Ghaus-e-Azam’s Devotion to Worship, Self-Sacrifice and the Spiritual Help of His Teacher

Great excellence of self-sacrifice

Dear Islamic brothers! The foregoing parable contains innumerable Madanī pearls for us. On the one hand, our beloved Ghauš-e-A’ẓam عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْأَكْرَم set an excellent example of self-sacrifice by giving food and money to the young man even in the state of extreme starvation and poverty, on the other, there are we, the so-called devotees of Ghauš-e-A’ẓam. Our condition is that even if we eat the meal of the Niyāz of Giyārhvīn, we miss no opportunity to gobble food voraciously, depriving others of their share.

O admirers and devotees of Ghauš-e-A’ẓam! Whenever your Nafs tries to make you devour food in big morsels without chewing them properly while eating with others, recall the foregoing parable of Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ as well as the following Ḥadīš of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, ‘Whoever gives the thing that he needs for himself to any other person, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ will forgive him.’

(Iḥyā-ul-‘Ulūm, pp. 779, vol. 9)

It is stated in Faizān-e-Sunnat, Volume 1, Page 482 that Shaykh Abū Sulaymān رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ has said, ‘To refrain from satisfying any desire of Nafs is more beneficial to heart than even fasting for twelve months and worshipping at night.’

(Iḥyā-ul-‘Ulūm, Vol. 3, pp. 118)

10. A strange way of staying awake

Advising his disciples and devotees, Ghauš-e-A’ẓam عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْأَكْرَم said, ‘اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ I spent 25 years of my life in the jungles of Iraq. I managed to offer ‘Ishā and Fajr Ṣalāh with the same Wuḍū for 40 years. Similarly, I kept the routine of reciting the whole Qurān, for 15 years, in Nafl Ṣalāh after ‘Ishā. At the beginning, I would fasten a rope around my waist and tie the other end of the rope to a hook in the wall so that I would not fall asleep.

(Bahĵat-ul-Asrār, pp. 118)

One night, when I intended to perform my usual worship, my Nafs suggested that I take a little rest first and perform worship afterwards. At the very same moment and place where that thought occurred to me, I recited the whole Quran standing on one leg.’

(Bahĵat-tul-Qādiriyyah)

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيب صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

O devotees of Ghauš-e-A’ẓam! Did you see how abundantly our Ghauš-e-A’ẓam عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْأَكْرَم would perform worship! Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ forbid, if we are lazy in offering even five times daily Ṣalāh, how can we be able to justify our claim of being his devotees?

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيب صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

11. Help of a person in the grave

On Wednesday 27th Żul-Ḥijjah, 529 A.H., Shaykh ‘Abdul Qādir Jīlānī قُدِّسَ سِرُّهُ الرَّبَّانِي along with a Qāfilah of Islamic scholars and pious men visited the grave of his honourable teacher Shaykh Ḥammād عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْجَوَّاد in the ‘Shūniziyah’ cemetery. Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ kept making supplication at the grave till it became scorching sunny. As he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ returned, his face showed signs of delight. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ was asked as to why he made supplication for so long. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ replied, ‘On Friday, 15th Sha’bān 499 A.H., I and my respected teacher Shaykh Ḥammād رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ who is resting in this grave were on our way to Jāmi’-ur-Ruṣāfah with a Qāfilah to offer Ṣalāt-ul-Jumu’ah. On the way, while crossing a bridge, Shaykh Ḥammād عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْجَوَّاد suddenly pushed me, causing me to fall into a canal. It was very cold but I recited بِسْمِ اللهِ and made the intention for Friday bath. Having performed bath, I came out, squeezed the water from my woollen robe and joined the Qāfilah.

The disciples of Shaykh Ḥammād عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْجَوَّاد began to laugh, but he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ rebuked them saying, ‘I did so just to test ‘Abdul Qādir and I found him as strong as a rock.’ Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ further said, ‘While supplicating, I saw my respected teacher Shaykh Ḥammād عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْجَوَّاد, in his grave, dressed in clothes embroidered with diamonds with a ruby crown on his head, golden bracelets around his hands and golden shoes in his feet, but the odd thing was that his right hand was not moving. I asked him the reason for it, he replied, ‘This is the hand whereby I shoved you, causing you to fall into the canal. Will you forgive me?’ I forgave him. He then said, ‘Please make supplication to Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) so that He enables me to use my right hand.’ I prayed to Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and five thousand saints of Allah said آمِيْن from inside their graves. By the grace of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ he became able to use his right hand. He then shook hands with me out of happiness.’

The news spread throughout Baghdad. Listening to it, the disciples of Shaykh Ḥammād عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْجَوَّاد were somewhat offended and made their way to the court of Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ to enquire about it, but no one had the courage to do so. Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ got to know about their inner state and said, ‘Choose two Shuyūkh for the solution to this problem.’ The disciples of Shaykh Ḥammād عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْجَوَّاد chose Shaykh Yūsuf Ḥamdānī and Shaykh ‘Abdur Raḥmān Kurdī رَحِمَهُمَا اللهُ تَعَالٰى who had spiritual insight and gave Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ two days’ respite that both the chosen Shuyūkh should express their approval for what Ghauš-e-A’ẓam had said within two days. Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ said, ‘اِنْ شَآءَ الله عَزَّوَجَلَّ, this problem will be solved even before you leave.’ Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ then lowered his blessed head. Seeing that, all others present over there also lowered their heads. Suddenly, Shaykh Yūsuf Ḥamdānī قُدِّسَ سِرُّهُ النُّورَانِي entered barefoot and said, ‘With Allah’s command, I have just seen Shaykh Ḥammād عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْجَوَّاد who asked me to go to the Madrasah of ‘Abdul Qādir Jīlānī رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ and declare what Shaykh ‘Abdul Qādir Jīlānī رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ has said about him (Shaykh Ḥammād) is true.’ Meanwhile, Shaykh ‘Abdur Raḥmān Kurdī عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْقَوِی also arrived and said the same. Upon hearing that, the disciples of Shaykh Ḥammād apologized to Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ.

(Bahĵat-ul-Asrār, pp. 107)

Dear Islamic brothers! The foregoing faith-refreshing parable contains many words of wisdom for us. If our Islamic teacher or Murshid ever carries out any such act whose logic we could not comprehend, we should not object to it as it may result in loss for our Hereafter. Instead, we should stick to patience, as our Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ set an excellent example of patience when his respected teacher Shaykh Ḥammād رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ pushed him, causing him to fall into the canal. He made the intention of Ghusl for Jumu’ah and did not utter even a word of complaint.