MaktubatV2 2021 06 20

Maktubat-i Imam-i Rabbani
Selection from Volume 2 except mansub

maktubs/sections
Rough Draft: Work in Progress
Irshad Alam Mujaddidi
May 31, 2021
Ijazat Silsila of interpretation
My first shaykh Muhammad Mamunur While I translate directly from the origi-
Rashid gave me ijazat, mandate to translate nal Farsi/Arabic, I take my understanding
the Mujaddid, and his chief khalifa, my sec- from the Bengali translation by sufi shaykhs
ond shaykh Qazi Rezaul Haq has confirmed Shah Muti Muhammad Aftabi who learned
it, and guiding me spiritually. the Maktubat from his shaykh and father,
who in turn, learned it from his shaykh Wa-
Now when I asked Shaykh Mamun for
jid Ali Shah of Kolkata.
ijazat, he said that I must journey to
Sirhind and get a personal ijazat from the
Mujaddid. I implored, You have a deep Verification
nisbat to the Mujaddid. Isn’t your ijazat
good enough? He replied, No! That’s not The greatest academic authority on the
enough. You need a personal ijazat directly Naqshbandi tariqa in the West, Dr. Hamid
from the Mujaddid. Algar, of University of California at Berke-
So finally when I went there in 2003, even ley, has given it a glowing recommendation
before I visited the grave, as soon as I went in an email dated Oct 13, 2020:
to the office of the mazar, I received the This is the second volume of translations
sign that I’ve received the ijazat. Because of the Maktubat of Imam Rabbani made by
the then caretaker Sheikh Yahya, within a Sufi Irshad Alam, together with copious an-
minute after seeing me, his face beamed. He notations. It is more systematic than the
stood up to greet me, and exclaimed, Mu- first, and the quality of the translation is
jaddid would now POUR (dhele) into you. also superior. It is recommended to all
1
2
those interested in the Maktubat who are un-

able to access the original Persian. I look
forward to his translations of the rest of this
important work.
Note: By the term, first volume, Dr Al-
gar meant my book Faith Practice Piety of
which he a positive review as well.
Publisher
Aklima Akter
Sufi Peace Mission
4A Gulshan Avenue North, Circle 2
Dhaka 1212 BANGLADESH
Email: mim786@gmail.com 2021 c Irshad
Alam. All rights reserved.
However, we would readily help publishers
or translators to translate or reprint it. And
we would
1. give permission for reprinting for trans-

lation into other languages, or reprint-
ing the English
2. help you to produce printer-ready eps

files for your translations
3. and in some cases, print the books at

a low subsidized cost, or even at zero
cost, in Bangladesh and ship them to
you
Irshad Alam Mujaddidi is the pen name

for Irshad Alam
Contents
Contents 3
1 Maktubs 2.1-2.25 5
1.1 Maktub 2.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.2 Maktub 2.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.3 Maktub 2.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.4 Maktub 2.4 excerpt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.5 Maktub 2.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.6 Maktub 2.6 two excerpts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.7 Maktub 2.7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.8 Maktub 2.8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.9 Nearness and togetherness of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.10 Maktub 2.9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.11 Maktub 2.10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.12 Maktub 2.11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1.13 Maktub 2.12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
1.14 Maktub 2.13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
1.15 Maktub 2.14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
1.16 Maktub 2.15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
1.17 Maktub 2.16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
1.18 Maktub 2.17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
1.19 Maktub 2.18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
1.20 Maktub 2.19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
1.21 Maktub 2.20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
1.22 Maktub 2.21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
1.23 Maktub 2.22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
1.24 Maktub 2.23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
1.25 Maktub 2.24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
1.26 Maktub 2.25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
2 Maktubs 2.26-2.50 63
3
4 CONTENTS
2.1 Maktub 2.26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

2.2 Maktub 2.27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
2.3 Maktub 2.28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
2.4 Maktub 2.29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
2.5 Maktub 2.30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
2.6 Maktub 2.31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
2.7 Maktub 2.32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
2.8 Maktub 2.33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
2.9 Maktub 2.34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
2.10 Maktub 2.35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
2.11 Maktub 2.36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
2.12 Maktub 2.37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
2.13 Maktub 2.38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
2.14 Maktub 2.39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
2.15 Maktub 2.40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
2.16 Maktub 2.41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
2.17 Maktub 2.42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
2.18 Maktub 2.43 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
2.19 Maktub 2.44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
2.20 Maktub 2.45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
2.21 Maktub 2.46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
2.22 Maktub 2.47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
2.23 Maktub 2.48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
2.24 Maktub 2.49 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
2.25 Maktub 2.50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
3 Maktubs 2.51-2.75 145

3.1 Maktub 2.51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
3.2 Maktub 2.52 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
3.3 Maktub 2.53 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
3.4 Maktub 2.54: Following rasul: Seven degrees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
3.5 Maktub 2.55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
3.6 Maktub 2.56 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
3.7 Maktub 2.57 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
3.8 Maktub 2.58 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
3.9 Maktub 2.59 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
3.10 Haqiqat is far above tariqat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
3.11 Maktub 2.60 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
3.12 Maktub 2.61 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
3.13 Maktub 2.62 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
3.14 Maktub 2.63 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
CONTENTS 5
3.15 Maktub 2.64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

3.16 Maktub 2.65 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
3.17 Maktub 2.66 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
3.18 Maktub 2.67 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
3.19 Maktub 2.68 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
3.20 Maktub 2.69 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
3.21 Maktub 2.70 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
3.22 Maktub 2.71 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
3.23 Maktub 2.72 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
3.24 Maktub 2.73 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
3.25 Maktub 2.74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
3.26 Maktub 2.75 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
4 Maktubs 2.76-2.99 233

4.1 Maktub 2.76 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
4.2 Maktub 2.77 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
4.3 Maktub 2.78 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
4.4 Maktub 2.79 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
4.5 Maktub 2.80 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
4.6 Maktub 2.81 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
4.7 Maktub 2.82 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
4.8 Maktub 2.83 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
4.9 Maktub 2.84 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
4.10 Maktub 2.85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
4.11 Maktub 2.86 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
4.12 Maktub 2.87 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
4.13 Maktub 2.88 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
4.14 Maktub 2.89 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
4.15 Maktub 2.90 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
4.16 Maktub 2.91 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
4.17 Maktub 2.92 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
4.18 Maktub 2.93 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
4.19 Maktub 2.94 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
4.20 Maktub 2.95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
4.21 Maktub 2.96 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
4.22 Maktub 2.97 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
4.23 Maktub 2.98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
4.24 Maktub 2.99 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Chapter 1
Maktubs 2.1-2.25
1.1 Maktub 2.1 brothers in the religion is many (kathrat-i

ikhwan-i din), it is a cause of hope in the
I did it , skip Ibn Arabi stuff, to be com- last world.
pleted 66 and 67 Dua: Allahumma akthir ikhwanana fi ’l-
dini wa thabbitna wa iyyahum ‘ala mu-
taba‘ati ’l-sayyidi ’l-mursalina ‘alaihi wa
1.2 Maktub 2.2 ‘alaihim mina ’l-salawati ’l-afdaluha wa
mina ’l-taslimati akmaluha.
To Mir Shamsuddin ‘Ali Khalkhali
Note: Mujaddid contradicts the Akbarian Whatever is said on the beloved is
notion that the Necessary is the only wu- beautiful
jud and all created things borrow that di- It is the trace of love!
vine wujud in order to exist. Instead, he
proposes that 1. the Necessary is absolutely Az harcheh miravad az sokhn-i
incomparable (tanzih) and 2. he is beyond dost khoshtar ast
wujud. mahabbat-i athar
The ulama differ on the seven or eight at-

Person, attributes: Beyond tributes of the necessary existence (wajib
al-wujud). They are real attributes (sifat-
existence, necessariness
i haqiqiya) and exist in the outside (dar
Bismi ’llahi ’l-rahmani ’l-rahim. kharij mawjud and). Not a single sect ex-
cept the ulama of the people of truth (ahl-i
All praise is to Allah! Peace on his elect haqq) has proposed to existence of the at-
devotees (Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala tributes of the necessary. Shakara ’llahu
‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa). ta’ala sa‘yahum. Even that, the later su-
1
The letter that you wrote with a perfect fis from them have denied the existence of
love and pure-heartedness (ikhlas) reached 1
alludes to Ibn Arabi as interpreted by the Wu-
me and gave me great joy. If the number of judi school
7
8 CHAPTER 1. MAKTUBS 2.1-2.25
the attributes. And instead, they have rel- Exists by dhat What has been revealed
egated that additionality (ziyadatiy) of the to me as the solution of this problem is
attributes onto to the mind (‘ilm) of God. this: Hazrat Haqq swt exists by person
They say, (bedhat-i khod mawjud ast), not by his
attribute of existence (wujud) — regard-
Via method of intellect all at- less of whether that attribute is identical
tributes are the other to the person, or additional to the per-
Via realization, all are same as you son (‘iyn, za’id). And the attributes of
the Necessary exist also by his person, not
Az ruiy ta‘qul hameh ghayr and by his existence. Because there in that
sifat homestead, there is no room for existence
Ba dhat-i to az ru’iy tahaqquq (wujud)3 . It is this station that Shaykh
hameh ‘iyn ‘Alaudawla alluded to when he said, Above
the realm of existence is the realm of the
Truly, the opinion of the ulama of the peo-
all-loving master (Fawqa ‘alami ’l-wujudi
ple of truth is true. It is taken from the
‘alamu maliki ’l-wadudi). Therefore, nei-
niche of prophethood and strengthened via
ther the relationship (nisbat) of contingent-
unveiling and conscience (kashf, firasat).
ness nor necessariness (imkan, wujub) may
Summary: The unsureness that the op-
even be conceived in that homestead [of
posers hold on the existence of the at-
the dhat]. Because both contingent and
tributes is hard [to defend]. Attributes, if
necessary relationships happens within the
they have existence2 , they have no alterna-
essence (mahiya) and existence. So where
tive but for them to be one of these two:
there is no existence, there is neither contin-
1. a contingent thing (imkan), or gentness nor necessariness (imkan, wujub)
as well.
2. the Necessary (wajib).
This marifat is beyond the scope of con-
If they are contingent things, then they sideration or thinking (tur-i nazr, fikr).
have to be newly-arrived (hadith). Because Those who are tied down by the tie of ex-
to them, every contingent thing is newly oteric knowledge, what marifat would they
arrived (Li-anna kulla mumkinin hadithun realize? Save denial, what would they at-
‘indahum). And the truly necessary thing tain in their lot?
(wajibu ’l-dhatiyya) being more than one PS Mir Muhibbullah stayed a few days
in number negates tawhid. Morever, if the here. Now he is about to go to your area.
attributes were contingent things, that ne- Consider his companionship and service as
cessitates that it would be possible to take a spoil of war. Salam to you and whoever
away the attributes from the person (dhat). is before you.
And in that case, ignorance and incapacity
(jawaz-i jahl, ‘ajw) would be permitted in
3
the dhat. i.e., in that homestead of the dhat, there is
no room for any attribute because the dhat is so
2
i.e., true or external existence sublime
1.3. MAKTUB 2.3 9
1.3 Maktub 2.3 Possessor of such knowledge is the Mu-

jaddid of this millennium, as it is not un-
Too hard and not relevant. Anyway, I did known to the masters who gaze into this
it b4, let me see if I can find it knowledge. Those possessors would be able
to learn that the said knowledges are be-
yond (wara’) the the science (‘ulum) of
1.4 Maktub 2.4 excerpt the ulama and the marifat of the friends
of Allah. Even that, in comparison, the
Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi
[ulama’s] knowledge is the skin when the
’lladhina ’stafa
above-mentioned knowledge [of the Mujad-
did] is like the pith.
‘ilmu ’l-yaqin
This part is skipped as it is too abtruse and Millennial Mujaddid: High
incomprehensible to me Rank
You may know that at the head (ser) of each
‘ainu ’l-yaqin, haqqu ’l-yaqin century, a Mujaddid comes. However, the
Mujaddid of the century is different than
What can I write on the ‘ainu ’l-yaqin or
the Mujaddid of the millennium. In the
haqqu ’l-yaqin? Even if I say, who would
same way that there is a gulf of difference
get it, or what would he get out of it? Be-
between the numbers hundred and thou-
cause this knowledge is beyond the bound-
sand, there is a gulf of difference between
aries of walayat. Like the ulama of the outer
the Mujaddid of the century and the Mu-
knowledge, the possessors of walayat are
jaddid of the millennium. Instead, the dif-
incapable to perceive (idrak) it. Instead,
ference is more than that. That person is
this knowledge is learned from the niche of
called the Mujaddid who is the connector
the light of prophethood (mishkat-i anwar-i
(wasila) via whom all the ummat of that
nubuwat), ‘ala arbabha, al-salawatu wa ’l-
time receives effusion and baraka, even if
salamu, wa ’l-tahiyyatu. And that knowl-
that ummat is that time’s pole, peg, sub-
edge has become alive (tazeh) and appeared
stitute, or nobleman (qutb, watad, badal,
with freshness (tarawat) after the renewal
nujaba).
(tajdid) of the second millennium, by the
rule of following and inheritance (tab‘iyat, Elects a slave
4
warathat) . To pacify the commoners
And this knowledge suspends from the
person, attributes and act of God, and is Khas kunid bandeh-iy
clothed (tatalabbas) by the states, ecstasies Musallahat-i ‘am ra
and manifestations (ahwal, mawajid, zuhu- Wa ’l-salamu ‘ala mani ‘ttaba‘a ’l-huda.
rat). Wa ’l-tazama mutaba‘ata ’l-mustafa.
4
i.e., the Mujaddid of the second millenium has ‘Alaihi wa ‘ala alihi al-salawatu wa ’l-
been granted the renewed form of that knowledge taslimatu ’l-‘ula, wa ‘ala jami‘i ikhwanihi
mina ’l-anbiya’i wa ’l-mursalina, wa ’l- mission has been charged on me. I was
mala’ikati ’l-muqarribina, wa ‘ibadi ’llahi not brought in for piry va muridy 5 . And
’l-salihina ’l-ajma‘ina. I was not created to perfect or guide (tak-
mil, irshad) the creation, instead [I was cre-
ated] for a different interaction and function
1.5 Maktub 2.5 (mu‘amala, karkhaneh). In the mean time,
if one keeps nisbat with me (munasibat)6 ,
Skipped as it 1. is too abtruse 2. discusses then he would take in the effusions (fuyud),
on attributes (sifat) and the Mujaddid’s fi- else he would not.
nal ideas on this matter, which are con-
tained in Maktub 3.122, changed radically. The interaction of perfecting others and
So read 3.122 instead. guiding them towards the right path (tak-
mil, irshad), when compared to that func-
tion (nisbat beh an karkhaneh), is like the
1.6 Maktub 2.6 two trash one sweeps away (matruh). In the
case of the prophets (anbiya), how their
excerpts mission of invitation (da‘wat) relates to
their inner interactions7 is the same.
To Khwaja Muhammad Ma‘sum (raj)
Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi The office of prophethood (mansab-i
’lladhina ’stafa nubuwat) has ended, but their perfect fol-
lowers still receive the perfections and the
unique things (kamalat, khasa’is) of the
Sila nabi as his follower and heir (tab‘iyat,
What I have come to know that the purpose warathat), ‘alaihimu ’l-salawatu wa ’l-
behind my own creation has been attained. taslimatu wa ’l-tahiyyatu.
And what has been being sought (mas’ul)
for a thousand years has been granted.
Praise to Allah who has made me the sila,
connector between two oceans, and peace- Note: Supreme level of the prophets
maker between two factions (Alhamdu li- Mujaddid held that the anbiya, prophets
’llahi ’lladhi ja‘alaniy silatan baina ’l- are the most exalted of existence. He said,
bahraini, wa muslihan baina ’l-fi’ataini), If billions of people prayed for billions of
Akmala ’l-hamdi ‘ala kulli halin. Wa years to Allah to make one of them a nabi,
’l-salawatu wa ’l-salamu ‘ala khayri ’l- that would not be enough
anamai, wa ‘ala ikhwanihi ’l-kirami, mina
’l-anbiya-i wa ’l-mala’ikati ’l-‘izami
5
to act as a pir to the disciples, i.e., to guide
the disciples along the sufi path as a teacher
Magnificent function 6
i.e., one takes bayat with a caliph of my Mu-
jaddidi silsila and develops that nisbat via sufi prac-
O son! All these interactions depend on tices
7
my creation. But still then, another great nisbat bemu‘amalat-i batiniyat-i iyshan
1.7. MAKTUB 2.7 11
1.7 Maktub 2.7 However, the fa‘al is the end result (‘illat-
i gha’iy) of infa‘al. And although [love]
To ‘Abdul Hayy, compiler of volume 2 of comes into existence later (har chand dar
the Maktubat wujud muta’akhkhir ast), still [that love]
Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi comes into conception earlier (dar tasawwur
’lladhina ’stafa. For [Allah], he has given mutaqaddim)10 .
us bliss, guided us towards Islam, and made
us ummat of his beloved Muhammad the
Mustafa (An‘ama ‘alaina, wa hadana ila ’l- A. Active Perfect unveiling of the
Islami, wa ja‘alna min ummati, habibihi loverness (muhibbiyat) has come into only
muhammadini ’l-mustafa), ‘alaihi, wa ‘ala the lot of Hazrat Moses who spoke with Al-
alihi, ’l-salawatu wa ’l-salam. lah (kalimullah, ‘ala nabina wa ‘alaihi ’l-
salawatu wa ’l-salam).
Love: Interpretation 1 and 2

Love: Interpretation 3
May Allah (T) give you guidance (Ir-
shadaka ’llahu ta‘ala). You may know that The third interpretation (i‘tibar) is love it-
the in the love of the person (mahabbat- self (nafs-i mahabbat). There first, Hazrat
i dhatiya), it is the person (dhat) of God Adam (AS) is witnessed. And second
who himself loves (dost darad). And it may Hazrat Abraham (AS) is witnessed there
be interpreted in three ways: as well. And thirdly Hazrat Noah (AS)
comes into sight via that same method11
1. state of being loved (mahbubiyat) there. The reality is relegated onto Allah
subhanahu.
2. state of being the lover (muhibbiyat)8
3. love (mahabbat).
Dichotomy of Love: Loverness
Manifestation of the perfections of the versus belovedness
belovedness with love from the person
Loverness (muhibbiyat) In the same
of God (zuhur-i kamalat-i mahbubiyat-i
way that God loves his own person (dhat),
dhatiya) has been put onto Muhammad,
in that same way he loves the perfect things
the seal of the rasuls (salam).
(kamalat) that are his names, attributes
In summary, there are two perfections in
and acts. This love12 has been completely
mahbubiyat: A. Active (fa‘liy) and B. Pas-
manifested (zuhur, atamm) onto Hazrat
sive (infa‘aliy).
Abraham. In the same way, manifestation
of the belovedness of the names, attributes
B. Passive The verb (fa‘al) is the root
10
form (asl), and being acted upon, i.e., its in case of being beloved or mahbubiyat
11
passive form (infa‘al)9 follows it (tabi‘). i.e., the method of shuhud, witnessing, which
is an Akbarian concept
8 12
i.e., God loving himself or someone else i.e., love of the names, attributes and acts of
9
mahbubiyat is passive God
and acts (zuhur-i mahbubiyat-i asma’iy, The reason that the degree of ridha is above
sifatiy, af‘aliy) has been realized (muta- the degree of mahabbat is that because rela-
haqqiq) onto the rest of the prophets as tion (nisbat) exists within mahabbat in ei-
well, albeit in the method of their loverness ther undifferentiated or differentiated man-
(muhibbiyat-i iynha)13 . ner (ijmal, tafsil) while the station of ridha
lacks any nisbat. And that [lack of nisbat]
is related to the person of God.
Belovedness (mahbubiyat) When the
names and attributes (asma, sifat) have
shadows (zilal), then the belovedness
Muhammadan station:
of that shadow is manifested (zuhur-i
mahbubiyat-i an zilal) via the intermediary- Supreme
ness of their prototypes (tawassut-i wusul). None may step above the degree (martaba),
And that is the lot (nasib) of those walis i.e., station of ridha, good-pleasure of God,
who are sought and beloved (murad, mah- except the rasul who is the seal (khatm).
bub). Maybe it is this station that the rasul
(salam) alluded to when he said, I have a
Lovingness (mahabbat) versus love unique time with Allah. I have no room
(hubb) On the other hand, the loverness there for any angel brought near, or any
of those shadows (muhibbiyat-i an zilal) is nabi or rasul (Liy ma‘a ’llahiuw waqtun. La
the part of the seekers and lovers (murid, yasa‘uniy fihi malakun muqarrabun, wa la
muhib). And above the station of loving- nabiyyun mursalun) 15 .
ness of the person (maqam-i mahabbat-i Additionally, there is an allusion to this
dhatiya) that is the station of love (hubb), unique thing in a sacred hadith, O Muham-
which brings together the above-mentioned mad! I and you are16 . Whatever is there
three crossing-overs (i‘tibarat)14 . other than you, I have created them for
Note: It seems to me that mahabbat re- you. So Muhammad (salam) replied, O Al-
ally means lovingness, i.e., the concept of lah! You are and I am not. I am forsak-
one loving another. On the other hand, ing everyone except you for your sake (Ya
hubb refers to the Platonic archetype of Muhammadu! Ana wa anta wama siwaka.
love. Allah knows best.—IAM Khalaqtu li-ajlika. Fa-qala Muhammadu
(salam), Allahumma anta wa ma ana. Wa
ma siwaka taraktu li-ajlika) 17
Station of good-pleasure The degree
Muhammad the rasul of Allah (salam),
(martaba) of good-pleasure (ridha) is above
how would they realize his reality today18 ?
the degree of love (martaba-i hubb wa ).
How would they come to know of his mag-
13
i.e., the other nabis love the names, attributes, nificence and greatness (‘azimat, bozorgi)?
acts on their part — that is the method of muhib-
15
biyat. This is in contrast to mahbubiyat where God hadith
16
himself loves the creation on his part i.e., are original existences
14 17
1. loverness (muhibbiyat) 2. mahbubiyat hadith
18
(belovedness) 3. lovingness (mahabbat) in this world
1.8. MAKTUB 2.8 13
Because the truth-teller and the liar are Because the weaver and the barber, due
commingled (mumtazaj) together on this to their skill in the trades, may attain su-
world of testing (dar-i ibtila). periority in certain arts over people more
On the day of resurrection, greatness [of learned than them—but that should not be
the rasul] would certainly be understood considered.
and realized. For he would be the foreman Our saying is the allusion, mystery, and
and imam of the prophets. And he would good news, and like a store-house of trea-
have the right of intercession. From Adam sure. Most people are deprived from
on to the later prophets (peace), all would it. On the other hand, those who be-
be under his flag. lieves in it with a good faith, The end
result of their iman would be beneficial
fruits. And Allah grants opportunities.
Exalted station of Mujaddid
(Kalamuna isharatun, wa rumuzun, wa
It is proper that in the above-mentioned basharatun, wa kunuzun. La nasiba minha
elect homeland (watn-i khass), which is li-’l-akthari. Illa an yu’minu biha bi-
higher than the station of good-pleasure husni ’l-zanni. Fa-yuntiju imananuhum
(rida), [the rasul] would appoint one his heir thamaratin tanfa‘u lahum. Wa ’llahu sub-
and successor (warathat, tab‘iyat). And hanahu ’l-muwaffiqu). And peace be onto
as a tufayl 19 . And that tufayl would re- them who follow guidance, and stick to
ceive the mysteries forbidden to the others following the Mustafa. (Wa ’l-salamu
(mahram). ‘ala mani ’ttaba‘a ’l-huda, wa ’ltazama
mutaba‘ata ’l-mustafa), ‘Alaihi, wa ‘ala
To the generous lord jami‘l ’l-ikhwanihi mina ’l-anbiya’i wa
no task is hard ’l-muslimina wa mala’ikti ’l-muqarribina
mina ’l-salawati ’l-afdaluha wa mina ’l-
Ba kariman taslimati ’l-afdaluha.
karha dushvar nist
This interpretation does not mean that oth- 1.8 Maktub 2.8
ers can be superior to the prophets (AS).
How can the servant be compared with the To Khan-i khanan
friends of the master? What interrelation- Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi
ship is there for the equals of the master ’lladhina ’stafa.
with the followers? The primary masters
(asl) are the object of seeking whereas the Whatever is said on the beloved is
follower is their left-over-eater (tufailiy). At beautiful
most, the follower is able to reach partial It is the trace of love!
superiority. There is no problem with that.
19
i.e., an accompanied servant who eats the left- Az harcheh miravad az sokhn-i
over of, i.e., from the food prepared for his master dost khoshtar ast
when they go to a dinner party mahabbat-i athar
1.9 Nearness and knowledge indeed come into the lot of the
perfect ones (kummal), but what they at-
togetherness of God tain is only the iman-i ghayb in God’s dhat
Allah swt has said, and sifat.22 .
1. And when the worshippers ask you on Sharp-sighted ones on the court of
me, tell them that I am near (Wa idha Alast
sa’alaka ‘ibadiy ‘anniy, fa-inni qari- Do not set the feet forward be-
bun)20 cause they have
2. When three people get together, and Dur binan bar gah-i Alast
make a secret plan, it does not hap- bish zin pai nabardehand keh hast
pen except that he is the fourth. And
for four people, he is the fifth. And for
five people, he is the sixth. More or less Iman-i ghayb: Elect versus
people than that, whatever that num- commoners
ber is, he is with them, wherever they
may be (Man yakun min najwa tha- Faith in the absent (iman beghayb) that the
lathatin illa huwa rabi‘uhum wa kham- elect of the elect attains is not like the faith
satin illa huwa sadisuhum, wa la adna of the commoners (iman-i ‘awamm). Com-
min dhalika, wa la akthara illa huwa, mon people attain iman-i ghayb via hear-
ma‘ahum ainama kanu).21 ing or proof (sama‘, istidlal). On the other
hand, the elect of the elect attain iman
Like his (swt) dhat, his nearness (qurb) and beghayb via realizing (mutala‘a) the absent
togetherness (ma‘iyat) are also unqualified of the absent behind the veils of of the shad-
(biychun, biychegun). Because chun has no ows of his beauty and majesty (pard-ha-iy
path towards the biychun. Therefore, Al- zilal-i jamal, jalal), and above the pavil-
lah is disengaged from and unblemished by lion of manifestation and unveiling (wara’-i
(munazzah, mubarra) whatever meaning of surawiqat-i tajalliyat, zuhurat). Middlers
nearness (qurb) and togetherness (ma‘iyat) conceive the shadow as the prototype. And
that is felt (idrak) by our intellect or in- the disclosed things (tajalliyat) as identi-
telligence (‘aql, fahm). Or realized by our cal to the prototype that is disclosing itself
unveilings and witnessings (kashf, shuhud). (‘iyn mutajalli danisteh). And they remain
Because holding such a meaning would be satisfied with the witnessed faith (iman-i
stepping inside the realm of the coporeal- shuhudiy). To them, iman beghayb, faith in
ists (mujassima). Instead, we believe that the absent is the lot of the enemies. What-
he swt is near (qarib) us and with (ba) us, ever that is with whichever group, it is satis-
but we do not know the meaning (ma‘na) fied with that (Kullu hizbin bima ladayhim
of those terms. In this world, some of that farihun).23
20 22
Q follows Aftabi interpretation
21 23
Q Q
1.10. MAKTUB 2.9 15
PS Let me give you a little pain. fi kaffatin wa la ilaha illa ’llahu fi

Mawlana ‘Abdul-Ghafur and Mawlana Haji kaffatin, lamalat bihinna la ilaha illa
Muhammad are my good friends. If you as- ’llah).24
sign them any work, it would a great favor
25
to me. To great men, no act is hard. Wa Why would that not be superior? And
’l-salam. heavier? Because one part of it26 negates all
the ma sewa, be it the heavens or the earths
(samawat, ardin), or be it ‘arsh or kursiy,
1.10 Maktub 2.9 or be it the tablet or the pen (lawh, qalam),
the cosmos or nonexistence (‘alam, ‘adam).
To Mawlana Muhammad ‘Arif Khatni And its second part27 establishes the true
object of worship who is the creator of the
heaven and the earth.
Superiority of La ilaha illa Therefore, necessarily, all that which
’llah shines onto the mirrors of the afaq or the an-
fus, all are branded by the marks of chuniy,
Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi howness or chandiy, how-many-ness. And
’lladhina ’stafa so they deserve to get negated.
Mawlana Muhammad ‘Arif! First, you Therefore, all things known to us, imag-
should negate the false gods (nafi’i aliha’i ined by us, witnessed by us and perceived
batila), and establish the true object of wor- by us (ma‘lum, mawhum, mash-hud, mah-
ship (JS). And instead bring those branded sus), all that are branded by qualification of
by the marks of howness and how-many- howness or what-manner-ness (chuniy, che-
ness (chuniy, chandiy) under the kalima gungiy). And they are made defective by
la, and realize faith (iman) in God who the defects (‘aib) of newly-arrivedness and
lacks howness (khoda’iy biychun) (JS). For contingentness (huduth, imkan). Because
negation (nafi) and affirmation (ithbat), the our knowledge and feelings (ma‘lum, mah-
most complete (tamamtarin) kalima is the sus) grow out of us, and are earned by us.
pleasant (tayyab) kalima La ilaha illa ’llah. Tanziya that suspends from our knowl-
1. Rasul said, Most excellent zikr (afdalu edge truly is tashbih. And vice versa, the
’l-dhikri) is La ilaha illa ’llah. perfection that is estimated to be like how
we understand it, it is imperfection itself.
2. Allah said in a hadith qudsi, If the Therefore, all the things that are disclosed
seven heavens and all its residents to, unveiled before or witnessed by us (mu-
except myself, and the seven layered tajalli, makshuf, mash-hud) are the other
earth, if all these are put on on side than Haqq. God (ta‘ala) is beyond it, even
of the balance, and the kalima La ilaha more beyond.
illa ’llah on the other side, La ilaha illa 24
hadith
’llah would weigh heavier (Law anna 25
pleasant kalima
’l-samawati ’l-sab‘a, wa ‘amira hunna 26
i.e., La ilaha
27
ghayriy, wa ’l-ardina ’l-sab‘a wudi‘na i.e., illa ’llah
Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) said, Are you wor- of our conception and imagination (hita-i
shiping that what you are crafting by your wahm, khiyal). The farther a thing is, the
own hands? But it is Allah who has created more effective is thought there. And that
you, don’t you understand? (Ata‘buduna thing enters the kingdom of idea (sultanat-
ma tanhituna? Wa ’llahu khalaqakum, wa i khiyal) faster. That felicity is the lot of
ma ta‘malun?).28 That what we make by the prophets. Faith in the absent (iman-
our own hands, or build by knowledge or i ghayb) is reserved (makhsus) for the
imagination (‘aql, wahm), all those are cre- prophets (AS). As their follower and heir,
ations of God. Those are not worthy of others also attain this felicity.
worship. That unqualified God (biychun,
biycheguneh) is worthy of worship
Iman in absent of common faithful
1. who is beyond the compass of our That iman on the absent that the common
knowledge and thought, and faithful attain is not beyond the bound-
ary of illusion or imagination (hita’i wahm,
2. from perceiving (idrak) whose magnifi- khiyal). Because they interpret the ex-
cence and majesty (‘azamat, jalal), our pression beyond the beyond (wara’ al-wara’)
vision of unveiling and witnessing (did- with respect to distance in which there is
i kashf, shuhud) comes short (kuteh). room for thought. On the other hand, the
Therefore, faith may not be attained prophets use that expression with respect
without believing in such an unqualified to nearness, where there is no room for
God (khoda-i biychun, biycheguneh) (JS) thought. Therefore, as long as the entire
while he is absent (iman bi-’l-ghaib). Be- world is present, and [its residents] are alive
cause witnessed (shuhudi) iman is not iman in their this-worldly life, they have no alter-
in God, instead iman in a thing that one native but iman-i ghayb. Because witnessed
imagines, and a thing that is one’s cre- iman is ineffective (ma‘lul) here.
ation. And in that [witnessed iman], along When the scenes of the last world would
with iman in him (SWT), iman in others cast its rays, and the sharpness of forms
is shared. Instead, it is only iman in the of thought and imagination (surat-i wahm,
other. May Allah save us from this.29 khiyal) would end, it is at that time that the
On the other hand, iman-i ghayb would direct iman would be accepted (maqbul),
take place at that time when there would be and it would be purified from fakeness
no room there for even very fast thought. (‘illat-i ja‘al).
And nothing would be drawn on the screen I surmise that when Muhammad the ra-
of one’s mind. This meaning (ma‘na) is re- sul of Allah (SLM) was ennobled with the
alized in nearerness (aqrabiyat). Because felicity of the vision (dawlat-i ru’wiyat) in
that [aqrabiyat] is beyond the compass this world, if we establish iman shuhudi
28
with respect to him, then it would be praise-
Q.Saffat.94-95
29
i.e., save us from such a perverted form of iman worthy and beautiful. And it would be free
such as this iman-i shuhudi, and instead grants us of fakeness. Because what that the others
iman bi-’l-ghaib, which is the true iman. have been promised in the last world, he at-
1.11. MAKTUB 2.10 17
tains that in this world. Dhalika fadlu ’llahi 1.11 Maktub 2.10
yu’tihi man yasha’u, wa ’llahu dhu ’l-fadli
’l-‘azim 30 . To his true brother Mian Muhammad
You should know: Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) Mawdud
completed (tamam) the kalima of negation.
As its result, he did not stop before block-
ing all the doors towards sharing partner- Bayazid Bistami on ‘arsh,
ship (shirk). Consequently, he has become throne
the imam of the prophets.
In this world, absolute perfection Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi
(nihayat-i kamal) rests on the completion ’lladhina ’stafa
(itmam) of this negation. Because the Shaykh Bayazid Bistami (qs) has said, If the
manifestation of the perfections of the throne and whatever else that is the throne
affirmation (ithbat) part of the pleasant were thrown into a corner of the heart of the
kalima (zuhur-i kamalat-i kalima-i tayyiba) gnostic, the gnostic would feel nothing due
is waiting for the last world. In summary, to the spaciousness of the heart (Agar ‘arsh
the seal of the prophets (SAS), when he has va ancheh dar ‘arsh ast, dar zawiya’i qalb-i
been honored by the felicity of the direct ‘arif nahnad, ‘arif ra az farakhiy-i qalb hech
vision (dawlat-i ruwiyat) of God in this ihsas b-an nashod).
world, it is in this world that he received Also Shaykh Junaid (QS) supported it as
the complete part of the side of affirmationwell, proved it via evidence. And he said,
When a newly arived thing (hadith) joins
(ithbat) of the pleasant verse. Therefore, it
can be said that (muqtarin) an ancient (qadim) thing then
no trace remains (athar namand) for the
32
1. Either commensurate to the receptiv- newly arived thing. What it means is this:
ity of this world, the kalima of ithbat 1. Throne (‘arsh) and all the things that
has been completed by the advent of are in it, all that are newly arrived (ha-
the rasul, or dith).
2. With regards to the tajalli-i dhati, [the 2. And on the other hand, the heart of the
masters] have established it for [the ra- gnostic is the locus of manifestation of
sul] in this world. And for all others,31 , ancient light (mahall-i zuhur-i anwar-i
it would take place in the last world. qadim).
3. When those newly arived things are ad-

Wa ’l-salamu ‘ala mani ’ttaba‘a ’l-huda.
mixed (iqtiran) with that heart, then
Wa ’l-tazama mutaba‘ata ’l-mustafa.
those newly arrived things gets erased
‘Alaihi wa ‘ala alihi wa as-habihi al-
and destroyed (mudmahal, mutalashi).
salawatu wa ’l-tahiyatu ’l-‘ula.
32
i.e, the hadith, newly arived thing gets so
30
Quran.Hadid.21 overwhelmed by the qadim, ancient thing that the
31
who are destined to view that tajalli-i dhati newly arived thing can’t be even felt
4. So how would it be felt (mahsus)? established his manifestation there. Due

to its all-comprehensiveness (jam‘iyat), the
33
heart of the gnostic is called the ‘arsh of Al-
It is indeed surprising that the head of the lah according to the rule of similarity and
sufis (ru’asa-i sufiya), sultan of the gnostics analogy (tashbiya, tamthil). I.e., within the
(sultanu ’l-‘arifin), and prince of the tribe macrocosm (‘alam-i kabir), the noble ‘arsh
(sayyidu ’l-ta’ifa), if he says such a saying. is the barzakh between the ‘alam-i amr and
And he doesn’t give any importance to the ‘alam-i khalq, and one that brings together
noble throne before the heart of the gnostic. (jami‘) the two sides. In that same way,
And he considers the throne to be empty within the microcosm (‘alam-i saghir),35 the
of the manifestation of the ancient lights heart is the barzakh between the ‘alam-i
(khali az zuhur-i anwar-i qidam danisteh). amr and ‘alam-i khalq, and one that brings
And as the result, he says that it is newly together (jami‘) the two sides.
arrived (hadith). And at the same time, Therefore, due to this similarity (tash-
on the other hand, since the heart is the biya), the eart can be called the ‘arsh. Lis-
locus of manifestation (mazhar) of the an- ten! Listen! Capability to receive the mani-
cient light, he gives that [heart] the epithet festation of ancient light (qabiliyat-i zuhur-i
ancient. If so, what would I say, or write, anwar-i qidam) that is pure and unblem-
on the other walis? ished (munazzah, mubarra) from even a
I am nurtured by the jadhba of God, and taint of shadowness (az sha’iba’i ziliyat),
to me, it is only this much that the heart it is specific for the noble ‘arsh. Except
of the gnostic, due to its unique receptivity the ‘arsh, none within the world of cre-
(isti‘dad-i khass) arrives onto the end of the ation or command, macrocosm or micro-
ends (nihayat al-nihayat). Even that, that cosm (‘alam-i khalq, amr, kabir, saghir),
[heart] attains such a perfection that pro- has such receptivity (qabiliyat). It is only
gresing above that34 may not be even con- the heart of the perfect gnostic that, due
ceived. And such a receptivity (qabiliyat) to its relationship of comprehensiveness
is created in that [heart] that one of the (‘alaqa-i jam‘iyat) and barzakhness, can
flashes of the endless manifestation of the choose a few from those lights. It is as if he
lights of the throne (lam‘a az lam‘at-i biy- takes a little in his palms from the endless
nihayat-i zuhur-i anwar-i ‘arshiy) falls onto sea. Therefore, except the ‘arsh and heart
that [heart]. However, that flash of light is of the gnostic who has attained marifat
far less than the lights in the throne. It completely (‘arif-i tamm-i ma‘rifat), wher-
is like how much less is a drop of water ever God is manifested, it is branded by
when compared to the all-encompassing sea the mark of reflection (dagh-i zilliyat mut-
(darya-i muhit). Instead, it is even less. tasim). And it fails to find any fragrance
Hazrat Haqq swt has given the ‘arsh the from the prototype. It is fine if Bayazid
epithet ‘azim, magnificent. And he swt has said it due to his intoxication (sukr). On
33
it means newly arrived things, in this case, the the other hand, it is improper for such a
throne. Yes! The throne was created in time
34 35
sublime degree of perfection i.e., human body
1.12. MAKTUB 2.11 19
saying to come out of Junaid, as he believes 1. disengaged from transmissions and

that he is sober. crossing-overs (mujarrad az nisbat,
i‘tibarat), and
Bayazid is wrong What would they do?
They do not know the truth of the matter. 2. lacking in differentiation, modes and
And from the whirlpool of the sea of shad- atributes (mu‘arra az tafasil, shu’un,
owism (girdab-i darya-i zilliyat), they have sifat)
not been able to land on the coast36 . Today,
it is far out in the eyes of many, but tomor- ‘Arsh is the most noble part of the pres-
row is very close to today. Don’t rush. Wa ence of Rahman (ashraf-i ajza-i hadrat-i
’llahu ’l-sub-hanahu al-mu‘ti lamani‘a lima Rahman).37 It is the locus of manifesta-
‘tahu wa ’l-mu‘tiya lima mana‘ahu. tion of the lights of the presence of the per-
Wa ’l-salamu ‘ala mani ’ttaba‘a ’l- son (mahall-i zuhur-i anwar-i hadrat-i dhat)
huda. Wa ’l-tazama mutaba‘ata ’l-mustafa. that brings together all the attributes (mus-
‘Alaihi wa ‘ala alihi wa as-habihi al- tajami‘ ’l-sifat) (JS). All the manifestations
salawatu wa ’l-tahiyatu ’l-‘ula. that have appeared onto the things that
are present within the macrocosm (‘alam-
i kabir), all those [manifestations] are not
1.12 Maktub 2.11 empty of the taint of the shadowness (az
sha’iba’i zilliyat khali nist), the sole ex-
To Khwaja Muhamad Ma‘sum ception being the manifestation that takes
Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi place in the noble ‘arsh. 38
’lladhina ’stafa. The reason that rabbu ’l-‘alamin has
elected the ‘arsh over all other things of
the macrocosm for the mystery of istiwa 39
Highness of ‘arsh is this: Because that [‘arsh] is the best part
Macrocosm (‘alam-i kabir) has together- (afdal-i ajza) of the macrocosm. These two
ness (ma‘iyat) and differentiation (tafsil) points may be noted,
but lacks hi’at-i wahdani. Consequently,
that [macrocosm] lacks the receptivity for 1. Prototype Manifestation of one of the
the manifestation of the truly simple thing shadows is not the true manifestation
(qabiliyat-i zuhur-i basit-i haqiqi). I.e. the
truly simple thing which is 37
Here hadrat is translated as presence, in the
Akbarian meaning, instead of its common meaning
36
Bayazid is intoxicated, and so he sees the cre- as a form of address. Shaykh Aftabi also translates
ation as the shadow of God. Yes! The Mujaddid it likewise— next sentence, he interpretively trans-
also expertienced zilliyat and wrote many maktubs lates hadrat-i Rahman as macrocosm, in Bengali
38
proposing it, but right before the end of his life, I.e., this is the manifestation of the prototype
he had a radical shift in his ontology— he came of God, not merely a shadow
39
out of zilliyat and proposed a new theory of seven cf. Al-Rahmanu ‘ala ’l-‘arshi istawa, cf.
ta‘ayyuns with wujud as one of them. Quran.Al-Rahman
of he swt, so it does not deserve to be a blessed olive tree that is neither in the
expressed by the term istiwa.40 east nor in the west. Oil from that tree
is about to burn even when untouched by
2. Ever-abiding Unveiling above the fire. It is brighter than light. (Allahu nuru
‘arsh is ever-abiding (da’imi) — it lacks ’l-samawati wa ’l-ardi. Mathalan nurihi ka-
the problem of getting concealed (biy- mishkatin fiha misbahun, al-misbahu fi zuja-
takhallul-i istitar). jatin, al-zujajatu ka-annaha kawkabun dur-
rayyun. yuqad min shajaratin mubarakatin
Verse of light zaytunatin la sharqiyatin wa la gharbiyatin.
Yukadu zaytuha yudiyy’u wa law lam tam-
Although he (SWT) is the nur of the heav- sashu narun. Nurun ‘ala nurin) .42
ens and the earth, still that light is con-
Giving its analogy within the said gener-
nected to the veils of the shadows (maqrun
ous verse means:
behujub-i zilal). Without the intermedia-
tion of the shadows (biy-tawassut-i zilal),
Let none conceive that the un-
[he, i.e., the light] does not manifest (zuhur)
veiling of that light over the sky
itself. Manifestation of everything else but
and the land is without inter-
the ‘arsh has been collected from the lights
mediation. And do not confuse
of the manifestation of the ‘arsh (muqtabas
the shadow with the prototype.
az anwar-i zuhur-i ‘arshiy). [And that ‘arsh]
Let them know that it is the
has been unveiled (muhtajib) by removing
nur of the prototype that the nur
a veil, i.e., the veil of one of the shad-
of the shadow is collected and
ows, and then manifested.41 . Like when
lighted from. Allah guides to his
one takes water out of a sea using con-
nur whomever he chooses (Yahdi
tainers, and then takes that container else-
’llahu li-nurihi man yasha’u)43
where, and gets benefited by that water. Or
like when from a huge flame, many small
lamps are lighted, and a big area is filled Tafsir of Verse of Light The
with light. Possibly alluding to this mys- interpretation of that verse is rel-
tery, he swt alluded, Allah is the light of egated onto the will of Allah. Let
the heavens and the earth. An analogy of me make its allegorical interpreta-
that light is a niche. And within it is a tion (ta’wil) as we have been in-
lamp. And that lamp is within a magic spired. And taking help and assis-
lantern. And that magic lantern is like a tance from God, let me say:
bright star. That lamp has been lighted by
40
1. God is the light of the sky
I.e., this verse implies that the manifestation
over the ‘arsh is the manifestation the very proto- and the ground. Nur is that
type instead of a shadow thing by which things are il-
41
Or A light that has been manifested while be- luminated. God lights the
ing behind the veil, cf. Aftabi, but I believe this is
42
another rare instance that he has made a mistake, Q.Nur.35
43
and I’m correcting him Q.Nur.35
1.12. MAKTUB 2.11 21
skies and the grounds. Be- 1. like the mirror of the

cause God has brought them sheerly one dhat (qabiliyat-
out of the belly of the dark- i mar’atiyat-i hadrat-i
ness of nonexistence, and ahadiyat-i mujarrada paida
thrown the reflection of exis- mikand)
tence and its corollaries onto
2. the locus where that sheerly
them, and as its result, has
one dhat gets manifested
illuminated them.44 Sky and
(mazhar-i dhat-i ahad), i.e.,
land, which have been illu-
a dhat so sheer that it
minated by that light, are
lacks any admixture of the
like a niche. And that nur
attributes and modes (biy-
is like a lamp in that niche,
iqtiran-i sifat, shu’unat)
kept in there as a object held
on trust. The qaf of simi-
larity has been relegated to However, that Hazrat dhat always
mishqat, niche. And from contains attributes and modes
that, it seems that the lamp (mustajami‘-i sifat, shu’unat).
is located in that niche. And at no time, they get sepa-
rated (infikak) from the dhat. Its
NOTE: This discussion is ex- explanation is this:
tremely hard. And he talks about
zilliyat, an ontology that he dis- When the insan-i kamil
avowed later. So Im skipping it. attains freedom from
How can I honestly explain this the captivation of what
section if I dont understand it my- is other (ma sewa) than
self ? Plus, the Mujaddid rejected the sheerly one dhat
this zilliyat. So why should spend (dhat-i ahad) (JS),
so much time and effort to trans- he gets captivated by
late and explain this? After all, it the sheerly one dhat
has been rejected in favor or newer (dhat-i ahad) (JS)
theory of seven descents described itself. And he no longer
in maktub 3.122. observes, gazes into,
intends or seeks (mal-
Man: Locus of manifestation huz, manzur, maqsud,
of the one-in-number dhat matlub) anything of
Man has another unique excel- the attributes or modes
lence. So listen! He progresses (sifat, shu’unat).
and reaches a level that he be- Therefore, in line with
comes the hadith, Man is
44
This is zilliyat, a science that the Mujaddid with him whom he
proposed but disavowed in the end of his life. loves (Al-mar’u ma‘a
man ahabba),45 [the dhat. None but the perfect

perfect man] attains man may become such a mirror
an unqualified conjunc- (mar’atiyat) or locus of manifes-
tion (ittisal-i maj-hul tation (mazhariyat). And the
al-kaifiyat) with that holy dhat has not appeared onto
presence of disengaged anything save the perfect man
one-in-number-ness without being admixed with the
(hadrat-i ahadiyat-i attributes and the modes (biy-
mujarrada). And via iqtiran-i sifat, shu’unat). Within
that captivation that the macrocosm, the holy ‘arsh
he has attained to is the locus of manifestation
the sheerly one person (mazhar) of the hazrat-i dhat
(dhat-i ahad) (JS), brought together with the at-
[that perfect man] tributes. On the other hand,
establishes an unqual- within the microcosm, the per-
ified nearness (qurb-i fect man (insan-i kamil) is the lo-
biychun) with the un- cus of manifestation of the one-
qualified dhat. At that in-number holy person (hazrat-i
time, [that perfect man] dhat-i ahad), who is disengaged
becomes such a mirror from the crossing-overs (mujarrad
of the dhat-i ahad that az i‘tibarat).46 This mirrorness is
no attribute or mode an astonishing thing in man.
is witnessed or seen
in him in the slightest
measure. Instead, it Dua Allah (S) is the giver. None
is that one-in-number may forbid what he has given.
dhat, which appears And none may give what he
and is seen (zahir, (S) has forbidden. (Wa ’llahu
mar’iy) there. sub-hanahu ’l-mu‘ta. La mani‘a
lima a‘tahu wa la mu‘tiya lima
Sub-hana ’llahi ’l-‘azim! Even mana‘ahu.)
from the attributes, that dhat
never gets separated (infikak), but Wa ’l-salamu ‘ala mani ’ttaba‘a ’l-
on the mirror of this perfect man, huda. Wa ’l-tazama mutaba‘ata
that same dhat appears and self- ’l-mustafa. ‘Alaihi wa ‘ala al-
discloses (zahir, mutajalli) as per- ihi wa as-habihi al-salawatu wa ’l-
fectly disengaged (beh haithiyat tahiyatu ’l-‘ula.
tajarrud). And onto there, the
46
beauty of the attributes gets sep- that dhat-i ahad, one-in-number person
arated from the beauty of the (hazrat-i dhat-i ahad) is so sublime that no
crossing-overs (mujarrad az i‘tibarat) has been
45
hadith formed within it yet
1.13. MAKTUB 2.12 23
1.13 Maktub 2.12 ever-abiding witnessing (shuhud-i

da’imi).
To his true brother Mian Golam
Muhammad Perfect man arrives on proto-
Summary: Although the angels type However, when that man
are seeing the prototype (asalat) arrives on the prototype (wusul
itself while man is witnessing it on b’asl), at that time, these trans-
the mirror of his mind (anfus) but formations take place:
that felicity47 has been made as
if it is a part (ka-’l-juz’i) of man. 1. Dazzle of the lights of the
And man abides (baqa) in that prototype (sha‘sha‘an-i
[witnessing]. Etc. anwar-i asl) are reflected
(mutajalli gasht) onto the
All praise is onto Allah! And
mirror of the heart of that
peace onto his elect devotees (Al-
man
hamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala
‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa). 2. that man is returned back
(baz migard) into the world
of creation, and
Realizing Prototype:
3. that man is given the charge
Man versus angels of nurturing the imperfect
The honorable angels, ‘ala nabiyy- ones (tarbiyat-i naqisan).
ina wa ‘alaihim al-salawatu wa
By this returning back (ruju‘),
’l-salam, they are witnessing the
both that man and also the oth-
prototype (mushahid-i asl), are
ers50 are nurtured. Because for
face-turned onto the prototype,
that ray from the lights of the pro-
and are captivated by the pro-
totype (parto-i anwar-i asl), which
totype. And they lack even a
was made into like a part of that
taint of shadowness. On the other
man (hamchu juzwi uw). This
hand, poor man48 is less in this
interaction with the others takes
regard, for he is almost49 unable
place during the time of return [of
to step outside the circle of shad-
the perfect man]. I.e., that [ray]
owness in this world. And with-
out the intermediation of the mir- 1. nurtures the others from im-
rors of afaq and anfas, that man perfection into perfection
is almost unable to experience the
2. points the others away from
47
of witnessing the prototype absentness (gha’ib), and
48
i.e., a man, even when supremely evolved on instead towards witnessing
the spiritual path like that perfect man (shuhud)
49
Aftabi makes an interpretive translation for
50
it as almost but that is missing from the Nur i.e., other men who are less evolved than that
manuscript supremely evolved man, and learn from him
3. colors man’s other bodily Man is superior to

parts in the color of that ray angels
itself.
You may know: Yes! Angels are
witnessing (mushahid) the lights55
Next, when that man’s mission of of the prototype (asl) while that
invitation ends (muddat-i da‘wat), man only witnesses that [light]
and his book of fate terminates51 onto the mirror of his mind
then he (mir’at-i anfus). Still that felicity
1. has been made to be like a
1. longs for the prototype
part (ka ’l-juz‘) of that man,
(shawq-i asl)
and
2. the cry “Supreme friend 2. has been made to abide
(Rafiq-i a‘la)!” comes out of (baqa) in that man as a part
his breast of him
3. And has realized itself (mu-
3. he finds freedom from multi-
tahaqqiq) there.
ple relationships52
4. he arrives onto the present or Interpretation Still

witnessed (shahadat) world that felicity that is
from the absent (ghaib) the set of lights of the
world prototype has been
1. made to be like a
5. for him, the interaction of part (ka ’l-juz‘) of
from the ear to the lap (gush that perfect man
baghush) 53 comes up. 2. made to abide
within his body as
At that time, the hadith, Death a bodily part of
is like the bridge that brings the that perfect man
beloved woman to the beloved man 3. realized itself (mu-
(Wa ’l-mawtu jasrun yusili ’l- tahaqqiq) within
habiba ila ’l-habibi) 54 comes true the body of that
for that man. perfect man as a
part of the body.
51
i.e., that man reaches the verge of death
52
multiple relationships (ta‘alluqat-i shatta?) Angels are its opposite. Because
with many worldly things. And instead, now that
man comes into a single relationship that is singu-
1. that felicity56 has not been
55
larly focused onto God the word lights has been added as per Aftabi’s
53
interpretation of gush ba-ghush interpretation.
54 56
hadith of the lights of the prototype
1.13. MAKTUB 2.12 25
made to be like a part (k- Dua: Allahu yukhtassu birah-

al-juz‘) of the angels, instead matihi man yasha’u. Wa ’llahu
they view it from the outside dhu ’l-fadli ’l-‘azim.
only.
Earthlings went up pierc-
2. And they do not attain
ing heavens
baqa and self-realization
casting off earth and era
(tahaqquq).
3. Getting colored in the color Zamin-zadeh bar asman
of the prototype, and taking takhteh
up its color — it happens for Zamin va zaman ra pas
man only, not for the angels. andakhteh
4. The coloring and variegation
(insibagh, talawwun) that Man is superior due to earth
colors man in the color of the Man has attained that felicity as
prototype (lawn-i asl), angels the part of the earth is in him.
do not experience that. And the heart has become the
5. And the electness that the throne of Allah via the felicity of
creatures made of earth the element earth (‘ansar-i khak).
have attained, the angels [And that element earth] com-
(qudsiyan) fail to atain that. prehends everything (jami‘-i kull).
And it is the center of the circle of
Because there is a gulf of differ- contingentness (markaz-i da’ira’i
ence between the inside (darun) to imkan), yes, the earth and the
the outside (berun). Inner felic- heavens (zamin, asman).
ity is partial (dawlat-i daruni ka-
’l-juz‘) while outer felicity is com- Yes! It is due to its lowliness
prehensive (dawlat-i beruni ka-’l- and helplessness (furutani) that
kull), still the inside (darun) is the the earth has found such high-
inside, and the outside is the out- ness and elevation (‘alu, rif‘at
side.57 . paida). It is its lowliness (pastiy)
and lack of vanity that has made
What we said is the allusion, and the earth reach the summit. He
good news (Kalamuna isharatun, who shows gentleness for the sake
wa basharatun). For this reason, of Allah (swt), Almighty raises
elect humans are superior to elect him (Man tawada‘a li-’llahi sub-
angels. There are angels, still it hanahu rafa‘atulahu ta‘ala).58
were the elect men who were cho-
sen for deputyship (khilafat) of
God. Perfect man When the perfect
57
man (insan-i kamil) completes his
i.e., batin is far more valuable than the zahir
58
cf. Aftabi hadith
return and mission of invitation Due to the baraka of their com-

(ruju‘, da‘wat), gets colored in the panionship with the prophets, the
color of the prototype, and returns companions attained more of this
back to the prototype, and face- felicity. Apart from the compan-
turns onto the holy being (janab- ions, whom Allah has given this
i quddus), then he attains such a felicity are few, or very few.
electness and expansion (ikhtisas,
inbisat) there that such is not at- If the emperor comes to
tained in the lot of anyone else. the door of the old
That is right! He receives such a woman
nearness and honor that the like O Khwaja! Don’t pul
of which is not attained for anyone out your mous-
else. Because he has been annihi- tache in anger
lated (fani) within the prototype.
And he has found baqa there, and Agar badshah bar dar-i
has been colored in the color of the pir-i zan
prototype. What power does the beya yad to-iy sablat
others have that they seek to be nakun??/
his equal?
Dua: Rabbana atmimlana nurana,
For all others59 , although their col-
waghfirlana, innaka ‘ala kulli
oring is most perfect and most
shayyin qadir. Bihurmati sayyidi
complete (akmal, atamm) with re-
’l-mursalina ‘Alaihi wa ‘alaihim,
spect to sheerness and holiness
al-salawatu, wa ’l-tahiyyatu af-
(tajarrud, tanazzuh). However,
daluha, wa ’l-taslimatu akmaluha
that coloring comes from the out-
wa atammuha.
side (kharij), and so it is ac-
cidental (‘arid). On the other
hand, man is colored by his batin, 1.14 Maktub 2.13
and so that coloring is internal
(daruni) to him, and it is his own. To Mirza Shamsuddin
Like this, there are many differ-
ences between the two of them.
[In the beginning, let me offer]
These perfections are specific to
praise to God, benediction to the
the prophets - they are the ones
blessed prophet and convey invita-
who are called elect men (khwass-
tion to God (hamd, salawat, tab-
i bashar). However, as the heir
lighi ’l-da‘wat). I am delighted
and follower of the prophets, a few
to receive your noble letter that
have been honored with this mag-
you have sent out of your generos-
nificent felicity (dawlat-i ‘uzma).
ity via my noble brother Shaykh
59
all except such a perfect man Muhammad Tahir. You wrote,
1.14. MAKTUB 2.13 27
Until we meet, keep on remember- 3. knowledge of those secrets

ing me via letters oozing with reli- (asrar), and subtle matters
gious advice. (daqa’iq), which are deep
Noble sir! The religious advice mysteries that are alluded
is to follow our religion (din), to (ramziy, isharatiy) in
and the prince of the messengers the allegorical (mutashabi-
(salam). This following has two hat) verses of the Quran
parts: as mystic explanations (bar
sabil-i ta’wil).
1. Part of the ulama of the outer
knowledge is to: They know60 because they are the
a) Rectify the articles of ones who are perfect in their fol-
faith (tas’hih-i ‘aqa’id) lowing (fa-humu ’l-kamilun fi ’l-
mutaba‘ati)61 , and are the real-
b) Learn the science of the
izers of the inheritance (muta-
sharia, and the rules
haqqiquna bi-’l-warathati). As
(‘ilm-i shara’i‘ va ahkam)
followers and heirs, they are part-
c) Practice the according to ners of the elect felicities unique
the rules established by to the prophets (sharik-i dawlat-i
that science khass-i anbiya’). And realizers of
2. Part of the noble sufis is, in the mysteries of the holy court of
a way such that they agree God62 .
to the part of the ulama of
They are ones who have been en-
the manifest knowledge, at-
nobled by the saying, The ulama
tain the:
of my community are like the
a) states and raptures (ah- prophets of the tribe of Israel
wal, mawajid) and (‘Ulama-i ummati k-anbiya’i bani
b) exoteric and esoteric isra’il)63 . So it is necessary to fol-
knowledge (‘ulum, low the prince of the emissaries,
ma‘arif) and the beloved of the lord of
the worlds (sayyidi ’l-mursalina,
The ulama deeply rooted in habibi rabbi ’l-‘alamina) (salam),
knowledge (ulama-i rasikhin) are in knowledge, in deeds, in states,
the heirs of the prophets, and their and in raptures (‘ilman, ‘amalan,
part is the combination of the:
60
Yes! This type of ulama, i.e., those who are
1. part of the ulama of manifest deeply rooted in knowledge (ulama-i rasikhin), in-
knowledge deed know their allegorical meanings
61
of the prophet
2. part of the sufis, which is su- 62
This line is a re-translation from Aftabi as the
perior to it (be-an mumtaz original was incomprehensible to me
63
and) hadith
halan, wajdan). That way one rest of the poles64 are like his or-
may attain his inheritance, which gans, hands and feet. Some of
is the highest degree of felicity (ni- them know he himself is a madar
hayatu darajati ’l-sa‘adati). but some others don’t.
You have also written, “Fana fi-

’llah” and “baqa bi-’llah” have
1.15 Maktub 2.14 failed to come to the hands yet
To Mawlana Ahmad Barqiy What to do? You stayed in com-

Bismi ’llahi ’l-rahmani ’l-rahim. panionship for only a little time.
All praise is to Allah! Peace on his You did not wait even that long
elect devotees (Alhamdu li-’llahi that any news of your attaining
wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi ’lladhina even a few states could be given
’stafa). to you. However, presently I am
witnessing (mushahada) your fana
Two noble letters from you arrived and baqa from India where I am
one after another. You have writ- now. And I am sensing (ihsas)
ten to console my pain. Inna li- within you these two perfections
’llahi wa inna ilaihi ’l-raji’un. that you have talked about. But
Tell the friends and lovers (yaran, you are now denying it. We are
dostan) there to recite the holy now far away. Until we meet in
kalima La ilaha illa ’llah sev- the bodily form, it is difficult to
enty thousand times and send the let you know about your hidden
merit (thawab) onto the spirits of (maknun) states.
my son marhum Khwaja Muham-
Sufi shaykhs say many things on
mad Sadiq and his sister of the
fana and baqa, but all that is done
same milk (hamshireh) marhuma
via allusions. How would one find
Umm-i Kulthum. Seventy thou-
out one’s own state? Hazrat Haqq
sands for one of them and sev-
(S) does not give the knowledge
enty more thousands for the other
of the states to everyone. Instead,
one. I seek dua and fatiha from
he gives one of them the knowl-
the friends.
edge of attaining the states. And
You have written, It is narrated in making him the foreman, puts the
the Maktubat that an office-holder rest in relationship with him. And
(sahib-i mansab) is a knowledge- brings him to the degree of attain-
holder (sahib-i ‘ilm). ing perfection (kamal) and giving
perfection (takmil).
Sir! He who is the pole of the
poles (qutb-i aqtab) indeed pos- 64
Each city has a pole. They all are under the
sesses knowledge. However, the qutb-i aqtab who is the head of all
1.16. MAKTUB 2.15 29
For the welfare of all, the resurrect the science of the sharia.
master Elects one What more would I write?
of them The letters of the mystic visions
(waqa‘iy) of Khwaja Wa’yis ar-
Khass konad bandeh-iy rived. I’ve read most of them.
Maslahat-i ‘am ra They are only prophecies on good
things to come (mubashshir).
Regrets! How I wish I delayed
Pray to Hazrat Haqq (S) so that
Shaykh Hasan for a few days. And
from potentiality they get actual-
explained him a few of his states
ized. Wa ’l-salam.
(ahwal) and then sent him to you.
How much better would it have
been? 1.16 Maktub 2.15
You coming here creates problems.
So if a capable and pious friend Names of caliphs in
(yaran-i qabil, rashid) of yours khutba
would come instead, and stay here
for a few days, learn all the points Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala
and then return, how much bet- ‘ibadihi ’llazina ’stafa.
ter would it be? He could be Sent to the servants (khuddam)
shown the most needed matters. possessing reverence, magnificent
Anyway, attaining states (ahwal) sayyids,esteemed qazis and res-
is our purpose. Knowing about idents of the city of Samana.
them is another matter. Insha’ Al- I am putting you in pain be-
lah, the rest of the matters would cause it has come to my ears
be discussed when we meet. Wa that while reciting the sermon
’l-salam. (khutba) of Eid of the sacrifice,
the sermonizer(khatib) there has
left out mentioning (zikr) the well-
Epilogue The advice that is a
instructed caliphs, and has not
must is this: Don’t forgive your-
recited (khwandeh) their baraka-
self from studying the sciences in
filled names. And when a few
any way. If you remain absorbed
people criticized this, instead of
in studying for the whole day and
admitting his error, he was rude
don’t do any zikr and fikr65 , [that
to them, and threw up a chal-
is fine] as there is plenty of time
lenge, What crime have I done by
at night for that. Keep on giving
not mentioning (madhkur) their
lessons to Shaykh Hasan, keep him
names? Furthermore, both its
studying. In that area (hudud),
eminent and common citizens (ak-
knowledge is little. So take care to
abir, ahaliy) have been lax on this,
65
muraqaba cf. Aftabi and have failed to take any hard
measure against that unjust (biy- is hesitant (mutaraddid) on lov-

insaf) sermonizer (khatib). ing the two later ones 70 (radiya
‘llahu ta‘ala ‘anhuma) then he has
Shame onto them! Not just once
put himself outside the people of
but a hundred times shame onto
truth71 .
them! Although mentioning (zikr)
the well-instructed caliphs (rad) Possibly that brainless (biy-
is not a requirement (shart) of haqiqat) man whose lineage
the sermon, still it is a distin- (mansub) is Kashmiri. And he
guishing mark (sha‘a’ir) of the has taken these filthy pieces
Sunni congregation. None but one of garbage (khubth) from the
whose heart is sick (dilash marid), bedat-following Shias of Kashmir.
and conscience is filthy (batinash
khabith) leaves out (tarak) that
Superiority of
practice intentionally (‘amd) and
with an opposing attitude (tamar- well-instructed caliphs
rud). Even if it can be accepted A. Two shaykhs He should
that he has not left it out due to know that the superiority of the
partisanship (ta‘assub) or opinion- two shaykhs has been established
atedness (‘inad), still how would by the ijma of the companions and
he answer the hadith, The fac- the followers (sahaba, tabi‘in).
tion whom one wants to be like, The ulama has narrated this from
one is among them ( Man tashab- high-ranking imams, Imam Shafi‘i
baha biqawmin, fa-huwa minhum is one of them.
) 66 ? Or How would he be freed
from the locus of suspicion of 1. Shaykh Imam Abu ’l-Hasan
the hadith, Abstain from accusing narrated, Indeed, the superi-
one falsely ( Ittaqu mawadi‘a ’l- ority of Hazrat Abubakr, and
tuhami)?67 then Hazrat ‘Umar over the
If he is hesitant (mutawaqqif) rest of the ummat is defini-
on the preeminence or the excel- tive.
lence (taqdim, tafdil) of the two 2. Imam Dhahabi narrated,
shaykhs68 , radiya ’llahu ta‘ala ‘an- During the caliphate of
huma, he has left the path of the Hazrat ‘Ali (radiya ’llahu
Sunni congregation (tariq-i ahl-i ta‘ala ‘anhu), and in his
sunnat rafid ast).69 And if he reign, before numerous peo-
ple of his faction (shi‘atihi),
66
hadith
67 70
hadith khatnain, i.e., Hazrat ‘Uthman, and Hazrat
68
shaykhain, i.e., Hazrat Abubakr and Hazrat ‘Ali
71
‘Umar and instead has become a khariji, az ahl-i haqq
69
i.e., And instead he is a drafidi kharij
1.16. MAKTUB 2.15 31
he has said, Indeed Hazrat B. Two later ones Hazrat Uth-

Abubakr and Hazrat ‘Umar man and Hazrat ‘Ali (rad), they
are the most excellent of the both are high-ranking companions
ummat ( afdalu ’l-ummati ). and the prophets’s (sal) intimate
The Imam added that more family-members (ahl-i bait). So
than eighty people narrated they both deserve love (mahabbat
it from Hazrat ‘Ali (radiya va mu‘addat). For
’llahu ta‘ala ‘anhu), He also
named many of them. Then 1. Allah has said, O the rasul of
the imam said, May Allah Allah, Tell them that I seek
put down the Shia72 , they are no wage in return for spread-
the worst of the ignoramus. ing Islam. Instead, I only
seek love for my near ones.
3. Imam Bukhari whose book is
the most accurate after the 2. The rasul (salam) said, Fear
Quran narrated, Hazrat ‘Ali Allah regarding my compan-
said that the most excellent ions. Again, fear Allah. Af-
man after the rasul is Hazrat ter me, do not make them
Abubakr the Siddiq (RA), means of worldly purposes.
then Hazrat ‘Umar (RA), He who would love them, he
then someone else. Hearing would love them for the sake
this, his son Muhammad ibn of his love for me, and he who
Hanafiya said, After them, is would envy them, he would
it you?. He replied, I am only envy them for the sake of
an ordinary Muslim his envy towards me. And
he who would pain them, he
would pain me. And he who
From the companions and the fol- would pain me, he would pain
lowers, plenty of such narrations God, and. And he who would
have come forth in a well-known pain God, God would punish
(shahiratun) manner. None but him soon.
an ignorant or fanatically parti-
san (jahil, mu‘anid) person would
deny this. That unjust (biy-
Exhorting suppression
insaf) person may be reminded of deviators
that we’ve been told to love each Ever since the advent of Islam up
and everyone of the companions, to the current era, I do not know
and forbidden to envy (bughd) that if such a bad-smelling flower
them or give them pain (iydha). has bloomed in India. This inci-
dent has brought the entire city
72
raafidata of Samana into shame and blame.
Even that, faith onto India is go- courage the deviators. It is due
ing away. to such a neglect that the deviant
Mahdavis 76 are openly evangeliz-
May Allah help the reigning sul-
ing their false religion to the peo-
tan73 against the enemies of Is-
ple of truth. Already, the devia-
lam. He is a follower of the main-
tors are taking people away one or
stream Sunni congregation, and
two at a time, in the same way
the Hanafi school. Within his
that the wolf takes a sheep away
reign, to propagate such a bedat
from the flock. And within a short
(bid‘at) is sheer arrogance, instead
time, they would create a calamity
it is challenging the reigning sul-
within Islam.
tan, and violating his order.
What more would I bother your
It is also surprising that the
with? On hearing this horrible
high-ranking servants of the royal
bad news, I have become fearful.
court (mukhadim-i ‘izzam) who
And my veins of the Faruqi lin-
are present in that city, they have
eage have started throbbing. So I
condoned it (mu‘af), and failed to
have proceeded towards writing a
rectify it.
few words. Forgive me.
Allah has said against the peo-
ple of the book, If their rab- Dua Wa ’l-salamu ‘alaikum
bis and priests (rabbaniyyun, ah- wa ‘ala sa’ir-i mani ’ttaba‘a
bar) did not stop them from dis- ’l-huda, wa ’ltazama mutaba‘ata
honest sayings, and illegitimate ’l-mustafa, ‘alaihi wa ‘ala alihi
earnings, they would indeed do ’l-salawatu wa ’l-taslimatu wa
ugly and nasty things (Law la ’l-tahiyatu wa barakatu.
yanhahumu ’l- rabbaniyyuna wa
’l-ahbaru ‘an qawlihimu ’l-ithma
wa aklihimu ’l-suhta, la bi’sa 1.17 Maktub 2.16
ma kanu yasna‘un) 74 . He also
said, They did not forbid one an- To Shaykh Badi‘uddin Shaharan-
other from their own bad deeds puri
— indeed what they did is aw-
fully nasty (Kanu la yatanahuna All praise is to Allah! Peace on his
‘an munkarin fa-‘aluhu labi’sa ma elect devotees (Alhamdu li-’llahi
kanu yaf‘aluna),75
76
Mahdavis were the followers of Sayyid Ah-
To remain heedless (taghafil) on mad of Jaunpur, 1443-1504 CE, the self-proclaimed
this type of incident is only to en- mahdi or promised renewer at the end of the first
millennium Hijri, and within a short period they
73
Mughal emperor Jahangir of India formed small communities all over India, but or-
74
Q.Ma’ida.43 thodox religious leaders, hand in hand with the Sur
75
Q.Ma’ida.79 and the Mughal state power, suppressed them
1.17. MAKTUB 2.16 33
wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi ’lladhina b) not established by sound

’stafa). You blessed letter did hadiths
arrive. You have written, Two c) not practiced by the Tu-
calamities have appeared in this ranian ulama
area, one is plague, and the other
4. A baraka-filled over-shirt
is famine. May Allah (S) save
(pirhan-i tabarrukiy) may
us and you from these calamities
substitute the inner-shirt
(A‘adhana ’llahu subhanahu wa
(qamis) in the burial shroud
iyyakum ‘ani ’l-baliyyati). Amin.
(kafn).
You have also written that despite
all these calamities, you are spend- 5. The clothes that the shahids
ing day and night in worship (‘iba- die in, those are their burial
dat), and muraqaba-meditation. shrouds. Hazrat Siddiq
And the inner realm is always (radiya ’llahu ta‘ala ‘anhu)
filled up with Allah (batin ma‘mur left a last will (wasiyat), Use
ast bi-’llahi) (S). Praise and grate- these two pieces of clothes
fulness for that (Alhamdu wa ’l- that I am wearing as my
minnatu ‘ala dhalika) [to Allah burial shroud.
(SWT)]. 6. In a measure, the smaller
The answers to your questions77 barzakh, i.e., the grave, is
are as follows: a worldly place, and so
it is possible to progress
1. In sunna salat, the four Qul (taraqqi) in there78 . The
are recited most times. states of the grave, are dif-
ferent for different individ-
2. It is sunna to have four uals, e.g., the prophets per-
pieces of clothes in the burial form salat within their graves
shrouds of men. The head- (al-anbiya’u yusalluna fi ’l-
dress is additional, i.e. it is quburi), you may have heard
not sunna. We shorten to it. In the night of the miraj,
sunna. when our prophet (salam)
3. We do not write down the an- crossed the grave of prophet
swers because it is: Moses (‘alaihi wa salam), he
saw [prophet Moses] pray-
a) possible that the [answer ing salat within that grave.
paper] would get [ritu- At the same moment, he
ally] unholy
78
I learned from my tariqa elders, and also books
77
Mujaddid mentions in the end of this letter that it is possible for a dead murid to complete the
that he is sick, and that is why he in answering in rest of his suluk after death, i.e., the dead salik
short. That seems to be also the reason he is not advances through the suluk station by station until
writing out the questions he reaches perfection, IAM
reached the heavens, and and remains in that place,

found [prophet Moses] there in an epidemic, if he dies he
as well. The interaction of would considered a shahid,
this homestead [of the grave] and would be saved from the
is surprising and astonish- chastisement in the grave.
ing (aja’ib, ghara’ib). These And if he does not die, he
days, when I’m putting my would be considered a ghazi,
eyes in that direction of- war-hero.
ten, due to my beloved son
When it is said to
Khwaja Muhammad Sadiq,
me, Die
many amazing secrets are be-
I hear, and obey
ing revealed. If I make
I tell the caller of
even just a little of it pub-
death
lic, it would give rise to
Welcome! Come
many controversies (fitna) .
in!
The exalted throne (‘arsh-i
majid ) is like the ceiling of In qala li mutmittu,
the paradise, but still, the sam‘an wa
grave is a garden of the par- ta‘atan
adise. Knowledge with only Wa qultu li-da‘i
a little wisdom (andish) is ’l-mawti,
unable to draw its picture, Ahlan, wa
and a different set of eyes marhaban!
is needed to see the specta-
cle of these amazing things For a few days, I am having bouts
(tamasha-i iyn u‘jub-ha). of coughing. And I have gotten
weak. So I am answering in short.
7. Even after one has done some
sins, however much those
may be, still then faith alone 1.18 Maktub 2.17
is sufficient for one’s salva-
tion. However, elevation of To Mirza Husamuddin
the pleasant formula (raf‘-i
kalima-i tayyiba) depends on
good deeds (‘amal-i salih). [In the beginning, let me offer]
praise to God, benediction to the
8. To flee from death79 , is a blessed prophet and convey invita-
major sin. It is like flee- tion to God (hamd, salawat, tab-
ing from jihad. Instead, he lighi ’l-da‘awat). I am delighted to
who takes up patience (sabr), receive your letter that you have
79
i.e., posssible death in time of an epidemic sent via Shaykh Mustafa, which
from your residence talked about consoling people in
1.18. MAKTUB 2.17 35
their misfortunes. Inna li-’Llahi community81 . Indeed, those who

wa inna ilaihi raji‘un. These in- died in this epidemic, they real-
cidents of misfortune, although ized an astonishing degree of pres-
they are apparently painful, ac- ence (huduri) , and left with the
tually are mediums of progress, faces fully turned (mutawajjuh)
and like healing balm. By the onto God. How I wish that I
grace of Allah (SWT), the bene- could leave this world along with
fit that one would have received them! This calamity to this um-
from those dead people in this mat is a calamity outwardly, but
world, one would receive a hun- it is a blessing (rahmat) inwardly.
dred times that in the last world. Mian Shaykh Tahir narrated, In
Children are pure grace from God. the time of the epidemic, some-
When alive, they give out bene- one in Lahore saw [in a dream]
fits, and when dead, they give out that [angels] are saying, “Those
benefits as well. The great imam, who would not die at this time,
the reviver of the sunna (imam-i they would regret it later”. It is
ajall, muhyi al-sunna) has written indeed true. Because when I fo-
in the Hilyatu ’l-Abrar 80 that dur- cus on the hal of those dead peo-
ing the caliphate of ‘Abdullah ibn ple, I witness astonishing states,
Mubarak (rad), plague appeared and amazing interactions(ahwal-i
for three days only. Within these ghaiba’, mu‘amalat-i ‘ajiba’). It is
three days, thirteen sons of Hazrat indeed true that the shahids who
Anas (rad), and fourteen sons of sacrifice their lives on the path of
Hazrat ‘Abdullah ibn Mubarak Allah have such distinctions.
(rad), the son of Hazrat Abubakr
Sir! The separation with my
(rad) died. Indeed, Hazrat Anas
beloved son Khwaja Muhammad
(rad) was the personal servant
Sadiq is the most severe calamity.
of the prophet, and the prophet
I do not know if anyone has ever
prayed that he be blessed. When
faced such a heart-wrenching dis-
such things happened for the com-
aster. However, the patience and
panions of the prophet (salam),
gratefulness that God has given to
then what is the worth of sinners
this weak heart, that indeed is a
like us?
lofty bliss (ni‘amat), and precious
gift. I pray to God that the rec-
It is in the hadith, Plague (ta‘un)
ompense for this calamity, he safe-
was a punishment (‘adhab) for
keeps all of it for the last world,
the earlier communities, but it is
so that even a penny of it shows
like martyrdom (shahadat) for this
up in this world — although I am
praying such as my mind is nar-
80
Imam Nawawi wrote it in his hadith book,
81
which is also called Al-Azkar hadith, quoted in the Farsi translation
row. Indeed, I am well-aware that Ulama and sufis: Types

actually God’s mercy and forgive-
ness is wide. For both the last Ulama are the heirs (warathatu)
world, and the first world belongs of the prophets83 — this is
to Allah (Fa-li-’llahi ’l-akhiratu wa enough for praising the magnif-
’l-uwla). icent ulama. That inherited
knowledge is that part of the
I am asking my brothers to knowledge of the sharia that has
strengthen (imdad), solicit remained left (baqiy) with the
(i‘anat), make dua (du‘a’) so that prophets (‘alaihimu ’l-salawatu wa
my final state is peacefulness ’l-taslimatu). And the knowledge
(al-salamati ’l-khatimati). And of the sharia has both an outer
that I receive forgiveness for form (suratiy) and an essence
my errors, and omissions that (haqiqiy).
comes from my human frailties
(mina ’l-taqsirati ’l-nashi’ati mina
Ulama deeply rooted in
’l-bashariyati).
knowledge
Our lord, forgive us for our sins, The ulama deeply rooted in
and for our excesses in our deeds, knowledge (rasikhin), they have
and make our feet stable, and brought together the skin (qishr)
help us to triumph over hordes with the pith (lubb) and amal-
of unbelievers (Rabbana ’ghfirlana gamated (majmu‘i) the form with
dhunubana, wa israfana fi amrina, the essence (surat, haqiqat). And
wa thabbit aqdamana, wa ’nsurna these elders have conceived the
‘ala ’l-qawmi ’l-kafirina 82 ). Wa ’l- sharia with the person whose skin
salamu ‘alaikum ‘ala sa’iri mani (qishr) is his form (surat), and
’ttaba’a ’l-huda. the pith (lubb) is his essence
(haqiqat). They consider the sci-
ence of the sharia and its rules
as the outer form (surat) of the
1.19 Maktub 2.18 sharia. And they find the sci-
ence of the essences and myster-
To Shaykh Jamal Naguri ies (haqa’iq, asrar) as the essence
All praise is to Allah! Peace on his (haqiqat) of the sharia.
elect devotees (Alhamdu li-’llahi
Note: There are three groups who
wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi ’lladhina
stand against the rasikhin. They
’stafa).
are:
82 83
Q hadith
1.19. MAKTUB 2.18 37
1. Ulama of the manifest Naqshbandi pir-muridi

knowledge
So brother Mian Shaykh Nur
Group 1 get captivated by the Muhammad! You have expressed
outer form of the sharia, but deny on your behalf, I have ijazatfrom
its essence. And they do not rec- the Sufi shaykhs of many silsi-
ognize anything but the Hidaya las. So I wish for ijazat from the
and the Bazdawiy as their pir and Naqshbandis as well.
foreman (pir, muqtada). Honored sir! The master and the
disciple interrelationship (piriy va
muridiy) in this sublime Naqsh-
bandi tariqa is established by the
2. Sharialess sufis
taking and giving of knowledge
Group 2 sufis are attracted to- (ta‘lim, ta‘allum) of the tariqa,
wards the essence, but they still do not by the the ceremonial cap
not recognize it to be the essence (kolah) and the shajara that is
of the sharia. Instead, they limit prevalent in other silsilas84 . The
the sharia to the form, and con- tariqa, method of these masters
ceive it as the skin. And they esti- is based on companionship (suh-
mate that its essence is something bat)85 . Their nurturing (tarbiyat)
else but that [outer sharia]. As a is reflective (in‘akasiy)86 There-
result, necessarily, they fail to re- fore, necessarily, the end of oth-
alize the true meaning (haqiqat) of 84
Cap and shajara: In many tariqas, there is a
that essence [of the sharia]. And system where the pir gives bayat, and gives the new
they fail to receive any awareness murid a ceremonial cap and a written out shajara,
(agahiy) of the allegorical (mu- and that is it. On the other hand, in Naqshbandi
tariqa, every murid is given face-turnings, and prac-
tashabihat) verses of the Quran. tices to go through the suluk, the path for spiritual
evolution, step by step through a sequence of maqa-
mat, stations
85
companionship of a shaykh who is kamil-i
3. Deeply rooted ulama mukammil, i.e., a shaykh who is both perfect him-
self as well as able to impart perfection to the dis-
Therefore, it is [group 3], the ciple
86
in‘akasiy is a method where the teaching
ulama deeply-rooted in knowl- shaykh throws the ‘aks, reflection of his batin onto
edge (rasikhin), who are the true the batin of the student, and as a result, the student
heirs of the prophets. May Al- acquires the perfections of the shaykh easily, effort-
lah put us and you among their lessly and rapidly. This is in contrast to the other
lovers and make us follow their tariqas where the salik has to take up hard practices
for many years for his evolution. E.g., Ghawthu ’l-
tracks (Ja‘alana ’llahu subhanahu Azam and Khwajababa, Sabir Kaliyary et al spent
wa iyyakum min muhubbihin wa many years of arduous practices to attain kamalat.
muqtafiy atharihim). IAM
ers has been inserted into their For some time, you have not let
beginning, and their path is very us know how things are in that
short. Their gaze (nazr) heals all area. Yes! Distance is indeed a
diseases of the heart, and their barrier. My religious advice to you
face-turnings take away all spiri- is to uphold the religion, follow the
tual (ma‘nuwiya) illnesses. prince of the messengers (salam),
practice the illuminated sunna,
Naqshbandis are amaz- and desist from disliked devia-
ing captains of tions (bid‘at-i ghairi ’l-mardiyati).
the caravan Even if a deviation seems to be
via a secret path to the brilliant like the daybreak in the
sanctuary they morning, still it should be dis-
lead the caravan carded. Because truly neither is
there any light (nur) in it nor
Naqshbandiya ‘ajab brightness (diya). That [devia-
qafila-i salar-and tion] would fail to heal any illness
Keh barand az rah-i or cure any disease.
pinhan be-haram
qafila ra What would deviation do but
to abolishes (rafi‘atu) the sunna
Please forgive me for my inability. or silence (sakinatu) its practice.
That what stops its practice is
surely additional (za’id) to the
1.20 Maktub 2.19 sunna, and being additional to
the sunna is actually to abrogate
To Khwaja Mir Muhibbullah (nasikhatu) it. Because that what
is additional to the nass, plain
text abrogates that nass. There-
fore, all bidat, whatever it may
Following sunna and be, abolishes (rafi‘atu) the sunna
avoiding deviation and stands opposite (naqidatu) to
it. Therefore, there is no good or
After the praise, salawat, and the
beauty in that [bedat].
propagation of the invitation, asy-
lum as Sayyid (sayyadat paneh), Islam is the religion that has at-
my exalted brother Mir Muhibbu tained perfection. And onto Is-
’llah, you may know that the way lam lies the good pleasure of Al-
the fakirs are in this area deserves lah. I fail to understand how can
praising God. I ask from Allah for they imagine that it’s good to add
your peacefulness, fixedness and a new practice to the perfect reli-
firm standing (salamat, thubat, is- gion (hakamu bi-husni ’l-bid‘ati ’l-
tiqamat). muhdathati fi ’l-dini ’l-kamili) and
1.21. MAKTUB 2.20 39
has completed the bliss (itmami Salat: Excellence

’l-na‘mati)? Do they not know
O beloved! When this world is the
that to introduce new practices
workplace, and the last world is
to it is to cast it far away from
the place where you get paid, you
beauty? What can be there be er-
should take care to do good deeds.
ror after truth (Fa-madha ba‘da ’l-
haqqa illa ’l-dalalu)87 Establishing salat is the best prac-
tice (behtarin a‘mal) and the most
If they knew that to rule (hukma) excellent (fadiltarin) act of wor-
beauty to the addition of new ship (ibadat)— it is the corner-
practices to the religion after it stone of the religion (‘imad-i din)
has attained perfection establishes and the heavenly ascension for the
that the religion was incomplete faithful (mi‘raj-i mu’min). There-
and imperfect to begin with, they fore, you should remain watchful
would not have dared to do this. (mar‘iy) in discharging its duties
Rabbana! La tu’akhizna in nasina in a complete manner (itmam-i
aw akhta’na88 . Wa ’l-salamu tamam).
‘alaikum, wa ‘ala man ladaykum. Especially, you may take care
(ihtiyat) to do its pillars (rukn),
preconditions (shart), sunnas, and
1.21 Maktub 2.20 adabs89 as they should be done. I
am exhorting you to discharge the
To Mulla Muhammad Tahir duties of the pillars (ta‘dil-i arkan)
Badakhshi calmly (tumaninat). I am giving
you that duty again and again. So
preserve (muhafaza) the pillars.
All praise is to Allah! Peace on his
elect devotees (Alhamdu li-’llahi Most people neglect (da’i‘) the
wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi ’lladhina salat, an do not carry out the pil-
’stafa). Your noble letter that you lars (rukn) of the salat peacefully
sent from the outskirts of Jaun- and properly (tumaniyat, ta‘dil),
pur has reached me. Since there and as a result fail to preserve
was news on your physical weak- it well (nik muhafaza namayad).
ness in that, it made me worried. I God has warned these people with
am anxiously waiting for the news numerous threats.
of you getting healed. Would you When the namaz is sound (du-
please oblige me by letting me rust), there is a high hope that sal-
know via someone coming here? vation would be possible. Because
then the religion (din) would be
87
Q.Yusuf.32
88 89
Quran, Baqara.2.286 i.e., mustahab
established (barpa shad), and the risalas that the the manifestation
ascent that is the miraj (mi‘raj-i of the heart is a little flash (lum‘a)
‘uruj) 90 would take place. of the manifestation of the ‘arsh.
And complete excellence (fadl kul-
People of the constitu- liy) belongs to that manifestation
tion of fire revel in of the heart (zuhur-i qalbiy). On
sugar the other hand, it comes in a
People of the constitu- hadith qudsiy, Neither the earth
tion of black bile! may contain me, nor the heavens,
Blind are they but the heart of the faithful slave
contains me (La yasa‘uniy ardiy,
Bar shakkar gholtida-iy wa la sama’iy, wa lakin yasa‘uniy
safra’iyan qalbu ‘abdiya ’l-mu’mini) 91 . This
az bara’iy kuri’iy — hadith mandates (lazim) that the
suda’iyan! manifestation of the heart is the
most complete (atamm). And
And peace be onto them who fol- thus superiority is established for
low guidance, and stick to follow- the [heart]. [How to rationalize
ing the Mustafa. (Wa ’l-salamu this contradiction?]
‘ala mani ’ttaba‘a ’l-huda, wa
Answer: Beloved! Answer to your
’ltazama mutaba‘ata ’l-mustafa),
question rests on a preface. You
‘Alaihi, wa ‘ala alihi ’l-salawatu,
may know that:
wa ’l-taslimatu ’l-‘uwla.
Preface: Bodily and

1.22 Maktub 2.21 spiritual hearts
To Khwaja Muhammad Siddiq
who holds the title Hidaya 1. That what the masters of
friendhood have called and
meant as the heart is the
Bismi ’llahi ’l-Rahman al-Rahim. all-gathered reality of man
Alhamdu li-’llahi wa ’l-salamun (haqiqat-i jami‘a-i insaniy).
‘ala ‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa. That reality is in the world
of command.
Heart: Two meanings 2. On the other hand, what
Question: You, [the Mujaddid], comes in the tongue of the
have written in your maktubs and nabi as the heart is that bod-
ily part (mudgha) such that
90
The perfected salat of the God-realized salik when that gets wholesome
can be compared to the miraj as the rasul said,
91
Salat is the miraj of the faithful hadith
1.22. MAKTUB 2.21 41
the whole body gets whole- than all the things. Once the
some, and when that gets narrowness of the heart is given
corrupted, the whole body a relationship with the elemental
gets corrupted. As it comes thing. And at that time, the eyes
in a hadith qudsi, Within the see (dar nazr—zahir migird) that
human body, there is a bodily said small and bad thing (juzvi
part, when it gets wholesome, muhaqqar)93 , as similar to the
the whole body gets whole- strata of the heavens and the earth
some. And when it gets cor- (tabaqat-i samawat wa ’l-ard). In-
rupted, the whole body gets deed, it is beyond the scope of the
corrupted. Take note! That intellect (nazr-i ‘aql). So don’t be
is the heart. (Inna fi jasadi a doubter (Fa-la takun mina ’l-
’bni adama mudghatan, idha mumtarin)94 . Such is this.
salahat, salaha ’l-jasadu kul-
luhu, wa idha fasadat, fasada
’l-jasadu kulluhu. Ala! Wa Flash from throne
hiya qalbu.) 92 When this preface is understood,
an additional piece of knowledge
A. Spaciousness would be learned. That knowl-
edge is this: A manifestation
When the heart is called spa-
(zuhuriy) that is dependent on the
cious (wus‘at), the first mean-
above-mentioned all-gathering re-
ing is taken. For example, when
ality (haqiqat-i jami‘a)95 is a little
Hazrat Bayazid and Junaid Bagh-
flash (lum‘a) of the complete man-
dadi (qaddasa ’llahu ta‘ala as-
ifestation of the throne (zuhur-
rarhum) narrated the spaciousness
i tamm-i ‘arshiy). There is no
of the heart, they estimated that
doubt in it, because comprehen-
the throne and all that is in it are
sive superiority (fadl-i kulliy) on
most insignificant before it.
that station belongs to the throne.
B. Narrowness That Shaykh Bayazid and Shaykh

Junaid said that that heart is
On the other hand, when the nar- wider than the widest thing. And
rowness of the heart is mentioned, they considered that the throne
the second meaning is taken. And and all that is in it, all that
on this station, the heart is so nar- is insignificant when compared to
row that that there is no room [the heart]. It is like confus-
there even for an elemental thing ing (ishtebah) a thing with its
or particular (juz‘a la-yatajazza)
93
that is smaller (ahqar va asghar) i.e., the heart
94
Q
92 95
hadith i.e., the spiritual heart
model (anmudhaj). They have 1. the attributes are commin-

seen that the models of the throne gled with the person there,
and all that is in it is insignifi- and
cant when compared with the all-
2. the attributes are in reality
comprehensiveness (jam‘iyat) of
the shadows (zilal) of holy
the heart. And as a result, they
person,
have applied that rule to the real-
ity of the throne96 (haqa’iq-i ‘arsh) 3. consequently that manifesta-
and all that is in it. I have mention is not pure and unblem-
tioned the reason behind the cre- ished (pak, mubarra) from
ation of the above-mentioned con- the taint (sha’iba) of shadow-
fusion (ishtibah) in my books and ness.
risalas.
As a result, the holy throne has
high expectations from the hu-
Bodily heart: Center of man manifestation (zuhur-i in-
sani) as [the human body] is at-
spirituality tached (ta‘alluq) to the sheer pro-
On the other hand, how the heart totype (asl-i sirf)98 . Because [hu-
has been mentioned in the sa- man body] is the center of this in-
cred hadiths agrees with the lan- teraction99 .
guage of the prophets. That heart
refers to the human bodily part. How is heart narrow?
There is no doubt that the most
complete manifestation (zuhur-i Question: That the heart is wide
atamm) takes place in this [bod- (wasa‘at) is established by hadith
ily heart]. And this [bodily heart] qudsi. So why are you calling that
is the mirror of the oneness of the heart narrow (tang)?
disengaged person (mar’atiyat-i Answer: [The heart] is narrow be-
ahadiyat-i dhat-i mujarrada-i uw). cause there is no room within it for
Although the throne has attained the ma sewa. At the same time, it
a generous share (nasib-i wafir) is wide as it is the locus wherein
of the the complete manifestation the primordial lights (anwar-i qi-
(zuhur-i tamm), i.e., the manifes- dam) are manifested. So there is
tation of the prototype (zuhur-i no contradiction. I have described
asl), still the attributes are com- the heart in some of my risalas as
mingled (imtizaj) there97 . And Narrow while wide, a simple thing
since while compounded, few while many
96 98
true, i.e., prototypal i.e., the dhat disengaged from the attributes
97 99
with the dhat, there in the throne of receiving the manifestation of the sheer dhat
1.22. MAKTUB 2.21 43
( Al-daiqu ’l-sa‘u, wa ’l-basitu ’l- that takes place] after the salik
absat, wa ’l-aqallu ’l-aktharu).100 has completed suluk, jadhdhba,
cleansing (tasfiya) and purifica-
tion (tazkiya), and attained sta-
How is bodily heart
bilization of the heart (tamkin-i
superior? qalb) and pacification (itminan) of
Question: The all-gathered reality the nafs. [In that transformation]
(haqiqat-i jami‘a), which is in the that happens by utmost divine
world of command (‘alam-i amr), grace (behadd-i fadl va karam-i
deserves excellence. On the other khodawandiy) JS, the heart gets
hand, the heart is from the world reconstituted as the composition
of empirical things (‘alam-i khalq) (tarkib) of ten elements. The ele-
and is composed of the elements. ments are 1-4 the four physical el-
So from where does the heart find ements, 5 the pacified nafs (nafs-i
this superiority? mutma’inna) and 6-10 the five lat-
ifas of the ‘alam-i amr.
Answer: World of empirical things
has superiority over the world of
command. Let alone common
people, even many elect come
short of perceiving it. I have
clarified this matter in the mak- One-in-all matter
tub written to beloved son Khwaja
Muhammad Sadiq, mercy of Al- Although these ten elements are
lah be on him, clarifying the sufi contrary (tadad, tabayin) to each
path (tariqa)101 . If any question other, still by the perfect power
remains, refer there. (kudrat-i kamila) of Allah, they
lose their mutual contrariety
(tadad, tabayyin-i yekdigar) and
Reality of bodily heart
instead get brought together
Now listen to the reality of this (jam‘a). And they transform into
bodily part (mudgha)! The bod- hi’at-i wahdani, one-in-all mat-
ily part that the common people ter102 . And as a result, become
have is made of the four elements this above-mentioned astonishing
(‘anasir-i arba‘a). On the other (a‘jubeh) thing.
hand, for the elect, or instead
the elect of the elect (khwass-
i khwass), that bodily part un-
102
dergoes [a transformation. And Although hi’at literally means form or figure,
here it means the original matter from which ev-
100
cf. Mabda’ va Ma‘ad erything are made, i.e., a one-in-all substance that
101
maktub 1.260 is unity in diversity
Earth element Prophets meant this

predominates bodily heart
In this interaction103 , the earth el- That what the intimate friend
ement is the most abundant one of the Rahman (Khalilu ’l-
among those elements. And that Rahman)106 sought to be pacified
hi’at-i wahdani gets colored by the (itminan) is to this very bod-
color of the earth, and settles (is- ily part (mudgha). Because
tiqrar) in that earth. already his all-gathered reality
(haqiqat-i jami‘a) was stabilized
(tamkin). And his nafs was
Become soil you’d be pacified (mutma’in). Because
home of flowers this stabilization (tamkin) and
Without soil flowers do pacification (itminan) forms its
not bloom form on the degree (martaba) of
walayat, which is like the stair
(zineh) to nubuwat. And those
Khak shod ta barvid gol are related to the task of walayat.
keh beh juz khak nist On the other hand, in nubuwat,
mazhar-i gol the bodily part (mudgha) that
is the heart indeed fluctuates
and becomes restless (taqallub,
idtirab) while it does not happen
O brother! The hands of the pos-
for the common people. That
sessors of walayat do not reach up
heart for which the final rasul
to even the hem (daman) of such
sought stability (thabit) is this
knowledge104 . For it is taken from
bodily part, mudgha. He prayed,
the niche of the light of prophet-
O Allah! O the one who fluctuates
hood . Dhalika fadlu ’llahi yu’tihi
the heart! Fix my heart on your
man yasha’u, wa ’llahu dhu ’l-fadli
worship (Allahumma ya muqalliba
’l-‘azim 105 .
’l-qulubi! Thabbit qalbiy ‘ala
ta‘atika). That what [the rasul]
103
of creating the hi’at-i wahdani, one-in-all mat- sought to be stabilized is this
ter, from all those ten elements. It is from this heart107 .
one-in-all matter that all things are made from.
104
for one needs to possess kamalat-i nubuwat, a Several hadiths that come in the
higher degree. It is the Mujaddid, and those who
chapter of the fluctuation of the
follow them, who have been uniquely granted this
superior degree of kamalat. This is one of the many heart (taqallub-i qalb) refer to the
underlying reasons that the Mujaddidis believe that states of the hearts of the ummats
the Mujaddid and his elect followers are the great-
106
est walis of Allah Hazrat Ibrahim, ‘alaihi ’l-salam
105 107
Quran.Hadid. 21 i.e., the bodily part
1.22. MAKTUB 2.21 45
(ahwal-i ummatan agar az qalb). 1. seeks proof for the existence

There is indeed room for it108 if of God the artisan (sani‘),
the heart is interpreted there in sometimes, or he
a common manner (‘am) that in- 2. does not find yaqin, firm faith
cludes both the all-gathered real- onto the existence of God
ity and the bodily part. Ques- the artisan, without demon-
tion: This bodily part has been strative proof (biy-istidlal) or
honored with the good news of [merely] with imitation (be-
Heart of my faithful slave con- taqlid), like the common peo-
tains me (Yasa‘uni qalbu ‘abdiy ple, some of the other times.
’l-mu’mini)109 . And it is wor-
thy (shayan) of being the mir- As the result, his state gets
ror of the divine dhat. In that full of fluctuation and restlessness
case, how do fluctuation and rest- (taqallub, idtirab). And as the
lessness (taqallub, idtirab) come final result, he necessarily seeks
upon this [bodily part]? And why pacification (itminan). In some
does this [bodily part] need to be of my risalas, I have written that
pacified (itminan)? Answer: The when the knower who possesses
more complete (atammiyat) is the yaqin, firm faith (‘arif-i sahib-
manifestation110 and the more re- i yaqin) returns (ruju‘)112 , it is
lief [that manifestation] finds from then that he needs demonstrative
the taint of the modes and at- proof (istidlal). And onto this sta-
tributes (sha’iba-i shu’un, sifat), tion, he comes to know that this
[the salik’s] ignorance and restless- very attainment and arrival (‘iyn-
ness (jahl, idtirab) increases that i husul, wusul) needs proof (ihtiaj
more, and his unknown-ness (na- beh dalil).
karat)111 and non-receipt (na-yaft) This station is appropriate to
also increases that more. the states of the perfect mas-
[That hal even increases to an ters on the degree of prophet-
extreme. At that point], al- hood (muwafiq-i hal-i kamalat-i
though these manifestations and martaba-i nubuwat)113 . And that
the said constriction (gunjaish) station is appropriate to the state
are present in him, still due to of walayat. When the possessor of
his perfect ignorance and bewil- such a heart, returns in his mis-
derment (kamal-i jahl, hayrat), he sion to invite, then the apprehen-
either sion, restlessness, fluctuation, var-
108 112
i.e., one may say that heart of even the com- in his mission to invite (da‘wat) the creation
mon people fluctuate towards God
109 113
hadith qudsi check Amritsari, Naushahi has an extra line:
110
i.e., the manifestation of the sheer dhat And this station is the above-mentioned station of
111
nakarat retranslated from Aftabi peace and lack of the need for proof
iegation (qalaq, idtirab, taqallub, it has been purified (tazkiya) and

talawwun) of his heart increases. cleaned (tasfiya) that all-gathered
Its reason is this: In the time of reality attains a complete stabi-
arrival (‘iyn-i wusul), due to ig- lization (tamkin-i tamm).
norance and bewilderment (jahl, On the other hand, the bodily part
hairat), he was needy of proof is its opposite. Its pacification
(muhtaj bedalil). However, in the (itminan) comes from perceptions
time of separation, he is even more from the sensory organs (idrak-i
needy of proof. He needs proof so hawas). Until [that bodily part]
that via proofs, his heart receives perceives the things (shay) via
some peace. its [own body’s] sensory organs,
Along with it, I would say that its apprehension (qalaq) won’t go
some [saliks] necessarily always re- away. It is for this reason that
mains apprehensive and restless Hazrat the Khalil sought for him-
(qalaq, idtirab). They are the self116 , and prayed, Lord! I want
ones from whom this felicity has to see how you resurrect the dead
been hidden for a few days, and as (Rabba! Arini kayfa tuhyiyi ’l-
the result, they have been branded mawta) 117 .
in the burn marks separation.114
And they continue (dawam) to be 2. Zikr
sad (huzn) and grieving (anduh).
The rasul was always sad and A. Spiritual heart Zikr cre-
worried (Kana rasulu ’llahi mu- ates traces (ta‘thir) within the
tawasila ’l-huzni da’ima ’l-fikri) 115 all-gathered reality. And when
that zikr reaches perfection, then
that all-gathered reality unifies
Difference: Bodily and (muttahid) with the zikr, and
haqiqi hearts becomes consubstantial (mutta-
jawhir)118 with the zikr. The au-
I am clarifying some of the points thor of the ‘Awarif, qaddasa ’llahu
(wujuh) of the difference between ta‘ala sirruhu has called this
these two acts of releasing (itlaq) [state] the most brilliant sought
of the heart. So listen with inner thing (maqsid-i asna). And he in-
awareness! terpreted this [state of the] heart
that itself becomes consubstantial
1. Need of healing
116
for the peace of his own bodily heart
117
The all-gathered reality is from Q
118
the world of command. And after i.e., made of the same jawhar, substance. Con-
substantial — it’s a Christian theological term, syn-
114
They are the ones with the deepest love. onymous with homo-ousia but I beliveve it to be its
115
hadith perfect translation
1.22. MAKTUB 2.21 47
(tajawwhar) [with the zikr] to be ical thing made of flesh and

the zikr of the sheer dhat. as such it cannot do zikr
2. Instead, it is God himself
B. Bodily heart On the other who is manifested within the
hand, the bodily part is its op- bodily heart, in line with the
posite. There is no way for hadith.
zikr there119 . Where in the bod- 3. Consequently, the proposi-
ily heart are there traces of the tion of the author of the
zikr? How can that [bodily heart] ‘Awarif that the bodily heart
become consubstantial with the is consubstantial to the zikr
zikr? Because there [on the bod- is reduced to absurdity
ily heart] the object of the zikr,
i.e., God is manifested prototy- .
pally (beh asalat), not [merely] as
a shadow. The end of the ascent 3. True appearance
(nihayat-i ‘uruj) is zikr, up to the
door of the object of the zikr, i.e., A. Spiritual heart The all-
God. gathered reality, when it reaches
the end of the ends (nihayat al-
Note: The Mujaddid is saying
nihayat), attains a generous share
that the heart itself may not be-
of the elect friendship (walayat-i
come the zikr. Instead, the object
khassa) or the greater friendship
of the zikr, i.e., God, is manifested
(walayat-i kubra). At that point,
within the bodily heart. And this
if the sought thing [i.e. God]
manifestation take place prototy-
shows itself (namayandgiy), what
pally (beh asalat), not merely as
is manifested in that [act of man-
a shadow, i.e., God appears in the
ifestation] is the shadow of the
human heart truly in accordance
sought thing, not the sought thing
to the hadith, Heart of the faith-
itself (‘iyn). It is the same thing
ful is the ‘arsh of Allah (Qalbu ’l-
that happens with the manifest
mu’minu ‘arshu ’llahu). And he
(zahir) mirror120 . What is mani-
criticizes the proposition of the au-
fested in [the mirror] is the image
thor of the ‘Awarif that the bodily
(shabh) of the person, not the per-
heart is muttajawhir, consubstan-
son itself.
tial to the zikr. And he seems to
argue in a reductio ad absurdum
syllogism: B. Bodily heart On the other
hand, the interaction with the
1. The human heart is a phys- bodily part is its opposite. Since
119
it’s opposite, what is manifested
in the bodily heart, i.e., the bodily heart can-
120
not do zikr itself i.e., a mirror in the real world
on that [bodily part] is the sought B. Bodily heart On the other

thing itself, not the shadow (zill). hand, the bodily part is a thing
As it’s said, Heart of my faith- of the world of empirical things
ful slave contains me ( Yasa‘uniy (‘alam-i khalq). Instead, that
qalbu ‘abdiya ’l-mu’mini)121 . This [bodily heart] has parts from both
interaction is beyond gaze and the world of empirical things and
thought (nazr, fikr). the world of command: The major
part is from the world of the em-
pirical things and the minor part
Warning on misinterpretation is from the world of command.
Warning! Don’t misinterpret this The one-in-all matter (hi’at-i wah-
[interaction] to mean incarnation- daniy) is produced here after both
ism (hulul) or selfplacementism these parts have been gathered to-
(tamakkun)122 , since believing in gether. This is indeed an amazing
them is infidelity or heresy (kufr, wage. With respect to both the
zandaqa). Yes! Intellect of the world of command and the world
world we live in (‘aql-i ma‘ash) of empirical things, this amazing
would not believe that one thing thing [i.e. the bodily heart], due
itself (‘ain) appears into another to the heart’s nature of composi-
thing via any other method ex- tion (tarkib), it is:
cept the methods of incarnation-
ism or selfplacementism (hulul,
1. disjoint (juda) from those
tamakkun). However, that failure
worlds, and
to believe is due to defects in the
intellect (qusur-i ‘aql), and due to 2. lacking in any interrelation-
drawing analogies of the absent ship (tanasub) or simili-
with the witnessed (qiyas-i gha’ib tude (tashabbuh) with those
bar shahid). Fa-la takun mina ’l- worlds.
qasirina, so do not remain among
the defective ones.
However, still then that [bodily
heart] is counted to be from the
4. World of origin world of empirical things (ma‘dud
az ‘alam-i khalq). However, this
A. Spiritual heart All- counting is in an unqualified man-
gathered reality (haqiqat-i jami‘a) ner (beh hech kodam). [And it
is a thing of the world of com- is counted so] due to the formula-
mand. tion of its composition (hi’at tark-
ibiy). Because the part of earth is
121
hadith qudsi the [bodily heart’s] major support
122
write note on tamakkun, selfplacementism (‘umda) in this interaction.
1.22. MAKTUB 2.21 49
5. Wideness 6. Absence of bechun
Spiritual heart One has to A. Spiritual heart The first

reach the conclusion that the all- type of wideness (farakhiy)124 has
gathering heart (that is in the the taint of chun, how. [And so
world of command) is indeed wide that spiritual heart] is not worthy
(wasa‘at) if one considers that of being a seat for the biychun.
the forms (suwar) of everything is
manifested within it.
Bodily heart And [following B. Bodily heart On the other

that true heart], the bodily part hand, the second type of wide-
[of the heart] also turns from nar- ness125 has received a share (na-
rowness into wideness. [And also, sib) of biychuniy, and so the chun
that bodily part expands] enough may not be contained in there
to fit the size of the object of seek- [the bodily heart]126 . It is indeed
ing [i.e., God], who is limitless and a surprising matter that when
endless (namahdud, namuntahiy). the said [bodily] heart returns in
This knowledge has been given to its mission to invite127 , darkness
me via the method of unveiling envelopes [that heart]. This is
(makshuf). why the best of men (sayyidu ’l-
bashar) has said, Verily, my heart
darkens (Innahu la-yughanu ‘ala
Ma sewa may not enter the qalbiy) 128 . How more would I nar-
bodily heart However, the nar- rate the difference? How can one
rowness of that [bodily heart] is compare the dirt with the lord of
like a narrow doorway that pre- the lords?
vents the entrance of the ma sewa.
[So restrictive is that doorway
124
that] it does not permit even zikr that belongs to the spiritual heart in the world
to go inside the boundary of the of command
125
that belongs to the mudgha, bodily part
pavillion (suradiqat) of [God], the 126
Yes! It goes against intuition, but that what
object of the zikr. And [that door- contains God is not the spiritual heart but the bod-
way] refuses ascent to [even the ily heart
127
mere] taint of shadowness to re- i.e., to invite the creation towards God. In the
initial segment of its evolution, the salik does ‘uruj,
main beside the holy sanctuary [of
i.e., ascends to God. And in the later segment, the
God]123 . salik does nuzul, i.e., descends to the creation. This
descent is to attain human attributes with the ulti-
123
Both Amritsari and Naushahi says Sha’iba-i mate purpose of attaining the ability to empathize
zilliyat ra niz namiy mand keh gird-i an harim-i with humans and to successfully invite them.
128
muqaddas gardad hadith
C. One-in-all matter, nafarmani). And the earth in-

hi’at-i wahdani gredient is elevated (irtifa‘) from
earthly lowness (pastiy) and base-
O brother! Don’t consider this ness (past) that is in its innate na-
mudgha as an insignificant (la ture (fitrat).
yu‘ba) piece of flesh. On the con-
trary, it is an impeccable pearl.
The treasures and mysteries of the b. Balancing
world of empirical things (‘alam-i In the same manner, [sufi suluk]
khalq) are kept in there. And the brings the excessiveness and defi-
subtle and hidden mysteries of the ciency, [i.e., imbalance] within all
world of command (‘alam-i amr) its parts into a good balance and
are buried (madfun) there. Nu- intermediateness (behadd-i i‘tidal
merous elect interactions depend va tawassut).
on this hi’at-i wahdani, one-in-all
matter129 .
c. Composition
a. Ten parts After then, by his sheer grace,
Initially the ten parts [of the body] God
are purified and cleansed (tazkiya,
tasfiya) via the jadhdhba-method 1. puts those parts together into
and the suluk-method, and via a composite form (tarkib),
fana and baqa, and freed from at- and
tachments with the ma sewa130 . 2. forms [that form] into an
For example, the heart — it is entified individual (shakhs-i
made to proceed from fluctuation mu‘ayyan), and
(taqallub) to stability (tamkin). 3. transforms [that individual]
And the nafs — it is brought from into the perfect man (insan-
instigatingness (ammargi) to paci- i kamil) where the heart of
fiedness (itminan). that individual (shakhs) is
In the same way, the fire ingredi- his gist (khulasa) and the
ent is kept away from rebellious- center of the body, and
ness and disobedience (sarkashi,
4. gives [that heart] the name
129
that constitutes the mudgha mudgha.
130
That happens when the salik traverses the sufi
suluk. The ten parts refer to the parts or elements On the reality of that mudgha,
that compose the humans, namely, the five parts
of the ‘alam-i amr, i.e., qalb, ruh, sirr, khafi, akhfa that what can be expressed in
and the ten parts of the ‘alam-i khalq, i.e., nafs and speech is this. The rest of the mat-
the four elements ters are relegated to God.
1.22. MAKTUB 2.21 51
Purity of parts Unification of parts
An imperfect (nakis) man may ob- Imperfect man: Parts are op-
ject saying that every man is composite And in the cases of the
posed (murakkab) of these ten in- rest of men,
gredients (ajza)131 . And those in-
gredients also compose (tarkib), 1. those [ten parts] are in them
and make hi’at-i wahdaniy 132 . [So in an opposite and distinct
where is the difference?] manner (mutabayyin, muta-
mayyiz). And
2. for each ingredient, the rules
Imperfect man: Ingredients and states (ahkam, ahwal)
are impure In answer, I’d agree are distinct (mutamayyiz).
with them by saying, Yes! Every
man is composed of these ten in- As a result, necessarily, they do
gredients. However, [for the com- not have any part of the hi’at-i
mon man], those ingredients have wahdani. And if they bring forth
not been (paida) any hi’at, matter then it is
conceptual but not true (i‘tibariy
1. purified and made holy ast, neh haqiqi).
(muzakka, mutah-har)
Perfect man: Parts are trans-
2. freed from the filth (danas) formed and unified On the
of attachments (ta‘alluqat) other hand, the situation is differ-
with the ma sewa, via jadhba ent for the parts or ingredients of
and suluk the perfect man133 .
. 1. Their parts (ajza) have gone

through distinction and
differentiation (tamayyuz,
Perfect man: Ingredients pu- tabayyun).
rified On the other hand, in the 2. They have become commin-
case of the perfect men (insan-i gled (mumtazij) and com-
kamil), their ingredients have been pounded (mukhtalit).
made pure and chaste (pak, pak- 3. The mutual contrariety in
izeh) via fana and baqa, as it has their rules and states has
been explained before. gone away (ahkam va ahwal-
131
i mutamayyiz-i iyshan za’il
refers to the ten lata’if cf. Banda Khalil
132 133
and that hi’at-i wahdaniy is present in every because they have gone through a transforma-
man, not limited to the perfect men only tion
gashteh) and instead they colors of the locus of manifesta-

now get ruled by one single tion (mazhar)134 is imagined (mu-
rule (beh yek hukm qarrar tawahham) to be in the mani-
yafteh). fested thing135 . However, in this
case, what is being manifested
As the result, necessarily, [the per- here is the prototype, not the
fect man’s] hi’at-i wahdani is real [mere] shadow [of God]. And that
(haqiqi) not [merely] estimated [shadow] is its outward form (surat
(i‘tibariy). bashad), [i.e., of the prototype of
God]136 . However, the manifest
Transformation: Analogy person (shakhs-i zahir)137 is not
This situation is analogous to pure and unblemished from (pak,
when different herbs are commin- mubarra) the color of the mir-
gled together to make a medicine. ror. Therefore, the two limbs of
Each of those different ingredients the bow (qawsayn) are established
are purified (rast sazad) and torn there.
away (sahaq namud). Each of
the parts are thoroughly com-
B. Or even nearer
mingled together (mumtazij) and
compounded (mukhtalit) and this And what is beyond this station
hi’at-i wahdani is fixed. Their is the station of aw adna, even
differentiating characteristics nearer. There the manifested
(ahkam-i mutabayyina) go away thing does not take on the color
and instead they take on one of the locus of manifestation (za-
unique character. Ponder on it! hir az mazhar rangiy nagerefteh
Allah (S) knows it all. ast), and not even the idea of an
additional thing appears in imag-
ination (takhayyul nayamadeh).
As close as the two
Therefore, there 138 , the two limbs
limbs of a bow or even (qawsayni) disappear and nothing
nearer save one color is found there [on
that station. And it is the color]
A. As close as the two limbs
of a bow 134
i.e., one of the colors of the perfect man, since
that perfect man is that locus cf. Aftabi
O brother! All those perfections 135
i.e., Allah cf. Aftabi
that have been established for the 136
This line, and this section, are are very deep
mudgha, they are on the station allegories, I must recheck them and put in the orig-
of qaba qawsayni, being as close inal farsi/arabic as I could make mistakes in its
translation
as the two limbs of a bow when 137
the manifest person is the personality of the
it is drawn. Here [on the sta- prototype cf. Aftabi
138
tion of qaba qawsaini ], one of the on that station of aw adna
1.23. MAKTUB 2.22 53
that is related to the station of aw The exalted city of Sirhind, it is

adna. said to be the land where I was
The interaction of this station [of born. It used to be like a deep
aw adna] is unique. And all dark well. By the grace of God,
the pages [on one’s state] should and the connectorhood of the ra-
be turned onto that [interaction]. sul, God has filled it up, made
Then you would be able to arrive it like a high palace for my sake.
from qawsayniy onto aw adna. And granted it superiority over
most cities and provinces.
What we say is merely the
allusion, hint and good news A nur, light is kept in that land
(isharat, rumuz, basharat), in- for safe-keeping that is collected
stead it is like a storehouse of hid- from the light that is ‘without at-
den treasures (kunuz). It is Al- tribute’ and ‘without how’ (biy-
lah who inspires (Wa ’llahu sub- sifati, biy-kayfi). That is like the
hanahu ’l-mulhimu). Dua: Wa nur (dar rang-i nuriy) that gets
’l-sallallahu ta‘ala ‘ala sayyidina lighted and radiates (sati‘, lami‘)
muhammadin wa sahibihi, wa sal- from the blessed soil of the holy
lama wa baraka. Kaaba. That nur was revealed to
me a few months before the pass-
ing away of my beloved son. I
1.23 Maktub 2.22 located it one end of my house
that I live in. That is such a
To Mawlana Mahmud Sadiq nur towards which no dirt of at-
Kashmiri tributes or modes (sifat, shan) has
been thrown at. And that is
pure and unblemished (munazza,
Superiority of Sirhind mubarra) from all attributes and
modes (sifat, shan).
May Allah Almighty give you
peace (Sallamakumu ’llahu A desire took root in my mind that
ta‘ala). All praise is to Allah! may that piece of land becomes
Peace on his elect devotees (Al- my grave, and may that nur gets
hamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala lighted on the head of my grave. I
‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa)! By the revealed this felicity to my eldest
grace of Allah (SWT), and as son Hazrat Khwaja Muhammad
alms from his beloved (Bi-‘inayati Sadiq (quddisa sirruhu) who was
’llahi ta‘ala wa subhanahu, wa the holder of my hidden myster-
bi-sadaqati habibihi), ‘alaihi, wa ies (sahib-i sirr). I also discussed
‘ala alihi, wa ’l-salawatu, wa with him about that said nur and
’l-salamu, wa ’l-tahiyyatu, wa my wish. By the way, that beloved
barakatu. son of mine himself proceeded to-
wards this felicity before me, and Subhana rabbika rabbi ’l-‘izzati
in the land near that said nur, was ‘amma yasifuna, wa salamun ‘ala
drowned in the sea of that nur. ’l-mursalina wa ’l-hamdu li-’llahi
rabbi ’l-‘alamin) 141 .
Pleasantly, to the lords
of bliss, all is
blissful
To the lovers and the
1.24 Maktub 2.23
poor ones, what-
To Khwaja Muhammad ‘Abdullah
ever they gulp
down
Bismi ’llahi ’l-Rahman al-Rahim.
Hani’an li-arbabi ’l- All praise is to Allah, and peace be
na‘im na‘imuha onto his elect devotees (Alhamdu
li-’llahi wa ’l-salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi
Wa li-’l-‘ashiqi ’l-miskini ’lladhina ’stafa.)
ma yanajarra‘u
This is an additional nobility Follow Sunna and reject

(sharafat) of this exalted city that bid‘at
my beloved son, who is among the
greatest friends139 , is taking his fi- (Sallamahumu ’l-lahu subhanahu
nal rest here. ‘amma la-yaliqu bi-janabihi).The
advice that is being given to you,
After some time, it was revealed
my beloved son, and the rest of
that that said nur in safe-keeping
the beloveds is that you follow the
is one of the flames of one of
illuminated sunna (‘ala sahibha
the nurs in my heart (anwar-
al-salawatu wa ’l-salamu wa ’l-
i qalbiya). And that [flame]
tahiyyatu), and put aside the dis-
has been taken (iqtibas namudeh)
pleasing deviations (bid‘at-i na-
from that [nur in my heart] and
mardiya). These times, Islam has
lighted (afrukhteh) onto that piece
become rare-to-find, Muslims have
of land. And it has been lighted
become rare, and getting rarer to
likewise that a lamp is lighted
find. It’s getting to the point that
from a flame. Say, all comes
there would be none present on
from Allah. Allah is the nur of
the surface of the earth to speak
the heavens and the earth (Qul,
out the name Allah. Resurrection
kullun min ‘indi ’llahi. Allahu
would take place among the worst
nuru ’l-samawati wa ’l-ardi) 140 .
people 142 .
139
Khwaja Muhammad Sadiq who died in plague.
141
Mujaddid was planning to make him his sufi heir Q
140 142
Q hadith quoted in Farsi
1.24. MAKTUB 2.23 55
A royal falcon (shahbaz) is he who dalalatun). And I am finding that

in the time that Islam is so rare, during this strangeness and weak-
strengthens the sunna, and de- ness (ghurbat, da‘f) of Islam, it
stroys deviations (bid‘at). The is on taking up sunna that the
propagation (tarwij) of bedat re- preservation of Islam rests on, and
sults in the destruction of the re- its badness is is linked with bedat,
ligion (takhrib-i din). And hon- whichever bedat it may be. I con-
oring the deviator (ta‘zim-i mub- sider bedat to be like an shovel
tadi‘) tears down (hadm) Islam. (kaland) that destroys the foun-
You may have heard this hadith, dation of Islam, . On the other
He who honors a deviator, in- hand, I find sunna as a flashing
deed he assists in the destruc- light (kawkab-i durukhshan) that
tion of Islam (Man waqqara sahiba is guidance (hidayat) in the dark-
bid‘atin, fa-qad a‘ana ‘ala hadmi ness of the moonless night (shab-
’l-islami) 143 . Therefore, with i daijur-i zilalat). May Hazrat
a complete aspiration (hamagiy- Haqq grant opportunity to the
i himmat) and a deep desire ulama of this age, so that they
(tamamiy-i nahmat), one may fo- refuse to open their lips to say that
cus so that a sunna comes alive there is beauty present in a be-
and a bedat is uprooted. This fo- dat. And they refuse to issue re-
cus should be for all the time, es- sponsa (fatwa) to practice any be-
pecially at this time of weakness of dat, even when that bedat appears
Islam when preserving the tradi- to be as full of light (roshn) as the
tion of Islam depends on the prop- daybreak of the morning (falaq-i
agation of the sunna and destruc- subh). Because there is a greater
tion of deviation.The earlier ones scope for satanic deception in ev-
(gozashtehgan) has seen beauty ery practice save the sunna.
in deviation, and have estimated
that some individual acts of it are In the past, Islam had strength.
beautiful. However, I do not agree As a result, it could carry the
with them in this matter. And I burden of the darkness of bedat.
fail to see any beauty in any in- Maybe some of those dark things
dividual act. And I refuse to be- appeared to be full of light to
lieve that any part of deviation is them before the sharp brilliance
beautiful. And I fail to feel any- (sha‘sha‘n) of Islam. And that is
thing in there save darkness and why they gave the ruling of beauty
muddiness. to that thing even though actu-
ally that thing lacked beauty and
The rasul have said, All be-
light. But the current time is its
dat is deviation (Kullu bid‘atin
opposite. This is time of weakness
143
hadith of Islam. These days it is impos-
sible for Islam to carry the bur- Reject bid‘at sufi

den of the darkness of bedat. So practices
these times, the responsa granted
by the ulama of the earlier and If the sufis of this time do jus-
later times should not be practiced tice and come to the correct
in law (mutamashsha). Because path, and throw their glance
the rules for each age is different. onto the weakness of Islam and
spread of misinterpretations (af-
In this time, due to the multiplic- shaiy kidhb), then what they
ity of the manifestation (kathrat-i should do is refuse to follow their
zuhur) of bedat, the cosmos seems pirs in what is beyond the sunna,
to be a sea of darkness. And the and refuse to get used to newly-
lights of sunna looks strange and invented (mukhtara‘) matters in
odd (gharib, nadrat) in that sea the pretext that it is the practice
of darkness. And that looks like of their own shaykhs. Indeed fol-
sparkling lights from fireflies of the lowing the sunna grants salvation,
night (kirmak-haiy shab).. and produces good and baraka.
On the other hand, there is danger
Bedat practices are darkening that in following something apart from
darkness, and dimming the light of sunna. Nothing is incumbent on
sunna. On the other hand, sunna the messenger save the clear de-
practices are reducing that dark- livery of the message146 .
ness and brightening that light.
As the Quran says, Therefore,
whoever wishes may deepen the Naqshbandi is sunna
darkness of the sunna, and who- tariqa
ever wishes may brighten the light
of sunna. Verily the gang of sa- May Hazrat Haqq swt grant our
tans are harmed, and verily the honorable pirs a good compensa-
party of Allah is saved (Fa-man tion on behalf of all of us. Because
sha’a fayukthir zulmati ’l-bid‘ati, they did not point us, the later
wa man sha’a fayukthir nura ’l- ones, towards bid‘at acts. And
sunnati, wa man sha’a fayuk- by making us follow them147 , cast
thir hizba ’l-shaytani, wa man us into darkness that destroys.
sha’a fayukthir hizba ’llahi. Ala! They did not point us towards any
Inna hizba ’l-shaytani humu ’l- path but the path of following the
khasiruna. 144 Ala! Inna hizba sunna. And they did not point to-
’llahi humu ’l-muflihun145 .) wards any second way but the fol-
lowing of the master of the sharia,
144 146
Q Q
145 147
Q in their bid‘at acts
1.24. MAKTUB 2.23 57
and performing a strict (‘azimat) The [non-Naqshbandi] masters re-

practice. Therefore, the way of do- peat the pleasant formula (kalima-
ing (karkhaneh) of these masters is i tayyab) with the intention that
high (buland). And the front-yard the circle of ithbat, affirmation gets
of the house of their arrival (pish wider. And the entire cosmos that
taq-i wusul-i iyshan) is the most is created on the fellowship of oth-
beneficial (mar naf‘). erness (beh ‘unwan-i ghairiyat),149
They are the ones who have kicked by the repetition of the kalima of
away singing and dancing (sama’, tawhid, gets unveiled on the fel-
raqs) by their feet. And have lowship of Haqq-ness (beh ‘unwan-
cut ecstatic movements and ec- i haqqiyat)150 . And [the salik] sees
static dances (wajd, tawajud) into (binand) everything as Haqq, and
halves by their index finger. What finds (yaband) everything as Haqq
is unveiled and witnessed (mak- as well.
shuf, mash-hud) to the others is On the other hand, these [Naqsh-
included within the ma sewa to bandi] masters are its polar op-
these masters. And what comes posite. By repeating the sacred
from knowledge (ma‘lum), and formula la ilaha illa llah, they in-
imagination (mutakhayyul) are fit tend to widen (wasa‘at) the cir-
to be negated to them. cle of negation, so that every-
The interactions of these masters thing that is witnessed, unveiled,
are beyond vision and cognition known, and imagined (mash-hud,
(did, danish), beyond what is makshuf, ma‘lum, mutakhayyul)
known or imagined (ma‘lum, — all those get included under the
mutakhayyul), beyond self- la. And nothing comes into no-
disclosures and manifestations, tice (malhuz) or comes into gaze
and beyond what is unveiled and (manzur) for affirmation.
viewed (mukashafat, mu‘ayinat). If in something gets manifested
on the side of affirmation once-in-
Purpose behind La ilaha illa a-while151 , then it should be re-
’llah turned for negation. Except for
pronouncing the kalima or word
Others, [i.e., non-Naqshbandi Allah, nothing should be there on
masters], take care to be on the the side of affirmation. There-
side of illa ’llah or affirmation fore, in the other tariqas, the zikr
(ithbat) while these [Naqshbandi] of negation-affirmation is appro-
masters aspire to negate the ma
149
sewa148 as the ghair or other than God
150
i.e., gets unveiled as the Haqq, before the
148
Ithbat is illa ’llah whereas nafi‘ is la ilaha cf. Naqshbandi salik
151
Aftabi interpretive translation for fardan cf. Aftabi
priate for the state of the begin- tariqa do not receive any part of
ners. And the zikr of Allah, which station of ithbat, affirmation and
is the kalima of sheer affirmation no ready cash comes to their lot
(ithbat-i mahd), is needed after save negation (nafiy). [How would
that152 . you answer him?]
[For the Naqshbandis], the pur- Answer: In their initial states
pose is to unveil the object of af- (awa’il-i hal), these [Naqshbandi]
firmation (mathbat-i makshuf )153 , masters experience that what is
via the repetition of the kalima. ithbat for the others155 . However,
And to establish and settle (ith- due to their high aspiration, the
bat, istiqrar) that object. [Naqshbandis] do not even notice
that [watered-down ithbat]. Even
On the other hand, the tariqa
that, they decide that that [non-
of these [Naqshbandi] masters
Naqshbandi watered-down ithbat
are their complete opposite as a
ithbat] deserves to be negated,
mirror-image (‘aks) is. First the
and so they negate that. Instead
[Naqshbandis] do ithbat. And sec-
they believe that what is being
ond they negate that ithbat. And
sought to be affirmed (matlub-
also get that ithbat well-settled (is-
i mathbat) [i.e., God] is beyond
tiqrar). Therefore, in this Naqsh-
that, even more beyond.
bandi tariqa, zikr of the name
of the person154 is appropriate Therefore, these [Naqshbandi
in the initial stage. And the masters] attain what others con-
zikr of negation-affirmation (nafiy- sider ithbat. Additionally, they
ithbat) forms its form after that. also attain the negation of the
ithbat, which is related (muna-
sib) to the station of greatness
Affirmation: ithbat (maqam-i kibriyaiy). No brainless
Question: An imperfect man man may understand the meaning
may comment that in that case, behind their activities. And none
the masters in this [Naqshbandi] who follows his base instincts (bu
’l-hawasiy) may receive awareness
152 of the reality of their interactions
The initial zikr in the Naqshbandi tariqa is the
zikr of Allah, Allah, Allah. Later, in the advanced (haqiqat-i mu‘amala).
levels, the zikr changes to la ilaha illa ’llah. Mu-
jaddid seems to be saying here that in the tariqas We have just discussed briefly
other than Naqshbandi, i.e., Qadri or Chishti, this on the non-attainment of these
sequence is reversed. Since I have no personal ex- [Naqshbandi] masters (‘adam-i
perience with the other tariqas, I can not comment
155
on it. i.e., for the other tariqas that are not Naqsh-
153
mathbat-i makshuf : lit., the object of affirma- bandi. And their non-Naqshbandi ithbat is a
tion that is unveiled, here that object refers to Allah watered-down version of what the Naqshbandis ex-
154
zikr of ism-i dhat, i.e., Allah Allah Allah perience
1.24. MAKTUB 2.23 59
husul-i iyn akabir), which is the Focus on the dhat

same as attainment (nafs-i husul)
The holy person (dhat) of God,
in that homestead (mawtin)156 . If
or even his names and attributes,
I open up my lips on what their
they lie beyond the boundaries
masters attain (husul-i akabir-i
of our comprehension or our mu-
iyshan), even the elect (khwas)
raqaba (hita’-i fikr va muraqaba-i
would be included within the com-
ma). Nothing save ignorance and
mon people (‘awam). And the en-
bewilderment (jahl, hairat) is at-
ders would be compelled to take
tained from that station.
the lessons of Aleph and Beh like
the beginners. However, that is not that, which
the others consider ignorance and
Yearning of Hafiz is not bewilderment. And that, which
baseless the others consider, is indeed
Has a rare story — blameworthy. On the other hand,
an amazing narra- the ignorance and bewilderment
tion of this homestead (mawtin) is
identical to sheer knowledge and
Fariyad-i Hafiz iyn peace (ma‘rifat, itminan). How-
hameh akhir beh ever, it’s not that knowledge and
harzeh nist peace which would man under-
Ham qissa’-i gharib va stands. That human knowledge or
hadith-i ‘ajib hast peace has indeed a sort of chun,
howness — that has not received
a part of the beyond-howness (biy-
Muraqaba
chuniy). There in that homestead
Muraqaba, meditation of the holy (mawtin), whatever we may es-
person (ta‘ala va taqaddasa) that tablish, it would be beyond-how
the others157 have chosen is value- (biy-chun). It’s interpretation is
less and vain (az hayyaz-i i‘tibar that — that could be called ei-
saqit) to the [Naqshbandis]. There ther ignorance (jahl) or knowl-
is nothing for the meditator (mu- edge (ma‘rifat). He won’t under-
raqqib) to attain from that type stand who hasn’t suffered (Man
of meditation save a shadow (zill) lam yazaq lam yadri).
among the shadows. Almighty
acts higher than this (Ta‘ala Zikr of attributes:
’llahu ‘amma yaf‘aluna ‘uluwwan
kabira)! Forbidden
156
i.e., the homestead of the non-Naqshbandis Even more, these masters focus on
157
i.e., saliks from tariqas other than Naqshbandi the one-in-numberness (ahadiyat)
tariqa of the dhat. From the divine
names and attributes (ism, sifat), Summary: Naqshbandi

they desire nothing but the dhat. tariqa is most high
And like the rest of the others,
they do not descend from the In summary, the focus of the mas-
dhat down to the sifat. Or turn ters of this most high tariqa is
their faces from the highest peak high. They keep no relation-
down to the base of the moun- ship with the frauds and dancers
tain (az dhuru beh hadid). It’s (zarraqiy, raqqasiy). Because of
amazing that a group from this this, the end of the others gave
tribe, having taken up the zikr been inserted into their beginning.
of the name Allah (ism-i Allah) And the beginner of this tariqa is
from them, don’t consider it suf- like the ender of the other tariqas.
ficient158 . And instead, they have From the beginning, their jour-
gone down to the sifat, attributes. neying (safr) takes place within
And along with it, focus (mala- their established homeland (watn-
haza) on attributive names such i muqarrar)161 . And their soli-
as sami‘, basir, ‘alim, i.e., hearer. tude takes place within the con-
seer, knower etc. Even more, gregation (khalwat dar anjuman).
while on the path of ascent (‘uruj), And their ever-continuing pres-
from sami‘, basir, ‘alim, they go ence (dawam-i hudur) is like their
towards the name Allah. Why cash-on-hand (naqd-i waqtishan).
don’t they consider the name Al- They are the ones who nurture
lah, which of the name of God’s the seekers (tarbiyat-i taliban)
body (tun-ha) sufficient? Why via their most high companion-
don’t they focus their attention ship (suhbat-i ‘aliya). And they
exclusively onto the sheerly one give perfection to the imperfect
(ahadiyat-i) dhat? The absolutely (takmil-i naqisan) via their no-
true message of the Quran (nass- ble face-turning (tawajjuh sharif).
i qat‘i) says, Is not Allah suffi- Their blessed gaze (nazr shan)
cient for his slave (A’laysa ’llahu heals the illness of the heart
bikafi ‘abdahu)? 159 Additionally, (shafiy-i amrad-i qalbiya), and
this verse also has the same mean- their good glance (tafatishan)
ing, Say Allah, and then for- takes away diseases of the inner
sake them (Qul Allahu, thumma realm (dafi‘i ‘ilal-i ma‘nuwiya).
dharhum) 160 . One noble face-turning from them
does the work of a hundred forty-
day retreats (arba‘in), and one no-
158
refers to Naqshbandis doing non-traditional ble glance (iltafat-i shan) is equal
practices like loud zikr, zikr of sifat, e,g,, Haqq,
Hayy etc,
to hard practices for many years
159
Quran.Zumar.36
160 161
Quran.An‘am.91 inner realm cf. Aftabi
1.24. MAKTUB 2.23 61
(barabar riyadat va mujahadat for that beginner of this tariqa

sanin). who goes to an imperfect (naqis)
shaykh. So for that beginner, how
Naqshbandis are amaz- can the end be even conceived?
ing captains of
the caravan Out from the pitcher
Via a secret path to the Comes out that same,
sanctuary they which was in it
lead the caravan
Az kuzeh berun
the ends. Naqshbandi Haman taravad keh dar
‘ajib qafila-i salar- uw-st
and
keh barand az rah-i Tariqa of companions
pinhan beharam
qafila ra resurrected
Note: Mujaddidi is the main flow
Quality of shaykh: of the Naqshbandi tariqa in which
the companionship of the rasul has
Critical
been resurrected. Here, the Mujad-
O trace of felicity! From this did is pointing out that his tariqa
classification, let none imagine is the most superior. Out of his
that every teacher and student of perfect adab, he is calling this
the most high Naqshbandi tariqa tariqa Naqshbandi, but adab re-
attains these qualities (awsaf, quires us to call it Mujaddidi or at
shama’il). Never! Instead, these least Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi to ac-
qualities are exclusive to the mas- centuate that it is to him that this
ters of the masters (akabir-i ak- tariqa owes its excellence.
abir) of this most high tariqa, O noble brother! The tariqa of
i.e., those masters who have taken these masters is the tariqa of the
their practice to the end of ends. noble companions. The insertion
However, the well-instructed of the end in the beginning in this
beginners (mubtadiyan-i rashid) tariqa, it is the trace (ta‘thir) of
who keeps the relationship of the insertion that took place in
discipleship (iradat) with these the companionship of the supreme
masters properly (dorost), and master. Because in the initial in-
observes the adab, they also at- stance of companionship with the
tain the insertion of the end in the rasul, such a thing was attained
beginning. On the other hand, that the others could not attain
insertion of the end in the begin- even in the end. This effusion
ning cannot even be conceived and blessing is that effusion and
blessing, which was manifested in Constriction (qabd) and expan-

the first era. Yes! Outwardly, sion (bast) are two wings to fly
the end is farther than the begin- on this path. So don’t get sad-
ning. On the other hand, truly, dened in constriction (dilgir) and
the end is nearer to the beginning don’t get joyous (khush-hal) in ex-
than the middle, and [that end] is pansion. Instead, harbor the hope
colored by the color of the begin- that you witness the beauty of the
ning. Middlers may not believe it! infinite (jamal-i la yajal) within
Let alone the middlers, I do not every atom.
know if most of the enders even
have reached its reality. O beloved! What worth is there in
what the slaves seek (arzu)? What
And peace be onto them who fol- he seeks is commensurate to his
low guidance, and cling to follow- little understanding (fahm). To
ing the Mustafa. (Wa ’l-salamu witness the infinite beauty in the
‘ala mani ’ttaba‘a ’l-huda, wa mirror of the atom is a sort of weak
’ltazama mutaba‘ata ’l-mustafa), sight. What power does an atom
‘Alaihi, wa ‘ala alihi ’l-salawatu, has that it would be the mirror
wa ’l-taslimatu ’l-‘uwla. of that [infinite] beauty? What
is witnessed in the mirror of the
atom is merely one single shadow
1.25 Maktub 2.24 (zill) out of the infinite shadows of
To Haji Muhammad Farakti the said beauty.
All praise is to Allah! Peace on his You may harbor the hope (arzu)
elect devotees (Alhamdu li-’llahi that he Almighty should be sought
wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi ’lladhina even beyond the beyond (wara’u
’stafa). ’l-wara). And he may be searched
outside the circle of the the out-
Rabita side and inside (afaq, anfus). The
nisbat that you presently have is
The letter that you have writ- beyond (fawqa) your hope.
ten with pure intention and af-
fection (kamal-i ikhlas, mu‘addat) Warning! Don’t make blind im-
gave me much happiness. Rabita itation (taqlid) of others. And
or tasawwur would always keep don’t lean (mil) towards earthly
you connected to your own pir, lowness (pastiy). And don’t hope
and would be the medium of re- (tamanna) to go down from the
flected effusions (wasta’-i fiyudh- highest peak (auj) to the bot-
i in‘akasiy). It’s a duty to ex- tom (hadid). The activities of
press gratefulness for this magnif- these masters are lofty! Indeed,
icent bliss (ni‘amat-i ‘uzma). Allah loves them who aspire high
1.26. MAKTUB 2.25 63
(Inna ’llaha yuhibbu ’l-ma‘liya ’l- may take note of the rules of the
himami) 162 . sharia, so that all those turn into
I seek from Allah (S) your zikr. Indeed, zikr means to leave
well-being both physical and out heedlessness (ghaflat). So
mental (Al-mas’ulu mina ’llahu when in all actions you would fol-
subhanahu jam‘iyyatukumu ’l- low the positive instructions and
suriyyatu wa ’l-ma‘nawiyyatu). prohibitions, then you would be-
Wa ’l-salam. come free of heedlessness towards
the giver of those positive instruc-
tions, and prohibitions. And you
1.26 Maktub 2.25 would experience ever-continuing
(dawam) zikr.
To Khwaja Muhammad Sharfud- This ever-continuing zikr is some-
din Hussain thing else than the yad dasht, i.e.
holding in remembrance, the prac-
tice of the Hazrat Khwajas (qad-
Sharia: It is all Zikr dasa ’llahu ta‘ala asrarhum). Be-
cause yad dasht is confined to the
All praise is to Allah! Peace on his inner realm (batin), but the said
elect devotees (Alhamdu li-’llahi zikr goes on even in the outer body
wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi ’lladhina (zahir). Indeed this zikr is hard.
’stafa). Beloved son! The no-
May Allah (S) grant us and you
ble letter, and the tributes (nadhr)
the opportunity to follow the
that you have sent via Mawlana
giver of the sharia (Wafaqana
‘Abdur Rashid, and Mawlana Jan
’llahu subhanahu, wa iyyakum,
Muhammad has arrived. May Al-
bimutaba‘ati sahibi ’l-shari‘ati),
lah (S) grant you the good com-
‘alaihi wa ‘al alihi ’l-salawatu, wa
pensation, in return (Jazakumu
’l-salamu, wa ’l-tahiyatu.
’llahu subhanahu khairan). I am
delighted to learn that you have
become well.
O son! This respite (fursat) should
be considered a spoil of war. And
wellness (sihat), and rest (faragh)
are also spoils of war. You should
spend all your time in zikr. All ac-
tions done according to the sharia
is zikr, even if it is buying or sell-
ing. Therefore, in all actions, you
162
hadith often quoted in the Maktubat
Chapter 2
Maktubs 2.26-2.50
2.1 Maktub 2.26 nat, mukhalifat) is estimated from

such behavior. Inna li-’llahi wa
To the asylum of gnosis (irfan inna ilaihi raji’un. The elder son
panah) Mirza Husamuddin of the master should have honored
Bismi ’llahi ’l-Rahman al-Rahim. the last testament (wasiyat) of his
All praise is to Allah, and peace be father. And the son should be em-
onto his elect devotees (Alhamdu barassed that he could not honor
li-’llahi wa ’l-salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi the two successful face-turnings
’lladhina ’stafa.) I’m became felic- that were given to his two sons in
itous perusing your blessed letter the presence of their father by his
that you had sent kindly via the instruction.1
carrier (qasid) of Kashmir. I am
very pleased as it contained good Mian Shaykh Elahdad, when he
news on the friends there. Jaza- claims to be obedient and loyal
kumu ’llahu khairan. to his own pir, then he should
not have dared to do such a deed.
Question: The elder son of the Instead, he should have taken
master, and Khwaja Jamaluddin note of the above-mentioned final
Hussain — they both are un- testament (wasiyat), and the re-
able to come to your service out sults that were attained before.
of the shame of taking bayat What you wrote, that may be
(talqin) from Mian Shaykh Elah- true. However, in the letter that
dad. Comment? older son sent with his younger,
there were signs of perfect humil-
Answer: Sir! So you are still say- ity (kamal-i tawadu‘) and exces-
ing such things even now — the
bad smell of taking sides (janib- 1
At Khwaja Baqi bi-’llah’s instruction, the Mu-
dari) comes out of this. And oth- jaddid gave face-turnings on the two infant sons of
erness and opposition (mubayyi- the Khwaja.
65
sive seeking and longing for God disavow the competition of tak-
(fart-i talab, shawq). The type ing sides and instead live together
of language that he used in that in harmony. How more would I
letter, it is impossible to write stress? Wa ’l-salam.
in such a language unless he was
seeking God insanely (biy-junun-i
talab). Possibly, after dispatching 2.2 Maktub 2.27
that letter, the state of his mind
changed. To Mawlana Muhammad Tahir
Badakshi
Dua: O our nurturer! Do not Note: Most of the maktub has been
make our hearts crooked after you left out as that is abtruse ideas of
have guided us. Give us mercy zilliyat— a theory that the Mujad-
from you. Verily, you grant pro- did repudiated later.
fusely without any return (Rab-
bana! La tuzigh qulubana ba‘da After hamd, salawat, tablighi ’l-
idh hadaytana. Wahablana min da‘awat!
ladunka rahmatan! Innaka anta ’l- Note: An abtruse theory of Ak-
wah-hab). barian science has been skipped.
Indeed, I am aware that the last
testament2 was not without wis- Tawhid: Newly-begun
dom (biy-hikmat). Its final result or ijma?
could have been good (mahmud).
However, I regret that the longing You have also written, Question:
(talab) that was seen in his letter, That what has been established
if it gets destroyed, and it gets re- by ijma may not be overturned by
placed by the opposite thing. It newly-begun ideas3 . Comment?
is indeed saddening to the friends Answer: I consider “hameh uwst,
and well-wishers. They really all is he” as a newly begun idea
should take countermeasures. Sir! (mubda‘ ). Instead hameh az uwst
If the job is done by taking lessons is the matter of ijma. Even that,
only (mujarrad-i talqin), then it I say that all the blaming (mala-
would be blessed (mubarak). But mat, shana‘at) that has been put
to me, teaching (talqin) of zikr onto the author of Fusus is due
is like the giving lessons of Aleph to this saying. Because he used
and Beh to children. By only this, to say hameh uwst. The knowl-
if the job is done, or even mastered edge that I have attained so far
(mawluwiyyat), then what is there and have written down is hameh
to worry about? Taking note of
3
your favors, I hope that all would i.e., The questioner is claiming that hameh
uwst is ijma, and the Mujaddid’s hameh az uwst is
2
of our shaykh Baqi bi-’llah a newly begun idea but the Mujaddid refutes him
2.3. MAKTUB 2.28 67
az uw-st 4 that follows the sharia, Watering the clay of

and intellect (‘aql). Additionally, Adam
it is approved by kashf and ilham.
Question: It narrated in the
Dua: Rabbana ’ghfirlana
Rashahat via Baba Abriz8 , On
dhunubana, wa israfana fi amrina,
the day of beginning of eternity
wa thabbat aqdamana, wa ’nsurna
(ajall), when Haqq swt was mak-
‘ala ’l-qawmi ’l-kafirina 5 Wa
ing the clay of Adam (gil-i adam),
’l-salam.
I was pouring water into that clay.
What does it mean?
2.3 Maktub 2.28 Answer: In the way that the an-
gels had a part (dakhl) in the act
To Mawlana Muhammad Sadiq of making the clay of Adam, in
Kashmiri that same way, his spirit (ruh) also
Let me begin with hamd, salawat, had a part in it. And the task of
tablighi ’l-da‘wat! Your blessed pouring in the water was put onto
letter arrived. I was delighted that that [spirit of Adam]. And [Adam]
it contained states that I liked. was made aware of it after he had
been created physically, instead
State of beyondness after he had attained perfection.
It is proper that Hazrat Haqq swt
Question: States of beyondness gives a spirit (arwah-i mujarrada)
(wara’iyat)6 has increased so much such power that working alone, it
that the attributes are getting can do the work of the body. The
predicated (haml-i sifat) onto him news that some masters gave on
only when imposed (bitakalluf). their own hard activities (af‘al-i
And I am finding him beyond ev- shaqqa) that had happened ages
erything (wara-i hameh).7 before they found physical exis-
Answer: Strive (sa‘iy) so that such tence, they are also this type [of
predication of attributes (haml-i activities]. Those activities were
sifat) does not take place [even] if done by their ruh alone. And after
you make efforts (bitakalluf). In- they attained their physical bod-
stead, you reach sheer bewilder- ies, they were given knowledge of
ment (hairat-i sirf). those [activities]. Such activities
4
cast some into the idea of reincar-
i.e., dualism
5 nation. No! Never! It is never
Q.Al-‘Imran.147
6
the state in which the salik feels, i.e., attains that that [ruh] attained a second
the hal that Allah is beyond, and even more be- body, instead it their ruh alone.
yond, and he is absolutely incomparable
7 8
i.e., after attributes, modes and crossing-overs Abriz as per Naushahi, Tabriz as per Aftabi
(sifat, shu’un, i‘tibarat c.f. Aftabi translation
By God-given powers, that [ruh and made me a pauper. How

alone] can activities like what the can it be true? When Hazrat
body does. And casts crooked- Rasul (SLM) has said that
hearted people into error. On this he is protecting one, and so
station, there are many matters to none has the power to put his
be discussed. And many astonish- hands into that one’s matter,
ing realities have been cast down. how would Hazrat Khwaja
In sha’a Allahu ta‘ala, it would be Ahrar (QS) intervene into it?
written down somewhere. Current
time is not cooperating. Answer: You may know
that my pir qibla9
Nizamuddin Khamush did not like narrations
like this. And he was
Question: It is written in the unsure of the snatching
Rashahat: away of the nisbat of
1. A. Khwaja ‘Alauddin Mawlana Nizamud-
snatching Khwaja ‘Alaud- din. He used to say
din (QS) was displeased that Mawlana ‘Abdur
on Mawlana Nizamud- Rahman Jami (QS)
din Khamush, and so the et. al. were murids of
Khwaja wanted to snatch Mawlana Sa‘aduddin
away the nisbat of the Kashgari (QS). And he
Mawlana. So Mawlana in turn was the murid of
Nizamuddin sought refuge of Mawlana Nizamuddin.
holy spirit of that master [i.e. Apart from them, he
the rasul](SLM). At that had many other murids.
time, instruction (khitab) None of them has nar-
reached Khwaja ‘Alauddin, rated such a narration.
Nizamuddin is my protected None, good of bad,
one, and so none has any have said such a thing
right to intervene in this on this matter. So
matter. from where, Mawlana
Fakhruddin ‘Ali has
2. B. Khwaja Ahrar snatch- written such a matter?
ing When the Mawlana grew If this news were true,
old, Hazrat Khwaja Ahrar there would have been
(qs) snatched (salb) away the clear narrations. If it
Mawlana’s nisbat, and at were so, there are mea-
that time, the Mawlana ex- sures to take up. When
claimed, Finding me old, the
9
Khwaja took away all I had, i.e., Khwaja Baqi bi-’llah (QS) IAM)
2.4. MAKTUB 2.29 69
it has not been clearly 2.4 Maktub 2.29

described, instead it is
a news from a single To Shaykh Abdul Haqq Muhad-
source, then certainly dith Dihlawi
there is unsureness on
its correctness. Note: Shaykh ‘Abdul-haqq
Muhaddith Dihlavi was a great
Even the other narra-
scholar of hadith.
tions of that book are
not so correct. Naqsh-
bandi masters hold Trials are blissful
those narrations with
All praise is to Allah! Peace
suspicion. He (S) is
onto his elect devotees ( Alhamdu
all-knowing (Wa huwa
li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi
sub-hanahu a‘lamu)!
’lladhina ’stafa). Honored sir!
Our Khwaja10 (quddisa
When problems come, although
sirruhu) has said that
it brings pain, still there is
making one pauper
the hope of many acts of grace
means taking away
(karamat-ha) from God in re-
(salb) one’s iman. May
turn. The greatest medium of
Allah save us from it
help (amti‘a) in this world is
(A‘adhana ’llahu sub-
worry or sadness (hazn). And the
hanahu minhu). This,
tastiest (gavartarin-i ni‘am) foods
i.e., the snatching away
on this tablecloth (ma’ida) are
of the iman is a serious
pain (alam) and problems (musi-
matter.
bat), which are like sugar cubes
soaked with herbs and made bitter
(talkh) by medicine (daru). For
the sake of testing, God has em-
Dua: O our nurturer! Do not ployed such tricks (hila) as trials
make our hearts crooked after you (ibtila). Felicitous ones focus on
have guided us. Give us mercy the sweetness (halawat), and bite
from you. Verily, you grant pro- away those bitter things as sweets.
fusely without any return. (Rab- Opposite to the jaundiced people
bana! La tuzigh qulubana ba‘da (safra’iyan), they find bitterness
idh hadaytana. Wahablana min as sweetness. Why would they
ladunka rahmatan! Innaka anta ’l- not find it sweet? For all the acts
wah-hab!) of the beloved are sweet. A sick
man who is captivated by the ma
sewa, it is only he who finds it bit-
10
Khwaja Baqi bi-’llah ter. The felicitous ones—they find
such a high measure of sweetness and keep you sustaining (Sal-

(halawat) and pleasure (ladhdhat) lamukumu ’llahu subhanahu wa
when their beloved gives pain (iy- abqakum). Wa ’l-salam).
lam), they never can find that
[high a measure of pleasure] within
his bliss-giving (in‘am). Yes! Pain 2.5 Maktub 2.30
and pleasure, they both come from
the beloved. However, the nafs of To Khwaja Muhammad Ashraf,
the lover has no share in the pain Haji Muhammad Farakti
but indeed he has a share in the
bliss (ni‘amat).
Rabita and Tasawwur
Pleasantly, to the lords
of bliss Note: Rabita is the ethereal in-
All is blissful terconnection between the pir and
the disciple, whereas tasawwur13
Hani’an li-arbabi ’l- is the practice of visualizing the
na‘imi pir. Yes! That is indeed the tech-
na‘imuha nical difference, even though these
two terms are used as synonyms
sometimes. In the Pure Mujaddidi
Dua for Shaykh tariqa, primary method of form-
Abdul-haq ing a rabita is interacting with the
pir, e.g. attending meetings with
O Allah! Do not forbid us from him, listening to his lectures, read-
their wages11 . And do not put us ing books that he wrote etc., i.e.
into danger after them12 . [Shaykh suhbat. Tasawwur is there also as
Abdul-haq]! Your blessed exis- one of the many methods.
tence in this time when Islam has
become so foreign — it is a spoil
All praise is to Allah, and peace be
of war to the people of Islam.
onto his elect devotees (Alhamdu
(Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahum,
li-’llahi wa ’l-salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi
wa la taftinna ba‘dahum. Wujud-
’lladhina ’stafa.)
i sharif-i iyshan, dar iyn ghurbat-i
islam, ahl-i islam ra mughtanam Honorable brothers! The pre-
ast). Allah (S) give you peace, cious letter that you have sent
me has been received. I have
11
i,e, the flow of knowledge in this world, and
13
the return for their good deeds in upholding the conversation with Sufi master Muhammad
religion in the last world that Shaykh Abdul-haq Mamunur Rashid in his khanqa in Bhuigar circa
and other great ulama are earning by serving Islam 2000 CE, also he has such a video lecture in the
12
as the result of taking them away Youtube
2.5. MAKTUB 2.30 71
come to know how your states (qism) of felicity15 . In which, at

are (kaifiyat-i ahwal). Khwaja all states, they always consider
Muhammad Ashraf! On the pre- their focus (sahib) of rabita as
domination (zosh) of the trans- their own intermediary (mutawas-
mission (nisbat) of rabita, you sit) and keep their faces turned
have written that it has become so onto him at all moments. They
strong that it overwhelms (istila) are totally unlike those luckless
[everything], even God (khoda). ones who think that they do not
And it overwhelms so powerfully need (mustaghni) their own pir,
that in salat, when you make pros- turn their faces away from him,
tration, you are finding it there14 . and instead interact with others16 .
Or even see that [image]. Even
if you try to negate that [image], Secondly, you have written about
that does not get negated. the death of the mother of your
children. Inna li-’llahi wa inna
And this felicity that is such a ilaihi raji‘un. We have recited
[high] degree of love (mahabbat-i fatiha for her. While reciting it,
atwar-i iyn dawlat), this is what I felt that it was accepted.
the seekers should desire. Maybe
one person among a thousand at-
tains that felicity. Possessor of
Sharia and shaykh
such an interaction has the re-
ceptivity (musta‘id) to attain a Mawlana Haji Muhammad Azhar
complete interconnection (tamm told me that for two months,
al-munasabat) with the standing he has been experiencing distur-
shaykh. [And as a result of that bances (futuri) in his concentra-
interconnection], he succeeds in tion (mashguliy). The taste and
attracting all the perfections of sweetness (dhawq, halawat) that
the standing shaykh within a short was there before is no longer
time. present.
Why do you negate rabita? Yes,
Beloved! Unless there is lack (fu-
that [image of the pir] is the ob-
turi) in any of these two matters,
ject towards which one does pros-
there is nothing to worry about.
tration, but that is not what one
They are:
prostrates to. If it were so, why
are not the imam-niches (mihrab)
of the mosques negated? 1. Following of the master of the
sharia, the prophet (salam)
Only the felicitous (sa‘adatmand)
ones may manifest such a type 15
of deep rabita
14 16
i.e., that mental image of the pir there in the i.e., focus their attention onto other pirs hop-
place of prostration ing to receive fayz from them
2. Love and a sincere attitude Religious advice

(mahabbat, ikhlas) towards
All praise is to Allah! Peace on his
one’s own shaykh
elect devotees ( Alhamdu li-’llahi
wa ’l-salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi ’llad-
If these two are present properly
hina ’stafa.)
then even if hundreds of thou-
sands of darkness and muddiness Dear son, consider the respite17 a
(zulmat, kudurat) are thrown in spoil of war (mughtanam). You
the inner realm, still then there is should not spend it in meaningless
nothing to worry about. Because pursuits, instead spend it in a way
he would not be destroyed as the that pleases the Haqq. You should
final result. pray the five times salats in a med-
itative state (jam‘iyat), and in
On the other hand, God forbid congregation (jama‘at), properly
(‘Iyadhan ba-’llahu subhanahu), if performing all its pillars (ta‘dil-i
there is any lack (noqsan) in either arkan).
one of these two, then it would be
the worst of the bad things. That You should not let the night vigil
would still be [a bad thing] even if (tahajjud ) prayer slip away from
he finds presence and meditative- your hands18 . Do not give up [the
state (hudur, jam‘iyat), for that practice of] praying for forgive-
would be deceptive progress (is- ness (istighfar ) in the last hours
tidraj) — their final result would of night, without a good reason.
be badness. You may beg Hazrat Do not dream away [your life] like
Haqq (SWT) solicitously, so that a rabbit. 19 .
he grants you those two things, Do not immerse yourself in fun
and keeps you firm on them. Be- and frolic. Instead, keep the re-
cause those two things are the membrance of death, and the sight
foundation of all good deeds (mi- of the last world before your eyes.
laku ’l-amri), and the mother of Shun this world, and instead face
salvation (madaru ’l-najati). the last world. Only when there
17
Salam to you, and all the other that you have been given by God, i.e. your
brothers, especially my old friend lifetime, as a priceless opportunity as if
18
The general rule in all tariqas that all tariqa-
Mawlana Abdul Ghafur Samar- followers must take permission from their murshids
qandi. to do any nafl salat including tahajjud. But in
Naqshbandi tariqa, it is spiritually harmful for a
disciple to pray tahajjud without his competent
shaykh’s ijazat, permission. c.f. maktub 2.57
2.6 Maktub 2.31 19
The rabbit sleeps with its eyes open. All what
happens then is a dream to him, although it did
To Khwaja Sharfuddin Hussain happen. Instead, be constantly aware that you’d
die one day, and face God, and prepare for it
2.7. MAKTUB 2.32 73
is a dire need, engage with this side commotion (tashattut-i za-

world. Spend the rest of your hir) does greatly disturb (ta’thir-i
time on the matters of the last ‘azim) what goes on in the inner
world. In short, make your heart realm (tasarruf-i batin). When
free of all captivation of things you are sensing darkness within
that are other [than God], and your inner realm, try to miti-
keep your outer body shining (mu- gate the damage via repentance
tajalli ) through [its observance of] and the seeking of forgiveness
the rules of the sharia. This is the (tawba, istighfar). And when
work, all else is a trap ( Kar-i iyn a terrible form (surat-i ha’ilah)
ast, va ghair iyn hameh hech). Ev- is manifested, try to cast it out
erything else is fine, and peace. via the holy formula (kalima-i
tamjid), La hawla wa la quwwata
illa bi-’llahi ’l-‘aliyyu ’k-‘azim.
2.7 Maktub 2.32 For that time, repetition of the
mu‘audhutain, two refuge-seeking
To Mirza Qalijullah suras20 is enough.
The rest of the matters deserve
praising. Li-’llahi subhanahu ’l-
When the inner realm hamdu wa ’l-minnatu da’imaw wa
gets disturbed ‘ala kulli hali. Wa a‘udhu bi-’llahi
subhanahu min hali ahli ’l-nar.
After hamd, salawat, tablighi ’l-
da‘awat! Your consoling letter ar- These days I am physically weak,
rived. Inna li-llahi wa inna ilaihi and so I could not write in de-
raji‘un. By help from Allah, we tail. May Hazrat Haqq swt grant
are also well-pleased at his settle- us and you firm standings on the
ment (qada). I hope you would wide boulevard of the Mustafan
be well-pleased as well. And via sharia (Hazrat-i Haqq swt ma va
dua and reciting fatiha, assist [the shoma ra bar jaddeh-i shari‘at-
dead] . i mustfawiyyati ), ‘ala sahib-ha
al-salawatu wa ’l-salamu wa ’l-
Second, I am delighted to hear tahiyyatu, (istiqamat karamat far-
about your release from prison. mayad ), Wa ’l-salam.
Of the two painful matter, one
has been mitigated. Li-’llahi sub-
hanahu ’l-hamduw wa ’l-minnatu 2.8 Maktub 2.33
‘ala dhalik.
To Mawlana Muhammad Salih
You have complained on the
Kulabiy
meditative-state (jam‘iyat) of the
20
batin, inner realm. Yes! Out- Sura Falaq, and Nas
Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala tred (karahat) towards the act

‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa! of the beloved goes away from
the sight of the lover. And the
lover receives the love of the per-
son (mahabbat-i dhati) — a love
Love of God that is specific to the lover of the
Beloved is always loved nurturer of the cosmos (makhsus
by the lover beh habib-i rabb al-‘alamin), and
is free from all relationships and
Brother Muhammad Salih! You crossing-overs (nisbat, i‘tibarat).
may know that that the beloved At that time, that lover finds more
is beloved in every moment and pleasure and joy (iltidhadh, farah)
state in the gaze (nazr) of the when God gives him pain (iy-
lover, instead in reality. Even lam) than when he gives him bliss
when he gives pain (iylam) he is (in‘am).
still the beloved, and when he
gives bliss (in‘am) he is still the I surmise that this station is
beloved. For most of the friends above the station of good-pleasure
of Allah who have been ennobled (rida). Because on the station of
by the felicity of love (bedawlat- good-pleasure, merely the hatred
i mahabbat musharraf), that love towards the act of the beloved,
increases more when they expe- when he gives pain (karahat-i
rience pain than when they ex- fa‘al-i iylam-i mahbub), goes away
perience bliss. Or that love is whereas here he additionally re-
equal in both instances. On the ceives pleasure (ladhdhat). And
other hand, for a select few (dar the more and higher he finds pain
nazr-i aqall), the interaction is the from the beloved, the more peace
other way around. I.e., those and pleasure (farah, surur) that
walis attain more love when God the lover finds. Vive la difference
gives them pain than when he between these two.
gives them bliss. A good faith to- When, the beloved, in the gaze of
wards the Beloved alludes towards the lover, instead within the nafs
this high felicity. Even that, if [of the lover] (dar nazr-i muhibb
the beloved puts a knife onto the bilkeh dar nafs-am), in every mo-
throat of the lover, and cuts off all ment and every state (hameh
his limbs, the lover still conceives waqt, hal), is the beloved, as the
(tasawwur) that it is idetical to his result, necessarily, the beloved,
own rectification and wholesome- in all moments and in all states
ness (salah). (hameh waqt, hal), in mystic vi-
When such a measure of good sion and in the nafs [of the lover]
faith (husn-i zann) is realized, ha- (dar waqi‘a va nafs-am), would be
2.8. MAKTUB 2.33 75
deserving of praise and actually On the other hand, within [the

praised (mahmud, mamduh). act of] praising (dar hamd), the
focus is onto the handsomeness
Therefore, both when the beloved and beauty of the praised thing
gives pain and when he gives (husn, jamal-i mahmud). And
pleasure, the lover finds him that beauty may be related to
worthy of praise(madih) and the person, attributes, or acts
sings praise-songs extolling the (dhatiyan, wasfiyan, fi‘liyan) [of
[beloved] (thanakhan-i uw). It is the praised thing]. Or that beauty
for this reason that the true lover may be related to God’s bliss-
(al-muhibbu ’l-sadiqi) may be giving (in‘aman) or pain-giving
called the truthful (sadiq) and the (iylaman). Because his pain-
truth-realized one (masduq)21,22 . giving (iylaman), like his bliss-
Allah should be glorified at all sit- giving (in‘aman), is handsome
uations (Alhamdu li-’llahi rabbi ’l- (hasan).
‘alamina ‘ala kullu halin). That Therefore (Fa), it is within the
lover is included among the prais- praise-song (thana) (fi ’l-thana’iy)
ers of the exalted lord (Wa that praising (yakunu ’l-hamdu)
yasiru hadha ’l-muhibbu mina ’l-
hamidina lahu subhanahu). I 1. gets grown more (ablagha)
surmise that praising is superior 2. gets brought together more
to gratefulness (maziyat-i hamd with respect to the degrees
az shukr) is because the bliss- of handsomeness and beauty
giving by the bliss-giver is ob- (ajma‘a li-’l-maratibi ’l-husni
served in gratefulness (dar shukr wa ’l-jamali), and
in‘am-i mun‘im malhuz ast). And
that [focusing onto bliss] is a qual- 3. abides in both the states
ity (sift), instead an action (fa‘al). of peace and enmity (abqa
fi ’l-halati ’l-sara’iy wa ’l-
21
because when the true lover expresses pleasure darraiy).
at bad things happening to him, he is not faking it,
instead he is actually experiencing pleasure. As a On the other hand, gratefulness
real life example, I read in the biography of the is the opposite of that [prais-
late sufi saint of Bangladesh Khwaja Baba Enayet-
puri Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi that he never prayed
ing]. Because even when that
for his children. Once his child was very sick and [praising] is defective (fa-innahu
he was asked to pray for the child by his devotee, ma‘a qusurihi), still that [prais-
and he answered that for his objects of his deepest ing] sets down fast (sari‘u ’l-
affection, e.g., his children, he would prefer that his zawali). Instead, that [praising]
beloved does whatever his beloved wills instead of
he praying otherwise and trying to impose his own is on the path of destruction (wa
will on his beloved, i.e., God ‘ala sharafi ’l-halaki). Because as
22
Saifuddin, p. 124 soon as prize-giving sets down and
beneficence gets killed, that [prais- is nothing but the way of look-
ing] also sets down (bi-zawali ’l- ing23 (qat‘i nazr) in observing
in‘ami wa halaki ’l-ihsani). the modes and crossing-overs (az
mulahaza-i shu’un, i‘tibarat). On
the other hand, this station is its
Hubb, Mahabbat, Rida:
opposite. It is devoid (mu‘arra) of
Ranks
all nisbats and “channels of com-
Hubb, mahabbat: Mujaddid is munication” (idafat)24 as it has
differentiating between these two been described previously.
terms. And I need further research What I have included in several
to understand what he means ex- maktubs is that above the station
actly and decide on an accuarate of good-pleasure (maqam-i ridha),
translation. So I am leaving them there is no room for anyone except
in the transliterated form for now the seal of the rasuls (slm), to step
Question: You have written pre- on. I guess that it is a description
viously in several maktubs that of this station, which is exclusive
the station of good-pleasure (rida) (makhsus) for the seal of the rasuls
is above the station of mahabbat (SLM). Allah teaches the realities
and the station of hubb. On the of the matters, all of them.25
other hand, now you are writing
that this current station of mahab- Hatred in the zahir and
bat is above the station of good-
pleasure (rida). How to rational-
good pleasure in the
ize these? batin
Answer: These [two newer sta- You should know that zahir be-
tions, i.e., the] station of ma- ing hateful does not contradict
habbat and station of hubb, are batin being well-pleased (karahat-
beyond (wara) those two previ- i zahir munafiy-i rida-i batin
ous stations of mahabbat and nist). And apparent bitter-
hubb. Because those [two older] ness (mararat-i surat) does not
stations are composed of nis- negate true sweetness (halawat-
bats and crossing-overs (mush- i haqiqat). Because the za-
tamil bar nisba wa i‘tibarat). 23
cf. Aftabi translation
And they are in both undiffer- 24
that’s how Aftabi translates idafat interpre-
entiated and differentiated man- tively
25
ners (ijmalan, tafsilan). And i.e. Mujaddid meant that none may step above
it is such even if that mahab- thet supreme level but the seal of the rasuls (slm).
However, there can be several sublevels within that
bat is called mahabbat-i dhati, supreme level. And others may climb from a lower
and that hubb is conceived as sublevel within that supreme level to a higher sub-
hubb-i dhati. Because there it level.
2.9. MAKTUB 2.34 77
hir and the outer form, surat And they earn deprivation (hir-
of the perfect knower (zahir va man kasb miynamayand).
surat-i ‘arif-i kamil) have been
Peace to him who walks onto the
derived from human attributes
path of guidance and firmly fol-
(sifat-i bashariyat). And those
lows the Mustafa (Wa ’l-salamu
two [forms] are kept in that way
‘ala mani ’ttaba’a ’l-huda, wa
so that that that26
’ltazama mutaba‘ata ’l-mustafa).
1. becomes the dome that cov-
ers his perfections (qibab-i
kamalat), 2.9 Maktub 2.34
2. creates a situation for his To Nur Muhammad Tihari
testing (ibtila) and
3. keeps truth commingled with
falsehood27 (muhiq ba mubtil
mumtazaj). God: Neither Inside
Nor Outside the World
Perfect knower: Zahir vesus All praise is to Allah! Peace
batin The analogy that the za- onto his elect devotees (Alhamdu
hir of that perfect knower has with li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi
his batin — it is the same analogy ’lladhina ’stafa). You letter has
that clothes have with the man reached me. What you have writ-
who wears those clothes. They28 ten on attaining states profusely
estimate this outer form of the has come to light. You may know
gnostic (iyn surat-i ‘arif) as hard that in the way that Hazrat Haqq
(biy-basran) as the mountain (biy- swt is not inside (dakhil) the cos-
basran dar rang-i koh), and equate mos (‘alam), in the same way, he
it with their clothes (jamah). And is not outside (kharij) the cos-
they imagine (khiyal) that [outer mos either. In the way he is dis-
form] to be like their own essence- joint (munfasil) from the cosmos,
less outer forms (mithl-i suwwar- in that same way, he is not joint
i biy-haqa’iq-i khod). There- (muttasil) with the cosmos.
fore, necessarily, they come onto
the station of denial (inkar)29 . God swt indeed has30 but the
26
attributes of entrance, exit, dis-
i.e., that humanness of the zahir and surat junction and conjunction (dukhul,
27
a commingling that is needed for the testing
that takes place in this world khuruj, infisal, ittisal) have been
28
i.e., the people lacking insight snatched away (maslub) from him.
29
i.e., they deny that sainthood of the perfect So God swt has to be sought as
gnostic as the result of putting down that outer
30
form of the gnostic cf. Aftabi many attributes
empty (khali) of these four at- salawat, tablighi ’l-da‘wat), you

tributes. And it is outside (berun) may know that your blessed letter
these four attributes that God’s has arrived. And I am delighted
receipt (yaft) should be found to read it.
(bayad yaft).
Even if only a little bit of the
color (rangiy) of these attributes
is commingled (mumtazij) [with Naqshbandi presence
that God], then that [God] should
be conceived as a thing captivated You have written that you have at-
by the shadows and the analo- tained the nisbat of the presence,
gies (gereftariy-i zilal, mithal). In- and that [nisbat] has grown over-
stead, God may be sought as be- powering (shumul-i nisbat-i hudur
yond any analogy (bimithl) that is va istila-i an indiraj yafteh bud)
free of any dust particle of reflec- — it is very good and blessed
tion (gardiy az zilliyat). And an (nik va mubarak ast). This fe-
unqualified conjunction (ittisal- licity that you have received in
i biychuniy) with that degree mere three months, if in other sil-
should be set up (ban martaba silas that is attained in ten years,
paida bayad kard). they count it as a magnificent bliss
This felicity is the fruit of (ni‘amat-i ‘uzma). And conceive
the companionship (natija-i suh- it as a magnanimous matter (amr-
bat)31 . This may not be explained i ‘azim). You may be grateful for
via speech or writing. If it is writ- this bliss.
ten down, who would realize it?
Or who would receive it? Remain I know that by your innate nature
diligent in your work. Keep on (fitrat) your focus is high. And
wrtiting on your states, until we even when you would be praised
meet. Wa ’l-salam. for this possessing such a state32 ,
your heart would still remain free
of even a taint of pride — that
2.10 Maktub 2.35 is why I am revealing this bliss.
To Khwaja Muhammad ‘Abdul- If you are grateful, I would in-
lah, son of his pir crease it for you (La’in shakartum
Bismi ’llahi ’l-Rahman al-Rahim. la’azidatakum) 33 .
After praise to God, giving bene-
diction to the blessed prophet
32
and conveying invitation (hamd, i.e., possessing such an exalted state as the
Naqshbandi presence
31 33
of the kamil-i mukammil pir cf. Amritsari Q
2.10. MAKTUB 2.35 79
Disciple experiences rooted completely (raf‘-i shuhud-

Tawhid i kathrat bilkul) due to the over-
powering witnessing of one single
You have written that the begin- thing (bewasteh-i istila-i shuhud-
ning stages (peshgah) of tawhid i wahid). This is still called an-
has appeared. This felicity is nihilation because the manyness
also blessed (mubarak). Accept of contingent things is not wit-
that state with adab. When this nessed (‘adam-i shuhud-i kathrat-i
state34 is predominant (ghalba), mumkinat)36 .
keep a keen focus onto the adab
of the sharia and pious activities
(nik mura‘at). And be diligent Reality of fana
in observing the duties of slave- On the other hand, the reality
hood (huquq-i bandegi) properly of fana is attained at that time
. You may know that if this when for that lover, the many-
game of magic (iyn sha‘bdeh) is ness of the names, attributes,
true and correct.35 , then it hap- modes and crossing-overs (asma,
pens due to the overpowering love sifat, shu’un, i‘tibarat) totally
for the beloved (bewasteh-i istila’- go away from the sight (nazar).
i mahabbat-i mahbub) Because And nothing but the absolutely
whatever that the said lover sees one disengaged person (ahadiyat-
and knows (biynad, danad) is the i dhat-i mujarrad) (swt) comes
beloved. Except that beloved, he into notice or consideration (mal-
does not see anything, or know huz, manzur). The reality of
anything. And from whatever the completion (tamam) of the
source he attains pleasure or tast- sayr ila ’llah becomes resplendant
ing (ladhdhat, dhauq), he relates (jalwah) here. And the release
that [source] to his own beloved. from the captivation to the shad-
In such a situation, that lover in- ows (khalasiy az gereftariy-i zilal)
deed witnesses manyness (mash- forms its form on this station in a
hud-i muhibb kathrat ast) but complete (bilkul) manner.
as one single thing (be-‘unwan- And at this time, a channel of
i wahdat). Therefore, annihila- communication37 with the pro-
tion fails to realize in that home- totype of the prototypes (asl-i
land. Because within annihila- usul) is established for the lover.
tion, witnessing of manyness is up-
36
because although that manyness goes away in
34
of tawhid some measure but still that manyness is not up-
35
i.e., if this vision of tawhid is a true vision. rooted completely and a little bit of that manyness
Because it could be also be a fake vision that is remains cf. Aftabi
37
engineered via excessive chanting, and imposition channel of communication is the interpretive
of vision of tawhid forcefully onto oneself translation for mu‘amala here cf. Aftabi
And from being the person who high innate nature (buland fitrat).
points at (dal), [the lover] ar- The question 1 is on the descrip-
rives on the station of the per- tion of elect types of ‘ainu ’l-yaqin
son being pointed at (madlul). and it has been answered already.
And he ascends (‘uruj) from know-
ing (‘ilm) to direct realization
(‘ain), and from ears (gush) to Ta’wil of mutashabihat
the lap (ghush). Then naked ar- verses
rival (wasl-i ‘uryan) happens for
The answer to question 2 is even
him. This keeps happening like
finer (daqiqtar) than the answer
this and like this, and still like this
to question 1, and it is more hid-
and like this (wa kadha).38 . There
den (pushidehtar). It deserves to
is no room for saying anything
be kept concealed (istitar) instead
but via hint and allusion (ramz,
of being manifested (zuhur). And
isharat)39 .
disclosure of the knowledge of the
mystical interpretation of the al-
‘Ainu ’l-yaqin legorical verses (Wa izhar-i ‘ilm-
i ta’wil-i mutashabihat) is allu-
Son of my master
sion towards the interactions (ki-
(makhdumzadeh)! You have
nayat az mu‘amalat)40 that is ex-
asked me for a clarification on
clusive to the prophets (AS) — the
that ‘ainu ’l-yaqin. Do you think
prophets communicate that way
that ‘ain is able to enter within
with God.
knowledge (‘ilm)? It is problem-
atic. In order to make you aware, Maybe only a few people among
what do I do? And what do I say? the ummats have attained a por-
And what measure do I take? I tion of that knowledge as follow-
fail to understand. However, if, ers and heirs (tab‘iyat, warathat)
by your grace, you pardon me of the prophets (AS). And in this
, and instead of seeking knowl- world the face-veil has been taken
edge (talab-i ‘ilm), seek state off from their beautiful faces.
(talab-i hal), only then I may find However, I hope that it the later
resolution to that problem. times a large number of ummats
Sir! The two questions you have would be ennobled by that felic-
asked, they show hints of your ity as followers of the prophets
(AS)41 .
38
In this way, from farness to nearness, and from
40
nearness to nearerness, and on towards union in Here mu‘amalat refers the hidden communica-
a manner that is beyond idea and imagination cf. tions that the prophets have with Allah, cf. Aftabi
41
Aftabi Alludes towards 1. the Mujaddidi belief that
39
And even that very briefly and indirectly cf. the Mujaddid and his elect followers are the highest
Aftabi walis after the companions 2. the hadith: Ulama of
2.11. MAKTUB 2.36 81
I am only realizing that in this 2.11 Maktub 2.36

world, several more people, apart
from those few people, may be Note: Most of the maktub dis-
ennobled by this felicity but cusses the virtues of the compan-
still they would not be given ions and counters the Shia calum-
the knowledge of the reality of niation. And the last part dis-
this interaction (‘ilm behaqiqat- cusses the virtue of the ahl-i bait,
i mu‘amala)42 . And its hidden but they being skipped. Only a
meaning (ta’wil) would not be un- few interesting portions are being
veiled onto them. translated here.
In summary, those other peo- Bismi ’llahi ’l-Rahman al-Rahim.

ple would attain the ta’wil of After praising God, offering bene-
those mutashabihat verses but dictions to the prophet, convey-
they would not know what they ing the invitation hamd, salawat,
have attained (nadanad keh cheh tablighi ’l-dawati), you may know
hasil darad). Because the mu- that the love of the dervishes, ra-
tashabihat verses are [merely] the bita and friendship (ulfat) with
allusions towards the interactions them, the ardent desire to hear
(kinayat az mu‘amalat)43 . There- the sayings (raghbat-i istima‘) of
fore, it may be that such inter- this exalted tribe, and inclining to-
actions indeed happen with them wards the way of behavior of this
but the knowledge of such inter- exalted grade (mil beh awda‘ wa
actions are not in their lot. I have atwar-i iyn tabaqa-i ‘aliya) — it
witnessed such interactions indeed is a magnanimous bliss from God
with respect to one person related (ajall-i ni‘am-i khodawandi).
to me, what would I say about
the others? This question by you Is Shiism love of people
has made me hopeful of this mat- of the household?
ter. Dua: Rabbana! Atmim lana
nurana waghfir lana, innaka ‘ala Note: Many people mistakenly
kulli shay’in qadir 44 . Wa ’l-salam. think that the difference between
the Sunni and Shia is that that the
my ummat are like the prophets of the tribe of Israel Shias love the ahl-i bait, whereas
which again alludes that the most eminent ulama, the Sunnis don’t. This excerpt
e.g., the Mujaddid and the preeminent saints of his
from the maktub clarifies this is-
lineage, they are virtually as highly-ranked as the
lesser nabis sue.
42
i.e., this elect knowledge Many ignoramuses don’t consider
43
here the term mu‘amalat, interactions refers to
the hidden communication that the prophets had the mainstream Sunni congrega-
with Allah cf. Aftabi tion as lovers of Hazrat ‘Ali (raj),
44
Q.Tahrim.8 instead they hold that it is only
the Shias who love him. Love of that love to only a few of the ahl-
Hazrat ‘Ali (raj) is not Shiism, in- i bait and hold enmity with the
stead rejecting the three caliphs rest, but instead would honor all
is Shiism. Indeed, opposing the the companions47 , and hold that
three caliphs is disliked and cul- the problems, fights etc. that took
pable (madhmum, malam). As place within them took place in
Imam Shafi‘i said, good faith, then they would still
be within the ahl-i sunnat, instead
If Shiism were the love of being either Shia or Khariji. In
of the progeny of summary, Kharijism is the lack of
Muhammad love for the ahl-i bait, whereas Shi-
Let the world be my wit- ism is opposing the companions.
ness, “I’m a Shia” On the other hand, Sunnism is
love of the ahl-i bait, and along
Law kana rafdan hubbu with it, honoring the companions
ali muhammadin — both at the same time.
Fa-yash-hadi ’l-thaqalani A just and wise man (‘aqil-i mun-
anni rafidiy sif) would never prefer opposing
the companions over loving them.
Many people believe that the love And instead would love them as
of the progeny (al) of Muham- the rasul loved them. As the ra-
mad is Shiism. If one calls it Shi- sul said, Whomever loves them,
ism, it is not the above-mentioned he loves them due to his love
Shiism45 . And that [metaphorical for me, and whomever holds en-
form of Shiism] is not at all blame- mity with them, he holds enmity
worthy. Instead, Shiism is blame- with them due to his enmity with
worthy because it blames the rest me (Man ahabbahum fa-bihubbiy
of the companions, not because of ahabbahum, wa man abghadahum
its love46 . Therefore, the lovers of fa-bibughdiy abghadahum) 48 . Let’s
the ahl-i bait of the rasul of Allah come to the crux of the matter
(salam) are the ahl-i sunna. Truly and ask that when the ahl-i sunna
they are the troops (guroh) of the holds that love to be a part of their
ahl-i bait. faith, how can one imagine that
they do not love the ahl-i bait? In-
Shias claim themselves to be the
stead, they believe that this love
lovers and the troops of the ahl-
is part of the faith (iman) and fi-
i bait. If they would not limit
47
In the end of this maktub, the Mujaddid clar-
45
i.e., it is not a blameworthy form of Shiism. ifies that the ahl-i bait includes all the wives of the
Instead it is only a metaphorical form of Shiism rasul including Hazrat ‘A’isha, and the other pious
46
i.e., its love of the progeny of Muhammad wives of the rasul (slm), and several more
48
(SLM) hadith
2.11. MAKTUB 2.36 83
nal peacefulness (salamatiy-i kha- And blamed them as kharijis.

tima)49 depends on the firmness of
Those [Shias] are not aware that
that love.
there is a middleline (hadd) in-
My father was a scholar of man- between excess (ifrat) and deficit
ifest and non-manifest (zahir, (tafrit). That [middleline] is the
batin) knowledge, he frequently center of reality (markaz-i haqq)
used to exhort towards the love and homestead of truth (mawtin-i
of ahl-i bait. And he used to sidq). And that [middleline] is the
say that this love has a great lot of the ahl-i sunna. I proclaim
right (madkhaliyatiy-i ‘azim) in my gratitude to Allah for keep-
the salamatiy-i khatima, so one ing me with them (Shakara ’llahu
should nurture that love carefully. ta‘ala sa‘yahum).
I was present during his passing
Indeed, it is this ahl-i sunna that
away, and when the final moment
killed the kharijis and uprooted
arrived, and his worldly sensa-
the enemies of the ahl-i bait. At
tion was going away, I reminded
that time, there was not even a
him that saying of his, and asked
name or sign of the Shia. Even
him about that love. Even in
if it were, it was near nil. So,
that ‘time when one forgets one-
in their corrupt (fasid) concep-
self’ (biy-khudiy), he said, I’m
tion, they held the lovers of ahl-i
drowned in the love of the ahl-
bait to be the Shia and as a re-
i bait (Ghariq-i mahabbat-i ahl-i
sult, they called the ahl-i sunna
bait-am). So I expressed gratitude
wa ’l-jam‘a Shia. Even more sur-
to God (khoda), ‘azza wa jalla.
prising that some times they in-
Love of the ahl-i bait is the capital- clude the ahl-i sunna within the
stock (sarmayah) of the ahl-i Kharijis when the ahl-i sunna does
sunna. The opposers (mukhali- not love the ahl-i bait more than
fan)50 are unaware (ghafil) of this the limit. And some other times,
[love], and ignorant of the mid- they call the lovers who are ahl-
dle ground [in that love]. Instead, i sunna Shia when they come to
they, the Shias, have chosen the know of the depth of their love.
side of excessiveness (ifrat). And As a result, due to their igno-
conceiving (angushteh) not being rance, they conceive and estimate
excessive (ma wara-i ifrat) as defi- high level friends (awliya-i ‘izam)
ciency (tafrit). They have cast the of the ahl-i sunna Shia when they
[true ahl-i sunna] kharij, outside51 . speak out their love for the ahl-i
49
bait, and express their love for the
death with iman
50
i.e., the Shia progeny of Muhammad. At the
51
i.e., outside of the group who love the ahl-i same time, they determine many
bait honored ulama of ahl-i sunna to
be Khariji who forbid being ex- since they are also ahl-i bait. And
cessive in that love, and take care I prayed via the connectorhood
to keep the honor of the three (tawassul) of the entire ahl-i bait.
caliphs. Woe to them, a thou-
sand times for their unbridled ar-
rogance. May Allah save us from
Ijtihad of rasul is
both excessiveness or deficiency in error-free
that love. Amin! Question: If the possibility of er-
ror lies in ijtihadi matters, how
Unveiling on ‘A’isha: can one have confidence (wuthuq)
Bestowal of merit for meals in the rulings of the sharia that are
A few years ago, my habit used narrated from the rasul?
to be that when food was cooked Answer: The ijtihadi rulings of
[and served], I used to send that era in the second state53
it as tributes specifically onto (thaniy-i al-hal) has become
the holy spirits of the [rasul’s] the rulings sent down from the
family (makhsus beh ruhaniyat- heavens (ahkam-i munazzila-i
i mutahhara-i ahl). Along with samawat). Because it is im-
the merciful nabi, I used to in- permissible for the prophets
clude Hazrat ‘Ali, Hazrat Fatima, to persist in error (bar khata
Imam Hasan, and Hussain (AS). muqarrar dashtan).
One night I saw in a dream, The
After the settling down of the
merciful nabi was present. I pre-
istinbat-derived ijtihad (thubut-i
sented salam to him but he ignored
ijtihad-i mustanbitan) and the dif-
me, instead turned the face onto
ference in their doctrines (ikhtilaf-
another direction. And he told me,
i ara’i iyshan), whatever ruling
I eat my meals in the house of
that was sent down from Haqq
‘Ayisha. And if one sends food
(JA), it would separate the cor-
for me, let him send it to the
rectness from error (sawab ra az
house of ‘Ayisha. Then I under-
khata) and distinguish the follow-
stood that the reason that the ra-
ers of truth from the followers of
sul did not face-turn onto me is
falsehood.
that that I didn’t share the meal
with Hazrat ‘Ayisha52 . Since then, Therefore, the ijtihadi rulings es-
during the sending of the merit, I tablished in the era of the rasul
included mother ‘Ayisha, instead, (slm) after wahy was sent down
all the other pious wives (azwaj-i — that distinguished correctness
mutahharat) [of the rasul] as well from falsehood (tamayyuz-i sawab
52 53
i.e., during the bestowal of merit of the meal, rulings made by the prophets clarifying the
I failed to mention her name wahy
2.11. MAKTUB 2.36 85
az khata’) — they became incon- imperative to believe in them as

trovertible and well-settled (qat‘iy well.
al-thubut) and lost all predication
of error (ihtimal-i khata). As the
result, the rulings that realized Treat Ahl-i bait well
well-settledness (beh thubut pivi- I am ending this maktub by writ-
stand) in the prophetic era, they ing a gracious epilogue on the ex-
became incontrovertible (qay‘iy) cellence of the ahl-i bait.
and well-preserved from any pred-
ication of error (ihtimal-i khata Hadiths on the virtues of the ahl-i
mahfuz). Because they have bait:
been established by incontrovert-
ible wahy from the beginning to 1. Dailami narrated from Abi
the end. Sa‘id that rasul said, He who
gives me pain on account of
However, the purpose behind find- my family, Allah gets an-
ing out these rulings via ijtihad gry on him (Ishtadda ghad-
and istinbat is that that the muj- abu ’llahi ‘ala man adhabiy fi
tahids and mustanbits attain lofty ‘itratiy)
degrees (darajat-i karamat hasil)
receive high ranks. And commen- 2. Hakim narrates from Abi Hu-
surate to the difference in their raira that the rasul said, Af-
degrees, the people of error and ter me, he who would treat
the people of correctness (nukhtiy, my family well, he is the
musib), they both attain merit best among you (Khairikum
(thawab yaband). Therefore, the khairikum li-ahiy min ba‘diy)
mujtahids of that era have at- 3. Ibn Abbas narrates from
tained lofty degrees in the ijtihadi ‘Asakir that the rasul said,
matters of that age. Moreover, af- He who would benefit my
ter wahy was revealed, those rul- family, I would return it in
ings have become incontrovertible the day of resurrection (Man
rulings (hukm-i qat‘i). sana‘a ila ahla baitiy birran,
kafa’tuhu ‘alaihi yawma ’l-
On the other hand, after the age
qiyamati).
of wahy is over, those ijtihadi
matters have become questionable 4. Dailamiy narrates from Ibn
(zann) matters instead. It’s a a ‘Adiy that the rasul said,
duty to practice them but it is not He would be steadfast on the
required to believe in them. I.e., if path who would be extreme
one disbelieves in them, one would in his love for my family
not turn into an infidel. Still, if it and my companions, (Ath-
is the ijma of the mujtahids, it is batukum ‘ala sirati, ashad-
dukum hubban li-ahli baitiy tubat. Bismi ’llahi ’l-Rahman al-

wa li-as-habiy) Rahim.
God (ilahi)! By the right

of Bani Fatima Pleasant kalima
May I end proclaiming There is nothing more beneficial
iman (nafi‘tar) than the kalima La ilaha
Hear my cries or not illa ’llah in calming down the
My two hands are on the anger (taskin-i ghadb) of the rabb.
hem of the clothes Therefore, when the anger of the
of the progeny of one who puts sinners into hellfire
the rasul get pacified by this kalima, lesser
sins would certainly be pacified by
Elahi! Be haqq-i baniy
that well. And why would not
Fatima
it be pacified? Via the repeti-
Keh bar qawl-i iman ku-
tion of this holy kalima, the slave
niy khatima
negates the ma sewa and turns the
Agar da‘watam radd ku-
face away from all those thing and
niy dar qabul
instead makes the true object of
Do dast-i man dar54
worship (ma‘bud bar haqq) into
daman-i55 al-i ra-
his qibla of attention (tawajjuh).
sul
The slaves get captivated by and
Wa sallalahu ta‘ala ‘alaihi tunr their faces onto all different
wa ‘alaihim wa ‘ala jami‘i things (tawajjuhat-i shatta) and
ikhwanihi mina ’l-anbiya’i wa that is the cause of anger. And if
’l-mursalina wa mala’ikati ’l- that [captivation] goes away, then
kirami ’l-muqarribina wa ‘ala the anger also goes away — And
sa’ir-i ‘ibadi ’llahi ’l-salihina there is not, so there is not (Wa
’l-muqarribina. laysa fa-laysa). You witness it in
the world of metaphors (‘alam-i
majaz)56 as well.
2.12 Maktub 2.37
When a master gets dissatisfied
To ‘Abdul Hai who has compiled onto a servant of his, he gets an-
this [volume of the] noble Mak- gry on the servant. If that ser-
54 vant, due to his own good up-
Both Amritsari and Naushahi writes “Man
wa dast war daman-i al-i rasul” but that must bringing (husn-i nasha’h), returns
a copying mistake in the original handwritten from looking at the things that are
manuscripts other than (ma sewa) his own mas-
55
Steingass interprets daman as skirt, hem, foot ter, and instead focuses onto his
of a mountain. I.e. this line means “following them
56
obsequiously” the real world cf. Aftabi
2.12. MAKTUB 2.37 87
master fully, i.e., puts himself onto used to commingle the rites of infi-
the hands [of the master], at that delity and the wickedness of shirk
time, necessarily, compassion and (imtijaz-i rusum-i kufr, radha’il-
mercy (shafqat, marhamat) arises i shirk) only rarely. Therefore,
in [the master] towards his servant it is this ummat that is more
and the master’s anger and pain needy of intercession. Within the
(ghadb, azar) goes away. earlier ummats, there was one
group who were persisting (musir)
I am finding this pleasant kalima
on infidelity while there was an-
as the key to the treasury of
other group who attained sincere
ninety-nine parts of the mercy of
(ikhlas) iman and used to prop-
Allah that has been kept as reserve
erly perform the duties (imtithal-i
for the last world57 . I am finding
awamir) and stay far away of the
that there is nothing better than
prohibitions.
this holy kalima for removing the
darkness of infidelity and the mud- On the other hand, this ummat
diness of ascribing partners to God would have been destroyed for
(zulmat-i kufr, kudurat-i shirk). their sins if they did not have in-
tercessors like
If one believes in this kalima and
attains just a little bit of iman, 1. this pleasant kalima, and
even if he does the evil practice
of infidelity and ascribing partner- 2. the final prophet.
ship to divinity (kufr, shirk), still
I hope that by the intercession Ummat sins
(shafa‘at) of this pleasant kalima, And rabb forgives
he would come out of the tor-
ture, and be saved from eternity Ummahu mudhribatun
in hell (khulud-i dozokh). It is like wa rabbu ghafirun
that that for this ummat, the in-
tercession of Muhammad the ra- For this ummat, God would need
sul of Allah (SLM) is most bene- to spend so much acts of eras-
ficial (anfa‘) and strongly effective ing and forgiving (‘afw, ghufran)
in pushing away the penalties due that I do not know if that much
to the rest of the major sins (dafa‘- would be needed for all the pre-
i ‘uqubat-i sa’ir-i kaba’ir). vious ummats added together. It
I am saying that the major sins seems that ninety-nine parts of the
of this ummat, because the ear- mercy has been kept in reserve for
lier ummats used to do only a this ummat.
few major sins, even that they
Needy of grace
57
cf. hadith Are the sinners
Keh mustahiqq-i kara- lord! Forgive our sins and the

mat extremism in our deeds, and
Gonah karanand make our feet steadfast, and
help us against those who stand
When against faith (Rabbana ’ghfirlana
dhunubana, wa israfna fi amrina,
1. Haqq SWT loves to blot wa thabbit aqdamana wa ’nsurna
out and forgive [sins] (‘afw, ‘ala ’l-qawmi ’l-kafirina)61
maghfirat) the most, and
2. there is no other locus of ap- Excellence of pleasant
plication (muddah) for blot-
ting out and forgiving any-
kalima
where else except this ummat Listen to the excellence of this
that is so full of defects kalima again. Rasul (salam)
said, He who says La ilaha
as its necessary consequence, this illa ’llah would enter paradise
is the best of the ummats (khair (Man qala La ilaha illa ’llahu
al-umam). Morever, this pleas- dakhala ’l-jannata) Shortsighted
ant kalima, which intercedes for (kota-nazari) people get surprised
them, has become like the most at this saying, and wonder, How
excellent (afdal) zikr58 . And can can enter paradise by pro-
their interceding prophet (slm) claiming La ilaha illa ’llah only
has received the epithet Prince of once? They are unaware of
the emissaries (Sayyidu ’l-anbiya) the baraka and excellence of this
(slm). (Fa-ula’ika yubaddilu ’llahu kalima.
satyyi’atihim hasanatin wa kana
’llahu ghafuran rahima) 59 . Yes! I am feeling that if in exchange
Arhamu ’l-rahimin is such. And for reciting this pleasant kalima
Akramu ’l-karimin was such. only once, all the sins of the en-
tire world were to be forgiven and
To the generous lord the people of the world were to be
no task is hard sent to paradise, there is room for
it. Additionally, it is being ob-
Ba kariman served that if the baraka of this
karha dushvar nist holy kalima were distributed to all
the people of the world, it would
This is easy for Allah(Wa kana be enough for them for eternity
dhalika ‘ala ’llahi yasira).60 Our of eternities (abad al-abad). And
[that baraka] would keep their
58
Hadith thirst quenched.
59
Q.Furqan.70
60 61
Q.Nisa’.30 Q.Al-‘Imran.147
2.12. MAKTUB 2.37 89
Even more, to this pleasant ’l-jannata bi-hurmatiha wa bi-

(tayyiba) kalima, if the holy hurmati muballighiha), ‘alaihimu
(muqaddasa) kalima muhammadu ’l-salawatu wa ’l-taslimatu wa ’l-
’l-rasulu ’llah is added, the mes- tahiyatu wa ’l-barakatu. When
sage of tauhid is made to spread the faculties of seeing and walk-
(tabligh). And risalat and walayat ing (nazar, qadam) weakens and
are brought near. The combina- aspiration (himmat) lessens, and
tion of these two kalimas brings only that interaction takes place,
together kamalat-i walayat and which is with the absent realm
nubuwat. And [these dual kali- (mu‘amala beh ghaib-i sirf),64
mas] are the guide on the path at that time, that path can’t
of these dual felicities. It is be crossed without the office of
this [second kalima], which puri- the noble kalima, La ilaha illa
fies walayat from the darkness of ’llah Muhammadu ’l-rasulu ’llah.
the shadows (zulmat-i zilal). And There, if one recites that kalima
brings [the salik] to the higher de- only once, the salik, via the real-
gree (daraja-i ‘ulya) of nubuwat62 . ity of this kalima, one makes an
[amazing] footstep on that path.
O Allah! Do not forbid us from
And via this footstep, the sa-
the baraka of this pleasant kalima.
lik proceeds far away from him-
And keep us steadfast onto it.
self, and attains such a nearness
And when we die, allow us to
that every dot of that nearness is
be in a state that we are at-
many times more and larger than
testing its truth. And muster
the entire circle of contingentness
(hashr) us63 with those who attest
(da’ira-i imkan). Therefore, it is
this [kalima]. And grant us par-
via written description that the
adise by its reverence, and by the
excellence of the zikr of this holy
reverence of the missionaries who
kalima can be realized. The en-
spread this [kalima]. (Allhumma
tire world is a small and worthless
la-tahrimna min barakati hadhihi
thing when compared to it. Alas!
’l-kalimati ’l-tayyibati. Wa thab-
If it were like a drop when com-
bitna ‘alaiha. Wa amitna ‘ala
pared with the all-encompassing
tasdiqiha, wa hshurna ma‘a ’l-
sea. However, the magnificence
musaddiqina laha. Wa adkhilna
(‘azmat) of this pleasant kalima
62
refers to the higher level of kamalat-i nubuwat is commensurate with the degree
that was granted to the Mujaddid. And via his (darajat) of its reciter. The higher
connectorhood, to his high-level followers. On is the degree of the reciter, the
the other hand, for all the masters of the non- more is the manifestation of the
Mujaddidi tariqas, their ascent ended at the lower-
level kamalat-i walayat magnificence (zuhur-i ‘azmat) of
63
onto the plain of Hashr on the yawm al-
64
qiyama, day of resurrection i.e., when one comes to the verge of death
the reciter of this holy kalima. li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi

’lladhina ’stafa).
More you see his beauti-
Knowledge of God (ma‘rifat-i
ful face
khoda) (jalla sultanahu) is forbid-
more increases light of
den for him whose inner realm
his beauty
(batin) contains love for this
Yaziduka wajhuhu hus- world, even if it is in as little a
nan measure as the amount of a mus-
idha ma zidtahu nazarra tard seed. Or that inner realm
contains even that little measure
I do not know if there can be of attachment (ta‘alluq) with this
any desire like it on the surface world. Or that inner realm is insti-
of the earth — that one stays in gated by even that little measure
a corner of his house alone re- of worldly instigations (khatir).
peating this pleasant kalima and [For a master who has realized
keeps on savoring its pleasure and ma‘rifat, knowledge of God], in-
finding contentment (mutaladhd- deed his outer realm (zahir-i uw) is
hidh, mahzuz). But what can located far away (be-marahil juda’
I do? All desires do not get aftadeh ast) from his inner realm
fulfilled, and there is no safety (az batin). What has happened
from the heedlessness that grows is that [that master’s inner realm]
out of commingling with the com- has
mon people. Rabbana! Atmim
1. come down from the last
lana nurana waghfir lana innaka
world to this world, and
‘ala kulli shay’in qadir 65 . Sub-
hana rabbika rabbi ’l-‘izzati ‘amma 2. founded an intimate connec-
yasifuna. Wa salamun ‘ala ’l- tion (ikhtilat) with the peo-
mursalina. Wa ’l-hamdu li-’llahi ple.
rabbi ’l-‘alamina 66 . Wa ’l-salam.
[What is the purpose of the inner
realm doing this?]
2.13 Maktub 2.38 Apparent and intermediary purpose
Its [apparent, and intermedi-
To Haji Muhammad Yusuf Kash- ary] purpose is that that [the
miri master] attains (li-husul) a
conditional inter-relationship
All praise is to Allah! Peace (munasabati ’l-mashrutati)
onto his elect devotees (Alhamdu [with the people].
65
Q.Tahrim.8 Ultimate purpose [But the ul-
66
Q.Saffat.180-2 timate purpose is that] that
2.14. MAKTUB 2.39 91
he may benefit the people, ’l-huda, wa ’ltazama mutaba‘ata

and the people may benefit ’l-mustafa), ‘Alaihi, wa ‘ala al-
from him. ihi ’l-salawatu, wa ’l-taslimatu ’l-
‘uwla.
Therefore, if [that master] talks
about worldly matters, or uses
worldly intermediaries (asbab), he 2.14 Maktub 2.39
may do so. And that would be
To Sayyid ‘Abdul Baqi Shaharan-
nothing bad, instead good. That
puri
way, the right of common people
Bismillahi ’l-rahmani ’l-rahim
(huquq-i ‘ibad) would not be dis-
Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala
honored, or the path of receiv-
‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa. Ar-
ing, or giving benefit would not
shadaka ’llahu ta‘ala!
be blocked. Therefore, that mas-
ter’s inner realm is better than his
outer realm. It is as if while sell- Sabiqin
ing, he shows barley, but delivers
You may learn that the people of
cow-dung instead.
the left (as-hab-i shimal) are the
On the other hand, the people who people of the dark veils (as-hab-
see the outside think that that i hujb-i zulmani). And the people
master is like them. And they of the right (yamin) are the people
think that that master shows cow- of the lighted veils (ashab-i hujb-i
dung, but delivers barley. And nurani). And the sabiqin are that
they think that that master’s group which has:
outer realm (zahir) is better than
his inner realm (batin). They 1. crossed both the veils (hujb)
guess that while that master is 2. put one foot onto the people
showing that he has no attach- of the left and the other foot
ment (ta‘alluq), actually he is cap- onto the people of the right.
tivated.
And as a result, that group, i.e.
Our lord! Open up [the differ- the sabiqin, has:
ence] between us, and between
our tribes clearly. Indeed, you 1. become the sabiqin, people
open up the best way. (Rabbana who precede onto the plain of
’ftah bainana, wa baina qawmina, the prototype (maidan-i asl),
bi-’l-haqqi. Wa anta khairu ’l- and
fatihina). And peace be onto 2. climbed above the shadows of
them who follow guidance, and contingent-level and shadows
stick to following the Mustafa. of the necessary-level (zilal-i
(Wa ’l-salamu ‘ala mani ’ttaba‘a imkani, wujubi)
[The sabiqin] do not seek anything in person, as well as indirectly via

except the dhat (ta‘ala va taqad- the silsila, i.e., via intermediary
dasa) from the name, attribute, caliphs. E.g., the sons and major
mode or crossing-over (ism, sift, caliphs of the Mujaddid, and mas-
sha’an, i‘tibar). People of the ters such as Mirza Mazhar, Ghu-
left are the possessors of infidelity lam Ali Abdullah al-Dihlawi et. al.
and wretchedness people (arbab- And also the future major disci-
i kufr, shaqawat); people of the ples, e.g., the Mahdi et. al. Yes
right are the people of Islam and the companions of the rasul are
walayat. And the sabiqin are truly the very greatest, but many major
the prophets (AS), and whoever caliphs of the Mujaddid are higher
else has been honored with this fe- than many of the tabi‘in.
licity via followership ( tab‘iyat).
This felicity has been realized in Superiority of two shaykhs
a greater measure (bishtar) by fol-
lowership (tab‘iyat), onto the ma- It is an ijma of the Sunni con-
jor companions of the prophets. gregation that the two shaykhs
And it has been realized in a are the most superior after the
little measure (qillat) and rarely prophets (AS). There is none
(nadrat) onto those who were not who precedes Abubakr. He pre-
companions — but those people cedes all the preceders (asbaq-i
were also virtually within the class sabiqin) of this ummat, stepped
of the companions, and annexed before all who are in the front
their perfections. Maybe it is (aqdam-i pishinan) of this mil-
for these people that the rasul lat. It is via his connectorhood
(slm) said, I cannot perceive if that Hazrat ‘Umar Faruq has been
the earlier ones are better or the honored by the felicity of superi-
later ones (La yadra awwaluhum ority (betawassul-i uw bedawlat-
khairun am akhiruhum) 67 . At the i afdaliyat musharraf gashteh).
same time, he also said, The best And it is via his intermediaryness
era is my era (Khayru ’l-quruni (tawassut) that he has climbed
qarniy) 68 . However, he said this above all the rest. For this reason,
as an era, and that as a person Hazrat Faruq (RA) is called the
(shakhs). Allah knows it all. caliph of Hazrat Siddiq (RA). And
within khutba, he is mentioned as
Note: The greatest awliya of all the caliph of the caliph of the ra-
times are the major disciples of sul of Allah (slm). It is as if Hazrat
the Mujaddid, both who took bayat Siddiq is the horse-rider who rides
and learned from him both directly at the front (shahsawar)69 of this
67 69
hadith Here the Mujaddid draws analogy with
68
hadith horseriding where two riders are riding the horse.
2.15. MAKTUB 2.40 93
matter, and Hazrat Siddiq is the of their acts of arrival (kunuz-

backrider. I.e., he is the best back- i madarij-i wusul). Having ar-
rider who rides cooperating (mu- rived on the prototype (wusul beh
rafaqat) with the front-rider and asl), they have found relief (farigh)
shares his most excellent qualities from the shadow. And the posses-
(akhs-i awsaf). sors of the shadows have been kept
far away from their elect sanc-
Exaltedness of Sabiqin tuary (harim-i khass). They are
the ones who are brought near
Proceeding to the gist of the mat- (muqarrab). And it is in their
ter, and say that the sabiqin lot that tranquility and fragrance
are beyond the rules (ahkam) (rawh, rayhan) are. In contrast to
of [the people of both] the left what the others would be on that
and the right. And they are day, they would neither be worried
above both bright and dark inter- on the the happenings of the day
actions (mu‘amala-i nuraniy, zul- of the resurrection (qiyamat). Nor
maniy). Their book is beyond would they be afraid by the fear of
both the books of the right and that day, which the others would
the left. And their bookkeeping be71 . O Allah! Put us among the
(muhasaba) is beyond the book- lovers [of the rasul]. Because man
keepings of both the right and the is with him whome he loves. (Al-
left. Their doings (kar va bar) lahumma ’ja‘alna min muhibbiy-
are unique (‘alahada). And their ihim fa-inna ’l-mar’a ma‘a man
flirtations and pampering (ghanz, ahabba). Bisadaqati sayyidi ’l-
dalal) are disjoint (judah). How mursalina, ‘alaihi wa ‘ala alihi,
would the companions of the right, wa ‘alaihim, wa ‘ala alihim kullu
like the companions of the left, re- ’l-salawati, wa ’l-taslimati, wa ’l-
alize their perfections. And the tahiyati, wa ’l-barakati.
possessors of walayat are like the
common faithful. How would they
get hold of their mysteries?70 2.15 Maktub 2.40
The Quranic cut-off letters are al- To Mawlana Badruddin
lusions to their mysteries (ramuz- Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala
i asrar). And the allegorical ‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa. There are
(mutashabih) verses are like the two ways that the veil of names,
hidden storehouse of the degrees attributes, modes, crossing-overs
And the shahsawar rides in the front and controls (asma, sifat, shu’un, i‘tibarat)
the horse actively whereas the backrider (radif) sits may be pierced (kharq), either ap-
in the back of the shahsawar passively parently (shuhudiy) or truly (wu-
70
i.e., they all are deprived of the perfections and
71
mysteries of the sabiqin Refers to the Quran.Baqara.2.286
judiy). True piercing (kharq- Wa ’l-salamu ‘ala mani ’ttaba’a ’l-

i wujudiy) is impossible whereas huda, wa ’l-tazama mutaba‘ata ’l-
apparent (shuhudiy) piercing is mustafa, ‘alaihi wa ‘ala alihi ’l-
possible, instead indeed happens. salawatu wa taslimatu ’l-‘ula.
However, that [true] piercing hap-
pens for only few — it comes in
the lot of the elect of the elect. It 2.16 Maktub 2.41
comes in the hadith, Verily, there
are seventy thousand veils of light To Shaykh Farid Thaneswari
and darkness for Allah. If they are Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala
taken off, then the sharp brilliance ‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa.
of the blessed face of God would
By the grace of Allah (S), and via
burn up the creation until the end
the connectorhood of his beloved
of his sight. (Inna li-’llahi sab‘ina
nabi (SLM) (Bi-‘inayatullahi sub-
alfa hijabin min nurin wa zul-
hanahu, wa sadaqati habibihi)
matin. Law kushifat la’akhraqat
(‘alaihi wa ‘ala alihi ’l-sadaqu wa
sub-hatu wajhihi ma antaha ilaihi
’l-salam), while ascending (‘uruj)
basaruhu min khalqihi.72 How-
to the end of the ends, such a de-
ever, that unveiling and piercing
gree (martaba) would come before
(kashf, kharq) refers to true pierc-
that every atom in that homestead
ing (kharq-i wujudiy), which is im-
(har dharra’-i an mawtin) is many
possible. I have written in several
times larger than the entire circle
risalas that all the veils get pierced
of contingentness (da’ira’i imkan).
from the face of God. It refers to
Therefore, via suluk, if only a sin-
removal from the sight. E.g., when
gle atom there is crossed, then a
God gives a sharp eyesight to one,
longer distance than many times
so that one is able to see every-
the length of the entire circle of
thing behind a veil, then it is as if
contingentness (da’ira’i imkan) is
the veil is pierced apparently. And
cut through. Therefore, he who
that is the same thing.
crosses the long path there, one
So now it is known that what I may consider which degree does he
have written on the permissibility cross?
of veiling (jawaz-i kharq-i hujub)
Now it is realized that be-
does not oppose the sole hadith
fore the degrees of Necessaryness
(khabar-i ‘ahad) on the permis-
(maratib-i wujub) and the degrees
sibility of veiling. That piercing
above it, the circle of contingent-
and this piercing are different. So
ness (da’ira’i imkan) is valueless.
do not remain with the doubters.
Alas! If it had only that much
(Fa-la takun mina ’l-mumtazina).
worth that a drop of water has be-
72
hadith fore the all-encompassing sea. So
2.17. MAKTUB 2.42 95
necessarily, now it is established 2. Action Second, the sa-

that by the strength of one’s own lik gets absorbed in the zikr of
feet, none would be able to reach God (dhikr-i ilahi) jalla sultanahu.
the doorsteps of the beloved . And And he gets immersed in riya-
would be unable to see him by dat, arduous taming73 and hard-
one’s own eyes. to-do striving (riyadat-i shaqqa,
mujahadat-i shadida).
And none may bear
the tributes to the
king 3. Result
but his chariot A. purification And as a re-
sult, the salik attains purification
Wa illa la yahmilu ataya (tazkiya). And his bad quali-
l-maliki ties (awsaf-i radhila) get trans-
illa matayahu formed into beautiful character
traits (akhlaq-i hasana). And he
makes repentance and the return
2.17 Maktub 2.42 to God (tawba, inabat). And
the love of this world leaves his
heart. And he attains patience,
Sayr: Afaqi and anfusi
God-reliance and well-pleasedness
Bismi ’llahi ’l-Rahman al- (sabr, tawakkul, rida).
Rahim. Alhamdu li-’llahi rabba
’l-‘alamina, wa ’l-salawatu wa ’l-
salamu ‘ala sayyidi ’l-mursalina, B. Witnessing Next, [the salik]
wa ‘ala alihi ’l-kirami, wa as- witnesses (mushshadah) the said
habihi ’l-‘izami min yawmina meanings (ma‘aniy) that he has
hadha ila yawmi ’l-qiyami. attained in the imaginal (mithal)
world in accordance to their de-
Precious son! May Allah make grees and sequence (tadrij, tartib).
you happy in both the worlds. And he sees (biynad) himself
Now listen with inner awareness. pure and cleansed (pak, musaffa)
from human muddiness (kudurat-
i bashariyat) and his [own] bad
Conventional suluk qualities (radha’il). At that point,
Step A: Sayr-i afaqi his sayr-i afaqi indeed gets com-
pleted.
1. Intention First, the sa-
lik rectifies the intention (tashih-i 73
riyadat originally meant taming the wild ani-
niyat) and finds freedom from de- mals into submission. Sufis use that word to mean
sires (takhlis-i umniyat). taming the wild nafs into submission to God
Sidenote: Lights of latifas mation of his own character traits

(tabaddul-i awsaf va taghayyur-i
A group in this tribe takes spe-
akhlaq-i khod) onto the mirror of
cial caution (ihtiyat) onto this sta-
the imaginal world. And he senses
tion. [It happens in the inter-
the going away of his own dark-
actions of] the imaginal (mithal)
ness and muddiness in that world
world. There, they have given
(zawal-i zulmat va kudurat-i khod
each one of these seven human
dar an ‘alam ihsas).
latifas a correspondence74 (qarar-
dadeh-and) to one of the lights The purpose is that he attains
(nuriy) from the lights that are a firm faith (yaqin) in his own
related (munasib) to that [latifa]. cleansing (safa). And he affirms
And they have held that for each (thabit) the knowledge of his own
latifa, when that imaginal light purification (‘ilmiy beh tazkiya-i
gets manifested onto it, it is the khod).
evidence (‘alamat) that that latifa
has become cleansed (safa). Sayr-i afaqi: Misnomer
[Naqshbandis saliks] have started
In this sayr, when the salik,
this sayr from the qalb, heart. And
sequentially, they have reached
1. witnesses (mushahadah) his
the latifa of akhfa,which is the very
own states (ahwal va atwar)
last latifa 75 .
in the imaginal world, which
For example, they have held that is located within the beyond-
the evidence of the cleansing horizon world (az jumla’i
(‘alamat-i safa) of the heart of the afaq), at each and every
salik is the that heart getting man- moment (sa‘atan fa-sa‘atan),
ifested (zuhur-i an qalb) onto the and
imaginal level in the form (surat)
2. sees (miybinad) his own
of a red light (nur). And they
transformation (intiqal) in
have decided that the evidence of
that world from one figure
cleansing of the spirit (ruh) is a
to another figure (hi‘atiy beh
yellow light, along that line of rea-
hi’atiy)
soning. In summary, the purpose
of the sayr-i afaqiy is that that the it is said that he has done the
salik witnesses the substitution of sayr in the beyond-horizon (afaq)
his own qualities and the transfor- realm.
74
i.e., an one-to-one correspondence
75
i.e., via the well-known sequence of the Naqsh-
This sayr is actually
bandi suluk: 1. heart 2. ruh 3. sirr 4. khafi 5.
akhfa of the ‘alam-i amr. Sayr of the ‘alam-i khalq 1. a sayr within the nafs of the
follows it salik, and
2.17. MAKTUB 2.42 97
2. the movement of how- At this point, it may be noted that

ness (harkat kayfiyatiy) there is a comprehensive name
within [the salik’s] character (ism-i jami‘) that is the rabb76 of
traits and qualities (akhlaq, the salik.
awsaf). And as the result77 :
However, due to his ability to
1. Those latifas attain the re-
see far afar (durbiniy), [the sa-
ceptivity (qabiliyat) of be-
lik] ambitiously focuses his gaze
coming the mirrors onto
(matmah-i nazr) onto the afaq,
which (dar marayaiy iyn
world beyond the horizon, not the
lata’if) the shadows and re-
world within the nafs. Conse-
flections of that comprehen-
quently, this sayr is considered to
sive name are manifested (zi-
be related to the afaq.
lal va ‘ukus-i ism-i jami‘ zahir
Those [conventional saliks] have kardand).
decided that the completion
2. And as the result, this lat-
(tamam) of this sayr that is
ifa becomes the locus of self-
related to the afaq, it is the
disclosure (ta‘jalli) of the
completion of the sayr ila ’llah.
parts of the comprehensive
And they have linked fana to
name.
this sayr. And they have named
this sayr by the technical term This sayr has been called the sayr-
(‘ibarat) suluk. i anfusiy because the nafs of the
salik acts as the mirror onto which
Step 2: Sayr-i anfusi the shadows and reflections (zi-
lal, ‘ukus) of the divine names78 .
The sayr that takes place next, the It is not that the salik does sayr
people of that tribe have named within his own nafs. Previously
it sayr-i anfusi. It is also called such things have been said on the
the sayr fi-’llah, within Allah. matter of sayr-i afaqi. I.e., that
They establish baqa bi-’llah in this sayr-i afaqi is the sayr in the afaq
homestead. And they keep the of the mirror, not truly79 . Ac-
faith that on this station, after tually, this sayr-i anfusi is the
jadhba, suluk gets to be attained. sayr of the shadows of the names
The latifas of the salik have been within the mirror (zilal-i asma ast
dar maraya) of the nafs. So this
1. made holy (tazkiya) in the
first sayr, and 76
i.e., origin of entification (mansha’i ta‘ayyun)
cf. Aftabi
2. saved from human muddi- 77
of this sayr
ness (az kudurat-i bashariyat 78
via this sayr
79
warasteh-and). i.e., not in the afaq, outside of the body
sayr is also called the sayr of the speakers interprets his speech in
beloved within the lover (ma‘shuq one way, whereas the listener may
dar ‘ashiq). interpret that speech in another
way. The sufi shaykhs may call
Form on the mirror is far it sayr-i anfusi instead sayr fi-
from journey ’llah without any pressure (biy-
Prop of the form is made takalluf), and fearlessly name it
of light baqa bi-’llah considering it the sta-
tion of arrival and conjunction
Ayinah’i surat az safr (wusul, ittisal) [onto Allah]. But
dur ast it is hard for me to speak like that.
Kana padhiyraiy surat Therefore, with a lot of rectifica-
az nur ast tion and orientation towards the
purpose (tashih, taujih), I had to
Sayr fi-’llah correct and rationalize their say-
This sayr may be called sayr fi- ings. Some of that [rectification
’llah or within Allah because it is and orientation] has been taken
said that via this sayr, the seeker from their sayings, and some oth-
gets characterized (mutakhalliq) ers from [my own] ilham.
by the character of Allah. I.e.
from one character, he gets trans- Takhliya versus tajliya
formed (intiqal) into another char-
acter. Because the locus of man- Note: The Mujaddid rectifies sayr
ifestation (mazhar) receives some fi-’llah, and teaches us that there
of the attributes of the manifested are two segments within the sayr
thing (zahir) even if in a gross fi-’llah: Takhliya and tajliya. And
measure (jumla). Therefore, it is tajliya is more important.
as if the salik does his suluk within Within the sayr-i afaqi, I81
(dar) the divine names. This is the attained emptyness from my
final verification on this station, bad character traits (takhliya-i
and the final correction of this say- radha’il). On the other hand,
ing80 . within this sayr-i anfusi, I was
It is hard to fathom what is the ornamented with my good char-
state of the possessor of the sta- acter traits (tajliya’i akhlaq-i
tion, and the intention of the hamida). Takhliya, emptyness
speaker behind his speech. Ev- relates (munasib) to the station of
eryone speaks according to his fana, annihilation whereas tajlih,
own knowledge and feeling. The ornamentation is appropriate to
the station of baqa, abidingness.
80
according to the shaykhs of the tariqas other
81
than the Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi cf. Aftabi the Mujaddid
2.17. MAKTUB 2.42 99
They believe that this sayr-i sayr of the return (ruju‘iy), or sayr
anfusi is endless. And they point from Allah returning along with
out that this would not end even Allah (‘ani ’llah bi-’llah).
if immortality (‘umr-i abadi) is
attained. They rule and say that Sayr 4: Within the things
the character traits and qualities taking Allah along The fourth
(shama’il va awsaf) of the beloved sayr is also called sayr within the
has no end. As a result, on the things taking Allah along (fi ’l-
mirror of the mind (mar’at) of ashya bi-’llah) and that is con-
that salik with a good character, nected to the return (ruju‘). They
one or the other of the divine have fixed these two later sayrs for
attributes would be self-disclosed perfecting the disciples and guid-
(tajalli). And one or other from ing (takmil, irshad) them, likewise
the divine perfections would be that the first two earlier sayrs were
manifested (zuhur). So how would for attaining the [master’s] own
they be cut off? Or how their end perfection and walayat.
can be allowed?
Atom be it small or the Hadith: Seventy thousand
greatest veils Another group of sufi
Won’t finish path in his shaykhs has said that hadith
life mentions seventy thousand veils,
Verily, for Allah, there are seventy
Dharrah gar bas nik dar thousand veils of light and dark-
bas bad bud ness (Inna li-’llahi sab‘ina alfa
Gar cheh ‘umriy tag hijabin min nurin wa zulmatin) 82
zand, dar khod They are pierced within the sayr-i
bud afaqi, i.e., within each one of
the seven latifas, ten thousand
The saliks attain fana and baqa veils are pierced. When that sayr
via this sayr-i afaqi and sayr-i an- comes to completion, then all the
fusi. It is then that that salik veils are raised. And the salik
is called a wali. And they know realizes for himself (mutahaqqiq)
it be the end [level] of perfection the sayr fi-’llah and reaches the
(nihayat-i kamal). station of arrival (wusul).
Sayr-i afaqi Conventional suluk: End

What has been written so far is
Sayr 3: from Allah return-
what the masters of walayat at-
ing along with Allah And af-
tain within sayr and suluk. And
ter that, if a [third] sayr takes
82
place, they consider it to be the hadith
this is the comprehensive descrip- won’t be completed even in an

tion (noskha-i jami‘) of [their sad- infinite lifetime, as this [matter]
hana for] obtaining perfection and has been narrated before. There-
giving perfection (kamal, takmil). fore, since this sayr-i anfusi is
By his sheer grace, whatever God within the circle of contingentness
(khodawandi) (JS) has revealed (da’ira’i imkan) like sayr-i afaqi,
(zahir) to me, and the manner I it is impossible to cross the cir-
have been guided along the su- cle of contingentness according to
luk and — I am writing all these the above-mentioned rule. There-
down. My purpose is discuss fore, there is no alternative but
the gifts and express gratitude. to remain forever deprived and
O wise and farsighted men! Be harmed (hirman, khusran). And
forewarned (Fa‘tabiru ya uwliy ’l- fana would never be realized, and
absar)!83 attaining baqa may not even be
conceived. So how would arrival,
Mujaddidi sayr conjunction, nearness and perfec-
tion (wasl, ittisal, qurb, kamal) be
Arshadaka ’llahu ta‘ala wa hadaka ever attained?
sawa’a ’l-sirati! Know that
Hazrat Haqq (swt) is unqualified Sub-hana’llah! It is indeed sur-
(biychun, biychegun). And like- prising when these masters con-
wise, he is beyond the horizon sider mirage the same as water,
(wara’i afaq), also beyond the an- sayr ila ’llah as sayr fi ’llah, con-
fus (wara’i anfus). So it is mean- tingent realm (imkan) as the nec-
ingless to name sayr-i afaqi as sayr essary realm (wujub) and chu-
ila ’llah. Or it is to name sayr-i anniy as biy-chuniy. If so, how
fusi as sayr fi ’llah. Instead, both can worthless or lower-class peo-
of these sayrs are included within ple be blamed? Or how can they
sayr ila ’llah. Sayr fi ’llah is a sayr be blemished? What a calamity!
that is located far beyond afaq and How can they call the anfus Haqq?
anfus, it is beyond their beyond. Or how can they consider the sayr
within that [anfus] endless when
Sayr fi-’llah/anfusi is not that [anfus] indeed has an end and
endless limitation (hadd, nihayat) ? They
have determined that within this
Surprise! The [sufi shaykhs] have sayr-i anfusi, the names and at-
decided that sayr fi ’llah is sayr-i tributes of the Necessary are man-
anfusi. They say that that [sayr ifested (zuhur) onto the mirror of
fi ’llah or sayr-i anfusi] is end- the salik. However, that manifes-
less (biy-nihayat) and that [sayr] tation is the manifestation of one
83
Q.Hashr.2 of the shadows of the names and
2.17. MAKTUB 2.42 101
attributes, not of the prototypes. fore, he may not be contained onto

I would write down its verification the mirror of the afaq or within
in the end of the maktub, Allah the room (mujaliy) of the anfus.
willing. Whatever is manifested in there,
like the locus of manifestation, all
What should I do? When I have
those are also qualified (chand va
the knowledge and conscientious-
chun). Therefore, one must go be-
ness (tamayyuz), how would I al-
yond the afaq and the anfus to find
low such insults to the holy person
him (SWT).
of Allah (ta‘ala)? Or how would
I make others partners within his It is the same way with the
own sovereignty? circle of contingentness (da’ira-i
Because I have attained many imkan) as well. When the dhat
types of initiations from them84 . of God (SWT) may not be con-
And these masters have plenty of tained within that [circle], within
right over me. Because the rights neither the afaq nor the anfus,
(huquq) of Hazrat wajib al-wujud then his names and attributes also
(js) is far above all the rights that may not be contained within that
they have. And the nurture by [circle] either. Instead, what is
God (uw) (ta‘ala) is far above manifested within that [circle] are
the all the nurturing by the oth- merely the shadows and reflec-
ers. It is due to the beauty of tions (zilal va ‘ukus) of the names
the nurture (husn-i tarbiyat-i uw) and attributes. Even that, the
by God (ta‘ala) that I have been mere indistinct shapes and images
saved from this machination. And (shab-h, mithal) of those [names
I have not included others within and attributes], instead the shad-
his sacred sovereignty. Alhamdu ows and images of the names and
li-’llahi ’lladhi hadana li-hadha wa attributes (zilliyat-i asma va sifat
ma kunna li-nahtadiya 85 va mithaliyat iynha) — they are
also beyond the afaq and anfus.
In this place, [power] is noth-
What the true sayr is like
ing more than followership (besh
God (uw) (ta‘ala) is unqualified az ta‘biyat). And [that power
(biy-chun, biy-cheguneh). All is] nothing additional to getting
that is branded by the mark of compelled to be imprinted with
howness or how-many-ness (chu- the naqsh (ziyadeh az intiqash-i
niy, chandiy) are negated from qudrat neh).86 .
his holy person (ta‘ala). There-
86
i.e., being the mere shadows of the prototypes
84
This line is in Naushahi but not in Aftabi of those names and attributes, let alone the proto-
translation, let me check Amritsari types themselves. it itself is beyond the afaq and
85
Q.Al-A‘raf.43 anfus. IAM
Whose manifestation is it? Or va taqaddasa). And I am snatch-

where is the self-disclosure (Zuhur ing away what is inappropriate for
kera, tajalli koja)? Because the his holy court (swt). I am not
names and attributes (swt), like fearing (bak nadaram) opposition
the dhat, are also unqualified from the others and I am not wor-
(biychun, biycheguneh), formless ried (ghomm nakhoram) about it.
and modelless (biyshab-h, biyna- It would have been a matter of
muneh). Until you are thrown out worry if I were vacillating (tad-
of the afaq and anfus, you would hbidhab danam) about my own
not understand the true meaning interactions (mu‘amalat-i khod).
of shadowness of the names and And I were unsure (mushtabih)
attributes of God (ma‘na-i zilliyat- about the [truth of the] things un-
i asma va sifat-i uw) (ta‘ala). So veiled to me.
how would you arrive onto the On the other hand, when
holy names and attributes (Fa
kayfa ’l-wusulu ila ’l-asma’i wa ’l- 1. the reality of the activ-
sifati ta‘ala wa taqaddasa)? ity (haqiqat-i kar) is get-
ting unveiled as clearly as
It is surprising matter. On the brightness of the morning
one hand, my own unveiled sun (falaq-i sub-h) and
things (makshufat) and the ideas 2. the true interaction
that believe in firmly (ma‘lumat-i (mu‘amalat-i asl) is be-
yaqiniyat-i khod) are contrary to ing understood as clearly as
what the sufi shaykhs taste (mud- the bright moon of the night
haq) and what are unveiled (mak- of the full moon (qamar-i
shufat) to them. And if I describe lailatu ’l-badr), and
those unveilings, who would be-
3. the shadows are
lieve that? Or who would accept
that? On the other hand, if I a) getting crossed over
fail to describe them and instead completely (az zilal
keep them hidden (tasattur), it betamam begudharand),
is to accept the clothing of truth and
in the attire of falsehood (iltibas-i b) arising above estimation
haqq va batil). And it is to ac- and illustration (shab-h,
cept predicating Haqq (ta‘ala va mithal)
taqaddasa) with a quality, which
is forbidden to predicate him with. then where is the confusion (ishte-
Consequently, due to necessity, I bah bekoja bud) or what is the
am revealing that which is true vacillation (tadhbidhab)?
and appropriate for his holy per- Hazrat Khwaja Baqi bi-’llah (qud-
son (janab-i quddus-i uw) (ta‘ala disa sirruhu) said, Proof that one’s
2.17. MAKTUB 2.42 103
states are authentic is one at- shapes and images (gereftari beh
tains the firm conviction that one shabh va mithal). And the ob-
has attained perfection (‘Alamat- ject we seek is beyond the beyond
i sihhat-i ahwal, husul-i yaqin ast (wara-i wara). And what we in-
bar kamal). Also, how do vacil- tend (maqsud) is farther than the
lation or confusion (tadhbidhab, far out (sewa-i sewa).
ishtebah) form their forms? So
Therefore, necessarily, I turned
that by the endless grace of God
at that point, I turned my face
(uw, ta‘ala), for me, these have
away from all other sides, and in-
happened:
stead focused it onto the holy per-
1. The realization of the ex- son (janab-i quddus) who is un-
cellence of the well-defined qualified (biychun). And I re-
states (ittila‘ bar tafdil-i ceived relief from all that which
ahwal-i muqarrar) of these are branded by the mark of how-
masters has become possible, many-ness or howness (chandiy,
and the chuniy). Verily, I turn my face
solely onto him who has created
2. knowledge of monism,
the heavens and the earth. And I
unificationism, encompass-
am not among those who ascribe
mentism and permeationism
partners to him (Inni wajjahtu
(tawhid, ittihad, ihata,
wajhiya li-’llazi fatara ’l-samawati
sarayan) has been unveiled,
wa ’l-arda hanifan, wa ma ana
and
mina ’l-mushrikin) 87 . If the in-
3. the realities of [the marifat teraction were not such, I would
that] are unveiled onto or not have opened my lip against
witnessed by them (haqiqat-i them all the time (hargiz). And
makshuf va mash-hud) have I would not have opposed them
been revealed, and the based on suspicion and estimation
4. subtle points (daqa’iq) of (zann, takhmin). Morever, if this
their knowledge have come to criticism were not related with the
clarity (wuduh). person and attributes of God or
were not on the matter of his holy-
By the will of God (ma sha’ Al-
ness and incomparability (taqdis,
lahu ta‘ala), I stayed on that sta-
tanziya), then neither anything
tion for a long time and attained
against the unveilings of the sufi
the knowledge, more or less, on
shaykhs would have been revealed
all its matters. Finally, via the
nor would I discuss anything that
grace of God (befadli khodawandi)
opposes their science. Because I
(JS), it was revealed to me that all
am their lowly servant (kamineh)
of it is playing magic (sha‘bdeh)
87
with shadows and captivation to Q.An‘am.79
collecting the skin of their felicity Opposes ‘Alauddawla in

and the worthless one (radhileh) wahdat-i wujud I oppose
eating the left-over from his table- Shaykh ‘Alaudawla on the matter
cloth. of wahdat-i wujud. I am realizing
I am expressing again and again that he agrees with the opinion of
that they have nurtured me in the ulama. He considered those
many methods, and have bene- [wujudi or tawhidi experiences]
fited me in many ways. But ugly although he has come on the
what can I do? The right of path of kashf, unveiling90 . On the
God (huquq-i khodawandi) (JS) is other hand, other possessors of
far above the right due to them. kashf don’t consider that [monism
When the matter of the person or tawhid] ugly. Because this
and attributes of God are dis- matter [of tawhid] contains rare
cussed and it comes to be known hal and astonishing marifat. In
that some of those are inappro- summary, it is not good to stay
priate for his holy person then long on this homestead. And it is
to remain silent fearing opposition not beautiful to remain content in
from others is far away from reli- these states and knowledge.
giosity. On the station of worship-
fulness and piety (bandegi, ta‘at), Are tawhidi sufi shaykhs
it is unbearable.
fake?
The opposition that the zahiri
ulama hold with the sufi shaykhs Note: The Mujaddid explains that
(rahimahullahu sub-hanahu) on the tawhidi sufi shaykhs actually
controversial matters, e.g., the experience all is he (hameh ust).
matter of tawhid etc., are along It is not that they are faking it.
the path of consideration (nazr) However, still all is He is not true,
and demonstrative proof (istidlal). instead tawhidis get a false experi-
On the other hand, I oppose them
God-realization in sone measure. But he needs to
in the method of unveiling and progress more and then he ultimately reaches the
witnessing (rah-i kashf, shuhud). state of separation after union (farq ba‘d al-jam‘),
Zahiri ulama say that the above- where he experiences that the creator and his cre-
mentioned matter88 are ugly. On ation are separate
90
i.e. Sh. ‘Alauddawla considered those experi-
the other hand, I say those mat- ences of tawhid ugly although as a sufi , he should
ters are good provided they are have known better— those are neither good nor
ultimately crossed (‘ubur). I.e., bad but are only experiences. If those masters of
those matters must be crossed89 . tawhid came to those experiences via misinterpre-
tation of Quran and hadith, yes it would have been
88
i.e., experiences of monism anti-sharia and so bad. Instead, they were merely
89
For the salik, those experiences of tawhid de- subjective experiences as hal that many saliks ex-
notes he has reached transformation on his path of perienced
2.17. MAKTUB 2.42 105
ence due to their excessive love for These masters have sacrificed
God. themselves and all others in the
love of Haqq (ja). Even that, they
Question: If it is so then are all the have not kept the name, sign or
[tawhidi] sufi shaykhs false (batil)? mark of themselves or any one else
Is the truth beyond that what left. Maybe untruth would flee at
they have realized via unveiling their sight. So in the place, all is
and witnessing (kashf, shuhud)? true and all is for the sake of truth.
Answer: All that what cannot be The scholars of the manifest
predicated on the truth is indeed knowledge, they possess only the
false. The source of these states external sight. How would they re-
and knowledge (mansha’i iyn ah- alize the reality of these masters?
wal va ma‘arif) for them91 is their What would they understand save
predominating affection and over- opposition in form (mukhalifat-
powering love (ghalba-i mahab- i suri)? And what would they
bat, istila-i hubb) for the Haqq. receive of their perfect things?
What is said is that there are
[Their love] is so extreme that
many perfect things apart from
not even a name or sign of the
those states and marifats. And
ma sewa comes in their consider-
when compared to those, these
ation or sight (nazr, basir). [And
states and marifats are like a drop
their love] erases and annihilates
of water to an all-encompassing
(mahw, mutlashi) the name or
ocean.
sign of the other and otherness
(ghair, ghairiyat). At that time, The sky comes below the
due to the intoxication and pre- throne of God
domination of the state (sukr, Still it comes above the
ghalba-i hal), they realize the ma surface of the
sewa as nonexistent (ma‘dum). earth
And they sees none but Haqq ex-
isting. So what is falseness here? Asman nisbat be-‘arsh
Or where is the falseness? Instead, amad furud
in this homestead, there is only War neh bas ‘aliyast
the predomination of truth and pesh khak-i tur
falsifying of falseness92 .
91
i.e., these states and knowledge denoting Removing veils
tawhid for those tawhidi sufi shaykhs
92
i.e., those tawhidi masters spoke on their sub- A. Mainstream view
jective experiences truthfully, it is only that their
unveilings of tawhid were defective as those were Let us proceed to the gist of the
colored by their hal of sukr, intoxicatedness. IAM matter and say that what has been
said on the matter of removing find a person who has made such
the veils is this, Within the sayr- an arrival — indeed, he is a most
i afaqi, both the lighted and dark- exalted being. Therefore, within
ened veils get pierced completely the sayr-i afaqi, it cannot be de-
as it has been passed on (god- termined if [even] half of the dark-
hasht) before. I consider this ened veils are pierced. What form
claim doubtful. would the piercing of the lighted
veils take there?
B. Mujaddid’s unique insight
Different levels of darkness
On the other hand, I93 am finding
Summary: There are different lev-
that its contrary has been estab-
els within the darkened veils and
lished. And I am witnessing that
that creates confusion. For exam-
the piercing of the darkened veils
ple, the veils of the nafs are darker
(kharq-i hujb-i zulmani) depends
than the veils of the heart. If in
on traversing all the levels of the
this place, the veils that are less
contingent realm (tayy-i jami‘-i
dark reveal themselves as compar-
maratib-i imkan). And that gets
atively more lighted veil, then the
possible via sayr-i afaqi and sayr-
dark veils may be conceived as
i anfusi. And the piercing of the
lighted veils. However, dark veils
lighted veils (kharq-i hujb-i nu-
are indeed dark and the lighted
rani) is linked to the sayr of the
veils are indeed lighted. Those
names and attributes of the Nec-
with sharp sights do not commin-
essary. So that in the gaze [of the
gle one with the other and cre-
salik], no name, attribute, mode or
ate confusion (ishtebah). Dua:
crossing-over any longer remains.
Dhalika fadlu ’llahi yu’tihi man
At that point, the lighted veils
yasha’u, wa ’llahu dhu ’l-fadli ’l-
get completely pierced for him
‘azim.
(Fa-hina’idhin yatayassaru lahu
kharqu ’l-hujubi ’l-nuraniyati bita-
mamiha). And [the salik] is hon- Mujaddidi path
ored with the naked arrival (wasl-i
‘uryani). NOTE: Sayr-i afaqi and anfusi are
technical terms and key terms and
so should not be translated. so are
C. Discussion jadhba, suluk, tazkiya tasfiya.
However, very few people attain God has honored me with walking,
such an arrival94 . And it’s rare to i.e., do the suluk (taslik) onto this
93
the Mujaddid Naqshbandi path (tariq). And
94
in which both the lighted and darkened veils that path brings together (jami‘)
get pierced completely jadhba and suluk [in one hand],
2.17. MAKTUB 2.42 107
and emptyness and ornamented- first step of this tariqa, jadhba is

ness (takhliya va tajliya) [on the attained. And that jadhba is the
other hand]. On that home- front gate to [the hall of] arrival
stead (mawtin)95 , both the cleans- (dehliz-i wusul).
ing (tasfiya) of the heart and pu- Barriers (mawaqi‘-i tawaqqufat)
rification (tazkiya) of the nafs are are the
tightly close to each other (muq-
tarin). And the sayr-i anfus, on 1. waystations of [sheer] suluk
that station, contains sayr-i afaq. (manazil-i suluk) or
Within the same tasfiya, there is
2. homesteads of jadhba that do
tazkiya. And within the same
not contain suluk (mawatin-i
tajliya, there is takhliya. There
jadhbatiy keh mutadamman-
anfus is included within the afaq.
i suluk nabashad).
However, tajliya and jadhba are
by their innate natures proceed in In this Mujaddidi tariqa, those
front (taqaddum dhati)96 . And two barriers (mani‘) are not there.
tasfiya, by innate learning (sabaq- Because suluk happens 1. sub-
i dhati), proceed in front (taqad- sidiarily (tufayli) 2. concurrently
dum dhati) of tazkiya, but its fo- with jadhba. Therefore, neither
cus is always on anfus, not on pure (khalis) suluk nor imperfect
afaq. As a result, necessarily, in (abtar) jadhba are here. For if
this Naqshbandi tariqa, the path they were there, they could give
is shorter (rah aqrab gasht) and rise to barriers on the way.
the arrival is nearer (beh wusul
nazdiktar).
Naqshbandi tariqa is royal
Instead, I say that this tariqa road This is such a tariqa that
definitively brings one to arrival is like the royal road (shahi rah)
(albateh mawsil). And it is im- of the prophets (as). These mas-
possible that one fails to arrive ters have arrived on this path to
(‘adam-i wusul) if one follows it. reach the waystations of arrival
You may ask Hazrat Haqq swt for (manazil-i wusul)98 On this foot-
the strength to stand firm (istiqa- step, they have crossed the world
mat) on this tariqa. And pray to beyond the horizon (afaq) and
him for respite (fursat)97 . the world within the anfus. On
I said, This tariqa surely brings to the second footstep, they have set
arrival (albateh mawsil and). And their feet outside the afaq and an-
the reason behind it is that on the fus and risen above suluk and jad-
hba. This is due to the reason that
95
of the Naqshbandi tariqa suluk ends in the end (nihayat) of
96
i.e., in front of takhliya and suluk
97 98
to follow this Mujaddidi tariqa intended destination cf. Aftabi
sayr-i afaqi, and jadhba ends at Excellence of

the end of sayr-i anfusi. Therefore, Naqshbandi masters
when the sayr-i afaqi and the sayr-
i anfusi get completed, the work You may know these on our hon-
of jadhba and suluk also get com- ored pirs: They are the ones
pleted. After that, neither suluk who were my path finders (rah-
nor jadhba remain present. numayan) towards God (khoda).
It is via their blessed connector-
Such discussion is not conducive
ship (tawassul) that my eyes have
or appropriate to the knowledge
been opened on this path. And
of either the madhdhub-salik or
it is via their blessed intermedary-
the salik-madhdhub. Because for
ness (tawassutshan) that I have
them there is no place to set the
opened my lips on these concepts
feet on after afaq and anfus. They
(maqula). And in tariqat, I have
believe that if one has an infinite
taken the lesson of Aleph and
life, and spends it entirely on the
Beh. Instead, it is via their holy
sayr-i anfusi, still it won’t be com-
and noble face-turning (tawajjuh-
pleted. A master sang,
i sharif-shan) that I have attained
An atom be it tiny or the estate of scholarship (milk-i
huge mawluwiyyat). If I possess any
Dances the whole life but exoteric knowledge (‘ilm) then it
its path won’t end is via their intermediaryness (tu-
fayliy). And if I realize any es-
Dharrah gar bas nik, va oteric knowledge (ma‘rifat), it is
bas bad bud the trace of their good glance
Garcheh ‘umriy tag (athar-i iltifat). It is from them
zand, dar khod that I have learned the method of
bud the tariqa of the insertion of the
end into the beginning (tariq-i in-
as it has been passed on before. diraj al-nihayat fi ’l-bidayat). And
Someone else has said, Self- the nisbat of jadhba from the face
disclosure from the person (tajalli of qayyumiyat99 (nisbat-i injidhab
mina ’l-dhat) does not happen ex- beh jihat-i qayymiyat), it is also
cept in the form of the person who 99
Qayyumiyat refers to the sublime rank of the
receives the self-disclosure (muta- Qayyum that the Mujaddid was given, along with
jalla lahu). So that person who re- three of his progeny. After the companions, the
ceives the self-disclosure does not four qayyums are the greatest awliya, friends. All
see anything but his own form in the other friends are below the rank of the four
Qayyums. Yes! The Mujaddid wrote that the
the mirror of Haqq. He does not twelve imams of the ahl-i bait and Ghawthu ’l-
see Haqq and that seeing is not ‘azam ‘Abdul-qadir Jilani were the greatest walis,
possible. but that was in the earlier period of his life.
2.17. MAKTUB 2.42 109
from these masters that I have re- Sayr is better as it starts

ceived. What I have seen after a from anfus
single glance (nazar) from them,
Because of their high innate na-
none may see them even after
ture (‘uluww-i fitrat) and lofty
doing forty day solitary retreats
aspiration (sumuww-i himmat),
(chilleh/arba’in) for many days.
these [Naqshbandis] begin their
What I have attained via a single
tariqa from the sayr-i anfusi. And
blessed sentence (kalamshan) from
they cut through the sayr-i afaqi
them, others may not attain that
concurrently with that sayr [of
even in many years.
the anfus] (dar zaman-i an sayr).
The term safr dar watn alludes
What Tabriz found in
to that sayr [i.e., anfusiy]. In
one glance of
the tariqa of these masters, the
Shams-i Din
path is the nearer (aqrab), and
That hits by shame
arrival (wusul) is nearer (nazdik-
chilleh and hard
tar). The end of the sayr in the
practices
other tariqas is the beginning of
this [Naqshbandi] sayr. For this
Ankeh beh Tabriz yaft reason, they have said, We have
yek nazr-i Shams- inserted the end into the beginning
i Din (Ma nihayat ra dar bidayat darj
ta‘aneh zand bar daheh mikunim).
sokhreh konad
bar chilleh
Summary: Naqshbandi tariqa
is high In summary, the tariqa
And how beautifully was it re- of these [Naqshbandi masters] is
cited, far far higher than the other sufi
tariqas. And their presence of
Naqshbandis are amaz- awareness (hudur-i agahi) can be
ing captains of said to be above the awareness of
the caravan the most of the tariqas. For this
Via a hidden path to the reason, they have said, Our nis-
sanctuary they bat is above all the nisbats (Nisbat-
lead the caravan i ma fawqa hameh nisbatha’st).
Here nisbat means presence and
Naqshbandiya ‘ajib awareness.
qafila-i salar-and
keh barand az rah-i pin- Bewildered of beyond When
han beh haram the walis possessing the higher
qafila ra walayat (walayat-i uwliya) have
neither a place to set their feet on that is the other. They should
(qadamgah) nor a place to pass be negated via the reality of the
through (gudhargah), which are kalima la (Har chand dideh shad,
beyond the afaq and anfus and va shanideh shad, va danisteh
beyond suluk and jadhba, then shad, an hameh ghair ast. Ba
necessarily, these masters have haqiqat-i kalima-i la, nafiy-i an
neither given any news beyond bayad kard).
the afaq and anfus nor discussed
anything apart from suluk and Indeed Naqshbandi but
jadhba. Due to their kamalat- not bandi 102 of
i walayat, they have said, Af- the naqsh
ter fana and baqa, whatever that Every moment they find
the people of Allah see, they see an amazing naqsh
it within themselves. And what- Though Naqshbandi but
ever they hear, they hear it within still free from
themselves (Ahlu ’llah ba‘d az fana pure naqsh
va baqa har cheh mibinand, dar Although pure from
khod mibinand. Va har cheh mis- tablet of earth is
hanasand, dar khod shanasand). our naqsh
And their bewilderment is also
within themselves. Why don’t you Naqshbandanad waliy
see within yourselves (Wa fi an- band beh har
fusikum, afala tubsiruna)? 100 naqsh binad
har chand bul-‘ajabiy
naqsh-i digar pesh
Not attracted even to
arand
anfus Naqshbandaniy va liyk
Thank God (Li-’llahi subhanahu az naqsh-i pak
wa ’l-minnatu, )! although these naqsh-i ma ham garcheh
masters have not given any news pak az lawh-i
beyond the anfus, neither are they khak
captivated to the anfus. They
wish that like the afaq, they also Negation: Active versus pas-
put the anfus under the la 101 , sive Here is a mystery. You
and negate it due to its other- may know that negating oth-
ness. Hazrat Khwaja Naqshband erness (nafiy-i ghairiyat) is one
(quddisa sirruhu) has said, All thing and otherness being negated
that is seen, heard or known, all
102
There is a word play here: naqsh means pat-
100
Quran.Al-Dhariyat.21 tern, bandi means captive and Naqshbandi is the
101
of the kalima of negation, i.e., La ilaha proper name of the sufi tariqa
2.17. MAKTUB 2.42 111
(intifa-i ghairiyat)103 is another 3. have come outside of the cir-

thing — there is a gulf of dif- cle of shadows (da’ira’i zilal)
ference between them. I say, completely (tamam-i berun),
For walayat, there is no room 4. have cast the anfus in their
to set the feet (qadamgah) out- backs like they have cast the
side of 1. jadhba, 2. suluk, 3. afaq.
afaq, 4. anfus. Because be-
yond those four pillars of walayat For others, tajalli-i dhati happens
are those forewords and pref- for as short a duration as a light-
aces of the perfection of prophet- ning (barqi). On the other hand,
hood (mubadiy va muqaddamat- for these [possessors of kamalat-i
i kamalat-i nubuwat). And the nubuwat], that [tajalli-i dhati] is
hands of walayat come short of ever-continuing (da’imi).
reaching the tall towering tree Instead, the interactions of these
(shajra-i buland, bala) of that.104 . masters are even beyond tajalli,
regardless of whether that tajalli
Sublime rank of kamalat- is lightning-like or not lightning-
i nubuwat For the prophets like105 . Because tajalli gives
(AS), most of their companions hint of shadowness (zilliyat) while
and a few from their rest of the for these masters [of kamalat-i
ummat, they nubuwat], even one dot of the re-
flection is as heavy as a mountain.
1. have found the path towards
that felicity [of kamalat-i Love
nubuwat] as the followers and
1. Method is love Method
heirs of their own prophets.
(kar) of these masters begin
2. have cut through the far-out from the attraction and love of
waystations (qat‘ manazil-i God (jadhba, mahabbat-i ilahi)
bu‘d) and have stepped be- (JS). When by the endless grace
yond jadhba and suluk, via of God (‘inayat-i biy-ghayat-i
this path where jadhba and khodawandi, jalla sultanahu wa
suluk are brought together ‘azuma sha’anuhu), this love keeps
(jami‘), and on increasing moment by moment
103 and gets overwhelming (istila) and
nafiy-i ghairiyat is when the salik makes a con-
scious volitional effort on his part to negate the produces potency and predomina-
ghair from the screen of his mind, whereas,intifa-i tion (quwwat, ghalba), then neces-
ghairiyat is when the ghair gets negated sponta- sarily, love of the ma sewa wanes
neously IAM and the attachment of captiva-
104
i.e., that kamalat-i nubuwat. And that
kamalat-i nubuwat is so far far sublime that it is
tion to others (ta‘alluq-i gereftari-i
105
way beyond the reach of walayat Aftabi translation says ever-continuing
aghyar) weakens degree (darajat) attains the ten stations. And

by degree. When, for the pos- this sayr-i mahbubi or sayr-i afaqi
sessor of this felicity, due to his comes into his hands. Also the
overpowering love of God (istila- sayr-i afaqi comes into completion.
i mahabbat), his love of the ma Because the truthful news-giver
sewa completely sets down, and (mukhbir-i sadiq) (SLM) has said,
instead the love and captivation of Man is with him whom he loves
the holy person of God (mahab- (Al-mar’u ma‘a man ahabba) 107 .
bat va gereftari-i janab-i quddus- Via this sayr-i mahbubi, sayr-i
i khodawandi) sits down on the afaqi comes into the hands, and
seat of that [love and captivation], in the same way, sayr-i anfusi also
then necessarily, his bad charac- ends and gets completed.
ter traits and inferior qualities
(awsaf-i radha’il, akhlaq-i radiya) 3. Beyond afaq and anfus
get pierced completely and instead When the beloved is beyond the
praiseworthy character traits get afaq and anfus, then due to his
absorbed into him (mutahalli beh companionship, the lover should
akhlaq-i hamida). Then he real- also go beyond the afaq and anfus.
izes the ten stations. And all that So the [Mujaddidi salik] also goes
that used to rest on the ten sta- beyond the sayr-i anfusi to attain
tions come into his hands. Then the felicity of fellowship (ma‘iyat).
necessarily, what others normally As they have attained the felicity
get via sayr-i afaqi, he gets that of love, these masters have noth-
here, even without any strength- ing to do with either the afaq or
ening (ma’unat) and differentia- the anfas. On the other hand,
tion (tafsil) by suluk or hard striv- both the afaq and anfas follow
ing (mujahada). (tabi‘) their activities (kar va bar).
And suluk and jadhba are come
2. Love makes marifat easy out of their interactions (tufailiy-i
It happens because love desires106 mu‘amalashan).
obeyance (ita‘at) of the beloved.
So when love becomes perfect, 4. Capital-stock is obey-
obeyance turns complete. And ing the sharia Capital-stock
he obeys the beloved in as com- (sarmaya) of these masters is
plete measure as human power al- love (mahabbat). Consequently,
lows him (be-andazeh-i quwwat- they necessarily obey (ita‘at) the
i bashari) — it is then that he beloved. And obeying the beloved
106
retranslated from Aftabi as I could place links to taking up (atiyan) of
that word’s dictionary meaning here, i.e., naqada. the sharia. That is the religion
Could be an error in Naushahi manuscript, let me
107
compare with Amritsari hadith
2.17. MAKTUB 2.42 113
that pleases God (din-i mardi’i uw to purify (tatahhir) the nafs from
ta‘ala). Therefore, the evidence its bad character traits and dis-
of perfection of the love comes to honest qualities (akhlaq-i radiya,
be taking up the sharia. And awsaf-i radhila). And that nafs
that sharia depends on knowledge, is the headman of all those bad
practice and sincerity in intention qualities and captivation (ra’is-i
(‘ilm, ‘aml, ikhlas). an dhama’im va gereftari). There-
fore, there is no alternative to
5. Sharia requires ikhlas sayr-i anfusi. And there is no
That ikhlas may be pure to such a other way but to go from the con-
measure that ikhlas forms its form temptible (dhamima) qualities to-
in each saying and action. And wards the praiseworthy qualities.
it forms in every movement and
stillness (harkat, sukunat). This
happens in the lot of the mukhlas, Sayr-i afaqi: Less critical
with a vowel mark for u after
the l. And the mukhlis 108 , how Sayr-i afaqi is not the purpose.
would they realize its mystery? And no particular function de-
You may have heard the saying, pends on it. Because captivation
The mukhlis are in great danger of the afaq happens due to capti-
(Wa ’l-mukhlisuna ‘ala khatirin vation of the anfus. If one loves
‘azimin). anything, one does it due to one’s
love for oneself. If one loves chil-
dren or wealth, one loves them for
Purpose: Purification of
their benefit (intifa‘) for oneself.
nafs
Sayr-i anfusi: More Within the sayr-i anfusi, when
critical one’s love for oneself (dustiy-i
khod) sets down (za’il) due to pre-
Now let me proceed to the gist of domination of the love (istila-i ma-
the matter and say that the pur- habbat) for Haqq (JA), and at
pose behind the 1. sayr, 2. su- that same time, one’s love for chil-
luk and jadhba, 3. cleansing and dren and property also sets down.
purification (tasfiya, tatahhir) is As the result, sayr-i anfusi is most
108
Mukhlas, mukhlis: A mukhlas, with a vowel needed (daruri). And the sayr-
mark for a after the l, is one who has been made i afaqi gets cut through via the
purified by God109 , And he is an elect whom God medium (tufayl) of [sayr-i anfusi]
has chooses by the method of election, ijtaba. On and along with it. For this reason,
the other hand, a mukhlis is not an elect, instead
one who chooses to purifies himself via riyadat, mu- the sayr of the prophets (‘alahi ’l-
jahada, hard effort and practices. Instead of ijtaba, salam) was limited to the anfus,
this method is called inabat and the afaq was cut through con-
currently110 . one comes to know of the clean-

liness of his heart onto the mir-
Yes! Sayr-i afaqi is also good, if
ror of the imaginal world (‘alam-i
1. one is allowed the respite to mithal) and sees that [cleanliness]
cross it. And as a red light.
Instead, why don’t they put their
2. bring it to conclusion with-
own conscience (wajdan-i khod) to
out any problem or delay
work? And why don’t they rele-
(biy-takhallul, tawaqqafat).
gate (hawala nakonad) the cleanli-
On the other hand, if one is ness (safa) [of the heart] onto that
not granted the respite to cut [conscience]? There is a proverb,
them off, and instead disturbed For a twelve-year old, what’s the
by delays (beh tawaqqufat mub- need of a physician?
tala sazanad) then it may be that Because by his own true feel-
that sayr-i afaqi would ings (wajdan-i sahih-i khod), he
is able to realize the variega-
1. turn into a nonsensical thing tion of his own states (talwinat-i
2. be counted as a barrier on the ahwal-i khod). And via his con-
way of attaining the sought science (beh tafarrus), he is able
thing. to know of his sickness and heal-
ing. Yes! There are plenty of
In whatever measure that sayr-i knowledge, marifat, self-disclosure
afaqi is cut through, it is a spoil of and manifestation (tajalli, zuhu-
war. It is going to the good thing rat) within sayr-i afaqi but all
from the bad thing. It is a mag- that are shadows, and consoling
nificent bliss if one is granted the one with similar things (shab-h,
respite to complete this sayr and mithal). Sayr-i anfusi itself is con-
step (kharamad) outside the circle nected to the shadow (zilal) — I
of anfus. The colors of the anfus, have verified it in my maktubs and
what is the need to see all that on risalas in detail. So sayr-i afaqi
the mirror of the afaq? And what should be made to come down
is the need to witness the variega- from (muta‘allaq) the shadow of
tion (talwinat)111 of the anfus onto the shadow (zill al-zill). Because
the mirror of the afaq (talwinat-i afaq itself is the shadow of the an-
anfus ra dar mar’at-i afaq musha- fus and the mirror of the manifes-
hadah)? I.e., in the way that tation (zuhur).
110
You should know that 1. all those
i.e. yes, afaq was cut through, albeit in a
smaller measure and secondarily. For the primary states of the anfus that are wit-
emphasis on the sayr was the anfus nessed on the mirror of the afaq,
111
i.e., transformation cf. Aftabi and 2. its cleanliness and orna-
2.17. MAKTUB 2.42 115
mentation (safa, tajliya) that are 1. remain deprived of attaining

felt, its analogy is this: A person fana
who, in a dream or mystic vision 2. be unable to realize the
(khab, waqi‘a), in the world of im- ten stations (tahaqquq beh
ages (‘alam-i mithal), sees himself maqamat-i ‘ashra), and
as the emperor or the pole of the
age (qutb-i waqt). However, in re- 3. be unable to bring into his
ality he is neither the emperor nor hands any part of the states
the pole. If he attains those two (abasteh) of the seven lati-
ranks in the outside (kharij), he fas (atwar-i sab‘a) except the
would be honored with those two skin (post).
ranks. Summary: By that dream
Therefore, necessarily, the sayr-i
or mystic vision, only this much
anfusi is included into the sayr ila-
is estimated that he possesses the
’llah. Also the final station of the
receptivity to be the emperor or
sayr ila ’llah, which is the station
pole. However, he has to try his
of fana. It is linked with the com-
best and only then that potential
pletion (tamamiy) of the sayr-i an-
would transform into action. And
fusi. Sayr fi-’llah is far beyond the
from the ears it would come to the
sayr-i anfusi.
lap.
On the matter we are discussing, How would I reach the
the purification and ornamenta- beloved?
tion of the nafs rests on sayr-i an- When there are moun-
fusi. Whatever is observed within tains, caves, and
sayr-i afaqi, all that is merely trenches on the
the preparedness and receptivity way
(isti‘dad, qabiliyat) of tazkiya and
tajliya. Until the salik Kaifa ’l-wusulu ila
su‘ada wa dunaha
1. sees himself cleansed and pu- Qulalu ’l-jibali wa
rified (muzakka, mutahhar) dunahunna
in the kharij via sayr-i anfusi khuyufu
2. by his own findings,112 O trace of felicity (sa‘adat-i

finds himself cleansed (beh athar)! Within the sayr-i anfusi,
wajdan, khod ra musaffa when for the salik both
nabayad)
1. the connection of knowledge
he would and love (ta‘alluq-i ‘ilmiy
va hubbiy) that was related
112
feelings cf. Aftabi to the person of the salik
(keh beh dhat-i salik mansub cut off then it is indeed sayr-
budeh) and i afaqi. Sayr-i afaqi and anfusi
2. the captivation with himself in the other tariqas are its oppo-
(gereftari-i dhat-i uw) site — for they do need hypocrisy
(takalluf) as it has been narrated
they both go away, at that time, before. Yes! Where there is the
the captivation that the salik truth, there there is no need of
had with the others (gereftari- hypocrisy (takalluf). Allahu sub-
i digaran) and their corollaries hanahu ’l-muwaffiqu.
also weaken. Because those acts Listen! Listen! They talk about
of captivation with the others the manifestation of the names
(gereftari-ha-i digaran) were the and attributes (zuhur-i asma va
result of the salik’s captivation sifat) of the Necessary (JS) onto
with himself (bewasteh-i gereftari- the mirror of the salik within the
i khod). They have been verified sayr-i anfusi. And they consider
before. it as the BIVHUSITI and orna-
Therefore, it is now established mentedness that comes after emp-
that the sayr-i afaqi gets cut tynesss (tajliya ba‘d az takhliya).
through at the same time as sayr-i Instead, in reality, that [manifes-
anfusi. And via this same sayr, tation] is neither the manifesta-
the salik gets free of the cap- tion of the names and the at-
tivation to the self (khod) and tributes, nor ornamentation after
the captivation to all other things emptyness. Instead, that manifes-
(digaran). Therefore, estimating tation is the manifestation of one
from that verification the mean- of the mere shadows (zill) of the
ings of the sayr-i anfusi and sayr- names and attributes. And that
i afaqi, get clear without any [manifestation] is the
hypocrisy (biy-takalluf). Because
1. causer of the attainment
truly, sayr does take place in the
of takhliya (muhassil-i
anfus and also sayr does take place
takhliya) and
in the afaq.
2. facilitator of tazkiya (musah-
When the attachments with the
hil-i tazkiya)
nafs in their various degrees (Cheh
qat‘a ta‘alluqat-i anfus beh tadrij) Its detailed clarification (bayan) is
are cut off then it is sayr-i an- this:
fusi. And when, at the same time
and additionally, the attachments 1. The priority (sabqat) is from
(ta‘alluqat) of the afaq, which that side, [the side] which is
form their forms at the same time related to being the origin
as sayr-i anfusi— they are also (munasib-i mabda’iyat).
2.17. MAKTUB 2.42 117
2. I.e., first , one of the many form (surat) but not in real-
shadows of the object being ity (haqiqat)
sought (zilal-i matlub) gets 10. Instead, it is only within
manifested onto the mirror of sayr-i anfusi that takhliya
the salik via attainment (beh is attained and manifes-
husul). tation can be conceived
3. And the purpose of that (husul-i takhliya, zuhur
[manifestation is] that the mutasawwur), as it has been
darkness and muddiness (zul- passed on before.
mat, kudurat) [in the batin]
Note: Gusistan is breaking away
of the seeker goes away.
from worldly things. On the other
4. And as the result [the seeker] hand, paivastan is the joining to-
attains tazkiya and tasfiya. gether with God.
And those, [i.e., tazkiya From this clarification, it is estab-
and tasfiya] are linked with lished that:
the completion (marbut beh
tamamiy) of the sayr-i anfusi. 1. Shadow-like paivastan, join-
5. Next takhliya, emptying113 ing together comes before
forms its form. And the pre- the gusistan, breaking away
paredness for tajliya is found (paivastan-i zilli bar gusastan
muqaddam)
6. At this point, the salik at-
2. so that a shadow of the
tains the worthiness to be
object being sought does
the [locus of] manifestation
not get reflected onto the
of the names and attributes
mirror of the [batin of
of the Necessary (shayan-i
the] salik (zilliy az zilal-i
zuhur-i asma va sifat-i wa-
matlub dar mar‘at-i salik
jibi)
mun‘akis nashod), [and as
7. Therefore, within sayr-i an- its result] the breaking away
fusi, takhliya is attained as from something other than
well the object being sought is
8. and that takhliya is depen- not conceived (gusistan az
dent (manut) on the purity ghayr matlub mutasawwur
(tazkiya, tasfiya) of the nafs nabashad)
9. On the other hand, that .
takhliya, which was imag- On the other hand, joining to-
ined to be within sayr-i afaqi, gether with the prototype114 hap-
that was merely takhliya in pens after the attainment of
113 114
i.e., emptying of the batin i.e., names and attributes (ism-sifat)
breaking away (paivastan beh asl In the dawn, firstly the rays come
ba‘d az husul-i gusistan). out even before the sun rises, and
Therefore, among the sufi as its result, secondly, the dark-
shaykhs, ness is emptied (khali) and the
world gets full of light. And it
1. Those who say that paivas- is after the darkness goes away
tan is prior, that saying and light is attained (zawal-i zul-
should be interpreted to mat, husul-i safa), it is then that
mean they meant the paivas- the sun itself appears. Therefore,
tan of the shadows. the shadow of the sun is mani-
2. On the other hand, those fested (zuhur-i zill-i aftab) before
who say that gusistan, break- the darkness goes away (zawal-i
ing away is before the paivas- zulmat). And the sun itself rises
tan, saying should be inter- only after the darkness goes away.
preted to mean they meant It is like this: It is cleaned and
the paivastan, joining to- decorated, but without a hint of
gether of the prototypes his coming, the city is not cleaned
(asl). or decorated. So it is better that
the emperor comes after [the city
Therefore, the contradiction be- is cleaned].
tween the two groups are relegated So the truth is manifested, the
onto the difference in terminol- quarrels are raised up, and the
ogy.115 confusion goes away. It is Al-
On this station, Shaykh Abu Sa‘id lah (S) who inspires (Fa-zahara ’l-
Kharraz (qs) was speechless (mu- haqqu wa ’rtafa‘a ’l-naza‘u wa zala
tawaqquf). He said, Until he gets ’l-ishtibahu. Wa ’llahu subhanahu
free, he does not receive. And until ’l-mulhim).
he gets freed, he does not receive
(Ta narahiy niyabiy, ta niyabiy
narahiy). I do not know which one 2.18 Maktub 2.43
is prior in time.
To Mawlana Muhammad Afzal
I realize that the finding of the Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala
shadow (yaft-i zill) is before at- ‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa.
tainment of the release (rahidan)
whereas the finding of the proto-
Explaining: Taste is
type (yaft-i asl) is after attainment
of the release. So no confusion re- received, but not receipt
mains. The sufi shaykhs of this most
115
Maktub 1.147 discusses paivastan and gusiatn high tariqa (qaddasa ’llahu ta‘ala
in a greater detail asrarhum) have written, In that
2.18. MAKTUB 2.43 119
presence (js), the taste is received, Question on taste of

but not the receipt (Dhawqi yaft receipt
ast, neh yaft). This saying relates
to the station of insertion of the Question: A. When the ender re-
end in the beginning (indiraj-i ni- ceives his sought thing, why does
hayat dar bidayat). And that is his taste of receipt go away? B.
the homestead of the elect attrac- And when the beginner does not
tion (mawtin-i jadhba-i khass) of receive his sought thing, where
these masters. does he get his taste of receipt
from?
In that station, there is no real-
ity of the yaft, receipt. For that
reality is reserved for the enders Answer to part A: Going
(muntahiy-an). Still, when a taste away of taste of receipt
of the end is inserted in the be- The inner realm of the ender re-
ginning, a taste of receipt is possi- ceives his sought thing, but it is af-
ble there. However, when the sa- ter his attachment with the outer
lik advances from jadhba and from realm (zahir) is cut off (kamtar)
the beginning reaches the middle, that he is honored with that said
the taste of receipt vanishes like felicity [of receipt]. So necessarily,
the receipt itself. I.e., neither the his inner realm does not commu-
receipt is there nor the taste of re- nicate with the outer realm. And
ceipt. However, when he reaches the nisbat of his inner realm does
the extreme end (nihayat), then he not affect his outer realm. And
again attains the receipt, but the even though his inner realm re-
taste of the receipt is not there. ceives (yaft-i batin) it, his outside
Therefore, for the ender, when the is unable to feel its taste and plea-
taste of receipt is negated, nec- sure (dhawq, multadh)117 .
essarily the pleasure and sweet-
ness (iltidhadh, halawat) in his lot
is only a little. The ender has Answer to part B: Receiving
crossed the tasting and sweetness taste of non-manifest realm
in the first footstep. Finally, he Now remains the matter of receiv-
hides in the corner of the house ing the taste of the non-manifest
of unsweetness and tastelessness realm (dhauq-i batin). And that
(biy-halawatiy, biy-mazagiy). Ha- taste would be biychuniy since
dith: Rasul of Allah used to be the inner realm has attained a
always sad and worried (Kana ra- share (nasib) of world of biychu-
sulu ’llahu (salam) mutawasila ’l-
ahzani da’ima ’l-fikri)116 . 117
Feelings originate from the five sensory organs,
and those organs are physical things that are in the
116
hadith outer realm of the salik. Cf. Aftabi
niy. On the other hand, [that perfection of friendhood (kamalat-

biychuniy taste] would not come i walayat) could be something else
in the perception of the mani- but this [singing and dancing].
fest realm (idrak-i zahir), which is
completely (sarasar) chuniy. Ender attains the
As the result, in many instances, receipt but loses its
the manifest realm negates the taste
taste that the inner realm receives
(zahir nafiy-i dhauq az batin), May Allah swt show the [com-
and considers [that taste] unsweet moners] the straight path. Truly,
(biy-halawat) like itself. Because what the zahir is compared to the
the receiving of the taste is dif- batin is like what the chun is com-
ferent for chun and biychun. So pared to the biy-chun. Therefore,
when even the outside of the ender it is now established that both
does not keep any news of his in- receipt and the taste of receipt
side, how would the outsides of the (yaft, dhauq-i yaft) are attained
commoners would keep any news in the non-manifest side of the en-
of that [ender’s] inside? And what der (batin-i muntahi). Summary:
would come to lot of the [com- But since that taste (dhauq) has a
moners] save denial? The taste part of the biychuniy world, that
that the [commoners] fail to un- [taste] is not perceived in the man-
derstand is the taste of the manifest side. Instead, the manifest
ifest side (zahir) that is included side denies that taste (nafiy-i an
within the chuniy world. dhauq). And although the man-
ifest side (zahir) keeps news (it-
tila‘) of the receipt of the non-
Why commoners like singing manifest side (yaft-i batin), it is
It is for this reason that to still unable to realize the taste of
the [commoners] singing, danc- that receipt in the receipt (dhauq-
ing, crying aloud and restlessness i an yaft dar yaft). Therefore, if
(sama‘, raqs, saih, idtirab) — one looks at the manifest side, it
all these that are states of the can be said that the ender attains
manifest side and tastings of the the receipt but loses the taste of
outer form (ahwal-i zahir, adhwaq- receip
i surat) — they are exalted in exis-
tence (‘aziz al-wujud) and magnif-
Zahir fails to feel taste of
icent in measure (‘azim al-qadr).
receipt
Even that, they consider tastings
and ecstasies (adhwaq, mawajid) However, since that taste has a
limited to singing and dancing. part of the biychuniy world, that
And they do not think that the [taste] is not perceived by the zahir
2.18. MAKTUB 2.43 121
. Even that, the zahir denies that As its result, the taste of receipt
[taste]. But still, the zahir keeps (dhauq-i yaft) gets created (paida)
news of the receipt of the batin al- in their zahir [of the beginners]
though it is unable to perceive the without their conscious choice (biy
taste of that [batin]. However, if ikhtiyar). So it is now decided
the zahir is observed in that way, that the beginner does not get
it can be said that the ender re- the reality of the receipt (haqiqat-
ceives but he is deprived of the i yaft), instead he attains only the
taste of the receipt118 . taste of the receipt.
Why beginners lose the

receipt?
The well-instructed beginners of
this most high tariqa establish the
Rabita of love
taste of yaft, receipt but lose the
receipt. Its reason is this: The
masters of this tariqa insert the From this clarification, it can be
taste from the end (chashniy az known (ma‘lum) how high is the
intiha’) into the batin of the well- tariqa of the Naqshbandi masters
instructed beginner. (qas) and how sublime (raf‘at)
is their supreme (‘aliya) nisbat.
And in the method of reflection And the beauty of their nurture
(in‘akas), those [Naqshbandi mas- (husn-i tarbiyat) and the per-
ters] cast a ray of light (parto) of fection of the endeavor (kamal-i
the end into the beginning. At ihtimam) of these masters with
that time, the zahir of the be- the seekers and students (muri-
ginner forms a rabita (murtabat) dan, taliban) could be understood
with his batin, and a clear chan- (mafhum). On the first footstep,
nel of communication119 (quwwat- they give (‘ata miyfarmayad) the
i ta‘alluq) between [his zahir and true seeker (talib-i sadiq) what-
batin] gets established. As its ever that they have (ancheh khod
result, that ray of the end (an ra darand) by putting that into
parto-i nihayat) and the pleasure the breast of that well-instructed
of friendhood (ladhdhat-i walayat) disciple (beh indaraj-i hawsalat-i
comes from his batin into his za- murid-i rashid). And they nur-
hir. And [that ray] colors the zahir ture (tarbiyat) him through the
by the color of the batin. channel of the rabita of love (beh
118
Aftabi p. 117, -10 this section is missing from ‘alaqat-i irtibat-i hubbiy) in the
Naushahi, check Amritsari method of glancing and reflecting
119
that is how Aftabi hz translates it in Bangla (beh iltifat, in‘akas).
Are Naqshbandi can you justify hesitation (tarad-

beginners equals of dud) in its truth?
other enders?
Some sufi shaykhs of the other
Naqshbandi end
silsilas (qaddasa ’llahu ta‘ala as- Indiraj : Magnificent felicity
rarhum) are unsure on the saying
— indiraj-i nihayat dar bidayat, That [Naqshbandi] indiraj is a
insertion of the end into the be- magnificent felicity. The beginner
ginning — which has come out of in this tariqa, although he does
these masters120 . They hesitate not have the property (hukm) of
on the point that they hold it im- the ender, still he is not deprived
proper to equate the beginner of of the felicity of the end. If it hap-
this tariqa with the enders of the pens that a beginner does not re-
other tariqas. Surprise! Where ceive the opportunity to complete
did they find that this [claim of the tariqa and to cross its waysta-
equality] of the beginner of this tions and reach the end. still he
Naqshbandi tariqa with the enders would not be deprived of the felic-
of the other tariqas? The Naqsh- ity of the end (dawlat-i nihayat)121
bandi masters have said nothing
beyond indiraj-i nihayat dar bi- Ender: Difference with other
dayat, insertion of the end into the tariqas
beginning. Amd what they said
does not mean equality. You may know that there is such
a difference between the ender in
Instead, what they mean is this tariqa with the ender in the
that in this tariqa, the shaykh other tariqas. In the beginning
who has reached the end gives of that end which has the mat-
(‘ata) the well-instructed beginner ter of the end commingled into,
(mubtadi-i rashid) a taste (chash- that [end] would be better than all
niy) of the felicity of the [shaykh’] other ends. Therefore, the end of
own end (az dawlat-i nihayat-i this [Mujaddidi tariqa] would be
khod) in the method of reflection the end of all ends (nihayat al-
(beh tariqa-i in‘akas) via his face- nihayat).
turning and charismata (tasarruf).
It is as if [the shaykh] puts the salt
Saliy keh nakust
of his own end into the beginning
Az baharash paidast
[of the disciple]. So where is the
equality (musawat)? Or how can 121
If a disciple takes bayat, and starts the suluk,
you be unsure (ishtebah)? Or how and by chance dies, he still crosses the rest of the
stations in the grave, and reaches perfection — I’ve
120
i.e., masters of this Naqshbandi tariqa learned from my sufi shaykhs.
2.18. MAKTUB 2.43 123
Year that would go well go from one innermost part to an-

You sense it in spring other innermost part. And from
that other innermost part, we set
down our feet onto a third inner-
Question on Naqshbandi most part. And this keeps on go-
end ing as long as Allah wills.
Some fanatic followers
(muta‘assiban) of other silsi- Answer B: What else beyond
las asked me, Question: Our Haqq can become
end122 arrives on the Haqq (S). A. Naqshbandi end ?
If you [Naqshbandis] want to call
Preface: Naqshbandi sayr
[our end] your beginning, where
is biychun Although Hazrat
would you go leaving Haqq? B.
Haqq swt is a truly simple thing
And what else can become your
(basit-i haqiqi), still he is also
end beyond Haqq?
all-embracing or wide (wasi‘).
However, that all-embracingness
Answer A: Where would lacks length or breadth as they are
Naqshbandis go leaving marks of contingentness and signs
Haqq? of newly-arrivedness (‘imarat-i
imkan, ‘alamat-i huduth). In-
We go from (az) Haqq into (beh) stead, his wideness is unqualified
Haqq js. And we flee from the (biychun, biycheguneh) like his
taint of shadowness (az sha’iba-i dhat. Consequently, the sayr
zilliyat) and reach the prototype that takes place within that
of the prototype (asl al-asl). And all-embracingness (wasi‘at) is
turning our faces away from self- also unqualified. And although
disclosed things that are contrary he who does the sayr possesses
to one another (tajalliyat-i i‘rad), qualifiedness (chuniy, chandiy), it
we seek out the thing that it- is by the power of unqualifiedness
self makes the self-disclosure (mu- (biychuniy, biycheguniy) that
tajalli). And crossing the mani- he cuts through the waystations
festations (zuhurat), we wish for of biychun. And from chun, he
the manifested things within the [finally] reaches the biychun.
very innermost part of our insides
(abtan-i butun).
Biychuniy sayr is mysteri-
When there are different levels ous Those brainless idiotic poor
(maratib-i mutafawta) within the ones123 ! How would they fathom
innermost parts (abtaniyyat)? We
123
i.e., the questioners who made this question
122
i.e., the end for a silsila other than Naqshbandi on the Naqshbandi end
the reality of this interaction? at the same time lower (dun) than
Those who are captivated by the those masters.127 So this is now
world of chun, how would they established that everyone’s end is
have any news of the biychun? Haqq (S) but those128 have dif-
They criticize because they them- ferences in-between their degrees
selves have failed to reach. And (tafawat-i darajatihim).
they boast because they them-
selves do not know. Interpretation 2: Shadow not
Some brainless ones who prototype Or we can say this
do not even know also that everyone considers reach-
themselves ing Haqq (js) as one’s own end.
Prefers defect imagining At the same time, there are
it to be excellence many who consider the shadows
and manifestations (zilal, zuhu-
Biy-khordiy chand ze rat) of Haqq as Haqq himself.129
khod biy-khabr However, there are differences in-
‘aib pasandand beh between the degrees of those shad-
za‘am hunar ows and manifestations.
Interpretation 1: Different Discussion on ends

ends Those [questioners] are so Consequently, the ends of all the
ignorant that they don’t under- possessors of the ends is not the
stand that the end of [all] the the same thing as arrival (nafs al-
prophets, even the end of the final amr va wusul) onto Haqq although
prophet, is the Haqq. But the end each of those [enders] believe that
of them all are not unified with their end is Haqq (S)]130 .
the end of the prophets. Instead,
those124 carry no interrelationship It may be that all these three take
with one another. Therefore, it place at the same time:
can also be that for a group,125
1. the beginning (ibtidaiy) of
such an end is possible, which is
one [i.e., first] group is the
beyond the ends of these126 , but
shadow and the manifesta-
124
two ends of these two groups, 1. the prophets tion of Haqq
and 2. the masters of the other silsilas, or for that
matter, any silsila Aftabi does make mistakes but they are small, very
125
of highly capable sufi masters, namely the rare and do not distort the main message
127
Naqshbandi masters i.e., the prophets
126 128
non-Naqshbandi sufi masters. Aftabi wrote ends of different individual saliks of those two
within brackets that it is the questioners but groups, at the same time
129
I believe he made a mistake, instead that that mistakenly
130
iyn, these, refers to non-Naqshbandi sufi masters. although that ender is mistaken
2.19. MAKTUB 2.44 125
2. that [beginning is] the end wa thabbat aqdamana wa ’nsurna

of that [second] group as ‘ala ’l-qawmi ’l-kafirina 131 Wa
they claim to have the true ’salamu ‘ala mini ’ttab‘a ’l-huda.
interpretation (beh za‘am-i
haqqaniyat)
3. a [third] group arrives onto
2.19 Maktub 2.44
(wusul beh) Haqq — who is Note: Most of this maktub dis-
beyond those shadows and cusses ideas that the Mujaddid
manifestations (ma waraiy later rejected, e.g., zilliyat etc.
an zilal, zuhurat). That part is skipped.
Why would that [prospect] be far To Muhammad Sadiq, the son of
out (mustab‘ad)? And why should Haji Muhammad Mu’min
that deserve denial and suspicion
(inkar, ishtebah)? All praise is to Allah! Peace
If a faulty one blames
this tribe
God forbid! I won’t say
such a thing
All the lions of the world No sin harms friend
are chained in this
Question: You have asked, When
chain
Allah loves a servant, no sin may
Can the teeth of jackal
harm him— what does it mean?
cut this chain?
Answer: You may know that when
Qasiriy gar konad iyn Hazrat Haqq swt loves a slave, no
qafila ra ta‘an-i sin comes out of him.
qusur
Hasha ’llah! Keh bar A. Preservation from sins
aram beh zaban
Because friends of the Haqq (ja)
iyn galeh ra
are preserved (mahfuz) from com-
Hameh shiran-i jahan
mitting sins, although it’s possi-
basteh iyn silsilah
ble for them to sin. On the other
and
hand, the case of the prophets
Rubeh az hileh chasan
are its opposite, for they are im-
begaslad iyn silsi-
mune (ma‘sum) from sin, i.e., it is
lah ra
impossible for a sin to come out
(sudur) of them. Consequently,
Dua: Rabbana ’ghfirlana lana
131
dhunubana wa israfana fi amrina Q.Al-‘Imran.147
when sins do not come out of the Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala
friends, then surely those would ‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa.
not harm them. I.e. when no sin is
not committed, it would not cause
Excellence of pleasant
any harm. It is indeed true and
not unknown to the wise. kalima
Tariqat, haqiqat and shariat are
B. Earlier sins included within the holy kalima La
ilaha illa ’llahu muhammadur ra-
This saying may also be inter-
sulu ’llah.
preted this way that sin refers
to his earlier sins that he had
committed before he attained First segment: La ilaha
the degree of friendship (daraja’i illa ’llah
walayat). Because indeed Islam
destroys all the sins that one had 1. La ilaha, station of
committed beforehand. negation, maqam-i nafiy
The rest of the matters are on Al- As long as the salik remains onto
lah. Rabbana la-tu’akhidhna in- the station of negation (nafiy),
nasina aw akhta’na.132 Wa ’l- he remains onto the station of
salamu ‘alaikum wa ‘ala mani tariqat. When
’ttaba’a ’l-huda, wa ’l-tazama mu-
taba‘ata ’l-mustafa, ‘alaihi wa ‘ala 1. he would be completely re-
alihi ’l-salawatu wa taslimatu ’l- lieved (bitamam farigh) from
‘ula. the station of negation, and
2. the ma sewa would be
negated from his gaze
2.20 Maktub 2.45
then he would
Summary: Cosmos is locus where
ism/sifat self-discloses, but not his 1. complete (tamam) the
dhat. However, in 3.122 Mujaddid tariqat and
rejects that and substitutes a new 2. arrive onto the station of the
theory. So read 3.122 instead. fana.
2.21 Maktub 2.46 2. illa ’llah, Affirmation

—ithbat of kalima tayyab
To Mawlana ‘Abdul Hamid Ban-
When the salik, after nafiy, 1.
gali
comes onto the station of ithbat,
132
Q.Baqara.2.286 and 2. turns his face from suluk
2.21. MAKTUB 2.46 127
to jadhba, then he gets 1. real- which are causes of the attainment

ized by the degree of haqiqat and (muhassilan) of walayat, are also
2. gets qualified by baqa. attained here. It is said that those
Next, this negation, affirmation two are preconditions of attain-
(nafi‘, ithbat), tariqat, haqiqat, ing haqiqat-i shari‘at and attain-
suluk, jadhba — they make true ing kamalat-i nubuwat. Walayat
the name wali onto him. And the is analogous to cleansing (walayat
nafs sheds its instigatingness (am- hamchun taharat)133 and sharia
margi) and instead attains paci- analogous to salat, in the con-
fiedness (itminan). text of the tariqat (shari‘at ham-
chun salat dar tariqat). It is
Therefore, the perfection of friend- said that after a perfect cleans-
ship (kamalat-i walayat) rests on ing (taharat-i kamila), tariqat
the first segment of this pleas- takes away one’s true dirtiness
ant kalima. And that first seg- (najasat-i haqiqi) whereas haqiqat
ment is the negation and affirma- take away one’s virtual dirtiness
tion (nafiy, ithbat). (najasat-i hukmi).
Second segment: Second segment is greater

Muhammadur So that after a perfect cleansing
(taharat-i kamila), one worthy of
rasulullah
obeying the rules (shayan-i atiyan-
Now remains second segment of i ahkam) of the sharia and attains
this holy kalima that establishes the receptivity (qabiliyat) of doing
the rasul-hood of the final prophet the salat — which is the pillar of
(slm). And this second segment the religion, the ultimate degree
attains (muhassil) and perfects of nearness (nihayat-i maratib-i
(mukammil) the sharia. qurb) and the miraj for the faith-
The sharia that was attained ful.
in the initial and middle stages I am finding the second segment
was merely the outer form of of this holy kalima as an endless
the sharia, and its name and sea (darya yaftam biy-kiran), and
facade (ism va rasm). True the first segment as a drop when I
sharia is attained in this home- compare them.
stead (mawtin), after the degree Yes! Before kamalat-i nubuwat,
of walayat is attained. the perfection of prophethood,
It is in this place that kamalat-i 133
You need to clean your heart, so that your
nubuwat, which their perfect fol- intention is observing the sharia is to please God,
lowers attain as heir and follower, instead of your nafs-this is the standard Mujaddidi
is attained. Tariqat and haqiqat, understanding
kamalat-i walayat, the perfection tion of nubuwat. A little bit from

of the friendship is worthless. that would be described now.
What worth does an atom has be-
fore the sun?
Perfection of nubuwat Dur-
ing the time of descent (nuzul),
as in walayat, the face is onto
Is walayat higher than Haqq. The sole difference is that
nubuwat? in walayat, it is by the zahir that
the wali is face-turned onto the
Sub-hanallah! It is a surpris-
creation, but onto the Haqq by the
ing matter that some people,
batin. And in descent, the nabi is
due to their crooked sight (ka-
face-turned onto the creation both
jbiniy)134 , consider walayat bet-
by zahir and batin. And by his
ter than nubuwat. And conse-
totality, invites the creation to-
quently, they hold sharia, which is
wards Haqq. And this descent is
the pith of walayat, as its chaff.
more complete and more perfect
What other idea would they put
(atamm, akmal) than the descent
up? Because their sight is focused
of walayat. I have made verifica-
onto the outer form (surat) of the
tion (tahqiq) on it in my books
sharia.
and risalas.
Those who have brought only
This focus (tawajjuh) of the
the chaff of the pith into their
[nabis] onto the creation is not like
hands, they are the ones who hold
the focus of the common people,
nubuwat small due to the [nabi’s]
as many assume. Instead, the fo-
defect of being face-turned onto
cus of the common people onto the
the creation (‘illat-i tawajjuh beh
creation is a facet of their captiva-
khalq). They consider this focus
tion onto the ma sewa. On the
[of the nabis] imperfect like the fo-
other hand, when the elect of the
cus of the common people. Ac-
elect (akhss-i khwas) focus onto
tually, they do not know that as
the ma sewa, it is not due to that
it is in kamalat-i walayat, the fo-
captivation. Because they have
cus is onto Haqq during the time
given up (wada‘a) that captivation
of ascent (‘uruj) as well. Instead,
onto the ma sewa on the first foot-
the glance (iltifat) that takes place
step, and replaced that with cap-
within walayat, it is merely the
tivation towards the creator of the
outer form of the perfection of the
creation (khaliq-i khalq).
ascent that takes place on the sta-
Yes! These masters135 do fo-
134
i.e., wujudis. Because they propose that the cus (tawajjuh) onto the created
focus of the wali is onto God whereas the focus of
135
the nabi is onto mankind the elect of the elect
2.21. MAKTUB 2.46 129
beings but it is for the pur- And if he is saved via order (amr),
pose of giving them guidance two rights are respected, the right
and good-instruction (hidayat, ir- of man and the right of the mas-
shad). They show the creation ter. On the contrary, doing zikr at
the way towards (rahnamuni) the that time could be included within
creator of the creation (khaliq-i sins. It is for the reason that it is
khalq), and point (dalalat) them not good (mustahsan) to do zikr
towards the good pleasure of the at all times, instead in many peri-
master (maradi-i mawla). There ods it is better not to chant zikr.
is no doubt that showing attention E.g. in the forbidden days and
to the created beings to free them time. At those times, not keeping
from the slavery (riqqiyat) of the fasts and not praying salat is bet-
ma sewa is superior to to showing ter than keeping fasts and praying
attention onto Haqq to promote salat.
the nafs.
For example, the case of one who Zikr is whatever takes
is absorbed in the zikr of God
away heedlessness
(ilahi) may be considered. And
during that period, he sees a blind You may know that zikr means
man with a well in front of him. removal of heedlessness (tard-i
And if the blind man advances one ghaflat) whatever type it may be.
more step, he would fall into it. It does not mean repetition of the
In such a situation, for the zikr- kalima of negation and affirma-
chanter, would it better for him to tion. Or repetition of the name
continue his zikr? Or would it be of the person (ism-i dhat), as it
better to save the blind man? is thought. Instead, all the obey-
ing of the positive instructions
There is no doubt that it would
and refraining from the prohibi-
better for him to save the blind
tions (imtithal-i awamir, intiha az
man than than to continue do
nawahi) of the sharia is included
zikr. Because God is unneedy
within zikr.
(ghaniy) of him and his zikr while
that blind man is the needy slave. Even that, buying and selling,
And it is necessary to relieve his marrying and divorcing, if they
pain. Even more, if one is com- are done respecting the confines
manded (ma’mur) to do it, saving of the sharia, all that is consid-
him would be like zikr to that one. ered as zikr. Because while do-
Because then one would be obeying those actions, if the maker
ing the order (imtithal-i amr). In of the rules is remembered, then
zikr, one right (haqq) is respected, where is the room for heedless-
which is the right of the master. ness? However, when he is remem-
bered via mentioning his names tained. However, the matter of di-
and attributes136 , it would create vine grace is separate. If grace is
traces rapidly (sari‘ ’l-ta’thir) and there, no precondition or connec-
love with the object of the zikr. tor (shart, wasila) is needed. Al-
And bring the doer of the zikr near lah elects whomever he wills to-
(qarib al-iysal) the object of that wards himself (Wa ’llahu yajtabi
zikr. This situation is the oppo- ilaihi man yash’u)140
site of that zikr that is via do-
ing the positive instructions and
refraining from prohibitions. In Supreme interaction
that, the above-mentioned quali- Let us proceed to the gist of
ties137 are there only a little. Still, the matter, and say, After these
a few such zikr-doers who do zikr three interactions, sharia, tariqa,
via following the sharia attain it haqiqa, there is a different busi-
rarely. It is like when Khwaja ness (karbar) before which those
Naqshband said, Hazrat Mawlana interactions have no measure or
Zaynuddin Tayibadi (qs) reached interpretation (i‘tidad, i‘tibar).
God on the path of knowledge (az Because what is attained on the
rah-i ‘ilm bekhoda rasideh ast). level of the haqiqat of that form
Even more, the zikr that takes and which is related to the ithbat
place via names or attributes of the kalima illa ’llah — that is
— that is merely the connector merely the form of that interac-
(wasila) of the zikr that is at- tion, and that interaction is its re-
tained via respecting the bound- ality. This is analogous to this: 1.
aries (mara‘at-i hudud) of the In the beginning, the outer form
sharia. Because one may not re- of the sharia is attained by every-
spect the rules of the sharia within one but 2. after the reality of the
all activities without a complete tariqa and haqiqa is attained, the
love (mahabbat-i tamm) for the reality of the form of that sharia
master of the sharia. And this is attained.
perfect love depends on the zikr
You may ponder on the interac-
of names and attributes. There-
tion 1. whose form is the real-
fore, in the beginning, that type
ity141 , and 2. whose preface is
of zikr138 is needed. Only then
walayat. How can one talk about
this type of zikr139 would be at-
that142 ? And where is the room
136
i.e., when the zikr of God via zikr of divine to discuss that? Even if it could
names and attributes
137 140
i.e., rapid creation of traces, love, attaining Quran
141
union fast cf. Aftabi i.e., whose form is the reality of another thing
138
i.e., zikr of names and attributes or ism, sifat cf. Aftabi
139 142
i.e., zikr via observance of the sharia amazing thing
2.21. MAKTUB 2.46 131
be described, who would realize This is for this reason that sharia
it, and who would understand it? is the mother of all perfections,
This interaction is the inheritance and the root (asl) of all stations.
from the possessor of resoluteness The fruit of the sharia is not lim-
(???) prophets that come into ited to this world, The perfec-
the lot of only the fewest of the tions of the last world and the
few. Its prototype are the posses- eternal pleasure (tana“umat-i sar-
sor of resoluteness prophets. And madi) are the fruits of the sharia.
since they are few, their corollaries Therefore, the sharia is like a holy
(furu‘) would be few as well. tree (¿¿¿¿??????). Both in this
world and the last world, the peo-
ple of the world would keep on re-
Step outside sharia? ceiving fruits and effusions from it.
Question: From those marifats, it And the world would keep on tak-
is imperative that on some levels, ing effusions (fawa’id) from it.
the salik steps outside the sharia,
and ascends with (‘uruj) what is
beyond the sharia— is it correct?
Does zahir focus onto
creation?
Answer: Sharia is the practice of
the manifest realm (‘amal-i zahir) Question: From this clarification,
and those matters are related to it is proven that in kamalat-i
the batin, inner realm. The za- nubuwat also, the batin is with
hir is always obligated to observe (be) Haqq and the zahir is with
(mukallaf) the sharia whereas the the creation. On the other hand,
batin is captivated by those in- you have written in your maktubs
teractions. When this world is and risalas, also it has been nar-
the place of practice, via external rated before: On the station of
practice the batin gets immense nubuwat that is the locus of giv-
help. ing invitation, the entire face is fo-
cused onto the creation. How to
The progress of the batin is linked
resolve this contradiction?
to taking up the sharia. And that
[sharia] suspends from the zahir. Answer: The above matters re-
As a result, as long as they are late to ascent (‘uruj). On the
in this world, both the zahir and other hand, the station of invi-
the batin have no alternative ex- tation (da‘wat) relates to coming
cept the sharia. The job of the za- down (hubut). So during ascent,
hir is to practice according to the the batin is with Haqq whereas the
sharia. And the lot of the batin zahir is with the creation. The
consists of the fruits and results of purpose is that the zahir is fully
the sharia. face-turned towards the creation
so that it can fully respect the 2.22 Maktub 2.47

right of the creation. And during
the time of coming down (hubut), To Muhammad Qasim Badakhshi
that [zahir] is fully face-turned
onto the creation. And in its total-
ity, it points the creation towards
Haqq (JA). So there is no contra- Companionship is
diction. critical
However, its realization (tahqiq) After praise to God, giving bene-
is this that to face-turn onto diction to the blessed prophet
the creation is truly to face-turn and conveying invitation (hamd,
onto Haqq (swt). Whichever di- salawat, tablighi ’l-da‘wat) to him,
rection you turn your face to, Li-’llahi subhanahu ’l-hamd wa ’l-
there is the face of Allah (Fa- minnatu, you may know that by
ainama tuwallu fa-thamma waj-hu the grace of God your words and
’llahi).143 What it does not mean sayings proves the warmth of seek-
is that the contingent (mumkin) is ing God (hararat-i talb), and gives
identical to the Necessary (SWT). out the smell of a meditative-state
Or it is the mirror for the Neces- (bu’iy az jam‘iyat). I hope that
sary (SWT).144 What power does this felicity is the trace of the
a lowly contingent thing have that nearness of companionship (athar-
it can identical to the Necessary? i qurb-i suhbat). Captivation of
Or realize the receptivity to be worthless worldly things (lata’il)
the mirror for him? Note: The did not allow you the respite to
rest of this maktub is skipped as stay in the companionship for even
1. it talks about deep philosophical a week. It does not seem that
things that are hard to understand your total companionship adds up
for me, and unless I understand it, to even ten days. You should
I cannot translate it. And 2. the be ashamed in the court of God.
Mujaddid talks on zilliyat-a theory From a thousand days, why could
that he ultimately rejected in the you not chose only a single day
end of his life and replaced it with for God (khoda) (‘azza wa jalla)?
his seven descent theory cf. mak- Or keep yourself away from con-
tub 3.122. Wa ’l-salamu ‘ala mani necting to worldly attachments
’ttaba‘a ’l-huda. (ta‘alluqat-i shatta)?
God’s proof has been put on you
143
Q.Baqara.2.115 (Hujjat bar shoma dorost shadeh
144
i.e., the mirror onto which the Necessary is ast). Even more, you yourself
reflected have felt that staying in this com-
2.23. MAKTUB 2.48 133
panionship only for a hour is 2. Chant zikr If that felicity

more better (beh) than staying does not come to the hands, one
in forty-day solitary retreats of should spend the whole time in the
hard practices (arba‘inat-i muja- zikr of God (ilahi, jalla shanuhu).
hada). Still then, you have fled It is essential to remain absorbed
from companionship, and have in a zikr that has been taken from
used tricks (hileh) to keep yourself a felicitous friend, and stay far
afar. You possess a superb recep- away from all deeds that takes one
tivity (isti‘dad). But if you fail to away from the zikr. You should
actualize that potential (quwwat), take caution regarding what the
what benefit is there? Your recep- sharia considers halal or haram—
tivity is high, but aspiration (him- it should not be neglected.
mat) is low. Like children, you
have rejected jewels and pearls,
and instead have been pacified by 3. Pray salat You may hold
broken pieces of earthenware. it necessary to pray the five-
times namaz in congregation. Re-
At dawn you would main careful to observe the pillars
know it as clear (rukn, arkan) of the namaz prop-
as broad daylight erly as much as possible. Try to
whom did you make love carry out the namaz in the pre-
with at night ferred (mustahab) time.
Beh waqt-i subh shud Dua: O our nurturer! Fill up

hamchu roz our light fully, and forgive our
ma‘lumat sins, you are all-powerful (Rab-
keh ba keh bakhteh’iy bana! Atmim lana nurana wa
‘ishq dar shab-i ’gfirlana. Innaka ‘ala kulli shay’in
diyjur qadir).
1. Come back to companion-

ship All the time has not passed 2.23 Maktub 2.48
yet. You need to put your mind
into the real thing (asl). And To Muhammad Talib Badakhshi
the best practice on this task145
(‘umdah-i iyn kar) is to stay in the
companionship of the possessors
of the meditative-state (suhbat-i
arbab-i jam‘iyat).
145
of walking the sufi path of suluk ’lladhina ’stafa)!
Take up patience in Remains only illa ’lLah

calamities that holy person
Bravo! O love! Partner-
Khwaja Muhammad Talib! Al- ship has burned
ways remain desirous of him away
whom you are seeking (matlub).
You have written on the passing ‘Ishq an sho‘leh ast kuw
away of beloved Muhammad Sid- chun bar furukht
diq. Inna li-’llahi wa inna ilaihi Har cheh juz ma‘shuq,
raji’un. baqi jumleh sukht
Tigh-i la dar qatl-i ghair-
Beloved brother! To the faith-
i haqq barand
ful, Hazrat Haqq is more precious
Dar nagar zan pas keh
and more beloved (‘aziz, mahbub)
ba‘d-i la cheh
than everything, be it their wealth
mand
or lives. It is his exclusive job
Mand illa ’llahu baqi
to give life or death. None else
jumleh raft
has any share (madkhali) in that
Shad bash, ai ‘ishq,
job. Therefore, his act should
sherkat suz raft
be well-liked. Instead, the lovers
find pleasure and comfort (ladhd- Wa ’l-salamu ‘ala mani ’ttaba‘a ’l-
hat, ‘aish) in what the beloved huda.
does. So how can I point you
out towards taking up patience?
Because patience alludes towards 2.24 Maktub 2.49
pain (karahat). Although the sta-
tion of contentment (rida) alludes To Khwaja-i Gada
to longing and happiness (raghb,
surur), the degree of finding plea-
sure (martaba-i iltidhadh) is an- Forgetting ma sewa:
other matter.
Step 1
Love is that flame. The religious advice that has been
When it starts given to brother Khwaja Muham-
burning mad Ghada is this:
Burns away all but the
beloved 1. First, correct your articles
Wield the sword of La to of belief according to the
kill all other than science of Kalam (tas-hih-i
the Haqq ‘aqaid-i kalamiya),
Does anything remains 2. second follow the rules of
after the La? the science of jurisprudence
2.25. MAKTUB 2.50 135
(atiyan-i ahkam-i fiqhiya), Ball of opportunity and

and then happiness lies on
the field to play
3. third keep on doing the zikr with
of God all the time in the None comes to the field.
manner that you have been Where are the
taught. horsemen?
The zikr should be overwhelming Guiy tawfiq va sa‘adat

(istila) to that extent that noth- dar miyan afgan-
ing remains in the inner realm deh and
save the object of that zikr. And Kasiy beh maidan
all those attachments based on dar namiy ayad
knowledge or love (ta‘alluq-i ‘ilmi, savaran ra cheh
hubbi) that was with the ma sewa, shad
i.e., other than the object of that
zikr (madhkur), they vanish. From the outside, your attach-
ments (ta‘alluqat) seems to be
At this point, the heart forgets little. Still, since you long for
the ma sewa. And [that heart] the interconnection, you may in-
no longer sees or recognizes (did, clude yourself among the posses-
danish) the other (ghayr)146 . Even sors (arbab) of interconnections
that, when reminded intentionally You may have heard this proverb,
or forcefully (takalluf, ta‘ammul), He who revels in his own harm,
[that heart] fails to remember [the he does not deserve compassion
ma sewa]. Even more, [that heart] (nazr). Wa ’l-salam.
fails to attain even a sign (nash-
nasad) of [the ma sewa]. Instead
[that heart] remains always anni- 2.25 Maktub 2.50
hilated and drowned (mustahlak,
mustaghriq) within the object of To Mirza Shamsuddin
seeking (matlub). When [the sa-
lik] reaches such a state, he would Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala
cross one step on this path. Try ‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa.
so that it is not less than one step,
and you are not absorbed in seeing
and knowing the other (ghayr)147 . Sharia: Form versus
reality
146
i.e., all that is other than the Haqq, or the ma
sewa, or the creation Sharia has both a outer form
147
and get stuck. Instead you may make efforts (surat) and inner reality
to progress further (haqiqat). The form of the
sharia is taking up the rules of the responsibility for the attrac-

the sharia, after forming faith in tion from the nafs.
Allah and his rasul, and in what However, there is both surat and
the rasul has brought forth from haqiqat are present within the
him swt. And to take them up paradise. Those are possessors of
despite the form would enjoy the form
1. opposition (munaza‘at) from of the paradise. And vice versa,
the instigating nafs, and those who are the possessors of
the reality would be satisfied with
2. that nafs exceeding the lim- the reality of the paradise. Both
its according to its innate na- the possessors of the form, and
ture. the possessors of the reality would
In such a situation, if one attains enjoy the same fruit in paradise.
iman, it is outward (surat) iman However, the possessor of the form
merely. And if it is doing the salat, would find one sort of pleasure
it is outward salat merely. And if (ladhdhat), and the possessor of
it is taking up fasting, it is out- the reality would find another sort
ward fasting merely. Such is the of pleasure.
case with the other rules of the The pure wives of the rasul, the
sharia. mothers of the faithful, would stay
The reason behind it is this — in the same paradise with him,
nafs is the best part of the ex- and eat the same fruit. How-
istence of man (‘umda’-i wujud-i ever, for each, there would be a
insan) and that nafs is indicated unique pleasure and delight (iltid-
by the term I. If it perseveres in hadh, tanawwum). If it were not
infidelity and denial (kufr, inkar), so, then the mothers of the faithful
how can the reality of faith and the would be higher than everyone else
reality of good deeds be conceived after the rasul. And it would also
there? It is an elect grace of All- be imperative that if a person is
lah that he has accepted the mere higher than a second person, then
form only, and given that that he his wife would be higher than the
has accepted the mere form only, second person’s wife, for the rea-
and [based on that form] given son that each wife would be living
the good news of entrance into together with her husband.
paradise, which is locus on which This outer form (surat) of the
his good-pleasure falls. And it is sharia is the precondition of is-
also his act of grace that in or- tiqamat, firm standing. And
der to build up iman, faith, he has that istiqamat is the surety of
made attestation (tasdiq) by the success (mawjib-i falah), guar-
heart sufficient, and has not given antor of last-worldly salvation
2.25. MAKTUB 2.50 137
(mustalazzim-i najat-i ukhriy), of the sharia, or the reality of

and approver (musahhih) of en- the sharia. Because the rulings
trance into paradise, as it has been of the sharia is the mother of all
said before. the perfections of the walayat and
When the outer form of the sharia nubuwat. The perfections of the
is rectified (dorost) then common walayat is the fruit of the forms
(‘amma) walayat would be at- of the sharia, and vice versa, the
tained. Allah is the wali, friend of kamalat-i nubuwat is the fruit of
the faithful (Allahu waliyyu ’llaz- the haqiqat-i sharia. Insha’ Allah,
ina amanu)148 . It is after that that it would be clarified in detail soon.
the salik, by grace of Allah swt,
attains the capability to set foot Tariqa: Negation
onto the tariqa, and comes to the
elect (khassa) walayat. And its Tariqat is the preface to walayat.
nafs advances step by step from Then purpose in tariqat is the
ammargi to mutma’inna. How- negate the ma sewa150 And it
ever, you may know that crossing is desired to negate to remove
the waystations of arrival (tayy-i the other and otherness (ghair,
manazil-i wusul), which happens ghairiyat). By the grace of Al-
by that elect friendhood (walayat- lah, when all other things would
i khassa), depends on the practice go away completely from the sight
of the sharia. of the seeker, and neither a name,
Doing zikr of God (ilahi) (jalla sul- or a sign (nam, nishaneh) of the
tanuhu) that is a good practice on other would remain in his sight, it
this path is included within the is then that he attains annihilation
commands of the sharia. And re- (fana), the stations of tariqat are
fraining from forbidden acts is a cut through, and the sayr ila ’llah
also a necessary act on this path. gets completed.
Observing the obligatory (fard)
deeds draws one nearer to God. Tariqa: Affirmation
And the sharia also commands to
seek out a pir who is wise, guid- Next, the stations of affirmation
ing, and fit to become the wasila, (ithbat) begins that is called the
connector. Search for a connec- sayr fi ’llah. This is the sta-
tor towards him (Wabtaghu ilaihi tion of abidingness (baqa), that
wasila) 149 . is the homestead (mawtin) of
In summary, there is no alterna- haqiqat, and the farthest destina-
tive to the sharia, be it the form tion (maqsud-i aqsa) of walayat.
148 150
Quran, Baqara, 2.257 i.e., everyone save God, the object being
149
Quran, Ma’ida, 35 sought
This tariqat and haqiqat, which seems to me that after it has at-
is fana and baqa, verifies the ep- tained itminan, pacification, no
ithet wali for the seeker. And his rebelliousness or insubordination
nafs-i ammara turns into nafs-i (tughyan, sarkashiy) remains any
mutma’inna. And that nafs re- longer within the nafs, for [the
frains from his own kufr and de- nafs-i mutma’inna] has stabilized
nial. And he gets well-pleased on itself (mutamakkin) onto the sta-
the master (js), and in turn the tion of obeying (inqiyad)151 .
master gets well-pleased on him.
The unpleasant nature (karahat)
that he had in his own innate na- Interpretation 1: Jihad
ture (jibillat) gets pierced. Still,
the sufi shaykhs keep saying, Al-
against self-stabilizing
though the nafs arrives on the heart
station of mutma‘inna, still it
Instead, I [the Mujaddid] is find-
does not refrain from rebellious-
ing that [the adversary in that
ness (sarkashi).
jihad] is the qalb-i mutamakkin,
Although it has become self-stabilizing heart, which has
tranquil forgotten the ma sewa. And I’m
Still it has not shed its finding so both in the first glance,
innate nature and also when I think about it
deeply (did, danish) that that the
Har chand keh [nafs-i mutma’inna] has advanced
mutma’inna beyond the other and otherness
gardad (ghair, ghairiyat). And it has be-
Har gaz ze sifat-i khod come free from the confines of love
nagardad of high rank, authority, pleasure
and pain (hubb-i jah, riyasat, lad-
hdhat, alam). So where is the op-
Greater jihad position? And who would rebel
It comes in the hadith, We are (sarkashi)?
returning from the lesser jihad to
151
the greater jihad (Raja‘na mina ’l- Mujaddid is now changing his earlier position,
jihadi ’l-asghar ila jihadi ’l-akbar). I guess, on the basis of newer ilham-derived knowl-
edge. Because in maktub 1.41, he said that a little
All interpret that greater jihad as bit of rebelliousness still remains within the nafs,
the jihad with the nafs. even after it has become mutma’in. On the other
But what has been unveiled to hand, in the Mabda’ va Ma‘ad, minha 13, he pro-
posed that that the disobedience stems from the
me, and what I have found my- four bodily elements, including the bodily part i.e.
self (wajdan-i khod) opposes this the heart but he did not mention the qalb-i muta-
well-known interpretation. It makkin there
2.25. MAKTUB 2.50 139
Prior to attaining pacifiedness (it- Interpretation 2: Jihad

minan), if that nafs could oppose against body
(tafawat) even for the amount of
the head of a hair, there was On the other hand, jihad-i ak-
room for attributing it with re- bar — Allah (S) teaches the truth
belliousness and insubordination of the matter (Allahu subhanahu
(tughyan, sarkashi). On the a‘lamu bi-haqiqati ’l-hali)— could
other hand, after attaining itmi- refer to jihad against the qalab,
nan, there is no room (majal) to body. And that body is composed
qualify that nafs with opposition of the elements152 with opposing
and insubordination (mukhalafat, innate natures (taba’i‘ mukhali-
tughyan). fat). Innate nature of each one
of them is different, each is the
This idea of mine goes against the other’s contrary. If it is sexual
decided opinion of the sufi shaykhs urge, it grows out of the body.
(muqarrar-i qawm). And so I have And if it is anger, it is created out
thought (mutala‘a) a lot on this, of it as well. Even the animals
looked at it with a sharp sight, who lack a rational nafs (nafs-i
and traveled far and wide. Still, natiqa) possess inferior qualities
by the grace of Allah, I could — can’t you take note of that
not find any opposition (mukhal- ? Even they have sexual urge
ifat, sarkashi) within the nafs-i (shahwat), anger (ghadb), wicked-
mutma’inna even for the amount ness (sharah), covetousness (hirs).
of the head of a hair. Nor could That jihad would always keep go-
I find anything within that [nafs- ing on. The pacification (itmi-
i mutma’inna] save annihilation nan) of the nafs would not stop
or effacement (istihlak, idmihlal). this jihad153 . Neither would the
After all, when the nafs has sac- self-stabilizingness (tamkin) of the
rificed (fida) itself to its master, heart would end this battle (qital).
where is the room for opposition?
Purpose of greater jihad
And when that [nafs] is well-
pleased on Hazrat Haqq swt, and There are many benefits in keep-
Hazrat swt is well-pleased on that ing this jihad going on:
[nafs] as well, how would disobey-
ing (tughyan) happen? Since that 1. It makes the body become
is inconsistent with being well- pure and holy (tanqiyah,
pleased. [The man] on whom God 152
i.e., the four elements (‘anasir-i arbaya), fire,
has become well-pleased, indeed air, water, earth
God would never be displeased on 153
because that jihad is against the body, neither
him again. against the nafs nor the heart
tatahhir-i qalib). After that point, whatever action

2. But its [ultimate] purpose is (‘aml) that that person does, it
so that the perfections of is considered as having the reality
that [body] and interactions (haqiqat) of the sharia. If he dis-
(mu‘amala) of the last world charges the duty of salat, it is the
can get entirely linked to the reality of the salat. Or if he ob-
[body] (beh asalat beh uw serves the fast, it is the reality of
tawand marbut gasht). the fast. Or if he observes the fast,
it is the reality of the fast. All the
Because: practices of the sharia become like
that.
1. With respect to attaining the
perfections of this world, the Therefore, tariqat and haqiqat
qalab, body follows the qalb, are the intermediary (mutawas-
heart since the qalb is at the sut) between the the shariat and
forefront. the haqiqat-i shariat. Until [the
salik] reaches the elect friendship
2. However, there [in the last
(wilayat-i khassa), he would not
world] this interaction is re-
reach from metaphoric submission
versed. There the qalb fol-
(islam-i majazi) to true submis-
lows the qalab, and the qalab
sion (islam-i haqiqi)154 .
is at the forefront.
3. Consequently, when the or-
der of this world would Perfection of
be disturbed, and the light prophethood
would shine on the last
By the pure grace of Allah,
world, it is then that this
when the salik gets decorated by
jihad-i akbar would end,
the haqiqat-i shariat, and attains
and this battle (qital) would
haqiqi Islam, then he becomes the
come to an end.
follower and heir of the prophets.
And as such, he becomes worthy
Reality of Islam enough to receive the full share of
When, by the grace of Allah sub- the kamalat-i nubuwat, perfection
hanahu, the nafs graduates to the of prophethood.
station of pacification (itminan), The outer form of the sharia can
and obeys the ruling (hukm) of be likened to the pleasant tree
God (ilahi), it is then that that of the kamalat-i walayat. And
the real Islam (islam-i haqiqi) be- 154
Here I am translating Islam literally as sub-
comes possible, and the reality of mission instead of the proper name of a particular
the faith (haqiqat-i iman) forms religion. Because I feel that that is what is meant
its form. here
2.25. MAKTUB 2.50 141
the kamalat-i walayat is like its opposition and rebelliousness

fruit. And likewise haqiqat-i (taghiyan, sarkashi). E.g., the
shariat is like the blessed tree of part of fire in the body, even
kamalat-i nubuwat, and kamalat- though it attains pacification (it-
i nubuwat is like its fruit. I.e. minan), it still does not take back
kamalat-i walayat is the fruit of its claim to superiority (khairiyat)
the form (surat) [of nubuwat]. and highness (takabbur). Also,
And the kamalat-i nubuwat is its part of earth does not get
the fruit of reality (haqiqat) of ashamed of its own beastliness
that form [nubuwat]. Therefore, and lowliness (khassat, dana’at).
necessarily, kamalat-i walayat is The other bodily parts are also
the outer form of the kamalat- likewise.
i nubuwat. And vice versa On the other hand, on the sta-
[kamalat-nubuwat] is the real- tion of kamalat-i nubuwat, the
ity (haqa’iq) of that outer form bodily parts do get well-balanced
(suwwar) [i.e., kamalat-i walayat]. (i‘tidal), and as a result, refrains
from excessiveness (ifrat) and im-
Nafs causes form and moderation (tafrit). Maybe it is
reality to differ for this reason, the rasul said, My
satan has been pacified (Aslama155
You may know that it is due to the shaytani)156 .
nafs that the form of the sharia
differs from the reality of the
sharia. When the nafs-i ammara is Body needs balancing
rebellious (tughyan) and remains Just as satans exist in the ex-
in self-denial (inkar-i khod), it ternal world (afaq), they exist
is the form of the sharia. On in the internal world (anfus) as
the other hand, when that nafs well. [That internal satan] is
turns mutma’in, surrenders, and the element (juz‘) of the fire,
becomes Muslim, it is the reality which claims goodness for his own
(haqiqat) of the sharia. In the self (khairiyyat-i khod), and al-
same way, the difference between ways seeks self-magnification (tak-
kamalat-i walayat, which is the abbur). Those [qualities] are the
form and the kamalat-i nubuwat, worst of the bad qualities, and to
which is the reality is in accor-
155
dance with the qalab, body. Aslama is often mistranslated here, and so the
whole hadith translates as My satan has accepted
Islam.. Actually, aslama is form 4 of the verb s-
Perfection of friendhood l-m, and here it means “to become pacified.” Sufi
Shaykh Banda Khalil also explained it. Cf. Banda
On the station of walayat, the Khalil, Atmadarshane Satyadarshan
156
bodily parts do not refrain from hadith
remove these bad qualities of his ties may never come back into the
own self is his duty as a Mus- nafs. Therefore, it is both possi-
lim. Therefore, it is on the per- ble and impossible for bad qual-
fection of prophethood (kamalat- ities to come back into the nafs.
i nubuwat) that the heart be- Everyone has given news on their
comes self-stabilizing (tamkin)157 , own stations. And they have dis-
nafs gets pacified (itminan) and cussed their own feelings and re-
the bodily parts get well-balanced ceipt (yaft-i khod).
(i‘tidal).
On the other hand, the heart Jihad against body goes
merely gets stable within
on
[kamalat-i] walayat, and the
nafs gets a little bit of pacification Question: When the bodily
(itminan), even that after a lot of parts get well-balanced (i‘tidal),
effort. When I said, Nafs gets a and refrain from rebelliousness
little bit peace, even that after a and insubordination (tughyan,
lot of effort, I meant that after the sarkashiy) then what does ji-
bodily parts get balanced (ba‘d had against them mean? Or
az i‘tidal-i ajzaiy qalib) and the would jihad against them cease
nafs attains itminan effortlessly like it happened for [the jihad
(biy takalluf). against] the nafs when it became
As the reason behind the bodily mutma’in, pacified? Answer:
parts failing to attain balance, the There is difference (farq) between
friends of Allah have said, Nafs- the nafs-i mutma’inna in one
i mutma’inna may again attain hand and these [bodily] parts on
[the bad] human qualities (sifat-i the other hand:
bashariyat). It has been said be-
fore. On the other hand, the it- 1. Nafs-i mutma’inna may not
minan that the nafs attains after oppose in any way: Nafs-
the bodily parts have become bal- i mutma’inna undergoes an-
anced (i‘tidal), [it is an advanced nihilation (istihlak) and ef-
itminan]. And after that [ad- facement (idmihlal). And it
vanced itminan], those bad quali- gets annexed (mulhiq) to the
157
‘alam-i amr. And that nafs
I feel tamkin should be translated as self-
is capable of perfect annihila-
stabilizing instead of stable. That comes from both
Arabic morphology — as tamkin is a form 4 verb— tion and intoxication (kamal-
and my experience on the sufi path. I still remem- i istihlak, sukr).
ber my sufi brother Rashid explaining from 1988,
“At that point, you’d no longer get disturbed when 2. emphBody may still oppose:
bad things happen”, i.e. your heart would stabilize On the other hand, [the duty
itself of] taking up the rules of the
2.25. MAKTUB 2.50 143
sharia has been put on the Perfection of possessors

body. And the foundation of magnificence
of the sharia lies in sobriety
(sahw). Consequently, the Next, by the pure grace of God
bodily parts have no interre- (js), even the kamalat-i nubuwat
lationship to the qualities of — which is the evidence and fruit
annihilatedness or intoxicat- (nata’ij, thamarat) of haqiqat-i
edness (istihlak, sukr). That shariat — is completed, then one
what has been annihilated no longer progresses (taraqqiyat)
(mustahlak) may not oppose via good deeds, instead one pro-
at all. gresses solely via the sheer grace
and benevolence (mahd-i fadl,
Can there be any opposition ihsan) of Hazrat Rahman (js).
at all? There credal belief (i‘tiqad) leave
no trace (a‘thar) there, and nei-
1. Qalab: For a beneficial rea- ther knowledge nor practice has
son, he who is sober (sahw), any rule (hukm) there.
if he shows the appearance
This station is excellence in excel-
of opposition, he may do so.
lence and grace in grace (fadl dar
I hope that by the grace of
fadl, karam dar karam)159 . This
Allah, this opposition would
station is far higher and wider
not go above abandoning the
(a‘la, wasi‘at-i tamam) than the
mustahab acts, and below do-
previous stations. The light (nu-
ing the lesser makruh. So
raniyat) that shines on this sta-
even when a good balance
tion, there was not even a trace
(i‘tidal) is attained within
of it on the previous station. This
the qalab, it is still possible
station is reserved (makhsus) for
for the jihad to continue.
the prophets possessing magnif-
2. Nafs-i mutma’inna: On icence (anbiyaiy uwlu ’l-‘azam)
the other hand, it is not (‘alaihi ’l-salam), and whomever
permitted (ja’iz) or proper Allah favors for being a follower
[for that jihad] to keep go- and a heir.
ing on within the nafs-i
mutma’inna. To the generous lord
This matter has been verified no task is hard
(tahqiq) in detail in the maktub in
volume 1158 written to my beloved Ba kariman
late son. Refer to it if you have karha dushvar nist
any question. 159
i.e., this superbly excellent station is granted
158
maktub 1.260 solely by the pure grace of God
Seeker always needs front that is even higher. This sta-

sharia tion is truly reserved (makhsus)
for the final prophet (salam). And
Here, let none make a mistake and to whomever else Allah felicitates
say that on this homestead the via this felicity. That high house
seeker attains freedom (istighna) is so high that it seems nar-
from both the form and the re- row due to the highness of its
ality of the sharia. And he no height. I found Hazrat Siddiq
longer needs to obey the rules of (rad) there, As the heir, he has en-
the sharia. tered up to its navel. And Hazrat
On the contrary, I would say Faruq has found the way towards
sharia is the prototype (asl) of that felicity. Among the moth-
this task (kar) and the founda- ers of the faithful, I saw Hazrat
tion (buniyad) of this interaction Khadija, and Hazrat ‘A’isha Sid-
(mu‘amala). The tree may be diqa (radiya ’llahu ta‘ala ‘an-
tall, and its branches may be huma) there along with the rasul
long. Or the wall may be high, due to the bondage of marriage.
and the house may be well-built. The rest of the matters are on Al-
Still they may not be indepen- lah. O our rabb! Grant us mercy
dent of their root and foundation and make our activities easy (Rab-
(asl, buniyad). Individually, their bana! Atina min ladunka rah-
neediness would still remain. A matan, wa hayya’lana min amrina
house, however high it is built, rashada).
still it would never have any al- PS 1. Honored brother, aware
ternative but to remain based on of marifat (akhi a‘zza, ma‘arif-i
its basement. Its neediness would agahiy) Shaykh ‘Abdul Hai has
never go away. If by chance, a been in our companionship for a
problem take place in the base- long time. Now he is focusing
ment, it would affect the house towards his native land. He has
above as well. If the basement is connection to you and that place.
ruined, the upper floor would be Therefore, feeling a need, I am let-
ruined as well. So the sharia is ting you know of his states (ahwal)
needed at all times and situations. via a few lines. Wherever people
And all need to follow it. of Allah reside, it is a spoil of war,
and a good news for the residents
Supreme station of rasul there. Even better news it is to
them who get to know them.
When, by the grace of Allah, one
progresses higher, and arrives on 2. Brother Shaykh Nur Muham-
the station of love (mahabbat), mad resides there as well. He is
then another station may come in spending his time in poverty and
2.25. MAKTUB 2.50 145
pain. Let a competition begin in

that location. Because such two
people of Allah are have come to-
gether there, like two stars of good
fortune have come together. Wa
’l-salam.
Chapter 3
Maktubs 2.51-2.75
3.1 Maktub 2.51 follower and heir (mutabi‘ihim bi-

’l-taba‘iyati wa ’l-wirathati).
To Khwaja Muhammad Siddiq
He with him such conversations
Note: Mujaddidis say that God
take place more, he is called
directly spoke with the Mujad-
muhaddath as commander of the
did without any intermediary in-
faithful ‘Umar was. This [conver-
between. Maktub 3.87 further
sation] is neither ilham, nor cast
clarifies how that does not mean
down information ilqa fi ’l-raw‘i,
prophethood. This maktub itself
nor like conversations that take
says that it is a very sublime mar-
place with the angels.
ifat.
Only that human being (bashar)
who is perfect and is able to
bring together the world of com-
mand, world of empirical things,
spirit, nafs, intellect, imagination
(‘alam- amr, khalq, ruh, nafs, ‘aql,
God speaking khiyal), only such a perfect man
face-to-face could be addressed by such a ti-
tle. Allah, by his mercy, elects
O brother Siddiq! Spread this whomever he chooses . And Al-
knowledge! God may speak lah possesses magnificent bounties
face-to-face (shifahan) to humans (Wa ’llahu yakhtassu birahmatika
(bashar) like did to a few indi- man yasha’u wa ’llahu dhu ’l-fadlil
vidual prophets (afradin mina ’l- ‘azim1 ).
anbiya’i) (‘alaihimu ’l-salawatu wa
’l-taslimatu). Such happened to For face-to-face (shifahan) speech,
some of the perfect ones among it is not necessary that the speaker
1
them who come after them as their Baqara.105
147
is seen by the listener, as it’s pos- wretched (la yashqa), and their
sible that the listeners faculty of friends are never deprived (la
sight is weak, and he is incapable yuhrimu anisuhum)2 .
of bearing the sharpness and in- They sit with Allah, and when
tensity (sha‘sha‘an) of the nur, they are seen, Allah is remem-
light, of the speaker. The rasul bered (dhukira). And the ones
(salam) was asked, How did you who know them (‘arafahum) find
see him? And he answered, He is (wajada) Allah.
nur, light. How could I see him
(Nurun! Anna a’rahu)? Their good glance is like medicine,
and talking with them is cure.
Additionally, in face-to-face con- Their companionship is a bright
versation, the curtains are raised light and beauty (diya’un,
virtually, not necessarily truly. baha’un). Those who focused on
So understand! This is sublime their outwardly appearance found
knowledge. Only few people have destruction. And on the other
have discussed this. Wa ’l-salamu hand, those who saw their inner
‘alaikum mani ’ttaba‘a ’l-huda. realms found life and success
(aflaha).
3.2 Maktub 2.52 What a beautiful saying he said
who said, O God! What have you
To Khwaja Mahdi ‘Ali Kashmiri given your own friends? Those
who recognized those [friends],
All praise is to Allah! Peace found you, God. And until they
onto his elect devotees (Alhamdu found you, God, they would fail to
li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi recognize those [friends]. I.e. rec-
’lladhina ’stafa). ognizing those [friends] and find-
ing you, God, are not separate
things. However, in one con-
Love of masters text, recognizing them comes be-
fore, and in another context, re-
Your generous letter oozing with
ceipt comes before. I, [the Mu-
the perfect love and pure intention
jaddid], likes that the side of God
(kamal-i mahabbat, ikhlas) has ar-
comes before. [Because God] is
rived along with the tributes (ha-
the origin (mabda), and as a re-
daya). May Hazrat Haqq (SWT)
sult, it is better and more appro-
keep us standing firm in love for
priate to begin from him.
this tribe, and put us the plain of
the mustering (hashr) with them. Peace be onto them who are with
you (Al-salamu ‘alaikum wa ‘ala
They are such a people that those
2
who sit with them are never hadith
3.3. MAKTUB 2.53 149
man ladaykum). happiness (asrar) in sin. And per-

sistence in minor sins takes one
to major sins. And persistence in
3.3 Maktub 2.53 major sins leads one to the door of
infidelity.
To ‘Abdus Samad Sultanpuri You may be grateful for this mag-
Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala nificent bliss (ni‘amat-i ‘uzma)!
‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa. That way more penitence is cre-
ated, and keeps you away from
How to negate pride in deeds that violate the sharia. Al-
lah (S) said, If you show gratitude
good deeds? for them, I would increase them
You have asked me, Question: If for you (La’in shakartum la’a zi-
I do hard religious practice (riya- dannakum) 3 .
dat), my nafs imagines itself to be Your initial state means that you
unneedy, and fancies that there is are haughty (‘ujb) after doing
none as wholesome (salih) as my- good deeds. This haughtiness is
self. On the other hand, if an like lethal poison and terminal dis-
anti-sharia act takes place by me, ease, which destroys good deeds as
I consider myself needy and lower the fire destroys the wood. That
(muhtaj, firotar). How to cure it? haughtiness arises because good
Answer: O trace of opportu- deeds seem to be ornamented and
nity (tawfiq-i athar)! Neediness beautifil (muzayyab, mustahsan)
and lowliness (ihtiaj, firotniy) sig- in the gaze of the doer. There-
nify penitence (nadam) that has fore, things get treated by their
appeared in your second stage contrary things (Fa-’l-mu‘alajatu
(shaqq). It is a magnificent bliss. bi-’l-addadi).
God forbid (‘Iyadhan bi-’llahi sub- Therefore, you may consider your
hanahu)! Immediately after do- good deeds as blameworthy (mut-
ing the act held sinful by the tahim) and focus on their hid-
sharia, if penitence (nadamat) is den defects (qaba’yih-i khafiya).
not created as a branch of repen- And you may consider yourself
tance (tawba) along with that [re- and your own good deeds as faulty
pentance]! And when you take (qasir). Even that, you may find
up a sin, if you become well- them worthy of cursing and rejec-
pleased (multadhidh) and content tion.
(mahzuz)! The rasul (salam) said, Perhaps
there are many reciter of the
Because finding pleasure in sin
3
(iltidhadh-i dhanb) causes finding Q.Ibrahim.7
Quran whom the Quran curses The group for whom this vision
(Rubba talin lil-qur’ani wa ’l- of the deeds being faulty (did-i
qur’anu yal‘anuhu 4 . He has also qusur-i a‘mal) happens in a per-
said, And There are many who fect manner (beh wajh-i kamal),
fast who attain nothing from their they think that their writer-angels
fasts except hunger and thirst (Wa on the right are being idle and job-
kam min sa’imin laysa lahu min less because they lack any deed
siyamihi illa ’l-zama’ wa ’l-ju‘u) 5 . that would come into their books.
Do not presume that your good On the other hand, their writers
deeds are faultless. Instead, if you on the left are busy at work writ-
think a little, you would able to see ing down ugly and defective deeds.
by the grace of God that all those When the interaction of the gnos-
are full of faults, even that that tic reaches such limit, then God
you would not be able to sense treats him the way he should be
even a smell of beauty in them. treated.
So where is the pride (‘ujb koja)?
And for whom is the fearlessness Tip of the pen broke here
(istighna kera)? Can write no more on
this matter
Instead, when the vision of see-
ing the deeds as faulty would be-
come overpowering (istila’iy did- Qalam iynja rasid
i qusur-i a‘mal), he would be sir bashkast
ashamed (sharmindeh) after do-
ing good deeds instead of be- Wa ’l-salamu ‘ala mani ’ttaba’a ’l-
ing haughty and fearless (mu‘jib, huda.
mustaghna).
Deeds — a time may come when
the vision of seeing them as faulty 3.4 Maktub 2.54:
is created, and they become wor-
thy of acceptance before God. Following rasul:
And at that time, one may try Seven degrees
one’s best so that this vision is at-
tained and haughtiness does not To Sayyid Shah Muhammad
find a place. Save this, all the Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala
efforts are in vain. Else what- ‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa. Following
ever my lord desires is better (Wa that master, which is the capital
bidunihi khartu ’l-qatadi. Illa an stock of the felicity of both this
yasha’a rabbiy shay’an). world and the last world — it has
4
hadith several degrees and levels (dara-
5
hadith jat, maratib).
3.4. MAKTUB 2.54: FOLLOWING RASUL: SEVEN DEGREES 151
Degree 1 that he is not giving any weight

to the denial by the nafs, and he
Definition The first degree is
is considering belief in the heart
the degree of the common people
sufficient, and as a result, he has
of Islam. And it is taking up the
made salvation rest on it.
rules of the sharia, and following
the illuminated sunna. It is after God! You can accept
testifying the faith by the heart, tear of my eyes
and before the pacification of the well
nafs (itminan). It is linked (mar- When you turn rain-
but) to the degree of friendhood drops into pearls
(martaba-i walayat).
Mitaniy keh dehiy ashk-
Who attains degree 1 The i marra hosm??
ulama of the manifest knowledge qabul
(zahir), and those worshipers and Ay! Durr sakhtehiy
ascetics (‘abid, zahid) whose in- qatreh-i baraniy
teractions have failed to reach the ra
degree of pacification (itminan) of
the nafs, they all are partners in
this degree of following. All of
Degree 2
them are equal (barabar) in at- The second degree of the following
taining the outer form of the fol- (mutaba‘at) is to follow the say-
lowing (husul-i surat-i ittiba‘). ings and deeds of the rasul (salam)
that attached (ta‘alluq) his inner
Form Since the nafs has not left realm. [These matters] come from
its own infidelity and denial (kufr, (muta‘allaq) the stations of friend-
inkar) on this station (maqam), hood. They are reforming the
necessarily this degree (daraja) is character (tahdhib-i akhlaq), driv-
the lot (makhsus) of the form ing away the depraved characteris-
of the following (beh surat-i mu- tics (daf‘-i radha’il-i sifat) as well
taba‘at). as healing the inner diseases and
spiritual illness (izala-i amrad-i
Benefit This formal following batiniya va ‘ilal-i ma‘nuwiya).
would also ordain (mawjib) salva-
tion and freedom (rastagariy) in Level of saliks This level of
the last world. And this would following is specific to the sa-
protect from the torture of hell liks. They have taken the sufi
and bring the good news of en- tariqa from a standing (muqtada)
trance into paradise. [After all], shaykh. And they are crossing
it’s an act of perfect grace of God the valleys and deserts (wadiy,
mafawiz) of the journey towards Reality of Salat and Fast

Allah (sayr ila ’llah).
Question: What is the haqiqat,
reality of salat and fast? Doing
Degree 3 salat and fast are distinguished
The third degree of the following acts. And so when those acts are
is to follow the states, tastings performed properly6 , it would be
and ecstasies (ahwal, adhwaq, the reality of the discharging of
mawajid) of the rasul (salam) the duty (haqiqat-i ada). So what
that suspends from the station do you mean by the form (surat)?
of the elect friendhood (maqam-i And what is the reality that is be-
walayat-i khassa). This station yond that [form]?
is bestowed uniquely to the pos- Answer: The beginner possesses a
sessors of friendhood (makhsus nafs-i ammara. And by his essen-
beh arbab-i walayat) who are the tial nature (bi-’l-dhat), he is a de-
attracted-wayfarer (madhdhub-i nier of the heavenly rules. So he
salik) or the wayfarer-attracted takes up the rules of the sharia in
(salik-i madhdhub). And when outer form (surat) only. On the
the degrees of friendhood are other hand, the nafs of the ender
finished, then the nafs turns has become mutma’in. And he ac-
peaceful (mutma’in) and refrains cepts the rules of the sharia with a
from rebelliousness and insub- good-pleasure and eagerness (rida,
ordination (tughyan, sarkashiy). raghb). Therefore, when he takes
Instead, [that nafs] comes back up the rules, it is held to be with
from denial to acceptance, or haqiqat.
from unbelief to Islam.
Reaches Haqiqat After that Degree 4: What is

happens, whatever followerhood Haqiqat
that he becomes, it is the reality
For example, both the hypocrite
of the followerhood (haqiqat-i mu-
and the Muslim offers salat. How-
taba‘at). If he discharges the duty
ever, when the inner realm of the
of the salat, it would be the reality
hypocrite denies, it is only the
of the following there. If it is fast-
outer form (surat) of the salat
ing, the same rule applies. And if
that he does. On the other hand,
it is zakat, it is the same way too.
when the inner realm of the Mus-
And the same analogy goes on. In
lim obeys (inqiyad), he does the
all the following of the rules of the
true (haqiqat) salat. Therefore, in
sharia, the reality of the following
accordance with the acceptance or
(haqiqat-i ittiba‘) would come to
6
be. i.e., according the rules of the sharia
denial of the inner realm, the salat of that perfection. Therefore,

gets to be true or false. due to the perfect pacifiedness
of the nafs, those deeply-rooted
This degree is the degree of paci-
ulama do attain the reality of the
fiedness (itminan) of the nafs, and
sharia, which is the true following
taking up reality of wholesome
(haqiqat-i ittiba‘).
deeds (atiyan-i haqiqat-i a‘mal-
i salih). This [takes place] af- On the other hand, when they lack
ter attaining the perfection of that type of perfection, sometimes
the elect friendhood (walayat-i they are clothed (mutalabbas) in
khassa), which hangs down from the form of the sharia, and some
the third degree. This would be other times they are made to re-
the fourth degree of the following. alize (mutahaqqaq) the reality of
the sharia.
Degree 1 of the following is the
outer form of this degree 4. And
true following is attained in this Ulama deeply-rooted in
place. This degree 4 of the fol- knowledge
lowing is the lot (makhsus) of
I am now describing briefly how to
the ulama deeply-rooted in knowl-
recognize the deep-rooted ulama,
edge (ulama-i rasikhin). I am
so that a scholar of outer knowl-
grateful to Allah for keeping me
edge do not put on the fake iden-
with them (Shakara ’llahu ta‘ala
tity of a deeply rooted scholar.
sa‘yahum)! Right after attain-
And he does not consider his own
ing nafs-i mutma’inna, they are
nafs-i ammara as mutma’in.
made to realize (mutahaqqaq) this
felicity of the reality of the fol- A scholar deeply rooted in knowl-
lowing (dawlat-i haqiqat-i mu- edge (‘alim-i rasikh) is he who has
taba‘at). The friends of Allah the tawil, mysterious interpreta-
(qaddasa ’llahu ta‘ala asrarhum) tion of the allegories (mutashabih)
indeed get a sort of pacifiedness of the book and the sunna in his
(itminan) of the nafs after the sta- lot. And he keeps a part (bahreh)
bilization (tamkin) of the heart. of the mysteries of the broken let-
However, the perfect (kamal) paci- ters (asrar-i huruf-i mukatta‘at)
fiedness of the nafs is attained that are at the beginnings of the
within7 the perfection of prophet- Quranic suras.
hood (kamalat-i nubuwat). The tawil of the mutashabihat
are inscrutable mysteries (asrar-i
As the heir8 , the ulama deeply
ghamida). Don’t think that yad,
rooted in knowledge receive a part
hand means power. Or wajh, face
7
i.e., as a part of means he himself. For that [type
8
of the prophets of interpretation] is included in
manifest knowledge. These [in- other path is the firm following (il-
terpretations] keep no relationship tizam) of the illuminated sunna of
with their true meaning. the master of the sharia (salam)
and refraining from bedat in name
The holder of these mysteries are
or form (ism va rasm). Until one
the prophets (salam). It is as if
would refrain from the practice
those [deeply rooted ulama] are
of beautiful (hasana) bedat the
the allusions to the type of be-
same way as the ugly (sayyiyah)
havior that is meted out to the
bedat, the smell of that felicity
prophets. Allah may guide anyone
would not enter nostrils of his be-
he chooses towards this felicity if
ing. However, these days it is very
that one is a follower and heir of
hard9 . Because the whole world is
the prophet (as).
drowned in the sea of bedat, and
finds comfort in the darkness of
Degree 4: Via two bedat.
methods
Attaining this degree [4] of the Bedat is bad Is there any
following rests on the 1. paci- such brave hero who breathes
fication of the nafs. And 2. heavy to remove the bedat and
arrival onto the true following open up his lips to resurrect the
(wusul behaqiqat-i mutaba‘at) of sunna? Instead, most of the
the master of the sharia. And ulama these days institute the
this degree is often possible even practice (rawaj dehand) of be-
without the intermediation (biy- dat, and erase sunna. They
tawassut) fana and baqa, and consider broadly practiced (pahn-
without the wasila or connector- shadeh) bedat as fulfilling the
hood (biy-tawassul) of suluk or need of the creation. And so
jadhdhba. Instead, it may be even they give responsa (fatwa) declar-
that neither any state or ecstasy ing bedat to be permissible (ja’iz)
(ahwal, mawajid) nor any self- or even beautiful (istihsan). And
disclosure or manifestation (tajal- point the people towards bedat.
liyat, zuhurat) appear. Can you answer? If wrongness
(dalalat) gets widespread (shuyu‘)
However, still that felicity [of the
or falsity (batil) gets generally ac-
degree 3] is the ready cash on hand
cepted (muta‘araf) and practiced
(naqd-i waqt).
(ta‘amul), would they still rule it
On the other hand, reaching this being permissible? Are they not
felicity via the path of walayat aware that being broadly (pahn)
is nearer (aqrab) than the other
9
path. In my opinion, that said to avoid bedat that strictly
practiced (ta‘amul) is not a proof throughout the entire world prac-

of being istihsan? tice is an ijma. And ijma is indeed
a proof. Take note! Look! If they
Proof of permission introduce selling wine and inter-
est (riba), responsa (fatwa) could
That practice is proof which has never be given making it halal.
been There is no doubt that it is be-
yond human power to introduce it
1. the practice of the first era, to all cities and countries. And
i.e., the practice of the rasul to determine that everywhere on
and the companions, or the globe they are carrying on the
2. established by the ijma. same practice.
It is recorded in the Al-Fatawaiy Now what is left is the practice

Ghiyasiya that Shaikhu ’l-Islam of the first era, i.e., the era of
Shahid has said, We do not accept the companions. That practice
that which the shaykhs of Balkh has truly the support of the ra-
has given responsa as beautiful sul and is included within sunna.
(istihsan)10 . Instead, we go by So where is the bedat and where
the sayings of companions of the is the beauty in that [bedat]?
early generation (La ta’khudhu For the generous companions, the
bi-’stihsani masha’ikhi Balkha. companionship of Hazrat the best
Wa innama na’khudhu biqawli of men was enough in order to
ashabina mutaqaddimina, rahima attain all the perfections. And
’llahu subhanahu). Because prac- among the ulama of the later
tice of some city does not prove era (salf), he who has been in-
its permissibility (jawaz). cluded within the deeply rooted
Instead, the proof of permission ulama, he has attained the fe-
is that what has been passed on licity of deep-rootedness (dawlat-
from the first generation sequen- i rusukh) even without taking up
tially. And through that the sup- the sufi tariqa, and even without
port of the rasul is proven. There- cutting through the path via su-
fore, that proof may be compared luk and jadhdhba, only via stick-
with the sharia. ing (iltizam) to the illuminated
sunna of the rasul firmly, and
On the other hand, if such a proof
putting aside the disliked bedat.
does not come via a lineage, then
Dua: Allahumma thabbitna ‘ala
their practice [alone] is not the
mutaba‘ati ’l-sunnati, wa jannibna
proof. However, what all the
‘ala irtikabi ’l-bid‘ati, bihurmati
Muslims of each era in every city
sahibi ’l-sunnati, ‘alaihi wa ‘ala al-
10
istihsan means mustahab ihi ’l-salawatu wa ’l-salamu wa ’l-
tahiyyatu. of these five degrees so far11 hang

down from (ta‘alluq) the stations
of ascent (‘uruj). And attaining
Degree 5: God-gifted these [degrees] are linked to rising
high (beh su‘ud marbut).
perfections
Degree 5 of following is following
those perfections of that master Degree 7: Descent
(slm) where knowledge and prac-
tice (‘ilm, ‘aml) have no right. In- Degree 7 of following is attached
stead, attaining those is linked to (ta‘alluq) to descent (nuzul) and
sheer divine grace (fadl, ihsan-i going down (hubut). This sev-
khodawandiy) (js). And this de- enth degree of following puts to-
gree is lofty (‘ala). So lofty that gether all the previous degrees.
the earlier degrees keep no con- Because in this homestead of de-
nection to them. These perfec- scent (mawtin-i nuzul), descent is
tions are God-gifted (khass) to the same as attestation (tasdiq) of
the prophets who are possessors of the heart. And it is also stabil-
magnificence. Along with them, ity (tamkin) of the heart. And
Allah grants them to whomever he it is also pacifiedness (itminan) of
wishes as exclusive gifts, their fol- the nafs. And also a good balance
lower and heir (warathat)). between the parts of the frame
(i‘tidal-i ajzaiy qalib). The result
is that those [parts] take a fast
Degree 6: Belovedness from rebelliousness and insubordi-
nation (tughyan, sarkashiy). It is
Degree 6 of the following is fol- as if each of the earlier degrees was
lowing the rasul in the perfections a part (ajza) of this followership
that are in the lot of the sta- (mutaba‘at) [seventh] degree, and
tion of belovedness (mahbubuiyat) this degree is like the union (kull)
of the rasul. In the degree 5, of all those [earlier] parts. On this
there was effusion of perfection station (maqam), such a similarity
exclusively via grace (ifada’-i ka- (shabahat) is created between the
malat beh mujarrad-i fadl va ih- follower and the leader being fol-
san). In the same way, the per- lowed (matbu‘) that it is said that
fections of this degree 6 are at- the name followerhood (tab‘iyat)
tained via sheer love (mahabbat) that is in-between them goes away.
that is even above grace (tafaddul And the distinction (imtiyaz) be-
va ihsan). Fewest of the few have tween them vanishes.
attained the following of this de-
11
gree. Except the first degree, all i.e., degrees 2-6
Even more, I am realizing that to keep a distance with his leader

whatever the follower is taking, (matbu‘). On the other hand, the
like the leader being followed he left-over-eater-cum-heir need not
is taking that from the prototype keep any distance. Follower eats
(beh asl) [directly]. It is as if both the left-over. And the left-over-
are drinking water from the same eater (tufayli ) sits in the same
fount. And both are sitting on the place of eating.
same lap, lying on the same bed,
In summary, all the felicity that
and both are as conjoined as milk
comes12 , all that come for the
is with milk sugar.
prophets. It is the good fortune
Where is the follower? Who is the to the ummats that they find that
leader being followed (matbu‘)? favor via the intermediation of the
And what is the act of following prophets. And they eat the left-
(tab‘iyat)? There where the re- overs of their prophets.
lationship (nisbat) is unification
(ittihad), there cannot be any Caravan he is in
room for a relationship of apart- Even if I can’t go there
ness (tughayr). This is enough that I
hear
It’s an amazing interaction. As
Sound from afar
much as I look onto this station
with a sharp sight, the more it
seems that neither anything of Dar qafila’iy keh uwst
the relationship of followerhood danam narsam
(tab‘iyat) comes into sight, nor Iyn bas keh rasad ze dur
does a true distinction (imtiyaz) bang jarsam
between the leader being followed
and follower. Only that the Perfect follower
follower considers himself as the
left-over-eater (tufayliy) of the That person is the perfect follower
leader being followed, and finds (tabi‘-i kamil) who is resplendent
himself as the heir of his own from following all these seven de-
prophet. ‘Alaihi wa ‘ala jami‘i ’l- grees. He who follows some of
anbiya’i mina ’l-salawati afdaluha, these degrees and fails to follow
wa mina ’l-taslimati akmaluha. some others, he is only a partial
follower (tabi‘ fi ’l-jumla). How-
It is indeed true that the follower
ever, there are differences between
is one thing, and the left-over-
the [partial followers] as well. The
eater (tufayli) cum heir is another
ulama of the manifest knowledge
thing. However, both are in the
are satisfied by the first degree of
class of followerhood (tab‘iyat). In
12
the gross sight, the follower needs From Allah to man
the following only. Alas! If they 3.5 Maktub 2.55

were able to complete even that
completely! To Makhdum zadeh Khwaja
Those [ulama] have limited the fol- Muhammad Sa‘id and Khwaja
lowing to the form of the sharia. Muhammad Ma‘sum
And they refuse to consider any- Bismi ’llahi ’l-rahmani ’l-rahim.
thing else beyond that [form]. Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala
And they hold the sufi tariqas are ‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa.
incapable (biykar) to be connec-
tors to the arrival onto the degrees
of the following (wasila’-i wusul-
Quran brings together
i darajat-i mutaba‘at).13 Most of all sharias
their ulama refuse to hold anyone The Quran full of wisdom brings
as their pir or foreman (muqtada) together (jami‘) all the rules
save books like Hidaya, Bazdawiy (ahkam) of the sharia. Instead,
etc. brings together all the sharias that
For that worm hiding came before.
within stone Summary: Some of the rules of
His ground and sky are this sharia are understood to be of
the same these types (qism): A. direct ex-
pressions (‘ibarat) from the plain
Cho an kirmi keh dar
texts (nass), B. allusions (isharat)
sangiy nihan ast
from the plain text, C. pointed out
Zamin va asman-i uw
(dalalat) from the plain text, D.
haman ast
stands out (iqtida) from the plain
text etc. Both the commoners and
May Allah S make us realize the
the elect of the lexicologists (ahl-i
reality of the emulation of the
lughat) agree on it.
deeds that pleases the Mustafa
(Haqqaqana ’llahu subhanahu wa And the other type (qism)14 is
iyakum bihaqiqati ’l-mutaba‘ati ’l- of the sort (qabil) that could
mardiyati ’l-mustafawiyati ), ‘ala [only] be understood via ijtihad
sahibha ’l-salawatu wa ’l-salamu and istinbat15 . Only the imams
wa ’l-barakatu wa ’l-tahiyatu, wa of the mujtahids may understand
‘ala jami‘i ’l-ikhwanihi mina ’l- that [qism, type].
anbiya’i wa ’l-mursalina wa ’l-
14
mala’ikati ’l-‘izami wa ‘ala jami‘i i.e., the second type, i.e. of the type that is
atba’ihim ila yawmi ’l-qiyami apart from direct expression from the Quran
15
method of research, lit., istinbat is coining of
13
Aftabi has this extra line, but not Naushahi: a new word from an old Arabic root according to
Instead, they consider it to be fruitless and in vain. an Arabic pattern cf. Hava
3.5. MAKTUB 2.55 159
Most agree (beh qawl-i jamhur) of understanding. Unless those

that that master [the rasul] was [rules] are notified (i‘lam) on be-
one16 . So were the honorable com- half of the one who put down
panions, and the mujtahids from the rulings, [i.e., God], understand
the rest of the Muhammadan um- them may not even be conceived.
mat. Attaining these notifications is ex-
clusive (makhsus) to the prophets.
In the era of the rasul, the ijtihad-
Except the prophets, such notifi-
derived rules did not waver be-
cations do not happen to anyone.
tween error and correctness for
that was the age of direct reve- Although these rulings are taken
lation (wahy). Instead, by incon- from the book, still since their
trovertible (qat‘i) revelation, that manifestors (muzhir) are the
which is true and correct could be prophets, those are held to be re-
distinguished from mistake of the lated to the sunna. Because sunna
mistake-maker (khataiy mukhtiy). or hadith are their manifestor.
And truth and falsehood were not
Therefore, necessarily, these rules
commingled together (mumtazaj).
are related to qiyas because their
That was opposite of the rules manifestor is qiyas. Therefore,
that came after the end of the age both sunna and qiyas manifest
of the revelation. The mujtahids rules (hukm).
derived them via the method of
istinbat. That is why the ijtihad- However, there are many differ-
derived rules which were decided ences between these two mani-
in the era of revelation are bound festors.
to be firmly believed (mawjib-i
yaqin). And those should be prac- Manifestor 1 Qiyas: Based on
ticed and believed dogmatically ijtihad, personal interpreta-
(mufid-i ‘aml, i‘tiqad). On the tion in which there is possi-
other hand, those which came af- bility of error.
ter the age of direct revelation, Manifestor 2 Sunna: It has re-
they are necessarily subject to sus- ceived the help of divine no-
picion (zann). Those rules are tification where there is no
beneficial practices, but we are not room for error.
required to hold them as articles of
belief (neh mawjib-i i‘tiqad). This second type [of manifestor,
And the third type (qism) of the i.e., sunna or hadith], is like the
Quranic rulings are of the type prototype (asl). It itself can re-
that human power is incapable veal rulings. However, truly what
establishes the rules is the Quran
16
such mujtahid imam full of wisdom.
You may know on rulings derived be bound? Also, in the matter

via ijtihad, others are allowed to of rules derived via sunna of the
harbor a difference of opinion with prophets, the follower prophets
the prophets, if those others them- know them from God via the
selves have reached the degree same method that the possessors
(darajat) of ijtihad. None may of magnificence come to know.
oppose those rulings that are 1. So why does the follower prophet
expressions (‘ibarat), 2. allusions need follow there?
(isharat), 3. pointed out (dalalat)
from the nass. So all the um- Instead, there is not even any
mats must follow them. On the room for following there. Because
other hand, in ijtihadi matters, rulings differ with respect to time
the mujtahids of this ummat are and place. The same thing may
not required to follow the prophet be halal some times, and that
(salam). Instead, it is correct for same thing may be haram in some
them to follow their own judg- other times. Therefore, the thing
ment. However, there is a fine that the possessor magnificence
matter here. prophet is notified as halal, that
same thing is notified as haram
You may know these: [There are for another prophet.Both that ha-
tab‘i, follower prophets]. They lal and haram are taken from their
follow the sharia of a “pos- pages (sahifa). This is analogous
sessor of magnificence” prophet. to when from the same place two
[And for those follower prophets], mujtahid imams derive two differ-
it is imperative to follow those ent rulings. Some call it halal, and
rulings that have been estab- some other call it haram.
lished from the books and leaves
(sahifa) of their “possessor of mag-
nificence” prophets via ‘ibarat, Question on two types of
isharat, dalalat etc. On the other rulings
hand, [the follower prophets] are
Question: Those above-mentioned
not bound to follow those rulings
two types of rulings may take
that are established by ijtihad or
place within ijtihad. Because
sunna [of the possessor of magnif-
that ijtihad is based on judgment
icence prophet they follow].
(rayy) and judgment may be cor-
Let alone the prophets, even the rect or incorrect. But there is no
mujtahid imams of an ummat are such suspicion within i‘lam, noti-
not bound to follow the other fication from God. Therefore, it
prophets in the matter of rules as is improper to harbor a suspicion
it has been just been explained. in it. Instead, what is correct is
So how would a follower prophet that if a ruling is halal to God,
3.5. MAKTUB 2.55 161
it may never be haram, and vice are subject to the same ruling of
versa. Comment? this [Muhammadan] sharia. In
this case, in the same type of in-
Answer: It may be that a thing
cident, the order of Allah is the
is halal for one community, and
same, not different.
that thing is haram for another
community. So what the possessor
of magnificence prophet has been Question on permissibility
notified as halal, that same thing
Question: A possessor of magnif-
has been notified as haram for an-
icence prophet rules it permissi-
other prophet. Both these halal
ble and a second prophet who is
and haram are taken from their
his follower (mutabi‘) rules it im-
pages (sahifa). It is like when a
permissible, then the second rul-
mujtahid derives two different rul-
ing would abrogate the first rul-
ings from the same place. Some
ing. However, that [second ruling]
are calling it halal and some oth-
is not permissible as none but a
ers haram.
possessor of magnificence prophet
has the power to abrogate. Com-
Question on Notification ment?
Question: That above-mentioned Answer: Abrogation (nasakh) is
contradictory rulings may possibly to be imperative when the second
take place within ijtihad because ruling is a general [ruling] ([hukm-
that is based on opinions (rayy) i] ‘am) onto all the people of the
and opinions may be correct or in- world. At that time, the first rul-
correct. On the other hand, there ing that was specific to a particu-
is no such possibility within i‘lam lar community would be nullified.
from God and so it is improper On the other hand, when the sec-
to harbor suspicion on its correct- ond ruling is not general, instead
ness. Comment? it rules that thing impermissible
only for a specific community then
Answer: It may be that some-
it carries no conflict with the first.
thing is halal for one community
whereas haram for another com-
munity. Therefore, divine rulings Difference: wahy versus
for the same matter may be dif- i‘lam
ferent for different communities,
there is nothing wrong with it. On One mujtahid rules a matter halal
the other hand, it does not come and a second mujtahid rules that
true in the case of the ummat of same matter haram — can’t you
the last prophet uniquely. Be- see this? There is nothing to be
cause all the people of the world abrogated here. However, there
is a big difference between these rules are for a specific group, but
cases because one is a matter of in- not for the others. Therefore, no
terpretation (rayy) and another is prophets ijtihad or sunna may re-
divine notification (il‘am). Within place another prophet’s ijtihad or
interpretation, there is the possi- sunna. For one is for a specific
bility of several different rulings. ummat and the other is for an-
On the other hand, within notifi- other ummat. If this duality was
cation, there is no such possibility. for all the people of the world or
However, it is possible to have dif- for a specific ummat, then it would
ferent rules for different communi- surely be abrogated. It is like our
ties, as it has been explained be- sharia, which is incumbent to all
fore. the people of the world. Its sec-
ond ruling abrogates the first rul-
Therefore, in the previous sharias, ing, and the sunnas of our prophet
the follower prophets may not abrogates the sunnas of the earlier
oppose those rules (ahkam) that prophets
have been understood in the lex-
ical meaning from the books and
pages (suhf) of the possessor of
magnificence prophets . Because
those rules were sent down to Jesus following Hanafi
all the inhabitants of the world. school
As the result, whichever follower
prophet invites whichever com- After his [second] coming (nuzul),
munity, those prophets may not Hazrat Jesus would obey this
preach against those rules. If it sharia, and follow the Muham-
is halal, it is halal for everyone. madan sunna. Because it’s im-
And if it is haram, it is haram for proper to abrogate (mansukh) this
everyone as well. Until a second sharia. Maybe the ulama of the
possessor of magnificence prophet manifest knowledge would deny
comes and removes that rule. It the rulings of Hazrat Jesus (‘alaihi
is only then that it is abrogated. wa ’l-salam), and conclude that
Therefore, those rules that are his rulings oppose the book and
taken from their books and pages the sunna. Because his thinking
lexically, they are those that get in ijtihad would be very fine and
abrogated. On the other hand, inscrutably deep (kamal-i daqqat,
the rules that are established via ghamud-i ma’khuz). And analogy
ijtihad or i‘lam, notification, and for Jesus the spirit (ruh) of Al-
which are related to sunna or ijti- lah (‘alaihi ’l-salam) is the Great
had, they cannot be conceived to Imam the Kufi (rahmatu ’llahi
be abrogated. Because these are ‘alaihi) who attained a high de-
3.5. MAKTUB 2.55 163
gree in ijtihad and istinbat 17 . via Rubeh az hileh chasan

the blessings of piety and absti- begaslad iyn silsi-
nence, and the felicity of following lah ra
the sunna (barkat-i wara’, taqwa,
dawlat-i mutaba‘at-i sunna). All By the intermediaryness of this
others are incapable and come very interrelationship that he
short in understanding this. keeps with Hazrat Ruhu ’llah,
Having realized the fineness of his he could attain this high honor
knowledge, Imam Shafi‘i said in that Hazrat Khwaja Muhammad
smiling face, All the fuqaha, ju- Parsa wrote about. He wrote in
rists are the family-members of the Fusul Sitta, After his descent,
Abu Hanifa who depend on him Hazrat Jesus (‘Isa) would prac-
for support (Al-fuqaha’u kulluhum tice according to the school of Abu
‘iyalu Abi Hanifata). Hanifa. I.e., the ijtihad of Imam
Hazrat Jesus would be along the
This news is for the arrogance of
same line as the ijtihad of Imam
the short-sighted ones. Also for
‘Azam18 , since the level of [Hazrat
them who put their own faults
Jesus] is far too high to follow the
onto others.
ulama of an ummat.
If a faulty one blames
this caravan
God forbid! I won’t say
Superiority of Hanafi
such a thing school
All the lions of the world I am saying without the slight-
are chained in this est pressure (takalluf) or partisan-
chain ship (ta‘assub) that I am seeing
Can the teeth of jackal the light of this Hanafi school as
cut this chain? a vast ocean (darya-i ‘azim), and
the other schools like like ponds
Qasiriy gar konad iyn
(hiyad) and creeks (jadawil). In
qafila ra ta‘an-i
the external eyes even, I am seeing
qusur
that a large section of the Mus-
Hasha ’llah! Keh bar
lim ummat follows Abu Hanifah.
aram beh zaban
Yes! The number of followers of
iyn galeh ra
this school is so many. Also, this
Hameh shiran-i jahan
school is excellent (mutamayyiz)
basteh iyn silsilah
in root and branches, i.e., fun-
and
damentally. And their method
17
method of research cf. Aftabi, lit., istinbat is
18
coining of a new word from an old Arabic root ac- but not that that Hazrat Jesus would follow
cording to an Arabic pattern cf. Hava the Imam cf. Aftabi
of research (istinbat) is unique give pain to the captain of the reli-

(‘alahadeh)— all theses prove that gion (ra’is-i din) and the comman-
they are true. der of the Muslims (ra’iys-i mus-
It is a surprising thing! Imam Abu limin). And they do not sadden
Hanifa has put his feet before all the largest community (sawad-i
in following the sunna. a‘zam)20 in Islam. They want to
put out the light of Allah by blow-
1. The hadiths with defective ing breath over it (Yuriduna yuzfi
chains of transmission (mur- nura ’llahi bi-afwahihim)21 .
sal)19 , If they think that these great mas-
Imam Abu Hanifa , he considers them ters of the religion follow their own
as worthy of follow- judgments (ashab-i ra’iy), i.e., if
ing as the hadiths with they, in their corrupt idea, be-
valid chains (musnad) lieve that [Abu Hanifa] used to is-
are, and sue rulings according to his per-
a) he gives even those sonal judgments without paying
[weak hadiths] more any heed to the book and the
weight than his own sunna, then the school (madhd-
juridical opinion (ra’iy), hab) of Muslims that is the high-
and est in its number of followers gets
lost and deviated (dall, mubtadi‘).
2. he considers the [mere] say-
Even that, those followers go out
ings (qawl) of the compan-
of the boundaries of Islam. Only
ions, due to their companion-
people who believe that are peo-
ship with the best of men,
ple so ignorant (jahil) that they
more worthy than his own
don’t even have a clue on how ig-
[juridical] opinions (ra’iy).
norant they actually are. Or they
The others are not like that. Even are zindiqs22 whose intention is to
then, his opposite party call him a cut away (shatr) the most numer-
follower of his own opinion (sahib- ous part of the religious commu-
i ra’y). And they apply insulting nity. Or they are a few imper-
epithets to him, although they all 20
i.e., the Hanafi school, as most Muslims follow
acknowledge the perfection of his this madhdhab
21
knowledge, and the plenitude (wu- Quran, Tawba, 32
22
fur) of his Godfearingness and ab- Zindiq meaning heretic is the Arabicized
spelling for the Farsi word zindik. Literally, it
stinence (wara‘, taqwa). means a dualist. Then it came to mean the fire-
May Allah swt grants them the worshippers as they proposed two deities, Ahur
opportunity so that they do not Mazda who creates good and Ahriman who creates
evil. Finally, in Islamic sciences, it came to mean
19
mursal hadiths miss the name of the compan- one who maintains some affiliation with Islam but
ion denies it in a major teaching, i.e., a heretic.
3.5. MAKTUB 2.55 165
fect ones who have memorized a taqwa), still I an finding them like
few hadiths, guess that the whole boys before Imam Abu Hanifa. All
sharia in contained therein, imag- the rest rest on Allah (S).
ine that there is nothing beyond
what they know, and deny all that Marifat may not
what they are unable to prove.
overrule sharia
For that worm hiding Let me proceed to the gist of
within stone the matter now, and say that dif-
His ground and sky are ferences (ikhtilaf) between rulings
the same from ijtihad do not necessitate ab-
rogating the previous rulings even
Cho an kirmi keh dar if the prophets themselves make
sangiy nihan ast those rulings. On the other hand,
Zamin va asman-i uw if [such differences] happen in the
haman ast rulings from the Quran and the
hadith, such abrogation would in-
Alas! A thousand times alas! deed take place, as it has been nar-
At their ugly partisanship, and rated before. Therefore, it is es-
corrupt way of viewing! It is tablished that the book and the
Hazrat Imam Abu Hanifa is the sunna alone should be considered
founder (baniy) of the science of in establishing the rulings of the
fiqh. And he possessed three- sharia. However, the qiyas of the
fourth of the science of fiqh. It mujtahids and the ijma of the
is the rest, i.e., one-fourth that ummat can also establish rulings.
the rest of the imams share with Apart from those four basis, there
him. Therefore, Abu Hanifa is the is no other basis to establish the
master of the household (sahib-i rulings of the sharia. Ilham may
khaneh) of fiqh, and all the rest not establish halal or haram. And
are like his supported dependents the unveilings of the possessors of
(‘iyal). Although I am a firm fol- the inner realm (arbab-i batin),
lower of this school, still I have a i.e., the sufis cannot determine
personal love (mahabbat-i dhati) fard or sunna.
with Imam Shafi‘i, and I hold him
a major master. For this rea-
Elect friendship
son, in some supererogatory deeds
(a‘mal-i nafilah), I follow (taqlid) Possessors of the elect friend-
his school. But what would I ship (arbab-i walayat-i khassa)
do? Although all the other have are equal to the common faith-
plethora of knowledge and per- ful in following the mujtahids.
fect piety (wufur-i ‘ilm, kamal-i However, they have superiority
in other matters. Their un- themselves (ba khod, biy khod)24 .

veiling and inspiration (kashf, il- If they live, it is for God that they
ham) neither increase their supe- live (Agar miy ziynad, baraiy uw
riority, nor do those cast them miy ziynad). And if they die, it is
out of the boundary of following God that they die for (Agar miy
(taqlid). In following the muj- miyrand, baraiy uw miy miyrand).
tahids in research-derived rulings
(taqlid-i mujtahidan dar ahkam- Due to the predomination of
i ijtihadiya), Hazrat Dhu ’l-nun love (ghalba-i mahabbat), the
Misri, Bayazid Bistami, Juna’id beginners among them witness
Baghdadi, Abubakr Shibly (qud- (mushahadah) their sought thing
disa sirruhum) are equal to the (matlub) in the mirror of every
common faithful, e.g., Za’id, Amr, atom (mar’at-i har dharrah) of the
Bakr, Khalid etc. world. And they find (miy ya-
band) that every atom brings to-
See! In other matters, these mas- gether (jami‘) all the perfections of
ters23 may have superiority. They the divine names and attributes.
are the ones who possess unveil-
What sign (nishan) would I give
ing and witnessing (kashf, musha-
to their enders? They themselves
hada). And they are the ones who
have no sign. They forget the
possess self-disclosure and mani-
ma sewa at the very first footstep.
festation (tajalli, zuhur). They
What would I say on their sec-
are that group who have been
ond footstep? For they are beyond
liberated from the love of the
(berun) the beyond-the-horizon
ma sewa due to the overpowering
(afaq) realm and the inside-the-
love for the true beloved (istila-
self (anfus) realm. They are
i mahabbat-i mahbub-i haqiqi).
the ones who receive ilham and
And they have been freed from
they are the ones with whom
looking at or knowing (did, dan-
God speaks (kalam). The master
ish) about the other or otherness
of their masters (akabir-i akabir-i
(ghair, ghairiyat). If they have at-
iyshan) take knowledge and mys-
tained (hasil) anything, it is him
teries (asrar) without any interme-
whom they have attained. And if
diateness (biy-tawassut) from the
they have arrived on (wasil) any-
prototype (asl). It is like the muj-
thing, it is him whom they have
tahids who follow their own judg-
arrived on. They are within the
ments and interpretations (ra’iy,
cosmos (dar ‘alam) but outside
ijtihad). And likewise, in their
(biy ‘alam) the cosmos. They
are with themselves but without 24
This line is missing from both Amritsari and
Naushahi, but it is in Aftabi translation, They have
23
i.e., the possessors of the elect friendship sobriety but at the same time, they have also lost
(arbab-i walayat-i khassa) themselves
3.5. MAKTUB 2.55 167
own marifats and ecstasies (mawa- that that knowledge25 is some-

jid), they follow their own ilham thing else. It is beyond the rulings
and insight (firasat). of the sharia (ahkam-i shari‘at)
that is reserved (makhsus) for the
people of Allah.
Khidr and beyond-worldly
knowledge
Khwaja Muhammad Parsa (qud-
Marifat: Fruit of sharia
disa sirruhu) has written, Re- Indeed, those said marifats are the
garding receiving benefit from the fruits of the rules of this sharia.
knowledge of the ethereal realm, The purpose for planting a tree is
Hazrat Khidr is my intermedi- to harvest the fruit. So as long
ary (Dar ifada’-i ‘ulum-i ladun- as the tree is on its feet, it will
niy, ruhaniyat-i Hadrat Khidr mu- bear fruit. And when its root is
tawassut ast). By this saying of cut, there would be no fruit. A
him, it seems to me that it relates complete idiot is that man who
to the beginning or the mid-level. expects to pick the fruit even af-
But the interaction (mu‘amala) of ter cutting off the tree. Instead,
the enders are another thing, as I the more one would tend the tree,
have witnessed it via clear unveil- the more fruit would grow on that.
ing (kashfu ’l-sarihu). Although the purpose is the fruit,
And what has been narrated from still it comes off the tree. The dis-
Hazrat Shaykh Abdul Qadir Ji- tinction between one who firmly
lani strengthens that. It is said observes the sharia and another
that once Hazrat Shaykh Abdul who neglects it — it can be de-
Qadir (quddisa sirruhu) climbed termined by this analogy. He who
up onto his podium (minbar) and takes up the sharia realizes mar-
started lecturing. At that time, ifat. The more one follows the
Hazrat Khidr was crossing that sharia, the more one realizes the
area. At that time, Hazrat Shaykh marifat. And he who neglects [fol-
said, O Israelite! Come and listen lowing the sharia], he is deprived
to the words of the Muhammadan. of the marifat.
From this saying of him, it seems
that Hazrat Khwaja Khidr is not Marifat perfects the
a Muhammadan, he is from a pre-
sharia
vious community.
When it is such (chun chenin [He who neglects the sharia] may
bashad), how would he be a inter- believe that he has attained the
mediary (wasta) for the Muham- 25
i.e., ‘ilm-i ladunniy, God-given knowledge that
madans? So now it is realized is beyond-worldly
marifat in his perverted knowl- to divine commands, then indeed

edge, still actually he has attained their nafl, supererogatory acts are
nothing at all. That is a type like the fard, obligatory acts of the
of deceptive progress (istidraj) commoners.
like what the yogis, sanyasin and For example, an act for someone
Brahmins get. All the haqiqat, re- may be nafl by the command of
ality that the sharia refuses to ac- the sharia but that same act may
cept is surely misguidance (zan- be fard by ilham for someone else.
daqa, ilhad). So the commoners may sometime
Therefore, it is proper and fitting do nafl worship and some other
(rav-ast) that the elect of the peo- time mubah deed. On the other
ple of Allah realize some mysteries hand, when these masters do all
and subtle things (asrar, daqa’iq) their deeds by the instruction from
from the marifat or knowledge of Allah, all those deeds are done as
the person, attributes and activi- fard. The highness of these mas-
ties (dhat, sifat, af‘al) of God. The ters can be guessed from this.
external sharia is silent on these
marifats. Need for Ilham
These masters [of marifat] find
The ulama of the manifest knowl-
the permission (idhn) or lack
edge has held that the news of the
of permission of Allah is every
absent realm (ghaib) comes from
movement and stillness (harkat,
the news of the prophets. And
sakanat). And come to know of
they hold none else to be peer to
his pleasure (mardi) or displea-
the prophets. This is incompati-
sure. Some times they find do-
ble to being the heir. Many true
ing supererogatory salat against
knowledge is negated by this.
the good pleasure of Allah, and
get told to forsake that. Again Yes! All the rulings of the
in some other times, they realize sharia are based on the four proofs
sleeping to be better than staying (dalil)26 . Ilham has no place there.
awake. On the other hand, the religion
has many things to do beyond the
outward rulings of the sharia. In
God communicates via those places, the fifth proof is il-
ilham ham. Instead, it can be said that
Every rule of the sharia is limit is the third proof. That is, after
ited to a specific time (waqt). On 1. the Quran and 2. the hadith,
the other hand, the rules derived it is 3. ilham that may be con-
via ilham is for all the time. So sidered. This proof would remain
26
when these masters act according Quran, hadith, ijma, qiyas
3.6. MAKTUB 2.56 169
until the end of the world. So how Difference: Ijtihad and

can you equate these masters with ilham
the others?
There is a distinct difference be-
It is possible that others are do- tween ijtihad and ilham. Ilham
ing much worship but that is being is a matter of opinion and opin-
against the good pleasure of Allah. ion rests on the creator. There
On the other hand, these masters is a sort of originality (asalat) in
sometimes are not worshiping but ilham that is not there in ijti-
even that is creating good pleasure had. What the prophets receive is
in God. I.e., To God, they leaving i‘lam, notification. And ilham is
out worshiping is more liked than similar to that i‘lam, Quran and
the others worshiping. But the hadith come from that [i‘lam], as
common people point out towards it has been described before. How-
the opposite path. They consider ever, ilham is subject to suspicion
[the worshipers] as the abid, pious whereas the said i‘lam is defini-
and those [not worshiping] as the tive.
cheaters (makkar).
Rabbana! Atina milladunka rah-
matan, wa hayya’ lana min am-
rina rashada 28 )! Wa ’l-salamu
Ilham illuminates
‘ala mani ‘ttaba‘a ’l-huda.
hidden perfections
Question: When the religion has
been perfected by the book and
3.6 Maktub 2.56
sunna, then after the perfec- To Mawlana ‘Abdul Qadir Ambali
tion, what is the need for ilham?
What imperfection (noqsan) re-
mains that needs to be perfected
by ilham? Sins into merits
Answer: Ilham brings to light the Bismi ’llahi ’l-rahmani ’l-rahim.
hidden perfections of the religion. Allah swt said, They are those
It does not establish additional whose sins Allah turns into
perfections in the religion. It is merits (Ula’ika yubaddilu ’llahu
like ijtihad, which manifests the sayyi’atihim hasanatin) 29 . By the
rules27 . In the same way, ilham grace of Allah (S) as alms from his
shows the fine points and myster- beloved (salam), the interaction
ies (daqa’iq, asrar). Most people of the dervish reaches such a
fall short of understanding those. place that the ugly (saiyyi’a)
28
Q.Kahf.10
27 29
of the sharia Q.Furqan.7
deeds for the others turn into deserves [true] magnificence and
beautiful deeds for him. And greatness. It is the same case with
what are despicable deeds (rad- beauty, good and perfection (ja-
hila) for the others turn into mal, khair, kamal) etc. — for him
praiseworthy deeds (hamida) for those qualities are also steps30 .
him. For example, showing-off or And apart from that [progress], he
bragging (riya, sum‘a), which is gains nothing from those [quali-
a sin (saiyyi’at) or bad quality ties]31 .
(radha’il), may be considered. It
becomes beautiful (husn) for him Things given in trust for safe-
and a deed that shows grateful- keeping (amanat) should be re-
ness and praise (shukr, hamd) of turned to the people of trust.
God. Therefore, when he does what
seems to be showing-off or boast-
Because that dervish has wrested ing (surat-i riya va sum‘a) his in-
away from himself (az khod tention is not bragging, priding
maslub) all sorts of haughti- himself, elevating himself, or being
ness and greatness (‘azamat, kib- haughty (ishtihar, iftikhar, raf‘at,
riyaiy). And instead he has put ‘azamat). Instead, it is to man-
himself into a relationship with ifest the blissful things (izhar-i
the holy person of God (janab- ni‘amat) from the Haqq swt and
i quddus-i khodavandi). And he to spread the news of the beau-
has thrown all sorts of beauty, tiful conduct (i‘lam-i ihsan) from
grace, good and perfection (husn, God by which that dervish has
jamal, khair, kamal) far away from been treated. Instead, when that
himself. Instead, he has speci- dervish shows-off and boasts, it is
fied (makhsus) them uniquely for as if he is praising and showing
Allah. And he finds nothing gratefulness (hamd, shukr) to the
in himself but defect, imperfec- Haqq (S). And those bad actions
tion and nothingness (sharr, naqs, transform into praise (az radhalat
hech). And he sees nothing in beh mahmudat). Onto the same
himself but submissiveness, need- line of reasoning are the rest of
iness and brokenness (dhull, if- the qualities. Fa’ula’ika yubaddilu
tiqar, inkisar). ’llahu sayya’atihim hasanatin wa
If in the future, just a little kana ’llahu ghafura rahima 32 . Wa
part from magnificence and great- ’l-salam.
ness (‘azimat, kibriyaiy) is face-
30
turned onto (mutawajjuh) him, via which he progresses, as he did via magnif-
icence and greatness
he considers that [part] as a lad- 31
i.e., those gifted qualities fail to grant great-
der. And [that part or ladder] ness to he himself
32
takes him above, to [God] who Q.Furqan.70
3.7. MAKTUB 2.57 171
3.7 Maktub 2.57 time, it is better to chant zikr

than to send salawat, for both
To Mulla Ghazi Na’ib the sender and him whom that
Bismillahi ’l-rahmani ’l-rahim salawat is being sent to, i.e., the
Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala receiver (mursil, mursal). Be-
‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa. Ar- cause,
shadaka ’llahu ta‘ala!
Sender It is narrated in a sa-
Zikr of Allah is better cred hadith, He who is
than salawat too absorbed in zikr to ask
me, I give him better things
For a few days, I was preoccu- (Man shagalahu dhikri ‘an
pied in reciting salawat to the best mus’alatiy, a‘taituhu afdala
of men (slm). And I was salut- ma) 35 .
ing (darud) him via many dif-
ferent genera and types (anwa‘, Receiver when this zikr is taken
aqsam) of salawat. And I found from the nabis (AS), then
that they gave immediate results. the same way that the zikr-
And I found path towards the chanter gets the merit, in
fine points within the mysteries that same way his nabi (AS)
of the elect Muhammadan friend- also gets that merit.
hood (daqa’iq-i asrar-i walayat-i
khassa-i muhammadi)33 . It went The rasul said, He who would es-
on like that for a while but inci- tablish a beautiful practice in Is-
dentally, a day came when I was lam, he would receive its merit
found no opportunity to do this for himself and all else who would
practice, and I cut short (iqtisar) practice it. (Man sanna [fi ’l-
the scheduled time (muwaqqat). Islam] sunnatan hasanatan, fa-
And a desire arose in my mind lahu ajruha wa ajru man ‘amila
that I substitute it with tasbih, biha) 36 .
taqdis, tahlil. 34 I thought that Any good deed that the ummat
there must be some hidden mys- does, [the ummat] gets the merit
tery in this, let me wait and see from that deed, So does the en-
what comes up. voy (paygambar) [of that ummat]
Finally, by the grace (‘inayat) of since [that envoy] is the founder
Allah swt, I learned that for that of that practice. The merit of the
33
or the greater friendhood (walayat-i qubra) cf. doer does not get lessened by it at
Aftabi all.
34
Tasbih is reciting Sub-hana ’llah taqdis is Sub-
35
hana maliku ’l-quddus, tahlil is reciting La hawla wa hadith
36
la quwwata illa bi-’llah hadith
Accepted zikr It is for this reason that sufi

shaykhs (masha’ikh) of this tariqa
You may know that every zikr
(qaddasa ’llahu ta‘ala asrarhum)
does not have this degree (rutba).
do not permit the beginner any
Only that zikr, which is worthy of
practice apart from chanting zikr.
acceptance, is specified by that ex-
Instead they shorten the practice
cellence. Salawat is better than
to fard and wajib only and forbid
that zikr, which is not like that.
(mana‘) nafl matters40 .
And via that [salawat], one would
receive more baraka. On the other
hand, the zikr, which is Nabis are supreme
1. taken from a shaykh who This clarification clarifies that
is perfect in perfection-giving even when one perfect individ-
(kamil-i mukammil), and ual (fard-i kamil) from the um-
2. according to the rules of the mat progresses and reaches the ul-
tariqa, one can continue (mu- timate degree of perfection, still
dawamat) that [zikr] that one won’t be able to be equal
to his own prophet (AS). Because,
this zikr is better than reciting
salawat. Because this zikr is the 1. Whatever perfection that
connector (wasila) to that zikr 37 . [the ummat] has attained, he
Until one would not do this zikr, has attained it via following
one would not reach that zikr 38 . the sharia of that prophet
(AS). Consequently, all these
Supererogatory worship for- perfections are established
bidden Note: This is a rule in that envoy (paygambar).
in our branch of the Naqshbandi And the perfections of the
tariqa not to do any nafl salat other followers of the envoy
without the shaykh’s permission, has been added to it. Addi-
which he gives only at advanced tionally, the envoy (AS) has
level. This section explains why. his own unique perfections.
Also study Tafsir al-Mazhari, last to fast when that fast satiates the nafs
juz‘, where Khwaja Bahauddin ex- 40
This rule means the beginner of the Naqsh-
plains this matter prohibition of bandi tariqa may not do any nafl salat, only fard,
supererogatory worships.39 wajib, or sunnat-i mu‘aqqada salat, even the taha-
jjud salat. Instead, they should concentrate on pu-
37
i.e., that maqbul zikr rifying the heart via zikr, muraqaba and other prac-
38
i.e., until the salik would do this zikr that he tices suggested by the shaykh. Once the initiate
has taken from his sufi shaykh, he would not trans- attains a higher level, his teaching shaykh would
form himself to reach that maqbul, accepted zikr permit it. This is in contrast to the method in
39
Tafsir al-Mazhari has a story where Kh Amir other tariqas where they attain the nearness via
Kulal told Kh Bahauddin, It is better to eat than nafl salat
3.7. MAKTUB 2.57 173
2. A perfect ummat may not and the side of the ink in the
reach the degree of a envoy balance would be heavier41 .
(paygambar) even if none fol-
lows him or accepts his in- Those above-mentioned felicities
vitation. Because every en- are impossible for the ummat.
voy is basically a mission- Whatever that the ummat receive,
ary (sahib-i da‘wat) and in- they receive it derivatively42 . The
structed (ma’mur) to spread trunk (asl) is the trunk and the
(tabligh) the sharia. Denial branch branches out (mustinbat)
of the ummat fails to cre- of the trunk.
ate a defect in his mission From this narration, the excel-
of invitation and conveyance lence of the missionaries (da‘iyan,
(da‘wat, tabligh). muballighan) of this ummat may
be realized. However, just as
there are higher and lower degrees
Missionaries: Excellence It within the acts of calling and con-
is a clear saying that no perfec- veyance (da‘wat, tabligh), in the
tion reaches the degree of the mis- same way, there are degrees (dara-
sion of invitation and conveyance jat) within the offices of the callers
(rutba’i da‘wat, tabligh). You and missionaries (da‘iyan, mubal-
might have heard these hadiths, lighan).
The ulama specializes in the con-
1. Verily, the most beloved
veyance of the external facet
before Allah is one who
(tabligh-i zahir) and on the other
makes Allah beloved before
hand, the sufis take up the inter-
his slaves (Fa-inna ahabba ’l-
nal facet (batin). That sufi who
‘ibadihi ’llahi ila ’llahi). Or,
is an alim as well a sufi (‘alim-i
2. One who makes Allah love sufiy)— he is a touchstone. Be-
his slaves, and makes his cause he is worthy to act as a mis-
slaves love Allah, they are sionary (tabligh) and invite people
the callers and missionar- (da‘wat). And he is the heir and
ies (Man habbaba ’llahi ila follower of the prophets (as).
‘ibadihi, wa habbaba ‘ibadu Hadith-scholars of this ummat —
’llahi, wa huwa al-da‘iy wa ’l- who convey (tabligh) the hadiths
muballighu). Or, of the prophet— many consider
3. On the day of resurrection them to be the most excellent
in the future, the ink of (afdal). If one means it in the
the ulama would be mea- absolute sense (mutlaqan), I am
sured against the blood of the 41
hadith quoted in Farsi
42
shahids on the path of Allah, lit., as tufayliy and dimni
not so sure. But when com- rana, wa ’gfir lana. Innaka ‘ala
pared to those who convey the kulli shay’in qadir45 . Al-salamu
manifest knowledge (muballighan- ‘alaikum wa ‘ala mani ’ttaba‘a ’l-
i zahir) — yes, it can be said. huda.
On the other hand, absolute su-
periority (fadl-i mutlaq) belongs
to the comprehensive missionary 3.8 Maktub 2.58
(muballigh-i jami‘) who conveys
(tabligh) both external and in- To Khvaja Muhammad Taqi
ternal (zahir, batin) bodies of Alhamdu li-’llahi rabbi ’l-
knowledge and gives invitation ‘alamina, wa ’l-salawatu wa
(da‘wat) in both external and in- ’l-salamu ‘ala sayyidi ’l-mursalina
ternal methods43 . Because cutting wa ‘ala alihi ’l-tahirina. I am
short44 is deficiency that negates delighted to peruse the blessed
unbounded excellence (Li’anna fi letter you have sent due to your
’l-iqtisari qusuran yunafi itlaqa ’l- good upbringing, and highness
fadli ). So understand, and do not of your innate nature (fitrat).
remain with the defective ones. Sallamakumu ’llahu ta‘ala.
(Fa-afhum wa la takun mina ’l-
qasirin). Kumun buruz tanasukh
Yes! Although the zahir is supe- Note: coming out in the open or
rior (‘umda) and it is the means of being hidden (buruz, kumun)
salvation, full of baraka and com-
prehensively beneficial (manat-i
najat, kathir al-barkat, ‘umum Vision of Ibn Arabi
al-manfa‘at), still its perfection You have written that Hazrat
depends on the batin. Zahir, Muhyiuddin Ibnu ’l-‘Arabi nar-
without the batin, is incomplete, rated a hadith in the Futuhat-
whereas the batin, without the za- i Makkiya where the prophet
hir, is useless (na-farjam). On (SLM) said, Verily Allah created
the other hand, he who has a hundred thousand Adams (Inna
brought together both the zahir ’llaha khalaqa mi’ata alfi Adama).
and batin is as rare as the touch- Along with it, the shaykh de-
stone. Rabbana! Atmim lana nu- scribed several witnessings of the
43
i.e., gives invitation both externally via speech world of images (mushahadat-i
and writings and internally via spiritual energetic ‘alam-i mithal):
attraction. Khwaja ‘Ubaidullah Ahrar used to say,
How would one benefit from our talks if he can’t [Ibn Arabi] was do-
benefit from our silence? ing tawaf, circumam-
44
to solely the external sharia while ignoring the
45
internal sharia, which is the sufi path or tariqa Q.Tahrim.8
3.8. MAKTUB 2.58 175
bulation of the mag- to [Ibn Arabi], I am one

nificent Kaaba with a among your grandfa-
group of people whom thers. [Ibn Arabi] asked
[Ibn Arabi] didn’t know. that [tawaf-doer], How
And it appeared that many years ago did you
during the tawaf all re- die? That [tawaf-doer]
cited two Arabic poems answered, My death
and one of them was: took place more than
forty thousand years
Indeed we’re
ago. [Ibn Arabi] said in
doing
surpise, It has not even
tawaf
been seven thousand
like
years up to now since
you are
the creation of Adam
doing
(AS) the fore-father of
tawaf
man. That [tawaf-doer]
Going around
replied [to Ibn Arabi],
this
Which Adam are you
house
talking about? Your
alto-
Adam47 has indeed been
gether
created seven thousand
years ago.48
Laqad tufna
kama The Shaykh added, At that point,
tuftum I remembered that hadith. And
sininan that what has been narrated be-
Bihadha ’l- fore49 supports that hadith.
baiti
turran
ajma‘ina Vision: Mujaddid’s
When [Ibn Arabi] heard
interpretation
this couplet, this idea Sir! By the grace of God (‘inayat-i
floated in [Ibn Arabi’s] khodawandi, what has been man-
mind that those [tawaf-
47
doers] are substitutes Here, the word adam has a double meaning. In
first context, i.e., your Adam, it means the prophet
(abdal)46 of the world of
Adam, and in the second context, it means ‘adam,
images. As soon as this nonexistence.—IAM
thought came up, one of 48
but we, who are doing tawaf as ‘adam, nonex-
those [tawaf-doers] said istence, have been doing from a time even before
that
46 49
like guards cf. Aftabi i.e., this vision of Ibn Arabi
ifested to me is this:50 of existence-giving (b-iyjad-i

khodawandi) (JS).
1. Ancient Adams of world
of images All these Adams 5. Imaginal Adams appear
that were there before the as true Adam It is that
creation of Hazrat Adam [imaginal Adam] appeared in
(AS), they used to exist in the outward form (surat) of
the world of images (mithal), Adam (AS), and received the
not in the witnessed world name [Adam].
(‘alam-i shahadat). 6. Imaginal Adams carried
2. True Adam of witnessed on activities of true
world He who is the true Adam It is via the inter-
Hazrat Adam (AS), he ex- mediation of those [imaginal
ists in the witnessed world Adams] that the activities
(‘alam-i shahadat). It is (kar va bar) of that true
he who attained the deputy- Adam51 took place (waqa‘a).
hood (khilafat) on the land Even that, in a manner
(zamin), and became the ob- appropriate to that world of
ject of prostration (masjud) images (munasib-i an ‘alam-i
of the angels. mithal), children were born
(tawalud) to and the lineage
3. Many latifas within continued (tanasul) for those
Adam’s reality Since [imaginal Adams].
Adam (AS) had been
created comprehensively 7. Imaginal Adams attain
(jam‘iyat), there was many imaginal perfections And
(besiyar) latifas and qualities also those [imaginal Adams]
(awsaf) within [Adam’s] attained formal and mental
reality. perfections related to that
world [of images] (kamalat-i
4. Latifas attain existence
suri, ma‘nawi munasib-i an
Since a long time before
‘alam). And they became
[true Adam’s] birth, in ev-
deserving of torture of merit
ery age (waqt), one of at-
(shayan-i ‘adhab va thawab).
tributes or latifas (sifat ya
Even that, the day of resur-
lata’if) of [the true Adam] at-
rection (qiyamat) ocurred for
tained existence in the imag-
them. And people of par-
inal world (‘alam-i mithal)
adise entered paradise, and
powered by God’s power
people of hell entered hell.
50
This is a unique teaching of the Mujaddid that
51
he seems to have learned via ilham the true, i.e., the nabi Hazrat Adam (AS)
3.8. MAKTUB 2.58 177
8. Drama repeated in many 10. True Adam is far more

stages After this52 ended, exalted than imaginal
if Allah willed, one of the Adams Even if there were a
attributes of that [imagi- hundred thousand [imaginal]
nal Adam], along with some Adams, still those [imaginal
other latifa, appeared in that Adams] are like the parts
world of images. And ac- (ajza) of this [true Adam
tivities like that happened (AS)]. And those [bodily
in the first stage used to parts] are like the hands and
happen even in that second feet of the being (wujud)
stage. When the second [of the true Adam]. And
stage ended, the third stage they are like the prefaces
used to begin. And when and prophecies (mubadiy,
that [third stage] ended, the muqaddamat) of [the true
fourth stage used to begin. Adam].
By the will of Allah ta‘ala,
this method kept on repeat- 11. Grandfather The grandfa-
ing. ther of the great shaykh
(shaykh-i bozorg)(QS) who
9. True Adam appeared died forty thousand years
after this drama When the ago55 , he was a latifa of
stages of [Adam’s] imaginal that shaykh [Ibn Arabi] in
manifestations (zuhurat-i the world of images (‘alam-
mithali), which suspended i mithal). And at the same
from the attributes and time, he who found exis-
latifas of [Adam], were tence in the witnessed world
completed (tamam gashteh), (‘alam-i shahadat) and did
then that comprehensive tawaf of the noble house of
list (nuskha-i jam‘iyat)53 Allah, he did it in that world
came into existence in of images as well56 . Be-
this witnessed world by cause there are forms and
God’s [faculty of] bringing- things similar to the magnif-
into-existence (b-iyjad-i icent Kaaba in that world of
khodawandi)(JS). And by images. And that is the qi-
the grace of God (be-fadl-i bla for the residents of that
khodawandi)(JS), it54 at- world.
tained greatness and honor
(mu‘azzaz, mukarram).
55
in that dream
52 56
above-mentioned drama i.e., Hazrat Ibn Arabi (QS) did tawaf in the
53
i.e., the true Hazrat Adam (AS) vision (waqi‘a) or dream, and visions/dreams take
54
that comprehensive list, i.e., the true Adam place in the world of images
Analysis: All are Reincarnation is false

manifested from true Only those with sick hearts mis-
Adam interpret these narrations as tana-
sukh, reincarnation. Possibly they
I threw the sharpest gaze into propose that this world is ancient
this matter, and made research (qidam-i ‘alam qa’il), and deny
(ferestadeh, ta‘ammuq), still I the greater resurrection (qiyamat-
failed to see any second Adam in i kubra). Some irreligious
this world of witnessing (‘alam- (malahid) people have fraudu-
i shahadat). So I realized that lently put themselves onto the
this [vision] is nothing but mag- throne (masnad) of the shaykh.
ical activities of the world of And they rule that reincarnation
images (sha‘bdehbaziyha-i ‘alam-i is permissible.
mithal).
[Those reincarnationists], they
That imaginal body (badan-i think that until the nafs attains
mithaliy) said, I am your grand- perfection, it has no alternative
father. More than forty thousand but reincarnation. They say, It is
years has passed since my death. only when the nafs realizes perfec-
This is the strongest proof that the tion, it gets respite from endless
earlier Adams (adamha-i pesh) fluctuation (taqallub-i abadan)58 ,
were the manifestation (zuhurat) instead from endless interconnec-
of the attributes and latifas of this tion (ta‘alluq-i abadan) with the
Adam (AS)57 . It is not that those body. Because that [nafs] realizes
[earlier Adams] were created as the purpose behind its creation,
separate and distinct (‘alahideh, when it reaches the ultimate limit
mubayn) from this [true] Adam. of perfection (hadd-i kamal). This
Because if those [earlier Adams] saying of the [reincarnationists] is
were indeed separate, what rela- clear infidelity (kufr-i sarih). And
tionship would they have with this denying that what has been estab-
[true] Adam? And how would he lished in the religion via numer-
be the grandfather? It has not yet ous proofs. If everyone reaches ul-
been seven thousand years since timate limit of perfection as the
the creation of this [true earthly] final result, then who is the hell
Adam. So where is the room for for? Or who would suffer punish-
forty thousand years to pass? ment? This saying of theirs re-
sults in denying the hell, and dis-
believing in the last-worldly tor-
57
This Adam means the true earthly prophet
58
Adam (AS) whereas those Adams mean the earlier i.e., endless ever-repeating chain of events of
mithaliy, imaginal Adams life, death and rebirth in the reincarnated form
3.8. MAKTUB 2.58 179
ture (‘adhab-i ukhriy). Instead, Explaining miracles

by denying the resurrection of the without reincarnation
body, they conceive that the body
is a weapon through which they Question: It is narrated from
attain perfection. And so if all the Hazrat ‘Ali (KW) and also from
nafses reaches the ultimate limit of some other walis of Allah that
perfection (hadd-i kamal) as the fi- even before they had attained
nal result, then the nafs no longer their earthly bodies (wujud-i ‘un-
need to look towards that [body]. suri), they did many strange prac-
Or remains needy (ihtiyaj) on that tices and amazing acts (a‘mal-
[body]. For if the nafs did remain i ghariba, af‘al-i ‘ajiba) in this
needy, it would need to get resur- world. If reincarnation is not per-
rected along with that [body]. mitted, how did those happen59
Answer: Those activities were
performed by the spirits (ruh) of
these masters. By the will of
Reincarnationists Deny Allah, their spirits were embod-
Resurrection [Those reincar- ied as bodies (mutajassid b-ajsad)
nationists], they believe in the and did those. The spirit that
same way that the faylasufs do. was interconnected (ta‘alluq) to
For those faylasufs deny bodily [Hz. Ali or other masters] was
resurrection (bejasad hashr). not from a different body, which
Instead they believe that the had taken on an interrelationship
torture or bliss (‘adhab, thawab) with the spirit60 . Tanasukh means
is spiritual (ruhani). Actually, that the ruh establishes an inter-
what these [reincarnationists] connection (ta‘alluq) with, i.e., en-
believe in is even worse than what ters within, a second body (jasad
the faylasufs believe in (i‘tiqad-i bejasad-i digar) where the sec-
falasafa). Because while the ond body was separate (mubaiyn,
faylasufs deny bodily resurrection mughaiyr) from that ruh before
(hashr-i ajsad), but [at least], it is (pesh) the establishment of that
onto the ruh that they establish interconnection. On the other
torture or prize (‘adhab, thawab-i hand, what is happening here is
ruhani). On the other hand, that the ruh is embodying itself
these [reincarnationists] establish with a body (mutajassid bejasad).
reincarnation, but at the same
59
time, they deny any last-worldly Needs further research on the practices of
punishment. To them, worldly Hazrat Ali that the Mujaddid is referring to? Pos-
sibly Amritsari has comments
punishment is the only punish- 60
If it were so, yes, it would be reincarnation,
ment, and it is done to reform but instead, those were the spirits if Hz. Ali or
(tahdhib) the nafs. other masters indeed
So how would it be a reincarna- we have made such a conversation

tion? with him. On the other hand, an-
other group said, We have seen
him in Rome. And a third group
1. Changing forms is not
said, We have met him in Bagh-
reincarnation
dad. This is the case of his latifas
Jinns appear in many shapes taking on different forms. In many
or forms (mutashakkil be-ashkal). cases, the master is not even aware
And at that time, that body per- of these. Due to this, he says, You
forms actions commensurate to are putting false blames onto me.
that form—there is no reincarna- I have never come out of my home,
tion or incarnation (tanasukh, hu- never seen the noble sanctuary of
lul) there. By the permission of Kaaba, and never been to Rome or
Allah, the jinn is able to change Baghdad. I even do not know who
their forms in this manner. And you are. In many cases, people
amazing deeds are done by those in jeopardy seek assistance from
forms at that time. In that case, living or dead saints. And they
if Allah allows the spirits of the clearly see that the form of that
perfect ones such abilities, what is saint arrives there, and ward off
there to be surprised about? Or his jeopardy. In many cases, that
where is the need for a separate saint is indeed aware of it, and in
body? many other cases, he is unaware.
For all he is the primary

2. Multiple presence is not
sadhana
reincarnation
For us it is a falsity
It is narrated on many walis of
Allah that at the same moment, Az ma va shoma
they were present in many differ- behaneh bar
ent locations. And did many dif- sakhteh and
ferent types of activities — these
are such a type of incidents. In All these are also the latifas of that
these cases, their latifas took the saint taking up different forms.
forms of different bodies, and did Taking up the forms (tashakkul),
many different types of activities. sometimes they take place in the
E.g., maybe a master lives in In- world of witnessing (shahadat),
dia, and he has never left it to and some other time, they take
go somewhere else, but a group of place in the imaginal world (‘alam-
people came from the magnificent i mithal). It is like when in the
Mecca and said We have seen that same night, a thousand people in
master within the noble Kaaba and different ways sees the rasul in
3.8. MAKTUB 2.58 181
their dreams. And receive effu- nat), it makes a new creation.

sion and baraka from him. This is
his attributes and latifas taking up 4. Kumun buruz
different forms within the imag- reincarnation: Not needed
inal world. This is the method
that the disciples benefit from the Note: A super-fast and easy
forms of their shaykhs in the world method to progress on the sufi
of images. And get their problems path is this: Projecting per-
resolved. fections onto disciples. And
great Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi mas-
ters are good in it including my
3. Kumun or buruz is not
own shaykhs.
reincarnation
The sufi shayhs who are straight-
Some sufi shaykhs have spoken on standing in their states (mustaqim
kumun and buruz — those are al-ahwal), they have never opened
unrelated to reincarnation (tana- up their lips on the terms ku-
sukh). Because in reincarnation, mun, buruz. And [as its result],
the nafs suspends from a second they have never put the imper-
body (badan-i thani) it may keep fect ones into jeopardy or discord
on living (thubut-i hayat), and (bala, fitna)61 .
that it may attain sensation and
movement (hiss, harakat). On the In my opinion, there is no need for
other hand, in buruz, the intercon- kumun, buruz or reincarnation.
nection (ta‘alluq) is not keep him Because if a perfect one wants to
living, but instead the nafs estab- nurture an imperfect one into per-
lishes a relationship with the sec- fection, then without making bu-
ond body so that that body may ruz into him, by his God-given
attain perfection (kamalat). It is power (aqdar-i khodawandi) (JS),
not merely to resurrect him, in- he can throw reflections of his own
stead it is to enable him to at- perfect attributes onto his imper-
tain higher degrees. An analogy is fect disciple. And by his own face-
when a jinn establishes a relation- turning and good glance (tawa-
ship with one and appears within jjuh, iltifat), [the perfect shaykh]
one’s body. It is not to resur- may grant that reflection fixed-
rect one because one’s body was ness and settledness (thabit, is-
already alive, and possessed pos- tiqrar) there. So that that imper-
sessed the faculties of perception fect disciple may attain perfection.
and movement. Instead, when by And turning away from his bad
this entrance, that jinn’s move- 61
i.e., if the shaykhs spoke on them, the imper-
ments and states of stillness get fect ones could misinterpret the allegories in their
unveiled (zuhur-i harkat, suku- sayings and get into heresies
attributes, the disciple may face- far smaller matter than reincar-
turn onto praiseworthy attributes. nation (tanasukh). Because they
There is no need of the interme- propose reincarnation for the at-
diation of kumun or buruz here. tainment of perfection for the naf-
Dua: Dhalika fadlu ’llahi yu’tihi ses (takmil-i nufus) although this
man yasha’u, wa ’llahu dhu ’l-fadli idea of theirs is baseless. And they
’l-‘azim assume that the spirit gets trans-
ported (naql-i ruh) after it attains
5. Transportation of spirit or perfection, although no perfection
nafs is not reincarnation is actually attained.
Another group of sufi shaykhs pro- When they have fixed changing of
poses the transportation of the bodies (tabaddul-i abdan) for the
spirits (naql-i arwah). They say sake of attaining perfection then
that after it realizes perfection, after perfection has been attained,
the spirit attains such a power what is the need to be reincar-
that if it wills, it may leave his nated into a second body?
own body and instead enter an-
other body. It is said that for a 1. Perfect ones do not need
master who had such ability, when a reincarnated body The per-
a young man who was his neighbor fect ones are not showmen or ma-
died, then that master left his own gicians. After attaining perfec-
old body and instead entered the tion. they prefer to get disengaged
body of that young man. At that from the body (tajarrud az abdan)
instant, his first body died and the instead of being attached to the
second body became alive. This body (ta‘alluq ba’bdan). Because
story seems to establish reincarna- their purpose in being attached to
tion. I.e. the second body was the body has been attained.
interconnected with the ruh in or-
der to put life into that body. The 2. Reincarnated body must
sole difference is that that reincar- follow the rules of barzakh,
nationists call that nafs imperfect. and that is impossible Sec-
And establishes that reincarnation ond, if the spirit gets transported,
(tanasukh) to make that nafs per- the first body would be put to
fect (takmil-i nafs). On the other death. And the second body
hand, those who propose the tran- would be brought to life (imatat-
portation of the ruh, they consider i badan-i awwal, ihya-i badan-i
that ruh perfect, and establishes thani). In that case, the second
that transportation after attaining body has no alternative but to fol-
perfection. low the rules of the the barzakh62 .
62
To me, transportation (naql) is a i.e., the grave
3.8. MAKTUB 2.58 183
And he has no leeway but to expe- Epilogue: Clarifying

rience the torture or reward (‘ad- some ideas on the world
hab, thawab) of the grave. And
of images
when the second body is brought
to life, then resurrection (hashr) Idea 1
takes place for them in this world.
You may know that the world
of images is more spacious
(farakhtar) than all the worlds.
All that is in all the worlds, their
forms (surat) are in the world of
images. Even that, concepts and
Reincarnationists are mis- meanings (ma‘qulat, ma‘aniy)
guided I guess that those who are there as forms. It is said
believe in the transportation of that Haqq (ja) has no image
the spirit (naql-i ruh), they do not (mithliy), but he indeed has
seem to admit the torture or re- analogies (mithal). Wa li-’llahi
ward in the grave. Or believe ’l-mathalu ’l-‘ala 64 . The ideas in
in the resurrection. Alas! A the microcosm, i.e., the human
thousand times alas! Such frauds body, are like signs of the world
are sitting on the throne (mas- of images65 .
nad) of the shaykh and are in the I have written in my maktubs
forefront (muqtada) of the Mus- that on the degree of sheer in-
lims. They are misguided them- comparability (martaba-i tanziya-
selve and are misguiding others i sirf), in the way there is no im-
as well (Dallu fa-dallu). Dua: O age (mithl) for Haqq, there is no
Lord! After guiding us, do not analogy (mithal) for him there ei-
misguide our hearts, instead be- ther. So do not strike any analogy
stow on us mercy from you. In- for Allah (Fa-la tadribu ’llahi ’l-
deed, you bestow even on them amthala) 66 .
[who do not deserve it]. (Rab- When we imagine, that imagina-
bana! La tuzigh qulubana, ba‘da tion (khiyal)is a thing in our mi-
idh-hadaitana, wahab lana, min crocosm (‘alam-i saghir) or our
ladunka, rahmatan. Inna-ka anta body. And it is a specimen of
’l-wah-habu)63 . Wa ’l-salamu ‘ala the world of images (namuna-i
mani ‘ttaba‘a ’l-huda. ‘alam-i mithal). Because it is
in imagination (khiyal) that the
64
Quran.Nahl.60
65
This line is not in the Naushahi text but in
the Aftabi translation
63 66
Q.Al-Imran.3.8 Q.Nahl.74
form of a thing forms (dar khiyal bewilderment (jahl, hairat). Also

surat mutasawwur ast). Imagina- where there is no knowledge, there
tion is such a thing that regard- is no conversation (Har ja ‘ilm
ing the various states and stations nabud, goft va gu nabud). Their
(kayfiyat-i ahwal va maqamat-i sa- sign (nishan) is the saying, He who
lik ra khiyal ast) of the salik has known Allah, his tongue has
been tied up (Man ‘arafa ’llahu,
1. form of the saliks may appear kalla lisanuhu).
(tasawwur) in that [imagina-
tion], On the other hand, wherever there
is knowledge, there is discussion
2. that [imagination] is able to
(Har ja ‘ilm bud, goft va guw bud).
make the saliks into posses-
That place may be described by
sors of knowledge (arbab-i
the saying, He who has known Al-
‘ilm misazand) and aware of
lah, his tongue has been lengthened
those states and stations.
(Man ‘arafa ’llahu, tala lisanuhu).
If imagination is negated or cut Its clarification is this:
short (Agar khiyal neh bud ya kot-
hi konad), then ignorance is man- Therefore, in the world
dated (jahl lazim bud). Due to of the shadows (dar-
this reason, above the degree of i zilal), the tongue
the shadow (fawqa martaba-i zi- is lengthened, but it
lal), there is ignorance and be- is shut off (gangiy-i
wilderment (jahl, hairat). Be- zaban) above the de-
cause imagination may go up (tag grees of shadows (fawqa
va puiy-i khiyal) only to the de- maratib-i zilal) — re-
grees of shadows (maratib-i zilal). gardless of whether that
There where is no shadow, imagi- shadow is the shadow of
nation (khiyal) has no place there. an act, or shadow of an
Therefore, when the form of God’s attribute, or the shadow
incomparability (surat-i tanzihi) of a name, or the
is not in the world of images, shadow of the named
as it has been narrated before, one (fa‘al, sift, ism,
how can that form of incompara- musamma).
bility (surat-i tanzihi) come into The imagined thing68
imagination? Because imagina- is derived from shad-
tion (khiyal) is merely a ray from ows and is the caused
the world of images (parto-i ‘alam- object (ma‘lul). And
i mithal). Therefore, nothing is it has been made de-
gained there67 save ignorance and 68
lit., that which is within the compass of imag-
67
within the world of tanzih ination (makhut-i khiyal)
3.8. MAKTUB 2.58 185
fective by the defect 1. attain this felicity while they

of fakeness (be-‘illat-i remain in this world,
ja‘al-i majhul). And 2. get freed from the clutch of
that [imagined thing] the predomination of imagi-
is [merely] the trace nation (sultan-i khiyal) while
and sign of the sought their earthly life still remains
thing (athar va alamat-
i matlub). Therefore, it 3. accept their sought thing
only assists in attaining onto their laps without any
‘ilmu ’l-yaqin 69 . fakeness or made-up-ness
(biy-naht, ja‘al).
On the other hand,
‘aiynul yaqin and haqqu It is at that point that in the
’l-yaqin 70 — they are be- case of these masters, lightning-
yond imagination and like self-disclosure of the person
shadowness (ma wara-i (tajalli-i dhati-i barqiy) becomes
khiyal, zilal). ever-abiding (da’imi). And the
And one would be re- naked arrival (wasl-i ‘uryan) gives
lieved from the defects out a ray.
of imagination (khalasiy
az khat-i khiyal), when Pleasantly, to the lords
one would put behind of bliss, all is
sayr-i afaqi as he has blissful
done to sayr-i anfusi. To the lovers and the
And proceed further. poor ones, what-
And run out of the ex- ever they gulp
ternal world and inter- down
nal world (afaq, anfus)
to the beyond. Hani’an li-arbabi ’l-
na‘im na‘imuha
For most of the walis of Allah,
these things are attained after Wa li-’l-‘ashiqi ’l-miskini
their death. Because as long ma yanajarra‘u
as they are alive, imagination
(khiyal) is attached to their coat- Idea 2: Dreams are
tails (damangir-shan) to them. unreliable
Only few walis of Allah
Question: Some ones may see,
69
but no more, i.e., it doesn’t help in attaining in dreams and mystic visions
‘ainu ’l-yaqin or haqqu ’l-yaqin
70
Amritsari and Naushahi both say ‘iyn va haqq. (waqi‘at), as images and imagi-
Amritsari note explains it. Aftabi translation says nations (mithal, khiyal) that one
witnessed and firm (prottokhkho o drirho) has become an emperor with many
servants, door-guards etc. And world [merely]. That imag-

other ones may see that one has inal manifestation (zuhur-
become the pole (qutb), and the i mithaliy) is the weakest
entire cosmos has turned its face form of manifestation (ad‘af-
towards one. On the other hand, i zuhurat). [And each indi-
in the world of wakefulness that vidual vision is manifested] in
is [the world] outside (‘alam-i accordance with its potency.
yaqazat, afaqat), i.e., the world
of witnessing (shahadat), none of The seekers on this path may see
these perfections are manifesting. many mystic visions (waqi‘ani),
These visions, are they true in any where they find themselves onto
way or are totally baseless? high stations, or receive the ranks
of high level friends (arbab-i
Answer: Those visions (ruwiyat)
walayat). If those incidents are
indeed have some taints of truth
manifested in the witnessed world
in them. Its clarification is that—
(‘alam-i shahadat), it is indeed a
those dreamers indeed possess the
fine felicity (dawlatiy ast ‘azim).
capability (ma‘na) to become the
On the other hand, if they are not
emperor or the pole. However,
manifested [there], and instead
this capability is weak (da‘if), too
they stop as manifestations of im-
weak to be manifested in the world
ages [merely] (zuhur-i mithal) —
of witnessing (shahadat).
it is valueless.
So those [visions] have no alter-
This is a dangerous trap. A
native but to follow either one of
weaver or a hair-cutter may see
these two paths:
themselves as emperors in dreams.
1. Potency By the grace of But they do not gain anything by
Allah, potency (quwwat) is that dream, instead they fall in the
created,71 and those [visions] way of harm. Therefore, one may
grow potent enough to be not rely on dreams. On the other
manifested in the world of hand, what is possible in the wit-
witnessing. And by the nessed world, that is indeed his.
power of Allah, those [dream-
ers] become the emperor or Sun’s servant am I
pole of the time (qutb-i So let me tell its story
waqt). Neither night, nor night-
worshipper am I
2. Impotency On the other Which dream or story of
hand, if those [visions] fail to night can I say?
grow that potent, they are
manifested in the imaginal Cho golam-i aftab ham
71
in those visions Ham ze aftab goiym
3.9. MAKTUB 2.59 187
Neh shabam, neh shab 3.9 Maktub 2.59

porostam
Keh hadith-i khvab To Khwaja Muhammad ‘Abdul-
goiym lah, son of Khwaja Baqi bi-’llah
‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa. Delight
3. Dreams in Naqshbandi to my eyes (qurratu ’l-‘ainiy)! I
tariqa have received the noble letter that
you sent. You have written there,
It is for that reason that the By the grace of Hazrat Haqq swt,
Naqshbandi masters do not those displays of magic (shu‘bada)
give any value to mystic visions that were being seen before have
(waqi‘at), and do not pay any im- gone away. Nothing of that type
portance to interpreting (i‘tibar) remains. I aspire so that from the
the mystic visions of the saliks— side of affirmation nothing comes
it has no particular benefit. Its to the hands. And all that I re-
interpretation is that only that is alize via intellect or understand-
valuable which is attained while ing (ma‘qul, mafhum) goes under
awake. the la. And so on. You have also
written that you are experiencing
The presence that is absence this meaning with imposition (beh
(hudur keh gha’ibat)72 is value- takalluf). I, [the Mujaddid], hope
less to them. It is for this rea- that it would come without impo-
son that the forgetting (nisyan) sition (biy takalluf) as well.
of the ma sewa, in their cases,
is ever-continuing (da’imi ). And
the presence of the absent (hudur- What is understood is
i ghaib) gets negated from their ma sewa
hearts at each moment.
Trace of nobility (najabat-i athar)!
Yes! Into whose beginning the All that which comes via intellect
end has been inserted, would (‘aql) or imagination (wahm), in-
these perfections be impossible stead via witnessing or unveiling
for them? Rabbana ’ghfirlana (shuhud, kashf), be they external
dhunubana wa israfana fi amrina, or internal (afaqi, anfusi), all those
wa thabbit aqdamana wa ’nsurna are within the circle of ma sewa,
‘ala ’l-qawmu ’k-kafirina. Wa ’l- otherness and they are types of fun
salam. and frolic. They are nothing else
but captivation to games of magic
72
the temporary presence that stays for merely (sha‘ab-dha baziy).
a moment and then gets immediately followed by
absence For this captivation to set down
(zawal-i iyn gereftariy), if it needs 3.10 Haqiqat is far

imposition (beh takalluf)73 , it is
included within tariqat. And it
above tariqat
is a type of knowledge of cer- Know that tariqat is valueless be-
tainty (‘ilmu ’l-yaqin). After then fore haqiqat. And ithbat before
(Ba‘da ’l-lataiya wa ’llatiy), [the nafiy. Because nafiy is connected
salik may progress up to a point to the contingent things (mumk-
where] this felicity happens with- inat) whereas ithbat is connected
out any imposition (biy-takalluf), to the Necessary, wajib, ta‘ala. In
or [in other words] from negation my gaze (nazr), nafiy comes as a
reaches the absence (intifa) of the drop when compared to ithbat.
ma sewa74 (az nafiy beh intafaiy
ma sewa). And at that point, the When one attains the above-
salik attains freedom from the nar- mentioned ( nafiy va ithbat),
rowness (diq) of tariqat, goes out one reaches the elect friendhood
from the alley (kucheh) of knowl- (walayat-i khassa). After attain-
edge, and realizes the felicity of ing the elect friendhood (walayat-i
fana. It is easy to say these but khassa), there is either ascent or
very hard to reach. However, it is descent. However, for this ‘uruj,
easy for him to whom Allah has there must be nuzul.
made it easy. Rabbana! Atmim lana nurana, wa
’gfir lana. Innaka ‘ala kulli shay’in
qadir75 . Al-salamu ‘alaikum
Activities (kar va bar) connected wa ‘ala sa’iri mani ’ttaba‘a ’l-
with haqiqat, those come even far- huda, wa ’l-tazama mutaba‘ata ’l-
ther ahead. Those come after mustafa, ‘alaihi ’l-salawatu wa ’l-
crossing negation (nafiy), or in- salam.
stead after negating the station of
affirmation (intifa-i maqam-i ith-
bat), even beyond ‘ilm, ‘ainu [’l- 3.11 Maktub 2.60
yaqin] that comes after.
To Muhammad Taqi
73
i.e., the salik need to make conscious efforts to Shia
set down the captivation
74
i.e., it used to be that the salik had to make All praise is to Allah, and peace
conscious efforts to negate, but now he has pro- be onto his elect devotees (Al-
gressed to a more advanced level where there is a hamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala
spontaneous absence of the ma sewa, or in simpler ‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa).
words, the salik finds the formerly hard-to-do nega-
75
tion way easier Q.Tahrim.8
3.11. MAKTUB 2.60 189
I attained the felicity of reading A sign that God has turned his face
your letter. You have written away from a slave is that slave gets
about preoccupied in what does not con-
cern the slave (‘Alamatu i‘radihi
1. correctness of the caliphate ta‘ala ‘ani ’l-‘abdi ’shtighaluhu bi
of the great truth-realizer ma la ya‘niyhi)).
(siddiq-i akbar), which has
been established by the ijma
of the masters of the first and If discussion about imamat were
the best generation a necessary matter (daruriyat) in
2. superiority of the four caliphs the religion and the trunk (asl) of
being in line with the se- the sharia — like what the Shias
quence of their caliphates think — then Hazrat Haqq swt
3. keeping quiet on the fights would have instructed on it within
between the companions his own noble book (kitab-i majid-
i khod). And he would have de-
I am delighted on reading on the termined (ta‘ayyun) it, appointed
proofs you have received, and all a successor (istikhilaf), and se-
the rest you have written. Holding lected an individual (tashkhis) as
such a belief on the Shia commu- the caliph.
nity is sufficient. And that belief
is the same as the opinion of the
mainstream Sunnis. And Hazrat the envoy (paygam-
Sir! Discussion of imamat is bar) (‘alaihi ’l-salawatu wa ’l-
merely a branch (furu‘), not the taslimatu) would have instructed
trunk (asl) of the sharia. The towards one unique person being
necessary matters of the religion the caliph. And he would have
are those concerning articles of the made one unique person the caliph
faith (i‘tiqad) and practice. These by specification (tansis) and open
two sciences would provide surety declaration (tasrih).
for that knowledge. They are
1. the science of Kalam, and However, when the book and the
2. the science of fiqh, jurispru- sunna do not give any any instruc-
dence tion on it, it is understood that
the discussion of imamat is redun-
. dant (fudul) to the religion, not
Leaving out the necessary mat- the trunk (usul) of the religion.
ters, and instead taking up unnec- It is only one who talk too much
essary matters, it is to spend your (fuduliy) who gets preoccupied in
life in vain. It comes in the hadith, talking about redundant things.
Necessary: Creed 2. Practice

Practice Sufism
Second, there is no alternative
Sharia has so many necessary mat- from taking up the rulings of the
ters in it that there is no time to science of jurisprudence (ahkam-
discuss redundant matters. i fiqhiya). And there is no lee-
way from obeying the fard, wajib,
sunna, mustahab. One must take
1. Creed: heed of what the sharia considers
First, there is no alternative to as halal or haram. And cautiously
rectifying one’s articles of faith respect the confines of that sharia.
(i‘tiqad). Those articles are re- Only then one would attain suc-
lated to the 1. person (dhat) 2. at- cess and salvation from the pun-
tributes (sifat) and 3. acts (af‘al) ishment of the last world.
of the Necessary (jalla sultanahu).
It should also be believed that
the message that the rasul (salam)
brought forth from the Haqq swt 3. Sufism
is also true.
When the creed and practice
This news has been communicated would be rectified, the step of tak-
to us via a faithful (daruriyat) ing up a sufi tariqa would come up.
method and via narrations by nu- And it is at that point that one
merous people (tawatir). And the may aspire to attain the perfec-
news is on tions of the friendhood (kamalat-i
walayat).
1. mustering and resurrection
(hashr, nashr) Discussing the matter of the ima-
2. torment (‘adhab) and merit mate, when compared to the es-
in the last world that would sential matters of the religion, is
be ever-continuing (thawab-i like things to throw away (ma-
akhiriy va da’imi), and truh) on the street. In summary,
when the opposing people have
3. all the rest that has been started to get extreme (ghuluw)
heard [from the rasul]. on this matter, and bad-mouthing
the companions of the best of men,
We must believe that they are all I am compelled to write out a long
true, and there is no way that preface against them. Because it
these would not happen. If such is an essential matter of the reli-
a belief is not there, there would gion to remove confusing matters
be no salvation. from it. Wa ’l-salam.
3.12. MAKTUB 2.61 191
3.12 Maktub 2.61 Do not change (mara‘at) the

method (tariqa) of zikr, the cir-
To friends of Mawlana Ahmad cle (halqa) of zikr, and the prac-
Barqi tice of face-turning (tawajjuh).
And observe (mar‘i) every mo-
ment and state. Remain absorbed
(mashgul) in the method of zikr
Advice to friends of a and the circle (halqa)77 . That way
khalifa there would be no deficit (qusur),
and the friends would get into a
Bismi ’llahi ’l-rahmani ’l-rahim.
meditative-state (jam‘a), and get
After praising God, offering bene-
annihilated (faniy) into one an-
dictions to the prophet, conveying
other. It is only then that com-
the invitation hamd, salawat, tab-
panionship would benefit. Previ-
lighi ’l-dawati) I am offering solace
ously, I wrote that by chance if
to the late Mawlana Ahmad. For
the said late Mawlana went onto
the Muslims of this age, the said
a journey, he should put Shaykh
Mawlana was a lighthouse (nis-
Hasan in his place. Destiny made
hani) towards Allah and a mercy
this journey its intention.
from him. O Allah! Do not de-
prive us from [the late Mawlana’s] Even now when I am looking at it
merits (thawab), and do not allow again and again, I’m finding that
us to fall into jeopardy now that Shaykh Hasan has been selected
he is gone. for this task. May none of the
friends find it hard. Because it
I am soliciting assistance from the
does not depend on our or their
friends for those who have left [this
desire — instead it is imperative
world]. The sincere friends of the
that we all obey. The tariqa of
late Mawlana must help his chil-
Shaykh Hasan relates more to the
dren and family. Try so that his
tariqa of the late Mawlana78 . The
children receive education, and get
nisbat the Mawlana received the
decorated by the science of the
last time he was here, Mawlana
sharia. Is not beautiful conduct the
Hasan also received a share.
return of beautiful conduct (Hal
jaza-u ’l-ihsani illa ’l-ihsanu)? 76 The other friends did not receive
any significant portion of that [nis-
Keep on respecting the way of bat] although they have received
practice (atwar, awda‘) of the unveiling and witnessing (kushuf,
late master, Allah give him mercy shuhud), and attained monism
(marhum). Respect his states and and unificationism (tawhid, it-
times (ahwal, awqat).
77
of muraqaba, sit down meditation in a group
76 78
Q.Rahman.6 Ahmad
tihad). However, the above- The purpose would be so that

mentioned felicity is something the instigating soul (nafs-i am-
else, and this business (karbar) mara) may not take advan-
is something else. They79 refuse tage of [Shaykh Hasan’s] lord-
to buy these unveilings (kushuf) ship (riyasat) and foremanhood
etc for even one grain of barley. (taqaddum) and cast him into
Even more, they seek forgiveness ruin (muhlaka) or makes him bad
from monism and unificationism (kharab) and disfigured (abtar).
(tawhid, ittihad). And what [Shaykh Hasan] should
Summary: The friends should not do is this: At all times, he should
delay in putting Shaykh Hasan in consider himself defective (qasir)
the forefront (taqdim). And ac- and imperfect (naqis), and take
cept him as the head of the cir- care to proceed towards perfec-
cle, and get immersed in their own tion (talib-i kamal). These two
tasks. powerful enemies, nafs and satan,
they are lying in wait. So let it
May brother Khwaja Wayis may not happen that they throw him
explain it to the friends and away from the path, and make
instruct them to get immersed him hopeless and ruined (khatib,
(mashgul) in the circle80 . That khasir).
way a desire would arise in the
mind of Shaykh Hasan. In The gist of my saying to
turn, Shaykh Hasan should keep you is this
a friendly relationship with those You are a child and this
with the same pir (ham pir gan), house is gaudy
and keep the brotherly love in-
Hameh indiraj-i man beh
tact. And he should not leave
to iyn ast
out discussion of the books of
Keh to tifliy va khaneh
jurisprudence (fiqh), spread the
rangin ast
rules of the sharia, encourage
the practice of illuminated sunna India is far away from where you
(sunnat-i saniya), and warn on live. Only a single caravan comes
deviations. He should not leave and goes, and brings and takes
out the habit of crying before news. Keep on writing on your
God with solicitousness (iltija), states (ahwal). If you cannot
humility (tadarru‘) and lowliness come, at least do not forget to
(zariy). write.
79
i.e., the saliks with the advanced level of du- Mian Shaykh Yusuf is close to
alism like Mawlana Ahmad or Hasan us. He was here for a long time.
80
of muraqaba He has taken in a lot of effusion
3.13. MAKTUB 2.62 193
(fawaiyd), and has realized (it- May Allah (S) save you from that
tila‘) the reality of fana. Resolving what is inappropriate for your
to return, he went back home. He state, in the measure of the rev-
is a sincere (musta‘id) man and a erence that the prince of the mes-
true friend (sadiq al-ikhlas). Allah sengers possesses (Sallamakumu
grants opportunities (Allahu sub- ’l-lahu subhanahu ‘an ma yaliqu
hanahu muwaffaqu). bihalikum bihurmati ’l-sayyidi ’l-
Since you are far away, I am mursalina). ‘alaihi wa ‘alaihim,
warning you. Take heed! You wa ‘ala ali kulli, mina ’l-salawati
may consider being high-ranking afdaluha wa mina ’l-taslimati ak-
(riyasat) as lethal poison, and al- maluha. I am well-aware that
ways remain fearful and trembling you harbor a complete and perfect
(tarsan, larzan), lest you start en- love (mahabbat), discipleship (ira-
joying the pleasure of being high- dat)81 and sincerity (ikhlas) to-
ranking, and as the result, get wards the masters of the sublime
thrown into eternal damnation. Naqshbandi tariqa (qaddasa ’llahu
ta‘ala asrarhum). And it is due to
Rabbana ’ghfirlana dhunubana, wa that that I am giving you this in-
israfana fi amrina, wa thabbit convenience.
aqramana fi amrina, wa thabbat
aqdamana, wa ’nsurna ‘ala ’l-
qawmi ’l-kafirina. Keep Naqshbandi tariqa
pure
3.13 Maktub 2.62 Honored sir (makhduma mukar-
rama)! In this country, the fol-
To Khan-i Khanan lowers of this sublime silsila num-
All praise is to Allah, and peace ber only a few. Since newly-begun
be onto his elect devotees (Al- practices (bid‘at) have spread, the
hamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala people of this country have lit-
‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa). I am tle connection with the masters
asking Hazrat Haqq (SWT) for of this tariqa, who strictly fol-
your outer and inner development low the sunna. As a result,
(taraqqi). many belonging to this tariqa, due
to defective sights (qusur-i nazr)
Because your good and whole-
have brought in many newly-
someness (khairiyat va salah) con-
begun (bid‘at) practices into this
tains peacefulness and comfort
tariqa. And trying to attract the
(jam‘iyat, rafahiyat) for a large
common people by that addition
community of Muslims. There-
newly begun practices (‘alaqa-i
fore, praying for you is the same
81
as praying for all of them. i.e., you yourself are a Naqshbandi disciple
irtikab-i bid‘at). They under- much money—actually, it is not

stand it as perfecting (takmil) the like that. Never! Need is integral
tariqa. (dhati) to man, instead integral
No! Never! Instead, they are to all contingent beings (mumki-
destroying and ruining (takhrib, nat), instead beauty (khubiy) of
tadi‘iy) this sublime tariqa. They man lies in his need. His trifling-
have failed to reach the reality ness (dhull) and slaveness (ban-
of the method (mu‘amala) of the degi) is created in this way. Be-
masters of this tariqa. May Allah cause tomorrow, if need goes away
guide them towards the straight from man, fearlessness (istighna)
path (Hadanahumu ’llahu sub- would be created in him, and his
hanahu sawa’a ’l-sirat). sin and oppression would exceed
any limit, and he would do noth-
Since people (ahl) of this sub- ing else but disobeying. As Allah
lime silsila are so few, the disci- said, Verily man exceeds the lim-
ples and lovers (murid, muhibb) its, when he sees himself as self-
of this silsila must necessarily as- sufficientInna ’l-insana layatgha.
sist (imdad, i‘anat) the caliphs of An ra’ahu ’staghna83 Q.‘Alaq.6-7)
these masters, and help its caliphs
and seekers. Since man is social Gist of the matter: The fakirs
by his innate nature (madaniy al- are free from the captivation of
tab‘). And every one turns to- the ma sewa. That is why they
wards one’s own people for com- put their need for the occasions
fort and ease. As Allah has said, (sabab)84 onto the maker of the oc-
O rasul! Allah and your followers casions (musabbib al-asbab). And
are enough for you (Ya ayyiha ’l- they recognize the worldly felicity
nabiyyi! Hasbuka ’llahu wa mani to be coming from the table-spread
’ttaba‘aka mina ’l-mu’minina82 ). of blissful gifts from God (khwan-i
ni‘amat). And they hold God to be
the true giver and denier (mu‘ta,
Help the sufis with mani‘).
money
When Allah has given the believ- Occasions
ers right (dakhl) in the problems
[These fakirs] bring in the occa-
(kifayat-i muhimmat) of the best
sions in-between. Because there
of men, the rasul, what can be said
is wisdom in this bringing-in.
of the others?
And also those [occasions] are
Most of the wealthy men of this needed to make things wholesome
think that dervishes don’t need
83
(
82 84
Q.Anfal. i.e., worldly intermediaries
3.14. MAKTUB 2.63 195
(wasta’-i hikam va masalih). The that the governorship (subedariy)

fakirs also hold that beauty and of this area was put on someone
ugliness stem from the occasions. else. This is the time of faceturn-
ing (tawajjuh) and assistance.
As a result, these masters show
gratefulness and complaints While reading the letter, I focused
(shukr, shekayat) to those occa- onto you, and found you receiving
sions, and recognize good or bad high honor (rafi‘ al-qadr). Right
(nik, bad) from that those [occa- at that time, someone was going
sions] apparently. Because if those to you. In answer, I wrote that I
occasions have no place (dakhil), am finding Khan-i Khanan as pos-
this false business (karkhaneh-i sessing high ranks. The rest of
batil) is ruined. O our nurturer! the matters are with Allah (Wa ’l-
You have not created this in vain. amru ‘indallahi subhanahu).
(Rabbana! Ma khalaqta hadha
batila)85 .
3.14 Maktub 2.63
Nobility of Mir To Nur Muhammad Ambali
Muhammad Nu’man Bismi ’llahi ’l-Rahman al-Rahim.
[In the beginning, let me offer]
My esteemed brother Mir Muham- praise to God, benediction to the
mad Nu‘man is the asylum of the blessed prophet and convey invita-
noble ones (sayadat-panah), and tion to God (hamd, salawat, tab-
is aware of realities and esoteric lighi ’l-da‘wat). I am delighted to
ideas (haqa’iq va ma‘arif-i agah). receive your noble letter that you
He is like a spoil of war for that have sent out of your generosity
region. And his dua and face- via my noble brother. You have
turnings are touchstones. I guess asked me this.
that your felicity stands by ef-
fusion and blessing of his face-
turnings. I am finding him as your Second pir
helper in both presence and ab-
sence. Question: When the shaykh is
alive, is it permissible that the
It was over a year ago that he seeker goes to a second pir to seek
wrote me secretly on the matter the Haqq (JA)?
of your beauties (khubiyha). And
he communicated on the love and Answer: You may know that the
sincerity (mahabbat, ikhlas) that object of seeking (maqsud) is the
you have for me. He also wrote Haqq (S), and the pir is merely the
connector (wasila) to arrive onto
85
Q the holy person (wusul-i janab-i
quddus) of Haqq ta‘ala. There- putting his faith on such a pir, and
fore, if a seeker sees his own guid- refuses to go to a second pir, and
ance (rushd) with a second pir, as a result, fails to learn the path
and his heart (dil) finds union to God (jalla shanuhu). This is
(jam‘a) with the Haqq (S) in that a satanic deception that appeared
second pir’s companionship, it is as the life of a imperfect pir, and
allowed that while the first pir has kept the seeker away from
is alive, and even without his Haqq (S).. Therefore, wherever
permission, the seeker goes to the seeker finds guidance (rushd),
that second pir, and gets guid- and peace of heart (jam‘iyat-i dil),
ance (rushd) from him. However, he may go there immediately, and
the seeker should not speak ill of seek the refuge of God from sa-
(inkar) the first pir, and still re- tanic instigations (waswas-i shay-
member well of him. tani).
[Yes! Going to a second pir may
be needed], since there is nothing
but outer rules and habits (rasm,
3.15 Maktub 2.64
‘adat) in today’s pir-muridi sys- To Muhammad Mu’min, the son
tem. Most of the pirs of this age of Khwaja ‘Ali Khan
have no news of their own selves Bismi ’llahir ’l-rahmani ’l-rahim.
(khod), and are unable to dis- May Allah save you from that
tinguish between faith and faith- what is inappropriate for you (Sal-
lessness (iman, kufr). How can lamahumu ’l-lahu subhanahu ‘an
they have any news on God (jalla ma yaliqu bihalikum).
shanuhu)? Or any knowledge on
the path towards which they can
point the disciple? Think positive
Hadith: World is a prison for
Fetus in the womb, him-
the believer (Al-dunya sijnu ’l-
self is unaware
mu’mini)86 . When this world is
What news does he have
a prison for the believer, he feels
on how things are,
[pain] here as in a prison. There-
or what things
fore, refuse to let your heart turn
are?
narrow (dil tangi nabashad) when
situations turn [bad], or get taken
Ageh az khvavishtan
over (dil gir nabashad), when your
chunist janin
hope is not fulfilled. So verily
Ki khabr darad az chu-
there is ease with hardship, ver-
nan va chenin
ily there is ease with hardship ( Fa-
86
Woe to the disciple who sits idle hadith
3.16. MAKTUB 2.65 197
inna ma‘a ’l-‘usri yusra, inna ma‘a all that are in it are not so precious
’l-‘usri yusra)87 . Therefore, as Al- that one gives up the thought of
lah said, with one instance of nar- the states of the last world for it,
rowness (tangi), there are two in- and instead gets occupied in this
stances of spaciousness (farakhi). meaningless pursuit.
Here he (SWT) meant 1. the
Yes! Your intention indeed may be
instance of spaciousness of this
honest but still have you not heard
world and 2. the last world.
this hadith, Good deeds of the
To the generous lord common pious are like the sins of
no task is hard the near ones ( Hasanatu ’l-abrari
sayyi’atu ’l-muqarribina)88 ?
Ba kariman
Anyway, always remain mindful
karha dushvar nist
of the states of the inner realm
(mutawajjuh-i ahwal-i batin).
PS Beloved Mir Sayyid ‘Abdul
Recognize the tufayliy as needed
Baqi will inform you verbally on
(daruriy) but take ‘the needed
the rest of what is happening here.
things only in the needed mea-
Remembering your generosity, he
sure (Al-daruratu tuqaddiru
is going there to meet you. Wa
bi-qadriha).’Li-’llahi subhanahu
’l-salam.
’l-hamdu wa ’l-minnatu.
Although the fakirs here have
3.16 Maktub 2.65 no known income, still, by the
grace of God, they are getting by
To Mawlana Muhammad Hashim
without any strain or effort (biy-
Khadim
sa‘i, biy-koshesh) instead easily
Bismillahi ’l-rahmani ’l-rahim. [In
and leisurely (befaraghat, wus‘at).
the beginning, let me offer] praise
What is coming in is more that
to God, benediction to the blessed
what is needed. The new day and
prophet and convey invitation to
the new income is favorable to us.
God (hamd, salawat, tablighi ’l-
The rest of the matters in this area
da‘wat).
deserve praising God.
For such a long time, you have not
written me any good news on the A few months ago, plague (waba)
states of your inner realm (ahwal- returned. He whose death came,
i batin-i khod) that brought me he died. Now it has gone away.
pleasure. This world and all the Subhanahu ’llahu ’l-hamdu wa ’l-
matters of this world are ‘devoid of minnatu li-jami‘i ’l-nama’i. Wa
benefit (lata’il).’ This world and ’l-salamu.
87 88
Q hadith
3.17 Maktub 2.66 wa yadkhilakum jannatin tajri min

tahtiha ’l-anhar‘u)90
To Khan-i Khanan, in Arabic
Bismi ’llahi ’l-rahmani ’l-rahim.
3. And reject the manifest sins,
and the nonmanifest sins as well
(Wa dharu zahira ’l-ithmi, wa
batinahu)91 Therefore, to make
tawba from sins is wajib. Instead,
“personally obligatory (fard-i
Repentance and return ‘ain)” for everyone. That some-
one from mankind is unneedy
(inabat)
cannot even be imagined, since
When this valuable life has even the prophets are not unneedy
been spent in disobedience, bad of tawba. (Lam yastaghnu ‘ani
deeds, errors and meaningless ’l-tawbata )
works (ma‘asiy, dhallat, taqsirat,
hafawat), then it is better to talk 4. The final prophet, prince
about repentance and returning of the messengers (khatmu ’l-
to God (tawba, inabat), and to nabiyyin, sayyidu ’l-anbiya) (slm)
converse on abstinence and piety has said, Verily my heart darkens,
(wara‘, taqwa). As Allah swt and verily I seek forgiveness from
says, Allah, in day and night, seventy
times.92 (Innahu layughanu ‘ala
1. And repent and return to Al- qalbiy. Wa inni la-’staghfiry ’llaha
lah altogether. O faithful! That fi ’l-yawmi wa ’l-lailatin sab‘ina
way, you would be successfull (Wa marratan.) 93
tubu ila ’llahi jami‘an ayyuha ’l-
mu’minuna, la‘allakum tuflihun)89 Expiation for sins against Al-
lah Therefore, if the sins are
2. O those who believe! Return connected to the rights of Al-
to Allah with a firm repentance. lah (haqqu ’llah) (ta‘ala), but
Return with purity. He would for- not to the violation of human
give your sins. And he would beings and their rights (mazal-
grant you paradise on whose bot- imi ’l-‘ibadi wa huquqihim), one
tom rivers flow. (Iyya ayyuha must repent (tawba) from them
’llazina amanu! Tubu ila ’llahi by regret (al-nadam), seeking of
tawbatan nasuhan, ‘asa rabbukum. 90
Q.Tahrim.8
91
an yukaffira ‘ankum sayyi’atikum, Q.An‘am.12
92
i.e., numerous times
89 93
Q hadith
3.17. MAKTUB 2.66 199
forgiveness (al-istighfar), cries of the owner of that property or good

wistfulness (al-tahassur), and giv- name has died, then you mnay
ing excuses (i‘tidhar) to Allah make seek forgiveness for his de-
(‘azza wa jalla) etc., e.g., fornica- parted soul, or treat him beauti-
tion or adultery (al-zina), drink- fully (ihsan)95 . Or make restitu-
ing wine (shurbi ’l-khamri), lis- tion for that property to his chil-
tening to musical instruments dren or heirs. You are to make
(sama‘i ’l-malahiy), leering at for- tawba by doing these. If his heirs
eign women (al-nazari ila ghairi are not found, then the amount of
mahramin), touching the scripture his property or damage should be
without ablution (massi ’l-mus- given to the poor in the intention
hafi bighayri wudi’in), deviant ar- for that owner, or in his name who
ticles of faith (i‘tiqadi bid‘atin), have given pain without any justi-
etc. Take note! If an obligatory fication.
(fard) act is left out, in the time
of repentance, there is no alterna- 5. Hazrat ‘Ali (karama ’llahu
tive but to discharge that duty. wajjahu) narrated, I have heard
Hazrat Abubakr to say, and he is
Expiation for sins against indeed a truthful man, that the ra-
man On the other hand, if the sul said, If a devotee does any sin,
sins happen because the sinner op- and then he stands, and does ablu-
pressed someone, then its tawba tion and salat, and seeks forgive-
is to make restitution of the thing ness from Allah for that sin then
taken by repression. Or it is to it gets incumbent on Allah that
make it halal from him94 Or to Allah forgives that sinner. Be-
treat him beautifully (ihsan), or cause Allah has said, He who does
to make dua for him. In case that a bad deed and then seeks forgive-
94
i.e., by paying a fair and mutually agreed upon
ness from Allah (ta‘ala), he would
compensation to him, when it is impossible to re- find Allah (ta‘ala) as forgiving and
turn it. Here let me quote this story from the merciful (ghafuru ’l-rahim).
life of Mujaddidi saint ‘Abdus-salam. His mosque
community was overflowing. So they wanted to
buy the property of his next door Hindu neighbor
6. Rasul (SLM) said, If one does
and expand the mosque building, but he refused a sinful act, and then feels re-
to sell. Once some one suggested, Let us the peo- morse, then that remorse become
ple of the neighborhood get together, and take over its expiation (kaffara).
that Hindu’s land by force. But let us not be un-
fair, instead give him a good amount as the fair
price. But the sufi saint refused. He said, Sharia 7. Rasul (SLM) said, when man
requires that these transactions are voluntary. If says, O God (khoda)! I am seek-
you forcibly take over a property, even if you pay ing forgiveness from you, and I
a fair compensation, still it is theft. C.f. Sublus
95
Salam, Dhaka: Narinda Khanqa-i Mujaddidi by saying good things about him
am returning to you, then repeats ruined (Rabbana zalamna anfu-

that sinful act for the second time, sana wa in lam yagfirlana wa
and says the same thing again, tarhamna lanakunanna mina ’l-
and then repeats these for the third khasirina)!96
time, then his fourth seeking of
forgiveness would be written up as 13. Rasul said that Allah said,
a major sin O my slaves, Observe that what I
have made obligatory (fard), you
8. Rasul (SLM) would be the best worshipper. And
said,Procrastinators are ru- abstain from that what I have for-
ined. i.e., those who say that they bidden, and you would be the best
would make repentance (tawba) abstainer. And remain content
soon, but does not do it. with what I have provided (rizq)
you, you would be the richest
9. Hazrat Luqman made a last
testament to his son, Son! Don’t Rasul said to Hazrat Abu Hu-
delay your tawba until tomorrow. raira rad), Be abstinent, and you
Because death could come to you would be the best worshipper (Kun
all on a sudden. wari’an takun a‘bada ’l-nasi).
10. Imam Mujahid said, He who 15 Hazrat Hasan Basri said, A

does not make tawba in the morn- single particle (dharra) of absti-
ing and in the evening, he is in- nence is better than a hundred
cluded among the oppressors (zal- measure (mithqal) of salat and
imun). fast.
11. Imam ‘Abdullah ibn 16. Tomorrow those who would

Mubarak said, To return haram sit with Allah would be the ab-
property worth even a penny stinent and renunciant (wara‘i,
is better than giving a hundred zuhdi).
pennies in charity
17. Allah swt sent Hazrat
12. Some said, To return six Moses wahy, There is nothing as
mithqal of silver is better to Allah effective as abstinence that beings
than six hundred accepted Hajj one near me.
Dua: O our lord! We have op-

18. Ten practices Ulama of
pressed our nafses. And unless
the knowledge of Allah (swt),
you forgive us and show us mercy,
96
we would be included among the Q.Al-A‘raf.23
3.18. MAKTUB 2.67 201
many of them said, No absti- dawlatiy-st quswa). Else repen-

nence is conmplete until he makes tance from a few sins and absti-
ten practices obligatory for him- nence from a few haram things
self. They are: would be enough. Maybe its
baraka and light would pene-
1. Preserve your tongue from trate others and grant the op-
back-biting (ghibat) portunity (tawfiq) to make tawba
2. Refrain from holding a bad from and abstain from all haram
opinion on anyone and forbidden things. If you
cannot obtain all of it, you do
3. Be saved from calling anyone not need to reject all of it ei-
bad names ther. Dua: Allahumma! Waffiqna
4. Lower your eyes from the li-mardatika, wa thabbitna ‘ala
haram dinika, wa ‘ala ta‘atika, bisadaqati
sayyidi ’l-mursalina wa qa’idi ’l-
5. Speak the truth
ghurri ’l-muhajjilina. ‘alaihi wa
6. Learn of the blessings of Al- ‘alaihim, wa ‘ala ali kullin mina
lah onto oneself ’l-salawati ’l-afdaluha wa mina ’l-
7. Spend one’s own wealth on taslimati akmaluha.
the honest path uncorrected
8. Not to desire highness or van-
ity onto oneself
3.18 Maktub 2.67
9. Preserve the salat
10. Remain firmly within the To Khan-i Jahan
Sunni congregation. Bismillahi ’l-Rahmani ’l-Rahim.
Dua: O our nurturer! Fill up our onto his elect devotees (Alhamdu
light fully, and forgive our sins. li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi
Verily you are all-powerful (Rab- ’lladhina ’stafa
bana! Atmim lana nurana. Wa
The noble letter (sahifa’i sharif)
’gfirlana. Innaka ‘ala kulli shay’in
that you have sent out of your
qadir).
great generosity and blessed fo-
Noble sir (Makhduma mukar- cus (karam, iltifat) has reached
rama)! If repentance from all me. Al-hamdu li-’llahi sub-hanahu
sins is attained, and abstinence This is the age when people are
from all haram and questionable very suspicious. wealthy and felic-
things is realized, it would be a itous men really suspect [the men
magnificent bliss and a magnan- of Allah]. And you are a wealthy
imous felicity (ni‘matiy-st ‘uzma, and felicitous man. And you
have no relationship with the poor could be conceived. Because filthy

fakirs. Still, keeping in line with beliefs (khubth-i i‘tiqad) that are
the civility that comes from your contrary to the beliefs of the
high birth and upbringing, you mainstream Sunni congregation
have shown a tremendous level of are lethal poison that would take
politeness and trust in them. It one to endless death and eter-
is indeed a magnificent bliss that nal damnation (mawt-i abadiy,
multiple relationships (ta‘alluqat- adhab-i sarmadi). If there is negli-
i shatta)97 has not been barriers gence in the practice, there is still
against you attaining that felic- hope for forgiveness. On the other
ity. And a focus that is dispersed hand, negligence is creed (i‘tiqad)
(tawajjuhat-i paragandeh)98 have has no room for forgiveness. Ver-
not kept you away from loving ily, Allah would not forgive one
them. You should be grateful for who makes a partner of him, ex-
this grant. And you should remain cept for this one, he would for-
hopeful. Because the rasul said, give anyone he wills (Inna ’llaha
He is with them whom he loves la yaghfiru an yushraka bihi wa
(Al-mar’u ma‘a man ahabba).99 yaghfiru ma duna dhalika li-man
yasha’u).100 I am now describ-
Articles of belief of ing the aqida of the Sunni com-
munity in brief. It is neces-
Sunni congregation sary to rectify your own articles
O trace of felicity and nobility of belief (mu‘taqadat) according
(sa‘adat va najabat-i athar)! For to it. And it should be prayed
every man, there is no alternative to Hazrat Haqq swt humbly (be-
but to rectify his creed (tashih- tadarru‘, zariy) so that he keeps
i i‘tiqad) according to the deci- you standing steadfast (istiqamat)
sions of the the sect of salvation on this felicity.
(firqa’i naziya), which is the main-
stream Sunni congregation (ahl-i
1. Existence
sunna wa ’l-jama‘at), ridwanullahi
ta‘ala ‘alaihim ajma’in. And that Know that Allah (ta‘ala) is exis-
is the largest congregation (sawad- tent by his own ancient (qadim)
i a‘zam) having the largest num- dhat. On the other hand, the rest
ber of followers. Only then that of the things exist by his (swt)
his success and salvation in the existence-giving (iyjad). And
last world (falah, najat-i ukhriy) they have come from nonexistence
97
with many things of this world, instead of a into existence (az ‘adam bewujud)
single relationship with God via his act of creation (takhliq).
98
onto many different things
99 100
hadith Quran
3.18. MAKTUB 2.67 203
Therefore, he (swt) is ancient and (kalam), 8. engenderingness (tak-

beginningless (qadim, azaliy) and win). These attributes are an-
on the other hand, the things are cient and beginningless (qadim,
newly arrived and have appeared ajall). And they abide (qa’im)
newly (hadith, nu-padid). with the holy person (hazrat-i
Whatever that is ancient and dhat) (SWT).
beginningless (qadim, azaliy) is All the dishonest and imperfect
ever-abiding and endless (baqi, attributes are disengaged from his
abadiy). On the other hand, that dhat (swt). Yes, his attributes in-
which is newly arrived and have deed suspend from newly-arrived
come new (hadith, nu-amadeh) is things, but that has failed to cre-
on the path of being annihilated ate any change in the ancient-
and destroyed (faniy, mustahlik), ness of his attributes (ta‘alluqat-
i.e., it is always facing getting set i hawadith dar qidm-i sifat kh-
down (sharaf-i zawal). l-l nakonad). And in the same
way, the newly-arrivedness of
2. Uniqueness the suspended things (huduth-
i muta‘alliq) is not a barrier
He swt is unique (yeganeh). And to their beginninglessness (mani‘-i
he has no partner (sharik), in the azaliyat).
necessaryness of existence (wujub-
Faylasufs due to their stu-
i wujud) nor in having the right
pidity and Mutazilas due to
to be worshipped (istihaqq-i ‘iba-
their blindness — they have
dat). Except for him, none is fit
put the newly-arrivedness of
for necessaryness and existentness
the suspended things (huduth-i
(wujub, wujud). And none de-
muta‘allaq) onto the one who
serves or has the right to be wor-
suspends (muta‘alliq).101 And
shipped (nashayad, istihaqq-i ‘iba-
they negate the attributes of
dat).
perfection (sifat-i kamilah). As
the result, they do not believe
3. Perfection that he swt knows the particulars
He swt has all the perfect at- (juz’iyat) as that necessitates
tributes (sifat-i kamila). He has change (taghayyur).102 And that
some attributes that are ancient change would be a sign of the
(qadim) and beginningless (ajall), newly-arrivedness [of that knowl-
i.e., 1. livingness (hayat), 2. edge]. They do not know that
knowingness (‘ilm), 3. power the attributes are beginningless
(qudrat), 4. desiringness (iradat), (azaliy). And the suspensions via
5. hearingness (sama‘), 6. see- 101
i.e., God
102
ingness (basr), 7. speakingness within God’s knowledge
which the newly-arrived-things in the creation, and its brightness

suspend from the attributes, they and cleanliness (nuraniyat, safa)
are those suspensions are new is more than all the contingent
instead. things.
Therefore, it is like a mirror onto
4. Freedom from which the magnificence and high-
imperfection ness of the creator has been man-
All the imperfect attributes are ifested (zuhur-i ‘azamat-i kibriya’i
negated from his holy person. khaliq). It is due to this manifes-
And he is disengaged (munazzuh) tation that it is called the ‘arsh,
from the attributes and insepara- throne of Allah. Else, the ‘arsh
ble things of matters, bodies and and everything else are equal in
accidents (sifat, lawazim-i jawahir, their relationship to God, as they
ajsam, a‘rad). There103 there is are all created things (makhluq).
no room for any time, place or di- The sole difference is that the
rection (zaman, makan. jihat) as ‘arsh has the “receptivity to be his
they all are his creation. mirror (qabiliyat-i namayandgi)”
while all other things don’t.
People without knowledge (biy-
khabr)104 say that he is above the If a person’s form (surat) is seen
‘arsh, and the upwards direction. within a mirror, it can’t be said
Now ‘arsh and everything else are that that person is within the mir-
created things and newly arrived ror. Instead, it is that that per-
things and created things (hadith, son has the same relationship with
makhluq). What power does a the mirror that the mirror has
created thing or a newly arrived with the other things that are in
thing (hadith, makhluq) has that front it. It is only that that there
it can be the home of the ancient is a difference in their receptivi-
creator (makan-i khaliq-i qadim) ties (qabuliyat). The mirror has
and be its (muqarrar)? It is only received the form of that person
this that the ‘arsh is the noblest while others lack that receeptivity.
103
i.e, there in the holy person of God
104
i.e., the modern day pseudo-salafis. And this 5. Not a body
does not apply to the incident when the rasul
(SLM) pointed to the heavens when an old woman He (SWT) is neither a body nor
asked him where Allah is. Because it’s the habit bodily (jism, jismani nist). Nei-
of men of God to speak to each individual in ac- ther is he matter nor accident
cordance to his receptivity. Wahhabis misinter- (jawhar, ‘ard). Neither is he
pret and twist that hadith to mean that Allah is
a body—they are wrong. If the rasul were speak- limited (mahdud) nor one who
ing to people with knowledge, he would have day has arrived in the extreme end
explained it deeper. (mutanahi). Neither is he long
3.18. MAKTUB 2.67 205
nor broad (ta’il, ‘arid). Neither none who is like (mithl) or equal
is he tall nor short (daraz, ku- (kufuw) unto him. He has nei-
tah). Neither is he wide, nor nar- ther any wife nor any children. His
row (pahn, tang), instead he is person and attributes (dhat, sifat)
wide (wasi‘) but not with such are unqualified (biychun, biyche-
a wideness that comes into our guneh). And without any im-
understanding (fahm). He is age or specimen (biy-shabh, na-
all-encompassing (muhit) but not muneh). We only know that
with such an encompassment that much that he “is (hast)”. And
we can perceive (mudrak). He he is qualified (muttasif) in the
is near (qarib) but not with such way that he has praised himself.
nearness that we can comprehend However, he swt is disengaged
(muta‘aqqil). He is with us (ba from and rises above (munaz-
ma) but not with such an with- zah, muta‘ala) whatever from that
ness (ma‘iyat) that we know about [qualification] comes in our under-
(muta‘arrif). We believe that he is standing and perception (fahm,
wide, all-encompassing, near and idrak). It has been said before:
with us (wasi‘, muhit, qarib, ba Sight may not perceive him (La tu-
ma). However, we do not know drikuhu ’l-absar).105
the how (kaifiyat) these attributes
are. And if we interpret these Those who see far into
as we understand these terms, it court of Alast
would wrong as it would be step- Say he is (hast) and do
ping within the sect of the corpo- not step forward
realists (madh-hab-i mujassima).
Durbinan-i bargah-i
Alast
6.Non-unification bish az iyn pai nabarde-
He swt is not unified (muttahid) hand keh hast
with anything. Neither is any-
thing unified with him. And he You may know that the names
swt does not incarnate (hulul) into of Allah are tawfiqi.106 I.e., sub-
anything. Neither is anything in- ject (mawfiq) to listening from the
carnated (hal) into him. To be master of the the sharia. Only
a part or a fraction (taba“ud, ta- that name can be applied to him
jazziy) of anything is impossible swt that has been applied to
(muhal) for his holy person swt Hazrat Haqq swt in the sharia.
(janab-i quddus). And for some- And vice versa, that what has not
thing else to be mixed or dissolved been applied may not be applied
(tarkib, tahlil) into that hazrat 105
Q
106
is forbidden (mamnu‘). There is define tawfiqi cf. Amritsari notes
to him swt, even if that name is the same way that both our hid-
perfectly meaningful. Therefore, den sayings and sayings that are
he can be called jawad, donor as it spoken out, both are our ideas. It
comes in the sharia, but not sakhi, is not that the first one, i.e., ideas
giver as it does not. in the mind are the true speech
(kalam-i nafsiy) whereas the sec-
ond one, i.e., the ideas that are
7. Speech
spoken out are merely metaphor-
Quran is the speech of God ical speech. Negating the spoken
(khoda) (JS), which has been out saying (kalam-i lafzi) of Haqq,
clothed with the attire of letters and saying that it is not the word
(harf) and sound (sawt), and sent of Haqq — it is infidelity (kufr).
down onto our message-bearer
(SLM). And with this, he has Likewise, the books and pages
given us instruction and prohibi- (kutub, suhuf) that were revealed
tions. We express what we want to the earlier prophets are also
to say by the implements of the the speech of Allah, And what-
pen and the tongue clothing them ever that is in the Quran and in
in letters and sounds. And we those books and pages are also
bring forth our hidden intentions the rules of God (ahkam-i kho-
in the open courtyard (‘arsa). In dawand) (JS). He has prescribed
that same way, Hazrat Haqq swt them to his devotees in accordance
has clothed his own speech in the to each age (muwafiq har waqt).
attire of letters and sounds with-
out the intermediation of pen and 8. Vision
tongue by the perfection of his
own power. And sent it to his own It is indeed true that the faith-
devotees. And in the same way, he ful would see Hazrat Haqq swt
swt has revealed his hidden pos- in paradise without direction (biy-
itive commands and prohibitions jihat), without being face-to-
(awamir, nawahi) via those letters face (biy-muqabila), without how
and sounds. And brought them (biy-kayf), without circumscribing
as resplendent onto the podium (biy-ihata). We bring faith into
public announcement (minassa-i this last-worldly vision, but we
zuhur jalwa dadeh). Therefore, refuse to get preoccupied into its
both of those two types of speech howness (kayfiyat). Since the vi-
are the speech of Haqq swt. I.e., sion of he swt is howless (biy-
both his hidden and verbal say- chun), in this lifetime, its reality
ings (kalam-i nafsiy, lafziy), both would not appear to the people
of these sayings can be said to be of how.Except belief in it, nothing
the sayings of Haqq swt. It is in would come to their lot.
3.18. MAKTUB 2.67 207
Woe to the faylasufs, the or badness of actions onto them-

Mu‘tazilas, and all other deviant selves, although both the sharia
sects, who due to deprivation and knowledge denies them. How-
(hirman) and blindness, deny the ever, the ulama of the people of
last-worldly vision. And compare truth ?????????????????????
the absent (gha’ib) with the
witnessed (shahid). Even that
they fail to get ennobled with
the felicity of having faith in this 10. Prophets
[vision].
Nabis (anbiya) have been sent
by Haqq JS to the creation, so
9. Acts that they may invite the creation
to him JS, and bring them back
In the way that he swt is the cre-
from misguidance (dall) to the
ator of the slaves, in that same
path. Whoever accepts their in-
way, he is also the creator of their
vitation, the nabis give those ac-
actions, for both good and bad
cepting ones the good news of par-
actions. All these [actions] hap-
adise. And vice versa, whoever
pen by his predestination (taqdir-
rejects their invitation, the nabis
i uw). However, he swt is pleased
threaten them with the punish-
by good actions but displeased by
ment of hell. All that the nabis
bad actions. Although they both
spread from Haqq JA, and notify,
take place by his swt desire (ira-
all that is true — there is no taint
dat) and will (mashiyyat). You
of inaccuracy in their truth.
may know that to relate only the
bad acts onto him is lack of adab
The final prophet Muhammad the
with he swt. So such relation may
rasul of Allah SLM, his religion
not be given, and it is improper
(din) abrogates all previous reli-
to say that he swt is the creator
gions. His book is better than
of badness. Instead, what should
all previous books. There is none
be said is that he is the creator
who would abrogate his sharia
of both good and bad. It is in
— instead it would stand until
the same way that he should be
resurrection. When Jesus would
described as the creator of both
come down,107 he would practice
good and evil, not as the creator
according to the Muhammadan
of feces or pig, alone. It should
sharia. And remain within the fel-
be said that way to preserve his
lowship of the Muhammadan um-
honor. Since the Mutazilas believe
mat.
in two creators (), they propose
that man is the creator of his own
107
action. And relegate the goodness in his second coming
11. Resurrection ance. There if the side of the bal-

ance rises higher, it is the sign of it
Whatever news that he (SLM) being heavier. On the other hand,
has given on the states of the if it goes down lower, it is lighter.
last world, all that is true. E.g.,
torture in the grave, the con- 12. Intercession
striction in there, the question-
ing by the recorder of good deeds It is established that first is the
and bad deeds (munkar, nakir) intercession of the prophets (AS),
in there, the annihilation of the and second is the intercession of
world (fana-i ‘alam), the pierc- the pious ones, by permission of
ing of the heavens (inshiqaq-i the owner of the day of resurrec-
samawat), the scattering of the tion (maliki yawmi ’l-din).108 The
stars (intishar-i kawakib), ris- rasul said, My intercession would
ing of the land and the moun- be there for the ones in my ummat
tains and they getting broken with makor sins (Shafa‘ati li-ahli
into pieces (bardashtan-i zamin, ’l-kaba’ir min ummati).109
koh-ha pareh pareh shadan), the
day of mustering and resurrection 13. Bridge
(hashr, nashr), return of the spir-
its into the bodies, the earthquake 14. Paradise and hell
of the hour (zilzilat-i sa‘at), the
15. Angels
fright of the day of resurrection
(hawl-i qiyamat), the accounting 16. Iman
of the deeds, the witness-giving
of the bodily parts for the deeds 17. Sins do not negate iman
that they did, each person’s record 18. Sinful believers
of good deeds being flown onto
the right hand, and the record of O our nurturer! After guiding us,
the bad deeds onto the left hand, do not misguide our hearts, in-
and the weighing of the good and stead bestow on us mercy from
bad deeds in the scale to measure you. Indeed, you bestow even onto
which one among the sides of the them.110 (Allahumma thabbitna
good deeds or bad deeds is more ‘ala mu‘taqadati ahli ’l-sunnati wa
and which one is less. If the side ’l-jama‘ati, wa amitna fi zumrati-
of the good deeds is heavier, it is him, wa ’hsharna ma‘ahum. Rab-
the evidence of salvation. On the bana! La tuzigh qulubana, ba‘da
other hand, if it is lighter, it is idh-hadaitana, wahab lana, min
evidence of harm. However, the 108
Q.Fatiha.3
heaviness or lightness of the sides 109
hadith
110
are the opposite of the earthly bal- who do not deserve it
3.18. MAKTUB 2.67 209
ladunka, rahmatan. Inna-ka anta that on those battles, the party of

’l-wah-habu)111 . Hazrat ‘Ali (karama ’llahu ta‘ala
wajjahu) were on the truth, and
19. Caliphate and Imamate vice versa, the ijtihad of the op-
posing party was wrong. Still
Thew battles and strifes (muhara- then, they are not the object of
bat, munaza‘at) that took place scorn or ridicule. So where is the
between the honorable compan- room for calling them infidels or
ions (RAD), e.g., the battle of nonobservant (kafir, fasiq). Even
Jaml and the battle of Siffin, they that, Hazrat ‘Ali himself has said,
took place in a purely pious in- Our brothers have rebelled against
tention. And they were far away us. They are neither infidels nor
from appetities and partisanship nonobservant (kafir, fasiq). Be-
(hawa, ta‘assub). Because the cause they follow their own ta’wil,
nafses of these masters were pu- interpretation. And that prevents
rified (muzakka) of the appetites them from being classified as kafir
(hawa) and partisanship via the or fasiq.
companionship of the best of men
Our rasul has said, (Iyyakum
(AS). And were pure (pak) from
wa ma shajara bayna as-
avarice and bad intention (hirs,
habiy)????????????????????????
kineh). If they made peace, they
did it for the sake of Haqq. And
vice versa, if they did quarrels 20. Companions had pure
and disputes, still they did it for hearts
the sake of Haqq. Each fac-
21. Signs of resurrection
tion among them acted in accor-
dance to each one’s ijtihad. And Dua: O Allah! Keep us stead-
instead of blaming the opposing fast onto the credal dogma/ be-
faction of greed and partisanship lief (‘aqida) of the Sunni congrega-
(bi-sha’iba-i hawa, ta‘assub), they tion, and put us into their group,
took responsibility for their own and make our mustering (hashr)
actions. with them. O our nurturer! Af-
Among them, those who were cor- ter guiding us, do not misguide
rect in their ijtihad, they received our hearts, instead bestow on us
two measures of good merit, even mercy from you. Indeed, you
ten measures in some opinions. bestow without expecting a re-
On the other hand, those who turn. (Allahumma thabbitna ‘ala
were wrong still received one mea- mu‘taqadati ahli ’l-sunnati wa ’l-
sure of merit. The ulama has said jama‘ati, wa amitna fi zumrati-
him, wa ’hsharna ma‘ahum. Rab-
111
Q.Al-Imran.3.8 bana! La tuzigh qulubana, ba‘da
idh-hadaitana, wahab lana, min On the day of resurrection, the

ladunka, rahmatan. Inna-ka anta accounting would begin (ibtida’iy
’l-wah-habu)112 . muhasaba) from salat. If the
salat if correct (dorost) then by
the grace of God (bi-‘inayatallahi
B. Practice sub-hanahu), the other accounting
After purifying the creed, there is would come easy (besuhulat). You
no alternative but to observing the have to refrain from acts forbid-
rules of the sharia, and abstaining den in the sharia as much as pos-
from prohibitions — it suspends sible. You should consider things
from practice. You should pray that the master (JS) dislikes
the five times a day salat without (namardiyat-i mawla) as lethal
negligence (biy-futur). And dis- poison. And you should keep your
charging the duties of its pillars own errors (taqsirat) floating be-
(ta‘dil-i arkan). And in congrega- fore your eyes (dar nazar), and
tion. The distinction between Is- you need to regret (khajl) them,
lam and infidelity is in this very be ashamed (munfa‘il) of them,
salat. When the salat would be and be remorseful (nadamat) for
observed according to the sunna, them, and lament (hasrat) for
then the firm rope (habl-i matin) them. This is the path of servi-
of the religion of Islam would come tude (bandegi). Allah grants op-
to the hands. Because that [salat] portunities (Wa ’llahu muwaffiqu).
is the second one of the five pil- He who fearlessly (biy-tahashi)
lars (wusul) of Islam. First pil- acts against what pleases his
lar is to establish a firm faith in master (namardiyat-i mawla-i
God (khoda) (JS) and his rasul khod) (jalla jalaluhu), and does
(slm), the second is salat, the third not become confused, regretful
is discharging the duty (ada) of and ashamed (tashwir, khadha-
zakat, the fourth is observing the lat, infi‘al) for it, he is haughty
fasts during the days of the month (marid) and rebellious (muta-
of Ramzan, and the fifth is the marrid). His disobedience and
Hajj of the house of Allah. The rebelliousness (israr, tamarrud)
first pillar suspends from iman, may cast him out of Islam into
the other four suspend from the the enemy camp. O our nur-
practice (‘aml). And the most turer! Give us blessing from
comprehensive one of all acts of you, and make our works easy
worship (jami‘tarin-i jam‘i ‘iba- (Rabbana! Atina milladunka
dat) and the best (fadil-tarin) one rahmatan, wa hayya’ lana min
among these acts is salat. amrina rashada113 )!
112 113
Q.Al-Imran.3.8 Q.Kahf.10
3.19. MAKTUB 2.68 211
Letter to publishers the creed of the mainstream Sunni

Would you be interested to pub- congregation into their ears. And
lish or distribute my translations you should put down the opposing
of a sufi text. sect114 . If this felicity is realized,
the magnificent inheritance from
Original Author of the text: the prophets would come into the
Ahmad Sirhindi Imam of the hands. When you have attained
Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi sufi tariqa this felicity effortlessly, you should
Name of the book: Maktubat-i respect it as valuable.
Imam-i Rabbani Although writing more would
Verification: Has received a be better, what more would I
glowing recommendation from Dr write? Wa ’llahu subhanahu ’l-
Hamid Algar of University of Cali- muwaffiqu.
fornia, Berkeley. And a preface by
him probably could be arranged.
Actually, the preface should be 3.19 Maktub 2.68
written ASAP because Dr Algar is
eighty plus and not in good health. To Khwaja Sharfuddin Hussain
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Bismi ’llahi ’l-rahim, guided us
footnoteresearch and write note onto this, and we would not have
on Nagarkot invasion by the been guided had Allah not guided
“infidels”’. us. Verily, the rasuls from our
nurturer came with the truth (Al-
hamdu li-’llahi ’llazi hadana li-
Mission to the Sultan hadha, wa ma kunna li-nahtadiya,
law la an hadana ’llahu, la-
In summary, you know the sultan
qad ja’at rusulu rabbuna bi-’l-
is like the soul and the other men
haqqi), ‘alaihimu ’l-salawatu, wa
are like the body. If the soul is
’l-tahiyyatu, wa ’l-taslimatu, wa ’l-
wholesome (salih), the body is also
barakatu 115
wholesome. On the other hand,
if the soul is corrupt (fasid), the
is body also corrupt. Therefore, Now is end of time
in trying to rectify the sultan lies
trying to rectify all the progeny Beloved son! I am writing again
of Adam. And the rectification in and again that it is the time to
the conveyance of the message of 114
i.e., put down those Shia beliefs and prac-
Islam, however it is done, is appro- tices that opposes the Sunni tradition, i.e., bad-
priate for this time. mouthing the companions
115
First part of the maktub is skipped—it con-
Along with the message of Islam, tained description of some signs of the end of times,
all the time you should also bring e.g., a comet with two horns that has appeared
repent, seek forgiveness and put 2. In another narration, the

aside this world (tawba, istighfar, companions asked, O ra-
tark-i dunya) for this is the era sul of Allah! What would
of discord and corruption (fitna, you have ordered us in that
fasad) and they are raining down era? And he replied, Remain
from the sky, and getting dis- tightly bound within your own
persed all over the world. houses ( Kunu ahlasa buyu-
tikum). Another narration
The rasul, the truthful giver of says, Stay housed within the
news (mukhbir-i sadiq) (salam), belly of your own housesWa
has prophesied, ’l-zamu fiha ajwafa buyu-
tikum.
1. Before the day of resurrec-
tion, calamities would come
upon the world, as if that You should know that in the mean
is like a part of the night time, the infidels from the land
of oppression (qita‘i ’l-laili ’l- of war (daru ’l-harb) have per-
muzlimi ). In that era, man secuted the Muslim peoples and
would wake up as a faithful cities around Nagarkot severely118 .
person in the morning but May Allah destroy them (Khad-
would become faithless in the halahumu ’llahu subhanahu)! In
evening. Or would be a faith- this end of times, many such bad-
ful person in the morning, smelling flowers would keep on
but would wake up as a faith- blooming.
less person in the morning.
In that era, one who is sit- May Allah keep us, you and
ting would be better than one all the faithful fixed on the
who is standing. Or one who following of the prince of the
is going all around would be messengers (Thabbatana ’llahu
better than one who is mov- subhanahu, wa iyyakum, wa
ing rapidly. At that point, jami‘al mu’minina, ‘ala mu-
break your arrows and bows. taba‘ati sayyidi ’l-mursalina),
Cut off the bowstrings and ‘alaihi wa alaihimu ’l-salawatu
break the swords by stones. wa ’l-taslimatu, and onto all his
If one comes against you116 , progeny, and onto the angels who
then treat him as if he is the have been drawn near (wa ‘ala
better one of the two sons of ali kullin, wa ‘ala ’l-mala’ikati
Adam117 . ’l-muqarribina).
116 118
i.e., to persecute you research and write note on Nagarkot invasion
117
hadith by the “infidels”’
3.20. MAKTUB 2.69 213
3.20 Maktub 2.69 discharges the duties of those pil-

lars (ta‘dil-i arkan). So I am com-
To Muhammad Murad Badakhshi pelled to stress it to the friends.
Bismi ’llahi ’l-rahim All praise is Now listen:
to Allah, and peace be onto his
elect devotees (Alhamdu li-’llahi 1. The truthful news-giver
wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi ’lladhina (mukhbir-i sadiq) (salam)
’stafa). has said, The biggest thief is
he who steals from his own
salat. The companions an-
Salat: How to pray swered, O the rasul of Allah!
The noble letter you sent has ar- How would he steal from his
rived. I am delighted to note own salat? The rasul replied,
that it contained the fixedness He fails to do the bowing and
and firm standing (thubut, istiqa- prostration completely within
mat) of the friends. May Al- his salat 119 .
lah (S) increase that fixedness and 2. The rasul, also said, God
firm standing (Zadakumu ’llahu (khoda) does not look at one’s
subhanahu thabatan wa ’stiqa- salat when one one does not
matan). straighten out one’s back be-
You have written, What I was in- tween the bow and the pros-
structed (ma’mur) to do I have tration 120 .
been doing that with a group 3. Another time, the rasul saw
of friends who have entered into one man doing the salat but
(dakhil) the tariqa. The five times failing to do the bowing and
salat is being recited in a jamat prostration completely. And
of fifty or sixty people. I am ex- he told the man Are you
pressing my gratefulness to Allah not afraid? If you die like
SWT for this (Hamdan li-’llahi this, verily you would die
subhanahu ‘ala dhalika). on something other than the
What a magnanimous blessing of Muhammadan religion (Ama
God it is! When the inner realm takhafu? Law mitta ‘ala dha-
gets immersed in the zikr of God lika, lamittu ‘ala ghairi dini
(ilahi) (jalla shanuhu)! And the muhammadin).121
outer body (zahir) shines with the 4. The rasul said, That salat
rulings of the sharia! is not salat in which one
Nowadays most people are lax in does not sit between the two
discharging the duty of salat, and 119
hadith quoted in Farsi
do not do its pillars with peace 120
hadith in Farsi
121
(tamaniyat). Or in a manner that hadith
prostrations, or one fails to It is said that when a faithful wor-

straighten one’s back within shiper does salat and does bow-
it, or to remain motion- ing and prostration properly, that
less 122 . salat becomes full of joy and light
5. Once the rasul was pass- (nurani). The angels carry it up
ing by one doing the salat, to the heavens. And that salat
and noted that one was not makes good dua for the reader,
observing its rules and pil- and says, May Allah preserve you
lars (ahkam, arkan), stand- as you have preserved me (Hafid-
ing (qawma), sit ting (jalsa), haka ’llahu subhanahu kama hafid-
etc. The prophet said to him, htaniy)! On the other hand, if he
If you die like this, you would does not perform the salat well,
not be counted as my ummat it turns dark (zulmani). The an-
on the day of resurrection. gels hate it, and refuses to take it
In another narration, If you to the heavens. And salat makes
die like this, you would not bad dua for the salat that has
die on the Muhammadan re- been done, and says, May Al-
ligion. lah ruin you as you have ruined
me (Dayya‘aka ’llahu ta‘ala kama
6. Hazrat Abu Huraira (radiya
dayya‘tiy).
’llahu ta‘ala ‘anhu) narrated,
One has been doing salat for
sixty years, but none of them
Therefore, salat should be prac-
has been accepted. That one
ticed perfectly (tamam), and its
is the one who does not do
pillars should be done properly
one’s bowing and prostration
(ta‘dil-i arkan). Bowing, pros-
completely.
tration, standing, sitting (ruku‘,
7. It is said that Zayd, the son sujud, qawma, jalsa), they all
Wahhab, saw one man do- should be done properly and com-
ing salat but not being completely. Especially, you should
plete in his bowing and pros- also instruct all others to do
tration. He asked that man, these with composure, and grace
How long have you been do- (tama’aniyat) so that the rights
ing salat like that? That man of all the pillars are discharged
answered, For forty years. (ta‘dil-i arkan). Indeed it is imper-
[Zayd] commented, You have ative to instruct towards it. Be-
not done any salat for all cause most people are deprived of
these forty years. If you die this felicity, and this way of do-
in this state, you would fail to ing has become obsolete (matruk).
die on the sunna of the rasul. The rasul said in a hadith, He who
122
All these hadiths are quoted in Farsi resurrects a dead sunna, he earns
3.20. MAKTUB 2.69 215
the merit of a hundred shahids 123 . sleep of heedlessness. If you do

like this for a few days, it may be
You may also know that within
hoped that without any this felic-
the salat in a congregation, you
ity would turn into a spontaneous
must straighten out the lines. So
practice.126
that it does not happen that one
stands breaks the line by stand-
ing before that line or after it, Food
instead all are along the straight One should be cautious of the food
line. Because the rasul would first one eats. What need is there that
straighten out the lines, and then wherever, whatever one brings,
second tie the hands (tahrima) for one have to eat it immediately?
salat. He said that straightening And why does one need not in-
out the lines is a part of estab- quire if it is halal or haram in the
lishing (iqamat) the salat. Our sharia? It is meaningless to act
lord! Give us blessing from you, like that as man is not so indepen-
and make our works easy (Rab- dent that he can do whatever he
bana! Atina milladunka rah- pleases. Indeed, he has an owner
matan, wa hayya’ lana min amrina (mawla) who has given him the
rashada124 )!125 duty to observe the owner’s pos-
itive orders and prohibitions. And
Tahajjud via the prophets who are mercy to
the inhabitants of the world (‘al-
Friends are being advised to cling imiyan), that owner has notified
to the salat of tahajjud — it is a man on what pleases or displeases
required part of the path (tariq). the owner. Indeed, [that man] is
You have been told it in pres- totally luckless who desires things
ence as well. Now if it is hard that oppose the liking of his own
on you, and waking up against owner. And without his owner’s
the habit becomes impossible, you permission, puts his hands into
may charge some servants to this that owner’s sovereignty and right
task so that they wake you up (mulk, milk).
at that time regardless of whether
you want to or refuse to, and does Shame on you! You people respect
not allow you to remain in the the liking of your worldly mas-
ter, do not tolerate even a slight
123
quoted in the Farsi translation disrespect. But what about the
124
Q.Kahf.10
125 126
A section on the proper intention for jihad has Sufis must take ijazat from their standing
been skipped as it 1. could be twisted and misinter- shaykhs to start tahajjud or any other nafl salat.
preted by Wahhabi hirabi terrorists, and 2. needs In Mujaddidi tariqa, ijazat for tahajjud is not given
further historical research on the infidel invasion of untill the salik has reached a high level. Else it
Nagorkot. would be harmful. C.f. maktub 2.57
true master? He has given a firm lan, thumma qala, A‘udhu bikali-
warning to refrain from doing acts mati ’llahi ’l-tammatin min sharri
he detests, but none respects that ma khalaqa, layadurruhu shay’un
warning. Is it acting like a Mus- hatta artahala min manzilihi dha-
lim or an infidel? Think about lika).
it. Time is not all gone yet. It is Peace to him who walks onto the
still possible to compensate for the path of guidance (Wa ’l-salamu
past. He who has returned from ‘ala mani ’ttaba’a ’l-huda).
sin, it is as if he has no sin (Al-
ta’ibu mina ’l-dhanbi ka-man la-
dhanbi lahu)— it is a good news 3.21 Maktub 2.70
to the sinners. Despite this, if one
keeps on doing (musir) sins, and is To Mawlana Abdul Wahid Kabuli
satisfied by it, then one surely is
a hypocrite (munafiq). His Islam
that is in appearance only, and it Reality of Kaaba
would not save him from punish-
ment, or negate his torment. How In the human body, the heart
would I stress it any more? A sign is the specimen (namuna) of the
is enough for the wise. throne (‘arsh) of Rahman (JS),
and similarly, manifestation of his
Dua against danger: heart is a model (anmudhaj) of the
manifestation of the throne. Sim-
Second, to attain peace ease and ilarly, in the human body, there
security (aman) at a place or is the signpost (nishaneh) of the
time when the enemy is predom- house of Allah. And that sign-
inant (istila’iy a‘da), reciting Sura post is in-between (dar miyan),
Li’iylafi is well-tested (mujarrab). foreign to north or south, and pos-
You should recite it at least eleven sesses a nearer nearness127 . The
times a day. prototypal (bi-’l-asalat) possessors
It comes in a Mustafan hadith, of this magnificent felicity are the
While traveling, if one stops in prophets (anbiya) (AS). And also
a waystation and gets down from many of their ummats also at-
his transport, one may recite this tain that felicity in the method
dua, I seek refuge of Allah from all of followerhood and inheritance
possible harm from what he has (tab‘iyat, warathat)128 . The com-
created (A‘udhu bikalimati ’llahi panions of the prophets (AS) at-
’l-tammatin min sharri ma kha- tained that profusely due to the
laqa). Then as long as he stays in 127
interpretive translation for beh husn-i sabqat
that waystation, he would not face yiganeh cf. Aftabi
128
any harm (Man nazala manzi- Refers to the Mujaddid
3.21. MAKTUB 2.70 217
baraka of their companionship of idence (nam, nishan) of this nis-

the prophets. However, after the bat remains, be it the nisbat of
age of the companions, little of the heart or be it any other nisbat,
this nisbat remains. then the saying, When the flow
of Allah comes, the flow of Je-
sus gets canceled (Idha ja’a nahru
Kaaba: Mujaddid is
’llahi batalu nahru ‘iysa) — this
co-possessor saying gets to become the banner
Note: This section alludes to the for this station.
high rank of the Mujaddid. Mujad- Possessors of this felicity are on
didis belive that the Kaaba came the straight path, which is in
to visit the Mujaddid, in Sirhind. front of the sought thing (wusul-
And his well became filled up with i matlub-i mahadhi aftadeh ast)
Zamzam water. and facing it (barabar). One who
After the centuries under consid- is on the left or right of this fe-
eration, if one attains this nisbat licity129 , he has instead reached a
as the follower and heir, it would shadow (zill). Although there are
be a spoil of war and like a touch- differences between the shadows,
stone. And this person is included but all those are branded by the
within the assembly of the hon- mark of shadowness (bedagh-i zil-
ored companions (dakhil-i zumra- liyat muttasim).
i ashab-i kiram), and within the Separation with lover
people in the forefront (sabiqin). even if little is not
Possessors of this high nisbat have little
been distinguished to attain the Inside eyes even if half a
felicity of the center of the sought hair it is too much
thing (dawlat-i markaz-i matlub).
Although in that center (dar nafs- Faraq-i dost andak ast
i markaz), there are degrees, still andak nist
those possessors have been hon- Darun-i dideh agar nim
ored with the felicity of being the mu’st besiyar ast
foreman (dawlat-i sabqat mushar-
raf ast). What more would I di- He who turns away from the
vulge from this mystery? How straight path even by a minute
would I explain this mystery any amount (khurd), the more he goes,
more? he goes farther away. And he
When by the grace of Allah (sub- finds himself farther away from ar-
hanahu), this high nisbat is man- rival onto the intended destination
ifested, all the past nisbats set (wusul beh matlub).
129
down, and not even a sign or ev- even a little bit
O Arab! I fear you won’t (beh surat-i ta’wil va ‘arid mash-

reach Kaaba hud gardad), although on that de-
Path you are on goes to- gree (martaba) there is no room
wards Turkistan for either a point or a circle
(nuqta, da’ira), or length, breadth
Narsam narsiy beh or depth (tawil, ‘ard, ‘umq). As
ka‘ba’iy ‘Arabiy the result, necessarily, the thing,
Kayin rah keh to which is affirmed (muthbat)130 ap-
miyrawiy beh pears in the form of a point, in un-
Turkistan ast veiling (beh surat-i kashfi).
Thabbatana ’llahu subhanahu ‘ala Kalima 2: Muhammadu

’l-sirati ’l-mustaqimi. Wa ’l- ’l-rasulu ’llah On the other
salamu ‘ala mani ’ttaba‘a ’l-huda. hand, the kalima Muhammadu
’l-rasulu ’llah — this station has
length and breadth in the gaze
3.22 Maktub 2.71 of unveiling (dar nazar kashfi).
This kalima relates to the mission
To Khwaja Muhammad Sa‘id of the prophets to invite the
creation (munbi az dawat-i khalq)
— a creation that is connected to
physical bodies and matters (beh
Kalima: ajsam va jawahir ta‘alluq darad).
Interrelationship with Therefore, necessarily, this station
nubuwat, walayat has length and breadth131 .
Kalima 1: La ilaha illa ’llah
La ilaha illa ’llah Muhammadu ’l- Intoxication On that station, a
rasulu ’llah— its first kalima con- little bit of the earlier intoxica-
tains affirmation of the degree of tion remains within the salik. And
necessariness (ithbat-i martaba-i as the result, he finds the second
wujub) (ta‘alat wa taqaddasat). kalima as an all-encompassing sea.
The degree of necessariness mani- And he considers the first kalima,
festing itself in the imaginal form in comparison, as a point. Be-
in the form of a point (zuhur- cause some of that intoxication re-
i martaba-i wujub dar surat-i mained in me, I also wrote pre-
mithali beh surat-i nuqta) — it is viously that the second kalima is
nearer than the manifestation of like a sea while the first kalima
that degree (aqrab ast az zuhur- 130
i.e. the Necessary
i an martaba) that is witnessed 131
so that the prophets may relate to creation in
in the form of length and breadth order to evangelize them
3.22. MAKTUB 2.71 219
is a point compared to that [first that walayat is more excellent

kalima]. (afdal) than nubuwat because
On that station, the author walayat is relates to the first
of Futuhat-i Makkiya said132 , kalima whereas nubuwat relates
Muhammadan comprehensive- to the second kalima. Instead,
ness is more comprehensive than I would say that nubuwat is
the endless (biy-payan) compre- attaining both the kalimas. In
hensiveness of the ever-living nubuwat, the ascent relates to the
(Jam‘a muhammadi ajma‘ ast az first kalima whereas the descent
jam‘a-i biy-payan al-hayy, jalla relates to the second kalima.
sultanuhu). When by the grace of Therefore, what is attained on
God (bi‘inayati khodawandi) (js), the station of nubuwat is both
the kalimas brought together
1. unqualified all- (majmu‘). It is not that the
embracingness of the degree second kalima is attained on the
of necessaryness (wasa‘at-i station of nubuwat, which many
biy-chuniy-i martaba-i wu- imagine. And they say that the
jub) (ta‘ala va taqaddasat) first kalima is specific to walayat.
casts its ray (parto andazad) It is not like what they think.
2. and the unqualified encom- Instead, both the kalimas are
passment of that holy de- attained on the station of walayat
gree (ihata-i biy-kayfiy-i an and the station of nubuwat as
martaba-i muqaddasa) gets ascent and descent (‘uruj, nuzul).
manifested (zahir miygar- Summary: The station of walayat
dad) is the shadow of the station of
nubuwat. And the perfections of
then the salik finds that walayat are the shadows of the
perfections of nubuwat.
1. what was found as a point
before, now it is found as
an endless sea (darya-i biy-
Ibn Arabi: Intoxicated and
payan)
excusable However, whatever
2. what was found as an endless is said on the station of intoxica-
sea before, now it is found as tion may be excused. I myself am
smaller than a molecule. also their partner onto the [sta-
tion of] intoxication. Because on
Nubuwat is higher than that [intoxication], I have written
walayat Now let none think in several maktubs that the first
132
Yes! This saying of Ibn Arabi anti-sharia but kalima relates to the station of
it’s excusable as he said it due to intoxication. And walayat. And the second kalima
as a sufi, the Mujaddid understood it relates to the station of nubuwat.
Intoxication is also a magnificent center-point], hundreds of points

boon, if the salik is granted so- have come out [as shadows] and
briety later. And he is brought created the circumference.
from kufr-i tariqat into true Islam In the matter we are discussing,
(Islam-i haqiqat) the word point (nuqta) is in-
Rabbana! La tu’akhidhna in terpreted to be near the things
nasina wa akhta’na 133 Bi-sadaqati (aqrab-i ashya). Else the center-
habibika muhammadin, ‘alaihi wa point is also lost there like the
‘ala alihi ’l-salawatu wa ’l-salamu, circle. There is no room there,
wa yarhamu ’llahu ‘abadan qala for neither the manifest (zahir)
aminan. nor the locus of manifestation
(mazhar), also for neither the pro-
totype nor the shadow (asl, zill).
3.23 Maktub 2.72 Because like the shadow, even the
prototype gets left aside on the
To Khwaja Muhammad Ma‘sum path that is towards that exalted
Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala house.
‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa.
What can I tell you
about that bird?
Kaaba: Self-disclosure That lives in the same
and manifestation nest as the
phoenix
Yes! Manifestation of the throne
The name phoenix is
(‘arsh) is indeed above all manifes-
known to all
tation. However, the interaction
But none knows the
that is linked to the holy house of
name of my bird
Allah (baitu ’llah-i muqaddas) is
above all manifestations and self- Cheh go’iym ba to az
disclosures. There it is embarrass- morghi nishaneh
ing even to mention zuhur and ta- Keh ba ‘anqa bud ham
jalli, for those are like the circum- ashyaneh
ference of the circle while this in- Ze ‘anqa hast namiy
teraction134 is like the center of pesh mardam
that circle. There is no doubt Ze morgh-i man bud an
that although the circumference nam ham gom
is wide, it is the shadow of the
center. It is as if that point has
spread its shadow. [And from that Yearning for Kaaba
133
Q.Baqara.2.286 Within the Kaaba of the nabis
134
i.e., interaction of the holy Kaaba cf. Aftabi of the tribe of Israel (‘ala nabina
3.23. MAKTUB 2.72 221
wa ‘alaihim al-salawatu wa ’l- maqamu ibrahima. Wa

tahiyatu)135 , there used to be a man dakhalhu kana am-
stone. Its perfections and mani- inan. Wa li-’llahi ‘ala
festations (kamalat, zuhurat) have ’l-nasi hijju ’l-baiti mani
finally come upon (ruju‘) the per- ’stata‘a ilaihi sabilan
fections of this magnificent Kaaba, wa man kafara. Fa-inna
and has been annexed (mulhaq) to ’llaha ghaniyyun ‘ani
it. Because there is no alternative ’l-‘alamina)
for those on the side (atraf) but to 136
get annexed (lahuq) to the center. .
The path that reaches the center

is the straight path. Without that Wishing for Hajj
path, the path to the object of Note: Mujaddid was never able
seeking cannot be found. Alas! to make the hajj, so we Mujad-
When would I visit the magnifi- didis believe that the Kaaba came
cent Kaaba? As Allah swt has to visit him in Sirhind. And the
said, well next to what is now his grave
was filled with the water of Za-
Verily the first house mzam.
set up for [the good
Although by the grace of Allah, I
of] man is in blessed
have been annexed (ilhaq) to the
Mecca. And that is
haqiqat of Kaaba. And I have
guidance for the world.
attained immeasurable progress
In it are clear sign,
(taraqqiyat) Still the form longs
which is the station
to meet the form137 Hajj has be-
of Ibrahim. He who
come fard for me. And the path
enters it would be safe.
is safe as well, since peace is pre-
Man’s duty to Allah
dominating. And I have plenty of
is to make hajj to the
desire to carry out that fard. But
house for him who can.
I’m procrastinating (taswif) more
And he who denies it
and more. The result of istikhara
would not be able to
is not supporting Hajj. As much
harm. Indeed, Allah is
as I am focusing on it with con-
unneedy of the cosmos.
centration, no path is opening up
(Inna awwala baitin
to go there. And I am not seeing
wudi‘a li-’l-nasi ’llazi
myself reaching the noble Kaaba.
bi-bakkata mubaraka.
What to do?
Wa hudan li-‘alamina.
136
Fihi ayatun byyanatun Q.Al-Imran.96-97
137
I.e., the Mujaddid wants to meet the Kaaba
135
the holy house (baitul muqaddas) in Jerusalem physically
Because such excuses do not work i amr) as its reality or inside

for procrastinating on fulfilling (haqiqat, batin).
obligation (fard). In any case,
to discharge the duty of car- What sufis say
rying out the obligation (fard)
of Hajj, by the grace of Allah They138 consider the fixed entities
swt, I should leave the house (a‘yan-i thabita) to be the realities
. And make my best effort to of the contingent things (haqa’iq-i
cross the path. If I succeed in mumkinat). Because
reaching, it would a magnificent
1. the contingent things are
boon. And instead, if I get left
shadows of those [fixed] en-
on the path, then I hope that
tities (mumkinat zilal-i an
it would be ready cash-on-hand.
a‘yan and). And
Wa ’llahu subhanahu a‘lamu bi-
haqa’iqi ’l-umuri kulliha. Dua: 2. those [fixed] entities are the
Wa ’l-sallallahu ta‘ala ‘ala sayyid- essences of these [contin-
ina muhammadin, wa alihi, wa gent] things (an a‘yan u’sul-i
sahbihi ajma‘ina, wa sallama wa iynha-st).
baraka, wa ‘ala jami‘i ’l-anbiya’i,
The sufis say so because whether
wa ’l-mursalina, wa ’l-mala’ikati
you call those [‘ayan] realities
’l-muqarribina ajma‘ina.
or essences (cheh haqiqat va
mahiyat)139 of the contingent
things, those [‘ayan ] are those
3.24 Maktub 2.73 same shadows of the ‘ayan
(haman zilal-i ‘ayan and), which
To Khwaja Muhammad Ma‘sum have become contingent things
Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala by those shadows (cheh haqiqat
‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa. va mahiyat-i mumkinat, haman
zilal-i a‘yan ast — keh mumkinat
beh an zilal gozashteh).140 And as
Perfect man: Zahir the [final] result, realized shadow
versus batin existence (wujud-i zilli).
Man is the union (majmu‘) of Sufis hold that there are some en-
both the world of empirical things tities (‘ayan) there, which have
(‘alam-i khalq) and the world of 138
It seems that the Mujaddid is referring to the
subtle things (‘alam-i amr). You interpretation of Ibn Arabi according to the Wujudi
may consider the world of empiri- school of Jami etc. by the term “sufi”
139
shows that Mujaddid uses haqiqat and mahiya
cal things (‘alam-i amr) as its form as synonyms
or outside (surat, zahir). And 140
i.e., the ‘ayan which are opposite those shad-
the world of subtle things (‘alam- ows
3.24. MAKTUB 2.73 223
established ta‘ayyun-i wujubi — contingent (imkani) entifications.

Indeed, those entities are differ- Therefore, ta‘ayyun-i wujubi may
ent (bekhilaf). And those entities be called the haqiqat of ta‘ayyun-i
are above the levels of contingent- imkani only metaphorically. Be-
ness (fawqi maratib-i imkan). Be- cause the haqiqat of the contin-
cause those entities (‘ayan) are op- gent things must be from the con-
posite to the realities of the cre- tingent world (‘alam-i imkan), in-
ated things (haqa’iq-i mumkinat). stead of from the degree of nec-
Take note! Those realities are the essaryness (martaba’i wujub). It
shadows of the original ‘ayan by is as if the asl of everything is its
which that thing has been created, haqiqat.
and created shadow existence.
Note: This is zilliyat and the Sufis are ka’in and ba’in
Mujaddid explains it better else-
where. So please study my anno- Sufis say,Sufis are ka’in and ba’in.
tated translation of maktubs of zil- What it means is that they are
liyat where Ibn Arabi is contrasted outwardly with the creation (beh
with the Mujaddid: 1. maktub zahir ba khalq) and inwardly dis-
1.234 and 2. ?????. However, he joint from it (beh batin ba iyshan
rejected zilliyat at the end of life juda), instead with Haqq swt.
in 3.122 and proposed a new the- They interpret zahir as ‘alam-i
ory of seven entifications. khalq, and batin as ‘alam-i amr.
[Sufis] call the ‘ayan-i thabita as They say that this station, in
haqiqat-i mumkinat. They do so which there is focus onto both the
because they two sides concurrently,143 as a very
high station. And they consider
1. establish necessariness it as the station of making others
141
there , and perfect and giving them guidance
2. consider [the ‘ayan] on (takmil, irshad). And they think
the degree of necessariness that it is the degree of giving invi-
(martaba-i wujbi). tation (martaba-i dawat). I have
received an elect marifat here:
Because they consider the
two ta‘ayyuns, wahdat and 1. There is a person
wahidiyyat, which are on the who is the elect of
degree of ‘ayan-i thabita, as the elects (akhss-i
ta‘ayyun-i wujubi. Also they con- khwass)
sider the other three ta‘ayyuns, 2. To that elect one,
i.e., ruhi, mithali and hissi142 , as the entire ‘alam-i
141 143
i.e., ‘ayan-i thabita are on the wujubi degree interpretive translation for jam‘a baina ’l-
142
i.e., ta‘ayyun-i jasadi tawajjuhain c.f. Aftabi
khalq and ‘alam-i 4. This arif who has

amr are like that completed mari-
one’s form and ap- fat (‘arif-i tamm
pearance (surat, za- al-ma‘rifat), when
hir) he
3. That elect one’s a) he crosses
reality and inside (tayy) all
(haqiqat, batin) is the levels of
a) that divine contingent-
name, which ness (jami‘-i
is that one’s maratib-i
origin of entifi- imkaniya) and
cation (mabda’i arrives on the
ta‘ayyun) prototype of
b) and along that name,
with it, the i.e., the name,
other names which is his
and crossing- qayyum,
overs (asma, b) and his saying
shu‘unat), I (ana) gets
which are like uprooted from
the prototype the contingent
(asl) of that levels (maratib-
name144 i imkaniya),
c) Even that, and instead
the haqiqat of conforms to the
the elect one rules related
reaches that to that name
[level of] the (ba an ism
Hazrat person, muntabaq)
which is dis- c) and ascending
engaged from sequentially
modes and (beh tartib bar
crossing-overs sabil-i ‘uruj),
(intahat ila his saying I
hadrati ’l-dhati (ana) gets
’l-mujarradati united (munt-
‘ani ’l-shu’uni abaq) with the
wa ’l-i‘tibarati) degrees above
144
i.e., the name which is the origin of entification that name,
3.24. MAKTUB 2.73 225
which is the 7. On the other hand,

prototype (asl) in the cases of all
of [the name] other people, their
d) and next, ac- saying of I are put
cording to the on the ‘alam-i amr
said rule, he and ‘alam-i khalq.
sequentially Therefore, their
???????? finds surat and haqiqat
union (intabaq) are indeed these
with that name ‘alam-i amr and
e) and he reaches ‘alam-i khalq. And
the disen- the names, which
gaged one-in- are the origins
number person of entification of
(ahadiyat-i those people, those
mujarrada). names are nothing
but the qayyum of
5. At that time, those people.
all the above-
mentioned degrees
(iyn hameh-i How can a divine name
maratib) — with
be arif ’s reality?
which his saying
I (ana) became Question: However much that the
united (intibaq) arif finds perfection in marifat,
— those [degrees] he is still in the genus of con-
become his haqiqat. tingent things. And from con-
6. In that way, his tingentness, he does not get re-
‘alam-i amr, like qualified with necessaryness. On
his ‘alam-i khalq, the other hand, the name that is
also gets to be his qaiyyum is on the degree of
like the form of necessariness (martaba-i wujub).
that haqiqat. And So how can that name be his real-
this form is like ity (haqiqat) and his part (juzv)?
the clothes of that
Answer: That name becomes the
haqiqat, like a per-
reality of [the arif] apparently
son wearing those
(beh i‘tibar-i shuhud), but not on-
clothes.145
tologically (wujud). So there is no
145
By the above-mentioned narration, it is under- bar. It is like what is said on the
stood that an arif who has realized perfect marifat,
when he says I, it indicates the disengaged oneahad- i mujarrada instead of that arif himself, c.f. Aftabi
the matter of baqa bi-’llah. How- God (ilahi)! How have you made
ever, this shuhud is not merely your friends (dostan)! Whoever
conceptual (takhayyul). Indeed, recognizes them, finds you, and
plenty of benefit and results come vice versa, he who fails to find
from this [shuhud even]. you, fails to recognize them.
Yearning of Hafiz is not
in vain Focus: Haqq or dual
Amazing story astonish-
ing narration is I have written in a few maktubs
there indeed and risalas that when the arif who
has attained marifat completely
Fariyad-i Hafiz iyn returns to give invitation, he turns
hameh beh akhir his face onto the creation in to-
harzeh nist tality — it is not that his zahir
Ham qissa-i gharib va is onto the creation but batin is
hadith-i ‘ajib hast onto Haqq swt. Instead, what
is meant by totality (kulliyat) is
that he is face-turned onto both
Haqiqat of perfect of these two, i.e., both the world
gnostic is sublime of creation (‘alam-i khalq) and the
Therefore, it is verified world of command (‘alam-i amr ),
(muhaqqaq) that the form alone for the purpose of giving invita-
(mujarrad-i surat) for this gnostic tion — as the people of the tribe
is the summation (majmu‘) of the already know. Previously I in-
form and reality for the others. terpreted this in another way but
And when compared to his reality, now I think it I made an error147
that surat of this gnostic is like Therefore, regardless of the
a set of clothes that he wears. method that it happens, in the
Therefore, how would all others time of return (ruju‘), the perfect
find his haqiqat? Or what would knower (‘arif-i kamil) is face-
they understand of that [haqiqat]? turned in totality in the direction
Those all others, what would they (beh janib) of the creation. Con-
conceive of that perfect man sequently, for him whose one face
except as a possessesor both surat is towards the creation and the
and haqiqat, as they are. This other face is towards the Haqq
hadith alludes to these [perfect (ja), he is on the middle part of
gnostics], When they are seen, the journey (tawassut-i sayr).
Allah is remembered (Idha ru’uw
147
dhukira ’llahu sub-hanahu).146 Mujaddid mentioned, haqiqat, batin, ism,
qayyum etc. Here I am skipping one or two lines
146
hadith as they would interrupt the flow for the reader.
3.25. MAKTUB 2.74 227
Dual focus: Higher Take note is an elect perfection of that sa-

that this salik148 is higher (bu- lik,150 although shortsighted ones
landtar) than that person who is may hold that [not face-turning]
face-turned exclusively onto Haqq as a defect. And those [short-
(ja). Because that [Haqq-focused] sighted ones] may consider face-
person is lacking in discharging turning more perfect than not
his duties towards the creation face-turning.
whereas this [dual focus] salik in
discharging both the duties, the
Conclusion May grant those
duty towards the creation and the
[shortsighted ones] a sense of jus-
duty towards the Haqq swt, as
tice, so that they refrain from
much as he can. Additionally, this
judging by their rank ignorance,
salik is inviting the creation to-
and as a result, do not rule excel-
wards the creator. And therefore,
lence as defect.
this salik is more perfect (akmal)
than him.149
3.25 Maktub 2.74
Lack of face-turning: A per-
fection You may know that To Khwaja Shaykh Hashim
turning the face onto Haqq sig-
nifies distance. And in the case May Allah (S) keep you safe from
of this gnostic, distance (bu‘d) that what is inappropriate for you
is inappropriate. On the other (Sallamukumu ’llahu subhanahu
hand, distance may be appropri- amma la-yaliqu bijanabikum)!
ate in the case of others who need
face-turning (beh tawajjuh muh-
taj and). Have you seen any- Tafsir: Two generous
one who turns his face onto him- verses
self? Therefore, the thing that
is nearer than one’s own self, 1. Allah (tabaraka wa ta‘azama
there is no way to face-turn onto wa ta‘ala) has said, Then
it. Therefore, not face-turning we have made them heirs
148
i.e., this dual focus salik who is partially focus-
to the book151 whom I have
ing (mutawajjuh) onto the creation in order to give chosen from my worshipers
invitation, and partially focusing onto the Haqq (Thumma awrathna ’l-kitaba
149
i.e., additional to his normal duties to the
150
Haqq and the creation, this dual focus salik is doing Because turning the face onto God implies
one more task — he is inviting the creation towards that he was distant from God to begin with. So
the creator. Therefore, this dual focus salik is bet- when the salik was close to begin with, he does not
ter than he who focuses singularly onto the Haqq turn his face anew.
151
but doesn’t preach to the creation Quran
’llazina ’stafayna min ‘ibad- (Inna ’llaha khalaqa ’l-adama fi

ina) Among them, many suratihi) 154 . He (ta‘ala) is dis-
have oppressed their nafses, engaged (munazzah) from and
and on the other hand, many rises (muta‘ala) above any form
are in the middle state (muq- (surat). So, the creation of Adam
tasidun), and many are in the in the form of him swt can be
forefront (sabiqun) in doing taken in the meaning that if a
good deeds, by the command form could be determined (fard)
of Allah (SWT). for the degree of incomparability
2. Allah (ta‘ala) has also said, (martaba-i tanzih), in the world
Verily, I put the thing held of images (‘alam-i mithal) then
in trust before the heaven, that form must be comprehensive
the land, and the mountain. (jami‘). Therefore, man who is
Then they refused to bear it, comprehensive exists in that [com-
and felt fear from it, but it prehensive] form. For no other
was man who borne it. In- form has that receptivity (qa-
deed, he is very oppressive biliyat) so that it could be the im-
and ignorant (Inna ‘aradna age (tamaththal) for that sancti-
’l-amanata ‘ala ’l-samawati fied (muqaddas) degree of tanzih
wa ’l-ardi, wa ’l-jibali. Fa-a in the world of images. Or it
baina ayy yahmilna wa ash- could be the mirror for that [de-
faqna minha, wa hamalha ’l- gree]. That is the reason that man
insanu, innahu kana zaluman is fit for the caliphate of he swt
jahula).152 (shayan-i khilafat). Because un-
less it is created in the form of the
first thing, the second thing does
As for the interpretation of these
not become worthy of being the
two verses, whatever that Allah
caliph of that first thing (shayan-
desires is true, while we interpret
i khilafat). Because the caliph
it according to what has been re-
of a thing is the representative
vealed to us. O our nurturer! Do
of the thing (khalf-i shayy) and
not take on us, if we make mis-
the deputy of the master (na’ib-
takes (Rabbana! La tu’akizna in
i munab)155 who is that thing.
nasina aw akhta’na) 153 .
Therefore, when man has become
the caliph of Rahman, necessarily
Hadith of Adam it is he who has been selected to
bear the burden of the object held
You may know that Verily Al-
lah has created Adam is his form
154
hadith: Bukhari, Muslim, Mishkat, chapter al-
152
Quran islam
153 155
Quran.Baqara.2.286 Aftabi says qa’im-i moqam
3.25. MAKTUB 2.74 229
in trust (tahammul-i bar-i amanat the things with the ruling mak-
ra muta‘ayyun shad). ing him worthy of the caliphate
of the Almighty, and carry the
And none may bear burden of his amanat. And it is
the tributes to the via the intermediaryness (tawas-
king sut) of the qayyum that Almighty
but his chariot gives all the things (ashya) attain-
ment of benefit, existence, abid-
Wa illa la yahmilu ‘ataya ingness (ifadah, wujud, baqa), and
’l-maliki the rest of the perfections, both
illa matayahu manifest and non-manifest (zahiri,
batini). If it is the angels, they
The heavens, the land or the make him the wasila157 . And if
mountains, where would they find it is the jinn or man, they fix
the comprehensiveness (jam‘iyat) themselves (mutashabbith) onto
— so that they could get created him. Truly, everything is face-
in his form? Or get worthy of turned onto him. It is as if ev-
bearing the burden of the object erything is looking (nagaran) to-
held on trust (amanat) of God wards him, regardless of whether
swt? I am feeling that if by di- they are aware of it or not. Al-
vine decree, if the burden of this lah swt has said, Verily, [man] is
trust is put on the sky, the earth oppressing and ignorant (Innahu
or the mountain, they would get kana zaluman jahula) 158 . I.e., he
break into pieces. And not even a has oppressed his own nafs.
sign of them would remain.
Even that, he has not left the
existence (yubqi) of the nafs, or
Rank of Qayyum even any rule related (tawabi‘i)
to its existence, according to the
I believe that qayyumiyat, i.e., the
traces, but not according to the
ability to preserve that amanat,
rules (atharan, wa la hukman). If
is specified with a supremely
he had not oppressed himself in
perfect individual within human-
such a way, he would not have
ity (bekummal-i afrad-i insan).
been fit to bear the burden of the
I.e., the perfect man’s interac-
amanat of God. He is ignorant
tions reach a point that Almighty
possessing a lot of ignorance (jahu-
makes him the qayyum156 of all
lan kathir al-jahl). Even that, he
156
lit., one who make things stand or abide.
Qayyum has a technical meaning in the Mujaddidi of his descendants. The qayyums are below the
tradition. It is written in our books, e.g., Raw- prophets but above all the awliya.
157
datu ’l-Qayyumia that God created a rank named lit., become his mutawassil
158
qayyum for four people, the Mujaddid and three Q
lacks even any knowledge or per- To the generous lord

ception (‘ilm, idrak) of the sought no task is hard
thing. Instead, he is incapable of
perceiving him, and ignorant of Ba kariman
the knowledge of the sought thing karha dushvar nist
(‘ajz ‘ani ’l-idraki, jahl ‘ani ‘ilmi).
This incompetence and ignorance Group 1: Qaiyyum The first
(‘ajz, jahl) is that homestead is group of the heirs to the Quran
the perfection of marifat there. selected from the slaves of God,
Because he who is more ignorant, are those who have oppressed their
there he attains more marifat (aj- own nafses161 . They are those
halahum a‘rafahum). And there is who have received the rank of the
no doubt that he who attains more qayyum.
marifat, he is more fit to bear the
burden of the amanat. It is as if
these two qualities159 are qualifi- Group 2: Khullat The second
cations for being fit to carry the group among those selected ones
burden of amanat. (bargazidgan) are called the mid-
dlers (muqtasid). And they have
been honored with the felicity of
Qayyum is Vizier This gnostic intimate friendship (khullat). And
who has been honored with the of- as a result, they have attained the
fice of the qayyum of the things ability to become the
(mansab-i qayyumiyat-i ashya),
he is like the vizier (wazir). It is as 1. possessor of mysteries and
if the important matters (muhim-
mat) of the creation have been 2. people who advise (sahib-i
put onto him. Indeed the sul- sirr, ahl-i mashurah).
tan is the giver of bliss, but that
bliss is linked via the intermedi- Although the interactions and ac-
ation of the vizier. The highest tivities (mu‘amalat, kar va bar)
figure (ra’is) in this felicity is the of the emperor are linked to the
father of man Hazrat Adam (AS). vizier, still those [of the sec-
And this supreme rank (mansab) ond group] are close companions
is truly reserved for the posses- and possessors of fellowship and
sors of magnificence (ulu ’l-‘azam) friendship (khalil-i nadim, sahib-
prophets (AS). As the follower and i uns, ulfat). These [friends] are
heir of these prophets, many oth- for their own happiness (farahat-
ers160 also receive it. i khod). And vice versa, that
[vizier] is for understanding oth-
159
oppression and ignorance
160 161
e.g., the Mujaddid i.e., have realized fana-i nafs cf. Aftabi
3.26. MAKTUB 2.75 231
ers (fuhmat-i digar)162 . So there is and the beloved (fakhram-i asrar-i

a gulf of difference between these muhibb va mahbub).
two (Shattana ma bainahuma).
The primary figure on this citcle The head of the circle of the
[i.e., station] of khullat is Hazrat lovers (ser-i halqa-i muhibban) of
Abraham Khalilur Rahman (AS) this group is Hazrat Kalimu ’llah
although all others may attain this (AS). And the head of the band of
station as well.163 the beloveds (ser-i gardeh-i mah-
buban) is Hazrat the seal of the
Group 3: Mahabbat Above rasul (slm). And as their follower
the station of khullat is the station and heir, others may also attain
of mahabbat. And the third group these two stations. The stations
who are the preceders in good above the station of mahabbat,
deeds (sabiq bi ’l-khayrat), it is their discussion has been made in
that group who are honored with another maktub. Hazrat Muham-
that sublime station [of mahab- mad (slm) is the highest in that
bat]. Friend and close companion place as well. Those stations are
(yar, nadim) are different, and the included within the stations of the
lover and beloved (muhib, mah- preceders (sabiq). And they are
bub) are different164 . The mysteri- the third group of the heirs to the
ous things and interactions (asrar, holy Quran.
mu‘amala) that take place (miy-
gozarad) between the lover and O our nurturer! Grant us
the beloved (muhib, mahbub) — mercy from you, and make our
friends and close companions (yar, works easy (Rabbana! Atina min
nadim) have no right of possession ladunka rahmatan wa hayyi’u lana
(madkhal) in them. min amrina rashada)! Salam onto
However, if the fellowship is per- them who obey the guidance (Wa
fect (dar waqt-i kamal-i uns va ul- ’l-salamu ‘ala mani ’ttaba‘a ’l-
fat), the hidden mysteries of love huda).
(asrar-i khafiyya-i mahabbat) may
be discussed before that magnan-
imous friend (jalil-i jalil al-qadr).
Also, he can be made into the pot 3.26 Maktub 2.75
of the secrets between the lover
162
resolving the dangers and interactions for all To Mirza Muzaffar Khan
cf. Aftabi May Allah (S) keep you safe from
163
Suggests that the Mujaddid received the sta-
tion of khullat also that what is inappropriate for you
164
i.e., there is a gulf of difference between those (Sallamukumu ’llahu subhanahu
two amma la-yaliqu bijanabikum)!
Calamities: Expiation lover’s nafs. If this meaning is not

for sins attained by the lover then his love
is imperfect (naqis), instead it is a
For the friends, the worldly ad- lie (kadhib).
versities and calamities (mihan,
balayyat) they face are expiation If greediness is what the
(kaffara) for their own sins (zal- sultan of religion
lat). You should keep on seek- seeks from me
ing wellness (‘afwu, ‘afiyat) with I’d throw dirt on the
humility, lowliness, solicitousness, head of patience
and brokenness (tadarru‘, zariy, after this
iltija, inkisar) from the holy per-
son of God, until the time that Gar tam‘a khvahed az
a sign that the prayers have been man sultan-i din
accepted comes, and the calamity Khak bar farq-i qina‘at
goes away. Although your friends ba‘d az iyn
and well-wishers are indeed pray-
ing, still he who is facing the dan- Janab Shari‘at Ma‘ab has re-
ger is the fittest for praying. To turned from service. He narrated
take the medicine, and to stay the states of that travel and the
away from what the doctor has difficulr situation of the travelers.
forbidden is the job of the pa- Fatiha for their composure and
tient, all others are nothing but well-being have been recited.
incidental things. The true mean- O our nurturer! Do not take on
ing of the interaction (haqiqat- us if we forget or. O our nur-
i mu‘amala’) is that that what- turer! And do not put onto us
ever one receives from one’s true a burden as you have burdened
beloved (mahbub-i haqiqi), one those before us. Our nurturer!
should accept it as a gift joyfully And do not put onto us a bur-
(ba kushadgi) putting the fore- den that we lack the strength to
head to the ground (zabin) with bear. And blot out our sins, for-
an applaud (ba-afrakhiy) in his give us, have mercy onto us, and
heart. Instead, one would get since you are our protector, and
pleasure (mutaladhdhidh) from it. as a result, help us against those
If being ashamed and bad-named who stand against faith. (Rab-
(raswa ’iy, biy-namusiy) is the in- bana! La tu’akizna in nasina aw
tention (murad) of the beloved, it akhta’na. Rabbana! Wa la tah-
should be better than name and mil ‘alaina isran kama hamaltahu
fame (namus, nam) to the lover ‘ala ’llazina min qablina. Rab-
although that name and fame bana! Wa la tuhammilna ma
are the intentions (murad) of the la takatalana-bihi. Wa‘fu ‘anna,
3.26. MAKTUB 2.75 233
wa ’gfirlana, wa ’rhamna, anta

mawlana, fa-’nsurna ‘ala ’l-qawmi
’l-kafirina)165 . Subhana rabbika
rabbi ’l-‘izzati ‘amma yasifuna.
Wa salamun ‘ala ’l-mursalina.
Wa ’l-hamdu li-’llahi rabbi ’l-
‘alamina 166 . Wa ’l-salam.
165
Quran.Baqara.2.286
166
Q.Saffat.180-2
Chapter 4
Maktubs 2.76-2.99
4.1 Maktub 2.76 is he who created the heavens and

the earth within six days. And
Throne: Reality his throne was on water (Khalaqa
’l-samawati wa ’l-arda fi sittati
To Mawlana Farrukh Hussain ayyamin. Wa kana ‘arshshahu
Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ala ’l-ma’i) 2 . Instead, it is un-
‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa. derstood from this generous verse
that water was created even be-
Throne fore them. Therefore, just as the
noble throne is not from the genus
The noble throne is an amazing of the earth (jins-i ard), it is not
artisanry (masnu‘at) of Haqq (S). from the genus of the heavens ei-
Within the macrocosm (‘alam-i ther. It is because the throne has
kabir), [this throne] is a barzakh the full share (hazz-i wafir) of the
in-between the world of creation world of command, but that [earth
(khalq) and the world of com- or heavens] do not. In summary,
mand (amr). And [this throne] when that [throne] has more rela-
possesses the colors of both the tionship with the heavens (asman)
sides. The world of creation, i.e., than the land (zamin), then that
the land, mountain and heavens [throne] is counted to be within
(zamin, koh, asman), have been the genus of the heavens. There-
created within six days. It is fore, that [throne] is beyond the
as Allah has said, The earth has rules of both the heavens and land.
been created within two days (Kha-
laqa ’l-arda fi yawmain) 1 . The
throne was created even before Kursi Now remains the dis-
them. As Allah swt has said, He cussion on the kursi. Allah
1 2
Quran Q
235
swt stated, Stretches his kursi (zamin), how were the days dis-
over the heavens and the earth tinguished? I.e., how was Sun-
( Wasa‘a kursiyuhu ’l-samawati day separated from Monday, Tues-
wa ’l-arda) 3 . This verse shows day from Wednesday or Thursday
that the kursi is separate (juda) from Friday?
from the heavens. And it is Answer 1: Because time was cre-
wider than them all. There is ated and the days appeared when
no doubt that the kursi is not the Arsh was created, which was
within the world of command, and even before the creation of the
it is said to be below the arsh land and the heavens. So the ques-
whereas the interactions of the tion is now resolved. It is not that
world of command are above the the sunrise and sunset are needed
arsh. Kursi — when it is in- to distinguish the days. Because
cluded within the world of cre- as it has been narrated in hadith,
ation (khalq), and it has been there is no sunrise and sunset in
created separately from the heav- the paradise but there is indeed
ens. then its creation should be separation between the days.
beyond the above-mentioned six
days. However, there is no bar to
it because the entire creation was Heart contains God
not created within those dix days. Also, the second question is re-
E.g., water is a thing of the world solved. And this [resolution] is a
of creation but it has been cre- knowledge unique to me.
ated outside these six days, it was
earlier that these six days, which Question 2: It comes in a sacred
has been nararted earlier. Since I hadith, Earth and heavens may
have not been able to learn on the not contain me but the heart of the
heart well up to now, I have left faithful worshipper (La yasa‘uni
its detailed description for another ardi wa la sama‘iy lakin qalbu ‘ab-
time. I am hoping for the grace of diya ’l-mu’mini) 5 . This hadith
God. O my nurturer! Increase my establishes that the more com-
knowledge (Rabbi! Jidni ‘ilma)4 . plete manifestation is unique to
the heart of the faithful worship-
per (zuhur-i atamm makhsus bi-
How were days
qalbi ‘abdi mu’min). And this fe-
distinguished?
licity does not come into the lot
This clarification clarifies two hard of anything else [but that heart].
questions. Question 1: When On the other hand, what you
there were neither heaven nor land wrote in the Maktubat [earlier]6
3 5
Quran hadith
4 6
Q quote reference from Amritsari notes
4.1. MAKTUB 2.76 237
goes against it. And you wrote, the hadith.10 Therefore, the sec-
The more complete manifestation ond criticism is also resolved.
(zuhur-i atamm) took place above
the throne (‘arsh). And the man-
ifestation of the heart is merely a Heart: Superiorities
flash (lam‘a) of that light.7 Com- 1. Abides forever
ment?8
You may learn that the earth
Answer 2: It is realized from the
(ard), heavens (samawat) and
earlier verifications that the traces
all that is in there, if all that
and the rules (athar va ahkam) of
were thrown before the noble
the noble arsh are different from
throne (‘arsh-i majid), which is
the traces and the rules of the land
the locus of complete manifes-
and the heavens (ard, samawat).
tation (mahall-i zuhur-i tamm)
And as its result, while that heart
of God, without any delay they
can not be contained within the
would become nothing, and get
heavens and the land, that [heart]
erased (nachiz, mudmahal). Even
may indeed be contained within
that, not even a trace of them
the arsh. Yes! The heavens, the
would remain. On the other hand,
land and whatever that are within
the heart of man, which is colored
them, none of them has the re-
in the that color [of the throne],
ceptivity (qabiliyat) for that that
would remain abiding (baqi), and
type of wideness (wasa‘at) [to con-
would not turn into sheer noth-
tain the heart]. Indeed, it is the
ing (la-shay mahd). It is likewise
heart that is fit to receive this fe-
with the manifestations (zuhur)
licity9 . Take note: The heart is
that suspend from what is beyond
limited in its wideness when com-
the throne (fawqa beh ma wara-i
pared with the land and the heav-
‘arsh ta‘alluq darad), which is the
ens, but not when compared with
the rest of the creation. Because 10
Since the arsh is a thing of the world of cre-
if [the heart] were not [limited in] ation, the heart must be unlimited in wideness with
that way, the noble arsh could be respect to the rest of the creation apart from the
included within [the rest of the arsh. Because
creation], and as its result, the op- 1. If the heart was limited in that way, some-
posite meaning could be held for thing else from the world of creation could
contain it.
7
i.e., light of the more complete manifestation
2. And then God’s saying in the hadith that
above the arsh
8 nothing can contain him but the heart of the
O you Imam-i Rabbani! So how do you ratio-
faithful would be falsified.
nalize this contradiction between that hadith and
what you wrote earlier? 3. So the proposition that the heart is limited is
9
i.e., the felicity of being the ( mazhar), the lo- reduced to absurdity.
cus of manifestation of God
world of sheerness (‘alam-i sirf)11 . (mazhar-i atamm), still it itself

The same comparison holds when lacks the knowledge or percep-
any degree or martaba is com- tion (‘ilm-i husuli, shu‘ur) to at-
pared with the martaba above. tain that felicity13 . On the other
And this rule goes on until the hand, the human heart is its op-
end point of the world of composite. The heart possesses per-
mand (‘alam-i amr). However, ception (shu‘ur). And it has been
when this circle ends, the salik ex- filled and ornamented (ma‘mur,
periences bewilderment and igno- muzayyat) with knowledge (‘ilm,
rance (hayrani, jahl). If marifat is ma‘rifat).
attained there, it is in an unqual-
ified manner. And that marifat is 3. Gets effusion from hi’at-i
not within the realm of newly ar- wahdani
rived (hadith) knowledge12 .
And [the throne] has another
Now I am describing a little on the superiority—let me describe it. So
excellence of man and his heart. listen with inner awareness:
When you said on defects The amalgam that is man
of wine (majmu‘-i insan) or microcosm
Now tell us about its (‘alam-i saghir), is composed
virtues (murakkab) of world of creation
and world of command (‘alam-i
‘Aibiy jumleh begoftiy khalq, ‘alam-i amr). However,
hunarash niz begoiy [man] still contains true (haqiqi)
hi’at-i wahdani that is ruled by
traces and rules (keh athar va
2. Has knowledge and
ahkam). On the other hand, that
perception
hi’at-i wahdani is not there within
The noble throne, although it is the macrocosm. If there is any, it
all-embracing (awsa‘) and the lo- is merely conceptual (i‘tibari))14 .
cus of the complete manifestation Therefore, all the effusion that
11
when those manifestations are compared with 1. man receives through this
the higher-level things of the ‘alam-i amr. Here road of hi’at-i wahdani
note that Aftabi interprets ‘alam-i sirf here as
‘alam-i amr 2. man’s heart receives via
12
i.e., when the circle of contingentness, da’ira’i human intermediation
imkan ends, and the salik is on the border of the (betawassut-i uw)
realm of necessariness, he gets bewildered and con-
fused. And he fails to get any understanding of , both
what God is like. If he gets any knowledge any
13
knowledge, it is in an unqualified manner. And felicity of the complete manifestation
14
that knowledge is not at all like human knowledge. but not true cf. Aftabi
4.1. MAKTUB 2.76 239
1. the cosmos, and them, then one realizes that this

2. the arsh, which is like the superiority of the heart is merely
heart of the cosmos, partial (juz’iy). On the other
hand, comprehensive (kulliy)
are deprived of that effusion and superiority is realized only within
baraka. the manifestation (zuhur) of the
arsh. An analogy between the
4. Possesses perfection of arsh and the heart is this:
earth
The element earth (ard) is A big fire that illumi-
nates a vast plain. A
1. truly the gist (khulasa) of all lamp (mash‘al) is lit
creation from that fire. Some
2. although it is far (duriy), still lighted things, 17 which
it is nearest to the manifesta- are not already within
tion (aqrab-i zuhur). that [fire], are added to
that [fire]. And as the
And so the perfections of that [el- result, that [sky lantern]
ement earth] permeate (sarayat) increases the brightness
the amalgam that is the mi- of that [fire].
crocosm (dar majmu‘a-i ‘alam-i
saghir).15
There is no doubt that these addi-
On the other hand, the macro-
tional things (ziyadatiy) only es-
cosm (‘alam-i kabir) truly lacks
tablishes the partial (juz’iy) supe-
this amalgam (majmu‘a). And so
riority of [the heart]. Wa ’llahu
those said perfect things do not
subhanahu a‘lamu bihaqa’iqi ’l-
permeate (sarayat) that place.16
umuri kullaha. Dua: O our nur-
Therefore, these perfections and
turer! Fill up our light fully, and
excellences of this [element earth]
forgive our sins. Verily you are
are present in man although not
all-powerful (Rabbana! Atmim
within the noble arsh.
lana nurana. Wa ’gfirlana. In-
naka ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir). Al-
Superiority: Partial for hamdu li-’llahi rabba ’l-‘alamina,
heart—comprehensive for wa ’l-salawatu wa ’l-salamu ‘ala
throne You may know that sayyidi ’l-mursalina, wa ‘ala al-
these excellences and perfections ihi ’l-kirami, wa as-habihi ’l-‘izami
that are established for the heart, min yawmina hadha ila yawmi ’l-
when one throws one’s gaze into qiyami.
15
i.e., the human body
16 17
i.e., macrocosm (‘alam-i kabir) e.g., a sky lantern, cf. Aftabi
4.2 Maktub 2.77 All sufi masters experi-

ence tawhid for that ex-
To Mawlana Hasan Barqi, answer- perience is essential for
ing his letter fana. At that point, the
All praise is to Allah! Peace on his salik experience, instead
elect devotees (Alhamdu li-’llahi witnesses that God is
wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi ’lladhina the true actor behind
’stafa). Brother Shaykh Hasan! every act.
May Allah make your state ahsan,
most beautiful. I have received Tawhid-i shuhudi is seeing one
your blessed letter. I am delighted (yeki ra didan). It is linked to
as it carried the fragrance of fol- forgetting the ma sewa. And it is
lowing the sharia and a firm stand- an esential (daruri) matter in the
ing on it (tasharru‘, istiqamat). tariqa of these sufi masters (qs).
[Now the disciple writes some And until that [tawhid-i shuhudi]
meaningless pseudo-marifats takes place, one would not be
proposing all in one.] relieved (khalasiy) of captivation
to the others (gereftari-i aghyar).
Answer: You may know it and be However, you have made fun of
aware that you have criticized the that felicity and the possessors
sufi shaykhs in a displeasing way of such felicity. The witnessing
with meaningless talk. And its and the vision (shuhud, ruwyat)
true cause is that you have failed that are mentioned in the books of
to reach the purpose of those mas- the sufi masters qs — that means
ters. unqualified presence (hudur-i biy-
chuniy). 18 And that [unquali-
Tawhid-i shuhudi fied presence] is related to the de-
gree of incomparability (munasib-i
Note: All sufis need martaba-i tanziyya). And it is be-
to experience tawhid. yond the boundaries of perception
i.e., all sufi masters (hita-i idrak). Because perception
experience tawhid, is within the world of how (‘alam-
i.e., tawhid-i shuhudi. i chun). In this world, the felicity
Many also experience of that [unqualified presence] is re-
tawhid-i ‘ilmi in ad- served for the batin. On the other
dition. Ibn Arabi’s hand, for the zahir, there is no al-
system is one type of ternative but the seeing of two, in
scientific tawhid-i ‘ilmi, this world.
but possibly there can 18
Aftabi says, prokarbihin abirbhab, i.e., un-
be other sciences of qualified manifestation I guess his version of the
tawhid-i ‘ilmi. manuscript says zuhur-i biychuniy
4.2. MAKTUB 2.77 241
For this reason, it is said that just tubs and risalas how the matter of
as there are both polytheist and tawhid-i shuhudi has been written,
monotheist (mushrik, muwahhid) and how that matter has been es-
in the macrocosm (‘alam-i kabir), tablished to be essential for this
they both are also brought to- path. You should habe asked
gether (jam‘a) within the micro- on this matter, and question re-
cosm (‘alam-i saghir)19 . There- spectfully. That [criticism] is such
fore, if the batin of the perfect a flower that has bloomed after
people is absorbed in God (khoda) the passing away (mufarraqat) the
(JA), and the zahir is absorbed in Marhum Mawlana Ahmad (‘alaihi
taking care of his family, there is ’l-rahmatu). When he was liv-
no harm in it. Ones who fail to ing, such a saying never came out
understand this, only they criti- of your tongue. It is good that
cize this. Warning! Don’t talk like you have written, and you are be-
that20 . ing warned. Write on that also
Instead, fear the “anger of oth- what would be manifested after
erness” from God (ghayrat-i kho- this. Don’t worry if those are true
dawandi)21 . The lying pirs of or false, don’t worry if those are
this age have put you into con- true or false. It it is true, it would
fusion. So keep your focus onto be the cause of happiness. And
the masters22 . Yes! If you crit- if false, it the cause of warning.
icize the newly brought or in- Anyway, in all situations, don’t
vented matters of the followers of neglect to write letters. At the end
bedat (muhdathat, mukhtara‘at-i of the year, your letter comes with
mubtad‘iyan), there is room for the caravan. It is absolutely essen-
it. On the other hand, it is re- tial to take necessary advice once
ally bad to criticize those that at the end of the year. And if you
are settled technical terms of the don’t write on your own states,
sufi tribe (muqarrar-i qawm). Be- and ask nothing at all, the path
cause without those terms, one of discussion does not open up.
may not speak properly (namuna-
sib) on this path. Heart—Zahiri or Batini?
You might have seen in my mak- Question: Is the heart a zahiri
19
i.e., the human body thing? Or a batini thing?
20
i.e., like the tawhidi speech that you have
Answer: The matter of the zahir
made in the beginning of this letter. Note: That
speech has been omitted in this translation and batin of the salik has been
21
ghayrat is the specific type of anger that God written in detail in another mak-
shows when one violates his sanctity tub23 . I would write Mulla ‘Abdul
22
i.e. of our Naqshbandi tariqa instead of those
23
tawhidi fake masters In the course of my study, Allah willing I’d
Hayy to send its copy to you, and see his own perfections or
you may read it there. imperfections [reflected] onto
those [states].
Recognizing stages without 3. Via his own hal Another
self-disclosure or unveiling sign of attaining the mari-
fat of the end is that the sa-
Question: There are tariqas,
lik would become empty and
which lack any self-disclosure or
clean (khali, saf) of the ma
unveiling (tajalli, kashf). How
sewa. And his breast would
would the salik recognize when he
be free of all intentions24 .
has reached the middle or the end
there? However, take note that the end
Answer: stage (nihayat) has many degrees
(maratib-i besiyar) within it, And
1. Via the shaykh Although some of them are higher than
that salik keeps no news of the others (ba‘duha fawqa ba‘din).
his own state, he still is in What has been described is only
the service of a sufi shaykh the first footstep of the end stage
who is perfect in perfection- (qadm-i awwal dar nihayat). And
giving (pir-i kamil-i mukam- it is Allah (SWT) who grants op-
mil ). And that sufi shaykh portunities (Wa ’llahu subhanahu
has the knowledge on the ’l-muwaffiqu).
path, shows the path, and
it is in the service of that Marifat of sharia is sublime
sufi shaykh that the salik re-
mains . In that situation, the You have written that what gives
knowledge of that sufi shaykh peace to yourself is the marifat of
is enough for that salik. And the sharia. Every ruling of the
it is via that sufi shaykh’s in- sharia is like a gate that brings
struction that the salik comes one to the city of the sought thing
to know on the middle and (muwsil, shahr-i maqsud). And it
end stages. gives sign towards that emperor
without any sign. It is as if that
2. Via disciples Or that kamil the following poem is always float-
pir could give him ijazat to ing before my eyes.
make disciples, and then the
the states of the disciples We are going to a far
would be the mirror for his away land
own perfections. He could Mind refuses to fix onto
fun and frolic
find the reference. Does anyone know it? Shoot me
24
an email. i.e., all intentions except God
4.3. MAKTUB 2.78 243
One who is beyond cos- stay away from those questionable

mos (mushtabih) practices.
We are going there to
Question: Two white signs that
him
appeared in the east one after the
Ma beh safr miravim other, you have asked about those.
‘Azam tamasha kar-ast Answer: After asking my other
Ma bar-i uw miravim friends, I have written a maktub
Kaz hameh ‘alam-i on it. I will tell Mulla Abdul Hayy.
varast Insha’ Allah, he would send you its
copy.
Answer: Your above-mentioned
marifat is priceless and lofty. It
is most promising. I am very de- Sending merits
lighted reading it. And the agony
that I had went away. May Allah Question: After recitation of the
swt fulfils your heart’s desire on Quran, performing nafl salat, and
this path. chanting tasbih or tahlil 25 , what is
better? To give its merit onto par-
ents, teacher and friends, or not.
Teaching tariqa to
non-observant Answer: Giving is better, because
that benefits both oneself and the
Note: Yes! You can teach the
other. On the other hand, if it
tariqa even to the non-observant,
is not given, it benefits only one-
although the standard rule is that
self. Additionally, may be that
tariqa should to be taught to the
deed would be accepted via the
observant to make their practice of
wasila of the others. Wa ’l-salam.
the sharia perfect. Because by the
baraka of the tariqa, insha’ Allah,
they would become observant.
Question: Some people come to
4.3 Maktub 2.78
learn the tariqa but they use pro- To Darab Khan
ceeds of interest in their food and
clothing. And say, We rectify that
using tricks (hila). Is it proper to All praise is onto Allah, and peace
teach them the tariqa? be onto his elect devotees (Al-
hamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala
Answer: Yes do teach them the
‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa).
tariqa. However, at the same
time, encourage them to refrain 25
Tashbih is reciting sub-hana maliku ’l-quddus,
from haram. Maybe by the and tahlil is reciting la hawla wa la quwwata illa
baraka of the tariqa, they would bi-’llah
Love with Naqshbandi (abasteh) are revealed for the sa-

masters lik:
Yes! Your family has indeed

been blessed with plenty of wealth 1. Save this love (mahabbat),
(dawlat-i khushgar). But I am nothing remains in the salik’s
sensing that it has been fa- inner realm (batin), and
vored with a felicity that is far
2. all other captivations (geref-
more precious. And that is de-
tari) completely leave the sa-
spite being rich (wujud-i asbab-i
lik’s heart (dil), and
ghina), and having many reasons
to be haughty (wujud-i mavaddi 3. all the corollaries (lawazim)
istighna), still you act needy be- to this love are revealed, i.e.,
fore the fakirs (niyazmandi ast [the salik]
ba fuqara), and serve this sub-
lime grade (khidmatgari ast ba a) obeys the beloved
iyn tabaqa’-i ‘aliya). That is (ita‘at-i mahbub)
the sign that you truly love this b) remains fixed onto the
exalted tribe (mabni az mahab- desires of the beloved
bat va ikhlas-i iyn ta’ifa’-i ‘aliya), (be-murad-i uw barpa
and evidence that you possess a budan’st)
deep affection towards this saved
sect (mush‘ir az ma‘waddat va c) gets characterized by
ikhtisas-i iyn firqa’-i naziya). For character traits and
the lovers of this tribe, the good qualities of the beloved
news He is with him whom he loves (be- akhlaq va awsaf-i
(Al-mar’u ma‘a man ahabba)26 is uw mutakhalliq)
enough. And for their compan-
ions, the happy news, This is the
— it is at that point that that salik
group those who sit with whom are
attains fana’, annihilation, in his
never of a bad nature (Hum qaw-
beloved (mahbub)29
mun la-yashqa jalisuhum)27 is suf-
ficient. 29
initially he has fana in his shaykh and ulti-
When, by the grace of God, mately that leads to fana in Allah. In the sufi
this love28 becomes so overpower- path, the deeper the salik has fana in his shaykh,
the deeper in his fana in Allah. When I was on the
ing and predominating, (istila’, station of fana fis shaykh, my teacher Shaykh Ma-
ghalib) that all these situations mun told me, When you finish this station, tariqa is
completed. And you would become a wali of Allah.
26
hadith I.e., I’d establish a strong rabita or connection to
27
hadith the shaykh, and via that rabita, all the perfections
28
keeps on increasing, and ultimately of the shaykh would flow into me.
4.4. MAKTUB 2.79 245
What are the steps on this People of the constitu-

path of suluk? tion of fire revel in
sugar
1. First, the beginning step on People of the constitu-
this path is fana fi ’l-shaykh tion of black bile!
2. Second, this fana fi ’l-shaykh Blind are they
turns into the connector
(wasila) to fana fi ’l-llah
Bar shakr ghaltid’iy
3. Third, that fana [fi ’l-llah] in
safra’iyan
turn turns into baqa bi-’llah
Az bara’iy kuriy’i
4. Fourth, the salik attains suda’iyan
walayat
In summary, if in the beginning, This discussion has been made to

without any intermediary (tawas- encourage the seekers, and hopeful
sut), love and attraction (ma- friends. Allah (S) gives opportuni-
habbat, injidhab) from the true ties. PS The carrier of this letter
beloved comes to one’s hands, Muhammad Qasim is the son of a
then it is a precious felicity, via master, and he served the fakirs
which fana and baqa are realized. for a long time. He was raised in
Else there is no alternative to the lap of his elder brother with
the intermediaryhood (mutawas- affection, he can not bear pain
sut) of a shaykh who is kamil-i much. He is hoping for a job from
mukammil, perfect in perfection- you. It would be a great favor
giving. if you’d include him in your staff,
and look at him favorably. What
1. First, the seeker must anni-
more would I bother you with?
hilate his own desires within
Wa ’l-salam.
the desire of that intermedi-
ary, [i.e. his own pir], and be
annihilated (fani) in him.
2. [Second], 4.4 Maktub 2.79
a) Salik’s fana fi-’llah ex-
To Shaykh Hasan Barqiy
pands
b) Salik attains freedom
from the attraction of All praise is to Allah! Peace
the ma sewa onto his elect devotees (Alhamdu
c) Salik arrives onto the li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi
level of walayat ’lladhina ’stafa).
Experiential Islam is To the tribe that has chosen to

superior to experiential bring together (jam‘a) tashbih and
tanzih, and consider it to be per-
faithlessness
fection, their tanzih is a type of
The risala that you wrote and gave tashbih. It is only that it31 is
to Mawlana ‘Abdul Hai to show showing itself as tanzih. Else what
me, he did not show it to me for all power does tashbih has that it
these days. Instead, he presented could be brought together with
it on the day day Mawlana Babu true tanzih? Or that [tashbih]
was going. Seeing it, I was well- does not get erased or become
pleased. nothing before the intense bril-
liance (sha‘sha‘an) of tanzih?
Because it contained allusions to-
wards turning away from faith-
lessness (kufr) and proceeding to- Yes! Wherever the sun
wards pacifiedness (Islam)30 . blazes
Does the star Shoha have
All that is in the kufr-i tariqat any way but to
is intoxication (sukr), and vice- stay hidden?
versa, all that is in the Islam-i
tariqat is soberness (sahw).
Bale! Har ja shod mahr
Metaphorical (majazi) Islam is
ashkara
[superior] to metaphorical faith-
Shoha ra nehan budan
lessness (kufr-i majazi). And
cheh yara
in that same way, metaphorical
(majazi) soberness is [superior] to
metaphorical intoxication.
May Hazrat Haqq (SWT) enno-
Tashbih, similarity is kufr-i ble us by the reality of the real
tariqat, and vice-versa, tanzih Islam (Hazrat Haqq SWT beh
is the Islam-i tariqat. Tashbih haqiqat-i Islam-i haqiqi musharraf
is different from tanzih, and in garnanad). Bi-’l-nabiyyi wa alihi
the same way, kufr-i tariqat is ’l-amjadi, ‘alaihi wa ‘alaihim al-
different from Islam-i tariqat. salawatu wa ’l-taslimatu.
30
1. i.e., Shaykh Hasan is no longer experienc- Since Mawlana Babu was going, a
ing kufr-i tariqat, i.e., states (ahwal) that are anti- few words were written in brief.
sharia and instead experiencing states that are in Wa ’l-salamu ‘alaikum wa ‘ala
line with Islam. 2. Note that the word Islam has a
man ladaykym.
double meaning here: A. Islam as defined by the ex-
ternal sharia, and B. the state of pacifiedness, which
31
is its literal meaning as a masdar, verbal noun of i.e., what they call tanzih but actually it is
the root s-l-m tashbih
4.5. MAKTUB 2.80 247
4.5 Maktub 2.80 Answer: Sir! Such sayings de-

note tawhid or ittihad. And they
To Shaykh Hamid Tihari come out of the sufi shaykhs on
the state of predominating intox-
All praise is to Allah! Peace ication that is on the degree of
onto his elect devotees (Alhamdu bringing together (ghalba-i sukr
li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi keh martaba-i jam‘a ast). At
’lladhina ’stafa). that time, distinction and duality
(imtiyaz, ithnaniyat) goes out of
their sight (nazar). And they find
Explaining: Whom you the contingent things identical to
know as Muhammad, he the Necessary. Instead, they do
is to us God not find (miy yabad) the contin-
gent things at all, instead they do
The noble letter that you wrote not witness (mash-hud) anything
with the perfect love and purity except the Necessary.
of intention (kamal-i mahabbat,
In this context, that expression
ikhlas) and plenitude of affection
means that
and election (wufur-i muwaddat,
ikhtisas) arrived. And gave me a 1. The distinction and dual-
lot of joy. May Hazrat Haqq swt ity (imtiyaz, ithnaniyat) be-
keep you standing on this felicity tween God (Khoda) swt and
as the lovers of every group would Muhammad (slm) that you
be with that group. For the ra- attain, before us33
sul said, Man would be with him
whom he loves (Al-mar’u ma‘a a) Neither that distinction
man ahabba) 32 . (imtiyaz) is established
Question: You asked about that b) nor any otherness
what is written in ‘Ainu ’l-Qudat’s (mughaiyyirat neh).
book Tamhidat. He said, Whom 2. And instead, we find those
you know as God (khoda) (ja), two that are disengaged (mu-
to us he is Muhammad (SLM). nazzuh) from each other are
And whom you know as Muham- identical (‘iyn) to each other.
mad (SLM), to us he is God (JA)
(Shoma keh khoda (JA) miydanid, Tawhidis To them, when there
nazde ma Muhammad (salam) ast, is no distinction or otherness
va Shoma keh Muhammad (slm) (imtiyaz, mughayyirat) between
miydanid, nazde ma khoda (ja) God and the of the contingent
ast). things (mumkinat), or when the
32 33
hadith tawhidis
[tawhidis] find that God is not dis- The ending degree, when it may
tinct from the creation at all, how not compared to the middle degree
would they find a distinction with even, how can it be compared with
Muhammad? Because Muham- the beginning degree?
mad the rasul of Allah (salam) is Dua: O our nurturer! Fill up
the locus of manifestation of all our light fully, and forgive our
the perfections of God (mazhar-i sins, you are all-powerful (Rab-
atamm-i kamalat-i uw). bana! Atmim lana nurana wa
Such a witnessing [of Tawhid] hap- ’gfirlana. Innaka ‘ala kulli shay’in
pens on the degree of bringing to- qadir). Wa ’l-salam.
gether (martaba-i jam‘a). How-
ever, when the salik
4.6 Maktub 2.81
1. goes higher (buland) from
this station [of jam‘a, To Muhammad Murad Qurbikiy
2. returns from the excessive-

ness of intoxication (az ifrat-i
sukr baz gashayad), and
3. as the result, opens up his ’lladhina ’stafa).
eyes (chashm) 34 ,
then he finds Muhammad (slm) Advice

as the servant and recognizes him I am being afraid that the good
as the rasul of God, which he friends would get absorbed in
knew in the beginning. You may the pomps of this bad world
have heard the expression, End— (mudhdhakhrafat-i dunya’-iy
it is returning to the beginning daniyya) that are in the outside
(Al-nihayatu hiya ’l-ruju‘u ila ’l- fresh and sweet (tarawat va
bidayati). You may know that the halawat bezahir) like children get
beginner and the ender are the tempted (tiflan farifteh gardand).
same in the outer eyes . This is And following instruction from
his face-covering. our mortal enemy the satan, they
progress from neutral (mubah)
How can the lowly earth
to questionable (mushtabih), and
relate?
from there onto haram acts, and
To the holy world
as a result, become disappointed
and ashamed (khadhil, sharmin-
Cheh nisbat-i khak ra ba
deh) before their own master
‘alam-i pak
(mawla-i khod) jalla sultanahu.
34
of wisdom Instead, one may place a firm
4.6. MAKTUB 2.81 249
footstep onto repenting and re- that separates truth from false-
turning (tawba, inabat) to God, hood. Both does fasting and salat
and consider things forbidden in the outer form (besurat) 37 .
by the sharia as lethal poison The rasul said, War‘a, abstinence
(thamm-i qatil). is the foundation of your religion
My last will to you is this ( Milaku dinikumu ’l-wara‘u) 38 .
You are a child and the He also said, Do not compare any-
house is gaudy thing to ri‘a, abstinence ( La ta‘dil
bi-’l-ri‘ati shay’an) 39 .
Hameh andarz35 -i man The friends, in whatever degree
be-to iyn ast tasty and delicious is the food you
Keh to tifliy va khaneh eat, and in whatever degree ele-
rangin ast gant is the clothes you wear, the
real pleasure and benefit (iltid-
It is a special grace of Hazrat-i
hadh, intifa‘) is in the food the
Haqq swt that he has broadened
fakirs eat, and the clothes that
the circle of permissible things
they wear. The great one who
(mubah). Luckless is he who due
has given those to the kings, it is
to the narrowness of his mind
that very same one who has given
considers this broadness as nar-
them to the fakirs. There lies a
rowness, and steps out of this
gulf of difference between this and
broad circle, and as a result, vi-
that. Because that is far from
olates the boundary of the sharia,
the good-pleasure of the master
and arrives onto questionable and
whereas this is very near his good-
forbidden (mushtabih, muharram)
pleasure. Even more, taking the
things. You should respect the
account (hisab) of that would be
boundaries of the sharia so that
very tough whereas taking the ac-
they are not violated (tajawuz)
count of this would be very easy.
even by the amount of the head
of a hair. There are many who O our nurturer! Grant us
pray salat, and keep the fast as mercy from you, and make our
a matter of mannerism and habit works easy (Rabbana! Atina min
(rasm, ‘adat). On the other hand, ladunka rahmatan wa hayyi’u lana
abstinent (parhezgar) people who min amrina rashada)!
honor the confines of the sharia Beloved Sultan Murad40 has re-
are the fewest of the few. This ceived the opportunity to repent
very abstinence36 is the criterion 37
but it is only the abstinent who succeed in
35
Amritsari in-line note say it means nasihat, doing them in the true inner form, and the rest fail
38
Aftabi follows that but Steingass says testament or hadith
39
last will, and I think that’s more appropriate hadith
36 40
abstaining from forbidden things Sultan Murad????
and return (tawba, inabat), and and your life is lived according to
has taken the tariqa. I ask Hazrat that [sharia].
Haqq swt that he keeps him fixed
and standing firm (thabit, istiqa- 1. First, you should correct
mat) on it. Salam onto you your creed (tashih-i i‘tiqad)
and the rest of the brothers (Al- according to the stand-
salamu ‘alaikum wa ‘ala sa’ir-i ’l- ing decisions of the ulama
ikhwaniy). of the Sunni community
(bemuqtada’-i ara’-i ‘ulama-i
ahl-i sunnat), I am grateful
4.7 Maktub 2.82 to Allah for keeping me with
them (shakara ’llahu ta‘ala
To Khwaja Sharfuddin Hussain sa‘yahum). It is essential
(daruri).
All praise is to Allah! Peace onto 2. Second, you should practice
his elect devotees (Alhamduli- according to the stipulations
’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi of the fiqh, the science of ju-
’lladhina ’stafa). risprudence.
You should observe the fara’id,

Follow sharia obligatory actions completely
(ihtimam-i tamam). And be
O Allah! Make this world small in mindful (ihtiyat) of what is ha-
our eyes, and make the last world lal and haram. Before fara’id
big in our hearts, in the measure worship, nafila, voluntary acts
of the reverence that your beloved of worship are as valueless as
possesses (Allahumma saghghiri things thrown away on the street.
’l-dunya bia‘yunina, wa kabbiri Most people of this time take up
’l-akhirata fi qulubina bihurmati voluntary acts (tarwiz-i nawafil),
habibika), ‘alaihi wa ‘ala alihi ’l- and leave out the obligatory
salawatu wa ’l-salam. acts (takhrib-i fara’id). They
Beloved son! Be forewarned! Do rigorously observe the voluntary
not long for things of things of worship (‘ibadat-i nawafil), but
worldly ostentation (muzkharafat hold the obligatory [worship]
duniyawiyyi), or get seduced (fara’id) valueless.
(farifteh) by the pomp that is At various times, they spend a lot
doomed to be annihilated (tumtu- of money, and give that the de-
raqat fani). Instead, strive so that serving, and the undeserving. But
[all your actions], in movement or it is hard for them to give even
stillness (harakat, sakanat), com- a farthing to a deserving candi-
ply with the illuminated sharia, date as zakat. They must not
4.8. MAKTUB 2.83 251
be aware that to pay one farthing 4.8 Maktub 2.83

(jitl) in zakat is more meritori-
ous than spending lacs in volun- To Mir Mahmud
tary charity. Because while pay- O beloved son! All praise is to
ing out zakat, there is no intention Allah! Peace onto his elect devo-
apart from complying with the or- tees (Alhamdu li-’llahi wa sala-
der (imtithal) of the master. On mun ‘ala ‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa).
the other hand, voluntary char- The way that the fakirs are here
ity often stems from the appetites deserve praise. I’m asking Al-
(hawa) of the nafs. lah (S) for your peace (salamat),
wellness (‘afiyat), firmness (tha-
batukum), and firm standing (is-
This why there is no place for
tiqamat) onto the wide boulevard
showing-off (riya) in fard, but it
of the Mustafan sharia.
indeed has a place in nafl. It is
for this reason that it is better to
discharge the duty of zakat pub- Companionship is
licly while it is better to give out
critical
voluntary charity privately—that
way that [voluntary act] would be O honored brother (Akhi a‘azzi)!
free of vanity, and deserving of ac- The tariqa you have taken from
ceptance. me, it has not borne much bless-
ing, or fruit (barakat, thamarat)
In summary, there is no alterna- due to our limited companion-
tive to observing the rules of the ship. For staying in the com-
sharia meticulously. That way panionship of the pir is the pri-
one may save oneself of the harm mary source (asl-i ‘azim) before
caused by this world. Even if you these [Naqshbandi] masters. Still,
fail to reject this world truly (be- the rabita of love (irtibat-i hubbi)
haqiqat), still do not neglect to re- that is an integral part of teach-
ject it virtually (hukmi). [And this ing the tariqa (lawazim-i ta‘allum-
virtual rejection] means in speech i tariqa), if only a little bit of that
and action, one meticulously ob- remains, that by itself is a magnif-
serves (iltizam) the sharia. icent felicity (dawlat-i ‘azim). For,
he would be with him whom he
loves (Li-anna ’l-mar’a ma‘a man
And it is Allah (SWT) who ahabba) 41 . The magnificent bless-
grants opportunities (Wa ’llahu ing (barkat-i uwla) that the well-
subhanahu ’l-muwaffiqu). Peace instructed beginners (mubtadi-iy
to him who walks onto the path of rashid) of this sublime tariqa re-
guidance (Wa ’l-salamu ‘ala mani
41
’ttaba’a ’l-huda). hadith
ceive at the first instance of com- ’l-mustafa), ‘alaihi wa ‘ala alihi ’l-
panionship (suhbat-i awwal) is the salawatu wa ’l-salam).
ever-continuing face-turning of the
heart (dawam-i tawajjuh-i qalb)
onto the true object of seeking 4.9 Maktub 2.84
(jalla sultanuhu), i.e. God.
To Shaykh ‘Abdul Hamid All
praise is to Allah! Peace onto his
Forgetting ma sewa elect devotees (Alhamdu li-’llahi
After a little while, this ever- wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi ’lladhina
continuing face-turning turns into ’stafa).
forgetting the ma sewa. Even
that, if that seeker lives for even Communicate with your
a thousand years, still no thought
but the thought of Haqq (S) arises
shaykh when
in his heart. Because he truly for- long-distance
gets all that is ma sewa. Even Straightforward brother Mian
when reminded purposefully, he Shaykh Hamid! You have started
does not remember. to act strangely. You don’t even
When this nisbat is attained, he bother to send any salam, or
puts the first step on this path. news. In the last seven or eight
Next are the second, third, and years, only one single letter came
fourth steps, and so on, as long from you, even that was incom-
as Allah wills. What would I plete. The letters that go to you
write about the those steps? A from my side, I’m not sure if you
little points out towards a lot, and even receive them.
within a drop of water, one would
When beloved brother Shaykh
get the news of an endless ocean.
‘Abdul Hai returned home, he was
My purpose is to encourage your
told to meet you, learn how you
friends. May Hazrat Haqq (SWT)
are, and let us know. Shaykh ‘Ab-
actualize that.
dul Hai remained at our service
Mian ‘Abdul-‘Azim! Discussing for about five years. He was in
your love and pure intention (ma- charge of most activities here. His
habbat, ikhlas) is the cause of this thirst has been quenched by this
discussion. Salam onto you, and fakir’s knowledge, outer and in-
all the rest who obeys the guid- ner. And he is well-aware of the
ance, and sticks to following the states (ahwal) of jadhba and su-
Mustafa (Wa ’l-salamu ‘alaikum, luk. I have told him to stay in
wa ‘ala sa’iri mani ’ttaba‘a ’l- your home for a few days, and dis-
huda, wa ’l-tazama muta ba‘ata cuss knowledge appropriate to the
4.10. MAKTUB 2.85 253
time and place. Share your past, and suluk. He knows (muta‘arrif)
and present states, and ecstasies what is beyond the well-known
(ahwal, mawajid) to him. You fana and baqa, and is aware
may trust in the religious advice (agah) what goes on after the well-
he makes. The rest of the matters, defined (muqarrar) jadhdhba and
he would share that in person, in- suluk. Instead, it can be said that
sha’ Allah. Wa ’l-salamu ‘alaikum he is aware of what lies beyond
‘ala sa’iri mani ’ttaba’a ’l-huda them. He has heard most knowl-
edge of the absent realm (ma‘arif-
i ghaibiya) of the Maktubat. The
4.10 Maktub 2.85 complicated matters of the Mak-
tubat, he has asked questions as
To Shaykh Nur Muhammad much as he could, and received
clarifications. God grants oppor-
tunities. You may learn from
Keep in touch with your him what is happening, in detail.
Writing more would be too much.
senior sufi brothers
Wa ’l-salam.
li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi 4.11 Maktub 2.86
’lladhina ’stafa). The way that
the fakirs here are deserves prais- To Shaykh Tahir Badakhshi
ing God. I ask Allah (S) so that
he keeps you standing firm (istiqa-
mat). Brother Mian Shaykh ‘Ab-
Focus on God
dul Hai is from the same coun-
try, and even the same city, i.e., All praise is to Allah! Peace
he is your neighbor. He is an onto his elect devotees (Al-
amazing record of knowledge of hamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala
the absent realm (nuskha’-i ‘ulum ‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa). Honored
va ma‘arif-i ghaibiya). He is safe- brother! I’ve received your blessed
keeping many of the required mat- letter. I’m pleased to learn on
ters (chiz-ha-i daruriya) of this the states and knowledge that
path. To meet him is a spoil of you wrote. What a felicity would
war for the friends far away. Be- that be, if the loving and pious
cause he has arrived newly [from friends (muhubban, mukhlisan)
Sirhind], and so has many new take their hands off of all matters,
news. With him are signposts and instead turn their faces onto
(nishan) of fana and baqa, and the holy person of God, and
clarification (bayan) of jadhdhba having kicked away the ma sewa,
proceed towards that holy person much is the merit, if you resurrect
in totality? a [dead] obligatory, or incumbent
Brother Shaykh ‘Abdul Hai would (fard, wajib) practice? Within the
tell in detail what is happening salat, performing the pillars prop-
here. He has many verbal and erly (ta‘dil-i arkan) is
written knowledge. So I have
not written any of those mat- 1. incumbent (wajib) according
ters. May Allah (SWT) make the to most of the Hanafi ulama,
end of all matters good, by the 2. obligatory (fard) according
prophet, and his noble progeny, to Imam Abu Yusuf (rad),
‘alaihi, wa ‘alaihim, al-salawatu, and Imam Shafi‘i (rad), but
wa ’l-taslimatu, atammuha wa ak-
maluha. 3. [stressed] sunna (sunnat-i
mu‘aqqada) to the rest of
the Hanafi ulama.
4.12 Maktub 2.87
But most people skip this practice.
To Fatah Khan Afghan If one resurrects this single prac-
tice, one would get the merit of
All praise is to Allah! Peace more than a hundred shahids who
onto his elect devotees (Alhamdu have laid down their lives on the
li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi path of Allah SWT.
’lladhina ’stafa). I have received Along the same line of reasoning
the letter you wrote that signi- are the rest of the rules of the
fied a perfect love, and sincer- sharia, on the halals, the harams,
ity (kamal-i mahabbat, ikhlas) to the hated acts (karahat), and ev-
us, the fakirs. May Hazrat Haqq erything else. You may consider
(SWT) keep you standing firm (is- the rest of the rules of the sharia
tiqamat) on these. equally [meritorious to follow].
The ulama say that to return half
Step 1: Sunna
a dang back to one from whom
The advice given to the fortu- it was taken in violation of the
nate friends is this, Follow the il- sharia, it is better than giving two
luminated sunna, and stay away hundred dirhams away in char-
from disliked deviations (bid‘at-i ity. They also say, Even if one
na-mardi). It says in the hadith, has done good deeds equal to the
He who resurrects a dead sunna, prophets, but another has a claim
he receives the merit of a hundred of even half a dang on one, then
shahids ( quoted in the Farsi trans- until that claim is paid back, one
lation). So can you estimate how is held back from paradise.
4.13. MAKTUB 2.88 255
Step 2: Sufism Plague

In summary, having adorned the An accepted slave (bandeh-i
outer body with the rules of the maqbul) is he who is well-pleased
sharia, you may focus on the in- by the action (fa‘l) of his master.
ner realm. So that the inner On the other hand, he who follows
realm is not associated with heed- his own good-pleasure is his own
lessness (ghaflat). Without help slave. [For an accepted slave],
from the inner realm, it is hard when his master puts a knife to his
to be adorned with the rules of throat (halqum), even then he is
the sharia. The ulama gives re- joyful and happy (shadan, khvan-
sponsa (fatwa), the pious put that dan). Even that, he finds his own
into work. Once the inner realm pleasure (mardi-i khod) in that
is sound, the outer realm turns said action. Even more, he gets
sound. On the other hand, he well-pleased (mutaladhdhidh) in
who busy with the inner realm, it.
but does not pay heed to the outer God forbid (‘Iyadhan bi-’llahi sub-
realm, he is an apostate (mul- hanahu)! If he hates (karahat)
hid). His inner states (ahwal-i the master’s act (fa‘l), or [even
batin) must be a deception (is- only that] this breast tightens.
tidraj). The sign that the state of Because, in that case, he comes
the inner realm is true (‘alamat-i out of the boundaries of slavehood
saht-i hal-i batin) is that the outer (da’ira-i bandegi).
body is adorned with the rules of
the sharia. This is the path to- And he gets driven out (matrud),
wards standing firm (istiqamat). and removed far away (mahjur)
It is Allah (SWT) who grants the from the nearness of the master
opportunity. Wa ’l-salam. (qurb-i mawla). When plague
(ta‘un) is the desire of God then it
should be considered as one’s own
desire, and one should be happy
and cheerful (shadan, khurram) in
4.13 Maktub 2.88 it.
So don’t [even] raise your eye-
To Mulla Badi‘uddin brows, or let your heart get nar-
row when plague takes over (is-
tila). Instead, when it is the
All praise is to Allah! Peace act of the beloved, you may may
onto his elect devotees (Alhamdu find pleasure (mutaladhdhidh) in
li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi it. For everyone’s lifespan is pre-
’lladhina ’stafa)! determined, there is no possibil-
ity that it would increase or de- Al-hamdu wa ’l-minnatu da’iman

crease. So why get disturbed? wa ‘ala nabiyyihi wa ’l-salawatu
At most, you may pray for de- wa ’l-tahiyyatu sarmadan. I ask
liverance from the calamity, and Allah (S) for your wholesomeness
seek refuge from pain, as God de- (salamat), freedom from illness
sires callings. For your lord has (‘afiyat), fixedness (thabbat), and
said, Call on me, I will answer standing firm (istiqamat) on the
you (Qala rabbukumu d’uniy as- path of God.
tajibu lakum)42 . Mawlana ‘Abdur Esteemed Sir! The period of time
Rashid came and gave me a run- in which one may do [good] works
down on what is happening there. (awqat-i kar) is passing away, life-
May Allah (S) cure you from time has shortened by the period
this calamity, in body and mind of time that has passed away, and
(‘Afakumu ’llahu subhanahu the predetermined time of death
‘ani ’l-baliyati ’l-zahirati wa in coming closer. If one fails to
’l-batinati). Amin! Wa ’l-salam, take heed now, then tomorrow one
would attain nothing except regret
and shame.
4.14 Maktub 2.89 Take heed so that this short life-
To Sayyid Mir Muhibbullah time is passed according to the il-
luminated sharia. For only then
one may hope for salvation in the
All praise is to Allah (S), who has last world. This is the time of
kept us and you firm on the wide work, the time for enjoyment is in
boulevard of your noble fathers, the future, and that would be the
by the grace of his beloved, the fruit of this work. Taking off for
prince of the mortals (Alhamdu enjoyment in time of work only de-
li-’llahi thabbatana ’llahu sub- stroys the crop, and deprives one
hanahu, wa iyyakum, ‘ala jaddati of the harvest. How much more
aba’ikumu ’l-kirami, bi-sadaqati would I give you pain? May you
habibihi sayyidi ’l-anami), ‘alaihi realize outer and inner felicity. Wa
wa ‘ala alaihimu ’l-salawatu wa ’l- ’l-salam.
salamu).
Advice 4.15 Maktub 2.90

The fakirs in this area, in the way To Mirza ‘Arab Khan
they are, in the shape they are,
all that deserve praising Allah (S).
42
Q.Mu’min.40.60 onto his elect devotees (Alhamdu
4.16. MAKTUB 2.91 257
li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi They have made him disturbed,

’lladhina ’stafa). for he is being unable to honor
May Allah (S) help you, and their needs. So I’m pleading to
make you prevail over your ene- your generosity (karam) for assis-
mies, both outer and inner, and tance (imdad) and favor (i‘anat)
save you from all calamities bod- for them. For charitable people, a
ily, or mental (Ayyadakumu ’llahu pretext (bahaneh) is enough.
subhanahu, wa nasarakum ‘ala
ghada’i ’l-‘afaqiyyati, wa anfusiyy-
ati, wa najakum ‘ani ’l-baliyati ’l- 4.16 Maktub 2.91
jasadiyati wa ’l-ma‘nawiyati).
To Hazrat Khwaja Muhammad
Sa‘id
Creation is God’s family
The rasul has said, Created be-
ings are members of Allah’s house- Mystery of qaba
hold who depend on him for their
qawsayn
support (Al-khulqu ‘iyalu ’llahi)43 .
The most beloved to Allah is he This maktub is skipped as 1, its
who treats his household-members too abtruse 2. It refers to zilliyat
gracefully (ahsana). That is, that has been rejected by the Mu-
Hazrat Haqq (SWT) himself has jaddid later
taken on the the duty of provid-
ing for the created beings. So the
created beings are like his fam- 4.17 Maktub 2.92
ily members who depend on him
for support (‘iyal). If one sym- To Sayyid Mir Muhammad
pathizes with another one’s fam- Nu‘man
ily, and takes on its responsibility, Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala
then one would become a beloved ‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa
of the head of the family. For
that one lessened the burden of
the head of the family, and took
Walayat means
his pain onto oneself.
nearness, not
PS This is why I am gathering up
the courage to give you this pain,
manifestation of
and tell you that Hafiz Hamid is a charismatic acts
wholesome man, and a qari of the Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala
Quran. He has many dependents. ‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa Sayyid
43
hadith (siyadat mab)! Precious brother
Mir Muhammad Nu’man! Be i mughaiyyibat) and made him

happy! lose the way. This Quranic verse
is a sign towards their situation,
You may know that manifestation
They imagine that they are onto
of breakings (zuhur-i khawariq)
a path. Warning! They are
and charismatic acts (karamat)
the liars. Satan has prevailed
are not a intrinsic part (shart) of
over them and made them forget
walayat. In the same way that
God. They are the gang of Sa-
the ulama are not bound to at-
tan. Verily the gang of Satans are
tain khawariq and karamat, nei-
ruined (Wa yahsabuna annahum
ther are the walis bound to show
‘ala shay’in. Ala! Innahum
such things.
humu ’l-kadhibun. Astahwadha
It’s because walayat means the ‘alaihimu ’l-shaitanu fa-’ansahum
nearness of God (qurb-i ilahi) (JS) dhikra ’llahi uwla’ika hizbu ’l-
that he grants to his walis who shaitani. Ala! Inna hizba ’l-
have forgotten the ma sewa. He shaytani humu ’l-khasirun).46 The
may grant such nearness to some- above-mentioned first and second
one without giving that one cog- person have attained the near-
nizance of the news of the absent ness of Allah—they are the walis
thing and prophecies44 . Or he may of Allah, unveilings of the absent
grant such nearness to a second realm do not increase their wali-
person but at the same time he ness. On the other hand, ab-
also give that person cognizance sence of that unveiling does not
of the news of the absent thing harm them at all either. Their
and prophecies. And to a third degrees of walayat are is in ac-
person but he does not give any- cordance with their sequence of
thing from that nearness but does nearness. In many cases, he who
give the news of the absent thing has not received is better (afdal)
and prophecies. This third per- than he who has received unveil-
son attain deceptive progress (is- ings of the absent forms (kashf-i
tidraj).45 suwar-i ghaibiy). And [that non-
That cleanliness (safa) of the nafs receiver] has his feet in the front
has made him devote himself en- (peshqadam) due to the excel-
tirely (mubtala) into the unveil- lence of nearness (maziyat-i qur-
ings of the absent things (kashf- biy) that he has attained.
44
that’s how Aftabi translated this, however, the
Naushahi manuscript says ahwal-i mughayyabat-
i muhdathat, instead of ahwal-i mughayyabat va
muhdathat, which seems to be what Aftabi trans-
lated. I believe that Aftabi is correct here
45 46
for he attains only the purification of the nafs Quran.Mujadala.18-19
4.17. MAKTUB 2.92 259
Stronger iman may the title of Shaykhu ’l-Islam, he

mean no karamat wrote in his book Manazil al-
Sa’irin,
The author of the ‘Awarif who
is before all and whom everyone
obey defer to, he has explained it Firasat
in detail in his book the ‘Awarif. If
someone disbelieves, one may re- Firasat has two types,
fer there. After a discussion of
1. Firasat of those
karamat and breakings of habit
who have realized
(khawariq), it is narrated that all
marifat, and
these karamats and khawariqs are
gifts of the divine mercy. In many 2. Firasat of the peo-
cases, he grants it to some group, ple of starvation50
and also grants them unveiling. and people of tam-
And some other times, he does ing51 .
not give someone from a higher-
level group any of those karamats.
A. Firasat of arifs
Because he gives it to strengthen
(taqwiyyat) yaqin. So he who has For them who have at-
been given sheer (sirf) yaqin, for tained marifat, firasat
him there is no need of that kara- suspends from:
mat.
1. identifying the re-
All these karamats are from (dun) ceptivity (isti‘dad)
the zikr of the name of the per- of the seekers
son (ism-i dhat)47 . And made
2. identifying the
of the same substance as the the
friends of Haqq
heart (tajawwhur-i qalb)48 , as it
who have arrived
has been narrated previously.
on the presence52 of
bringing-together
Khwaja Ansari on (hadrat-i jam‘a-i
karamat wasil).
Imam of this tribe49 Khwaja Ab- 50

i.e., ahl-i ju‘, people of starvation refers to
dullah Ansari who has received them who do extensive fasting in order to progress
spiritually
47 51
Naushahi says dhikr-i dhat whereas Aftabi i.e., ahl-i riyadat, people who practice ar-
says ism-i dhat, I agree with Aftabi duous, hard-to-do practices to evolve spiritually
48
I think my translation is more accurate here Riyada refers to taming a wild beast. Sufis use this
than Aftabi who says: and the heart is lower than term to mean practices to tame the nafs-i ammara
being colored by the color of that zikr into a pacified state (itminan)
49 52
ta’ifa, i.e., the sufis i.e. station cf. Aftabi
B. Firasat of people the people of reality

of hard practices (kashf-i ahl-i haqiqat).
Instead, they blame the
On the other hand, the people of reality who
firasat of the people give them the news
of taming (ahl-i riya- from Hazrat Haqq.
dat) and the masters
And on them they say,53
of starvation (arbab-
i ju‘) relates to un- If these mas-
veilings of forms and ters were
states of absent things indeed the
(kashf-i suwar, ahwal-i people of Haqq
mughayyibat) that sus- — as they
pend from the creation. claim — they
would give
us the news
Common people’s of the absent
view on karamat states (ahwal-i
The majority of the ghaibiy) for us
people (akthar az and the rest
khala’iq) are cut-off of the created
(inqita‘) from the holy things. When
person (janab-i qud- they lack the
dus) of Haqq (JA). power to get
And their minds are unveilings
preoccupied with this on our own
world. As a result, states (qudrat
their hearts are focused bar kashf-i
onto unveilings of the ahwal-i ma),
forms (ma’il bekashf-i how would
suwar) and news of they have the
the absent things of power to get
the creation (akhbar unveilings on
az mughayyibat-i matters that
makhluqat). To them, are higher than
this is magnificent task. the states of
They think that they the creation
are the people of Allah (kashf-i umur
and his elect. They keh a‘la ast
are about-face (i‘rad) 53
i.e., on the people of reality those common
from the unveilings of people say
4.17. MAKTUB 2.92 261
az ahwal-i hifazat-i58 iyshan va

makhluqat)?54 ghairatiy keh bar
Common people! They iyshan darad), if these
deny (takdhib) the fi- [masters] were face-
rasat of the people of turned59 onto the states
marifat — a people who of the creation (beh
suspend (ta‘alluq) from ahwal-i khalq), they
the person, attributes would no longer have
and acts of the Nec- the fitness to remain
essary (ja).55 And in the presence of
via this corrupt reason- the all-holy person
ing of their own (qiyas- (salahiyat-i hudur-i
60
i fasid-i khod), this janab-i quddus).
assembly remains de-
prived of the correct [Khwaja Ansari] has said many
knowledge of these mas- such things.
ters.
Common people! Do
Ibn Arabi on karamat
they not know that
Hazrat Haqq swt has I61 have heard from my pir-i qi-
preserved56 these mas- bla62 that Ibn Arabi (qs) wrote,
ters from focusing onto
the creation (malahaza- There are many hon-
i khalq)? And has re- orable friends of Al-
served them for his own lah via whom many
holy person (JA)? And karamats and breakings
has kept them away (khawariq) were man-
from focusing onto the ifested. At their fi-
ma sewa? nal breath, they regret-
With respect to their ted the manifestation
preservation and oth- of these karamats, and
erness57 (az jihat-i wished, How I wish that
54
i.e., unveilings on the matter of the person and these masters have with the common people
58
the attributes of the Necessary c.f. Aftabi Again, I’m reading himayat as hifazat in ac-
55
i.e., a people who have attained haqiqat, cf. cordance with the Aftabi translation
59
Aftabi Naushahi text says muta‘arrad, but I am read-
56
I’m reading it as hifazat in accordance with ing it as mutawajjuh in accordance with the Aftabi
the Aftabi translation though Naushahi text says translation
60
himayat Khwaja Ansari’s speech ends here, c.f., Aftabi
57 61
i.e., A. the preservation of these masters from the Mujaddid
62
focusing onto the creation and B. the otherness Khwaja Baqi bi-’Llah (qs)
these breakings were not the nabi is distinguished

manifested by me. from the non-nabi. So
it is imperative for the
Therefore, if there were superior- nabis to know that they
ity in a larger number of karamats, are nabis.
that regret is meaningless. On the other hand,
when the walis would
Walis don’t need to call towards the sharia
of their own nabis, the
show karamat
miracles (mu’jiza) of the
Question: If manifestation of nabi would be enough
breakings (zuhur-i khawariq) is for them. However,
not a precondition of walayat then when the wali would
how would one distinguish be- invite towards a path
tween the wali and one who is not? other than the sharia of
Or how would one separate the his own nabi, he would
truth from falsehood? have no alternative but
charismatic acts (kara-
Answer: Who cares if mat). And when his
the wali and the com- mission of invitation is
moner are distinguished limited to his nabi’s
from each other or not? sharia, there is no need
Or if the truth and for karamat.
falsehood are commin-
gled (ikhtilat) together Mission: Ulama versus wali
or not? In this world, The ulama of the manifest knowl-
it is better that truth edge invite towards the manifest
and falsehood stay com- (zahir) side of the sharia. On the
mingled together. And other hand, the walis of Allah in-
there is no need to know vite towards both the zahir and
who is a wali or not. batin of the sharia.
Indeed there are many
walis of Allah who do First, they tell their disciples
not know of themselves (murid, talib) to make repentance
being walis. So it is and return (tawba, inabat) and
not necessary for oth- encourage them to follow the rules
ers to know it. On the of the sharia.
other hand, there is no Second, they show the way to-
alternative for the nabis wards the zikr of Allah. And they
but to show break- stress to remain drowned in the
ings (khawariq), so that zikr of Allah at all times. So
4.17. MAKTUB 2.92 263
that this zikr attains predomina- the level of witnessing and unveil-
tion and nothing remains within ing (mushahada, mukashafa).
the heart save the object of zikr63 .
And finally it is as if they forget Pir resurrects dead hearts
everything but Allah. Even if he For common people, resurrecting
is reminded intentionally, still he the dead ia magnanimous act. On
fails to remember. the other hand, for the elect, res-
urrecting the heart and the spirit
Pir-murid relationship ver- is the loftiest proof. Khwaja
sus karamat It is indeed true Muhammad Parsa (qs) has writ-
that this mission of invitation for ten in his book Risala-i Qudsiya,
the walis suspends (muta‘allaq)
from both external and internal For most people, resur-
(zahir, batin) sharia. And there is recting the dead people
no need for karamat for this mis- is valuable. So the peo-
sion. This is the meaning of pir- ple of Allah have turned
murid relationship — it has no re- their faces away from
lationship with karamat. that resurrection of the
spirit (ihya’i ruhi), and
instead they have fo-
Disciples feel pir’s karamat cused on resurrecting
I can also say that the well- the dead hearts of the
instructed disciple and prepared seeker (dil-i murdeh-i
student (murid-i rashid, talib-i talib).
musta‘id) senses the karamat and
khawariq of his pir at every mo- Note: In Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi
ment while he walks the spiri- tariqa, the very first step is to res-
tual path (suluk-i tariq) and seeks urrect the hearts dead from the ab-
the pir’s help in the interactions sence of zikr. So soon after bayat
of the absent realm (mu‘amalat-i with a competent shaykh, the heart
ghaibi). And pirs have no need to comes alive, i.e., starts to chant
show karamats to the other peo- zikr by itself spontaneously, And
ple64 . On the other hand, at all the disciple would feel it physi-
times, the disciples find karamat cally, his heart would vibrate, as
within karamat. How would the its said in the Quran, Verily,
disciples fail to feel the karamat of when the mu’min does zikr of Al-
the pir? It is he who has granted lah, his heart does wajilat, vibrate
life to the dead hearts of the dis- (Q.Shu‘ara.2).
ciples, and has made them reach
63
i.e., Allah Resurrection of hearts:
64
i.e., people other than their own disciples Precious The truth of the
matter is that when compared va nazr-shan shifa. Hum ju-

with resurrecting the heart, res- lasa’u ’llahi wa hum qawmun
urrecting the body is comparable la yashqa jalisuhum. Wa la
to the trash that you throw away yakhibu anisuhum).66
on the street. And if one looks
at this direction, resurrecting the The criterion for differentiating
body is worthless. Because if the between true and false [walis] is
body is resurrected, it lives for a this: If [the wali] firmly stands
few days only, but it the heart is (istiqamat) on the sharia and in
resurrected, it would live forever. [the wali’s] gathering the hearts
Instead, I’d say that truly the of the seekers find focus and get
blessed bodies of the people of face-turned (ma’il, tawajjuh) onto
Allah are the greatest karamats. Hazrat Haqq swt, and the seekers
And that they are inviting the lose all desire for ma sewa then
creation towards Haqq (JS) itself you may decide that that he is
is a blessing from the blessings of true and counted as a wali more
Haqq (JS). And the resurrection or less. Additionally, these signs
of the dead hearts are magnificent are only for that [wali] who has
signs (ayat-haiy ‘uzma). a connection (munasibat). On
the other hand, the [wali] who
has no connection (biy-munasib),
High value of the walis he is deprived completely and in
They are the cause of security for an unbounded manner (mahd-i
the people of the earth (aman-i mahrum-i mutlaq).
ahl-i ard), and the spoil of war
for the time (ghanimat-i rozgar). Whose face doesn’t face
These hadiths signify their great- welfare
ness, Seeing face of nabi won’t
give him profit
1. It is via their wasila that rain
comes and provisions (rizq) Har keh uw ruwiy be-
are given (Hum yumtaruna hbud nadasht
wa hum yurzaquna).65 Didan-i ruwiy nabiy sud
2. Their speech is like medicine, nadasht
and their gazes are cures.
They sit with Allah. Those New sultan
who sit with them never
have a wretched. And those In your letter, you have discussed
who love them are never de- good upbringing (husn-i nasha’),
prived. (Kalam-shan dawa-st 66
hadith, this same hadith is quoited also in farsi
65
hadith translation in a maktub in volume 1
4.17. MAKTUB 2.92 265
devotion to God (khoda-talbiy), ket within the kingdom of Islam.

justice (‘adalat), observance of On the other hand, in the holy
the rules of the sharia (iltizam- month of Ramzan, they openly
i ahkam-i sharia) etc. Having cook and sell food. Due to the
learned it, I’ve been well-pleased. weakness of Islam, no Muslim is
This ardent desire (dhauq) grew able to forbid them. It a mat-
in my mind that in the way that ter of crying out Alas for a hun-
Haqq swt has lighted up the world dred thousand times that our re-
by the justice (‘adl, ‘adalat) of ligion and the fakirs are in such a
the reigning emperor (padishah-i bad shape. If the reigning emperor
waqt), in that same way may he gave honor, Islam would increase.
give the Muhammadan sharia and The ulama and the sufis would
community (millat) patronage and be honored by the sultan. And
honor (nusrat, ‘izzat). via help and power (taqwiyat) of
the sultan, they would spread the
O beloved! According to the sharia.
saying The sharia is below the
sword (Al-shar‘u tahta ’l-saifi),
conveyance the sharia is linked Timur respected walis
to (marbut) positive effort (husn-
I’ve heard that once the sahib-
i ihtimam) of the magnificent
qiran 67 Amir Timur Gurgan
sultans (salatin-i ‘izzam). For
(‘alaihi ’r-rahmatu) was going
some time, this has been weak
on an alley in Bukhara. It hap-
and so necessarily Islam became
pened that the on that path,
weak. The infidels of India has
the khadims of the noble khanqa
been destroying mosques in in an
of Hazrat Khwaja Naqshband
unrestricted manner and estab-
(qs) were dusting the blankets
lishing their temples there. In
of the khanqa. At that time,
Thaneswar, within the reservoir
Amir Timur stood in that alley
(haud) of Kurukshetra, there used
for a little while as good Islamic
to be a masjid and the shrine of
upbringing so that the dust of
a saint. It has been demolished
the khanqa covers his body as
and its place, a large temple has
perfume of ambergris (‘abir) and
been constructed. The infidels has
been openly practicing their reli- 67
lit., lord of the happy conjunction, i.e., fortu-
gion but the Muslims are unable nate and invincible hero (sahib-qiran), is the title of
to spread the rules of Islam. On Amir Timur. Yes, he is considered a mass-murderer
the day of the eleventh of the lunar by the Western historians but he revered as a na-
tional hero in Uzbekistan, i.e., their version of the
month, Hindus fast and so they re- history is different than the Western version. Also
main cautious so that no Muslim note that Imam-i Rabbani adds the honorific rah-
may cook or sell food in the mar- matu ’llahi ‘alaihi after his name
sandalwood dust. As a result, impermissible towards the others.

he was honored with the felicity It is narrated in the hadith69 that
of the effusion and baraka of once our prophet was going and a
the dervishes. As the ultimate Bedouin came to him and sought
result of such humility (tawadu‘, to see a miracle (mu’jiza). If so,
firotaniy) before the people (ahl) he would proclaim faith. The
of Allah, he had a beautiful prophet told him, Go tell that tree
ending (husn-i khatima)68 . It that the rasul is calling you. As
is narrated that Hazrat Khwaja soon as he said it, the tree moved
Bahauddin Naqshband (qs) said from its place and came to the
after the death of Timur, Timur service of the rasul. When the
died and carried iman (Timur Bedouin witnessed it, he accepted
murd va iman burd). Islam and said, O the rasul of Al-
lah, allow me to prostrate to you.
In answer, the rasul said, It’s not
Prostrating before
allowed (ja’iz) to prostrate to any-
Sultan one but God (khoda) (JS). Had I
You may know the answer, While kept sijda permissible for anyone
reciting the sermon of the Juma but Haqq (JS), I’d instruct wives,
day prayer, it is only after step- Make sijda to your husbands70 .
ping down to a lower level that Many masters of the science ju-
the sermonizer recites the names risprudence (fuqaha) have permit-
of the sultans, what does that ted making sijda to the sultan.
mean? Its purpose is for the mag- However, the sultans should show
nificent sultans to show humil- humility (tawadu‘) before Hazrat
ity (tawadu‘) before the rasul and Haqq (JS) on this matter. And
the well-instructed caliphs. Be- should not prescribe utmost bro-
cause it is not permissible to pro- kenness and humbling of oneself
nounce the name of the sultan (nihayat-i inkisar, tadhallul) for
with the names of the masters of anyone else but God. By his
the religion. Shakarallahu ta‘ala mercy. Hazrat Haqq (SWT) has
sa‘yahum. made a group of people of the
O brother! Sijda, prostration world to serve (musakhkhar) them
means to put the forehead onto and need (muhtaj) them. There-
the ground, which is the extreme fore they should express grati-
of brokenness and humbling of tude for this magnificent bliss.
oneself (nihayat-i inkisar, tadhal- And relegate such an obsequious-
lul). For this reason, it is spe- ness (tawadu‘) that signifies a
cific towards wajibu ’l-wujud and 69
quoted in Farsi
68 70
i.e., he died with iman This hadith is quoted in Farsi
4.18. MAKTUB 2.93 267
perfect incapacity and brokenness ation (khalq). Pious or worship-

(‘ajz, inkisar) to God the holy be- ful acts according to sharia (ta‘at,
ing (janab-i quddus-i uw) (ta‘ala), ‘ibadat-i shari‘a) are linked (mar-
and not to make anyone else a but) to it. And the interaction of
partner in this. invitation and making other per-
Although a few ulama have kept fect (mu‘amala-i da‘wat, takmil)
it permissible, still the sultans suspends (manut) from it.
should not permit it out of The batin of such a perfected
the beauty of humility (husn-i knower (‘arif-i sahib-i takmil) sus-
tawadu‘). Because as the Quran pends from either the levels of the
proclaimed, Is not beautiful con- contingentness (maratib-i imkan)
duct the return for beautiful con- or the stations of necessariness
duct (Hal jaza’u ’l-ihsani illa ’l- (maqamat-i wujub). However, in
ihsanu71 )? Since the reigning em- either case, that batin is face-
peror (padishah-i waqt) has come turned as the zahir (mutawajjuh-
back to the capital after travel- i zahir). I.e., whichever direction
ing abroad, by the will of Al- does his zahir face, his batin faces
lah, I may soon come to the cap- that same direction. The purpose
ital. The rest of the matters is so that he may bring the wor-
should be discussed when we meet. shipers of God to perfection, nur-
Wa ’l-salamu ‘ala mani ‘ttaba‘a ’l- ture them, and bring them to com-
huda. Wa ’l-tazama mutaba‘ata ’l- pletion (takmil, tarbiyat, tatmim-i
mustafa. ‘Alaihi wa ‘ala alihi al- ‘ibad73 ).
salawatu wa ’l-taslimatu ’l-‘ula.
For a perfected ‘arif, knower
who is absorbed in giving in-
4.18 Maktub 2.93 vitation and perfection to oth-
ers, such a focus of his batin re-
To Hashim Badakhshi mains present until the moment
Note: The first section is on the that ending takes over74 (zaman-
Latifas of batin. And that section i bulugh-i ajl), which is the last
is skipped as it is too abtruse, i.e., station for invitation (muntahaiy
I could not understand it. maqam-i da‘wat). When the ap-
pointed time of ending (ajl) ar-
rives, and he ascends the bridge of
Latifas of zahir
death (jasr-i mawt), and he sets
You may know that what is left72 his feet onto the path of arrival
is this zahir. It fully faces the cre- 73
Naushahi manuscript says ‘ibadat but that
71
Quran.Rahman.4 must be a copying mistake, so I corrected it to ‘ibad.
72
i.e., the latifas that are left of all the latifas of Let me check Amritsari manuscript
74
the salik i.e., he is on the verge of death
to the beloved (kuwiy wasl-i mah- Station where defects

bub), at that point he is honored appear falsely
with the felicity of arrival and con-
junction, without competing with Note: Mujaddid discusses the high
the others (bedawlat-i wasl va it- station of unreal appearance of de-
tisal biy-muzahamat-i aghyar).75 fects. Part of it has been skipped
that discusses abtruse theories.
Dua: O our nurturer! Fill up
A possessor of this station, like the
our light fully, and forgive our
rest of men, is
sins, you are all-powerful (Rab-
bana! Atmim lana nurana wa
1. still a human being (dar
’gfirlana. Innaka ‘ala kulli shay’in
bashariyat musharikat) and
qadir).
as such, he is comparable
Wa ’l-salawatu wa ’l-salamu wa ’l- to the others (ba digaran
tahiyyatu wa barakatu, ‘ala khairi musahim) and
’l-khalqi ’llahu, wa ‘ala ikhwanihi 2. with respect to the ap-
’l-kirami, wa ‘ala alihi wa sahbihi pearance of human at-
’l-‘izami ila yawmi ’l-qiyami. tributes (dar sudur-i sifat-i
bashariyat), he is compara-
ble to the others (ba digaran
4.19 Maktub 2.94 musahim), as well.
Nevertheless, his human qualities

Note: The knowledge in most of
(sifat-i bashariyat), they
this maktub is based on zilliyat, a
realization that he later rejected. 1. are manifested (zuhur) from
So that has been skipped. So only him (az vei), and others
the last part has been translated. like him (abna-i jins-i vei),
Bismi ’llahi ’l-Rahman al- merely accidentally (aradi),
Rahim. Alhamdu li-’llahi rabba and
’l-‘alamina, wa ’l-salawatu wa ’l- 2. come to him from his neigh-
salamu ‘ala sayyidi ’l-mursalina, bors (aza mujavir amadeh
wa ‘ala alihi ’l-kirami, wa as- ast).
habihi ’l-‘izami min yawmina
hadha ila yawmi ’l-qiyami. On the other hand, for all others,
those human qualities are
75
Needs more meditation to find out what the
Mujaddid means by without competing with the oth- 1. their own or essential (dhati)
ers (bedawlat-i wasl va ittisal biy-muzahamat-i agh- and
yar). But I feel it means that it happens in a per-
sonal one-to-one basis. Allah (S) knows best. 2. prototypal (asli).
4.19. MAKTUB 2.94 269
So there is a tremendous difference (sarayat) the body entirely (dar

between these two groups (shat- kulliyat).
tana ma bainahuma)76 .
On the other hand, I am find-
The common people see the elect ing myself completely and per-
of the elect as equals in their ex- fectly (betamam, kamal) pure and
oteric eyes (musharikat-i suriy). unblemished (pak, mubarra) from
And they77 view (tasawwur) those those human attributes. And I
elect, actually the elect of the elect am failing to sense even an atom
to be like themselves. And as of those attributes within myself.
the result, they deny (inkar) those For this, I am expressing eulogies
elect and criticize them dishon- and gratefulness (hamd, minnat)
estly (i‘tirad). And as the ul- to Allah Li-’llahi subhanahu al-
timate result, they get deprived hamdu wa ’l-minnatu ‘ala dhalik.
(mahrum).
These attributes (iyn sifat) that
These Quranic verses are signs to are being manifested (zahir
their states mishod) by the reason of ad-
jacency (beh sabab-i mujawir)
1. They said, Will man shown
are like that (dar rang-i an
us the way then? Then they
ast): Someone wears red colored
denied (Fa-qalu abasharun
clothing (labis-i libas-i surkh ast).
yahdunana. Fa-kafaru).78
And so he looks like a red man
2. They inquired, What has (mujawir-i surkh) due to the red
happened for this rasul? He color of his clothing (beh surkhiy
eats, drinks and walks the libas).
market? (Wa qalu ma hadha
’l-rasuli. Ya’kulu ’l-ta‘ama, Stupid people (iblihan) would not
wa yamshiy fiy ’l-aswaqi)79 to able to distinguish (tamayyuz)
these two situations, and so they
By the grace of Allah, all the would rule that that man is red
human attributes that I am see- although that is going against the
ing within myself, I am finding truth of the matter.
that that the subject of those at-
tributes is that adjacent nonexis- He who knows it as a
tence (‘adam-i mujawir ). And fairy tale, it’s a
that nonexistence has permeated fairy tale
and he who sees it as
76
i.e., between 1. the possessors of this station ready wealth, he’s
in one hand and 2. the others in the other hand
77
i.e., those common people a true man
78
Q.Taghabun.6 The water of Nile, to
79
Q.Furqan.7 the Egyptians,
seemed to be since there is no alternative but to

blood answer the question, due to dire
For the tribe of Moses, it necessity, I am writing down a few
was not blood, it words.
was water
Har kasi afsaneh kha- Infidelity of the tariqa:

jwanad, afsaneh Definition
ast
va ankeh didash naqd- The summarized answer to those
i khod, mardaneh questions is this: Just as there are
ast kufr and Islam within the sharia,
Ab-i nil ast va be-qibti likewise there are kufr and Islam
khun namud within the tariqa as well. Within
Qawm-i musa ra neh the sharia, kufr is evil and imper-
khun bud, ab bud fection (shararat, naqs) while Is-
lam is good and perfection (khair,
O Lord! After guiding us, do not kamal). And likewise, within
misguide our hearts, instead be- tariqa, kufr is imperfection while
stow on us mercy from you. In- Islam is perfection.
deed, you bestow even on them Kufr-i tariqat means arriving onto
[who do not deserve it]. (Rab- the station of bringing-together
bana! La tuzigh qulubana, ba‘da (jam‘a), which is the locus of
idh-hadaitana, wahab lana, min hiddenness (muhill-i istitar). In
ladunka, rahmatan. Inna-ka anta this homestead, truth and false-
’l-wah-habu)80 . Wa ’l-salamu ‘ala ness (haqq, batil) may not be dis-
mani ‘ttaba‘a ’l-huda. tinguished (tamayyuz). Because
in this homestead, the salik wit-
nesses the beauty of the oneness
4.20 Maktub 2.95 of the beloved (jamal-i wahdat-
To Maqsud Ali Tabrizi i mahbub) in both the mirrors
Bismi ’llahi ’l-Rahman al-Rahim. — the mirror of beauty and the
Alhamdu li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala mirror of evil (marayaiy jamila
‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa. I have re- va radhila). And consequently,
ceived your blessed letter. There he does not witness good or bad
you have sought interpretations of (khair, sharr), perfection or im-
some sufi sayings. perfection as anything else but the
loci of manifestation or shadows
Sir! The place and time is in- (mazahir, zilal) of that oneness
appropriate for discussion. Still, (wahdat). Therefore, the hatred
80
Q.Al-Imran.3.8 (enkar) that grows out of of dis-
4.20. MAKTUB 2.95 271
tinguishment (nashi az tamayyuz) Though all else say it is

does not exist (ma‘dum) for him. ugly
It is as if he has a treaty of In the religion of Islam
friendship (sulh) with all. And he
finds all to be onto the straight Kafartu be-din-i Allahi
path (sirat-i mustaqim). And he wa ’l-kufru waji-
keeps on reciting this verse, There bun
is no grazing animal except that Ladayya wa ‘inda
whom he has grabbed by the lock ’l-muslimina
of its hair. Verily my lord is onto qabihun
the straight path (Ma min dab-
batin illa huwa akhidhun bina siy-
atiha. Inna rabbi ‘ala siratin mus- Infidelity of tariqa:
taqim) 81 . Good
This infidelity (kufr) of the
Monism: Experienced on tariqa83 is totally related
station of bringing together (munasabat-i tamam) to the
[The salik] may sometimes con- infidelity of the sharia. Still, the
sider the locus of manifestation infidel of the sharia is rejected and
(mazhar) as the manifested thing he deserves torture84 (mardud,
(zahir)82 . And as the result, mustahiq-i ‘adhab) whereas the
he conceives the created thing infidel of the tariqa is accepted
(khalq) identical to the Haqq, and is the rightful possessor of
and the nurtured thing (mar- high degrees (maqbul, mustajib-i
bub) as the nurturer (rabb). All darajat).
these flowers bloom in the degree
of bringing-together (martaba-i Why is infidelity of tariqa
jam‘a). And it is on this degree good Because this infidelity and
that Mansur Hallaj said, concealment (kufr, istitar) grows
out of the predominating love
I am an infidel in the reli- for the true beloved (ghalba-i
gion of Allah And mahabbat-i mahbub-i haqiqi) — a
infidelity is a duty love that destroys everything but
to me the beloved. That is why this85
is accepted. On the other hand,
81
Q.Hud.56
82 83
God is manifested in the world, i.e., this world many sufi masters have said nonsensical and
is the locus of manifestation of God, and the things anti-sharia sayings, e.g., Mansur Hallaj said Ana
of this world are the manifested things. And some- ’l-haqq being predominated by their hal
84
times the salik may be confused into thinking that i.e., in hellfire in the last world
85
this world is God itself, and that is an error. i.e., infidelity of the tariqa
that infidelity86 gets created out while the other is the reality of the
of overpowering ignorance and dis- sharia.
obedience (istila’i jahl, tamarrud).
So necessarily, that must be re- Infidelity of tariqa: Good
jected. The degree of the infidelity of the
tariqa (kufr-i tariqat) is higher
than the Islam of the outer
Islam of the tariqa form of the sharia (Islam-i surat-i
Islam of the tariqa refers to shari‘at), although that90 is lower
the station of getting separated that the Islam-i haqiqat-i shari‘at.
after having been brought to-
The sky comes below the
gether (farq ba‘d al-jam‘), which
throne of God
is the homestead of distinguish-
Still it comes above the
ment (mawtin-i tamayyuz)87 . In
surface of the
this place, the true versus the false
earth
(haqq, batil) and good versus bad
(khair, sharr) get distinguished.
Asman nisbat be-‘arsh
amad furud
Interrelationship with Islam War neh bas ‘aliyast
of sharia This Islam of the pesh khak-i tur
tariqa has a complete interre-
lationship (munasabat-i tamam) Ecstatic utterences
with the Islam of sharia. In-
stead, when this Islam of the Among the sufi shaykhs (qad-
sharia reaches perfection (beh ka- dasa ’llahu ta‘ala asrarhum), who-
mal rasad), It finds the relation- ever have made ecstatic utterances
ship of unification (ittihad) with (shat-hiyat), they all were on the
this Islam88 . Instead, both Islams station of infidelity of the tariqa
are Islam of the sharia. The only (kufr-i tariqat), which is the home-
difference (farq) is that one is the stead of intoxication and nondis-
zahir of the sharia and the other tinguishment (mawtin-i sukr, biy-
is the batin of the sharia89 . And tamayyuziy).
that one is the form of the sharia On the other hand, the masters
86
who have been ennobled by the
i.e., infidelity of the sharia
87
between the goodness and the badness of the
felicity of the reality (haqiqat) of
things Islam are pure and unblemished
88
i.e., becomes one and the same with the Islam (pak, mubarra) from such utter-
of the tariqa ances. Both in zahir and batin,
89
i.e., Islam of the sharia is the zahir, and vice
90
versa Islam of the tariqa is the batin i.e., the degree of the kufr-i tariqat
4.20. MAKTUB 2.95 273
they stand (iqtida) behind the 1. does not attain these states
nabis (AS) and follow (mutabi‘) and
them. Therefore, if one 2. fails to arrive onto even the
first degree of perfection.
1. makes ecstatic utterances
(shat-hiyat), If he
2. remains on the station of 1. says such sayings,
treaty of friendship with all
(sulh-i kul), 2. considers everything to be on
the true and straight path,
3. holds that everyone is on the and
straight path (sirat-i mus-
3. does not differentiate be-
taqim),
tween truth and falsehood
4. does not establish distinction
between the Haqq and the then he is an apostate (mulhid)
creation, and and zindiq whose purpose is to fal-
sify (ibtal) the sharia and negate
5. does not propose dualism
the calling of the nabis (rafa‘at-i
(thanawiyat)
anbiya)(as) who are mercy to the
, it is then that one residents of the world.
Consequently, now it is known
1. reaches the station of bring- that these anti-sharia sayings may
ing together (jam‘a) and come out of both the truthful and
2. realizes (mutahaqqiq) kufr-i the false ones. However, for the
tariqat, and righteous91 , it was the elixir of
3. forgets the ma sewa. life while for the false ones92 , it
was leihal poison. It is analogous
[If that happens, then] it can be to the water from the Nile. It
deduced that that was was sweet-to-drink water (ab-
i khushgar) but for the Egyptians,
1. one is an accepted (maqbul) it was undrinkable blood.
person,
2. one’s sayings grow out of in- Not literally This is place
toxication (nashi az sukr), where one may slip. A large num-
and ber of Muslims have literally fol-
3. the apparent (zahir) mean- lowed those sayings of the intox-
ing of one’s sayings should be icated masters (taqlid-i sokhnan-
discarded i akabir-i sukr) and as the re-
sult, they have veered away from
On the other hand, it is a different 91
i.e., Israelites
92
case for one who i.e., Pharaonic gang or Egyptians
the straight path and have been the rules of the sharia alone is
cast away onto the narrow alley as heavy as the Mount Qaf for
of error and destruction (dalalat, the falsifiers (mubtil). It says in
khesarat). And they have de- the Quran, The matter that you
stroyed their own religion. They are calling the idolaters towards,
are unaware that there are many it is too big for them (Kabura
preconditions (shart) before such ‘ala ’l-mushrikina ma tad‘uhum
sayings would be accepted before ilaihi) 94 — and that is a sign
God. Those preconditions are towards their state. Rabbana
present in people of intoxication atina milladunka rahmatan wa
(sukr), but only in them. And hayya’lana min amrina rashada.
the most critical precondition is Wa ’l-salamu ‘ala mani ’ttaba‘
to forget the ma sewa, i.e., every- ’l-huda.
thing that is other than Haqq —
it is the front yard (dehliz) of ac-
ceptance. The criterion for dis- 4.21 Maktub 2.96
tinguishing (masdaq-i imtiyaz) the
people who are right (muhiq) from Skipped as it’s only anti-Shia
who are false (mubtil) is if they rhetoric
stand firrmly (istiqamat) on the
sharia. He who is right would
not differ from the sharia even by
4.22 Maktub 2.97
the amount of the head of a hair To Khwaja Hashim Kashmiri
even with intoxication or nondis-
tinction (sukr, biy-tamiziy).
‘ibadihi ’lladhina ’stafa. Question:
Criterion: Sharia Hazrat What is the meaning of this say-
Mansur Hallaj (qs)93 , although ing, narrated in maktub 2.6,
he used to say Ana ’l-haqq, still
every night, he used to pray five I guess that the purpose
hundred cycles of supererogatory of my creation is this:
salat in the jail even with his Walayat-i Muhammadi
legs weighed down by heavy gets colored in the color
shackles. And he refused to eat of walayat-i Ibrahimi.
the food that reached him via the And the handsomeness
oppressors although it was halal. of the malahat(husn-
On the other hand, observing i malahat) of this
walayat gets commin-
93
The Naushahi manuscript calls him as Mansur gled (mumtazaj)with
but I am adding the honorifics as the Mujaddid held
94
him as a high-level wali Quran.Shura.13
4.22. MAKTUB 2.97 275
the beauty of the saba- On this side, my wage

hat (jamal-i sabahat) would be high
of that walayat. And
by this coloring and Az an taraf napadhirad
commingling (insibagh, kamal-i to noqsan
imtizaj), the station of Wa zin tarf sharaf-i
Muhammadan beloved- rozgar-i man
ness reaches the highest bashad
degree (daraja-i ‘ulya).
Summary: Masters receiving ben-
You may know that the positions efit (intifa‘, istifada) from slaves
(mansab) of the matchmaker and and servants (ghilman, khadama)
hair-dresser (dallalgi, mashatgi) is never forbidden (mamnu‘) or
are not forbidden (mamnu‘) or improper (mahdhur), and does
bad (mahdhur). Matchmaker not cause defect or loss to those
(dallal, mashat), by creating a masters (mustalazzim-i qusur, no-
channel of communication be- qsan). Instead, their honor in-
tween two beloveds, brings to- creases by the service (khidmat).
gether two beloveds possessing He who is luckless, he is unable
beauty and perfection (mahbub- to receive benefit from servants.
i sahib-i jamal, kamal ra). And To receive benefit from equals, or
they increase each others beauty. to seek assistance (muntafi‘, muta-
For that matchmaker, it is his per- matti‘) from them is what lessens
fection of service (kamal-i khid- the respect (noqsan). And get-
matgariy) and a high felicity ting help and benefit (istimdad,
(nihayat-i sharaf). In this mean- istifada) from equals is insulting
ing, the honor of those two beau- (noqsan). As Allah swt said, O
tiful people are not lessened. you nabi! Allah suffices for you,
In the same way, hairdressing in- and whoever follows you aming
creases the beauties (husn va ja- the faithful (Ya ayyuha ’l-nabiyyu!
mal) of those two possessors of Hasbuka ’llahu wa mani ’ttaba‘aka
perfection. And creates additional mina ’l-mu’minina).95
freshness and beauty (tarawat, zi- As Hazrat Ibn ‘Abbas said that
nat). This is a felicity and honor the pacification of Hazrat ‘Umar
(sa‘adat) for that hair-dresser. (islam-i hadrat-i Faruq)96 is the
This does not lessen the honor any occasion of revelation of this verse.
of those two. It is an axiomatic saying that
95
Quran.An‘am.46
On that side, your per- 96
Here, it seems that word islam is being as a
fection would not masdar, verbal noun, meaning pacification instead
take a loss of the proper noun of the name of a religion
by service from small and lower- disavowed in the end of his life in
level (asaghir, asafil) people, the maktub 3.122.
degrees (martaba) of great and
higher-level people go up. If one
fails to find a way to this axiomati- 4.24 Maktub 2.99
cally true matter, then what is the
defect in the description? Sultans To Mir Muhammad Nu’man
and courtiers, for beautification
and pomp (tajammul. tasalluf),
need servants. They know that Bismi ’llahi ’r-rahmani ’r-rahim
they need the servants for make All praise is to Allah! Peace
their own high-ranks perfect. By onto his elect devotees (Alhamdu
this, their honor is not lessened, li-’llahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi
both patricians and plebians know ’lladhina ’stafa).
this. Being unable to differen-
tiate between being benefited by
lower-ranked people vis-a-vis get- Salik on station of nabi
ting help from higher-ranked peo- Note: Mujaddid is defending
ple is the cause of this confusion. against false charges by blamers,
So now it is clear that the former who blamed the Mujaddid al-
brings one to perfection and the legedly claiming equality with
later decreases honor. Therefore, Hazrat Abubakr. In a private
the first one is permissible (mu- letter to his mentor on his own
jawwuz) and the second one is for- sufi wayfaring (suluk), he wrote
bidden (mumtani‘). about himself reaching a station
It is Allah who inspires with the higher than Hz Abubakr in a mys-
correct knowledge (Wa ’llahu sub- tic vision, but that letter became
hanahu ’l-mulhimu li-’l-sawabi). public when it was published later
Rabbana! Atina milladunka rah- in the Maktubat. And his enemies
matan, wa hayyi’ lana min am- twisted it and falsely claimed
rina rashada 97 )! Wa ’l-salamu that the Mujaddid meant that
‘ala mani ‘ttaba‘a ’l-huda. superiority in real life.
Question: On many instances, the
salik, while in ascent (‘uruj), finds
4.23 Maktub 2.98 himself onto the station of the
companions of the prophets (AS),
This maktub is skipped as it talks who are superior to any salik by
about zilliyat, which the Mujaddid ijma. Even that, he finds himself
onto the station of the prophets.
97
Q.Kahf.10 What is its reality?
4.24. MAKTUB 2.99 277
From this, many people get the sawat az iyn wusul cheh gunjaish
illusion(tuwahham) that that sa- darad)? Or how can one con-
lik is equal (musawat) to the pos- ceive partnership in this journey
sessors of those stations. Or (takhayyul-i shirkat az iyn sayr)?
imagines (takhayyul) that he E.g., if servants go to the pri-
shares (shirkat) those stations vate rooms of the masters (wusul-
with the possessors of those sta- i khadiman b-amkina’i khassa’i
tions. From this appearence of makhduman) to offer services, it
illusion and imagination (tawah- is not at all improper—it is not
hum, takhayyul), many deny unknown to anyone small or big
(radd) and speak ill (ta‘an) of (wadi‘, sharif). On the other
them. Can you explain? hand, he is quite stupid (balhiy)
who imagines that by this arrival,
Answer: Low ones arriving onto
one becomes an equal or a partner
the station of the high ones
(tuwahham-i musawat, shirkat az
(wusul-i asafil bemaqamat-i a‘la)
iyn wusul) of the master.
— oftentimes it is like that when
the poor ones and needy ones
E.g., every drummer or swords-
(fuqara, muhtajan) go to the door
man — they stay with the king,
of the magnificent mansions of the
and are present in the most elect
rich ones (arbab-i ni‘am) in or-
places (akhass-i amkina) along
der to solicit for their own needs
with him. Only a madman
and to beg for alms. The low
may imagine from this that he
ones arriving there (wusul-i asafil)
has become an partner from this.
in that manner—to interpret it as
from this journey and amusement
equality or partnership (musawat,
(takhayyul-i shirkat az iyn sayr va
shirkat) is stupid.
tamasha).
On the other hand, oftentimes
such arrival is for the sake of travel
and inspection. E.g., it maybe What would I say on the
that via someone’s medium or problem of sor-
connectorhood (wasa’it, wasa’il), rowful?
one goes to visit magnificent man- It comes to him from
sions of courtiers and sultans the sorrow of the
(sayr-i amakin-i khassa-i umara va beloved
salatin). This may appear to be
fun and frolic but actually it is so
that the desire grows in one’s mind
to grow high (‘uluww) like them. Bala’iy dardmandan
So from this arrival, how can one Az dar va delvar miy
imagine equality (tuwahhum-i mu- ayad
Blamers Superiority of two shaykhs

The superiority of the two shaykhs
If one searches for an excuse to (AR, i.e., ‘alaihim al-ridwan)
insult the poor (gharib) ones, or has been established via ijma
seeks a path to blame (malamat) of the companions and followers
them, may Hazrat Haqq swt grant (tabi‘in). The great masters of
that one a sense of justice (in- this ummat have narrated this.
saf). Instead, such a blamer may And one of them is Imam Shafi‘i.
take the other path of saving the Instead, every companions is su-
poor and weak ones from dam- perior to the rest of the ummat.
age and blame (daf‘-i sharr, raf‘-i Because there is no comparison to
malamat). And as a Muslim, one the superiority of the companion-
should preserve (hifz-i ‘ird) the ship of the rasul (SLM).
honor [of those poor ones]. [Those
blamers], they have no alternative When Islam was weak and the
but to be in either of these two Muslims were few in number,
camps: whatever that the companions did
to assist the religion of Islam, even
if it were little, still it would not
equal that little assistance. That
Camp A: Blamers believe
is why the rasul has said, If one of
salik believes he is equal to
you gives Uhud-mountainfull gold
God
in charity, still it does not equal a
If the [blamers] believe (i‘tiqad companion giving one mudd98 , or
darand) that the possessor of such even half a mudd of barley in char-
a state (sahib-i hal) actuallly be- ity99 .
lieves (mu‘taqad) he is indeed an
equal and a partner (musawat,
Superiority of Abubakr The
shirkat) of the possessors of such
reason why Hazrat Abubakr Sid-
sublime states (arbab-i maqamat-
diq (rad) is the most superior
i ‘ala), then that [blamer] should
is that he preceded the preced-
be considered an infidel and ir-
ers (asbaq-i sabiqin) in believing
rerligious man (kafir, zindiq). And
in and accepting the religion of
that [blamer] should be recog-
Islam. And he was before all
nized as one outside the people of
others in spending his entire life
the people of Islam (jumra-i ahl-
and plenty of wealth, and serving
i Islam). Because it is infidelity
the prince of the rasuls (salam).
(kufr) to hold oneself a partner
in prophethood or equal to the 98
Mudd is a measure of weights roughly equal to
prophets (shirkat dar nubuwat, two pounds or one kilogram
99
musawat b-ambiya) (AS). hadith.Bukhari
4.24. MAKTUB 2.99 279
For this reason, this verse was re- [praise]. I believe that that cause
vealed, is precede others in helping the
religion of Islam, and being in
Do not equate those the forefront in spending one’s life
among you who have and property. When the message-
donated and combated bearer has preceded all others in
before the conquest this matter of religion (din), he
to the ones who have is indeed the most superior. In
donated and combated the same way, among the rest who
afterwards—the former precede the others in this matter
have higher degrees. of religion, he is superior to the
(La yastawiy minkun others. In the matters of the re-
man yanfaqa min qabli ligion, they are like the teachers
’l-fat-hi, wa qatala. (ustadh, mu‘allim) of the follow-
Ula’ika a‘zamu dara- ers. The followers benefit from the
jatan mina ’lladhina light of the preceders. And take in
anfaqu min ba‘du, their effusion and baraka.
qatalu, wa kullan. Wa
‘ada ’llahu ’l-husna).100 Within this ummat, after our ra-
sul (slm), who received this mag-
I.e., those who donated and com- nificent felicity is Hazrat Abubakr
bated [the attackers] before the Siddiq (RA). Because he was the
conquest of Mecca have higher de- preceder of the preceders (asbaq-i
grees (martaba) than those who sabiqin) in assisting the rasul and
have donated and fought after- the sharia. He did it by spending
wards. However, Allah has plenty of money, fighting combats
promised the superior thing, i.e., and practicing hard spiritual prac-
paradise to both of them. tices (muqatala, mujahada-i sha-
There is one group who, seeing the dida), not paying heed to his own
praise for all the companions, hes- honor, resolving quarrels (rafa‘-
itate on the superiority of Hazrat i fasad) etc. in the matter of
Siddiq (rad). They do not know strengthening the religion and as-
that if praise proved superiority sisting the prince of the emissaries
then many individuals in this um- (az jaht-i ta‘iyd-i din va nusrat-i
mat who have been praised, they sayyidul mursalin) (slm). There-
would be superior to those who fore, he is greater than all others
have not received such praise from by unanimity (musallam).
the rasul (slm). Therefore, it is
learned that the cause of supe- ‘Umar The rasul prayed that
riority is something else but this via the assistance of ‘Umar, Islam
100
Q.Hadid.10 prodominates and attains high
honor (‘izzat). Even that Haqq who have been made felicitous by
swt himself found ‘Umar sufficient the felicity of the companionship
to help his holy beloved (slm) in of the generous nabi (SLM). It
this world. E.g., Allah said, O does not happen in all other eras.
nabi! For you, Allah and the I.e., the followers of the prophet’s
faithful who follow you are suf- era do not precede the earlier ones
ficient (Ya ayyuhan ’l-nabiuyyu! of that era. On the other hand,
Hasbuka ’llahu wa mani ’ttaba‘aka the followers of any other era can
mina ’l-mu’minina).101 Hazrat precede the earlier ones of that
Imam Ibn ‘Abbas (RA) said that era.102
‘Umar accepting Islam was the oc- May Hazrat Haqq swt give the
casion of revealation for this verse. blamers the eyes to see. So that
Therefore, it is clear that after they are able to see the ugliness of
Hazrat Siddiq, it is Hazrat ‘Umar blaming other faithful Muslims via
who is the most superior. It is for speculation. And due to their jeal-
this reason that the companions ousy and partisanship, call other
and the followers have been unani- Muslims infidels or deviant (gom-
mous in the superiority of the two rah). What is the treatment for
great ones. Additionally, Hazrat this? If they do not deserve be-
‘Ali has said, Hazrat Abubakr and ing called infidel or deviant, then
Hazrat ‘Umar are the most supe- those [epithets] would instead fall
rior (afdal) of this ummat. If any- onto the [blamers]. And the strike
one give me superiority over them of infidelity would fall upon the
is a false blamer (muftariy). And I executioner. It is narrated in the
would whip him as a false blamer. prophet’s hadith as well.103 .
I have explained this topic in my O our nurturer, forgive our sins,
books in detail. There is no room and the excesses in our deeds, and
to write more here. He who con- keep our feet firm, and help us
siders himself equal to the com- against the horde of infidels (Rab-
panions of the prophet, he is quite bana ’ghfirlana dhunubana, wa is-
stupid (balhiy). Even more, he rafana fi amrina, wa thabbit aq-
who puts himself within the pre- damana, wa ’nsurna ‘ala ’l-qawmi
ceders (sabiqan), he is ignorant ’l-kafirina).104
of the hadith and sayings (athar)
102
of the companions. However, you Mujaddid was higher than the earlier ones of
the Muhammadan community except for the com-
may know that the felicity of pre-
panions and the prophets.
cederhood (dawlat-i sabiqin) is re- 103
Refers to the well-known hadith that if one call
served for the first era (qarn-i a second person an infidel and that second person
awwal). I.e., reserved for those is truly not that, then it is accuser who would be
the infidel
101 104
Q.Anfal.64 Q.Baqara.Imran.3.147
4.24. MAKTUB 2.99 281
Camp B: Blamers believe 1. Reason for

salik does not believe he is publicizing
equal to God
Question 1: Why are you creating
Now let us proceed to the gist of a commotion (fitna?) by divulging
the matter, and discuss on camp such unpleasant states108 ?
B. On the other hand, the blamers
onto the salik with such a state Answer: There are many instances
(abasteh),105 if they do not believe when the sufi shaykhs divulged
in partnership (shirk), and do not such states. And it is their
consider that salik as an infidel, oft-repeating habit (‘adat-i mus-
then what is the state (abasteh) tamarra). This is not the first
of that salik? It has no alterna- bottle-breaking109 in Islam. This
tive but to be either of these two: matter does not lack good inten-
tion and honest desire (biy-niyyat-
i haqqaniya, biy-irada-i sadiqa).
A. Dishonest description Ei-
ther what that salik is reporting
should be held to be a lie. But this A. Shaykh’s opinion Some-
is a dishonest conception, putting times, the purpose of bring-
which on a Muslim violates the ing open such God-given states
sharia.106 (ahwal-i mawhub) before one’s
own shaykh in tariqa is to learn
their opinion on if those [states]
B. True description Or on the
are true or false. I.e., so that
other hand, if that salik is not held
the pir informs how good or bad
to be a liar and is not considered
is that [state], and interprets its
to believe in equality, then what
meaning (ta‘bir, ta’wil).
is the reason behind blaming him?
What is truly happening107 should
be put forward honestly. One who B. Encouragement Some
describes true happenings may not other times, it is written to
be blamed, and he should not be encourage the seeker (tahris,
said to be bad. targhib).
105 108
i.e., the blamers of that camp B e.g., reaching the station of Hz Abubakr. Be-
106
i.e., holding the belief that that salik is com- cause people not in the sufi path may misinter-
mitting the sin of lying. However, it is holding a pret this mystic vision. Would it not have been
negative opinion on a Muslim, and holding a neg- more prudent keep this vision unpublished?. Ir-
ative opinion on a Muslim violates the sharia as shad Alam’s comment: Originally that letter was
sharia commands Muslims to hold a positive opin- a private letter to his pir in the sufi path, Khwaja
ion on others Baqi bi-’llah. Many years later, when the Maktu-
107
what is truly happening is that the salik is bat volume 1 was complied by his disciples, they
truly experiencing that hal, regardless of whether included it in that book.
109
that hal represents the truth or not i.e., a new thing
C. Hal Still some other times, 2. Why does a nabi or

it has no purpose, instead such wali face problems?
talks are spoken due to intoxicat-
edness and predomination of the What’s the reason that the nabis
state (sukr, ghalba-i hal).110 So (as) and walis (ar) get swamped
that the salik makes a few breaths with problems (bala, musibat
(dam) and as its result, the heat of mubtala bashand) in this world?
his mind calms down and his nafs And get caught up by problems
finds peace. and pain (bishtar balayat, mihn)
more112 ? As it is said, indeed
those men treated most severely
Fake sufis with problems are the prophets,
next the walis, and so on113 (Inna
On the other hand, he who de-
ashadda ’l-nasi bala’a ’l-anbiya’u,
scribes such states in the pur-
thumma ’l-awliya’u, thumma ’l-
pose of publicizing and announc-
amthalu fa-’l-amthalu). It is as
ing himself and attracting people
Hazrat Haqq (swt) said in his no-
(shuhrat, qabul-i khalq) to him-
ble book, The problems that come
self, he is making false claims and
to you, they come as your hands
is a bad person. In his case,
earned them (Wa ma asabakum
such states (abasteh) bring him
min musibatin fa-bima kasabat
lethal damage, and takes him to
aidiykum) 114 . So it is realized
ruin. O our nurturer, do not
from this generous verse that the
deform our hearts having guided
more one sins, the more problems
us, instead give us mercy from
come to one — like it is said that
you. You give in abundance (Rab-
the most serious problems come
bana! La tuzigh qulubana ba‘da
to the prophets (AS), next to the
idh hadaitana, wahablana mill-
walis (AR), and next to the others
dunka rahmatan, innaka anta ’l-
commensurate to how good they
wah-hab).111 I don’t claim that
are.
my nafs is pure. Indeed, the nafs
exhorts strongly towards dishon-
est deeds. Except him whom my Question 2 Part A: How can
nurturer saves by his grace. Verily sinless ones suffer? However,
my nurturer is all-forgiving, com- Allah has said in his word full of
passionate (Wa ma ubarri’u naf- wisdom, The problems that come
siy. Inna ’l-nafsa la’ammaratun ya to you, they come as your hands
su’iy illa ma rahima rabbiy. Inna have earned them (Ma asabaka
rabbi la-ghafuru ’l-rahim) min musibatin, fa-bima kasabat
112
i.e., more than the commoners
110 113
i.e., under pressure of the hal commensurate to their goodness cf. Aftabi
111 114
Q Q
4.24. MAKTUB 2.99 283
aidiykum).115 From this generous stead, it is the last world that

verse, it is realized that the more has been created for bliss and
sins one does, the more problems pleasure (tana“um, taladhdhudh).
come to him. In that case, severe Therefore, when this world and
problems should come to everyone the last world are like two wives
except the prophets (AS) and the of the same husband, and oppo-
walis (AR) of Allah, but not to the site (darriyat, naqadat) to each
prophets (AS) and the walis (AR) other, then necessarily, being well-
themselves. pleased (rida) onto one mandates
being displeased (sakhat) onto the
Question 2 Part B: How other. And being pleased in one
can God give pain to his mandates of being in pain (tal-
beloveds? Second, these mas- adhdhudh, ta’allum) in the other.
ters, either by themselves or Therefore, he who would enjoy
by followership (aslan, taba‘an)116 pleasure and bliss (mutaladhd-
are beloveds of the Haqq (ja). And hidh, mutana“im) in this world,
elects among them who are near he would be in pain and ashamed
him (SWT) (mahbuban, khawass- (muta’allim, mutanaddim)in the
i muqarraban). If so, how to jus- last world. On the other hand, the
tify awarding problems (balayat, more one would be overwhelmed
mihan) to the beloved ones (mah- with pain and problems (balayat,
buban)? Or to put them into pain mihan bishtar mubtala) in this
(azar)? Enemies are in delight world, the more one would content
and bliss (naz, tana“um) while the and possessor of the experience
friends are in pain and problems of????? (mahzuz, masbardar)117
(balayat, mihan muqim) — how bliss and pleasure (tana“umat, ta-
can it be? ladhdhudhat) in the last world.
Compared with the last world, the
life of this world is very short.
Answer to question 2: Pain The comparison of the ocean with
is temporary Answer: May Al- a drop — even that is negated
lah swt instructs you well, and in this. That which has an
guide you towards the straight end, how can that be compared
path (Arshadaka ’llahu ta‘ala with the endless? Therefore,
hadaka ’l-sawa’a ’l-sirati). You necessarily, in his infinite grace,
may know that this world has Haqq swt gives his friends pain
not been created for pleasure for just a few days118 and then
(tana“um, taladhdhudh). In-
115 117
Q look in Farsi dictionaty to doublecheck mas-
116
either that master himself is a saint, or he is bardar
118
the disciple of a saint when he does give pain to his beloveds
keep them content within bliss un- enough for him. In all of them,
til the end of time (tana“umat- there is wisdom and his rectifica-
i abadiy). On the other hand, tion (Likulli dhalika hikamun wa
[he (swt)] would keep his ene- masalihu).
mies,119 temporary pleasure for
a few days (betaladhdhudhat-i
qalila mahzuz), and then would Why does not God give his
place them into tremendous pain friends bliss in both?
(ta’allumat-i kathira). Question: Hazrat Haqq swt is all-
powerful over everything. He can
Infidel begger do whatever he wants. He can
give his friends bliss and plea-
Question: The infidel begger is sure (taladhdhudhat, tama“umat)
deprived in both this world and in both the worlds, so that one of
the last world. His pain in this them does not become the cause of
world, why did it fail to grant him pain or pleasure for the other one.
pleasure (taladhdhudh) in the last Comment?
world?
Answer: The infidel is the enemy
of God (JS) (dushman-i khoda). Answer 1: Purpose is appre-
He deserves ever-abiding torture ciation Answer: There are sev-
(mustahaqq-i adhab-i da’imi). In eral reasons behind it. First, un-
this world, he is relieved of the tor- less they suffer a few days pain
ture and kept in a good situation and problems (balayat, mihn) of
(tana“um, taladhdhudh) — it it- this world, they would not ap-
self is the grace (ihsan) of God. It preciate the value of ever-abiding
is for this reason that this world pleasure and contentment (tal-
has been declared as the paradise adhdhudhat, tana“umat-i abadi).
for the infidels. In summary, God And they would fail to properly
has freed many of them from tor- feel the bliss of ever-abiding good
ture in this world, and even more, health and wellness (ni‘amat-i siht
has granted them pleasing lives va ‘afiyat-i da’imi). Therefore
(taladhdhudhat). On the other the purpose of temporary pain is
hand, for some others, he has receiving the perfection of ever-
freed them for torture only, but abiding pleasure (tahsil-i kamal-
has not given them pleasing lives i taladhdhudh-i da’imi). This is
(taladhdhudhat). That that infi- the grace of Allah that appears
del has been relieved of the tor- as his anger to the common peo-
ture and granted respite—that is ple. Many find guidance in this,
and many find misguidance in this
119
in the method of strategy (hikmat) cf. Aftabi (Yudilli bihi kathiran wa yahdi bihi
4.24. MAKTUB 2.99 285
kathiran) 120 . barley. And if this sweetness were

not within this [pain], this world
Answer 2: Pain is pleasure to would have been a meaningless
masters Second, although those thing. As a poet said,
problems, painful things (balayat, From your love, this is
mihn) are painful to the common- my desire
ers, still to these masters, since In pangs and pain, I keep
they come from the unbounded on suffering
beauty (jamil-i mutlaq)(JS), then Else under the heavens,
they are the means of pleasure means of happi-
(asbab-i iltidhadh-i shan) to them ness
indeed. From problems, they Are they few? Is
get that same pleasure (az balaha your gift anything
hamiyn ladhdhat) that they get small?
from bliss (ni‘amat/na‘ma). In-
stead, they feel even more pleasure Ghard az ‘ishq-i to-am
(bishtar mahzuz) within problems chashniy-i dard
(balaha). Because those are the ??wa‘anam-st
intention of the beloved singularly Dar neh??? zir-i falak
(khalis-i marad-i mahbub). On asbab-i tana“um
the other hand, bliss (ni‘amat) cheh kam ast
lacks that singularity (khulus).
Because everyone’s nafs desires
bliss, and seeks relief from prob- Friends: Happy in pain
lems. Therefore, to these mas- Therefore, the friends of God
ters, problems are prefered be- (ta‘ala), they receive pleasure
fore bliss (ni‘amat). And they (mustaladhdhidh) in this world.
get more pleasure (iltidhadh) from And become happy (mahzuz, mas-
problems. Even that, they feel bardar) in the last world as well.
that that the only things that give Their this-worldly pleasure (lad-
them pleasure are problems (bal- hdhat) does not conflict (zang)
ayat, masa’ib). with last-worldly happiness (hazz-
i akhirat). The pleasure that cn-
flicts with the last world is an-
Saltiness is precious other type of pleasure, which is at-
If God did not keep this salti- tained by the common people. O
ness within this world, those [mas- God (ilahi)! How have you made
ters] would not buy this [earthly your friends? What is the cause of
world] for even a single grain of pain (sabab-i ta’allum) to the oth-
ers causes them pleasure (sabab-i
120
Q iltidhadh). And what is calamity
(zahmat) to all the others is mercy and as its result made them con-
(rahmat) to them. Again, that tent and pleased (mahzuz, muta-
what is pain to the others is bliss ladhdhudh). You have taken the
(ni‘amat) to them. Common man disliked and painful things (kara-
is happy (shadi) in happiness, and hat, ta’allum), that are the lot
sorrowful is sorrow (ghamm). On of the others, away from [your
the other hand, while these mas- friends]. Narrowness and bro-
ters are still happy in happiness kenness (tang, raswaniy), which
but they are happy even in sorrow are defects (‘aib) for the others
(ghamm) as well. Because their — you have made them beauty
focus has been uprooted from the and perfection (jamal, kamal) for
specifities of good or bad deeds this most high tribe121 (jamal,
(af‘al-i jamila va radhila). And in- kamal-i iyn ta’ifa-i ‘aliya). And
stead that focus have been concen- within the unfulfillment of de-
trated onto the beauty of the doer sire itself (dar ‘iyn-i namaradiy-
(jamal-i fa‘il) of those deeds , who i murad), you have inserted ful-
is real and unboundedly beauti- fulment of desire as object held
ful (jamil-i mutlaq). And due in trust (wadi‘at). In opposi-
to the love for that doer, all his tion to the rule that is universal
deeds have become beloved (mah- for all others (bar ‘aks-i digaran),
bub) and pleasure-giving (iltid- you have made such earthly plea-
hadh). Therefore, whatever in sure and happiness (ladhdhat) for
the cosmos (‘alam) that proceeds them as the cause of progress
from the will of that beloved (sabab-i taraqqiyat) and delights
(bemurad-i mahbub) (JS), even if (huzuz) in the last world (huzuz-i
it causes them pain and hurt (iy- akhirat).Dua Dhalika fadlu ’llahi
lam, idtirab) still it gives them yu’tihi man yasha’u, wa ’llahu dhu
pleasure (sabab-i iltidhadh). ’l-fadli ’l-‘azim 122 .
Answer 3: Testing This world

Bliss of pain is tremen-
is a testing ground (dar-i ibtila).
dous O God (khodawand)! It
Truth is commingled with false-
is your act of grace and char-
hood (haqq ba-batil mumtazij)
ity (fadl, karamat) that you have
here, and the truthful ones are
covered up such a hidden felicity
commingled in with the false ones
(dawlat-i khafiya) and likable bliss
(muhiq ba-mubtil mukhtalit).
(ni‘amat) from the evil eyes of oth-
Therefore, if he swt does not
ers. And instead you have given
give pain and problems (mihan,
it to your own friends. And at
all times, having kept them stand- 121
i.e. Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi tariqa
122
ing (qa’im) on your own desire, Quran.Hadid.21
4.24. MAKTUB 2.99 287
bala) onto his friends (dustan), to be problems and calamities

instead only onto his enemies, (mihn va balaya) onto his friends,
then friend and enemy would so that the method of testing
get distinguished (mutamayyiz) wisdom and ????? (hukm-i
from each other. And the rule of ibtala, azma’ish) is completed
proving (ikhtibar) and assaying (tamam). And his friends get
(azma’ish) would be falsified. — well-pleased (mutaladhdhidh)
And that would be inconsistent in that very problem. On the
with faith in the absent (munafiy-i other hand, sand has been thrown
iman ba-ghayb). Morever, the into the inner eyes (kur-i batin)
felicity of this world and the of the enemy is blind (kha’ib-i
last world are contained within khak bud). As the Quran says,
that.123 As Allah swt said, Many find guidance in this, and
many find misguidance in this
1. Those who believe in the ab- (Yudilli bihi kathiran wa yahdi
sent (alladhina yu’minuna bi bihi kathiran).127
’l-ghaibi)124
2. And to know Allah, who Rasul also was not distin-
assists him and his rasul, guished The interrelationship
while absent. Verily, Allah of the prophets (AS) with the
is strong and beyond access infidels was the same. Because the
(Wa li-ya‘lama ’llahu man infidels had such an interaction
yansuruhu wa rusulahu bi-’l- (mu‘amala) with the prophets
ghaibi. Inna ’llaha qawwi- (AS) that sometimes one side
wun ‘azizun)125 won and another time, the other
—these allude to the above- side won. In the battle of Badr,
mentioned matters. the Muslims won, whereas in
the battle of Uhud, the infidels
predominated. He swt said, If
Nondistinction is God’s
you have received injuries, then
wisdom Therefore, God has
they also received similar injuries.
thrown sand into the eyes of the
Among the people, we are revolv-
enemy126 , and has put what seems
ing ??????????????????????/re-
123
faith in the absent circulating these days so that
124
Q Allah may find the faithful, and
125
Q
126 so that there are witnesses to
Refers to Quran ???? which talks about an
incident in the battle of Badr /Uhud where the ra- it among you (In yamsaskum
sul threw a handful of sand towards the Meccan in- qarhun, fa-qad massa ’l-qawma
vaders, which that made them unable to see. Quran qarhun mithluhu wa tilka ’l-
also says that it was not the rasul but God/Allah
127
himself who threw that sand Q.Baqara.2.26
ayyamu tudawilha bayna ’l-nasi to the original question that came

wa li-ya‘lama ’llahu ’llazina before.
amanu wa yattakhiza minkum
shuhada’a) 128 Q.Al-‘Imran.?????).
Epilogue: Why does God
Allah swt does not love the
give pain to his friends?
oppressors. And he does not
delete them who believe, instead Let us come to the head of the
destroys the infidel. (Wa ’llahu matter. And write out the an-
la-yuhibbu ’l-zalimina. Wa la- swer as the epilogue to that origi-
yumahhisa ’llahu ’llazina amanu, nal question.130 .
wa yamhaqa ’l-kafirina)
look over these Quran trans- Reason A: Problems expiate
lations double check????? sins Yes! The cause of pain
???????????????????????????????? and problems (bala, musibat) is
the earning of sins and bad deeds
(kasb-i dhunub, sayyi’at). Al-
Answer 4: Against wisdom though sin is the cause of prob-
and habit Yes! Haqq swt is lems, still through the coming of
powerful (qadir) over all things calamities and problems (darud-i
in all matters. And he is can bala, musibat) sins are expiated
(tuwan) give happiness and bliss (kaffara). And the darkness of sins
(naz, tana‘u‘um) both here and get removed (nudhul-i zulmat-i an
there129 . Still it is against his dhunub). So it is an act of grace of
wisdom and habit (hikmat, ‘adat) God that he brings problems to his
to do so. Instead, Haqq prefers friends. That way their sins are
to keeps his power (qudrat) con- expiated (mukaffir-i an sayyi’at).
cealed (mastur) behind his wis- And the darkness of those sins are
dom and habit. And he has made set down (mudhil-i zulmat-i an).
occasions and means (asbab, ‘ilal) Don’t equate the sins of the friends
the curtain over his holy person with the sins of the enemies. You
(rupush-i janab-i quds). There- may have heard the hadith, Good
fore, he has no alternative (nachar deeds of the common pious are
nabud) but to give this-worldly like the sins of the near ones
problems (naqadat-i dunya) to his (Hasanatu ’l-abrari sayyi’atu ’l-
friends. It is so that the bliss of the
130
last world (tana“umat-i akhirat) is Original question: Hazrat Haqq swt is all-
powerful over everything. He can do whatever he
happy and peaceful to them. This wants. He can give his friends bliss and pleasure
has also been hinted in the answer (taladhdhudhat, tama“umat) in both the worlds,
so that one of them does not become the cause of
128
( pain or pleasure for the other one. [Why doesn’t
129
in this world and the last world God swt do that instead?]
4.24. MAKTUB 2.99 289
muqarribina).131 Therefore, if any a part from my body (Al-Fatimatu

sin or disobedience (dhanb, ‘isyan) badu‘attun minniy) 133 . When the
comes from them, it is not like rasul witnessed her disturbance
the others causing that sin or dis- (idtirab, iltihab), he consoled her
obedience. Possibly that happens by saying, For your father, this
as error or omission/mistake, un- is the only suffering, and that is
intentionally. As Allah said, And it is the last pain. He would suf-
verily we took oath from Adam be- fer no more pain after this (Pedar-
fore but he forgot it, and failed to i tora, hamiyn mehnat-st wa bas.
find firmness in him (Wa laqad Wa bishtar hech makardiy waqi‘
‘ahidna ila Adama min qablu fa- nist).134 It is a felicity that
nasiya. Wa lam nazidlahu ‘az- such a severe and ever-abiding tor-
man).132 So an excess in prob- ture (adhab-i ashadda, abqa) gets
lems (bala, masa’ib) is the sign taken off in lieu of a few days suf-
of expiation for sins (kaffarat-i fering.
sayyi’at), not excessive earning of
sins (kathrat-i kasb-i sayyi’at). He Answer C: Beloveds are given
puts problems onto friends so that pain to expiate sins Such
their sins are expiated even more. treatment is meted out to friends,
And he takes them away as puri- not to the others.135 For those
fied and sanctified (pak, pakizeh). others, this worldly sins are not
And he keeps them preserved from properly expiated, instead re-
the pain of the last world (mihan-i mains for the last world. There-
ukhriy mahfuz). fore, necessarily, his friends are
given a plenitude of problems as
Answer B: Suffering is sunna they are more deserving of prob-
It is narrated that while the ra- lems (bala).136 On the other
sul (SLM) was suffering the pangs hand, the others don’t deserve this
of death (sakarati ’l-mawt), see- felicity as their sins are major.
ing the uncomfortableness (biy- And they refuse to cry to God,
arami, biy-qarari) of that mas- act submissively, seek his forgive-
ter (SLM), Hazrat Fatima (RA) ness or act as if broken (iltija,
was also uncomfortable (biy-aram, tadarru‘, istighfar, inkisar), in-
biy-qarar). It was due to her stead they keep on sinning more
perfect mercy and compassion and more (tahsil-i dhunub). Nei-
(kamal-i shafqat, mehrbani) she ther are they empty of disobdi-
had for that hazrat. After all, the ence (tamarrud). Even that, they
rasul said on her, Fatima is like 133
hadith
134
hadith in Farsi
131 135
hadith i.e., other than his friends
132 136
Q as God’s beloveds deserve expiation of sins
chide and ignore (istihza, istinkar) E.g., they used to say, What a ra-
the signs from God (be-ayat-i kho- sul is he? He eats and drinks,
dawandi) (js). Penance for a sin and goes to the bazar. Why do
is proportionate to the gravity of not angels descend to him, who
the sin. If the sin is small, the would show fear for him?139 Or
penance is small. And that sin- why hasn’t wealth be thrown at
ner begs and cries (multaji, muhim? Or why has not been an
tadarriy) to God. Therefore, his orchard for him? From which
penance is accepted (qabil-i kaf- he would eat. (Wa qalu ma li-
farat) by worldly problems (bala- hadha ’l-rasuli ya’kulu ’l-ta‘ama
i duniyawiyy). On the other wa yamshi fi ’l-aswaqi. Law la
hand, if the sin is severe, and at unzila ilaihi malakun, fa-yakuna
the same time that sinner acts ma‘ahu nadiran aw yulqa ilaihi
disobediently and haughtily (mu- kanzun, aw takunu lahu jannatun,
tammir, mutakabbir), then the ya’kulu min-ha).140
penance for that man’s sins takes They say such as they deny
place in the last world. And that the last world, and the ever-
penance is severe and ever-abiding abiding torture and reward of
(ashadd, adwam). Allah has not the last world (inkar-i adhab va
oppressed them. Instead, they op- thawab-i da’imi). And instead
pressed themselves (Wa ma za- they rely on the ephemeral plea-
lamahu ’llahu, wa lakin kanu an- sure (taladhdhudhat-i fani) of this
fusahum yazlimuna.137 world and consider it valuable. He
who has faith in the last world,
Problems given as blessings and believes its torture and re-
in disguise Question: You have ward as ever-abiding (da’imi), in
written that many say bad things his gaze (nazr) the worldly prob-
(istihza, sukhriya) and say, Why lems that are for a few days only
does Hazrat Haqq (swt) give prob- are estimated to be trivial.
lems (mehnat, bala) to his friends? Instead, this pain is tantamount
Instead, why does he swt not keep to bliss (rahat) to them as it
them in happiness (naz, tana“um) is the pain of temporary labor
instead? that causes ever-abiding bliss (ra-
Answer: By saying that, they hat). Don’t pay heed to what
mean to deny their friendhood.138 [common] people say, for problems
The infidels used to say the same are the faithful witness (‘adl) to
thing on our rasul (SLM) as well. love. Those whose inner eyes (kur-
137
i batinan) fail to see that love,
Q.Nahl,33
138 139
i.e., they establish that those friends are not i.e., show divine wrath onto his enemies
140
friends at all, c.f. Aftabi Q.Furqan.7-8
4.24. MAKTUB 2.99 291
what can be done?141 What is does not want, Allah forsakes him
the alternative but to turn the face and doesn’t apply force onto him.
away from the ignorant (jahilan)? Even then, if he is to possess eter-
And not to pay heed to what they nal felicity (sa‘adat-i abadiy-dar),
say? Hold your patience well (Fa- then he would strike his hands
’sbir sabiran jamila).142 and feet on the path of inabat, re-
turn.144 And by the grace (fadi,
‘inayat) of he swt, he would reach
Answer B: Problems are lash-
the destination. Else he knows,
ing of whip Answer B: These
and his practice knows.145
problems are the lashing of the
whip from the beloved (taziyaneh- O Allah! (Allahumma takilniy ila
i mahbub) that forbids the lover nafsiy tarfata ‘ainin)!
(muhibb) from focusing (iltifat)
onto the ma sewa of the holy So now it is known that murad
person of the beloved. Instead, experience more problems than
these makes him totally turn his murids. For this reason, the head
face onto the holy person of the of the murads Hazrat Muham-
beloved (bekulliyat mutawajjuh-i mad (slm) said, No nabi has been
janab-i quds-i mahbub). There- more tormented like I have been
fore, those who are worthy to tormented (Ma uwziya nabiyun
be put into problems are the mithla ma uwzitu).146 Therefore,
friends. And these problems make problems are like the matchmaker
the penance (mukaffir) for [the (dallal). So by pointing towards
friends] for the acquisition of the the path beautifully, he brings the
sin of focusing (kasb-i sayyi’a-i ilti- friend to the friend. And puri-
fat) onto the ma sewa. Others are fies him (pak) him from looking
unfit to attain this felicity. Why at the others. It is so surprising
would they143 be forcefully (bezur) that if the lovers receives a huge
bought to the beloved? After amount of money (kardarha), they
all, whomever Allah (ja) wants, purchase problems by that but at
he brings that [sought one] to the the same time, the others try to re-
beloved, even if by force or by lash- move those problems even for that
ing (be-zur va darb). And makes huge amount of money.
that [sought one] a beloved (mah-
144
bub). as a swimmer does. Mujaddid several times
used this analogy that one only makes a minimal
On the other hand, whom Allah effort by moving them along the current and he
would succeed. He would not need to make hard
141
Aftabi has one more line, if they estimate that efforts
145
this [pain] is the barrier to love I.e., he would attain nothing. cf. Aftabi
142
Q.Ma‘arij.5 ???????????????????????????????????????? I.e.,
143 146
i.e., those who are not friends hadith by Anas
How does pain benefit truly peaceful (haqiqat-i itminan)

friends? and has become pure and purified
(pak, pakizeh). Therefore, it is
Question: There are times when
now established that problems are
put into problems, restlessness
the matchmakers in the bazaar of
and pain (idtirab, kurhiy) are cre-
love (dallal-i bazar-i mahabbat).
ated even in friends. What are its
He who has no love in him, what
causes?
would he do with a matchmaker?
Or what worth or price does the
Cause 1. Pain is Needed matchmaker has to him?
for jihad with nafs Answer
1: That pain and restlesness
Cause 2: Pain differenti-
(kurhiy, idtirab) of theirs is exter-
ates lovers That [pain] differen-
nal (suriy) that comes from their
tiates (mutamayiz) the true lover
human nature (muqtadaiy tinat-i
(muhibb-i sadiq) from the false
bashariyat). Due to some partic-
claimant. I.e., if he is true, he
ular wisdom and method of pu-
receives pleasure (multadhdh) and
rification (hikam, masalih), that
fulfillment (mahzuz) in problems.
[pain] has been made to abide
On the other hand, if he is a false
(abqa) within [humans]. Because
claimant, he only gets pain from
without it, the jihad and enmity
(kurh, tallum) problems. Except
(mu‘adat) with the nafs may not
the true lover, none would be able
be conceived (mutasawwur). You
to realize this. It is he who can
may have heard about the restless-
realize the difference between true
ness and discomfort (biyqarariy,
feeling of pain (haqiqat-i kurh,
biy-aramiy) that came out of the
ta’allum) from the feeling of pain
master of this world and the last
that is in appearence (surat) only.
world while suffering the agony of
And he is able to differentiate the
death (sakharati ’l-mawt). That
true human attribute (haqiqat-i
was the left-over (baqiya) of his
sifat-i bashariyat) from the ap-
jihad with his nafs. So that
pearent human attributes (surat).
the final prophet makes his fi-
Walis can recognize walis (Al-
nal journey (khatima-i khatim al-
waliyyu ya‘rifu ’l-waliyya) — this
rasul) (SLM) carrying out jihad
saying is an allusion towards that.
with the enemies of God (bar ji-
Allah (S) is the guide towards
had ba-dushmanan-i khoda). It
the well-guided path (Wa ’lahu
seems that his human attributes
sub-hanahu ’l-hadiy ila sabili ’l-
(sifat-i bashariyat) have been up-
rashadi).147
rooted by the root. And his
nafs has atained perfect obeyance 147
There is a question on zilliyat here that is
(kamal-i inqiyad). And has turned skipped Nur 128.3-end of page
4.24. MAKTUB 2.99 293
Fana baqa he himself becomes

nothing (nachiz) and
You have asked on the topic of
abides (baqa) with his
fana and baqa. What they mean,
own master (rabb-i
I have explained it in my maktubs
khod). It’s analogy is
and risalas many times before. If
this:
any confusion still remains, then
it has no treatment but to ap- A drop of
pear face-to-face. It is impossi- water gets an-
ble to write out all the interpre- nihilated (fani)
tations (haqiqat). Even if it could and merges
be done, it would not wise. Who (mulhiqq) in
understands what? And fails to the sea. And it
understand what? — these can’t cuts itself loose
be foreseen. from its own
ties (az qa’id-i
Fana and baqa are shuhudiy, khod)148 And
i.e., happens apparently but does it merges in
not happen wujudiy, existentially. the sea of
Slave does not turn into noth- unboundedness
ing (nachiz). And does not (be-mutlaq
unify (muttahid) with Haqq (swt). muttahid
Slave (‘abd) is always the slave, gardand).149
and master (rabb) is always the
master. May Allah save us from
such corrupt belief of theirs
A. False fana and baqa They (A‘adhana ’llahu sub-hanahu ‘an
are zindiqs who interpret fana and mu‘taqadatihim al-shu’i).
baqa existentially (wujudi). And
they believe: B. True fana and baqa True
(haqiqat) fana is forgetting that
Slave goes over his is his ma sewa, not getting capti-
own existential entifica- vated to the other, and and purify-
tions (raf‘i ta‘ayyunat-i ing the expanse of the breast from
wujudi-i khod) and all of one’s own desires and wants
unifies (muttahid mi- (muradat va khasta-ha-i khod).
gardad) with his own It150 relates to the station of slave-
prototype (asl-i khod) hood (bandegi). On the other
that is beyond entifi- 148
i.e., ties of of ta‘ayyun cf. Aftabi
cation and ties (mu- 149
Irshad Alam’s comment: That is the final des-
nazzah az ta‘ayyunat tination of the yogis cf. Autobiography of a Yogi
150
va quyud-ast). And that true fana
hand, what relates to the station man ahaba) 152 . This keeps on go-
of baqa is that the slave stands ing until the manuscript gets com-
(qa’im) according to the desires pleted.153 That sayr is beyond the
(muradat) of his own master (JS). sayrs of the afaq and anfus.
And that slave finds that [his mas-
Take note that many have called
ter’s] desires are the same as the
sayr-i anfusi as the sayr fi-’llah.
slave’s own desires. However, that
However, the sayr that was talked
[baqa] is after the witnesing of the
about before is not that sayr. Be-
internal signs (shuhud-i ayat-i an-
cause this sayr of theirs is husuli,
fusi).
need to be earned , whereas that
sayr is wusuli, related to arrival.154
Sayr beyond anfus The difference between husuli and
wusuli has been explained in de-
Question: You asked about the
tail in many maktubs, look it up
sayr that is beyond (berun) the
there.155
nafses.151 Which sayr is that? Be-
cause what I see is that the sayr in
the ten latifas of the ‘alam-i khalq Aqrabiyat, kamalat-i
and ‘alam-i amr, then on the sayr nubuwat etc.
within the unified matter (hi’at-i You have asked about the aqra-
wahdani), they both seem to be biyat of the dhat and sifat of God
within the sayr-i anfusi. So where — a meeting is needed to explain
is the sayr beyond (ma wara) the it. I do not find it prudent to
anfus? write. If I write, it would be in-
Answer: You may know that comprehensible. I guess that you
the anfus, like the afaq, is the won’t be able to understand it.
shadow (zilal) of the names of God When we meet in person, if you
(ilahi) (JS). When the shadow, by can understand through my ver-
the grace of God (khodawandi) bal explanation, that would also
(JS), forgets itself (faramush), be enough.
and focuses onto its own pro-
totype (mutawajuh-i asl-i khod), Sayr on the station of
and grows love (mahabat) with kamalat-i nubuwat On
that prototype, then that [shadow]
152
finds itself as the prototype. And hadith
153
i.e., until the shadows end
when it says I, that I refers to that 154
i.e., sayr beyond anfus is not sayr fi-’llah. Be-
prototype. It happens according cause this sayr of theirs is
to the hadith, He is with him sayr fi-’llah, which is husuli, i.e., needs to be
whom he loves (Al-mar‘u ma‘a earned whereas sayr berun anfus is wusuli, i.e.,
freely given on arrival
151 155
sayr-i anfusi maktub 1.302 cf. Aftabi
4.24. MAKTUB 2.99 295
kamalat-i marataba-i nubuwat, another time. Now the time is nar-

you have asked: Question: Fana, row. From the age, and from the
baqa, tajalli, mabda-i ta‘ayyun — residents of the age, a little time
all happens on the degrees of per- has been stolen to write a little.
fection of the three friendhoods Have mercy for me. And don’t ask
(maratib-i kamalat-i thalathah). too much fearlessly.
If so, how does sayr takes place on Dua: Our lord! Forgive our sins
the degrees of kamalat-i nubuwat? and the extremism in our deeds,
Answer: You may know that on and make our feet steadfast, and
the degrees of ascent (maratib-i help us against those who stand
‘uruj), as long as the degrees re- against faith (Rabbana ’ghfirlana
tain distinction (tamayyuz) with dhunubana, wa israfna fi amrina,
one another, i.e., from one proto- wa thabbit aqdamana wa ’nsurna
type (asl), one may reach another ‘ala ’l-qawmi ’l-kafirina)157
asl, as long those perfection re- Al-hamdu rabbi ’l-‘alamina wa
main within the circle of walayat. ’l-minnatu awalan wa akhiran
On the other hand, when this dis- da’iman wa ‘ala nabiyyihi wa ’l-
tinction goes away, the differenti- salawatu wa ’l-tahiyyatu ‘ala ra-
ation (tafsil) is removed, and the sulihi da’iman wa sarmadan, wa
transaction takes place with undif- ‘ala alihi ’l-kirami wa ’s-habihi ’l-
ferentiation and sheer expansion ‘izami ila yawmi ’l-qiyami. Wa
(mu‘amalah beh ijmal va basatat- ’l-salamu ‘ala mani ’ttaba’a ’l-
i sirf), it is then that the de- huda, wa ’ltazama mutaba‘ata ’l-
gree of kamalat-i nubuwat starts. mustafa. ‘Alaihi wa ‘ala alihi al-
Although wideness (wasa‘at) is salawatu wa ’l-salam.
there, as Indeed God is wide
and wise (Inna ’llaha wasi‘un ‘al-
imun).156 still that wideness is
a different wideness, and the dis-
tinction (tamayyuz) that is there
is a different distinction. More
that this— what can be written?
Or be understood? O our rabb!
Grant us mercy and make our ac-
tivities easy (Rabbana! Atina min
ladunka rahmatan, wa hayya’lana
min amrina rashada).
You have asked on some mysteries
of the salat. Its answer is kept for
156 157
Q Q.Al-‘Imran.147

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Maktubat-i Imam-i Rabbani

Selection from Volume 2 except mansub

Irshad Alam Mujaddidi

May 31, 2021

Ijazat Silsila of interpretation

those interested in the Maktubat who are un-

1. give permission for reprinting for trans-

2. help you to produce printer-ready eps

3. and in some cases, print the books at

Irshad Alam Mujaddidi is the pen name

2.1 Maktub 2.26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

3 Maktubs 2.51-2.75 145

3.15 Maktub 2.64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

4 Maktubs 2.76-2.99 233

1.1 Maktub 2.1 brothers in the religion is many (kathrat-i

The ulama differ on the seven or eight at-

1.3 Maktub 2.3 Possessor of such knowledge is the Mu-

Love: Interpretation 1 and 2

PS Let me give you a little pain. fi kaffatin wa la ilaha illa ’llahu fi

3. When those newly arived things are ad-

4. So how would it be felt (mahsus)? established his manifestation there. Due

saying to come out of Junaid, as he believes 1. disengaged from transmissions and

skies and the grounds. Be- 1. like the mirror of the

man ahabba),45 [the dhat. None but the perfect

1.13 Maktub 2.12 ever-abiding witnessing (shuhud-i

3. colors man’s other bodily Man is superior to

4. he arrives onto the present or Interpretation Still

made to be like a part (k- Dua: Allahu yukhtassu birah-

return and mission of invitation Due to the baraka of their com-

Until we meet, keep on remember- 3. knowledge of those secrets

You have also written, “Fana fi-

To Mawlana Ahmad Barqiy What to do? You stayed in com-

measure against that unjust (biy- is hesitant (mutaraddid) on lov-

he has said, Indeed Hazrat B. Two later ones Hazrat Uth-

wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihi ’lladhina b) not established by sound

reached the heavens, and and remains in that place,

their misfortunes. Inna li-’Llahi community81 . Indeed, those who

row. Indeed, I am well-aware that Ulama and sufis: Types

1. Ulama of the manifest Naqshbandi pir-muridi

has completed the bliss (itmami Salat: Excellence

Preface: Bodily and

B. Narrowness That Shaykh Bayazid and Shaykh

model (anmudhaj). They have 1. the attributes are commin-

Earth element Prophets meant this

(ahwal-i ummatan agar az qalb). 1. seeks proof for the existence

iegation (qalaq, idtirab, taqallub, it has been purified (tazkiya) and

(tajawwhar) [with the zikr] to be ical thing made of flesh and

on that [bodily part] is the sought B. Bodily heart On the other

5. Wideness 6. Absence of bechun

Spiritual heart One has to A. Spiritual heart The first

Bodily heart And [following B. Bodily heart On the other

C. One-in-all matter, nafarmani). And the earth in-

Purity of parts Unification of parts

. 1. Their parts (ajza) have gone

gashteh) and instead they colors of the locus of manifesta-

that is related to the station of aw The exalted city of Sirhind, it is

This is an additional nobility Follow Sunna and reject

A royal falcon (shahbaz) is he who dalalatun). And I am finding that