Hadhrat Imam Rabbani Shaykh Ahmed Sirhindi (May Allah sanctify his secret)

The Qutub of the world, the beloved of Allah Ta'ala, Imam Rabbani Mujaddid Alf Thani Hadhrat Shaykh Ahmed Farooqui Naqshbandi Sirhindi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) is a descendent of Hadhrat Umar Farooq (May Allah be well pleased with him).

 

Hadhrat Umar is his forefather through 28 generations.  All of his forefathers were scholars and pious people.

 

He was born in 971 Hijri in Sirhind.

 

He was still very young that Hadhrat Shaykh Shah Kamaal Qadri (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) prophesized about him that this child will have a long life and he will be a great scholar and a very great saint.  ( Sahab Ahwal A'aliya )

 

The Shaykh had made Hadhrat Imam suck his tongue and had granted the "Nisbah" (spiritual connection/relationship) of the Qadri Silsila (order of Tasawwuf) to him.  Even from childhood, he was such that anybody who saw him would say: This child is very talented, he will accomplish great things.  He acquired most of the normative sciences from his great father himself.  Then he went to Sialkot and studied under Maulana Muhammad Kamaal Kashmiri and Maulana Yaqub Kashmiri and took the authorization of Hadith (Sanad-e-Hadith) from Qazi Bahlol Badakshi.  In his times, there was no equal to him in knowledge.  He had received the Nisbah of the Qadri and Chishti orders and the authorization to grant it to others (Khilafah) from his father himself.

 

He had not even reached the age of 17 that he had become peerless in both the normative sciences and the sciences of the heart ( Uloom Dhahiri and Uloom Batini ), he started benefiting to the students and the disciples.  In this time, he wrote many papers like "Risalah Tahliliya" and Risala Radde Rawafidh," etc. even though the Rawafidh were very powerful then, but his truth-loving nature made him write it.

 

In spite of all this accomplishments, he was still desirous of the Naqshbandiya Nisbah.

 

In 1007 Hijri, his father passed away and in 1008 Hijri, he started for Haj from his native place.  On the way, they came to Delhi.  On reaching Delhi, he had the privilege of meeting Hadhrat Khwaja Muhammad Baqibillah (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).  Hadhrat Baqibillah treated him with utmost respect and reverence.  After 2 days, Hadhrat Imam Rabbani developed the wish for becoming the disciple of Hadhrat Baqibillah (Ba'yah).  Against his custom, Hadhrat Baqibillah accepted him as a disciple into the order without Istikhara and described his dream that in the days past I had seen a dream, Hadhrat Khwajgi Umkinagi gave the interpretation of which that a Qutub Ul Aqtaab (Leader of all leaders, i.e.  a very great saint) will receive benefit from me.  All those signs are seen in you.  You are to be the future Qutub Ul Aqtaab.

 

Then Hadhrat Imam Rabbani (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) busied himself with the practices of the Naqshbandi order, its worship, Wazaaif, meditations, etc.  The will of Allah! Within 2 months and some days, such divine knowledge, Ma'arifah, secrets of Wilayah and blessings and illuminations of Allah Ta'ala flooded over, that the greatest saints were astonished.  "This is the favor of Allah Ta'ala and He grants to whom He wills".

 

Then he was granted Ijazah and Khilafah (authorization) and returned home.  From far away places, those who were thirsty for the Ma'arifah (realization) of Allah Ta'ala would come and satisfy themselves.  Even though, he was a master of Chishti, Qadri and Naqshbandi Nisbah , but he took special interest in spreading the Naqshbandi order.  In short, his state was like this:

 

Translation: Only the pious Momin loves him and has his love in heart and only the sinful deprived and wretched ( Fajir, Shaqi ) has enmity of him.

 

In his last days, Hadhrat Shaykh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlvi became much devoted to him and would repeat this phrase.  Hadhrat Shaykh Waliullah (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) also has praised him a lot.

 

His miracles are countless.  He accepted 10 different invitations for a single time and was seen partaking food at the appointed time at all the 10 places.  When Jahangir had him jailed for speaking the truth, then despite the strict security, he would come to the Masjid for Friday Salaat and after offering it would go back to the prison.  Even the guards would not know when he came out and when he returned to the prison.

 

The king also saw this miracle many times, became very devoted to him and released him with his apologies.  When he came out of the prison, due to his blessed company, hundreds of prisoners became saints.

 

His greatest miracle was acting upon the Shariah, which he described in one of his epistles (Maktubat-e-Imam-e-Rabbani) like this: "If any person can fly in the air and walk on water but misses a Mustahab (commendable) act, then in the opinion of the Naqshbandi Auliya, that person does not have the stature of even a grain of barley."

 

Following the Sunnah had so overwhelmed him that when his age reached 50 years, he said: My age cannot cross the age of the Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  I will also pass away from this world at the age of 63.

 

It happened like this only.  In Muharram of 1034 Hijri, one day he said: After 50 days, I am going to pass away.  I have been shown the place of my grave.

 

Among the advice he gave to his children was: Keep my grave secret.  When he found his children sad, he said okay bury me near my father, but my grave should be of mud and bricks in the manner prescribed by the Sunnah.

 

Thus, on Tuesday 27 Safar 1034 Hijri, he lay down on his right side with his hand under his cheek in the manner prescribed by the Sunnah and said: "All virtuous acts have been done, but 2 Raka'at of Salaat offered at a time is enough today." He said this and his soul (Ruh) started for the highest stations ( A'ala 'Illiyyeen ).  He passed away with the word "Salaat" and this Salaat only is the Nisbah of the Prophets.

 

May Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) illuminate his grave and sanctify his soul.

 

[From Gulzar Auliya of Muhaddith-E-Deccan Abul Hasanaat Hadhrat Syed Abdullah Shah Sahab Naqshbandi Qadri (May Allah shower His Mercy on him)]