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The Meditations of Khawaja Muinuddin Hasan Chishti
by Dr Zahurul Hasan Sharib
Published by Sharib Press in 1994
_____________________________________
The content of this little book belies its physical size, in that it contains the thoughts and
writings of The Spiritual Sultan of India, the towering Sufi saint, Khawaja Muinuddin Hasan
Chishti (1135 -1229 AD) also known as Khawaja Gharib Nawaz (the Patron of the Poor).
The words of this preeminent Sufi saint are, as the author says in his preface, 'pregnant
with celestial fire'. Thus the spirit behind the words is that of a towering mystic of universal
and timeless importance.
Dr Sharib has doubtless performed an invaluable service to the English speaking world in
collecting, translating, and presenting for the first time these precious jewels that have been
at the heart of the Chishti Order throughout many centuries.As very few copies of this
important work remain unsold at the time of writing it is perhaps only right that a excerpts
should be presented to enable those who have not been able to access it to gain some
idea of its contents. It is hoped that some future occasion may arise enabling a second
edition to be brought out. In the meanwhile we have published the text in full on the Zahuri
web site - however access to this is for members only, and whilst this access is free there
is a small charge for the right to print it out.
The book is divided into three sections entitled respectively, 'illumination', 'purification', and
'manifestation'. It consists largely of translations from works such as 'Ganj-ul-Asrar', 'Anis
-al-Arwah', 'The Diwan', and various letters and poetical pieces of Muinuddin Hasan Chishti
.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Illuminations.
The opening chapter of the book is quoted here in extenso.
"The Holy Prophet Muhammed once said that Allah, with all the rays of light and
manifestation of glory, displayed at first His light. His light is unlimited and without bounds.
It has no beginning and no end. Like the light of the sun it envelopes everything.
Afterwards this unfathomed and unlimited light created the light of the holy Prophet
Muhammed by its own powers. The two lights, like the light of the sun and the moon are
shining in the sky. At first there was one light then there was two, but the reality of both
lights is one in fact. Subsequently He created the souls of all living beings from the light of
the holy Prophet Muhammed, but He created at first the souls of the perfect men.
Allah says thus: "Man is my mystery and the perfect men acquire my gnosis and recognise
Me in their hearts. They reach up to Me. Had the perfect men not existed then none in the
eighteen thousand worlds would have received my gnosis. By producing the perfect men
my object is that there may be recognition and appreciation of the truth, so that people may
worship Me and recognise Me. Hence before creating the souls of men, the perfect man -
Adam - was created'.
There are descriptions of the worlds (alam) or planes apprehended by the Sufis. The 'alam
an-nasut' is the world of humanity. It is the material, phenomenal world, perceived through
the physical senses. The 'alam al-malakut' is the world of sovereignty. It is the invisible
spiritual angelic world, perceived through insight and the spiritual faculties. The
'alam-al-jabarut' is the world of power. It is the celestial world perceived through entering
into and partaking of the divine nature. It is also the world of divine names and qualities.
The 'alam al-lahut' is the world of the Godhead, not perceived since the phenomenal is
absorbed into the Deity.
The treasure of the secret of reality is related to the heart and not to the tongue. Concerning
love Khawaja Saheb says: with the spiritually inspired lovers everything is a hindrance to
the path except the Beloved. O, my dear! The pinnacle of love is this, that you may see your
own personality as the personality of the Beloved. As seeing one candle in a thousand
mirrors, a thousand candles are seen, but in fact there is one candle in all the mirrors,
likewise there is the manifestation of one light in the two eyes.
About the 'tavern' , often referred to in Sufi poetry, he says;The real tavern is in the heart.
But without the guidance of the perfect spiritual guide the absorbed traveller on the way
cannot understand it.
________________
Purification
Under this heading Dr Sharib quotes Khawaja Saheb's saying on ritual prayer, charity, fasting, and
pilgrimage. He constantly emphasises how important it is for the seeker to realise the reality
underlying such practices. Here is one example:
The real treasure is the secret of Allah. The hearts of the enlightened ones are His
treasure. The enlightened must give the zakat (charity) of the secret of Allah from their own
treasure to the waylaid and the ignorant. The best type of prayer is;
1. to hear the complaints of the aggrieved and to assist them
2. to help the needy and oppressed
3. to feed the people and to give water to the thirsty.
4. to release the captives.
If you want to understand and appreciate the secrets and implications of mysticism, you
should close the door of comfort on yourself and then sit cross legged, being enamoured of
love. If you have done this you will become a mystic indeed.
________________
Manifestation
When you enter the on the path of love of the Friend you become non-existent. You are
indeed a true lover of Allah, when you renounce from your heart the idea of both the worlds.
The lovers heart is a fireplace of love. Whatever comes into it is burnt and becomes
annihilated. The spiritual disciple deserves to be called a dervish, only when he lives in the
world of non-existence. The Sufis breathe nothing but love.
________________
Jamiluddin Morris Zahuri (Southampton, September 20th 2000)
Published by The Zahuri Sufi Web Site September 2001
by Dr Zahurul Hasan Sharib
Published by Sharib Press in 1994
_____________________________________
The content of this little book belies its physical size, in that it contains the thoughts and
writings of The Spiritual Sultan of India, the towering Sufi saint, Khawaja Muinuddin Hasan
Chishti (1135 -1229 AD) also known as Khawaja Gharib Nawaz (the Patron of the Poor).
The words of this preeminent Sufi saint are, as the author says in his preface, 'pregnant
with celestial fire'. Thus the spirit behind the words is that of a towering mystic of universal
and timeless importance.
Dr Sharib has doubtless performed an invaluable service to the English speaking world in
collecting, translating, and presenting for the first time these precious jewels that have been
at the heart of the Chishti Order throughout many centuries.As very few copies of this
important work remain unsold at the time of writing it is perhaps only right that a excerpts
should be presented to enable those who have not been able to access it to gain some
idea of its contents. It is hoped that some future occasion may arise enabling a second
edition to be brought out. In the meanwhile we have published the text in full on the Zahuri
web site - however access to this is for members only, and whilst this access is free there
is a small charge for the right to print it out.
The book is divided into three sections entitled respectively, 'illumination', 'purification', and
'manifestation'. It consists largely of translations from works such as 'Ganj-ul-Asrar', 'Anis
-al-Arwah', 'The Diwan', and various letters and poetical pieces of Muinuddin Hasan Chishti
.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Illuminations.
The opening chapter of the book is quoted here in extenso.
"The Holy Prophet Muhammed once said that Allah, with all the rays of light and
manifestation of glory, displayed at first His light. His light is unlimited and without bounds.
It has no beginning and no end. Like the light of the sun it envelopes everything.
Afterwards this unfathomed and unlimited light created the light of the holy Prophet
Muhammed by its own powers. The two lights, like the light of the sun and the moon are
shining in the sky. At first there was one light then there was two, but the reality of both
lights is one in fact. Subsequently He created the souls of all living beings from the light of
the holy Prophet Muhammed, but He created at first the souls of the perfect men.
Allah says thus: "Man is my mystery and the perfect men acquire my gnosis and recognise
Me in their hearts. They reach up to Me. Had the perfect men not existed then none in the
eighteen thousand worlds would have received my gnosis. By producing the perfect men
my object is that there may be recognition and appreciation of the truth, so that people may
worship Me and recognise Me. Hence before creating the souls of men, the perfect man -
Adam - was created'.
There are descriptions of the worlds (alam) or planes apprehended by the Sufis. The 'alam
an-nasut' is the world of humanity. It is the material, phenomenal world, perceived through
the physical senses. The 'alam al-malakut' is the world of sovereignty. It is the invisible
spiritual angelic world, perceived through insight and the spiritual faculties. The
'alam-al-jabarut' is the world of power. It is the celestial world perceived through entering
into and partaking of the divine nature. It is also the world of divine names and qualities.
The 'alam al-lahut' is the world of the Godhead, not perceived since the phenomenal is
absorbed into the Deity.
The treasure of the secret of reality is related to the heart and not to the tongue. Concerning
love Khawaja Saheb says: with the spiritually inspired lovers everything is a hindrance to
the path except the Beloved. O, my dear! The pinnacle of love is this, that you may see your
own personality as the personality of the Beloved. As seeing one candle in a thousand
mirrors, a thousand candles are seen, but in fact there is one candle in all the mirrors,
likewise there is the manifestation of one light in the two eyes.
About the 'tavern' , often referred to in Sufi poetry, he says;The real tavern is in the heart.
But without the guidance of the perfect spiritual guide the absorbed traveller on the way
cannot understand it.
________________
Purification
Under this heading Dr Sharib quotes Khawaja Saheb's saying on ritual prayer, charity, fasting, and
pilgrimage. He constantly emphasises how important it is for the seeker to realise the reality
underlying such practices. Here is one example:
The real treasure is the secret of Allah. The hearts of the enlightened ones are His
treasure. The enlightened must give the zakat (charity) of the secret of Allah from their own
treasure to the waylaid and the ignorant. The best type of prayer is;
1. to hear the complaints of the aggrieved and to assist them
2. to help the needy and oppressed
3. to feed the people and to give water to the thirsty.
4. to release the captives.
If you want to understand and appreciate the secrets and implications of mysticism, you
should close the door of comfort on yourself and then sit cross legged, being enamoured of
love. If you have done this you will become a mystic indeed.
________________
Manifestation
When you enter the on the path of love of the Friend you become non-existent. You are
indeed a true lover of Allah, when you renounce from your heart the idea of both the worlds.
The lovers heart is a fireplace of love. Whatever comes into it is burnt and becomes
annihilated. The spiritual disciple deserves to be called a dervish, only when he lives in the
world of non-existence. The Sufis breathe nothing but love.
________________
Jamiluddin Morris Zahuri (Southampton, September 20th 2000)
Published by The Zahuri Sufi Web Site September 2001
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