The Real Haj

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The great 11th century mystic of Khurasan, Shaykh Abu Sa’id Fadhlullah ibn Abu al-Khayr Ahmad Mayhani (q.s.), was once asked why he refused to perform the haj like all other good Muslims.

Shaykh Abu Sa’id (q.s.) replied, “It is no great matter that you should tread, under your feet, a thousand miles of ground, in order to visit a stone house.  The true man of God sits where he is, and the Celestial House comes several times in a day and night to visit him and perform the circumambulation above his head.  Look and see!”  All who were present looked and saw it.

On another occasion, he is reported to have said, “If God Sets the way to Makkah before any one, that person has been cast out of the Way to the Truth.”

This is recorded by his great, great-grandson, Shaykh Nur ad-Din Muhammad ibn Munawwar (r.a.), in his Asrar at-Tawhid fi Maqamat ash-Shaykh Abu Sa’id.


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