Chapter 9: My Father’s Life ; A Brief Insight

 

Chapter 9: My Father’s life; A Brief Insight

As I have already mentioned, my father was blessed with the endless bounties of the Almighty. His heart and mind were of an incomparable nature. If conditions had been more favourable, his astuteness would have allowed him to become an exemplary scholar of deep learning and research and achieve a prominent status in Ilm e maarifat and tasawwuf. Equally, if he had been able to gain secular knowledge, he would have acquired a senior position because of his intellectual capacity. Despite all the challenges and difficulties he faced, as well as the poverty stricken conditions since his childhood, he made remarkable progress. Not only did he manage to overcome these difficulties, he persevered in the development of his dhikr, fikr and muraqabah by remaining in the close company of Moulana Fadhlur-Rahman Ganj Muraadabadi quddus sirruhul Azeez and attained a high spiritual status and used to experience strong kashf frequently. Many of his Mukashifaat (pl. of Kashf) were proved to be correct. One of these occurrences took place in Madeenah; He once stated, ‘From amongst you, one of you will have to go to India.’ I wasn’t aware that I, a madman would be drawn from the lots (to make this journey).

He disliked the world and people attached to the World. He had not received khilafat and Ijazah from Moulana Fadhlur-Rahman Ganj Muraadabadi during his lifetime. However, after Hadhrat Molana rahmatullah alayhi’s death, my father saw him in a dream in which he said; ‘I grant you ijazah of bayt’. This is the reason why he accepted the bayt of two people in Tanda and the very reason why he  encouraged his children to attain Deeni knowledge. This was despite the fact that they had displayed the capacity to achieve an eminent status in worldly knowledge; both my eldest brother marhoom and Brother Saeed Ahmad marhoom had achieved the first position in their Middle School Class Examinations held throughout the province of Oudh. His over-riding concern remained that his children receive an exemplary status in uloome arabiyyah.

Once, he gathered us when we were adults and expressed, ‘I have brought you up so that you strive in Allah’s path.’ It was because of his desire and encouragement that we all had become passionate about tareeqat and received the honour of sweeping the dust in Hadhrat Gangohi Quddus sirruhul Azeez’s court. we benefited from staying in Hadhrat’s company and received tawassul during our residence in India solely because of his kind attention. Thereafter, following our migration to Madeena Munawwarah and despite many hardships, he made us journey to (the same) pearl of all courts. He decided to write a letter to Hadhrat Gangohi rahmatullah ilayhi after Bhai Saeed Ahmad had spent quite some years in Gangoh Shareef and expressed;

‘If Saeed Ahmad has reached a capable level then grant him ijazah and send him back to me as I have need of him. However, if he has not yet become qabil then it is better that he remains with you, continues to make strenuous effort and meets his death there.’

Hadhrat Gangohi rahmatullah ilayhi read the letter and expressed his deep happiness and stated, ‘Molvi Saeed Ahmad’s father is very familiar with sulook and tareeqat and thus, is aware of its worth and all its levels’. He thereafter laid a very strong emphasis on dhikr etc. upon my brother and increased his husn tawajjuh –kind attention towards him.

During his stay in Madeenah, despite his weak and old age, he remained constant in practicing the sunnah and committed to reading the five daily prayers with jamaat etc; Regardless of extreme cold and hot weather, he kept punctual with the timings, something that we as youth were incapable of managing. Till his death, He diligently completed all his waraid, wazaif and muraqabah.

He diligently managed both domestic affairs and the needs of the construction work etc: the construction work entailed; clay kneading, transferring the kneaded clay and stones to the builders, gathering broken bricks and stones etc and likewise, out construction hours; moulding bricks, visiting the bazaar daily to buy necessary building material, making pegs and bed posts (whilst residing in India he never needed to undertake such tasks).Whenever anyone of us would explain to him that these were his days of old age and rest, and question him about why he chose to endure these difficulties day and night, he would remark, ‘I cannot remain lying around and being useless’.

Furthermore, he had sound skills and expertise in curing illness and Naqsh-bandiya amaliyaat. It was for this very reason his health once became critical in Tanda where he undertook the practise of trying to cure an illness; the patient recovered, but he in turn became so ill that people doubted his recovery and life. This was because his practise of curing the illness was first to draw the illness towards himself and then to expel it from himself. On this occasion, the illness was of a severe nature and his body was not able to tolerate its effects, so he consequently was afflicted with the same illness (of the patient).

Within the field of taweez and amaliyaat he had notable skill and complete expertise. He used to mention, ‘There was a time when I had become so proficient that I used to write naqsh myself for curing illnesses and benefits were derived from them.’ At the time when my father granted me verbal ijazah to practice amaliyat and nukoosh, he added, ‘I have fulfilled the zakaah required for all the amaal within this common place book (his own hand-written compilation). There is no need for you to fulfil the zakah. I present you with ijazah; however, it will be better for you to carry out all the amaal in my presence once. Unfortunately, owing to my insolence and idleness I avoided this opportunity because I considered it an exertion and gave precedence to my Ilmi commitments. I was left regretting my decision thereafter.

Apart from the amaliyaat passed down within the family, my father acquired many amaliyaat from renowned people during his stay in Lucknow and Safipur etc. To add to that, when Molvi Muhammad Ramzan sahib Marhoom Bawryuwi had made a printed copy of  Risalah Ma’dan-ul-amal wal-masail  and sent it to Moulana Fazlur-Rahman Muradad-aabadi quddus sirruhul Azeez , he called my father and gave it to him and stated ,’I grant you permission of all the amaal that have been mentioned in here.’

In 1327 Hijri (1909 CE), when I was in India, my father marhoom wrote the following words across the top of the Risalah Ma’dan-ul-amal wal-masail;

Bismillah-hirRahmanir-Raheem

Alhumdu lillahi Rabbil –alimeen-wassalatu wassalam ala sayyidil-mursileen

I, weak servant Habeebullah, grant permission to my son Hussayn Ahmad to practice, to write and to gift it to anyone (but family) all this book’s amaliyaat and taweezat in the same way Hadhrat Murshiduna Moulana Fadhlur-Rahman Rahmatullah ilayhi gifted and presented it to me without amal (practise) or the fulfilment of its zakah. He has also similarly received it without amal and the fulfilment of zakah. Insha Allah Ta’ala, he will benefit Allah’s creation. In the same way I have given him permission of another handwritten book. Thus, may Allah Ta’ala, the Omnipotent, allow people to take benefit from him, ameen. If my son, Saeed Ahmad is desirous and would like permission then this note of permission is sufficient.

Merely

Habeebullah (written by my own hand)

20 Jamadil Thani 1327 Hijri (8th July 1909 C.E.)

He distributed all his remaining provisions and assets upon reaching Madinah Munawwarah, in accordance to the compulsory Islamic laws of inheritance. He used to say, ‘I have made the intention of hijrah and I have come to die only here. I will not be moving from here. I give all of you my permission should you decide to remain here or return to India.’ It was inconsiderate to leave alone a doting parent in his elderly age and so neither our mother nor anyone amongst us children was happy to separate. Our father marhoom was the only one who had made an intention of hijrah, therefore we had made an intention to remain with him during his lifetime. It was intended that the assets (mentioned earlier) would be used for business- the details be will explained later.

My Father had a natural passion for poetry and in particular, those Qasaid that were composed in the Hindi language were deeply intriguing and powerful; they were rich in their theme of tasawwuf. Apart from these, he also has many verses written in Urdu and Persian. He has written many heartfelt poems about his separation from Moulana Fazlur-Rahman Muradad-aabadi quddus sirruhul Azeez, and some Qasaid have also been printed in Bar-fugan dile Hashmi (Bearer of lamentations of the Hashimi Heart). If it had not been a lengthy process, I would have included them in their full form here. However, as an example, I will write a few poems here so that my father’s qabiliyat and the nature of grief can be understood:

Urdu Verse (Separation from Prophet sallahu alayhi wasallam)

Willing or not, those that leave your gathering,

Take with them, sorrow, grief and regret.

To depart from life; is the departure of a beloved from thee,

Living life yet dying a death.

I now only remain in this gathering oh Saqi.

People have drank their fill and left.

Oh Rasule Arabi (SAW), those killed by your separation,

Swift footed, ascend Hereafter’s bridge.

Remain my head or not, in within it may passion remain.

The love of Ahmad, Oh Allah, is our only desire.

Upon Habeeb’s wounded heart, may your eyes fall,

The remedy of the pained hearts; is only in your care.

A Naat in Bahaka and Urdu (love of Prophet sallahu alayhi asallam)

What plague have I? My heart’s allure where can I find?

The guise of the beloved, to behold in my eyes.

Search where? Go where? My endeavours make no pathways,

So I wander in my thoughts, this is my coming and going.

Sometimes In the desert, I am a whirlwind billowing dust

Sometimes, I am the plunging of a pearl diver at sea.

My eyes have roamed gardens and orchards, persistent to relinquish its lover

Oh morning breeze, you then tell me where is this blossoming flower?

What can I say about where the fire of separation and pain within the heart is heading?

In the footprints of my beloved I have set out, to foreign lands I must venture.

Many days have passed, oh comforts, measure the lessons of the beloved;

the comitment of a sin has created a mound of the lover’s heart.

Madinah, be it on the earth or the heights of the divine throne

That is where evening lives; I need to traverse that land.

*I have no guise of Agar and no manners I know.

….To be translated.*

I am more belittled than a helpless and destitute slave child,

Yet i carry in my heart and mind, a love for you .

My entire family, my being, my heart and soul are for you

Sacrificed. Oh Nabi Ullah (SAW), you are an exemplar beloved.

The eyes gain strength by the mud stricken alleyways, Oh Habeeb.

Heart, life, belongings, trade all! Apply the surma of that soil you must.

(Three additional poems have been presently omitted: ‘Separation from Murshid’ written Bahaka, ‘Munaajaat’ written in Bahaka and an Urdu/Persian poem)

In his youth and madrasah days, he was very apt with mathematics and calculation. He was able to instantaneously solve the most difficult of questions. In later years, he became so deeply impassioned by tasawwuf that he forgot everything. If anyone would present a question him on that topic he would tell them ‘I have now forgotten everything’. He was also very hard working; within the enclosure where our buildings were being constructed he dug six seven wells and post holes etc. with his own hands. He managed the tasks although it was hardened ground that was full of stones and presented many difficulties. It was only possible to dig approximately one and half to two hand spans within an hour.

Whilst residing in Madinah, he busied his time in dhikr wa fikr (remembrance and reflection), awraad wa wazaif (regular invocations) and Salatus salaam (Blessing and Salutations) and sometimes he would sit with other muhajireen from India and ahle islah wa taqwa to appease his heart. He socialised very little with the general public and neither did he waste time in useless and unnecessary talk. He had a habit to smoke hookah; Hadhrat Moulana Fadhlur Rahman sahib marhoom smoked hookah and all his Mureeds did likewise. In Arabia, hookah tobacco was not available so we used to take tobacco there or asked someone to bring it. The Turkish authorities had very strict customs and it presented problems at times. My father also had a habit of chewing tobacco leaves and betel leaves.

In 1333-34 Hijri, at the time of the World War and when Turkish authorities had also become involved, Hadhrat Moulana Shaykhul Hind quddus sirruhul Azeez and Moulana Khaleel Ahmad Sahranpuri  quddus sirruhul Azeez had come to Hijaz . For different reasons, the police of Madinah Munawwarah had become suspicious of our family, especially of those who had lived in India. Following Shaykhul Hind quddus sirruhul Azeez’s return to Makkah from Madeenah , my father and two brothers; Saeed Ahmad Marhoom and beloved Mahmoon sallamahu were arrested without any prior knowledge and were taken to Adrianople. The women and children were left behind in Madeenah. Despite providing the army with many explanations, but they remained unresponsive.At the time, a daughter of Moulana Abdul Haq sahib Madni: Muhtamim of Madrasahh Shahi Masjid Muradabaad, was married to Bhai Saeed Ahmad and he (Bhai Saeed Mahmood) had been acquainted with him since many years. He displayed great affection and was considerate in looking after all the children and the women (during the absence of the menfolk). Jazahullahahu Khayrul Jaza (May Allah reward him with a good return).

At the time, amongst these women and children was my wife, daughter Zahra aged ten-eleven, son Ashfaq around one and half years old, Bhai Saeed Ahmad’s wife, Mahmood’s wife and my father’s wife who was elderly. It was only natural that he would become greatly affected by the oppression and difficulty encountered. His heart and mind were deeply affected by his separation from the weaker members of our family and by his lifelong burning desire to meet his death in the courtyard of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi Wasallam. He was reluctant to travel to any other town, to the extent that he did not want to leave Madinah to go on a pilgrimage to Makkah Muazzamah as he sincerely wished to be buried in Madinah.

The climate in Adrianople was extremely cold. All three of them were taken there and held in detention. They were not allowed to make any journey beyond one mile of the city. Each of them was issued with three Ashrafi (notes) on a monthly basis. At the time, the value of the Turkish note had considerably dropped. My father’s body was not able to tolerate the extreme cold weather and consequently he became affected with pleurisy. After spending a month in Adrianople he passed away. Innalillahi wa inna ilahi rajioon. He was buried in Adrianople.

My father marhoom was extremely gifted with the quality of being a mastujab ud-dawaat (One whose all duas are readily granted). There were many incidents where it was seen that the one who troubled him or whom he cursed did not prosper. Rahima –hullahu –wa-raziya anhu- warzaahu (may Allah have mercy on him and be pleased with him, and he be pleased with Him). In truth, the qualities that Allah Ta’ala had placed in both my parents combined can be scarcely be found in a group of people.

Our father, A father-if there was for all the people

A father like him, he would still be richer in qualities than all.

In the latter part of his life, especially after my mother’s death he remained uneasy and grieved. From amongst his family, his children and grandchildren, around forty individuals had passed away one after the other. He, himself exclaimed, ‘with my own hands I have buried up to forty individuals from our family’. Regardless of these hardships, He remained in control, patient and steadfast. It was extremely difficult, that his hopes and desires met their end in this manner and that his death and burial took in a place away from Madeenah. Thalika taqdeerul azeezil Aleem (This is the Decree of the Almighty the All-Knowing). At the time of his demise, I was in the company of Shaykhul Hind Rahmatullah ilayh in captivity in Malta. When I received the news of his death, I was deeply saddened, but there was nothing that could be done except to be patient and grateful. Fa lil-Lahil hamd wa shukr- alaa ma qaddara wa qadha (For Allah is praise and gratitude for what He has decreed)


Chapter 10: http://qalamee.blogspot.co.uk/2016_12_17_archive.html