Raja Ji at the Feet of Khwaja Ji
By Asar Chauhan
(Translated by New Age Islam Edit Desk)
Prime Minister Raja Perwez Ashraf visited Ajmer Sharif, Bharat, on a personal tour and returned after paying obeisance to the revered Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. Commenting on his visit to Ajmer, Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said that it was an old belief that only those who get a call can visit the Dargah. “So, Kawaka had called Raja Perwez Ashraf and, therefore, we fulfilled our moral responsibility by greeting him.”
It is generally said that a Muslim who goes on a pilgrimage (hajj) or Umrah or visits a Dargah does not do on his own but on a divine call. Many big kings have paid a visit to Hadhrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz as also Pakistan’s presidents and prime ministers. But according to history, the king whom Khwaja had called to India during his lifetime was the king of Ghazni Shahabuddin Muhammad Ghori. Ghori had come to India on his own (without a call from Khwaja) and attacked India but the king of Ajmer and Delhi, Prithvi Raj Chauhan had defeated and driven him out of India. After two years, Khwaja gave Ghori good tidings of his victory in a dream and so he came back. Prithvi Raj Chauhan was defeated and killed. After his first defeat at the hands of Prithvi Raj Chauhan, Ghori had not taken rest nor did he allow his generals to take rest until he avenged his defeat. Pakistan was bifurcated in 1971 but our military and democratic rulers ruled and slept peacefully. A number of our military and civilian presidents visited the Dargah of Hadhrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz. Obviously, they had not got the call but had gone on their own.
Last year President Zardari had visited Hadhrat Gharib Nawaz’s Dargah. The visit was personal but he had offered a gift of 10 lakh dollars to the Mazar for its renovation and decoration. Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf did not offer any cash because during his nine month rule, the national treasury was empty. Nonetheless, Khwaja Gharib Nawaz did not need any gifts and presents during his lifetime. So, obviously, he does not need them after his death. After his victory of India, Muhammad Ghori paid a visit to Gharib Nawaz and offered valuable gifts to him which he did not accept and said, “Distribute this among the poor of Ajmer.” Muhammad Ghori obeyed him and returned to say, “I want to serve you too”. Gharib Nawaz said, “Wealth is a great mischief of the world. Even if it were a good thing, I would not have looked towards it.” Khwaja Gharib Nawaz made only one request to Muhammad Ghori: “Appoint Gobind Raj Chauhan, the son of the slain Prithvi Raj Chauhan the governor of Ajmer so that the conquered Hindu community accepts the rule of the conqueror Muslim community from their heart. Ghori obeyed his order.
Shahabuddin Muhammad Ghori appointed his slave and most trusted General Qutubuddin Aibak his vice regent in India and returned to his country. He ruled for 16 years as his vice regent and four years as an independent ruler. He had great respect for his master Muhammad Ghori and would often say, “I am proud to be a humble slave of my master Muhammad Ghori.” After becoming prime minister, Raja Parwez Ashraf has said in public meetings that he was a humble worker of the party but President Zardari made him the prime minister.
History says that Qutubuddin Aibak would offer lakhs of rupees to his well wishers and visitors and had earned the epithet of “lakh-bakhsh” for his kindness and sympathy for the poor and the needy. Raja Pervez Ashraf did the same thing during his short rule. He had the discretionary fund of Rs 2.2 billion. He withdrew Rs 3.2 billion from the government funds and spent them. He spent 1.2 billion rupees in his electoral constituency and earned fame and goodwill. The son-in-law of Qutubuddin Aibak Shamsuddin Iltumish also ruled India for 36 years. Raja Pervez Ashraf also has got a job for his son-in-law in the international monetary institution. If luck favours, he may also get the favours of any president of India and become the prime minister.
I am not the supporter of Prithvi Raj Chauhan despite being a Chauhan myself but am an admirer of Shahabuddin Ghori but I deem it necessary to remove a misconception of Pakistan’s nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan about Ghori. It is written on page 230 of Tarikh-e-Farishta of the famous historian Muhammad Qasim Farishta (translated by Abdul Hai Khwaja)
“Shahabuddin Ghori was buried on Sha’aban 2, 602 Hijra (13 May 1206) in the building in Ghazni which he had built for his daughter” Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan (on the basis of unknown reference and evidence) famously attributed the tomb of an unknown person in Jhelum to Muhammad Ghori and even arranged for its renovation and decoration. Secondly, Bharat named its missiles after their gods – Akash (sky), Agni (fire) and Prithvi (earth). Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan thought that Bharat had named one of its missiles, Prithvi, after Prithvi Raj Chauhan and so he named a missile made by Pakistan Ghori after Shahabuddin Muhammad Ghori. (If doctor sahib takes offence after reading it, I apologise).
Raja Perwez Ashraf had ordered the preparation of the Chadar meant for offering on the tomb of Hadhrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz six months ago (three months after he took the oath of office of the prime minister). He carried the 35 kilogram Chadar on his head from the main gate of the Mazar to the tomb. It is praiseworthy that Raja Saheb can carry a weight of 35 kilogram on his head in this old age. This practice may pay him dividends in future. The disciple and caliph of Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, Hadhrat Baba Farid Shakar Ganj says:
“O Farid, pul sirat which is thinner than the hair lies ahead, don’t you hear the death knell. Do not ruin yourself by standing here.”
It was reported that Raja Perwez Ashraf prayed for the progress and prosperity of Pakistan at the Dargah. If his prayers are granted, the prayers of the poor and the distressed may also be heard during the rule of caretaker prime minister or the prime minister who takes over after the elections and many poor people will also have the honour of visiting the Dargah of Khwaja on government expenses.
Source: Nawai Waqt, March 9, Pakistan
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/raja-ji-feet-khwaja-ji/d/10748