The King of Hindustan—Hazrat Khawaja Gharib Nawaz
By
Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam
20 January
2024
Islamic
saint Khawaja Gharib Nawaz was a Sultan al-Hind, the King of India. He
established his kingdom governed by Sufism, Spirituality, and Islamic
sainthood, rather than resorting to force, army and power.
Khawaja
Gharib Nawaz comes to mind the moment we hear the phrase "Hind Ke Raja,
or Sultan al-Hind" which means "King of Hindustan or
India". Typically, a king possesses an army of soldiers. However, if
Khawaja Gharib Nawaz lacked an army, soldiers, or military might, how could he
have been a king? The reason he is referred to be the King of India is because
he ruled over the hearts of the Indians. Khawaja Gharib Nawaz lit the lamp of
God's love and remembrance, illuminating the dark and broken hearts of India.
File Photo: Dargah Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz
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Khawaja
Gharib Nawaz adopted the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah as a way of life.
His works and letters make clear how deeply spiritual his interpretation of the
sacred scriptures was. He was honest, moral, kind, and spiritual in all he did,
and he spent his entire life behaving as a friend of Allah [Wali]. His
extraordinary achievements, morals, virtues, and miracles served as an
inspiration to many powerful and well-known individuals during his time. He
became such a great Wali [friend] of Allah that he possessed miracles and is
still renowned for them because he discovered such an ample portion of the
blessings and bounties of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. He became so committed to
serving Allah Almighty that he was able to live a life free from the shackles
of the Self [Nafs]. He kindled the divine love candle in his blessed heart with
such intensity that centuries later, people still find solace in its light for
their shattered and tormented hearts.
There is a
pro-freedom chant going on, "Hum Leke Rahenge Azaadi." While
some employ these catchphrases for political purposes, others do so to achieve
peace and freedom under different circumstances.
In
actuality, real freedom can only come from submitting to divine will and giving
up all ambitions and desires of the Self. To understand this spiritual idea,
one must read Futhul Ghaib by the Master and King of Sufis, Huzoor
Ghaus-e-Paak, with sincere mystical observations and meditations.
Some people
think that after they reach their objectives, they will be content, but in
reality, the Nafs forbid them from ever being content. Rather, the Nafs feed
their avarice in a variety of ways and make people fret about success—whether
it has to do with money, power, fame or popularity. People don't realise that their
captivity to Self [Nafs] prevents them from finding perfect peace and
contentment. Islamic mysticism implies that the attainment of contentment and
freedom from captivity to the Nafs depend on an individual's total surrender to
obedience to, and the will of Allah. The noble servant, the Wali of Allah is
the only one who is genuinely unbound from the chains of the Nafs and ego.
Khawaja
Gharib Nawaz became highly regarded as an Islamic saint, a great Wali of Allah.
His steadfast goals were to approach the All-Powerful God in humility and ask
for His guidance regarding piety, good acts, the divine will, and divine
pleasure. These were the reasons behind his victory over the hearts of the
Indians. He acquired this kingdom in Sufism, Spirituality, and Wilaayat
[Islamic sainthood]. It was not a kingdom that could be conquered by bloody
battles, bows and arrows, swords, spears, and armies, but rather one that won
and ruled over people's hearts.
Hasan is
the name of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz. In 537 A.H., he was born in the Sanjar region
of Sajistan or Sistan, which is now a region of Iran. He is Hasani and Hussaini
Syed from his parents, which makes him Najib al-Tarfain. Moinuddin, Khawaja
Gharib Nawaz, and Sultan Al-Hind are some of his well-known nicknames. His title
‘Gharib Nawaz’ came from his strong pro-poor stance. He did not get this title
from any monarch; rather, the Almighty Allah had predetermined that Hazrat
Gharib Nawaz would benefit the underprivileged, which is why he carried out
this mission throughout his life and earned the reputation of Gharib Nawaz, the
benefactor of the poor.
We offer
the above words in remembrance of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz, the Sultan of India, on
the occasion of the yearly Urs of 2024. We also pray that Allah may grant us
all His grace and kindness via the Waseela of His beloved Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) and through the Waseela of His beloved Friend
[Wali], Hazrat Gharib Nawaz (may Allah be pleased with him).
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A regular Columnist with NewAgeIslam.com, Ghulam
Ghaus Siddiqi Dehlvi is an Alim and Fazil (Classical Islamic scholar), with a
Sufi-Sunni background and English-Arabic-Urdu Translator. He has also done B. A
(Hons.) in Arabic, M.A. in Arabic and M.A. in English from JMI, New Delhi. He
is interested in Islamic Sciences; Theology, Jurisprudence, Tafsir, Hadith and
Islamic mysticism (Tasawwuf).
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/king-hindustan-hazrat-khawaja-gharib-nawaz/d/131555
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