Sultan ul Faqr

صورتِ احمدی گرفت و از کثرتِ جذبات و ارادات، ہفت بار بر خود بجنبید و ازاں ہفت ارواحِ فقراء باصفا‘ فنا فی اللہ‘ بقا باللہ محوِ خیالِ ذات‘ ہمہ مغز بے پوست‘ پیش از آفرینشِ آدم علیہ السلام ہفتاد ہزار سال غرقِ بحرِ جمال بر شجرِ مرآۃ الیقین پیدا شدند۔

بجز ذاتِ حق از ازَل تا ابد چیزے ندیدند و ماسویٰ اللہ گاہے نشنیدند‘ بحریمِ کبریا دائم بحر الوصالِ لازوال، گاہے جسدِ نوری پوشیدہ بہ تقدیس و تنزیہہ می کوشیدند و گاہے قطرہ در بحر و گاہے بحر در قطرہ‘ و ردائے فیضِ عطا ’’ اِذَا تَمَّ الْفَقْرُ فَھُوَاللّٰہُ ‘‘بَر اِیشان۔ پس بحیاتِ ابدی و تاجِ عزِّ سرمدی ’’ الْفَقْرُ لاَ یُحْتَاجُ اِلٰی رَبِّہٖ وَلاَ اِلٰی غَیْرِہٖ ‘‘ معزز و مکرّم‘ از آفرینشِ آدم علیہ السلام و قیامِ قیامت ہیچ آگاہی ندارند وقدمِ ایشاں برسرِ جملہ اولیاء وغوث و قطب۔

اگر آنہار اخدا خوانی بجاوَاگر بندۂِ خدا دانی روا۔ عَلِمَ مَنْ عَلِمَ‘ مقامِ ایشان حریمِ ذاتِِ کبریا و از حق ماسویٰ الحق چیزے نا طلبید ند و بد نیائے دنی و نعیمِ اُخروی، حورو قصورِ بہشت، بکرشمہءِ نظر ندیدند و ازاں یک لمعہ کہ موسیٰ علیہ السلام در سراسیمگی رفتہ و طور درہم شکستہ ‘ در ہر لمحہ و طرفتہ العین ہفتاد ہزار بار لمعاتِ جذباتِ انوارِ ذات بر ایشاں وارد و دم نہ زدند و آہے نہ کشیدند وَ ھَلْ مِنْ مَّزِیْد می گفتند۔ وایشاں سلطان الفقر و سیّد الکونین اند ۔ (رسالہ روحی شریف)

Sultan ul Faqr are The Manifestation of the Prophet

Know! When the Divine light of Ahad (Allah’s attributive name meaning the One), coming out of His isolated Oneness, intended to manifest Himself in multiplicity, He graced (all the worlds) with the splendid sight of His pure Divine beauty. Both the realms started burning like a moth on the candle of His blazing beauty. Then, the light of Ahad concealed in the veil of ‘M’ of Ahmad (attributive name of the Prophet) manifested Himself as Ahmad.

Manifestation of Sultan ul Faqr souls

He (Allah) then shook Himself seven times due to the abundance of Divine passion and will, with which seven purified souls of Fakirs, annihilated in Allah, immortal with Allah, absorbed in the contemplation of the Essence, all core without any flesh or body, drowned in the unfathomed ocean of the Divine beauty appeared on the eternal tree of pure transparent belief seventy thousand years before the birth of Adam.

Excellence of Sultan ul Faqr

Neither they (Sultan ul Faqr) saw anything except the Divine Essence since pre-existence till eternity, nor did they (Sultan ul Faqr) hear anyone other than Allah. Moreover, they (Sultan ul Faqr) ever remained such an ocean of union in the Divine sanctuary which has no decline. At times, they (Sultan ul Faqr) endeavoured for sanctity and transcendence with their body of Divine light. At times they (Sultan ul Faqr) are a drop in the ocean and at times the ocean in a drop.

Excellence of Sultan ul Faqr in Faqr

Moreover, Sultan ul Faqr have the cover of blessing of beneficence which is:

اِذَا تَمَّ الْفَقْرُ فَھُوَاللّٰہُ

Meaning: When Faqr is accomplished that is Allah.

Hence, Sultan ul Faqr have eternal life and are honoured and exalted with the crown of:

اَلْفَقْرُ لَا یُحْتَاجُ اِلٰی رَبِّہٖ وَلَا اِلٰی غَیْرِہٖ

Meaning: Faqr demands nothing from Allah or anyone other than Allah.

Sultan ul Faqr request nothing from Allah except Allah Himself

Moreover, neither are they (Sultan ul Faqr) aware of the birth of Adam nor about the occurrence of the doomsday. They (Sultan ul Faqr) have their steps on the heads of all the Saints, Ghawth and Qutb. It is absolutely correct to call them God, and if they (Sultan ul Faqr) are called men of God, it is fine as well. Those who know them recognize this secret. Their station is the Divine sanctuary of the Magnificent. Moreover, they (Sultan ul Faqr) never requested for anything from Allah except Allah Himself. They (Sultan ul Faqr) never paid heed towards the petty world, the blessings of the hereafter or the houris and castles of the heaven.

The theophany which crushed Mount Sinai fell upon Sultan ul Faqr seventy thousand times every moment

The sole theophany with which Prophet Moses got perplexed and the Mount Sinai crushed into pieces, the same theophany of passions and lights of the Essence fell upon Sultan ul Faqr seventy thousand times every moment, yet they do not object or lament. Rather they (Sultan ul Faqr) demand more saying:

وَ ھَلْ مِنْ مَّزِیْد

Meaning: Is there any more!

Hence, they are the Sultan ul Faqr (sultan of Faqr) and the lord of all the worlds.

The four righteous caliphs blessed Sultan Bahoo with attention

The incident mentioned in Ain-ul-Faqrcontinues as:
On seeing Sultan Bahoo, Abu Bakr Siddiq stood up from the celestial assembly and met him, then left after paying his ‘attention’. Afterwards, Umar and Usman stood up one by one and paid ‘attention’ after meeting him, and left the assembly. Only the People of the Cloak (Ahl al-Bayt) stayed.

The Holy Prophet Took His Allegiance

Sultan Bahoo further recounts, “It seemed from the sacred face of Ali that the lord of the universe, the Holy Prophet will assign my oath taking to Ali, as he was my very first means and accomplished guide on the way of Faqr but he remained silent. After a moment, Prophet Mohammad raised his both hands towards me and ordered:

“Hold my hands.”

Then he took my allegiance with his both hands and blessed me with Divine persuasion. Then, he instructed me to say Shahada. When I recited it, at once, there remained no veils of ranks and stations. The pre-existence and the eternity were equalized for me (I was liberated from time and space and returned to my origin-‘light of Allah’-which is the extreme level of Faqr). After being honoured by the instructions of the Holy Prophet the queen of paradise Fatimah tuz Zahra said to me, “You are my spiritual son.” Then I kissed the feet of sacred Hasan and Husayn and entered the circle of their slavery. (Manaqib-e-Sultani)

No one can accomplish Faqr without the attention of the four righteous Caliphs

After reading this extract, the objection by the ignorant gets overruled that the four righteous Caliphs are not among Sultan ul Faqr. One should also understand that one does not accomplish Faqr without the attention of the four spiritual leaders Abu Bakr Siddiq, Umar, Usman and Ali.

Faqr and the People of the Cloak (Ahl-e-Bayt)

Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi (Mujaddid Alif Thani) said:

There are two ways of union and meeting with Allah. One of them is the way of Prophethood. By this way, only the Prophets are connected and unified with Allah and this chain had sealed on Prophet Mohammad.
The second way is that of sainthood. Hence, the people of this way forms connection with Allah through a mediator. This group consists of the Sufi hierarchy of Qutb, Autad, Abdal, Nujaba (the nobles) and common saints. The mediator and the main source of this way is Ali. This highest rank is of him. In this status the step of the Holy Prophet is upon Ali’s head. Fatimah-tuz-Zahra, Hasan and Husayn also share this status with Ali. (Letter no.123 from “Maktobat-e-Imam Rabbani”)

Faqr and Ali ibn Abi Talib

Sultan Bahoo described this fact in these words:

• Ali ibn Abi Talib found Faqrfrom the Holy Prophet. (Ain-ul-Faqr, Mehak-ul-Faqr Kalan)
• Prophet Mohammad conferred Faqr upon Ali. (Jamia-ul-Asrar)
• The spiritual leader of Fakirs is Ali. (Jamia-ul-Asrar)
• The intellectuals translate the Hadith of the Holy Prophet as:

اَنَا مَدِیْنَۃُ الْعِلْمِ وَ عَلِیٌّ بَابُھَا

Meaning: I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its door. (Mustadrak 4637, 4638, 4639)

While Sultan Bahoo described its meaning as “I am the city (hub-center) of Faqr and Ali is its door.” That is why, umma remembers Ali with the title of gateway of Faqr.

Fatimah bint Mohammad- The First Sultan ul Faqr

The queen of the universe Fatimah-tuz-Zahra is the first Sultan ul Faqr. Sultan Bahoo says in Jamia-ul-Asrar:

Fatimah bint Mohammad was brought up in Faqr, nourished by Faqrand possessed Faqr. Whoever attains Faqr, does only by her ‘means’.

Faqr and Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali

He says about both the brothers Hasan and Husayn:

The sacred brothers Hasan and Husayn were the only ones who possessed perfection in, “Faqris my pride.” They are the beloveds of the Holy Prophet and Fatimah tuz Zahra. (Mehak-ul-Faqr Kalan)
The aforementioned extracts clarify that as regards the status of perfection in Faqr annihilation and immortality with Allah one cannot differentiate between these four sacred personalities Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Husayn. They are one, same and unified, as all of them had annihilated in the Oneness of Allah. So they have become one. As long as the seeker of Allah does not have the same perception about the status of these four personalities, can never find even the fragrance of Faqr.

Faqr and the Companions of the Holy Prophet

Did all the Companions of the Holy Prophet receive the blessing of Faqr? Answering this question Sultan Bahoo said:

• “Remember! After the sacred Companions (here one should consider the words ‘after the sacred Companions’ as it means, the sacred Companions got the blessing of Faqr), Allah has granted the blessing and treasure of Faqrto two men. The first one is Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani and the second is Abu Hanifa Kufi, who was a relinquisher of the world. He never ever missed his prayers or fasts till seventy years. The pious, adorer and Mystic lady Rabia of Basra got the same perfection (Faqr is my pride). (Mehak-ul-Faqr Kalan)

Companions of the Holy Prophet Hold Faqr

Aforementioned extract clarifies the fact that the Companions had the blessing of Faqr according to their levels respectively. Afterwards, this blessing was conferred upon Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, Abu Hanifa and Rabia of Basra. Now, the objection, whether the Companions, Mystics or religious jurists have found Faqr or not, is answered through this extract of Sultan Bahoo.

• One more extract to answer the objections more clearly is in the book Kaleed-ul-Tauheed Kalan of Sultan Bahoo as described below:
• Know that, nobody can approach the below mentioned six spiritual levels. If anyone claims so, he is surely a liar, conjurer, infidel, fraud and an apostate. These levels are: