ER.MOHAMMAD ASHRAF FAZILI
His Birth: His birth took place in a small fertile town of Gilan (jilan).He is called Jili as he belonged to the province of Jil. He was born in Jil, which is the name of a country behind Tabristan, which is called Jilan or Gilan and even Gil too. His date of birth is recorded as 470 AH/471 AH by different sources. His father Sayid Abu Salih had a great inclination towards war, hence he is remembered by the title of ‘jangi dost’-(the friend of war) He was a great man of piety and kindness. The mother of Gaus-ul-Azam, Hazrat Fatima was the daughter of a great saint Abdullah Sumai. She was of the age of sixty when Hazrat Gaus-ul-Azam was born from her.
His Childhood: Hazrat Gaus-ul-Azam was a born saint. The evidence is provided by his mother, who said that when he was born, it was the start of the month of Ramzan. He would never suck milk from my breasts during the day; by chance once there was a doubt caused among people regarding sighting of the moon due to overcast sky. Some people asked me, if you know anything about the sighting of the moon. I told them that Abdul Qadir has not sucked milk today, so I understand that it is the first day of Ramzan today. Later it was confirmed through reliable sources that Ramzan moon has been sighted and this event became the talk of the town that a blessed child is born, who does not suck milk during the daytime of Ramzan.
His education and training: Before gaining his understanding, his father left this temporary abode and his grandfather from his mother’s side Sayid Abdullah Somai (RA) undertook his upbringing. He would abstain from playing with other children. He used to say that whenever I intended to play with my fellow beings, I would hear a voice from the unknown saying: (O the one blessed by Allah turn to me) i.e. I have created you for Myself and not for playing. And I would get afraid on hearing this voice and would flee to sit in the lap of my mother. He would go to the Madrasa of the town at the age of ten. He would say that when I would go to the Madrasa, I would see angels following me and when I would reach the Madrasa, I would hear them saying repeatedly: Leave space for the friend of Allah.
His journey for learning: When the desire for love of Allah and that of learning intensified in him, he requested his mother to let him go to Baghdad to get educated in Shariat and Tariqat. The kind-hearted lady rose and fetched before him eighty gold dinars that had been inherited by her. Out of these, he left forty dinars for his brother and the other forty were sewn in his inner shirt and while praying for him, she said O’ Abdul Qadir, I advise you to always speak the truth and never utter a single false word from your mouth. After this he left for Baghdad along with a caravan.
The encounter during his travel is reproduced in his words. He states that “when the caravan proceeded ahead of Hamadan, suddenly dacoits attacked us and they looted all the belongings of the caravan. They did not ask me anything. After a while one of the dacoits asked me how much did I carry? I told the truth that I had forty dinars. Assuming that I was joking, he left. Then another dacoit came and asked the same question and spoke the truth, he too took it to be a joke and left. Both related this matter to their chief Ahmad Badwi. The chief sent them to me to fetch in front of him. These people were seated on a mound distributing the looted wealth. The chief on seeing me asked me, how much was I carrying? I told him that I had forty dinars, next he asked me where are these? I replied these are sewn under my armpit in my waistcoat. He overturned my waistcoat and there came out forty dinars. Then the chief addressed me, O’ boy you know that we are dacoits, and we snatch whatever wealth we come across, then why did you not hide this secret from us because of our fear? I replied that my mother had advised me on my departure, that I should always speak the truth, hence why should have I abandoned mother’s advice for the sake of just forty dinars only? With this the chief got so impressed that tears rolled down his eyes and heaved a sigh filled with sorrow and said that, Alas! You did not break the promise made with your mother and I have been breaking the promise of Allah for such a long time and saying this he fell on my feet and made repentance. On watching this event, his companions spoke that you were our Chief in the dacoity, now in repentance too you are our forerunner; saying this all the dacoits made repentance in front of me and returned all the looted belongings to the caravan.”
His acquiring of knowledge: After undergoing a painful and dangerous journey of four hundred miles he reached Baghdad in 488 AH and began to get benefitted from the scholars in the knowledge of Shariat. He had already committed to memory the whole of Quran, now he began to learn its hints and explanation, besides the knowledge and principles of Fiqh. The names of some, among the scholars from whom he learnt were, Abul-Khitab Mahfuz-ul-Kalozati Al-Hanbali, Abu-l-Hasan Mohammad bin Qazi Abu Yali Mohammad bin Husain bin Fara Hanbali and Qazi Abu Sayeed Mubarak bin Ali Makhrami Hanbali (RAA).
The teachers of the knowledge of Hadith: Some of the scholars from whom he learnt the knowledge of Hadith were: Abu Ghalib Mohammad bin Hasan al-Baqilani, Abu Sayeed Mohammad bin Al-Karim bin Hanish, Abul Ganaim Mohammad bin Ali bin Maimun Al-Farsi, Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Al-Muzafar, Abu Mohammad Jafar bin Al-Husain Al-Qari-ul-Siraj, Abu Tahir Abdullah bin Mubarak and Abu Nasar Mohammad etc.
Polite Literature: In those days, the recognized scholar of the polite literature in Baghdad was, Allama Abu Zakaria Yahya bin Ali Tabrizi. He was the head of the department of the polite literature in the Madrasa Nizamia of Baghdad and had authored many books. Hazrat Gaus-ul-Azam learnt the polite literature from him. He had to face many hardships in acquisition of knowledge, bur he continued his work bearing all these with patience and thanksgiving. The dinars given by his mother got exhausted and he had to resort to fasting. He said that when he went to Baghdad, he got nothing to eat for twenty days, at last he went in to the monuments of the palace of Xeros, but there he found seventy Awlya like himself in search of food. So he thought it to be against etiquette to become a stumbling block in their way and he returned to Baghdad. En-route he met a native of his place, whom he did not know, he gave him a piece of gold saying that this has been sent to you by your mother. Out of this he kept some part for himself and the rest he distributed among these seventy Awlya who were wandering in the monuments of Xeros and he returned to Baghdad. From the part that was retained by him, he purchased food stuffs and invited poor people to share the same with them.
His struggle and prayers: He stated that when he was acquiring knowledge of Fiqh from the saints and teachers, he would stroll in the forests and deserts, after having the lesson and this would be irrespective of the fact that if it would be day or night, storm or rain being careless about everything. He would wear a small turban on his head with a Sufi robe covering his body. He would walk barefooted over thorns, hard rocky surface; at times it would be along the sandy bank of river Tigris, he would eat the wild green leaves or the buds of other vegetation, whatever he would get hold of; in short, he would bear all the calamity that would fall on him.
Thus Hazrat Gaus-ul-Azam achieved the highest efficiency in the knowledge of interpretation (Tafsir), Hadth, Fiqh, Speech, vocabulary, literature, grammar, debating, science of prosody, lineage, history, physiognomy etc. and acheived such a fame that he took lead over all the scholars.
Science of Tariqat: Among the great saints of Baghdad there was Hazrat Abul Khair Hamad bin Muslim Dabbas (RA) the leading saint and most of the saints and sufis had acquired knowledge from him. He would sell the juice of grapes and dates in Baghdad, that is why he was called ‘Dabbas’. Hazrat Gaus-ul-Azam learnt the science of Tariqat mostly from him.
His Self Control: After stepping into Tariqat he was attracted towards self control and extensive prayers and leaving the habitation he started living in the forests and deserted lands. He tells himself that some people from unknown and genies used to visit him, to whom he would impart the science of Tariqat. He once stated that in these very days, his desires appeared to him in different shapes, but Allah saved him from getting attracted towards these. Satans would appear in front of him in frightening shapes and would fight with him but he would always over power them by the grace of Allah. He would put his self in different forms of extreme worship and struggle and for a year, he would eat from fallen eatables and would not drink water; another year he would not eat the abandoned food and would drink water; another year he would neither eat nor drink not even sleep. He used to say that he resided for years together in the uninhabited and abandoned houses of Mohalla Karakh of Baghdad; in those days he would eat nothing except the seeds. In the beginning of each year, some person would bring for him a robe of suf and he would wear the same. People would call him as mad man. He would go to the forests and would lye flat on thorns with bare body but would not complain. His whole body would bleed; people would apply medicine on his body but his condition would worsen till he would be layed as if a dead body. People would bring the coffin cloth and would give him a final bath on a board, but suddenly his condition would improve. He would say that he has offered morning prayers with the abulations of the night (Isha) prayers for forty years and for fifteen years he was in this state that he stood on one leg for the full night reciting complete Quran till morning. He said that initially, he would vanish from his existence and would keep running in an unconscious state and when this state would go away, he would find himself in a far-off place.
His Discipleship: After prayers, extreme worship and hard struggle, he cleaned his inner self in a complete manner and became the disciple of Hazrat Shaikh Abu Said Mubarak Makhrami (RA) and entered in his circle of faithful. Shaikh fed him by his hand. Hazrat Gaus-ul-azam says that whichever morsel went into his stomach from the hands of the Shaikh, it would fill his inner self with a form of light (noor). Shaikh told him while blessing him with the robe of wilayat,“O’ Abdul Qadir! This is that very robe, which was blessed to Hazrat Ali by Prophet (SAW); from him it was transferred to Hasan Basri (RA) and from him it reached me.”
His Lessons and Teachings: The sole aim of Hazrat Gaus-ul-Azam was to show the way to wanderers, to pull out the sinners from the darkness of sins to make them reach the shining goal of good deeds, to treat the diseases and to infuse life in the dead hearts. He established a stage of instruction in Baghdad and got busy in teaching lessons to the students.
People began to pour in his gathering in such a number, that the space in the Madrasa turned to be insufficient and people began to remain standing on roads outside to listen to his discourses. In 528 AH this Madrasa was constructed as a grand building and people from far off countries, besides Baghdad came to acquire the knowledge of Shariat and Tariqat and after completing their lessons would return to their respective cities. Like those innumerable students obtained the knowledge of Shariat and Tariqat from him regularly. It is said that there used to attend about seventy thousand people to hear his discourses, among whom there used to be great saints and distinguished scholars. His discourse would be an ocean of instructions and orders in treading the Godly path. Be it rich people or poor, advisors or saints, common people or the special ones all would turn restless to hear him.
His Futwas: He would issue futwas on the orders (maslaks) of Hazrat Imam Shafi (RA) and Hazrat Imam Ahmad Hanbal (RA). The people of Iraq turned to him for obtaining futwas. He was leading over all scholars in his knowledge, practice and issuing of futwas. He continued to preach for forty years and taught lessons besides issued futwas for thirty three years.
His Marriage: He married four wives; all of them were benefitted by his spiritual blessings. His son Shaikh Abdul Jabbar (RA) used to say about his mother that when she would go into a dark house, there could be seen light as bright as a candle.
His Death: Hazrat Gaus-ul-Azam spent seventeen years of his early life in his native place; thereafter he remained in Baghdad for nine years to complete his exoteric and esoteric education. Then he spent twenty-five years in the forests of Iraq in extreme prayers and self-control to cover the stages of the spiritual training. Next he spent forty years in discourses, instructions, preaching of true Kalima, and in redressing of people’s character and he pulled out thousands of people from the meanness and put them on the track of wisdom and right path. At last after attaining the age of ninety one years, this sun of “Gausyat” set. He breathed his last on 11th Rabi-us-Sani 561 AH. His mausoleum in Baghdad is an attraction of people till date.
His Beliefs: He would issue Futwas on the maslak of Hazrat Imam Shafi (RA) and Hazrat Imam Ahmad Hanbal (RA) and quotes them in his books particularly in “Gunyat-ul-Talibin” and uses the title as “our Imams” in their favour. By this it is inferred that he was following the maslak of both of these Imams.
His praying: Struggle was his habit, keeping awake during the nights was his practice and killing the selfish desires was his common affair. He would offer about two hundred nawafil every night and he would recite Sura Rahman or Sura Muzammil in every rakat. He would recite Sura Ikhlas not less than hundred times in a rakat. Sometimes he would keep fast for many days continuously and would break his fast with leaves of trees, bushes, wild fruits or fallen vegetables.
He would always remain equipped with ablution. He would perform fresh ablution on passing any gas. Even in old age he would recite Quran for full nights and at times he would remain in prostration for a long period of time. For the rest of time in the morning, he would be absorbed in meditation, observation, and remembrance of Allah. He would remain so busy in the remembrance of Allah that he would forgo sleep. After morning prayers, he would deliver lessons on religious books and Shariat to students, servants and Sufis. In short, he would spend the nights in the service of Allah and during the day he would keep busy in revival of religion and redressal of people, and he did not neglect these duties till the last moments of his life.
His dress: His dress used to be very fine; its cloth would come from far off countries. Every morning he would change his dress and the removed dress would be distributed among the poor and the needy and this daily change was perhaps an excuse to perform charity. Since his temperament hated bad odour and dirty environment and would like neatness, he would use scent as well. He would change his shoes every Friday and give away the removed shoe to some deserving person. He would often use the mule for riding and when he would go out and to whichever way he would travel, people would stand in rows on either side to kiss his feet.
His features: He was of average height, whitish colour, with broad chest, thick beard, light abridged eyebrows, shining bright face full of grace. His voice was loud.
His etiquette and habits: His person was full of fine qualities and embodiment of fine etiquette. He would prefer silence. He would come out of his Madrasa only on Fridays and on this day he would go to Jamia Mosque or traveller’s sarai. He would not shirk from telling the truth. He would deliver a straight talk from the pulpit. Once he declared standing on the pulpit addressing the Khalifa of the time that he had appointed a cruel person as Qazi of the state; on the day of judgment, what answer will you give to Allah who is kind to people. The Khalifa was shaken to hear this and started weeping loudly, besides fired the Qazi the same moment.
He would never stand for paying respect to the nobles, wazirs or rich people; he would go inside, if such people visited him and would return only when they would be seated. This was to avoid standing up for his respect and to avoid humiliation for not standing up. He had no desire for the worldly wealth, neither for possessing property or wife; He loved his wife and children only up to a limit and he did not allow this love to interfere with the religious works. He possessed lot of love of poor and needy. He would condemn those who indulged in tasks against Shariat. If anyone from the circle was found missing on any day, he would enquire about him and would ask others to get his news as to why he could not come?
He would fetch/purchase himself the daily requirements from the market. In journey he would make dough by his own hands, bake the bread and feed his companions. His co-travellers would object and would say that they will do the whole work themselves, but he would refuse and say, “I shall do it myself; there is no harm in it.” When his wife fell ill, he would sweep the floor of the house himself, besides doing other domestic work. He would feed his children, draw water from the well, in short, he would perform himself, right from all menial work to the major one.
He would always bear with patience any harm inflicted by an enemy. He would not show wrath in his personal work and would forgive the faults of others. He was an example in himself in benevolence and humility. In short he would follow the leader of the religion i.e. the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in letter and spirit, in all his manners, qualities and achievements.
His books: Among his books is “Gunyat-ul-Talilibin”- a book of high standard on the knowledge of tasawuf and marifat; “Fatu-hul-Gaib”, which has been translated into Persian by Shah Abdul Haq Muhaddis Dehlavi (RA); “Fath-i-Rabbani”- based on his sayings and discourses of two years; “Qasida Gausia”, which has got recited from his tongue when he was in a state of ecstasy; addressing his heart he had stated three couplets in the form of ‘prayer praising Allah’ called “Chihil Kaf”; a Persian collection of poetry and many more books like “Kibryat-i-Ahmer”, “Asboo-i-Sharif”, “Jila-l-zahir fil batin wa-l-zahir”, “Yawaqit-il-Hikam” etc.
His children: His son Hazrat Shaikh Abd-ur-Razaq says, ”My father had forty nine children-twenty sons and the rest daughters. His eldest son was Shaikh Abdul Wahaab, who learnt and taught at the Madrasa along with his father and continued the practice of delivering discourses and advice there, after his father’s death. He was known by the title of “shirin kalaam”-sweet spoken. He passed away in Baghdad in 593 AH. Among the sons of Hazrat Gaus-ul-Azam was Shaikh Hafiz Abd-ur-Razaq- a scholar and saint of great eminence. He was hafiz (who memorized) of Hadith and Faqih of Hanbali sect. He would remain busy in arguments and teaching lessons. He passed away in 603 AH and was buried in Baghdad. (Ref: My book: Sufi Saints of Kashmir-Sufi Orders of Kashmir)
Er. Mohammad Ashraf Fazili is a former Chief Engineer
