Hadhrat Hāfiz Shāh Abū Saeed Fārūqī Dehlavī Mujaddidī Naqshbandī (1196-1250 AH), may Allah sanctify his soul, is one of the greatest yet less known Awliya of India. He was a khalīfā and spiritual successor of the Mujaddid of 13th Islamic century Hadhrat Shāh Ghulām Alī Dehlavī (1156-1240 AH), may Allah be pleased with him.
Birth and Education
Sultan Ibrahim Bin Adham r.ah, also known as Abu Ben Adhem or Abou Ben Adhem, was an Arab Muslim saint and Sufi mystic. His full name was Ibrahim bin Adham Bin Mansur al-Balkhi al-Ijli, Abu Ishaq. He was the King of Balkh but abandoned the throne to become a “zahid” – ascetic worshiper. According to Arabic and Persian sources like al-Bukhari and others, Ibrahim ibn Adham r.ah received a warning from Allah swt through Prophet Khidr a.s. who appeared to him twice, and as such, Ibrahim abdicated his throne to take up the ascetic life in Syria. He died in 790CE and is believed to be buried in this little town.
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As-Salaam alaykum wa rahma tu’ala wa barakatu. Eid Mubarak! Allahu Akbar – Allahu Akbar – Allahu Akbar wa lillah ilhamd!
May Allah (swt) bless you and your families on this joyous day
Salim Chishti was a greatly revered Sufi Mystic who, it was thought by many, could perform miracles. The Mughal Emperor Akbar-e-Azam went to the shrine of Hazrat Ashraf Jahangir Semnani, but on his travels, had received inspiration to go to see Salim Chishti. Akbar came to the holy man’s camp, deep in the desert, seeking a male heir to his throne. Salim Chishti blessed Akbar, and soon the first of three sons was born to him. He named his first son Salim (later emperor Jahangir, named after the Famous Sufi Saint Hazrat Ashraf Jahangir Semnani) in honor of Salim Chishti.
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Stations of the Wayfarers has always been one of the pillars of Sufi studies for Arabic-speaking scholars and students. For generations, seekers and novices have depended on it to build up their knowledge. The fact that no English translation of this basic treatise exists is regrettable, although excerpts of it have been provided, notably in Professor Ravan Farhadi's work on Abdullah Al-Ansari published in the Curzon Sufi Series in 1996. The present complete translation is therefore aimed at filling that gap. English-speaking scholars and students will find in it an authoritative, detailed and inspiring description of the spiritual stages leading to annihilation and union with the Supreme Being. The depth of its concepts is astounding, yet Al-Ansari is invariably rational and devoted to Orthodox Islam, as represented by Hanafi School. The book has a structure that is unique, both in form and content. The Shaikh dictated it as a manual under a format designed to facilitate memorizing by students. It follows a mnemonic system, each chapter being divided into three levels, indication the degrees of the spiritual experience, as well as the "hierarch" of the candidates for the experience. A verse of the Qur an introduces each chapter. It is noteworthy that Al-Ansari was already blind when he dictated the treatise in 1082 A.D. (475 H.) The Stations consists of the following Parts or Sections: 1. The Beginnings, comprising chapters on Awakening, Repentance, Reckoning, Turning to God, Reflection, Meditation, Taking Shelter, Escape, Retreat or Inurement and Audition. 2. The Gates, comprising chapters on Grief, Fear, Solicitude, Reverence, Capitulation or Humility, Renunciation, Piety, Consecration or Devotion, Hope and Aspiration. Behavior, comprising chapters on Caring, Observation, Reverence, Honesty, Betterment, Rectitude, Reliance, Delegation, Trust and Submission. Distributed in USA by Rumi Bookstore
