The Steadfastness and Spiritual Excellence of Ghaus-e-Azam

Excellence of Ṣalāt-‘Alan-Nabī صلى الله عليه وسلم

The Prophet of Raḥmah, the Intercessor of Ummah, the Owner of Jannah صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated, ‘Whoever writes Ṣalāt (with my name) in any book, the angels keep making Du’ā of forgiveness for him, until my name remains in that book.’

(Mu’jam Awsaṭ, Vol. 1, pp. 497, Ḥadīš 1835)

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيب صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

1. Jinn resembling snake

Once Ghauš-e-A’ẓam عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْأَكْرَم was busy delivering a speech in an Ijtimā’ at his Madrasah when a big snake fell onto him from the ceiling. The attendees got into a panic and stampeded but Ghauš-e-A’ẓam عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْأَكْرَم did not even move from his place. The snake wrapped itself around his blessed body under his clothes. The snake then came out of his collar and wrapped itself around his blessed neck but our Murshid, the spiritual king of Baghdad, his honour, Shaykh ‘Abdul Qādir Jīlānī رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ neither became frightened nor discontinued his speech. The snake then jumped onto the ground, stood on its tail, uttered something and went away.

After the snake disappeared, people gathered around Ghauš-e-A’ẓam عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْأَكْرَم and asked as to what it said to him. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ replied that the snake said that it had tested many Auliyā of Allah but had not found anyone as steadfast as him.

(Bahĵat-ul-Asrār, pp. 168)

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيب صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

Dear Islamic brothers! It came out that the snake was, in fact, a jinn that had come to test our Ghauš-e-A’ẓam عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْأَكْرَم who remained steadfast by the grace of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.

2. A big-eyed Man

Read another account of the same snake and admire the steadfastness of Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ. Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ said that once he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ was busy offering Ṣalāh at Jāmi’ Masjid Manṣūr when the same snake came and placed its opened mouth at the place where he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ was to perform Sajdah. Pushing the snake away, he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ managed to perform Sajdah but it wrapped itself around his neck. It then went under a sleeve of him and came out from the other. When he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ finished the Ṣalāh, the snake had disappeared.

The next day, he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ went to the same Masjid where he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ saw a big-eyed man. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ realized that the man was not a human but a jinn. The jinn then told Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ that he was the same snake that had bothered him. The jinn goes onto say that he, in the form of a snake, tested a lot of friends of Allah but none of them was as steadfast as our Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ. Having said that, the jinn repented of misdeeds in the blessed court of Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ.

(Bahĵat-ul-Asrār, pp. 169)

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيب صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

Dear Islamic brothers! How diligently our Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ would offer his Ṣalāh! On the other hand, we are so heedless that if even a fly settles on our body while we are offering Ṣalāh, we lose our concentration. We can’t even bear an itch. The foregoing parable also shows that even jinns are the devotees of our Ghauš-e-A’ẓam عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْأَكْرَم.

3. Satan’s dangerous attack

Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ said: Once I went to a jungle where I stayed for many days without eating and drinking. I had become very thirsty. Suddenly, above my head, a cloud appeared from which raindrops started falling which I drank. A bright face then appeared in the cloud, illuminating the sky. I heard a voice saying, ‘O ‘Abdul Qādir! I am your Creator and I have made all Ḥarām things Ḥalāl for you.’ Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ said, ‘I recited اَعُوْذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطٰنِ الرَّجِیْمِ, turning the brightness of the cloud into smoke.’ Then I heard a voice, ‘O ‘Abdul Qādir! Before this, I led seventy saints of Allah astray but your knowledge has saved you.’ Ghauš-e-A’ẓam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ said, ‘I replied: O the accursed one, it is not my knowledge, it is the grace of my Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ that has saved me.’

(Bahĵat-ul-Asrār, p. 228)

Thief comes where he sees wealth

Dear Islamic brothers! No doubt Satan is very cunning and tricky. He tries his best to trick us even by magic. Therefore, we should always be aware of his attack. We should not rely on our wisdom and intellect; instead, we should implore Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ to help and save us from the tricks of Satan.

Remember! The thief steals from the person who has wealth; similarly, if someone has the wealth of Īmān, Satan will definitely try hard to snatch his Īmān. Further, if a person has strong faith and performs good deeds in abundance, Satan will also make every possible effort to lead him astray. As our Murshid Ghauš-e-A’ẓam عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْأَكْرَم had very strong faith as well as a huge treasure of good deeds, Satan tried to trick him many times but he failed each time by the grace and mercy of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.

4. More tricks of Satan

Advising his disciples and devotees, Ghauš-e-A’ẓam Shaykh ‘Abdul Qādir Jīlānī قُدِّسَ سِرُّهُ الرَّبَّانِي said: ‘During the days when I used to stay in jungle, frightening-faced troops of Satan, equipped with different dangerous weapons, would attack me. They would throw flames of fire at me. With the help of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ when I ran after them they would disperse. Sometimes, Satan would come alone and try to threaten and frighten me into going elsewhere but I would slap him, making him go away. I would then read لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِاللهِ الْعَلِیِّ الْعَظِیْمِ so he would burn.’

(Bahĵat-ul-Asrār, pp. 165)

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيب صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

5. Hand from Ghayb (Unseen)

Ghauš-e-A’ẓam عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ الْأَكْرَم said: Once a foul-smelling and extremely horrifying-faced person came and stood in front of me. He then said, ‘I am Satan and I have come to serve you because you have exhausted me and my followers.’ I said, ‘I asked him to go away but he refused.’ Suddenly, a hand from Ghayb (Unseen) appeared and struck such a blow on the head of Satan that he sank into the ground, but he still managed to attack me with a flame of fire. Meanwhile, a horse-man with his face covered came and handed me a sword. Seeing that, Satan ran away.

(Bahĵat-ul-Asrār, pp. 166)