What is there to read in the following pages? It starts with dreaming and the Chishtis. The next part deals with dreams of the Sufi shaykh ash-Sharani, which are similar to the dreams we, i.e. ordinary people, have. That is why the explanations of such dreams are also useful to us. Then we are confronted with the dreams of a very famous dream interpreter from Damascus, shaykh an-Nablusi. The article concludes with the vision of shaykh ad-Dabbaagh from Africa concerning dream interpretation. A Chishti dream Hazrat Mir Khurd is a murid of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya. He often dreams about his pir and his dreams are at times conflicting with one another: He tries in his dreams to kiss the feet…
The best of assemblies: 35 sufi tales
The sayings of the Chishti shaykh Nasiruddin Mahmud, who was known as “The Lamp of Delhi” have been collected in Khair al-Majaales (= The Best of Assemblies ). I remember seeing an Urdu translation of this book in a small bookstall at the dargah of Khwaja Mo’inuddin Chishti in Ajmer. I did not buy it. The Persian original must be hard to get as knowledge of Persian is leaving in India these days. Some of the anecdotes as given below can be found in Khair al-Majaales, while other stories have been derived from different Chishti sources: Tale 1 In a story in The Best of Assemblies a prince of Rum happens to hear the first line of a qasida of…
The Dream
A visitor came to a Chishti pir. This visitor wanted to demonstrate his own knowledge of the Qur’an and intended to overpower the Chishti pir in a debate. When he entered, the Chishti pir took the initiative however and mentioned Yusuf and the dreams he has had according to the Qur’an. He then suddenly turned to his visitor and asked him if he could tell him about a dream, so that the visitor may give his interpretation thereof. After receiving permission the Sufi told that he has had a dream and both of them were in it. The Chishti pir then went on by describing the following dream event: “I saw your hand immersed in a jar of honey, while…
Mawlana Jami
Who can be seen in the appearance of water and earth except You? Who is concealed inside the heart and soul except You? You said: ‘Purify your heart from all others except Me’. O Soul of the world, who is there in both worlds except You? در صورت آب وگل عیان غیر توکیست در خلوت جان و دل نهان غیر تو کیست گفتی که ز غیر من بپرداز دلت ای جان و جهان در دو جهان غیر تو کیست ∞ O you who’ve turned into the direction of loyalty Why have you turned the shell into the veil of the kernel? It’s not wise that your heart runs after this and that: With a single heart, one Friend is enough…
Khwaja Saiyid Mohammed Gesu Daraz
Khwaja Saiyid Mohammed Gesu Daraz is one of the great Chishti Sufis. He is known and respected throughout the sub-continent of India, Pakistan and Bangla Desh. He is a disciple and a spiritual caliph of Khwaja Nasiruddin Chiragh of Delhi. He was born on the 4th of Rajab in the year 721 A.H. (which is the 30th of July 1321 C.E. according to my computer). His nickname is Abu’l Fatah. He is addressed as Sadruddin, Wali ul akbar us-Sadiq and Gesu Daraz. There are several reasons for calling him Gesu Daraz. He had very long hair and for this reason he came to be called Gesu Daraz, which means ‘one with long locks of hair’. Another reason assigned is this,…
The works of shaykh Ibn al-‘Arabi [part 11]
The doctrine of the Perfect Human Being (al–insan al–kamil), in its technical Sufi metaphysical sense, has roots in Sufi thought prior to shaykh Ibn al-‘Arabi, e.g. in the earlier concept of ‘the Universal Servant’ (‘abd al-kullī) as formulated by Ibn Barrajan (d. 1141): A human being is identified as the Particular Servant (ʿabd al–juzʾi) in relation to the universal servant (ʿabd al–kulli). All things unfold as a consequence of the reality of the Universal Servant. Thus al-ʿabd al-kullī was created in the best of forms and the noblest of measurings (taqdir); the form of God’s form (ṣurat al–ḥaqq). Man, on the other hand, was created upon the form of the form of God. That is, man was created upon the…
Diwaan-e-Mo’in: Ghazal 29
This is a complete ghazal attributed to Khwâja Mu’înuddîn Chishtî: Ay ki andar ‘ain paidâ’î nihâni kîstî Har chi dar fahm u gumân âyad na ânî kîstî Who are You, Who are both clearly manifest and hidden? You, Whose existence is beyond intellect and imagination? Jumla-yi-ashyâ zi hadd-i-wasf shud ma’lûm-i-khalq Ay ki bîrûn az hadd-i-wasf-i-bayânî kîstî All things are distinguished in creation by the extent of their definitions. Who are You, Whose description is beyond any limitation? Ay ki dar har mazhar-i-naw’î zuhûrî karda’i Dar libâs-i-hajla ‘ayân ‘iyânî kîstî Who are, Who manifest Yourself in each kind of place, Whose eyes are manifest behind the curtain of the bridal chamber? Nai badan az tu khabar dârad na jân az tu…
Baba Farid
Baba Farid (may God sanctify his innermost consciousness) has written these verses in Persian: (1) Ba-qadr ranj yaabi soruri raa Ba-shab bidaar budan mehtari raa You’ll experience bliss to the extent of the pains you undertake. Greatness will come if in the night you keep awake. (2) Khaaham ke hamisha dar hawaaye to ziyam Khaaki shawam o ba-zir paaye to ziyam Maqsud-e-man banda ze kawnayn to’i Az ba-har to miram ze baaraaye to ziyam I wish that I’d always live in love with You. I’d like to live as the dust under the feet of You. You are my goal in both the worlds: I die for You and I live for You. (3) Gar wesaal-e-shaah midaari tam’ Az wesaal-e-khishtan…
Chishti poetry
You’ll find here several poems by Chishti Sufis. The transcription of the Persian text will be followed by its English translation: Gar az khodiye khwish berun aa’i to Dar pardaye tawhid darun aa’i to Var az ravesh-e chun o cheraa bargozari Az khod shode bi cheraa o chun aa’i to If outside your own self you would go, Into the veil of unity you would go. And if you would go beyond the why and when, Leaving yourself, into the without why and when you would go. Mas’ud-e-Bakk Jaan bar in yek bayt daade-ast aan bozorg Aari in kawhar ze kaani digar-ast Koshtegaan-e khanjar-e taslim raa Har zamaan az ghayb jaani-ye digar-ast. On this verse that great being gave up…
A pair of trousers
Mawlana Shamsuddin Mohammad Yahya was an intimate friend of Mawlana Sadruddin Nawli. Both of them used to hear quite a lot about the spiritual greatness of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya. They had never met him. One day, when they came to Ghiyaspur to wash their clothes, they decided to go to Nizamuddin Awliya to see what kind of dervish he was and to find how much learning and knowledge he possessed. But they felt annoyed by the type of devotion that so many people offered to Nizamuddin Awliya. They considered it to be contrary to Islam. That is why they would only say ‘Peace be with you’ according to the Islamic precepts and then sit down. As soon as Nizamuddin Awliya…