, and without Tasawwuf, there is no Ihsan. Ihsan is one-third of the faith, and hence, belief in the Twelve Imams is in reality, one-third of the faith!

In his book the Ghadir Declaration, Shaykh al-Islam Dr. Tahir al-Qadiri quotes Imam Rabbani’s comments on the status of Hadrat al-Murtada and the Twelve Imams, and the dependence of those who seek guidance directly on them for it, stating,

“And there is another way close to the spiritual sovereignty and this is the way of the Saints and the general friends of Allah, and this way is marked by its characteristic passion and it carries the guarantee of mediation and the leader and chieftain of the Saints of this way is ‘Alī al-Murtada. And this grand office is reserved for him. On this way, the feet of the Holy Prophet are on ‘Alī’s head and Fatima and Hasan and Husayn are included with him. I believe that he enjoyed this position even before his physical birth, as he did after it, and whosoever has received the divine blessing and guidance, has received it through him, because he is closest to the last point on this way and the centre of this spot belongs to him. And when his period ended, the grand office passed on to Hasan and Husayn and then on to each one of the Twelve Imāms, individually and elaborately. And whosoever received guidance in their life and after their death, received it through these saints. And the refuge and place of shelter of the Saints of high ranks are these Saints, (because they are the centre of all spiritual activity) and the sides tend to converge on the centre” (Maktubat, Volume 9:173#123).

To elaborate further on the topic of the Ummah’s dependence on the Twelve Imams in order to obtain Ihsan, the Masterful Khwaja; Imam Rabbani Mujaddid Alf Thani Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi (qadas Allahu sirrahul ‘aziz) describes the dependence of the Qutb al-Aqtab, who is responsible for the guiding the entire creation, on Hadrat ‘Ali’ al-Murtada (karram Allahu wajhu), stating in the Maktubat Sharif Vol. 1,

“O Brother! Indeed Imam ‘Ali is the holder of the keys of the Sainthood, Wilayah, of the Prophet Muhammad [s] and the training regime for the status of Aqtab, Awtad and Abdaal, who are from amongst the reserved Awliya, is done under the shelter of his Sainthood. The rank of Qutb al-Aqtab, who is the greatest Qutb and the guide and mentor of others, lays under his (‘Ali’s) feet. His orders are issued under the supervision and support of ‘Ali and he performs his duties under the supervision and support of ‘Ali and fulfills his tasks. Sayyida Fatima and both of her sons, the Imams (Hasan and Husayn) share this rank with ‘Ali.” (Maktubat Imam Rabbani, Volume 1:438#251)

Furthermore, Hadrat Shah Wali Allah Muhaddith al-Dahlawi echoed this belief, that dependence on the Sainthood of the Illustrious Twelve Imams is one-third of the faith, as it is the Twelve Imams who are the Pivots of Guidance in Tasawwuf, and since Tasawwuf leads to Ihsan, and since it is them who are the Pivots of that science, it is clear that it is the Twelve Imams then who lead one to the perfection of faith, Ihsan.

I say to you again, without the Twelve Imams, ones faith cannot be completed, as Ihsan is the completion of faith, and the science of Ihsan; Tasawwuf, depends entirely on them!

The venerable Muhaddith Shah Wali Allah wrote:

“This faqir [referring to himself] has come to know that from all the other relations, the Twelve Imams [ra] have the relation of central pole leadership (Qutb). And the way of Tassawuf (Sufism) had taken birth during their lifetime. But all the orders of Aqaed and Shariah are limited to the ahadeeth of the Prophet (saww). And they have the order (Amr) of inner (Batin) leadership (Qutbiyat), which is free from the problems of Shariah. And in regards to the very leadership (Qutbiyat), each of them had an indication and ‘Nas’ for the next one to come, and the affairs of imamate which they said, actually referred to this kind of central pole leadership (Qutbiyat).” [Maqalaat al Waziyah fi Naseehat al-Wasiyah, page 7 (Lucknow)].

“Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Honor, above what they describe.
And peace be on the Apostles.
And all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds” (Qur’an, 37:180)

And Allah Knows Best!

Sayyid Ahmed Amiruddin
Deputy, Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani, al-Qubrusi

Progressing Towards the Point of Spiritual Unveiling By Sultan ul-Awliya al-Ghawth Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani

Q: Is there something more I can do in order to progress towards the point of spiritual unveiling more quickly?

A: You can do nothing except to follow. Follow your Guide: his orders, his examples, his manners. If you concentrate on following him you will precede along the path with him: to follow is important, nothing else.

Even if you can only manage to connect to and remember your Sheikh once a day, that will be enough for you to be written as his follower. It means you have boarded that “train” and are still riding on it. As long as the train continues on towards its destination you will move towards yours as well. Even if you are not working as hard as you should for your spiritual life, it doesn’t matter so much, for you are still aboard the train- and be you asleep on the floor on the third class car: the train is moving and you are on it. What is important is to take a train.

Yes, even if you are asleep day and night you may progress if you just keep up your connection with you Sheikh. Pointing to this fact is the saying of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, that on the Last Day everyone will be raised up with his loved ones. So the more you love your Sheikh, the more you should be able to follow his orders and examples in obedience to Allah Almighty and His Prophet. But even the laziest follower will not be left behind until he reaches his station. For if he is asleep the conductor will come and wake him up, saying” wake up, wake up, we have arrived at your station.” Then he would groggily reply “What? Have we really arrived?”, “Yes, take your baggage and go.”
Source: Mercy Oceans: Pink Pearls, By Sheikh Nazim Al-Qubrusi, p.50

Belief in the Twelve Veils By Sayyid Ahmed Amiruddin

In a post on yanabi.com, Dr. GF Haddad dismisses the hadith about the creation of twelve veils as a “Shia forgery” (see his critique of Shaykh al-Islam Dr. Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri posted at http://www.yanabi.com/forum/Topic333186-24-1.aspx wherein GF Haddad states, “This is yet another forgery which unknowns threw on Sufyan and Ibn al-Mubarak’s doors just as you do with us here on the pretext that Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri cites it in what you call his 1,000 page masterpiece. You say he (Dr. Qadri) did not reference it but this is because it is taken exclusively from the books of the Shi`is, the 12 veils being a reference to… etc. He most probably culled it from volume 25 of al-Majlisi’s (d. 1111) Bihar al-Anwar which begins with the forgeries on the creation of the Nur of the twelve Imams (specifically 25:21 but also 15:4, 54:170-175, 55:41, 108:198 etc.) although the original fabrication is in Ibn Babuyah’s (d. 381) Khisal (p. 482) and Ma`ani al-Akhbar (p. 306, p. 351).”

Here is the hadith in question from Shaykh al-Islam’s book, “Undoubtedly, Allah (tabâraka wa ta`âlâ) created the light of Muhammad (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) before creating the skies, earth, Kursî, Qalam, Paradise, Hell. Before creating Âdam, Nûh, Ibrâhîm, Ismâ`îl, Is-hâq, Ya`qûb, Mûsâ, `Îsâ, Sulaymân and Dâwûd. Before creating the Prophet mentioned in the verse, `wa wa hab nâ lahû is-Hâqa wa ya`qûb – and We gave him (Ibrâhîm) Is-hâq and Ya`qûb (as a son and grandson)’ till the verse `wa hadaynâhum ilâ Sirâtim-mustaqîm – We chose him and gave guidance towards the right path’ and before all of the other Prophets by 424,000 years and with him were created 12 veils” (Shaykh Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, Mîlâd-un-Nabî (saw) (Pakistan, Lahore: Minhaj-ul-Qur’an Publishers, 2004), pp. 116-7).

Q. What is Mawlana Shaykh Nazim’s view regarding the hadith about the twelve veils?

A. We confirm belief in the Twelve Veils. The following passage about the Twelve Veils appears in the book “Muhammad: The Messenger of Islam” by Hajjah Amina Adil (rah), wife of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani, in the chapter titled, The Creation of the Light of Muhammad (S): The Twelve Veils:

On page 3 of her beautiful book, “Muhammad: The Messenger of Islam”, Hajjah Amina Adil writes, “The Twelve Veils: After this the Lord Almighty, blessed be He, created Twelve Veils. The first of these was the Veil of Power…The second was the Veil of Grandeur…(The third was) the Veil of Kindness…The fourth veil was the Veil of Mercy…The fifth veil was the Veil of Bliss…The sixth veil was the Veil of Munificence..Then followed the seventh veil, the Veil of Rank…Next, He veiled him in the eighth veil, the Veil of Guidance…Then followed the ninth veil, which was the Veil of Prophethood…Then came the Veil of Eminence, the tenth veil where this enlightened soul remained…The eleventh veil was the Veil of Light…The twelfth veil was the Veil of Intercession…” . (“Muhammad: The Messenger of Islam” By Hajjah Amina Adil, published by the Islamic Supreme Council of America (ISCA) 2002, Creation of the Light of Muhammad (S): The Twelve Veils, p.3).

The preface to his book was written by Mawlana Shaykh Nazim himself, who endorsed its contents and wrote,

“Islamic teachings are based on the divinely revealed Quran, on the Hadith (examples of the Prophet Muhammad (S), and on the legal judgments of trained jurists. It is also a religion largely open to interpretation, which allows for consensus, discussion, and disagreement…’Muhammad: The Last Prophet’ embodies the timeless teachings of holy souls through the ages, whom Allah subhana wa ta’ala has endowed with immense wisdom. May we benefit from what they offer, that these lessons help us evolve to higher stations, becoming truly in tune with the spiritual dimension of life, achieving a state of genuine peace ‑ with ourselves and the world around us. Wa min Allah at Tawfiq‑and Allah knows best. Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani, Cyprus, January 2002.” (“Muhammad: The Messenger of Islam” By Hajjah Amina Adil, published by the Islamic Supreme Council of America (ISCA) 2002, Preface, p. VII).

Here is a scan of the page from Hajjah Amina Adil’s book “Muhammad: The Messenger of Islam” mentioning the Twelve Veils for your reference,

Imam Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Husayn ibn ‘Ali, al-Baqir, the Rewarder

“The stars do not rule us, we rule the stars“-Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
“The tomb of Musa al-Kazim is a tried cure for all disease”-ash-Shafi’i

Named Muhammad, al-Baqir was his title and he was also known as Abu Jafar. [He was the son of Imam Zain ul 'Abidin]. He was a highly respectable and learned scholar. There is a Tradition in Sahih Muslim concerning Hajj which is related to 200 religious issues. His reports are continued in Sahih and Sunnan. He was born in Madina in 57 Hijri and died in 114 Hijri. He is buried in Baqi. He was only nine years old at the time of Karbala. His mother is Umme Abdullah Bin Imam Hasan (radi allahu anhu).

Ahmad ibn Hajar al-Makki wrote in his book, As-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqa:

“Al-Imam Muhammad al-Baqir disclosed secrets of Ilm and Hikmah and unfolded the principles of spiritual and religious guidance. Nobody can deny his character, his God-given knowledge, his divinely-gifted Hikmah, and his obligation and gratitude towards the spreading of knowledge. He was a sacred and highly talented spiritual leader and for this reason, he was popularly titled al-Baqir, which means the expounder of knowledge. Kind in heart, spotless in character, saved by soul, and noble by nature, the Imam devoted all his time to worship. It is beyond the power of a man to count the deep impression of knowledge and guidance left by the Imam on the hearts of the faithful. His saying in devotion and abstinence, in knowledge and wisdom and in religious exercise and submission to Allah are so great in number that the volume of this book is quite insufficient to cover them all.”

Allamah Shibli Nu’mani writes, “the Ahli-Bayt were the fountainhead of Hadith, Fiqh, and in fact, all religious learning”

Abu Hanifah, who helped finance the claim to the Caliphate by Ibrahim ibn ‘Abd Allah Makhas ibn Hasan ibn ‘Ali (karram Allahu wajhu), sat for a long time at Imam Muhammad al-Baqir’s feet and acquired from him much valuable knowledge of Fiqh and Hadith from him which was not available anywhere else. Ibn Mutahhir al-Hilli, a famous Shi’i scholar, wrote in his books Nahjul-Haqq and Al-Minhaj al-Karamah Fi Tariqat al-Imamat that Imam Abu Hanifah learned from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (Radhi Allahu ‘Anh) as well as from his son, Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (Radhi Allahu ‘Anh), attaining high grades in his company. Al-Hilli also brings forth the fact that Abu Hanifah was given ijaza to give fatwa and perform ijtihad by at least three members of the Ahli-Bayt: 1.) Al-Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, 2.) his half-brother, Al-Imam Zayd bin Ali Shaheed and 3.) his son, Al-Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq. In light of this fact, Abdullah Suwaydi writes in his book, An-nahiyatu an-ta’ni Amir al-mu’minin Mu’awiya that

“Imam Abu Hanifah’s requirements of ijazat is testified by the faultless A’immah. To speak ill of Abu Hanifa would mean to deny the testimony of the Twelve Imams, who were sinless people. And this in its turn would be disbelief, according to the Shi’ah credo.”

In Sirat-e-Nu’man, it is written that “both the Ahlus-Sunnah and the Shiites are in agreement that Imam Abu Hanifah derived much of his learning from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir.” It is related in Al-Majmua az-Zuhdiyya that Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (Radhi Allahu ‘Anh) looked at Abu Hanifah (Radhi Allahu ‘Anh) and said:

“When those who defile my ancestor’s Shari’ah are on the increase, you will enliven it. You will be the savior of those with taqwa and the refuge of those with taqwa and the refuge of those who are confused! You will bring heretics round to the right path! Allah Ta’ala will help you!”

Muhammad bin Khavendesh bin Mahmud wrote in Rauza-tus-Safaa that “neither pen nor tongue can describe the merits and the traditions of Imam Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin ‘Ali al-Baqir.”

The Manifestation of the Light of Allah: The Meaning of God’s Creation of Adam in His Image By Sayyid Ahmed Amiruddin

Q. What is your belief regarding of the Hadith of Jabir (rad) which states, “Awwalu ma khalaqallahu nuri” and how would you explain it based upon the following Hadith wherein the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) is reported to have said: “Allah created Adam in His Image” (Al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, Hadith 246)?

A. Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem. It is the correct belief of Muslims that Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta`ala) cannot be literally “seen” (in this life), as to literally “see” Him Most High would mean that He would occupy a direction, but He is the Creator of directions, and beyond all directions. The answer is, Allah cannot be seen, but the Madhahar, Manifestation, of His Nur can be seen. Hence, the meaning of “in His Image” is a reference to the Madhahar of Allah; the Manifestation of His Nur; Meem Haa Meem Daal; Nur Muhammad, which is Nurim min Nurillah. The meaning of “Adam” is related to the statement of Shaykh al-Akbar Muhiuddin Ibn Arabi’s statement, “Allah created one hundred Adams, we are the descendents of the last” and Mawlana Shaykh Nazim’s statement, “so many Adams have been created-no one knows their (exact) number!” The Holy Qur’an states that Adam was created from Turab, it is my understanding, as I will explain below, that the Adam mentioned in this Hadith is actually Abu Turab, the first Adam.

The hadith of Jabir (rad) which you quoted states that the Messenger of Allah (S) said, “Awwalu ma khalaqallahu Nuri” (The first thing that Allah created was my Nur). This light was then divided into 4 parts, then 4 more parts, then 4 more parts, then 4 more parts, then the Twelve Veils were manifest. There are different transmissions of this hadith, and the hadith stating “Awwalu ma khalaqallahu Nuri” has been declared weak according to some Ulema and authentic according to others. The truth in this matter is that it is weak, but not because of the fact that the Nur Muhammad is Awwal, the first, which it is, without any doubt, but rather only becuase of the words “created” which appear in the narration of Jabir (rad). The Light of the Holy Prophet (S) is not created, because Allah did not “create” Himself, but rather the correct position is that the Light of the Prophet (S) is the Manifestation of Allah’s own Light, meaning Allah Manifested Himself as Light and that Light was manifest through Muhammad (S). There are many meanings of this hadith, but the one most relevent one to our goal is the following:

The Light mentioned in the hadith is the Light of Allah Himself, as the Holy Quran states, “Allah is the Light of the Heavens and Earth”. This Light (Manifested) was divided into 4 parts, these are represented by the 4 letters of the Ism Muhammad, Meem Haa Meem Daal, which then formed Nur Muhammad. This Light was then divided into 4 more parts, these are represented by the 4 letters Alif, Haa, Meem, Daal, from the Ism Ahmad. This Light was then divided into 4 more parts, these are represented by the 4 names `Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Husayn, who are from Ahmad (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam). This Light was then divided into 4 more parts, and these four parts are represented by the 4 letters Qaf, Ra, Ya, Shin, from the word Quraysh. In Takhrij ahadith sharh al-mawaqif (p. 32 #12) Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti cites the following hadith: “The Quraysh were a light in front of Allah.” These 4 parts were then divided into the Twelve Veils, which represent the Twelve Imams, about whom the ahadith state, “There will be after me Twelve Sucessors, all of them from Quraysh.”

Hadrat al-Ghawth Mawlana Sultan ul-Awliya Shaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi (Q) said regarding the Muhammadan Realilty, the Manifest source of all creation, including the Kursi, Qalam and the Tablet: “Allah appeared through him (Meem Haa Meem Daal, Muhammad). There is one Muhammad. I am Muhammad, you are Muhammad. The Manifest One is Manifested through Muhammad.”

Hu Allah. Human, Hadrat Hajji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki declared, “Creation is nothing but the visible manifestations of Allah. Just like Allah’s Asma al-Husna (Beautiful Names) are not other than Him, similarly these Hawadith are not other than Him.” Allah does not have a corporeal form. Anyone who believes that Allah is like is creation is a misbeliever. Allah used His Three Thousand Names to describe Himself, one thousand went to the Angels, one thousand to Prophets and one thousand to Mankind. Of these one thousand to Mankind, three hundred were known during the time of the Torah, three hundred during the time of the Zubur, three hundred during the time of the Injil and ninety-nine were revealed in the Holy Qur’an.

Khalifatullah and the Importance of Letters

The first revelation was “Iqra”, read, or recite. One form of reading is based on forming words with meanings from letters, huruf. The Holy Qur’an states, “Huw Allahul ladhi…” (He is Allah..). In this verse, “Hu” comes before “Allah”. What is “Hu”?, it is the Madhahar. From the Madhahar these Names which Allah used to describe Himself to His creation were manifest as letters, huruf, forming words with meanings i.e. Raufur Raheem. For example, while He cannot be literally “seen”, or “comprehended”, He calls Himself “Allah”. The Ism “Allah” is comprised of four letters, Alif, Laam, Laam, Ha, Allah. Using the ABJAD system, the value of Ism “Allah” is Alif=1, Laam=30, Laam=30, Ha=5, bringing the total (Jaml i-Kabir) to 66. The Jaml i-Waseet of Ism “Allah” is 6+6, meaning 12. The Jaml i-Saghir of Ism “Allah” is 1+2, meaning 3. These 3 represent the Reality, the three Haqaiq, which are taught as an elementary lesson in Sufism as the three realities, Allah, Rasul, and the Guide, Wali, or Shaykh. This doctrine originates from the Jaml i-Saghir of Ism “Allah” which is 1+2, meaning 3. The reality of this 3 are the Reality of “AllahMuhammadAli“.

The total letters in the Ism “Allah” are 4, which are part of the Madhahar of the Ism “Allah”, not seperate, because together they form the Ism, and they are part of the Ism itself, not seperate. The Madhahar of Hu-Allah (He is Allah) in the form of these 4 letters is in the form of Meem Haa Meem Daal, 4 letters. The complete Hadith of Jabir (rad) states that the Light was then divided into 4, these are the letters in the Ism Allah, Alif, Laam, Laam, Ha, and they are represented by the letters Meem Haa Meem Daal, and the Prophet (S) declared that his family is from him, not seperate from him. Hence, these 4 letters represent the creation of ‘Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husayn, the Ahlul Bayt, his family. Imam Suyuti reported that Ibn Abbas asked the Prophet (S) about the words which Adam received from his Lord. The Prophet (S) replied,’ He prayed saying, “O Allah, for the sake of Muhammad:’Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn, do turn towards me”, and “He turned towards him”.

The Jaml i-Waseet of the ABJAD value of Ism “Allah” is 6+6, which is 12, as I described above. This 12 represents the Twelve Veils. Coming back to my point, while it is clear that these letters (Alif, Laam, Laam, Ha) are not “Allah” in Himself, He however, used them, Alif, Laam, Laam, Ha, to identify Himself to His creation, and therefore these letters are from “Allah” in the sense of belonging to His introduction of Himself and His own Name, “Allah”. It is from this same understanding that the Sufi doctrine Wahdatul Wajood stems, and it is on the basis of the letters representing a Manifestation, which could be witnessed, the counter of al-Wajood, Wahadtul Shuhud stems. Hence, the reality of those two doctrines is that both are equally correct. This is why we must be pure when touching the Holy Qur’an, because it is composed in the letters of the Arabic alphabet, the same letters Allah used to make His Names and Attributes Known, and thereby make Himself known to His Khalifa, Insan al-Kamil, as I will explain below.

The Manifest One

The Holy Qur’an states, “He is the First, the Last, the Manifest, the Hidden” (Hu wal Awwalu wal Aakhiru wadh Dhahiru wal Batinu) and the Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari states ‘Allah created Adam in His Image’ (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 8, Hadith no. 246).

What is the meaning of this? One meaning is that the name of that Manifested Nur from Allah is Meem Ha Meem Daal, the Madhahar of Allah, Nur Muhammad. Again, by saying the name of the Manifested Nur is “Muhammad” I mean the letters “Meem, Haa, Meem, Daal”.

This Nur, the Manifestation of the Primary Nur, is the manifest Nur of the Heavens and the Earth which is described in the Holy Qur’an. It is the meaning of the vision of our GrandShaykh Sultan ul-Awliya Mawlana Shaykh ‘Abd Allah Daghestani (q) wherein he spoke of the conversation between Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (karram Allahu wajhu) and Uwais al-Qarni, wherein Hadrat ‘Ali declared that he actually only saw the Holy Prophet (S) twice, similar to what the Holy Qur’an states about the Vision of Allah of the Holy Prophet (S) about which Ibn Abbas declared, “The Holy Prophet (S) saw Allah twice in his heart.”. Our GrandShaykh said Hadrat ‘Ali said when he saw twice, everywhere he looked in all directions of creation to the Throne and beyond, all he saw was Muhammad.

Insan al-Kamil, the Khalifatullah, Man, was created in the form of these perfect letters, Meem, Haa, Meem, Daal, which are the Madhahar of Nur Allah: Meem, Haa, Meem, Daal; Muhammad; Nur Muhammad. That is the meaning of the Hadith, ‘Allah created Man in His Image’. The “image” is the form of letters, in which He Manifested His Own Light, Meem Haa Meem Daa, Nur Muhammad. The meaning of this statement is, in the form of letters then, the Human head is in the form, image, of the letter Meem, the body with the ribs are in the form of the letter Haa, the hips until the knees are in the form of the the second letter Meem and the legs from the knees to the feet, which face forward in the manifested form of the letter Daal. Thus the Human is formed in the image of the perfectly Manifested letters, the Madhahar of the Nur Allah: Nur Muhammad, Meem Haa Meem Daal, which are Muhammad, the primary of Divine Manifestation.

Ibn `Ajibah writes in the explanation of the Hadith of Al-Bukhari regarding “image” in al-Mabahith al-Asliyyah, line 22: “And the Reality of the Human has a pattern in the Divine.”

Hadrat Haji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki (rah) used to say that Insan is outwardly a Slave (‘Abd, the Primary being ‘Abduhu wa Rasulu) and inwardly (Batini) the Haqq.

He Created Adam in His (Manifested) Image

The spiritual son of Ghawth al-Adham Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (Rad), Shaykh al-Akbar Muhiuddin Ibn Arabi wrote in his Futuhat al-Makkiyya ‘Allah created one hundred Adams, we are the descendents of the last’.

The venerable Ghawth Mawlana Shaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi (q) revealed in one of his illustrious discources,

“Our GrandShaykh says, ‘Knowledge is an endless ocean…Saints know about from before the time of Adam (peace be upon him)….Our GrandShaykh said that this is the period of our father Adam (peace be upon him) and his sons. We are living in it now. But before our father’s period, so many Adams have been created-no one knows their (exact)number!…Each Adam, and his sons were generally like us, in that they may be recognized as sons of Adam. All are servants of our Lord. Also, He Almighty, alone, knows how many Adams will come after us, how many periods there will be….Our GrandShaykh says, ‘Allah Almighty was addressing those Adams that were created before our father, Adam (peace be upon him) with the secrets of the Holy Quran. Quran, the Holy book, contains endless secret knowledge. Its secrets are such that you can find, included in it, all news from before and after us.” (Mercy Oceans: The Teachings of Maulana Abdullah al-Faizi ad-Daghestani, on p. 104-105)

Hadrat ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (karram Allahu wajhu) declared, “Anna Adamul Awaal” (I am the First Adam). Regarding the excellence of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, Imam Rabbani Mujadid Alf Thani declared in his Maktubat Vol. 1,

“O Brother! Indeed Imam ‘Ali is the holder of the keys of the Sainthood, Wilayah, of the Prophet Muhammad [s] and the training regime for the status of Aqtab, Awtad and Abdaal, who are from amongst the reserved Awliya, is done under the shelter of his Sainthood. The rank of Qutb al-Aqtab, who is the greatest Qutb and the guide and mentor of others, lays under his (‘Ali’s) feet. His orders are issued under the supervision and support of ‘Ali and he performs his duties under the supervision and support of ‘Ali and fulfills his tasks. Sayyida Fatima and both of her sons, the Imams (Hasan and Husayn) share this rank with ‘Ali.” (Maktubat Imam Rabbani, Volume 1, page 438 Letter 251)

In the Maktubat, Imam Rabbani went further to declare that he believed that Hadrat ‘Ali enjoyed his exalted status even before his physical birth, stating,

“And there is another way close to the spiritual sovereignty and this is the way of the Saints and the general friends of Allah, and this way is marked by its characteristic passion and it carries the guarantee of mediation and the leader and chieftain of the Saints of this way is ‘Alī al-Murtada. And this grand office is reserved for him. On this way, the feet of the Holy Prophet are on ‘Alī’s head and Fatima and Hasan and Husayn are included with him. I believe that he enjoyed this position even before his physical birth, as he did after it, and whosoever has received the divine blessing and guidance, has received it through him, because he is closest to the last point on this way and the centre of this spot belongs to him. And when his period ended, the grand office passed on to Hasan and Husayn and then on to each one of the Twelve Imāms, individually and elaborately. And whosoever received guidance in their life and after their death, received it through these saints. And the refuge and place of shelter of the saints of high ranks are these saints, (because they are the centre of all spiritual activity) and the sides tend to converge on the centre” (Maktubat, Volume 9:173#123).

Hadrat ‘Ali existed before the creation of our Adam. Hadrat ‘Ali declared “Anna Adamul Awaal” (I am the First Adam), that means, while Meem Haa Meem Daal is the primary Manifestation of the Light of Allah, ‘Ali is the Manifestation of perfectly surrendered form of the letters Meem Haa Meem Daal, Muhammad, the Khalifatullah, as Adam, the first Human.

Adam was created according to the Holy Quran from “Turab” (khalaqahu min turabin…) and the Messenger of Allah (S) said in an authentic hadith that ‘Ali was Abu Turab, meaning the Father of Turab. Ism ‘Ali, represents one of the three of the Jaml i-Saghir of Ism Allah as mentioned above, Allah Muhammad ‘Ali, ‘Ali is the father of Turab. Turab is earth, dust, and the earth and creation came from Nur Muhammad, from the 12 Veils. These 12 Veils are from the Jaml i-Saghir of Ism “Allah”, 3, as mentioned above. The Reality of this Jaml i-Saghir, which is 1+2, meaning three, is Allah, who is Rab, and Muhammad and ‘Ali.

The ABJAD Value of Rab is Ra=200 + Ba=2, meaning 202. The ABJAD Value of Muhammad is Meem=40 + Haa=8 + Meem=40 + Daal=4, meaning 92, and the ABJAD Value of ‘Ali is Ayn=70 +Laam=30 + Ya=10, meaning 110. Allah is Rab, and the ABJAD Value of Rab is 202. If the ABJAD Values for Muhammad and ‘Ali are added, 92 (Muhammad) + 110 (‘Ali) we get the same ABJAD Value as Rab, 202. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib is Abu Turab, and Adam (the later) was created from Turab, meaning from the 12 Veils, which came from the Jaml i-Saghir, Allah Muhammad ‘Ali, which came from the 4 letters, which are the Mudhahar.

When Insan, Man, who is created in the image of these primary Manifested letters, in the form of Meem Haa Meem Daal, Muhammad, Nur Muhammad; which is the Madhahar of Nur Allah, as Mawlana Shaykh Nazim declared, “There is one Muhammad. I am Muhammad, you are Muhammad. The Manifest One” , he (Man) is then ready to come “down” to earth as the Khalifatullah, in the form of the letters Meem Haa Meem Daal, he becomes ready to be born from his mother. Again, I would like to make it clear that it is the correct belief of the people of Islam that it is Kufr, misbelief, to believe that Allah can be likened to His creation. When I am speaking here, it is of form, not corporeal form, but rather based on letters, like I explained earlier, which Allah used Himself to describe Himself. I will quote Hadrat Haji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki here again, “Creation is nothing but the visible manifestations of Allah. Just like Allah’s Asma al-Husna (Beautiful Names) are not other than Him, similarly these Hawadith are not other than Him.”

Continuing, when the Human is ready to ‘come to earth’, the Human baby in the mothers womb enters the perfect birthing position, which is head down and feet up. Man with head up and feet down, represents the form of the letters Meem Ha Meem Daa, as I explained above. However, with his head down and feet up, he forms the letters of Ism ‘Ali. See this Ambigram of Ism Muhammad and Ism ‘Ali below to get a better understanding.

To further explain, Allah is Rab. He Manifest Himself as Nur. The Name of the manifestation of that Nur is Meem Haa Meem Daal, Muhammad; Nur Muhammad. The Prophet (S) declared, “I and ‘Ali are from One Light.”.

The numeric value using ABJAD of “Rab”, is Ra=200, Ba=2, meaning 202.

The ABJAD value of Ism “Muhammad” (S) is 92
Meem=40
Haa=8
Meem=40
Daal=4

The ABJAD value of Ism “Ali” is 110
Ayn=70
Laam=30
Ya=10

When we add the Values of Ism Muhammad (S) and Ism Ali, 92+110, we get 202, the same Value for “Rab”.

Hence, the proper meaning of the Hadith is not that Allah is like His creation, but rather that Allah Manifest His Own Light as Meem Haa Meem Daal, Nur Muhammad, Muhammad; nurim min nurillah. Adam, the first Adam, referred to in the Hadith was created in the form of that Manifestation. The meaning of Adamul Awwal has been explained. Adam is the Khalifatullah, the Wali of Allah. That Adam was created in the form, image, of the Madhahar (letters) of the Nur Allah. The Adam’s which came after, were created from Turab, and this Adam is Abu Turab. That is the correct meaning of “Allah created Adam in His image”.

“Creation is nothing but the visible manifestations of Allah. Just like Allah’s Asma al-Husna (Beautiful Names) are not other than Him, similarly these Hawadith are not other than Him.” –Hajji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki (rah)

And Allah Knows Best!

Sayyid Ahmed Amiruddin
Copyright © 2009 Ahlus Sunnah Foundation of Canada. All rights reserved.

The Ottoman Caliphate, the Illustrious Quraysh and Al Mahdi

The Ottoman Caliphate was abolished in 1924, ending almost 1300 years of the Caliphate of the Quraysh with brief intervals. Until the demise of the Ottoman Caliphate, the Muslim world remained alligned and united under Baiah (Oath of Allegiance) to the bloodline of the Quraysh and the Oath (Baiah) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (uwbp). After its abolishment, the Muslim world lost its Oath of Allegiance (Baiah) to the Holy Prophet Muhammad through the link of the Qurayshite inheritance of the Ottomans. The reign of the Quraysh as Caliphs, which began with the first of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, Abu Bakr, then Umar, Usman and ‘Ali was finally destroyed. The Holy Prophet Muhammad told his wife Aisha, in a hadith mentioned by Imam Ahmad, “the Quraysh are the backbone of the people, and the people shall be destroyed as soon as the Quraysh is destroyed”.

Although God’s covenant is still evident with the Muslim world, due to their lack of allegiance to the Prophet Muhammad and his tribe, the Quraysh, the custodians of the Ka’ba and the well of Zem Zem, they are being humiliated.

Hence, as a form of penitence to God and His Apostle, devout Muslims worldwide pray daily for the advent of Al Mahdi, so they can once again renew their Baiah (Oath of Allegiance) to the Prophet Muhammad through the legacy of the Quraysh, to whom Al Mahdi will also belong, in addition to being from the best clans from within it, the Hashemites and the best of them, the descendents of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the Ahlul Bayt.

According to Islamic tradition, the Armageddon then will be fought by the Kings of the descendents of Abraham’s sons Ishmael and Isaac. The King of the descendents of the Ishmaelite House will be known as “Al Mahdi”, and will be given allegiance to at the Station of Abraham (Maqam Ibrahim) in Makkah, infront of the Kaba, the House of God which was built by Abraham and Ishmael. Meanwhile, the King of the House of Isaac will be Dajjal (Anti-Christ), who will be attempting to establish his Kingdom in Jerusalem when he will hear about the Mahdi. The Dajjal will then assemble all of his followers and advance against Al Mahdi, claiming him self to be the Messiah and God. At the moment when both armies face each other, God will send Jesus Christ, son of Mary down for the Second Coming.

Muslims believe that Jesus Christ will return to earth and prove that he is that real Christ (Messiah), and that the Seal of Prophets is Muhammad, from the line of Ishmael, who was ‘like unto Moses’. Jesus will then commence war with the Imposter Messiah, and will slay the Anti-Christ of the House of David near Jerusalem. Jesus will then retrieve the Ark of the Covenant with Al Mahdi, who will know of its secret location from the secret letters of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, whose brother retrieved it from Ethiopia (Habash) from the Negus, who believed in the Prophet Muhammad and surrendered the Ark to him, and had it returned to Makkah to present it to the Seal of Prophets mentioned in the Gospels of Jesus, from the line of Ishmael, the Holy Prophet Muhammad. The Holy Prophet Muhammad then is reported to have granted it to his son in-law, Ali, who then retrieved from it the Zulfikar Sword and by the power and blessings of the Ark, helped establish for the Prophet Muhammad the State in Medina, and later on the entire Hijaz.

Muslims believe that the Ark was secretly guarded by the first four Caliphs, who used its power to establish the Islamic Empire throughout the Middle East, including in Jerusalem.
It is said, during the reign of ‘Ali, the Ark was sent towards Turkey, and the Ottomans became the protectors of the lands wherein it could have been hidden. Its secret location was guarded by the Twelve Imams.

Imam Suyuti said,”He (Mahdi) will bring the Ark of the Covenant to light from a place called Antioch.” (Suyuti, al-Hawi li’l Fatawa, II, 82)

When Al Mahdi comes, he will retrieve it and with the help of Jesus Christ, establish the Kingdom of Heaven under the House of Ishmael, as the Gospel of Barnabas records the saying of Jesus Christ himself;

“Whereupon Jesus said: …”Believe me, for verily I say to you, that the promise was made in Ishmael, not in Isaac.’” (Barnabas 43:10)

“And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve mighty princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation” (Genesis 17:20)

The task of the Ottoman Caliphate was to secure the leadership of the bloodline of Ishmael, and that of the Quraysh, when it failed, it fell.

Sultan Abdul Hamid Khan II, the last Ottoman Caliph