Category Archives: Language
Hazrat Maulana Rumi (May Allah be pleased with him)Â (1207-1273Â CE)
Issue #11
July 8, 2006 / Jamaduth Thani 12, 1427
Hazrat Maulana Jalaluddin Muhammed Rumi (1207 – 1273 CE, may Allah Almighty be pleased with and have mercy on him) is one of the greatest Saints in Islamic history and the most famous in the West because of his spiritual and mystical poetry emphasizing love of Allah Almighty and His Beloved Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him).
Maulana Rumi (may Allah have mercy on him) was born on the 6th of Rabbi al-Awwal in the Islamic Hijri year 604 in Balkh, present-day Afghanistan. His father, Hazrat Bahauddin Walad (may Allah have mercy on him), was a great Muslim scholar and also a Sufi saint who came from the family of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), First Caliph of Islam. Maulana Rumi (r.a.) grew up in this learned household and was a fully accomplished scholar himself. His family migrated from Central Asia towards Eastern Turkey and completed the Hajj pilgrimage, after which Hazrat Bahauddin Walad became the head of a seminary school (madrasa) in Konya, Turkey. When he passed away, Maulana Rum (r.a.) took his place at the head of the school. During this time, Maulana Rum (r.a.) was a spiritual disciple of first his father, and then Syed Burhanuddin Mahaqqiq (may Allah have mercy on him) until the latter passed away.
One version of the famous meeting that Maulana Rumi (may Allah have mercy on him) had with Hazrat Shams Tabrez (may Allah have mercy on him), was that once Maulana Rumi (r.a.) was teaching a group of his students and referring to his handwritten books and notes while Hazrat Shams Tabrez (r.a.) happened to come along and asked him about those notes. Maulana Rumi (r.a.) replied that the books and notes were beyond the understanding of Hazrat Shams Tabrez (r.a.). Then Maulana Rumi (r.a.) continued his class, meanwhile Hazrat Shams Tabrez (r.a.) threw all the books into a nearby pond of water. The students noticed this and started beating him. This caught the attention of Maulana Rumi (r.a.) who complained about losing his knowledge. Hazrat Shams Tabrez (r.a.) replied that he could return the books, so he recited Bismillah and retrieved the books from the water and they were intact. Now Maulana Rumi (r.a.) was surprised and asked how this was possible – to which Hazrat Shams Tabrez (r.a.) replied that such knowledge was beyond that of an external scholar.
Thus began the relationship between Maulana Rumi (may Allah have mercy on him) and Hazrat Shams Tabrez (may Allah have mercy on him). Maulana Rumi (r.a.) is reported to have mostly retired from his public life and spent a lot of time with Hazrat Shams Tabrez (r.a.). Once Hazrat Shams Tabrez (r.a.) was driven from Konya but returned. The second time that Hazrat Shams Tabrez (r.a.) disappeared, it was permanent. There is a famous Persian couplet:
Maulvi hargis na shud Maula e Rum
Ta ghulame Shams Tabrizi na shud
Maulana (religious teacher) Rumi could
never have become Maula Rumi
Without submitting to
Spiritual Guide Shams Tabrez
Maulana Rumi (may Allah have mercy on him) then formed companionship with Hazrat Saladin Zarkub (may Allah have mercy on him) and then later Hazrat Husam Chelebi (may Allah have mercy on him). The latter encouraged the Maulana to write the famous Masnavi-ye Manavi or Mathnawi Shareef, which is a very long poem containing as many verses as the Iliad and the Odyssey put together. Among Maulana Rumi’s other famous works are the Diwan Shams-e-Tabrez, and Fih ma Fih (What is in it, is in it).
In his commentary on the Mathnawi Shareef, Maulana Abdur Rahman Jami (may Allah have mercy on him), the famous 15th century CE Persian Sufi Saint and poet, writes:
“The word ‘ney’ (reed) in the first couplet of the Mathnawi (“Listen to the reed, how it tells a tale, complaining of separations…”) means a perfect and exalted human being brought up in Islam. Such people have forgotten themselves and everything else. Their minds are always busy seeking the rida [approval] of  Allah, The Most Exalted.”
Maulana Jami (r.a.) says that ‘Ney’ also means non-existent, because these men are emptied of themselves. Finally he says ‘Ney’ refers to the reed-pen. A pen’s writings are fully controlled by its writer, which also points to men emptied of existence and perfectly submitting to the will of Allah, The Most Exalted.
This brings up the point that Maulana Rumi (may Allah have mercy on him) Â was a true Muslim scholar and Sufi. Unfortunately, there have been many mistranslations or misrepresentations of Maulana Rum (r.a.). He himself writes in his Diwan:
man banda-yé Qur’ân-am, agar jân dâr-am
man khâk-é rah-é Muhammad-e mukhtâr-am
gar naql kon-ad joz în, kas az goftâr-am
bêzâr-am az-ô, w-az-în sokhan bêzâr-am
I am the servant of the Qur’an
as long as I have life.
I am the dust on the path of
Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), the Chosen one.
If anyone quotes anything
except this from my sayings,
I am quit of him and
outraged by these words.
Maulana Rumi (may Allah have mercy on him) was a poet, jurist, theologian and scholar of the highest accord. He emphasized however that true knowledge is not found in books, but at the feet of the Noble Friends of Allah Almighty. For any given individual that person is his or her Shaykh or Spiritual Guide (Murshid / Pir). Maulana Rum (r.a.) mentions the importance of the Shaykh when he writes:
Sad kitaboh, sad waraq, dar nar kun
Aur jaan-o-dil rah, janibeh, dil daar kun
Throw all (100) your books into the fire
And turn with heart and soul to the Awliya
[For without them one cannot reach perfection.]
In the Mathnawi Shareef, Maulana Rumi (r.a.)Â writes the following:
“Seeing a man who was tilling the earth, a fool, unable to control himself, cried out, “Why are you ruining this soil?” “Fool,” said the man, “leave me alone: try to recognize the difference between tending the soil and wasting it. How will this soil become a rose garden until it is disturbed and overturned?”
This verse brings to mind the importance of the Shaykh who is the tiller, where he may test the spiritual disciple (Mureed) in order for the Mureed’s full inner potential to be realized.
Maulana Rumi’s (may Allah have mercy on him) importance continues throughout the centuries and across cultures. Hazrat Allamah Iqbal (may Allah have mercy on him), the great 19th century CE poet-philosopher of the Indian Subcontinent, separated by six centuries of time, famously attributed Maulana Rum as his Pir when he wrote “Pir-e-Rumi, Mureed-e-Hindi” and also about himself:
Tu bhi hai us qaafla-e-shawq mein Iqbal
Jis qaafla-e-shawq ka salaar hai Rumi
You too are a member of that
caravan of longing Oh Iqbal
That caravan of longing
whose guide is Rumi
Maulana Rumi (may Allah have mercy on him) passed away into the realm of Divine Beatitude on 5th Jamadi-u-‘l-Akhar 672 Hijri in Konya, Turkey and his tomb is near to that of his Shaykh Hazrat Shams Tabrez (r.a.). This shining star of the East however lives on through his legacy of love, devotion, and piety, which continues through the centuries to fragrance, nourish and heal the broken hearts that it encounters. May Allah Almighty give us the ability to learn from him and follow in his footsteps. Ameen.
Naveed Agboatwala
Mr. Agboatwala has been with the IECRC since its inception and is one of its most dedicated and hard working contributors. He is a Software Engineer by profession and a research scholar by nature. Brother Naveed leads the IECRC Friday (Juma) prayers. He handles all of IECRC’s audio releases and is an invaluable technical support resource to the rest of the IECRC team.
Biography of Maulana Rum (rahmatullahi alayhe):
- Hazrat Maulana Jalauddin Rumi (ra) – Part 1 (Urdu)
- Hazrat Maulana Jalauddin Rumi (ra) – Part 2 (Urdu)
Hazrat Sultan Bahu (May Allah be pleased with him) (1628-1691Â CE)
Issue #11
July 8, 2006 / Jamaduth Thani 12, 1427
The distinguished Saintly name that shines in the lands of the Subcontinent in general and Punjab in particular is none other than that of the Crown of the Gnostics, Sultan-ul Arifeen Hazrat Sultan Bahu (1628 – 1691 CE, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him). On the occasion of his Urs Mubarak (Blessed Memorial) on the 1st of Jamaduth Thani (Jamadul Akhir), below are a few couplets from his famous Punjabi poetry:
Alif Allah Chambe de booti
Murshid mun vich laee Hu
Nafi Asbaat da pani millia
si har rage har jaee Hu
Andar booti mushk machaya
jaan phulan te aee Hu
Jeevay Murshid mera kamil Bahu
Jain aee booti laee Hu
Alif. My Spiritual Guide planted the Love of Allah (all praises due) in my heart just like a jasmine plant. Hu
With every vein [of mine] being watered by nothing but [the truth of] negation and affirmation [i.e. La ilaaha illa Allah]. Hu
This plant has caused much turmoil of fragrance within me upon reaching its full bloom. Hu
Bahu! Long live my perfect Spiritual Guide who sowed [within me] this plant of Love of Allah Almighty. Hu
Be Bismillah Ism Allah da
aevee gehnaa bhara Hu
Naal Shafa’at sarware Alam y
chut si-e alam sara Hu
Haddun be hadd Durood Nabi y noo
jin da ed pasara Hu
Mein qurban una tu Bahu
jina milya Nabi y sahara Hu
Be. Bismillah is the Name of Allah (all praises due) and is indeed a very heavy ornament. Hu
The entire world will be saved by the intercession of the Leader of the World [i.e. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)]. Hu
Countless Blessings on the One for whom the entire creation has been spread out [i.e. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)]. Hu
I am sacrificed on those [pious Saints] who received the aid of the Holy Messenger (Peace Be Upon Him). Hu
Sunn Fariyad Piran de-a Pira meri arz suni kan dhar ke Hu
Mera beda adya vich khapran
jithe mach na bende dar ke Hu
Shahe Jilani Mehboobe Subhani
meri khabar liyo jhat kar ke Hu
Pir Jinhan da Miran Bahu
soyo kadhi lag de tar ke Hu
Listen earnestly to my plea O Spiritual Guide of the Spiritual Guides with an attentive ear! Hu
My ship is trapped in waters where even crocodiles don’t dare to tread. Hu
O King of Jilan, Beloved of the Exalted One, quickly take stock of my affairs. Hu
Bahu! The one whose Spiritual Guide is Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (May Allah be pleased with him) always swims to the shore. Hu
The word Hu at the end of every verse above is a beautiful literary and spiritual blend of meanings as this word in Punjabi means “is†and in Arabic it stands for The Being of Allah Almighty. The blessed name of Hazrat Sultan Bahu (may Allah have mercy on him) also contains this word of Hu and the great Saint often mentioned this fact that his name meant “With Allah†and indeed such was the station and state of this great Friend (Wali) of Allah Almighty that spiritually he was always with his Creator. This is the sign of the Friends of God that they are in the world but not of it. Their inner being is with their Creator and their external body is constantly involved in the unconditional service of humanity. Hazrat Sultan Bahu (may Allah have mercy on him) was also grateful to his pious mother Bibi Rasti (may Allah have mercy on her) for naming him such because by the doubling of the existing dot, the Arabic letter ba changes into a ya making the call to Allah Ya Hu. She had named him such on a directive from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
According to some, Hazrat Sultan Bahu (may Allah have mercy on him) was born in Shorkot, Distric Jang in Punjab, Pakistan in the year the Islamic Hijir year 1039 during the reign of the Mughal emporer Shah Jahan. His father’s name was Hazrat Sultan Bazaid Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on him) who was a Hafiz, jurist and pious personality. His mother’s name was Bibi Rasti (may Allah have mercy on her) who was a truly devout and virtuous lady by nature. Hazrat Sultan Bahu (may Allah have mercy on him) praises his blessed mother in a verse as follows:
Rehmat Haq ba rawan Rasti
Rasti Barasti Arasti
May Allah’s Mercy keep showering on Rasti
The beautiful Rasti is on the Right Path
Hazrat Sultan Bahu (may Allah have mercy on him) was a Hashmite descending from Hazrat Ali (may Allah ennoble his countenance). He had taken Bai’ah (Spiritual Contract) with Hazrat Habeebullah Qadri (may Allah have mercy on them) a pious person of his time. He also gained spiritual benefit from Hazrat Abdul Qadir and Hazrat Sufi Abdurrahman Dehlawi (may Allah have mercy on them.)
It is said that the kind of guidance that the famous book Kashful Majhoob of the great 11th century CE Sufi Saint and Scholar Hazrat Daata Ganj Baksh (may Allah have mercy on him) provides to the seekers of the Sufi Path, similarly the poetry of Hazrat Sultan Bahu (may Allah have mercy on him) provides inroads to Divine Secrets specifically to the famous Hadeeth which means “Die before deathâ€. His poetry also extensively explains the importance and need for love of the Divine. It also addresses many other relevant topics and presents them in a clear manner. Additionally, his poetry explains the importance and need of the relationship between the Spiritual Guide and his disciple. Similar to the nature of the Kashful Mahjoob, the poetry of Hazrat Sultan Bahu (may Allah have mercy on him) helps the seekers who don’t have a Spiritual Guide to find one.
There are many miracles associated with this great personality. One of them is that he would not drink his mother’s milk during the holy month of Ramadan and would fast even during infancy. He was the author of about 140 works in Arabic, Farsi and Punjabi, some of which include the Risalat Roohi, Abyate Bahu (Punjabi), Asrar Qadri, Diwan Bahu (Farsi), etc. He advised people to fulfill the rights of Allah’s creation with generosity. He also said that a Sufi who strays from the Shari’ah brought by Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) even a bit has committed an act of the devil, and that such a Sufi is a devil and it is very important to avoid him.
Hazrat Sultan Bahu (may Allah have mercy on him) united with his Beloved, Allah  Almighty at the age of 63 on the 1st of Jamaduth Thani and was laid to rest in Garh Maharaja, about 35 miles from Shorkot in Punjab, Pakistan. May Allah, The Most  Exalted give us the ability and strength to learn from him and his works. Ameen.
Reference: Much of the above information has been taken from the commentary on the Abyate Bahu by Abul Kashif Qadri Sahab.
Zahid Chaudhry Qadri
Mr. Chaudhry has been with the IECRC since its inception. He is an encyclopedia of the poetic verses of the Saints of the Islamic tradition and possesses a unique love and connection to the Spiritual Path which is evident from his heartfelt recitations.
