Islamic Saints

Preface

Spiritual life in Islam began with the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his Companions (Allah be pleased with them). They never loved the world and its luxurious life. They rather hated glamour and pomp and show. They turned towards Almighty Allah for all the needs, problems and sufferings. They lived for Allah, waged holy wars for Him and got martyred for Him. It was such a life of sacrifice and dedication that created in them power of Faith and heat of conviction.

     A glance at the holy life of the Prophet of Allah will make it amply clear that his spiritual life began much before the first Revelation. Away from the worldly life and the din and bustle of human life, he stayed in the Cave of Hira for days together in deep meditation and contemplation. For years the deep questions of life in meaning and purpose engaged the Prophet's mind and in the Cave of Hira he examined his own capacities and thought over the world condition, devoted his mind to basic problems which afflicted human society. Similarly, lives of Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Umar Farooq, Hazrat Uthman Ghani and Hazrat Ali Murtaza were purely spiritual. Hazrat Bilal Habshi, Hazrat Salman Farasi, Hazrat Suhaib Rumi reflect spiritual light throughtout.

     Hazrat Abi bin K'ab, Hazrat Tamim Dari, Hazrat Abu Dharr Ghifari had their whole lives dyed in spiritual colour. Besides them manu other Companions of the prophet of Allah were also immersed in spirituality.

     The piety, simplicity, austeity, content, patiencc, meditation, aloofness, lonliness, prayers, glorification of Almighty Allah, demonstrated by the Prophet and his Companions, Tabi'in and Taba'tabi'in are all manifestations of a life replete with spiritualism or Tasaw'wuf i.e., Islamic mysticism.

     It is our sacred duty to keep in our constant view this pure and simple spiritual life the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) commenced from the Cave of Hira and practised till the end. Hazrat Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) reports :

"The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) would the whole pray night so that his holy feet swelled."

I once submitted :

"Why do you bear so much trouble when Almighty Allah has forgiyen all your sins-former and latter".

He answered :

“Should I not be thankful servant of my Lord.” (Bukhari)

The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) is reported to have said :

“I seek forgiveness of Allah 70 times a day.” (Bukhari)

The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) has said:

“Hate the world and Almighty Allah will love you.” (Ibn Majah, Tabarani, Baihaqi)

The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) has asked the people to practise Rememberance, content, patience, repentence and nawafil and seek proximity with Allah.

He (p.b.u.h.) once said:

“When Almighty Allah wants to do good to His servant. He gives him understanding of Allah, creates in him hate for the world, and opens for him defects ont to allibim or of the world.” (Baihaqi)

Thus it can be imagined not described the importance of Tasaw’wuf for the present strife-torn chaotic world replete with human greed and selfishness.

Sufism demands the uprooting of all violent passions of the soul, the extirpation from it of all avaricious desires so that the heart is detached from all things non-God, creature and creation, and, lodged in self-loss, is constantly contemplating on God, dwelling in sublime ecstasy.

I have made this humble effort to collect pure, simple and spiritual lives of some of the gians in the world of Tasaw’wuf to serve as the glittering and lofy example for other’s to follow and attain spiritual height and sublimity.

May Allah, the Exalted reward this effort with success.

#BadrAzimabadi