Teachings of Hadhrat Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz (May Allah be well pleased with him)

 

His teachings and utterances

 

In a book, “Sultan Ul Hind Khwaja Ghareebnawaz Alaihir Rahmah,” the utterances and teachings of the Khwaja have been related on the authority of Daleel Ul A’arifeen.  Here, we are mentioning some of them.

 

The mission of the Khwaja (May Allah shower His mercy on him) was to spread the light of Islam, to invite people who had been misguided to the path of truth, to make the seekers traverse their paths to Allah Most High, to remove the rust from the hearts and to instruct people in purifying their selves. Thus, his assemblies would be virtual universities of education, training in etiquette and manners and purification of self.  His caliph, Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki (May Allah shower His mercy on him) collected some of his sayings and utterances, which the Khwaja had said on special occasions in a book, “Daleel Ul A’arifeen.”  This book is a beacon of guidance even today.  In this collection, various religious issues and mystical subtleties have been described with astonishing conciseness.

 

Some of them are being mentioned here:

 

The Khwaja said:  Whoever got anything got it through serving.  Thus, it is imperative that one doesn’t move even a wee bit beyond the order of the spiritual mentor and to listen very carefully whatever recitations, Salaat, etc. he orders and implement them so that one reaches some station, as the spiritual mentor is the one who reforms a disciple.  Whatever a spiritual mentor says, he will say it only for the perfection of the disciple.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 2)

 

The Khwaja said:  A Gnostic (A’arif) is among the benevolent.  He (or she) is absorbed in the love of the Friend.  When a person sleeps with proper Taharah, then it is ordered that angels remain with that person.  Until morning, they keep entreating Allah Most High that this person should be forgiven, because he has slept with Taharah.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 3)

 

The Khwaja said:  ِA Gnostic is a person who knows the whole world and can create millions of meanings with the mind and describe them and can answer all the subtleties of love and is always swimming in (this) ocean to extract the pearls of the secrets of Almighty Allah and His radiance and presents them to insightful jewelers.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 4)

 

The Khwaja said:  Salaat is the ascension of the faithful as has been described in the Hadith.  Then the Khwaja said:  Salaat is a secret which a slave whispers to his/her Lord Almighty.  Thus, it is given in the Hadith:  …………..The one who offers Salaat tells secrets to the Lord Almighty.  Salaat is a trust of Allah for the slaves.  Thus, the slaves should fulfill this trust in such a manner that they should be no breach of trust in it.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 8)

 

The Khwaja said:  Salaat is an article of religion and an article is a pillar.  Thus, if the pillar is well established, the house is also well established.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 9)

 

The Khwaja said:  Whoever feeds a hungry person, on the Day of Judgment, Allah Most High will cast 7 veils between this person and hell.

 

The Khwaja said:  The person who takes a false oath has in effect rendered his whole family desolate, as blessings (Barakah) are taken away from there.

 

The Khwaja said:  True in love is that person who is so dominated by yearning and fervor that even if a hundred thousand swords are plunged into his head, he (or she) isn’t aware of it.

 

The Khwaja said:  That person is true in friendship with Allah Most High who doesn’t even squirm even if his body is cut into shreds and burnt to ashes in the fire.

 

The Khwaja said:  Deliberately eating and drinking in the graveyard is a major sin.  Whosoever does so is accursed and is a hypocrite, as the graveyard is a place of warning not of desires.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 16)

 

The Khwaja said:  There is no major sin greater than troubling a Muslim brother.  Both Allah Most High and His Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) are displeased with this.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 17)

 

The Khwaja said:  If somebody hears the blessed name of Allah Most High or listens to the Holy Quran and the heart does not become soft and his faith and belief doesn’t increase with the awe of Allah Most High, it is a major sin.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 18)

 

The Khwaja said:  Seeing 5 things is also a form of worship

 

1.  Seeing one’s parents, as given in the Hadith that for the son who sees the face of his parents, the reward of a Hajj is written in his record of deeds.

 

2.  Seeing the Holy Quran.

 

3.  Seeing the face of a scholar or a Shaykh with reverence.

 

4.  The Ka’aba and the doorsill of the Ka’aba.

 

5.  Seeing the face of one’s spiritual mentor and busying oneself in his service.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 20 - 22)

 

The Khwaja said:  Is there anything which is not in the power of Almighty Allah.  Thus, a believer should follow the commands of Almighty Allah, then he (or she) can get whatever he (or she) desires.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 24)

 

The Khwaja said:  Surah Fatiha is a cure for all aches and diseases.  A disease which is not cured by medicines will be cured by reciting Surah Fatiha 41 times between the Sunnah and Fardh of Salaat Ul Fajr and blowing upon the body part.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 29)

 

The Khwaja said:  Divide the night into 3 parts.  Spend the first part in Salaat, the second in Tahajjud, about which the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  This is Obligatory (Fardh) on us.  Offer this Salaat with 4 Salaam i.e. 4 units of 2 Raka’at each.  Recite all that you remember from the Holy Quran.  Then sleep for some time.  Then get up, perform a fresh Wudhu and busy oneself in remembrance of Allah Most High until the dawn.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 36)

 

The Khwaja said:  A sin doesn’t hurt you so much as much as humiliating and debasing a brother Muslim does.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen,. Pg. No. 9)

 

The Khwaja said:  If someone recognizes the Lord Almighty and still doesn’t run away from the creation, then understand that that person didn’t get any bounty.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 9)

 

The Khwaja said:  A Gnostic (A’arif) is that person who removes all that is there is in his heart so as to become like his (or her) friend.  Then Almighty Allah will not keep anything secret from him and the Gnostic will become unconcerned about all the worlds.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 9)

 

The Khwaja said:  I heard from my spiritual mentor, Hadhrat Khwaja ‘Uthman Haruni (May Allah shower His mercy on him) that if 3 qualities are found in any person, understand that Almighty Allah holds that person a friend.  Those 3 qualities are:  Generosity, affection and humility, generosity like the river, affection like the sun and humility like the earth.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 9)

 

The Khwaja said:  The company of good people is better than good deeds and the company of bad people is worse than bad deeds.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 46)

 

The Khwaja said:  These are the best people of the world:  (1) A scholar who speaks with his (or her) knowledge.  (2) The one who doesn’t have any avarice.  (3) That Gnostic who always praises and extols his (or her) Friend.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 48)

 

The Khwaja said:  A Gnostic is an enemy of this (material) world and is friend of the Lord Almighty, as he (or she) is fed up with this world and the Gnostic is unaware of extravagance, love and jealousy.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 49)

 

The Khwaja said:  That person is true in love who cuts off his heart from near and dear ones and develops a relation with Allah and His Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  A lover is that person who walks on the command (path) of the Word of Allah and is true in the love of Allah.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 52)

 

The Khwaja said:  A true Gnostic is that person who owns nothing and is not owned by anything.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 52)

 

The Khwaja said:  The reliance (Tawakkul) of the Gnostics (A’arifeen) is that they rely on none other than Allah Most High and don’t pay attention to any other thing.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 53)

 

The Khwaja said:  There are 3 things in perfect repentance (Taubatun Nusooh).  First, eating less to fast, second to sleep less for worship and speaking less to supplicate.  The first develops fear and consciousness of Allah Most High, the second and third, love.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 57)

 

The Khwaja said:  A Gnostic is like the sun who illuminates the whole world, nothing remains devoid of its light.  (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 57)

 

The Khwaja said:  For the People of the Divine Path (Ahle Tariqah), 10 things are compulsory.  (1)  Seeking the Truth.  (2)  Seeking a perfect spiritual mentor.  (3)  Propriety (Daleel Ul A’arifeen, Pg. No. 58)  (4)  Contentment.  (5)  Love and giving up useless things.  (6)  Piety.  (7)  Steadfastness on the Shariah.  (8)  Eating and sleeping less.  (9)  Isolating oneself from the creation.  (10)  Fasting and Salaat.  (‘Ain Ul Hind, Pg. No. 186)

 

The Khwaja said: For the People of the Truth (Ahle Haqiqah) as well, 10 conditions are imperative.  (1)  To be accomplished in gnosis (Ma’arifah) ………(2)  Neither being sad oneself nor making others sad.  Not paying attention to anyone’s faults.  (3)  To guide others to the path of the Lord Almighty and to give such advice to the creation that has benefit of both this world and the hereafter.  (4)  Humility.  (5)  Seclusion.  (6)  To hold everyone dear and respectable and to see oneself as the least and the worst of al.  (7)  Acceptance and contentment.  (8)  Patience in every affliction and sorrow.  (9)  Fervor and yearning and debasement.  (10)  ……..(M’uin Ul Hind, Pg. No. 186-187)