Data Ganj Baksh Ali Hujweri

The Qutub of the world, Hadhrat Ali Bin Usman Bin Ali Al Jullabi Data Ganj Baksh Lahori (May Allah shower His Mercy on him), his Kunniyah is Abul Hasan.

 

He came to Lahore when Sultan Mahmood Ghaznawi conquered Hindustan and due to him, Islam was propagated in that area.

 

He is a great saint.  His excellence is known to one and all.

 

His teachers

 

He is the disciple of Hadhrat Shaykh Abul Fadhl Muhammad Bin Husain Khatli (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) and he in turn is the disciple of Hadhrat Abul Hasan Hasri (May Allah shower His Mercy on him), who is the disciple of Hadhrat Khwaja Shibli and he is the disciple of Hadhrat Junaid Baghdadi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).

 

The author of "Nafhatul Uns" says that he is an A'alim, an A'arif and had benefited from the company of a number of Shaikhs.

 

He wrote the magnum opus, "Kashful Mahjub." In this book, he has collected the different gems and pearls of Ma'arifah.

 

What is necessary for a Durvesh

 

He says that I asked the Shaykh Ul Mashaaikh, Hadhrat Abul Qasim Gorgani (May Allah shower His Mercy on him), what is the minimum necessary for a "Durvesh" that he should be worthy of "Faqr"?

 

He said: 3 things are necessary:

 

1.  That he should be able to sow the right piece of cloth.

2.  That he should be able to speak and hear the truth.

3.  Third that he should be able to step correctly on the ground.

 

When he had said this, a few Durvesh were present.  When we reached the destination, I told that each one of you should explain this.  When everybody had done so, my turn came.  I said: To sew the right piece of cloth means that the Durvesh should sew out of need and not for show             When he will sew out of need, then even though it is a piece of fire, it will be correct.

 

Truthful talk means that the Durvesh should have not only words (Qaal- Urdu) and his talk should not be bereft of the yearning for Allah Ta'ala and should show in his life as well and should not be show and ostentation.

 

To step correctly means that he should walk in yearning of Allah Ta'ala and not for useless things.

 

When this explanation reached the Shaykh, he said: Ali has spoken the truth.

His worship

 

Hadhrat Data Gank Baksh remained standing for 20 years and excepting in the Qaida in Salaat, never sat down.  When he was asked, he said: I have not yet reached a stage in the vision of Allah Ta'ala (Mushahada) that I can sit.

 

He performed strict worship of Allah Ta'ala for many years.  There are innumerable miracles (Karamaat) of his.

 

Passing away:

 

He came to Lahore in his last days and passed away there only.  As per Kashful Mahjub, his year of passing away is 465 Hijri.

 

[Excerpted from Miraatul Asrar]