ABDULAHAD
From the saints of India. His name is Abdul-ehad bin Zaynalabidin. He is from the lineage of Hazrat-i Omer. He was born in 1520 (927 AH). He passed away in Serhend in 1598 (1007 AH). His grave is outside the city on the north side. Hazrat Imam-i Rabbani is the fourth of the seven sons of Abdul-ehad.
At a young age, Abdul-Quddus attended the gatherings and conversations of the great scholar of India, and attained spiritual degrees in Sufism. When he expressed his desire to remain in his continuous service and conversation, Abdul-Quddus said to him; “First learn the necessary religious knowledge. Swim like a fish in the ocean of knowledge, move from one shore to the other, then come back to us. Trust in this path, for a province and sainthood without knowledge is like eating a little salt.” he commanded.
After listening to these words, Abdul-Quddus thought that his teacher was old and might have died on his return and that he would never be able to meet him again; “I’m afraid that later I won’t be able to find this noble and sublime conversation.”edi. Thereupon; “If you cannot find me, continue the conversation of my son Rukneddin and look for what you are looking for in him.” he commanded. “I will be patient, let’s see what their great generosity will reveal.” As he said, he left there to study the exoteric sciences. Before he could finish his education, his teacher Abdul Quddus passed away. After completing his education, upon the indication of his teacher Abdul Quddus, he went to Sheikh Rukneddin. He followed his father’s indication and showed great interest in Abdul-Ahad and trained him in Sufism. He gave him permission and a diploma from the Qadiriyya and Chashtiyya orders.
Hazrat Abdul-Had also continued the conversations of Sheikh Jalal Tehaniseri, one of the foremost students of his teacher Abdul-Quddus. While he was in his presence, he met and conversed with Shah Kamal, the greatest scholar of the Qadiri order at that time. These conversations continued for years and he benefited greatly from these conversations. His meeting and acquaintance with Shah Kamal occurred during a conversation with Sheikh Jalal Tehaniseri.
One day, Shah Kemal came to the conversation of Sheikh Jalal Tahaniseri. When Abdul-Abdul-Ahad saw Shah Kemal’s superior attitude, he wanted to meet him and become friends. After the conversation, when they went out, they met and got to know each other. Abdul-Abdul-Ahad said; “My name is Kemal. I live in Pail, my house is there. If you want to understand the secret of our conversation, come there so we can chat.” he said. Pail was a town connected to the city of Serhend, twenty to twenty-five kilometers away.
Shah Kamal was a student of Sheikh Fudayl, who was a member of the chain of order of Hazrat Abdul Qadir Geylani, and was a person who had high states in Sufism. He would wander in lonely places and deserts, in a state of ecstasy with the states of Sufism. When he needed water, food, sleep or conversation, a city would suddenly appear in the deserted and arid deserts where he was, and the people there would show respect and hospitality to Shah Kamal, bringing him whatever he wanted without asking, and giving him feasts. Shah Kamal would eat the food that was brought, drink their water and stay with them for the night. When it started to get light in the morning, the city and the people that were seen would disappear and he would be left alone in the desert again.
Hazrat Imam Rabbani narrated that his father Abdul-Abd al-Ahad spoke of his teacher Shah Kemal as follows:
“When the sheikh wanted to explain the finer issues of Sufism, he would speak according to the level of knowledge of the listeners and explain them to the extent that they could solve the mysteries.”
Imam-i Rabbani also said about Sheikh Kamal: “When my eyes were opened to the discovery, after Gavs-i Sekaleyn Abdul Qadir-i Geylani, I saw few people like Sheikh Kamal among the elders of the Qadiri order.”
When Abdul-Abdullah came to Serhend, he went from there to the town of Pail where Shah Kamal was. There he had conversations with Shah Kamal and they became friends and acquaintances. Shah Kamal and his family would come from Pail to Serhend and stay for days and talk to Abdul-Abdullah. Abdul-Abdullah gained countless benefits from Shah Kamal’s conversations and witnessed astonishing events and miracles. When Shah Kamal passed away in 1573 (981 AH) at the age of eighty, he was buried in the town of Kihtel in Serhend.
During his travels to advance in knowledge and wisdom, Abdul-Ahad had the company of many people of knowledge and wisdom. Then he returned to his hometown and stayed in Serhend until his death. He spent his life being useful to people. He would spend his nights in obedience and worship, weeping and shedding tears for Allah. He had many students and loved ones. Due to his modesty, he did not see himself as different from anyone and would not accept anyone to serve him. He would often carry his household needs from the market himself and would not allow anyone else to carry them. He spent his life with such devotion to the Messenger of Allah that he would never abandon even one sunnah. He would perform the sunnah obedience and prayers, and he would also pay attention to the fact that the people of Sufism would act with great determination and in accordance with what was declared to be the best.
During the day, he would give lessons to students who wanted to learn from him. He would explain and explain the long and difficult books written on this subject very well, down to their finest points. He was an unparalleled scholar in every science, especially in jurisprudence and the science of Usul. The scholars and great men of the time accepted him as their teacher and master and benefited from him very much. It has been narrated that Abdullahad used to explain clearly the subtleties in the deep meanings of Usul-i Pezdawi, a famous work in the science of Usul.
He combined spiritual knowledge with the knowledge gained by reading and working.
He would read and explain very well the books written by the great saints such as Ta’arruf, Avârif-ül-Me’arif and Füsûs-ül-Hıkem and many others. Many people of enthusiasm and taste would take pleasure in reading and listening to these books in his presence. They would come to his conversations from near and far and listen to the books being read and the explanations made by Abdul-ehad. They would attain their goals with the blessings of his narration and conversation. He was unmatched in understanding the subtle meanings conveyed by Sheikh-i Ekber Muhyiddin Arabi. With the favor of Allahu ta’ala, due to the sublimity of his creation and his very high purpose, he would fully comply with the commandments of the religion and would not value states and words that were not compatible with Islam. Imam-i Rabbani said, “My father and master, the reason for my life and happiness is; He used to be very careful in ablution, purification and prayer and he observed the etiquettes. I learned these from my father. It is not easy to learn all the etiquettes and all their subtleties from books.”
One day, one of his loyal friends entered Abdul-Abdullah’s room. As soon as he entered, he saw Abdul-Abdullah lying on the floor with his limbs torn off and cut off. The person who entered thought that the person who did this was either a thief or an enemy. Then, he went out in fear and shouting with great sadness. He informed someone else about this situation. They both entered the room at once. Suddenly, they saw Abdul-Abdullah sitting comfortably and soundly in contemplation. They threw themselves at his feet, crying. He ordered them, “As long as I am alive, do not tell anyone this secret!” When they asked the reason for this situation, he said, “It was such a thing that I cannot find the words to describe it.” However, with his state, it was as if he was chanting the following verses of Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi:
We are enemies to ourselves, that beloved is pulling us
We are drowned in the sea, the waves are pulling us.
There is no way for Azrael to reach his lovers,
The lovers of a friend are attracted by the love of passion.
The thirsty ones cry out,
A hundred lives are secretly sacrificed, the desire of appearance is attracted.
Enough, if I tell you the secret of the lovers’ murder,
He angers the disbelievers and draws their denial.
Although Abdul-Abd al-Ahad had longed to meet with Baki-billah, one of the famous saints and the teacher of his son Imam-i Rabbani, he passed away before he could meet him. Imam-i Rabbani narrated this as follows:
After my father’s death, I conveyed this great wish of mine to Muhammad Baki-billah. He said, “We also wanted to see them very much. If we had gone to Serhend, we would have learned something from them.”
His Holiness Imam Rabbani also explained it as follows:
When I remembered my father saying to me, “Love for the Ahl al-Bayt has a great effect on faith and a good ending, that is, on dying with faith,” I asked him about this at the moment of his death. He said, “Praise and thanks be to Allah, I am filled with that love and affection, I am swimming in the ocean of blessings.” The couplet:
Oh God! For the sake of the children of Fatima,
Make my last word the Kalima Tawhid.
His Holiness Abdullahad said:
“It seems to my heart, with the help of Allah, that the command to recite the Attahiyyatu at the end of the prayer in the tashahhud is a reminder that the prayer is the miraj of the believers. Therefore, it is fitting that the miraj of the believers include some of the high states and matchless honors that occurred to our master the Prophet during his miraj. Allah has graciously granted us a sip from the cup of His Messenger. The command to recite the salawat to our master the Prophet after the Attahiyyatu shows that the miraj of the believers will occur by following and obeying the Messenger of Allah. Again, these salawat are the due acknowledgment and gratitude for the honor of following our master the Prophet and the blessings given to the believers who have attained their blessed guidance. In addition, it is a warning and admonition that our Prophet granted his ummah the honor of being honored with the Miraj.
It also indicates that some of the highest of the Ummah, while they were rising to that highest level, could not go beyond the circle of following and obeying our Master, the Messenger of Allah. Their end could not reach the beginning of the Messenger of Allah, and the beginning of all of them was under the feet of the Messenger of Allah.
I saw a book on Sufism. It was written as follows:
“Paying attention to moderation and the middle state in meals, preserving the norm, is enough to meet the desired one and the beloved. When this is observed, there is no need for remembrance and thought.”
Abdul-Abd al-Rabbani was his fourth son. He raised his eldest son, Sheikh Shah Muhammad, and raised him in Sufism. Imam-i Rabbani narrates that his father said the following about his brother:
My father said many times: “Shah Muhammad is a mature student in word and deed.” This son passed away while he was alive.
His Excellency Imam Rabbani explained it as follows:
I was at his bedside when this brother of mine was passing away. He suddenly smiled. I asked him the reason; he said, “The Muhammadan truth has become apparent to me, I am watching it!”
Hazrat Abdulehad wrote valuable books on religious knowledge. Some of them are: 1) Kunuz-ül-Hakâyık, 2) Mi’râc-ı Nebî, 3) Risale-i Esrâr-üt-Teşehhüd.
THE MIRACLE AND ITS STORIES
THE ORE OF CHASTITY AND ISMET
Hadrat Abdul-Abd al-Ahad traveled to many places to acquire exoteric and esoteric knowledge. He would not stay in one country for long and would go to another place. Thus, he had been to many cities and towns. He also stayed for a while in Skendere, one of the famous towns of India, to spread knowledge. Light was on his face and signs of knowledge were shining on his forehead.
One day, a pious woman from a noble family in Skendere, with her insight, understood that Abdul-Abdullah was a blessed and valuable person, and sent him a message, saying, “I have a sister whom I raised and brought up in my own arms. She is a jewel of chastity and purity. I wish that I could marry you. I hope that you will accept this proposal.” At first, Abdul-Abdullah could not say yes, so he apologized. Then he prayed to Allah and asked Him to grant him what was good in this matter. Then he accepted to marry that girl and got married to her. After this, he stayed in Skendere for a while. From this marriage, which was made with sincere intentions and for the sake of Allah, a great person like Imam-i Rabbani was born.
RESOURCES
1) Complete Catechism of Eternal Happiness; p.971
2) Letter (Imâm-ı Rabbâni); c.1, 226. letter, c.2, 44. letter
3) Zübdet-ül-Makâmât; s.91,104
4) Umdet-ul-Makâmât; p.116
5) Hadarat-ul-Quds; p.28
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