Imâm-i-Rabbânî has eight sons and two daughters:
Muhammad Sâdiq ‘quddisa sirruh’ is the Imâm’s
‘quddisa sirruh’ eldest son. He was born in the hijrî year 1000. He was only
eight years old when Imâm-i-Rabbânî attained Khwâja Bâkî-billâh’s sohbat. He
took him along. So he was blessed with hadrat Khwâja Bâkî-billâh’s looks at
that very young age. With the barakat of his tawajjuh he attained hâls,
raptures and unbelievable valuables. He was flooded with kashfs, zawks,
ecstacies and immersion into haloes, so much so that his blessed father
(Imâm-i-Rabbânî) told his disciples to “Buy Muhammad Sâdiq some food from the
market place [because food from a market place would be somewhat doubtful].
This will deplete the inundation of hâls to some extent!”
He acquired most of the teachings pertaining to
mental (scientific) and traditional (religious) knowledge in the presence of
his father. By the time he was eighteen years old he had completed his
education in zâhirî knowledge and taken up teaching in due diligence and
perseverance.
His father ‘quddisa sirruh’, in a letter he sent to
him, wrote as follows: “It has been inferred from your letter that you have an
affinity with the Wilâyat-i-khâssa-i-Muhammadiyya ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa
sallam’. I thank Allâhu ta’âlâ
for this. For I have been
desiring for some time that you attain this great blessing. One day, I made
tawajjuh towards you so that you should reach this fortune. I happened to find
you in the Wilâyat-i-Műsawiyya. So you were made to progress in that path and
were transferred into Wilâyat-i-Muhammadiyya. I pay my hamd to Allâhu ta’âlâ for this.”
His blessed father said about this son of his, “My esteemed
son Muhammad Sâdiq ‘rahmatullâhi aleyh’ has become an abstract of the ma’rifats
which this faqîr (Imâm-i-Rabbânî) possesses. He has passed beyond the grades of
Jazba and Sulűk. My son is among those who are privy to my subtle, occult and
secret ma’rifats. He has been protected against erring.”
When he was twenty-four years old, bubonic plague broke out and
spread in the place he lived, killing many people. His blessed father made
tawajjuh for the elimination of the nuisance. However, it was understood that
the plague would not go back without receiving the high premium it had come
there for. So this son of Imâm-i-Rabbânî’s bowed to his destiny and sacrificed
himself for Allah’s born slaves. He passed away on the ninth day of
Rabî’ulawwal in 1025 [A.D. 1615]. Some time later the plague lost its grip. One
of our superiors had a dream wherein a voice said, “If a person suffering from
bubonic plague writes the name Muhammad Sâdiq on a piece of paper, melts it or
only dips it in water and drinks the water, he will get rid of the plague.” The
news spread in the city. People suffering from plague did so and recovered. In
fact, even a bit of soil from his grave would be enough as a cure against the
epidemic. Imâm-i-Rabbânî was very deeply grieved at the death of this son of
his. He says in one of his letters, “The death of my late son was a great
catastrophe. He was one of the âyats of Allâhu ta’âlâ, a
sign from him. He was one of the Rahmats (acts of compassion) coming down from
the Rabb of ’âlams (worlds). Very few people have obtained equal amount of
zâhirî and bâtinî knowledge he acquired within these twenty-four years.” He was
in a continuous state of hudű’ and khushű’ and always considered himself humble
and imperfect. He would supplicate Allâhu ta’âlâ bemoaningly.
He stated, “Each Walî has asked for something from Allâhu
ta’âlâ. What I have asked for is tazarru’ and iltijâ (supplication and
taking refuge).”
Khwâja Muhammad Sa’îd ‘quddisa sirruh’ was born in the hijrî year
1005. He passed away on the twenty-seventh of the month of Jamâz-al-âkhir in
1070 [A.D. 1659]. He was very small in the time of Khwâja Muhammad Bâkî billâh
‘quddisa sirruh’. Therefore, it may seem that he did not attain the blessing of
the Khwâja’s khuzűr. However, the Khwâja (Bâkî billâh) said, “Muhammad Sa’îd is
such a person that he received nisbat from me in my absence.” He attained
zâhirî and bâtinî perfection in the presence of his father. He was seventeen
years old when he perfected himself in mental and traditional knowledge. Like
his noble father, he was perfect in observing the religious rules, graced with
taqwâ, immaculate in adapting himself to the Sunnat, and determined in acting
upon the ’azîmat. He was soft-spoken and modest. He did not attach any
importance to worldliness. He was a documentary source and occupied a very high
rank in the knowledge of Hadîth. And in the knowledge of Fiqh he was the
very authenticity itself. Whenever Imâm-i-Rabbânî meant to
inquire into a matter pertaining to the knowledge of Fiqh, he would commune
with this son of his. He admired his true and sound answers and uttered
benedictions over him. He reached all the ranks of kemâl (perfection) and
tekmîl (perfecting) in the elevated presence of his father. He was given ijâzat
and commanded to guide the disciples. He was prudent and far-sighted not only
in matters pertaining to the Hereafter, but also in worldly affairs. In fact,
Imâm-i-Rabbânî ‘quddisa sirruh’ would consult with him in many questions. He
was his magnificent father’s companion in batinî knowledge (knowledge
pertaining to heart and soul). Very few people were informed with the mysteries
imparted to him. People physically afflicted would seek remedy in him, and
people with unhealthy hearts would attain presence of soul and tranquility in
his tasarruf (power of disposal). This state of his was fully concordant with
the following statement made by Bahâ-ud-dîn-i- Bukhârî ‘quddisa sirruh’, who
was one of the (spiritual) inheritors of our master the Prophet ‘alaihis-salâm’: “We have attained a grace, a blessing from
Allâhu ta’âlâ.”
Imâm-i-Rabbânî ‘qaddas-Allâhu ta’âlâ
sirrah-ul’azîz’ stated: “Muhammad Sa’îd is one of the ’Ulamâ-i-râsikhîn.
Muhammad Sa’îd is one of the Sâbiqűn. Muhammad Sa’îd is a Halîl of Allâhu ta’âlâ. The rank of Hullat was transferred from me to him. Muhammad
Sa’îd is a treasure of Allâhu ta’âlâ’s compassion. On the Judgement Day he will be
granted the privilege of dealing out shares from the treasury of compassion. He
has a great share from the rank of Shafâ’at (intercession). Muhammad Sa’îd
passed beyond the circle of nafy (negation) like Ibrâhîm ‘alaihis-salâm’. Now
he is with me in ithbât (proving true). One day I saw Muhammad Sa’îd running
fast along the Sirât Bridge in order to enter Paradise.”
His statement, “My nisbat is like the Mujaddid’s
nisbat,” would suffice to express his greatness. He has a book of one volume
titled Mektűbât. This book is a collection of the subtle and occult pieces of
knowledge poured into his blessed heart.
There was a woman who could not have a child because
of old age. She came to him and said, “Please pray to Allâhu ta’âlâ to give me a child. Your prayer will be accepted.” He made
tawajjuh and then said, “Allâhu ta’âlâ is going to give you a male child.” Indeed, she did
have a male child some time later.
Someone had a son who was about to die. Bewailing
intears,
he entered his presence and begged: “Hadrat Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ resuscitated dead people. You are Prophets’ inheritors. Please
do make tawajjuh so that my son should recover from this plight.” The answer
was a pregnant silence. A while later hadrat Muhammad Sa’îd said, “Your son’s
soul left his body; yet it has come back; he is alive and in good health now.”
When the man was back in his home, he found his son full of life and health.
Khwâja Muhammad Ma’thűm ‘quddisa sirruh’ is well known as the
Imâm-i-Ma’thűm, the ’Urwa-t-ul-wusqâ, renovator of the Religion. He is the
Imâm’s third son. He was born in 1009 and passed away on the ninth of the month
of Rebî-ul-awwal in 1079 [A.D. 1668]. Imâm-i-Rabbânî ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ
aleyh’ stated, “Muhammad Ma’thűm’s birth brought about plenty of barakat. It
was in the same year when he was born that I attained the blessing of kissing
my exalted teacher’s threshold, whereupon all this riches of knowledge and
ma’rifat was unleashed.”
He was only three years old when he began to utter
words of Tawhîd such as, “I am the earth,” “I am the sky” “I am this,” “I am
that,” “That wall is the Haqq,” “That tree is the Haqq.” He memorized the whole
Qur’ân al-kerîm in three months. And he was sixteen years old when
he completed his education in the mental and traditional branches of knowledge
and began to teach his disciples. During his education he acquired the method
of dhikr and murâqaba from his noble father. Then he attained all sorts of
blessings that could, or, rather, could not be imagined. Imâm-i-Rabbânî said
about him, “This son of mine has idiosyncratic propensity towards the
Wilâyat-i-Muhammadiyya ‘alaihis-salâm’. He is Muhammad-ul-mashrab and is one of
the Mahbűbs. The case of my son Ma’thűm’s obtaining our nisbat is identical
with that of the author of the book Sherh-i-Wikâya, who memorized all the books written by his
grandfather.” I am afraid that, if his speed during the stages of Sayr and
Sulűk and in transcending the grades on his way and the ranks he attained were
described, those who consider themselves close would flee to a distance; those
who think they have arrived at their goal would run in the course of separation.
When he attained hâls, high ranks, peerless values and perfections, his blessed
father gave him mutlaq ijâzat (full authorization). So this son fell behind his
noble father and followed him step by step in the knowledge of zâhir and bâtin.
His Kashf was precisely correct and powerful; he would say what grades of
Wilâyat his disciples living in far-away countries had reached and what their
mashrabs
One day, as he was in the presence of his blessed father, he said,
“I see myself as a nűr illuminating the world.” Imâm-i-Rabbânî ‘qaddas-Allâhu
ta’âlâ sirrah-ul-’azîz’ said, “O my son! You will become the Qutb of your time.
Do not forget this word of mine!” Afterwards, some time towards the death of
his exalted father, the rank of Qayyűm was taken back from his father and given to him. Thus he became
the Qayyűm-i-zamân and the Qutb-i-devrân.
Imâm-i-Rabbânî said to this son of his: “My
attachment to this world was due to my duty as the Qayyűm. Now you have been
given this duty. All of the whole world has turned their faces in full
enthusiasm towards you. The time of my transition to the Hereafter is close
by.” At some other time he said, “A share from nobility is seen in you. As the
dough of our master the Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu
alaihi wa sallam’ was being kneaded, they added a remaining piece into the
leaven of your dough of creation.” At another occasion he said, “This son of
mine is one of the Sâbiqűn.”
In short, his blessed body was, like his father, one
of the âyats, signs of Allâhu ta’âlâ. The world, which had been dark for some time, was
illuminated with their barakat.
His letters, which were elucidations of abstruse
mystic knowledge and ma’rifats, were compiled in three books. He explained
those parts of his exalted father’s letters that were too difficult to
understand, in its original language, Persian. Thus no secret was left
unexplained. His Mektűbât (Letters) was written again in 1340 [A.D. 1922] and
was printed in a splendid form in Pakistan in 1395 [A.D. 1985].
His kerâmats are beyond the limits of enumeration. A
day before his passing away, a mysterious voice was heard at the door of every
house in Serhend and in the neighboring cities. It said: “Tomorrow the
Qayyűm-i-zamân Muhammad Ma’thűm will pass away. Those who wish to see him must
hurry!”
The miracles and wonders that happened during his
visit to the Kâ’ba-i-mu’azzama and the Rawdat-ul-mutahhara are narrated in a
book that was published under the title Al-yawâkit. The compliments made to him by the haqîqat of
Kâ’ba-i-mu’azzama, the conversations he had with our master the Prophet
‘alaihis-salâm’, his attaining various graces and kindnesses and many new
grades in that presence are depicted in a sweet and pulchritudinous language.
The number of his disciples and the people who derived benefit
from them cannot be tallied. The fayz and perfections caused by his effective
tawajjuh are the best evidences proving his high rank. More than nine hundred
thousand people are said to have attained the happiness of becoming his
disciples. He gave ijâzat to seven thousand of his disciples. In his presence,
a disciple would attain the grade of Fanâ-i-qalbî in a week and perfection in
Wilâyat in a month’s time. He would make some people attain all these grades
with only one tawajjuh. All his six sons were honoured with the rank of Qutb.
They filled the whole world with nűr. In fact, his honourable father had said
to him, “Your sons will become like me.”
Hadrat Muhammad Ma’thűm ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ aleyh’
had six sons and five daughters.
Muhammad Ferrűh and Muhammad Îsâ, two other sons of
Imâm-i-Rabbânî, passed away of bubonic plague on the same day as did their
eldest brother Muhammmad Sâdiq ‘quddisa sirruhum’; the former was eleven and
the latter was seven years old ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ alaihim ajma’în’.
His youngest son was Muhammad Yahyâ ‘quddisa sirruh’.
He memorized the whole Qur’ân
al-kerîm when he was nine years old. The
same year hadrat Imâm (Rabbânî) ‘rahmatullâhi aleyh’ passed away. He was very
merciful, very compassionate to this son of his, too. After memorizing Qur’ân al-kerîm, he studied Arabic teachings. He learned most of mental and
traditional knowledge from his elder brothers, and was twenty years old when he
completed this education. He became a documentary source in the knowledge of
Hadîth. He was an absolute document in the knowledge of Fiqh. Before he was
born, the âyat-i-kerîma, “We give thee the good news of a (coming) son, whose
name shall be Yahyâ,” was inspired to his noble father (Imâm-i-Rabbânî).
Therefore he named this son of his ‘Yahyâ’. He acquired the grades of
Tarîqâ-i-ahmadiyya from his elder brothers.
Muhammad Alamghîr Evrengh-i-Zîb, the time’s emperor,
would visit him and derive benefit from him. He made Hajj twice.
Mawlânâ Khâlid-i-Baghdâdî ‘quddisa sirruh’, who was
the Mujaddid of the thirteenth century, the paramount and peerless scholar of
his time, who had attained the spiritual grades of Ahmadiyya and who had reached
perfection and had the competence to make others reach perfection, states, “In
this Ummat (among Muslims), with the exception of the As-hâb-i-kirâm, I cannot
see another person as good as Imâm-i-Rabbânî
‘rahmatullâhi aleyh’ in adhering to the
Sunnat-i-seniyya, in having accurate and true views on the Names, Attributes
and Person of Allâhu ta’âlâ, and in possessing very high, very exact and extremely
subtle ma’rifats. Only Prophets ‘alaihim-us-salâm’ could recognize his haqîqat.
How could Awliyâ comprehend this?” One of our superiors ‘rahmatullâhi aleyh”
asked our master the Messenger of Allah ‘alaihis-salâm’ in his dream: “What
would you say about the Mujaddid?” The beloved Prophet’s answer
was: “I have four Khalîfas. Ahmad is the fifth.” Likewise, when
Maz-har-i-Jân-i-Jânân ‘quddise sirruh’ asked our master the Prophet
‘alaihis-salâm’ a similar question in his dream, he received this answer: “Is
there anyone else like him in this Ummat?”
Abdullah Dahlawî ‘rahmatullâhi aleyh’ states in the
hundred and ninth letter of his Mekâtîb-i-sherîfa, “All Muslim countries have been covered with the fayz
and nűr emanating from Imâm-i-Rabbânî Mujaddid-i-Elf-i-thânî Ahmad Fârűqî. It
is wâjib for all Muslims to be grateful for his fayz. None of the other Awliyâ
has informed about any ma’rifat or fayz similar to the new ma’rifats and fayz
communicated by him. Formerly, Mawlânâ Khâlid-i-Baghdâdî, Mawlawî Hirâtî and
Mawlawî Qamer-ud-dîn Pishwarî were totally against him. When they visited this
faqîr and attained the fayz from the Mujaddid, they realized the very high
grades and ranks in this path. Muhammad Abd-ur-rasűl Berzenjî (1103 [A.D. 1690]
was drowned in the sea on his way back from hajj. His book, titled Refuting
the Ignoramuses of Serhend, cannot be an evidence for the deniers (of the Imâm).Someone named
Ârif translated Mektűbât from Persian into Arabic without he himself understanding the
subtle messages given in the book and thus changing them. When Berzenjî came
across this erroneous translation in Medîna-i-munawwara he, being a person
quite unaware of Tasawwuf, was disconcerted and wrote that refutation of his
without thinking at all that he should inquire into the matter before doing so.
On the other hand Mirzâ Muhammad Burhanpűrî, who was profundly learned in the
zâhirî and bâtinî branches of knowledge, saw the refutation and, translating
Mektűbât into Arabic correctly, proved that the writings in the blessed book
were perfectly concordant with the Sharî’at, naming his correct version Atiyat-ul-ahbâb
fi-r-redd-i-alal-mu’tarid-i-ala-sh-shaikh Ahmad Fârűqî, and having Meccan scholars endorse his book.
Urwa-t-ul-wusqa Muhammad Ma’thűm, (as we have already
stated), is Imâm-i-Rabbânî’s son ‘rahmatullâhi alaihimâ’. His book, Mektűbât,
is in Persian and consists of
three volumes. There are 239 letters in the first volume, 158 letters in the
second volume, and