Hadhrat Khwaja Abu Yusuf Hamdani (May Allah shower His mercy on him)

Hadhrat Yousuf bin Ayyub Hamadani (May Allah shower His mercy on him) was born in Hamadan in 441 Hijri, which corresponds to 1049 AD.  His Kuniyah is Abu Yaqoob.  He was only 18 when he started touring the various cities of Islam to seek knowledge.  First he came to Baghdad.  By that time Madarsa Nizamiyyah had been established.  He studied Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) and Prophetic Traditions (Hadith) under renowned teachers.  Then he traveled to various other centers of knowledge like Isfahan, Samarqand, Bukhara, etc.  By this time, he had become famous in the scholarly world.  Whenever he would speak, a lot of people would gather and listen.  A large number of scholars and Jurisprudents would be around him.  He had achieved perfection in giving Islamic edicts and in explaining and interpreting the rules of Islam.

 

Then Khwaja Yousuf Hamadani left everything and took the path of striving and mortification.  He stayed in Khorasan for many many years and wouldn’t come out except for the Friday Salaat.  He took his spiritual training from Shaykh Abu ‘Ali Farmadi (May Allah shower His mercy on him).  Apart from this, as was the custom in those days, he also drew benefit from the company of other saints.  Among them are Shaykh ‘Abdullah Juwaini Nishapuri and Shaykh Hasan Samnani (May Allah shower His mercy on them).  He also received the robe of authorization from the former.

 

Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan Abul Hasanaat Syed Abdullah Shah Naqshbandi (May Allah shower His mercy on him) has written in Gulzar-e-Auliya that Khwaja Abu Yusuf drew spiritual benefit from Ghouse Azam Mohiuddin Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani (May Allah shower His mercy on him). 

 

Although many people drew great benefit from the Khwaja, but 2 of his caliphs deserve special mention.  The first being Hadhrat ‘Abdul Khaliq Ghujdwani and second Hadhrat Ahmed Yasawi (May Allah shower His mercy on them).

 

The latter was the leader of the Shaykhs who spread Islam among the Turkish tribes and Hadhrat Ahmed became famous as “Hadhrat Turkestan” (meaning the Shaykh of Turkey).

 

Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His mercy on him) has written that the Khwaja had 4 caliphs.

 

Once a person came to Khwaja Abu Yusuf and said:  I was with Hadhrat Ahmed Ghazali (May Allah shower His mercy on him).  He was eating along with the dervishes.  Suddenly, a stupor overtook him.  When he came out of it, he said:  I saw the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) that He came and put a morsel in my mouth.  On this, Khwaja Abu Yusuf said:  These are thoughts with which the children on the Path are nurtured.

 

Khwaja Abu Yusuf Hamadani (May Allah shower His mercy on him) is reputed to have said:  You keep company with Almighty Allah.  If this is not possible for you, then remain in the company of those who keep company with Allah Most High.

 

Once a woman came to him and complained:  The westerners have taken away my son.  Please pray that he should come back.  The Khwaja supplicated:  O Allah!  Break his shackles and immediately free him of his sorrow.  Then the Khwaja told the woman: Go home and be patient.  You will find your son in your house.  When that lady returned to her house, she found that her son was already there.  He said:  I was imprisoned in Constantinople.  Guards were all around me.  Suddenly a stranger came to me and brought me here in the blink of an eye.  That woman went to the Khwaja and related all this.  He said:  You are astonished at the decree of Allah.

 

He passed away into the presence of Almighty Allah on the 27^th of Rajab while going from Herat to Merv in 535 Hijri, which corresponds to 1140 AD.  He was first buried there.  Then his disciples brought his body to Merv where his grave is still there.

 

Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His mercy on him) has written that among his books Zeenat Ul Hayaat, Manazil As Salikeen and Manazil As Saireen deserve special mention.

 

[Excerpted from Tarikh Mashaikh Naqshband and Gulzar-e-Auliya]