A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Najm ad-Din Abu al-Jannab Ahmad ibn ‘Umar al-Kubra’ ( q.s. ) said that the salik should always have huzn , permanent grief.  The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) said, “Allah ( s.w.t. ) Loves every grieving heart.”  Regarding the Prophet’s ( s.a.w. ) attributes, it is said that he was always in the state of contemplation and grief.  According to the ‘urafa’ , every heart which is devoid of grief is nothing but clay.  How can a believer manage to be cheerful while he does not know what was Written by the pen of pre-eternity about his fate, whether it is felicity or wretchedness?  Also, he is unaware of his end for he does not know what he will earn tomorrow in the way of virtue or vice.  He does not know whether his obedience will be Accepted by Allah ( s.w.t. ) or not, and whether his sins will be Pardoned or not.   Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) was among the people of grief.  One day, h...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Of the heart, Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) said, “What is the best thing?   The heart that is always in remembrance of God.   The best of hearts is the heart that contains nothing but the Presence of God, Almighty and Exalted.   Today it will have been forty years that God has been Looking into my heart and has Seen nothing except Himself.   I have had nothing in my heart except God for forty years.   While my ego is asking for cold water and a drink of milk, I have not allowed it that for forty years in order to control myself.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) said: “One’s heart is an ocean, and one’s tongue is the shore; One finds traces of what is in the ocean, on the shore.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) was asked, “Who is the appropriate person to speak about annihilation and subsistence?” He answered, “That is knowledge for the one who is as one suspended by a silk thread from the Heavens to the Earth, when a big cyclone comes and takes all trees, houses, and mountains and throws them in the ocean until it fills the ocean.   If that cyclone is unable to move the one who is hanging by the silk thread, then he is the one who can speak on annihilation and subsistence.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ About being a Sufi, Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) said, “The Sufi is not the one who is always carrying the prayer rug, nor the one who is wearing patched clothes, nor the one who keeps certain customs and appearances, but the Sufi is the one to whom everyone’s focus is drawn, although he is hiding himself.” He also said, “The Sufi is the one who in the daylight does not need the sun, in the night does not need the moon.   The essence of Sufism is absolute non-existence that has no need of existence, because there is no existence besides God’s Existence.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) said, of knowledge and practice, “Scholars and servants in the lower world are numerous, but they do not benefit you unless you are engaged in the satisfaction of God’s Desire, and from morning to night are occupied with the deeds that God Accepts.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) said, “The vision with the eyes of the head does not bring happiness, but the vision with the eyes of the heart, and the secret that God Gives to the soul, will bring out that happiness.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) said, “Truthfulness is to speak your conscience.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) said, “In whatever way you ask God for anything, still the Qur’an is the best way.   Do not ask God except through the Qur’an.   The inheritor of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) is the one who follows his footsteps and never puts black marks in his Book of Deeds.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) said, “Ask for difficulties in order for tears to appear because God Loves those who cry,” referring to the advice of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) to cry much.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Once Sulthan Mahmud al-Ghazni visited Shaykh Abu al-Hasan al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) and asked his opinion of Shaykh Bayazid Thayfur ibn ‘Isa al-Bisthami ( q.s. ).   He said, “Whoever follows Bayazid is going to be guided.   Whoever saw him and felt love towards him in his heart will reach a happy ending.”   At that, Sulthan Mahmud said, “How is that possible when Abu Jahl saw the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) and he was unable to reach a happy ending but rather ended up in misery?”   He answered, “It is because Abu Jahl did not see the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) but he saw Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah.   And if he saw the Messenger of God ( s.a.w. ), he would have moved out of misery into happiness.   As God Said, ‘You see them looking at you but without clear vision.’”   سُوۡرَةُ الاٴعرَاف ... وَتَرَٮٰهُمۡ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيۡكَ وَهُمۡ لَا يُبۡصِرُونَ (١٩٨)   … You will see them looking at you, but they see not. (Surah al...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) said, “What is the best thing?  The heart that is always in remembrance of God.  The best of hearts is the heart that contains nothing but the Presence of God, Almighty and Exalted.  Today it will have been forty years that God has been Looking into my heart and has Seen nothing except Himself.  I have had nothing in my heart except God for forty years.  While my ego is asking for cold water and a drink of milk, I have not allowed it that for forty years in order to control myself.”   He also said, “The vision with the eyes of the head does not bring happiness, but the vision with the eyes of the heart and the secret that God Gives to the soul will bring out that happiness.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) said, “Truthfulness is to speak your conscience.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) said, about being a Sufi, “The Sufi is not the one who is always carrying the prayer rug, nor the one who is wearing patched clothes, nor the one who keeps certain customs and appearances, but the Sufi is the one to whom everyone’s focus is drawn, although he is hiding himself.”   He also said, “The Sufi is the one who in the daylight does not need the Sun, in the night does not need the Moon.  The essence of Sufism is absolute non-existence that has no need of existence because there is no existence besides God’s Existence.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) said, regarding knowledge and practice in Islam, “Scholars and servants in the lower world are numerous but they do not benefit you unless you are engaged in the satisfaction of God’s Desire and, from morning to night, are occupied with the deeds that God Accepts.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is extracted from the “Treatment for Anger” by Mawlana Shah Hakim Muhammad Akhtar Swahib ( r.a. ).   Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) used to ride on a lion, bringing with him wood from the jungle on it, and if sometimes the lion would become troublesome, he would whip it with a live snake.  A person from Khurasan went to Kharqan to take bay’at , the pledge, at the shaykh ’s hands.  When he arrived at the Shaykh Abu al-Hasan’s ( q.s. ) house, he was not home, and the prospective murid encountered his wife.   She asked the man why he had come, and he related his reason.  She was an ill-tempered woman, and upon hearing this she recited, “ Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illah bi Allah ,” and then said, “Who in this world can know the condition of this man better than I?  I am with him day and night.  He is a crafty deceiver!  How did you get involved with him?  Have you n...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad   al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) was the Arch-Intercessor of his time and unique in his station.   He was the focus of attention of his people and an ocean of knowledge from which saints still receive waves of light and spiritual knowledge.   His shaykh was Shaykh Bayazid Tayfur ibn ‘Isa al-Bisthami ( q.s. ).   Shaykh Abu al-Hasan al-Kharqani ( q.s. ) proved a deep well of knowledge for his followers and supporters.   He emptied himself of everything except Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Oneness, refusing for himself all titles and aspirations.   He would not be known as a follower of any science, even a spiritual science, and he said, “I am not a hermit.   I am not an ascetic.   I am not a speaker.   I am not a Sufi.   O God, You are One, and I am one in Your Oneness.”   Of knowledge and practice, he said, “Scholars and servants in the lower world are numerous but the...