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1st letter
To, Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki (R.A.)
In the name of Allah, who is most beneficent, most glorious.
My dear and near friend and brother, Khwaja Qutubuddin Dehlavi! May God
bless you. After paying respect, this humble creature of God states some
points of Israr-e-Ilahi (secrets and mysteries of Allah). Kindly brief
these points to your true disciples and seekers of truth so that they
could not he mislead.
Dear! One who has recognized the Almighty, he never has a desire. One
who has not recognized him, he can not follow him. Secondly give up all
the desires and greediness. One who does it, he can achieve all his
goals.
One, who always indulges in lust, worldly desires, and cravings and
never has fear of God, he always faces insult and shame while one who
gives up all his desires and cravings for the sake of Allah, he becomes
near and dear to the Almighty.
Says Sultan-ul-Arifin, Hazrat Khwaja Bayazeed Bastami. Once I dreamt the
Almighty. He asked me, "O Bayazeed! What do you want?" I said, "I want
to same whatever you want?" Thus the Almighty was happy and said, "I am
always with you as you are with Me."
Thus, if you want to reveal the reality of Tasawwaf, give up all worldly
desires, and prevail love and affection. If you do it accordingly you
will gain knowledge of Tasawwuf. The seeker of truth should follow it
whole heartedly and with the grace of God, he will be saved from Shaitan,
and the desires of the two worlds will be fulfilled. Once, my Shaikh
Sahib (R.A.) said, "O Moinuddin! Do you know who is Sahib-e-Huzoor. He
is the Huzoor, who always consider himself humble and links each and
every incident with God. It is resultant of all sorts of prayers. One
who achieves the way of thinking, rules the world and even the ruler of
the worldly region seeks his help.
One day, my Shaikh Sahib (R.A.) said to me, "Some Durvesh who say- when
a seeker achieves the height, he never worries, they are wrong. Secondly
to offer prayers is not necessary for him is also incorrect, because
Prophet Muhammed (S.A.W.) had always engaged himself in prayers and
considered himself as an humble creature. Though he was at the height of
humbleness, the Prophet used to say :
Though we offer prayers, but could not reach to its true sense. It
means: we are unable to worship the Almighty in its true sense. And he
always recited:
(I witness that there is no God but Allah and Muhammed (S.A.W.) is His
Messenger).
Thus believe it, when Aarif touched the heights of humbleness, he whole
heartedly engages himself in Namaz which is a perfect way of worship. It
brings a person closer and nearer to God. It is the only means to reach
the God when a person, knows the fact and offers prayers sincerely and
whole heartedly, he is so thirsty as he has swallowed fire. And he
continues to do it, thirst continues to dominate. Since there is no
limit of worship he remains always disturbed till he achieves the goal
to reach the Almighty.
-Wassalam
2nd letter
To, Hazrat Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki (R.A.)
In the name of Allah, the most beneficent and most merciful. True seeker
of truth, Durvesh, my hardworking brother, Khwaja Qutubuddin Dehlavi (R.A.)!
Allah bless you. After paying salam, it is stated that once, Khwaja
Najmuddin Sughra (R.A.) Khwaja Mohammed Tarak and myself were present in
the service of Khwaja Usman Harroni (R.A.). Then a man came and asked as
to how one could know that somebody had got neamess and closeness to
Allah. Khwaja Sahib (R.A.) said, "The ability of good deeds is the right
identity. Believe it, one who had been made capable of good deads by
Allah, he will achieve his goal.
Then the tears filed in his eyes and he said, "There was a God fearing
slave-girl, who at midnight performed Wudu and offered two Rakat prayers
and extended her thanks to the Almighty. There after raising her bands,
prayed to God, O Allah I have got your closeness and kindly do not give
me separation." When her master came to know the entire episode, he
asked as to how she knew that she was close to God. She replied that God
had made me capable to offer two Rakaat prayers in midnight, so I came
to know that I was close to Him." Then the master said, "Go, I set you
free for the sake of God."
Thus, the man should be engaged in worshipping God during day and night,
so that he could be counted among the nobles as well as he will be saved
from the grip of Shaitan.
-Wassalam
3rd letter
To, Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki (R.A.)
In the name of Allah who is most beneficient and most merciful.
The knower of the secrets of Almighty, my brother Khwaja Qutubuddin
Dehlavi (R.A.)! God bless you. This humble creature, Moinuddin Sanjari
pays salaam of happiness and love and affection. It is stated that I am
thankful to Almighty for physical health. May God also grant you
physical and spiritual health.
O Brother! My Shaikh Khwaja Usman Harroni (R.A.) says, "Nobody except
Ahl-e-Maarefat (Divine people) should be made known the secrets of love.
When Shaikh Saadi (R.A.) asked as to how Ahl-e-Maarefat could be
identified, Khwaja Sahib (R.A.) said, "Ahl-e-Maarefat can be identified
by possessing 'Tark' (To leave or relinquish). If one has given up all
his worldly desires, believe it that he is Ahl-e-Maarefat. Otherwise he
does not posses the quality of Maarefat-e-Haque. Be sure that reciting
of Kalima-e-Shahadat and to refrain from materialism is the way to reach
the Almighty. The wealth and wordly status are the heavy idols. They
mislead a large number of people and still doing. The wordly assets have
become the gods of the people. And a number of people are worshipping
them.
If one who gives up the desire of wealth and wordly status, it means he
has negated the materialism. On the other hand, one who reaches God
means he ascertains the life after death. This can be achieved by
reciting 'La Elaha Illallah' and sticking to it thus one who has not
recited Kalima-e-Shahadat can not recognise God.
-Wassalam
4th letter:
To.Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki (R.A.)
In the name of Allah who is most beneficent and most merciful.
The revealer of truth, my brother Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki (R.A.).
It should be clear to you that among the human beings, the wisest are
those Faqirs who have opted for mendicancy, Darveshi and poverty after
giving up desires for wordily things, because to relinquish means to
achieve and to achieve means to relinquish. Contrary to it, the
believers of worldly desires have considered the divine health as
trouble and trouble (physical health) as divine health. Thus one who
gives up worldly desires and opts for relinquishment that Faqir is the
wisest.
Therefore, one must worship the Almighty, who is eternal. If Allah gifts
eyes, these should be used to see Him and nothing else. One through
these eyes should reveal the reality of Almighty referring each and
every thing. Thus have purity of eyes, because if you are capable, you
can find a world of the facts and realities in a minute particle of
dust.
-Wassalam
5th letter:
To.Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki (R.A.)
In a letter to Hazrat Qutab Sahab, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty writes that
his murshid ‘Usman Harooni once was pleased to narrate the following
dialogue between a murshid and a mureed:
“Hatim Asamm was a mureed of Khwaja Shaqiq of Balkh. One day it so
happened, that the murshid inquired from his mureed: ‘Tell me, since how
long have you been engrossed in my love and engaged in my service and
have been hearing my talk and discourses?’
He replied: ‘For the last thirty years, murshid’.
Khwaja Shaqiq then asked: ‘Now, tell me, during this long period, what
have you gained and what benefits and blessings have you derived?’
Thereupon Hatim Asamm submitted: ‘I have acquired eight useful and
beneficial things, murshid'’
The murshid inquired: ‘What are they? Did you not enjoy and posses them
before?’
He replied: It is true to say, that I did not enjoy them before. I am
happy and satisfied, murshid. I do not require anything more’.
Khwaja Shaqiq exclaimed: ‘Hatim! I have spent all my life in your work
and in your training. I myself do not want, that you should acquire more
than what you have already acquired’.
Hatim, as a mark of expression of his satisfaction and gratitude, humbly
submitted: ‘This much knowledge is sufficient unto me, for the salvation
of both the worlds is circumscribed within the eight beneficial
accomplishments, which fortunately I have acquired in your blessed
company.
“Thereupon Shaykh Shaqiq asked Hatim Asamm to describe them and he
answered thus:
‘Murshid, the first thing is this, that when I saw the people of the
world minutely, I found then that everybody has foolishly made someone
his beloved. These so-called beloveds are of such a type and trait, that
some are with you during your illness, some are with you till your death
and some accompany your funeral to the grave. There is none, who may go
with you inside the grave and partake of your sorrow and affliction
therein and there is none, who may serve as a lamp in your grave.
Seeing this I thought to myself, that (s)he is indeed a good beloved,
who may be prepared to go with you inside the grave and be sympathetic
to you and be a bright lamp there in the grave and enable you to
overcome hardship and cross the hurdles. Then I understood, that the
beloveds capable of helping thus are no other than good actions! So I
made them the focus of my attention and treated them as my beloved and
took them as my pleader, so that they may stand by me in the grave and
serve as a bright lamp therein, be with me at every stage, intercede for
me and may never desert me’.
“Hearing this Khwaja Shaqiq of Balkh said: ‘Hatim, you have done very
well indeed. Now describe the second thing’.
Hatim then began to describe the second thing thus: ‘The second thing is
this, that when I saw the people of the world minutely, I found them to
be the followers of lust and the devotees of greed and obeying their own
self. I pondered over the verse of the Quran 79:40-41, which says:
But he who feared standing before his Lord
And restrained his self from vain desires,
His place is in heaven.
By thus meditating over the aforesaid verse, I realised that what the
Quran said, was true. Consequently I equipped myself to oppose the self
and placed it in the fireplace of asceticism. I refused to fulfil any of
its desires. This unflinching obedience to God conferred upon me peace,
confort and tranquility’.
Khwaja Shaqiq of Balkh thereupon expressed his joy and said: ‘May God,
the Almighty, give you blessedness in your pursuit. You have done well
and very well. Now proceed with the third’.”
The mureed answered: ‘The third benefit is this, that when I studied
carefully the condition of the people of the world, I realised that
everybody runs after the world. After undergoing sorrow, trials and
tribulations one is able to derive some benefit from the officials of
the world. One feels happy there from.
Subsequently I pondered over the verse 16:96 of the Quran which runs
thus:
Whatever you have is transient and not lasting
And whatever is with God is everlasting.
The effect of the aforesaid verse was, that whatever I had hoarded, I
voluntarily spent it in the way of God and surrendered myself to God, so
that it may last there in the presence of God and may thus become a
means of sustenance for me in the world hereafter’.
Khwaja Shaqiq of Balkh, on hearing this, said: ‘May God bless you! You
have done very well indeed. Now tell me the fourth’.
‘The fourth thing is this, that when I looked minutely into the
condition of the people of the world, then I reached the conclusion that
some people take a large family as the standard of honour, prestige and
greatness and they feel proud of it. There are others who are of the
opinion that honour depends upon wealth and children and this
constitutes to them the hallmark of glory. Subsequently I thought over
this verse 49:13 of the Quran:
Surely the noblest of you
In the sight of God
Is the most pious.
I was led to believe that the verse contained the truth and what the
people thought was false and frivolous. Consequently I took to piety, so
that I might become the one accepted by God.
Khwaja Shaqiq of Balkh thereupon said: ‘You have done very well. I’d
like to hear about the fifth benefit’.
Hatim Asamm then narrated thus: ‘Fifthly, when I scrutinized the people,
I came to know that due to jealousy they bear enmity with each other and
talk ill of each other. And… they are jealous of wealth, prestige,
honor and knowledge. Then I pondered over the verse of Quran 29:62 that
follows:
God expands the sustenance
For whomsoever He wishes of His servants
Or restricts it.
I was led to believe that since the day of eternity they have received
their share and none can interfere in it, then of what use it is to be
jealous. Consequently I avoided jealousy and became at peace with all’.
Khwaja Shaqiq of Balkh again remarked: ‘You have done very well. Now
describe the sixth’.
And his mureed thus proceeded: ‘Sixthly, when I saw the world closely, I
found that some bear enmity with each other and are at loggerhead with
each other to achieve a certain object. Then I studied the verse of
Quran 35:6 minutely which gives this warning:
Satan is an enemy of yours.
This verse dispelled all doubts and led me to believe, that the word of
God was true and that there could be no doubt that Satan was our enemy.
I made up my mind neither to follow nor to obey Satan. I wanted to obey
and worship God and God alone. And this is as it should be, for God has
said in Quran 36:60-61:
Did I not exhort you,
O Children of Adam,
Not to worship Satan!
For he is a manifest enemy of yours.
And worship Me,
For this is a straight path.
Khwaja Shaqiq, on hearing it, said: ‘You have done well. And what is the
seventh?’
Hatim Asamm answered: ‘And seventhly, when I saw the people of the world
minutely, then I came to know that everybody tries his utmost for his
sustenance. For this reason he becomes diffident and doubtful. He brings
upon himself humiliation. I then contemplated on Quran 11:6 which tells:
On the face of the earth there is no creature,
Whose sustenance is not the responsibility of Allah.
I realised that the word of God was true. I am myself a creature. Since
then I took to the service of God and I felt sure, that my sustenance
will come from Him, because He Himself has taken the responsibility for
it’.
Khwaja Shaqiq of Balkh then said: ‘You have done very well. Now narrate
the eighth and last thing by which you are benefited’.
Hatim Asamm finished his story by telling this: ‘When I saw the people
of the world minutely, I found them reposing their trust in gold,
silver, wealth and in material acquisitions. Then I pondered over Quran
65:3 which says:
Whosoever reposes his trust in God,
God will be sufficient for him.
Since then I reposed my trust in God. He is sufficient unto me and He is
a very good Pleader.
Khwaja Shaqiq of Balkh was delighted to hear the aforesaid things and he
said thus: ‘May God in His infinite grace and mercy enable you to pursue
assiduously the things aforesaid. I have studied carefully the Old
Testament, the Bible, the Psalms of David and the Quran and I have
acquired from these four books the very things that you have mentioned.
Whosoever acts upon these eight things, described by you, follows and
acts upon the aforesaid four books in fact!’
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty concludes his letter to Hazrat Qutab Sahib
thus: ‘By this narration you have come to know that much knowledge is
not needed or required. What in fact is called for is purposeful
practice’.”
You may remember how the letter of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty to Qutab
Sahib ended. He wrote: ‘By this narration you have come to know that
much knowledge is not needed or required. What in fact is called for is
purposeful practice’.
6th letter
To Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki (R.A.)
In the name of Allah who is most beneficent and most merciful. The
revealer of secrets of God, my brother Khwaja Qutubuddin Dehlavi (R.A.)!
May God bless you.
Once, my Shaikh Sahib (R.A.) well said about negation and assertion. He
said, "Negation means not to consider yourself while assertion means to
see God since self can not consider God. There fore, one should negate
the negation, otherwise it is of no use. If you consider that the
Almighty exists, then you can achieve your goal. It may be clear that
the prayers, namaz, fastings etc. are the symbols of this fact and in
fact to depend on the other worldly means is useless. One who does not
realise these facts is a great fool."
Then he said, "God is eternal. The seeker in his early stage is
behind and when truth awards him eyes and sight, he starts seeing and
hearing through it and forgets himself. When he reaches this stage, he
becomes immortal."
-Wassalam
7th letter
To Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki (R.A.)
The revealer of truth, God fearing, my brother Khwaja Qutubuddin Oshi (R.A.).
May God bless you. The well wisher sends you love and affection. Dear
kindly tell your disciples what Faqir-o-Murshid-e-Kamil means, and how
he can be identified. The Almighty says:
"Faqir is one whom is above of all needs and who is seeker of eternal
God."
Since all the existing things are a reflection of eternal God, so he
sees the existence of God in all of them.
Some saints have given the explanation that Kamil Faqir is one who has
only God in his heart and nothing else and who is the seeker of the
Almighty. When he finds God, he attains his objective. Therefore, the
seeker should always try for truth. Now what is the objective ? It may
be clear that the target is Dard-o-Soz (pains) for whether Haqiqi (real)
or Majazi (metaphoric): Here Soze-Majazi employs the Eh-Kaamat-e-Shariat
(Commands of revealed law).
-Wassalam
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