Hadhrat Baba Sharfuddin (May Allah shower His Mercy on him)

 

Hadhrat Baba Sharfuddin

(May Allah shower His Mercy on him)

 

The pole of the world, the sultan of the Gnostics Hadhrat Shah Baba Sharfuddin Iraqi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) was a great saint and an accomplished propagator of Islam.

 

He came to Deccan on the orders of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and fulfilled the important responsibility of propagating Islam.

 

Name and lineage

 

His name is Syed Sharfuddin and he is famous as Baba Sharfuddin.  He is a 13^th generation descendent of Hadhrat Imam Hussain (May Allah be well pleased with him).  His lineage is:

 

Hadhrat Imam Hussain (May Allah be well pleased with him)

 

Hadhrat Imam Zain Ul A’abideen (May Allah be well pleased with him)

 

Hadhrat Imam Muhammad Baqar (May Allah be well pleased with him)

 

Hadhrat Imam Ja’afar Sadiq (May Allah be well pleased with him)

 

Hadhrat Imam Moosa Kazim (May Allah be well pleased with him)

 

Hadhrat Imam Moosa Raza (May Allah be well pleased with him)

 

Hadhrat Imam Muhammad Taqi (May Allah be well pleased with him)

 

Hadhrat Imam Muhammad Naqi (May Allah be well pleased with him)

 

Hadhrat Imam Ja’afar Thaani (May Allah be well pleased with him)

 

Hadhrat Syed Asghar (May Allah shower His Mercy on him)

 

Hadhrat Syed ‘Abdullah (May Allah shower His Mercy on him)

 

Hadhrat Syed Ahmad (May Allah shower His Mercy on him)

 

Hadhrat Syed Mahmood (May Allah shower His Mercy on him)

 

Hadhrat Baba Sharfuddin (May Allah shower His Mercy on him)

 

Birth

 

He was born in Iraq on the morning of 16^th Sha’abaan.

 

Education

 

Hadhrat Baba Sharfuddin (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) acquired his introductory education from his father.  After memorization of the Holy Quran and some other religious books, he went to Baghdad.  There, he studied exegesis of the Holy Quran, Hadith, jurisprudence and language under the great master Hadhrat Shihabuddin Suharwardi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).

 

He also gave his spiritual allegiance to the Shaykh.  He acquired the normative and the spiritual sciences from the Shaykh and was awarded the authorization to accept and guide disciples.

 

Almighty Allah had placed such effect in the words of Hadhrat Sharfuddin (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) that whenever he spoke the sinners would immediately repent and start a life of piety.  He would describe such spiritual subtleties and secrets that not only the common folk, even the scholars would be wonderstruck.

 

Customs and habits

 

Hadhrat Baba Sharfuddin (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) loved reciting the Holy Quran very much.  He would also recite the Durood profusely.

 

The Shaykh had high morals.  He was a very simple person, selfless and would spend his nights in worship.

 

His piety was such that he would spend the whole night in remembrance of Allah Most High.  Four hours before dawn, he would make ablutions with cold water and would offer Salaat Ut Tahajjud with extreme sincerity.  After this, he would again busy himself in remembrance of Allah Most High and other spiritual practices.

 

The order to come to Deccan

 

The Shaykh saw a dream that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is seated and is saying:  For the sake of propagation of Islam, leave for the southern part of India.

 

On awakening from sleep, the Shaykh started making preparations for the journey and came to Deccan.  It was the year 631 Hijri, the era of Shamsuddin Iltumish.  At that time, the Shaykh was aged 45.

 

For 9 years, the Shaykh traveled through different parts of India and propagated Islam and in 640 Hijri, the land of Deccan was honored with his presence.  After coming here, for 9 years, the Shaykh stayed in a cave immersed in the remembrance of Allah Most High and engaged in his worship.  At the age of 63, he stepped out of the cave and started dispersing his spiritual blessings without any discrimination of religion, caste or creed.  He would spend the night in prayer and the day in the propagation of Islam and in teaching and educating others.

 

A miracle of the Shaykh

 

Innumerable miracles were expressed at the hands of Hadhrat Baba Sharfuddin (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).  Here, we mention one of them.

 

A person addicted to wine came to the Shaykh and said:  If you permit me to drink wine, I will embrace Islam.  The Shaykh said:  Okay, but on the condition that you will not drink in my presence.  That man agreed and embraced Islam at the hands of the Shaykh.  The Shaykh gave him the name Noor Muhammad.

 

As the person was returning, his addiction took him to a tavern.  He bought some wine as well.  As he was putting the cup to his lips, he saw that Hadhrat Baba Sharfuddin (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) was standing in front of him.  He threw away the cup and ran out of the tavern.  He went to the gathering of the disciples of the Shaykh and sat in a corner embarrassed and morose.  Somebody asked him:  O Noor Muhammad!  What is the matter?  He described the incident.  The personal attendants of the Shaykh were asked and they said:  The Shaykh never left his house that day.

 

It was the effect of the company of the Shaykh that Noor Muhammad abandoned his evil habit in only a day.

 

Demise

 

The Shaykh passed away on 19^th Sha’abaan in 687 Hijri at the age of 101.  Every year, from 16^th to 22^nd Sha’abaan, the ‘Urs celebrations of the Shaykh are held.

 

Sources:  Tadhkira Auliyae Deccan, Mishkaat Un Nubuwwah and others.