DICTATES AND SAYINGS OF HAZRAT SULTAN BAHU (RA).

Hazrat Sultan Bahu (RA) was not only a Saint but also a scholar of great repute. His works carries the impress of his scholarly exposition on Sufism. The spiritualism, which such expositions unfold, has the precision of a treatise and the coherence of a system and methodology.

In his writings we come across flashes of faith, wisdom, insight (into the mysteries of the self), knowledge and wisdom when the Saint pours forth what is in his innermost being. If we dive deep into the depths of his writings, we come across sparkling gems of wisdom and spirituality in the shape of `maxims' of Sultan Bahu (RA). Some of the expressions, which emerge from his, works `Huq-nu-Ma' and Aql-e- Baidaar'are:

(1) The means to attain to the Marifat (Gnosis) of Allah and Faqr (Poverty) of the Prophet (Sall

Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallim) is to abide by the Shari'a and to sever one's self from all else besides Allah and consequently to be absorbed in the Divine.

(2) Namaaz (prayer), fasting and supererogatory acts of worship is associated with striving and struggle in the performance of spiritual exercises whilst secrets of mystic knowledge is associated with being absorbed in the Divine.

 

(3) Through striving (riyaazat) and struggle-effort (mujahida) one is led to attain this secrete. Slave hood of God leads to Providence; Gnosis of God leads to everlasting life; Love leads to effacement in the Reality and effacement leads to assimilation into His Will-(a perceptual experience).

(4) A Murshid (spiritual teacher) who is not beneficent in purifying the inward of the seeker is wanting and imperfect as his spiritual self still dwells in the domain of this material plane -­because a true Gnostic (teacher) is a manifestation of the light and attributes of Allah -- he is one who has attained a state of witnessing.

 

(5) The beginning of sulook (spiritual journey) is annihilation of the self (nafs) and its end is (fana-fillah) annihilation or assimilation in Allah.

 

(6) The path of Marifat (Gnosis) is based on three modes of certainty of belief. In the first (Ilm-ul-Yaqeen) the seeker adheres to the outward law (shari'a); in the second (Ain-ul-Yaqeen), the seeker, due to the heat of remembrance (zikr) and not having the strength and capacity to withstand the witnessing of the Tajalli manifestation of the light of Allah on the mirror of his heart, experiences various spiritual ailments such as qabz (contraction), bast (expansion), sukr (intoxication) sahwa (oversight) etc. -- these ailments dominate the state of the seeker -- hence he becomes perplexed in an ocean of wonderment and due to his fervor, he remains in a state of confusion -- thus he becomes a frenzied and insane lover (diwana-majnu), which ultimately leads him to be lost in divine meditation (majzub). The third mode-certainty (Haqq-ul- yaqeen) is loftier of the two. Here the seeker, through (tasarruf) the use of the Personal Name Allah and (Tasawwur) meditation and contemplation of the Personal Name Allah inculcates in himself the capacity and vessel ship to withstand the Divine Light--thus with courage and determination he succeeds in his endeavour to attain Marifat (Gnosis-knowledge of God). Such a persons heart, through the blessings of the Personal Name Allah becomes one with his Creator. People think him to be gregarious with the people but in reality he is constantly in communion with Allah --his sustenance is to strive and struggle in the `path'; his vision -- a witness to Reality; his speech characterizes his state; his state -annihilation in the Truth. Such a one is called the `perfect' man amongst the community of the Prophet (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallim).

 

(7) For a dervish, each morsel of food taken with a presence of mind is a seed planted on the

land of the heart. A seed, though earned lawfully but planted in a state of unawareness, robs the seeker of the tranquility of the mind.

(8) The glitter and sparkle of this world is like an ephemeral flash of lightning. Love of this world is like a transitory black cloud. Do not be charmed and attached to the good things of life; neither should one lament at the agony and sorrows of life. Wisdom is to save oneself from bitterness and rancor.

(9) Oh you, who are wise ! be cognizant of the reality of the grave, for it is your final destination. Value the time you have left as a precious jewel, for time is a one sided sword. It would profit you to spend your time in attaining nearness to God.

 

(10) Silence is a secret of a dervish --speak with Truth, for speaking without Truth illustrates coarseness and crudity of character.

 

(11) It is the sagacious seeker that recognises the characteristic that deny the self (nafs), for to

recognise it is against the nature of the self, and to deny the self is to walk in the path of Allah (leads to piety).

(12) Abstention means to deny and check the desires of the self -- as the Lord says that he who

denies the pleasures of the self, his place is in paradise -- and as it comes in a Tradition that he who recognises his self, recognises Allah.

(13) Divine help guides the seeker to identify the attributes of the self and the light of Gnosis (Marifat) steers the seeker to the realization and recognition of the Reality.

 

(14) Cultivate a healthy and perfect (rightly guided) heart --then take on surrender to His Will. As the lord says -- he who comes with a healthy and contrite heart will profit with his Lord.

 

(15) The sign of a healthy heart is that it remains in the remembrance of Allah without the movement of the tongue --this should be done with fervor. A Gnostic's inward should be immense -- like a river of honey -- that is, he should be able to assimilate the entire river into his being -- without having to faint at the mere taste of it.

(16) Silent Zikr (remembrance) is symbolised outwardlyas journeying on the land and inwardly it is a journey of the heart.

 

(17) Knowledge is a necessary an indispensable characteristic on the `path of Faqr'-- because ignorance divests the heart of spiritual luminosity and leads to obliviousness.

 

(18) Notwithstanding that all Faqir's perceive, recite, meditate, educate and instruct themselves in the Supreme Name Allah, you will find them in one of two states ; some Faqir's will be characterised by an indigent and needy state --always dissipated and in need of sustenance; while others, though they remain free of wants and do not depend on anybody, control and have under their direction and at their disposal all the treasures of the world. The reason being that the latter comprehends and discerns the respect and honour of the Supreme Name Allah -- he perceives the grandeur, majesty and greatness of the Personal Name Allah which projects him to the proximity of Allah, the Merciful. The ulema (theologians) also encounter similar ailments concerning their knowledge -- it is the pious ulema that receive divine help and guidance.

 

(19) To a `faqir' the state of the `worldly' people is one of indigence while to the `worldly' people a `faqir' symbolises poverty; but the opposite is actually true regarding the faqir because through divine help the faqir is always in control of worldly treasures --though he does not incline towards it.

 

(20) It is surprising that despite being deprived of the light of Gnosis and nearness to Allah, people still claim to be true seekers and teachers; these people symbolise the nature of a shopkeeper.

(21) Eyes of alchemy is to make the `dead' heart alive with the remembrance of Allah and secondly to annihilate the desires of the self (nafs).

 

(22) The live hearted remains perpetually in the remembrance of Allah and in this way the heart becomes perfumed with the light of Allah .

 

(23) A distinctive characteristic of a perfect teacher (Murshid) is that he utilizes his intrinsic spiritual attention to ennoble the seeker to enter the spiritual court of his Holiness, the Prophet Muhammed (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallim) --such a teacher also introduces and acquaints the seeker in the ethereal court of the Saints of Allah from where he receives spiritual nourishment and guidance.

 

(24) If a seeker retrogresses spiritually or commits asin, the perfect teacher would, through the intercession of the Prophet (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallim), have him forgiven immediately in the court of Allah.

 

(25) ....or understand that a perfect teacher is like the blazing sun and his disciple like a particle of the same sun, neither distinct from each other.

(26) A peerless and valiant `zakir' (an individual who remembers Allah much ) is a slayer of his baser self.

 

(27) What is tawakkul (trust in God) ? --It is to free oneself of created things which distances and makes one absent from his Lord.

 

(28) All 18,000 creations is enfolded and in the grip of the Supreme Name Allah.

(29) The Supreme Name Allah only settles in a pure heart.

 

(29) The heart is the treasure house of Allah's secrets.

 

(30) Eliminate the thorns (distractions) on the garden of the heart.

 

(31) When you enter the garden of Tauhid (Oneness)eliminate the thorns of shirk and kufr.

 

(32) When you enter the garden of Knowledge eliminatethe thorns of ignorance.

 

(33) When you enter the garden of Generosity eliminatethe thorns greed and avariciousness.

 

(34) When you enter the garden of the Sunna (Practice and behaviour of the Prophet, Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallim) eliminate the thorns of innovation and heresy.

 

(35) When you enter the garden of Fear eliminate the thorns of egotism and self-worship.

 

(36) When you enter the Garden of Hope eliminate the thorns of animosity and rancor.

(37) The beginning of `sulook' is annihilation of the self and its end is annihilation in Allah.

 

(38) Many honor the self but few worship the Lord.

 

(39) Become a man by cleansing and purging yourself of embellishment, greed, lust, rage, passion and covetousness.

 

(40) A dervish should be coloured by the remembrance of Allah.

CREATED FROM;http://www.ummah.net/Al_adaab/index.html