By
Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam
8 September
2021
A Brief
Biography of Hazrat Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Semnani On The Occasion Of His
635th Death Anniversary [Urs]
Main
Points
1. Teachings of
Hazrat Makhdoom illuminate human life and awaken hearts and minds to the light
of Truth and guidance.
2. Sheikh
Makhdoom Abdicated the Throne To Attain the Path of Marifa leading to God
Almighty.
3. Until his
death he kept reforming the people and established the Ashrafi Sufi Order,
which has a large following in India.
4. In some of
his letters Hazrat Makhdoom addressed to sultans and ulama and emphasised the
significance of consultation as a necessary component of successful governance.
5. He urged
them to promote social values and welfare of the civilians.
......
The annals
of Islamic history are littered with references to countless events and persons
that have bolstered the caravan of spiritual teachings. Such unique characters
are honoured in Islamic history for their efforts in bringing about a momentous
change in the dark world of hearts. Their activities and actions, which are
chronicled in history, illuminate human life and awaken hearts and minds to the
light of Truth and guidance. Hazrat Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Semnani is one of
these spiritual figures (may Allah have mercy on him).
Tomb of Hazrat Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir
Semnani
-----
In Semnan,
the historic capital of Iran, Hazrat Makhdoom Ashraf (1285–1386) was born. His
father, Hazrat Sultan Ibrahim, was a spiritual dignitary as well as a just and
compassionate ruler of Semnan. His forefathers are said to be Hazrat Imam
Hussain's descendants, who descended from the Holy Prophet. He possessed
incredible brilliance, resourcefulness, and knowledge. At the age of four and a
half, he began his religious education and memorised the entire Quran in seven
recitations by the age of seven, and excelled in the study of tafsir (Quranic
interpretation), hadith, fiqah (Islamic jurisprudence), and other subjects. He
had mastered various disciplines, including religion and philosophy, by the age
of 14, and had grown into a highly educated and adept scholar. Hazrat Makhdoom
Ashraf had amazed even the best intellectuals and theologians from as far as
Baghdad with his astounding talent, which was noted in the famous Persian book
Lataif-e-Ashrafi in the form of a couplet:
Chuna
Mashhoor Ghasht Az Darse Talim,
ke Pas
Ahle Funun Kardand Taslim
(His
popularity was so high during his early studies that knowledgeable folks
recognised his abilities)
When his
father died, Hazrat Makhdoom Ashraf was only 15 years old, and he was
inevitably crowned as his successor. In a ceremony held around 733 AH, he was
proclaimed the sixth Sultan of Semnan. For twelve years, he ruled over Semnan
with absolute sincerity and impartiality, and the people regarded him as a just
and sincere king. During his reign, he became a salik (a spiritual path
traveller) and a marifa seeker (inner knowledge gained through mystical means).
He was fascinated to mysticism and was frequently seen in the company of holy
persons, mystics and Sufis, the most famous of them being Ruknuddin Ala ul
Daula Semnani.
In a dream
one night, Hazrat Khizr (peace be upon him) honoured him by appearing to him.
He explained to Hazrat Makhdoom Ashraf the wazifa including Allah's names,
which had to be performed without moving the tongue. He did this wazifa for two
years until the great saint Hazrat Uwais Qarni arrived in his dream and offered
him Uwaisi wazifas, which greatly assisted his spiritual development. For over
three years, he was so engaged in the blessings and spiritual advancement he
had gained from Hazrat Uwais Qarni’s teachings that he lost all desire to stay
as Sultan of Semnan.
With time,
his longing for marifa got deeper, and at the age of 25, Hazrat Khizr (peace be
upon him) reappeared in his dream on the 27th of Ramadan. He was asked to
abdicate the kingdom and travel to India, where he would find his Pir
(spiritual mentor), Hazrat Sheikh Ala ul-Haq Pandwi, a prominent Chishtiya
saint and a disciple of Hazrat Sheikh Akhi Sirajuddin.
He told his
mother about his dream when he awoke, and she gave him permission to carry out
his divinely ordained task. When his mother found out, she stated that previous
to his birth, Khwaja Ahmad Yasavi had foreseen the birth of a great saint who
would illuminate, inspire, and guide those who were engulfed in darkness. With
her approval, he made arrangements to travel to India, naming his younger
brother Mohammad as his successor.
Despite
having a lavish lifestyle, a wealth of luxuries, glory, and dignity, he
preferred the spiritual path leading to Marifat of God Almighty. The real
believer’s selflessness is such that thrones, wealth, glory, power, and
materiality have no effect on him. Hazrat Makhdoom had it all, from wealth to
luxury, but because he was cognizant of the truth, he was not impressed, and
instead, he continued to pursue spiritual grandeur with zeal.
Thousands
of troops greeted Hazrat Makhdoom Ashraf as he left his homeland. Hazrat Mir
Sayyid Ali Hamadani became his associate around this time. They went to all of
the major Sufi shrines in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. After a long journey of
visiting the shrines, Hazrat Makhdoom Ashraf arrived in Maner, Bihar, where a
famous saint named Hazrat Makhdoom Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri had died the
day before and was awaiting funeral prayer. Prior to his death, Sheikh Maneri
requested that his Janazah (funeral) prayer be performed by someone who
has relinquished his throne, is a Hassani and Hussaini (a descendant of both
Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain, the Prophet's grandsons, may Allah be pleased
with them) and a Hafiz who knows each of the seven types of Qirat. Hazrat Makhdoom Ashraf was already aware of
this through Kashf (revelation). The disciples of Hazrat Makhdoom
Sharfuddin eagerly awaited his arrival, and despite the fact that Hazrat
Makhdoom Ashraf refused to offer the burial prayer out of humility, he carried
out Sheikh Maneri’s wishes. Hazrat Makhdoom Ashraf set out from Maner for
Pandua Sharif, where Hazrat Alaul Haq Pandwi, who would later become his
spiritual master, awaited his arrival with bated breath. In Pandwa Sharif,
India, he reached the summit of spirituality and attained spiritual khilafat
from his spiritual mentor Hazrat Alaul Haq Pandwi.
Until his
death on the 28th of Muharram, 808, Hazrat Makhdoom Ashraf continued to
spiritually reform the people and had established the Ashrafi Sufi Order, which
has a large following in India. Every year, between the 26th and 29th of
Muharram, His Urs (death anniversary) is commemorated. His shrine in
Kichhauchha Sharif is known for being particularly helpfl in assisting persons
who have been afflicted by Jinn, and his name is still invoked in this regard.
His
Works and Teachings
Basharatu'l-Ikhwan,
Fawa'idu'l-Ashraf, Basharatu'z-Zakirin, and Tanbihu'l-Ikhwan are among his
famous writings that teach people the necessity of grasping the meanings and
essence of technical words of Sufism. His Miratu'l-Haqai'q and Kanzud-Daqai'q
were written for individuals who were more accomplished in Sufism. These writings,
as well as his Maktubat-i Ashrafi letters, contribute to a better understanding
of Wahdat al-Wujud.
Some of
Hazrat Makhdoom Ashraf's letters were addressed to sultans and ulama. He
emphasised the significance of consultation with various leaders as a necessary
component of successful governance. He urged them to promote social values and
the welfare of the civilians. Although he placed a strong focus on enforcement
of the Sharia, the fundamental idea was to ensure that common people were
treated fairly.
---
A
regular Columnist with NewAgeIslam.com, Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Dehlvi is a
Classical Islamic scholar and English-Arabic-Urdu Translator.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/ashrafi-sufi-order-semnani/d/125329