Minhaajul Abideen Hazrat Sheikh Baha'ud'deen
Shataari
(radi Allaho
anhu)
HIS POSITION IN
THE SILSILA: Qudwatus Saalikeen, Minhaajul Aabideen fil Hind,
Rahbar-e-Uloom-e-Sunnat, Ash Shaikh Baha’ud’deen bin Ibraheem bin Ata’ullah
Ansaari Qaaderi Shataari (radi Allaho anhu) is the 25th Imam and
Sheikh of the Silsila Aaliyah Qaaderiyah Barakaatiyah Razviyah Nooriyah. He
arrived in India
during the time of Sultan Ghiyaasudeen bin Sultan Muhammad Khalji. He was the
personality that spread the silsila-e-Qaaderiyah in India. Thousands of people accepted
the oath of allegiance at his hands, thus allowing them to enter the Silsila
Qaaderiyah. The silsila spread throughout India in a very short space of
time.
BIRTH: He
was born in Sirhind (Punjab), in a city called
Junaid.
NAME: His name
is Baha’ud’deen (radi Allaho anhu).
HIS FATHER: His
father’s name was Hazrat Ibraheem bin Ata’ullah Ansari Shataari Junaidi (radi
Allaho anhu).
EDUCATION: He
had attained his education at the feet of great scholars and was well versed in
Arabic, Fiqh and Principles of Fiqh.
SHEIKH-E-TARIQAT:
He is the mureed and Khalifa of Hazrat Sheikh Ahmed Jilani (radi Allaho anhu).
He journeyed with him to Harimain Sharifain, and took the oath of allegiance
(bai’at) on his hands in the Holy Kaaba. [Akhbaarul Akhyaar 189/190]
HIS BOOKS AND
TREATIES: He wrote various books, mostly in the field of tassawuf. One of the
books written by him is, “Risaalah fil Azkaar was Ashghaal”, which he wrote for
his beloved mureed and khalifa Hazrat Ibraheem bin Mueen Al Erji (radi Allaho
anhu). [Akhbaarul Akhyaar pg189/190] This book has been mentioned by Hazrat
Sheikh Abdul Haq Muhadith-e-Dehwli (radi Allaho anhu) in his world renowned
book Akhbaarul Akhyaar. Hazrat Sheikh Baha’ud’deen Shataari (radi Allaho anhu)
states that there are various ways of gaining closeness to Almighty Allah, but
in the book, he explains the following Three paths:
THE
TARIQA-E-AKHYAAR: This is through reading ones Namaaz, keeping fast, making
tilaawat of the Quran, performing hajj, and making jihad. Those who follow this
path, spend very lengthy periods trying to gain closeness, and even after all
this, very few of them reach their goal.
THE
TARIQA-E-ABRAAR: These are those, who try to train the hearts and souls by
striving to control their desires. In this path, there are many who reach their
final objective compared to the first method.
TARIQA-E-SHATAARIYAH:
With the exception of those that follow this method, all others reach many high
stages in specified times, whereas those in the Shataariyah method reach those
stages in their first level of spiritual training. The Shataariyah method is
the more effective method of gaining closeness to Almighty Allah, compared to
the other two methods. There are ten principles of the Shataariyah method:
1. Taubah: (repentance) is to separate one’s
self from all that which is linked to other than Allah.
2. Zuhad: (piety) To divorce yourself from the
love of the world, and the desires of the world no matter how small or big they
are.
3. Tawwakul: (Complete Trust) To divorce
yourself from all the vices of the world (having full trust in Allah).
4. Qana’at: (abstinence) This is to abstain
from the carnal desires.
5. Uzlat: (Withdrawal) This is to stop
associating with the people, just as death causes one to disassociate from
people.
6.Tawajjuh Ba
Soo’e Haqq: (Directing one’s attention towards Allah) This is to stay away from
all that which directs your attention away from Allah. When one reaches this
level, all he desires is closeness to Allah.
7.Sabr:
(Patience) This is to remove one’s self from the wishes and the needs of the
nafs through great endeavors and devotion in worship.
8.Rida:
(Pleasure) This is to remove one’s self from the pleasures of the nafs, and
strive for the pleasure of Allah, by following the Divine commands of Allah and
to surrender one’s self with full conviction without any protest to the Will of
Allah, like one surrenders himself to death, at the time of his demise.
9.Zikr:
(Remembrance) To abstain from the remembrance of all and to remain in the
remembrance of Allah.
10.Muraaqabah:
(meditation) To remove yourself from your own existence and might, like it is
removed through death. There are three names (categories) of Zikr, (1).
Ism-e-Jalaal (Names of Divine Majestic Power) (2). Ism-e-Jamaal (Names of
Divine Magnificence) (3). Mushtarak (The incorporation of both Jalaal and
Jamaal).
When one finds
that he is hard hearted, proud and arrogant, then he should commence with the
Ism-e-Jalaal, so that the nafs becomes obedient. The Ism-e-Jalaal are: Ya
Qah’haaru, Ya Jab’baaru, Ya Mutakab’biru
etc. After this, one should make zikr of the Ism-e-Jamaal such as, Ya Mulik, Ya
Qud’doosu, Ya Haleemu etc. After this, one should concentrate on the
Ism-e-Mushtarak, such as, Ya Mo’minu, Ya Muhaimimu etc. When one finds that he is now becoming more
simple, humble and kind, then start the Zikr with the Ism-e-Jamaal, then the
Ism-e-Mushtarak and then the Ism-e-Jalaal, so that the Zikr may be engraved
onto the heart. To make the Zikr of the 99 names of Allah is called
Maqaam-e-Talween and the stage of the Zikr of the one hundredth name is called
Maqaam-e-Tamkeen. The One who is in the Maqaame Tamkeen is always in the Zikr
of the name “Allah” since this is the Ism-e-Zaat (Name of Allah) and the other
99 other Asma-e-Sifaat (names of Attributes). For as long as the Zaakir remains
in the Zikr of the Asma-e-Sifaat, he is in Aalam-e-Talween and when he starts
to make the Zikr of the word Allah, Allah, Allah, then his human self is
destroyed and vanishes. He then attains the Maqaam (station) of “Fanaa” and it
is this, which refers the spiritual erasing of the human self. And when he
becomes ‘Faani’ (disassociated) from him self, then he gains ‘Baqaa'
(permanence in the love of Allah). Thus, A True mureeds heart cannot expand
spiritually without Zikr, and when the heart attains brightness, then the
reality of things become inspired upon it and it connects to the domain of the
souls and then he enters the Reality of Zikr, which is called
Aalam-e-Shuhood-e-Haqq. He enters this spiritual domain and then gains success
and victory. Hazrat Sheikh Baha’ud’deen (radi Allaho anhu) has explained
various other types of Zikrs etc., which can be found in the above-mentioned
book.
HIS KHULAFA:
The names of a few of his well renowned Khulafa are: Hazrat Muhammad bin Sheikh
Ibraheem Multani, Hazrat Sayyid Ibraheem Erji, Hazrat Maulana Aleemud’deen
(teacher of Hazrat Ibraheem Erji) (ridwaanullahi ta aala alaihim ajmaeen).
WISAAL: He
passed away on the 11th of Zulhijjah 921 Hijri.
MAZAAR SHAREEF:
His Mazaar Shareef is in Daulat Abaad Dakkan.
