Sufi Saints and Ahl ul-Bayt
Sufi Saints’ Greater Emphasis on love and Reverence for Ahl ul-Bayt (The Holy Prophet’s Noble Family)
By GHULAM RASOOL DEHLVI published August 18, 2024
Allah Almighty has clearly enjoined upon the believers and followers of His Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to deeply love, respect and revere Ahl ul-Bayt (the noble family of the holy Prophet PBUH). He says in the Holy Qur’an:
قل لا أسألكم عليه أجرا إلا المودة في القربى
Translation: Say [O Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him]: "No reward do I ask of you for this message except to love and be kind to those near of kin." (Surah Al-Shura: 23) In a famous Hadith, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has said about his Ahl al-Bayt: “الله الله في أهل بيتي" Translation: Fear Allah in matters of my Ahl al-Bayt. Therefore, Sufi saints and Awliya Allah of all established spiritual lineages (Silsilas) have consistently adhered to the above Qur’anic injunction and prophetic exhortation. In fact, they laid greater emphasis on love and reverence for the venerable household of the holy Prophet (peace be upon him). A few notable references are reproduced as follows: Prominent Sufi saint and founder of Silsilah Rifaiyya, Hazrat Syed Imam Ahmad Kabir Rifai (may Allah have mercy on him), more popularly known as Imam Rifai writes: “Whoever Allah, the Exalted, wishes to bless with goodness, He grants him/her the ability to follow the will of His Prophet PBUH regarding his noble family, and such a fortunate person loves the entire Ahl al-Bayt and respects their rank and great spiritual position. Such a blessed person not only reveres and venerates them but also defends their sanctity and becomes their soldier. A person will be with whom he loves, and whoever loves Allah will also love the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). And whoever loves the Messenger of Allah PBUH will also deeply love the Ahl al-Bayt and will be with them (on the Day of Resurrection), and all of them will be with the holy Prophet, peace be upon him. So, abide only by them, follow in their footsteps, and do not try to go ahead of them, but rather remain in their service. And your fortune lies only in respecting them." (Source: Malfoozaat e Rifa'iyyah, p: 13). In his famous book “Kashful Mahjub," Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh Ali Bin Uthman Al-Hujweri has written the eighth chapter under the title of “Ahl al-Bayt” (the noble family of the holy Prophet PBUH). Significantly, in this chapter, before writing a formal introduction and a comprehensive chapter on Ahl al-Bayt, he has explained his Aqeeda and pure belief about these blessed beings, wherein two essential things have been specified: 1. Purity of the Ahl al-Bayt of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). That is, the purity of the Ahl al-Bay is established and reinforced by Almighty Allah Himself. And these holy beings are Kamil (completely perfect) and Masoomin (immaculate) and are also Imams of all Mashaikhs (Sufi saints) of all Silsilahs of Tariqat. 2. Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh Ali bin Uthman Al-Hujairi has then described the purity of Ahl al-Bayt as follows: The family of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) were distinguished for eternal purity. That is, Ahl al-Bayt Athar are those pure beings whose purity is eternally reserved for them. (Source: Hijweri, Kashf ul-Mahjub, p. 73). Founder of Shaziliyya Silsilah and the prominent Sufi saint Imam Shazli, may Allah be pleased with him, says: “Whoever wants to see the light of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, he/she should keep mentioning the noble traits of the Beloved Rasool Allah SAW and his Ahl-e-Bait (noble household), day and night. Allah's mercy and blessings are showered upon the one who keeps extolling and glorifying them and showing his/her love for Sadaat and the saints. Otherwise, the door of the dream (to see the prophetic light) is closed to him/her because these holy souls are the leaders of all people. If they are unhappy with anyone, Allah and His beloved Messenger, peace be upon him, also get miffed with them. (Source: Afzalus Salaat Alaa Syyidis Sadat: Page 27).
Abd al-Wahhab Sha'rani, may Allah bless him, an eminent Islamic jurist and theologian (Faqeeh) who possessed profound esoteric knowledge of Islam and Sufism and studied under Imam Jalal-ud-Deen al-Suyuti, Zakariyya al-Ansari, Naser al-Deen al-Laqqani, al-Ramly, and al-Samanudi, writes an anecdotal story about the Sadaat and their prestigious place in Sufism:
Hazrat Sayyid Sharif, recounting an amazing incident in the Khanqah (Sufi hospice) of Hazrat Khattab, said: Once Kashif al-Buhairah gave a slap on the face of a Sayyid lad. To his surprise, he saw the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in a dream that very night. He noticed that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was turning his face away from him. “Yah Rasool Allah SAW! What is my sin?”, he said. The holy Prophet (peace be upon him), with a sad face, said: You beat me. You hurt me even though I am your intercessor on the Day of Judgment. He said, "O Messenger of Allah, may peace, God’s grace and blessings be upon you! I do not remember when exactly I hurt you. The holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Did you not hurt my children?" He said: Yes. The holy Prophet said: Your blow (when you hit him) was on my wrist. Then the holy Prophet, peace be upon him, took out his blessed wrist and showed it with swelling as if it had been stung by a bee. (Source: “Barakat-e-Aal-e-Rasool, page 268)
Aala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Fazil e Barelvi writes in his famous Fatawa Razawiyyah: Respecting the Sadats is obligatory, and insulting them is forbidden. Rather, the scholars said: Whoever calls a scholar or a Mir (i.e., Sayyid) with contempt is a disbeliever. (Source: Al-Fatawa Al-Razwiyyah, Vol. 22: Page 420, published by the Raza Foundation, Lahore).