Hadhrat Khaja Bandanawaz (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) – Life and teachings

 

Hadhrat Khaja Bandanawaz – Life and teachings

(May Allah shower His Mercy on him)

 

In every era Allah Most High has created people who enjoy His Love and proximity.  These divine personalities guide the misguided humanity.  They pull them out from the depths of apostasy and polytheism, from the darkness of misguidance, from oppression and barbarity and bless them with faith, guidance, knowledge, gnosis of the Lord Almighty, justice and benevolence.  They purge their selves and purify their hearts.  They instruct them in the right beliefs.  They teach them the ways of worship and manners.  They prescribe spiritual exercises for the purification of the psyche.  The Pole of the world, Hadhrat Syed Muhammad Hussaini Khaja Bandanawaz Gesu Daraaz (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) was one of these divine personalities on the land of Deccan.

 

His name is Syed Muhammad, his Kuniyah is Abul Fatah, and he was addressed as Sadruddin, Al Wali Al Kabeer, As Sadiq, Gesu Daraaz, and Bandanawaz.

 

He came to this world on 4th of Rajab in the year 721 Hijri in Delhi.  He is among the descendants of Imam Hussain.  Genealogically, he is a descendant of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) through 22 generations.  His parents settled down in Daulatabad, when he was 4 years old.  He acquired his basic education from his parents and from his maternal grandfather and also memorized the Holy Quran.  After this he continued his education under the experts of the Islamic Sciences.  In the days when the Khaja was studying books like Quduri (A treatise on jurisprudence), etc. a person asked him: While prostrating, should we touch down our palms first or our knees first?  The Khaja had not yet studied this point in Quduri, so he told him to come back after some time.  The person went away.  The Khaja sat down in a corner of the mosque and began to think.  Suddenly, he saw a tall distinguished person with a whitish complexion enter the mosque.  This person had a big turban around his head and the sleeves of his tunic were wide.  After entering the mosque, this person started offering Salaat.  The Khaja got a thought in his heart that this distinguished personality might be Mahboob-e-Ilahi Khaja Nizamuddin Auliya (May Allah shower His Mercy on him), because he had heard from his maternal grandfather that Khaja Nizamuddin's appearance was this.  The Khaja watched the Salaat of Khaja Nizamuddin very carefully and thought whatever Khaja Nizamuddin (May Allah Most High shower his Mercy on him) does, I will convey to the questioner.  This distinguished person completed His Salaat and went away.  The Khaja conveyed what he saw to the questioner.  Then the Khaja went to his maternal grandfather and told him: Today, I saw your spiritual mentor, the great Khaja Nizamuddin Auliya (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).  This was his appearance.  His grandfather replied: Yes certainly you have seen my mentor.  His appearance is as you have described.

 

After this incident, a desire to take a spiritual mentor took form in the heart of the Khaja.  He had already heard much about the excellence and eminence of Shaykh Naseeruddin Chiraag Dehlvi ((May Allah shower His Mercy on him) who was a very special Caliph of the great Nizamuddin Auliya (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) and was eager to meet him.  His fate did not desert him and he, along with his mother and brother, went to Delhi.  At that time, the Khaja was 15 years old and his father had passed away 4 years ago.  He got the honor of becoming the disciple of Shaykh Ul Islam Khaja Naseeruddin Chiraag Dehlvi on 16th Rajab 736 Hijri   He busied himself him in learning Islamic Sciences and the Sciences of the heart.  After acquiring what was necessary from the Islamic sciences, he requested his Shaykh that if given permission, he would stop learning Islamic Sciences and concentrate only on purifying his heart.  The Shaykh replied: Study Hidaya, Bazdawi, Risala Shamsiya, Kasshaf and Miftah (all these are names of books) very carefully, because you have to accomplish something very great for me.

 

According to the instructions of the Shaykh, the Khaja studied those books very assiduously.  After this, he immersed himself in acquiring the sciences of the heart and in striving in the path of Allah.  Hadhrat Shah Abdul Haq, in Akhbaar Ul Akhyaar and many other biographers of the Khaja have mentioned that once the Khaja along with other disciples were carrying the palanquin of Shaykh Naseer (May Allah Most High shower His Mercy on him) on their shoulders.  The Khaja's hairs were long.  By chance, they got entangled with the palanquin.  This was hurting the Khaja, but out of respect of Shaykh Naseer, he bore it silently.  Shaykh Naseer saw this.  The love and respect of this true disciple pleased him immensely and he granted the Khaja a great bounty with the words:

 

Whoever a disciple of Syed Gesu Daraaz will be, By Allah, a hunter of love he will be

 

Under the watchful eyes of Shaykh Naseer, the Khaja traversed the path of love and proximity to Allah, until one day the Khaja was seated on the high throne of proximity to Allah.  Shaykh Naseer (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) made him his representative (Caliph) without any representation on the Khaja's part.  He also appointed him as his successor in his own lifetime.  On a Thursday night which was the 18th of Ramadhan in the year 757, Shaykh Naseeruddin passed away into the presence of Allah Most High at the age of 82.  The Khaja was aged 36 then.

 

Now, the Khaja as the Caliph of Shaykh Naseer (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) started leading people into the Chishti Order of Tasawwuf.  Disciples and devotees benefited immensely from the blessed personality of the Khaja.

 

At the age of 40, the Khaja married the daughter of Syed Ahmed bin Syed Jamaluddin Maghribi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him), Hadhrat Syeda Bibi Raza Khatoon.  Through her, the Khaja was blessed with 2 sons and 3 daughters.  Hadhrat Syed Hussain who is famous as Syed Muhammad Akbar Hussaini and Hadhrat Syed Yousuf who is famous as Syed Muhammad Asghar Hussaini, may Allah shower His Mercy on both of them.  Both the sons are great scholars as well as high-ranking saints.  They received their education from greats like Hadhrat Moulana Qazi Abdul Muqtadir, Hadhrat Maulana Khwajgi Nahvi, and Hadhrat Maulana Naseeruddin, etc.  The Khaja used to be immensely pleased with the knowledge and striving in the path of Allah of his elder son Syed Muhammad Akbar Hussaini (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).  Every member of his family is a scholar in both the sciences of the Shariah and the Sciences of the heart.

 

After the demise of his Shaykh, the Khaja instructed and taught the people of Delhi for a total period of 44 yrs.  After this, the Khaja, at the age of 80, started for Daulatabad.  On the way, he passed through Gwalior, Radheer, etc. and disseminated the teachings of the Chishti Order in those and many other places.  He paid his respects at the grave of his father.  At the age of 82, the Khaja settled in Gulbarga and made it his permanent residence.

 

[To be continued....]