Others
43-459: In terms of Ihsan : Abdāl ( Arabic : أبدال ) lit : substitutes, but which can also mean "generous" [ karīm ] and "noble" [ sharīf ]) is a term used in Islamic metaphysics and Islamic mysticism , both Sunni and Shiite , to refer to a particularly important group of God's saints . In the tradition of Sunni Islam in particular, the concept attained an especially important position in
86-589: A public holiday for the commemoration of the commencement of Ali Hujwiri's three-day death anniversary . He migrated to Punjab from Afghanistan and brought the light of Islam to a land where majority of the people were Hindus . Ali Hujwiri was born in Ghazni , in present-day Afghanistan , in around 1009 to Uthman ibn Ali or Bu Ali. As is common with Sufi saints, his father was a direct descendant of Al-Imam Hasan ibn Ali . His genealogical chain supposedly goes back eight generations to Caliph Ali . According to
129-420: A subset of those who are mu'min , and those who are mu'min are a subset of muslims : From the preceding discussion it should be clear that not every Muslim is a man or woman of faith ( mu'min ), but every person of faith is a Muslim . Furthermore, a Muslim who believes in all the principles of Islam may not necessarily be a righteous person, a doer of good ( muhsin ), but a truly good and righteous person
172-674: A Badal exists in each continent. Although the majority live in " Al-Sham (Syria),"...some live in Iraq , some in Lebanon , some in Egypt , some in Antioch , some in al-Massisa , South Africa and others live throughout the rest of the world.". They have divine powers and super-natural abilities. A person does not recognize that he is one of the Abdal until he becomes aware of his status suddenly though
215-457: A revelation. It is said that a Badal can be identified through his continuous good deeds and forgiving nature. He may be rich or poor, married or bachelor, child or adult. Such concepts are established in the Sunni branch of Islam, and in particular in the latter's original Sufi schools of spiritual disciplines. The abdal function as the keepers of equilibrium in the world and preserve it between
258-492: A tribute to him as a narration; گنج بخش فیضِ عالَم مظہرِ نورِ خدا ناقصاں را پیرِ کامل ، کاملاں را راہنما Ganj Bakhsh-e-Faiz-e-Alam Mazhar-e-Nur-e-Khuda, Na Qasaan-ra Pir-i Kamil, Kamilaan-ra Rahnuma. Al-Hujwiri is believed to have contributed "significantly" to the spread of Islam in South Asia through his preaching, with one historian describing him as "one of the most important figures to have spread Islam in
301-484: Is a diversion when it is in earnest, and an impropriety when it is in jest". As such, he censured "all the traditions cited in its favour" as "worthless". As for the legitimate ecstatic experiences of some Sufis, whose bodies convulsed when their "heart [throbbed] with exhilaration and rapture" on account of their intense love of God , Ali Hujwiri declared that these movements only outwardly resembled dancing and opined that "those who call it 'dancing' are utterly wrong. It
344-500: Is a matter of taking one's inner faith ( iman ) and showing it in both deed and action, a sense of social responsibility borne from religious convictions. In Islam , Ihsan is the Muslim responsibility to obtain perfection, or excellence, in worship, such that Muslims try to worship God as if they see Him, and although they cannot see Him, they undoubtedly believe that He is constantly watching over them. That definition comes from
387-507: Is a state that cannot be explained in words: 'without experience no knowledge'." Ali Hujwiri deemed it lawful to listen to virtuous poetry , saying: "It is permissible to hear poetry. The Messenger heard it, and the Companions not only heard it but also spoke it." Due to these reasons, he censured those who "declare that it is unlawful to listen to any poetry whatever, and pass their lives in defaming their brother Muslims." Regarding
430-621: Is also believed that since the number of abdal is so near to the number of days in the lunar calendar, their role as a part of the cosmic order of the universe is justified. In Sufism, the Abdal are placed in a cosmic hierarchy with other orders of saintly individuals. Two descriptions of the hierarchy come from notable Sufis. One comes from the 12th century Persian Ali Hujwiri . In his divine court, there are three hundred akhyār ("excellent ones"), forty abdāl ("substitutes"), seven abrār ("piously devoted ones"), four awtād ("pillars") three nuqabā ("leaders") and one qutb . The second version
473-765: Is both a Muslim and a true person of faith. Some Islamic scholars explain ihsan as being the inner dimension of Islam whereas shariah is often described as the outer dimension. Ihsan "constitutes the highest form of worship" ( ibadah ). It is excellence in work and in social interactions. For example, ihsan includes sincerity during Muslim prayers and being grateful to parents, family, and God. Ali Hujwiri Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Uthman al-Jullabi al-Hujwiri ( Persian : ابو الحسن علی بن عثمان الجلابی الھجویری , romanized : Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn ʿUthmān al-Jullābī al-Hujwīrī ; c. 1009 -1072/77), known reverentially as Data Sahib ( Persian : داتا صاحب , romanized : Dātā Ṣaḥib ),
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#1732782800654516-463: Is clear of all [the slander] that is alleged against him." As a Sunni Muslim , Ali Hujwiri believed it was a spiritual necessity to follow one of the orthodox schools of religious law , being himself a staunch follower of the Hanafi school of orthodox Sunni jurisprudence . As such, Ali Hujwiri condemned as "heretics" all those who espoused mystical doctrines without following all the precepts of
559-516: Is from Ibn Arabī , who lived in Moorish Spain. It has a more exclusive structure. There are eight nujabā ("nobles"), twelve nuqabā , seven abdāl , four awtād , two a’immah ("guides"), and the qutb. Ihsan Ihsan ( Arabic : إحسان ʾiḥsān , also romanized ehsan ), is an Arabic term meaning "to do beautiful things", "beautification", "perfection", or "excellence" (Arabic: husn , lit. ' beauty ' ). Ihsan
602-473: Is infidelity and heresy." Ali Hujwiri supported the orthodox belief in the existence of saints . As such, he stated: "You must know that the principle and foundation of Sufism and Knowledge of God rests on sainthood, the reality of which is unanimously affirmed by all the teachers, though every one has expressed himself in a different language." Elsewhere, he said: "God has saints whom He has specially distinguished by His Friendship and whom He has chosen to be
645-484: Is like Israfil) dies, then one of the three whose heart is like Mika’il replaces him and one of the five (whose hearts are like Jibra’il) replaces him. One of the seven replaces one of the five, one of the forty replaces one of the seven and one of the 300 replaces one of the forty and a normal Muslim replaces one of the three-hundred. It is due to these 356 awliya that creation are given life and killed, due to them rain falls, vegetation grows and difficulties are removed. It
688-435: Is said that they are only known to and appointed by Allah , and it is through their operations that the world continues to exist. The term over time has come to include a greater hierarchy of saints, all of different rank and prestige. "Abdal" is the plural of "Badal" or rather "Badeel", and means "those who get replaced", "those who serve as a partial replacement to the role of the prophets" or "friends of God". The Abdals are
731-681: The Data Darbar , is one of the most frequented shrines in South Asia . Currently, it is Pakistan's largest shrine "in numbers of annual visitors and in the size of the shrine complex," and, having been nationalized in 1960, is managed today by the Department of Awqaf and Religious Affairs of the Punjab. The mystic himself remains a "household name" in the daily Islam of South Asia. In 2016, the Government of Pakistan declared 21 November to be
774-547: The Hadith of Gabriel in which Muhammad states, "[Ihsan is] to worship God as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you". ( Al-Bukhari and Al-Muslim ). According to Muhammad's hadith "God has written ihsan on everything". Ihsan is one of the three dimensions of the Islamic religion ( ad-din ): In contrast to the emphases of islam (what one should do) and iman (why one should do),
817-620: The Hanafi school of orthodox Sunni jurisprudence , Ali Hujwiri stated: "He is the Imām of Imāms (lit. 'Leader of Leaders') and the exemplar of the Sunnis ." Regarding Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 855), the traditionally recognized founder of the Hanbali school of orthodox Sunni jurisprudence , Ali Hujwiri stated: "He was distinguished by devoutness and piety, and was the guardian of the Traditions of
860-543: The religious law ( sharīʿah ). He further denounced all those "who held that ... when the Truth is revealed the Law is abolished". For Ali Hujwiri, then, all true and orthodox mystical activities needed to take place within the boundaries of the religious law. According to Ali Hujwiri, purely secular dancing "has no foundation either in the religious law of Islam or in the path of Sufism, because all reasonable men agree that it
903-566: The Indian subcontinent." In the present day, al-Hujwiri is venerated as the main saint of Lahore , Pakistan by the traditional Sunni Muslims of the area. He is, moreover, one of the most widely venerated saints in the entire South Asia , and his tomb-shrine in Lahore, popularly known as Data Darbar , is one of the most frequented shrines in South Asia . At present, it is Pakistan's largest shrine "in numbers of annual visitors and in
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#1732782800654946-588: The Messenger Muhammad " and stated elsewhere that he "is placed by the Sufi shaykhs at the head of those who have adopted the contemplative life." In conclusion, Ali Hujwiri stated: "The whole sect of Sufis has made him their patron in stripping themselvesan of worldly things, in fixity, in an eager desire for poverty, and in longing to renounce authority. He is the leader of the Muslims in general, and of
989-464: The Messenger. Sufis of all sects regard him as blessed. He associated with great shaykhs ... his miracles were manifest and his intelligence sound. The doctrines attributed to him today by certain anthropomorphists are inventions and forgeries; he is to be acquitted of all notions of that sort. He had a firm belief in the principles of religion, and his creed was approved by all the theologians.... He
1032-504: The Sufis in particular." Al-Hujwiri described the second caliph of Islam Umar ( r. 634–644 ) as one "specially distinguished by sagacity and resolution," and said that "the Sufis make him their model in wearing a patched garment and rigorously performing the duties of religion." He further praised Umar for his "very exalted station" in combining a life of worldly duties with intense and consistent spiritual devotion. Regarding
1075-568: The autobiographical information recorded in his own Kashf al-maḥjūb , it is evident that Ali Hujwiri travelled "widely through the Ghaznavid Empire and beyond, spending considerable time in Baghdad , Nishapur , and Damascus , where he met many of the pre-eminent Ṣūfīs of his time." In matters of jurisprudence , he received training in the Hanafi rite of orthodox Sunni law under various teachers. As for his Sufic training, he
1118-471: The concept of ihsan is primarily associated with intention. One who "does what is beautiful" is called a muhsin . It is generally held that a person can only achieve true Ihsan with the help and guidance of God , who governs all things. While traditionally Islamic jurists have concentrated on islam and theologians on iman , the Sufis have focused their attention on ihsan . Those who are muhsin are
1161-399: The endurance of affliction." Regarding the grandson of Muhammad and son of Ali , Hasan ibn Ali (d. 670), Ali Hujwiri described him as one "profoundly versed in [spiritual truths]" and as one of "the true saints and shaykhs" of the Islamic community. With respect to the younger grandson of Muhammad and son of Ali , Husayn ibn Ali (d. 680), Ali Hujwiri emphatically declared: "He is
1204-540: The governors of His Kingdom and has marked out to manifest by His Actions and has peculiarly favored with diverse kinds of miracles and has purged of natural corruptions and has delivered from subjection to their lower soul and passion, so that all their thoughts are of Him and their intimacy is with Him alone. Such have been in past ages, and are now, and shall be hereafter until the Day of Resurrection , because God exalted this community above all others and has promised to preserve
1247-478: The grandson of Husayn , Muhammad al-Baqir (d. 733), Ali Hujwiri stated: "He was distinguished for his knowledge of the abstruse science and for his subtle indications as to the meaning of the Quran ." Ali Hujwiri praised Zayn al-Abidin (d. 713), the son of Husayn , for being of "the character of those who have attained perfect rectitude." Regarding Abu Hanifa (d. 767), the traditionally recognized founder of
1290-628: The greatest saints of the Islamic community. The Kashf al-maḥjūb is the only work of Ali Hujwiri that has remained until today. Egyptian Sufi scholar Abul Azaem has translated this work into Arabic. Reynold Alleyne Nicholson provided a short list of Ali Hujwiri's writings (all of which are lost aside from the Kashf al-maḥjūb ), which included, amongst others, the following unpreserved works: Of other books written by Sheikh Ali Hujwiri: Mu'in al-Din Chishti stayed at al-Hujwiri's mausoleum and quoted
1333-664: The group of true, pure believers in God. They serve God during their lifetime; when they die, they are immediately replaced by another selected by God from a larger group said to be the 500 " Akhyar ", i.e., the good ones. The Abdals are headed by their leader, " Al-Ghawth ( Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani )" ("the Helper"), who resides in Baghdad . This leader is often referred to as the Qutb , which means "Pole" in Arabic. This leader though unknown to
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1376-412: The hearing of secular poetry, however, Ali Hujwiri's opinion was far stricter, and he deemed it "unlawful" to hear poetry or love-songs that enticed the hearer to carnal desires through detailed descriptions "of the face and hair and mole of the beloved." In conclusion, he stated that those who regarded the hearing of such poetry "as absolutely lawful must also regard looking and touching as lawful, which
1419-430: The human race. As far as the number of the abdal is concerned, there are 300 servants of Allah in the creation whose hearts are like that of Adam. There are 40 whose hearts are similar to the heart of Musa and 7 whose hearts are similar to the heart of Ibrahim. There are 5 whose hearts are like that of Jibra’il and 3 whose hearts are like that of Mika’il and one whose heart is like the heart of Israfil. When he (whose heart
1462-447: The martyr of Karbala and all Sufis are agreed that he was in the right. So long as the Truth was apparent, he followed it; but when it was lost, he drew the sword and never rested until he sacrificed his dear life for God's sake." Ali Hujwiri described Jafar al-Sadiq (d. 765), the great-grandson of Husayn , as one "celebrated among the Sufi shaykhs for the subtlety of discourse and his acquaintance with spiritual truths." Regarding
1505-485: The principles of Divine Truth with exceeding subtlety.... Ali is a model for the Sufis in respect to the truths of outward expressions and the subtleties of inward meanings, the stripping of one's self of all property either of this world or of the next, and consideration of the Divine Providence." He also approvingly cited Junayd of Baghdad 's saying: "Ali is our Shaykh as regards the principles and as regards
1548-454: The public is usually sought out by all of the lower ranking members of the abdal. At various times in history, shaykhs have been known to publicly claim to be the Qutb , despite the tradition of remaining outside the public eye. The missions of the Abdals are to be God's merciful subjects everywhere they reside and to render the helping blessing hand to all of God's creatures. It is said that
1591-537: The religion of Muhammad.... The visible proof [of Islam ] is to be found among the saints and the elect of God." Ali Hujwiri is perhaps most famous for writing what has been described as "the earliest formal treatise on Ṣūfism in Persian," the renowned Kashf al-maḥjūb ( Unveiling of the Hidden ). The work presents itself as an introduction to the various aspects of orthodox Sufism and also provides biographies of
1634-602: The third of the Rightly Guided Caliphs of the early Islamic community, Uthman ( r. 644–656 ), al-Hujwiri stated that the "Sufis take Uthman as their exemplar in sacrificing life and property, in resigning their affairs to God, and in sincere devotion." With respect to the fourth of the Rightly Guided Caliphs of Islam , Ali ( r. 656–661 ), al-Hujwiri stated: "His renown and rank in this Path were very high. He explained
1677-429: The times when prophets are present. Varying in classification and denomination, the identity of the abdal are entirely unknown to the public and even to themselves. With the ability to transmit blessings (baraka) and perform miracles (karāmāt) the abdal as a whole are able to adequately fill the role of prophet. Similarly, it is believed that when judgement day comes, they will act as intermediaries (šafāʿa) between God and
1720-513: The writings of the Sunni mystics and theologians , whence it appears in the works of Sunni authorities as diverse as Abu Talib al-Makki (d. 956), Ali Hujwiri (d. 1072), Ibn Asakir (d. 1076), Khwaja Abdullah Ansari (d. 1088), Ibn Arabi (d. 1240), and Ibn Khaldun (d. 1406). It is a rank of forty saints, but more often the larger group of 356 saints in Sufi hagiography . In this theology it
1763-477: Was an Islamic scholar and mystic who authored Kashf al-Mahjub , the earliest treatise on Sufism in the Persian language . Born in the Ghaznavid Empire , al-Hujwiri is believed to have contributed "significantly" to the spread of Islam in South Asia through his preaching. Al-Hujwiri is venerated as the primary saint of Lahore , Pakistan by the Sufis of the area and his tomb-shrine , known as
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1806-533: Was linked through his teacher al-Khuttalī to al-Husrī, Abu Bakr al-Shibli ( d. 946 ), and Junayd al-Baghdadi ( d. 910 ). For a short period, the mystic is believed to have lived in Iraq His brief marriage during this period is said to have been unhappy. Eventually, Ali Hujwiri settled in Lahore , where he died with the reputation of a renowned preacher and teacher. After his death, Ali Hujwiri
1849-473: Was unanimously regarded as a great saint by popular acclaim. Ali Hujwiri described the first caliph of Islam Abu Bakr ( r. 632–634 ) as "the Greatest Truthful," and deemed him "the leader ( imām ) of all the folk of this Path ." Eulogizing Abu Bakr's piety, Ali Hujwiri praised him for how "he gave away all his wealth and his clients, and clad himself in a woolen garment, and came to
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