Naqshbandiya Foundation for Islamic Education

The Naqshbandiya Foundation for Islamic Education (NFIE) is a non-profit, tax exempt, religious and educational organization dedicated to serve Islam with a special focus on Tasawwuf(Sufism),

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Excerpts from Nafahat al-'Uns: The Lives of Notable Figures of the Spiritual Path


Excerpts from Nafahat al-'Uns: The Lives of Notable Figures of the Spiritual Path
by Sidi Ruslan Moore


Khwaja Hasan 'Attar
May Allah (Exalted is He) bestow His mercy upon him!
He was the son of the venerable Khwaja 'Ala' ad-Din 'Attar, and the fruit of the tree of sainthood was he. His rapturous attraction [jadhba] was very strong indeed. Whenever he wished to influence someone with the qualities of rapturous attraction, they would take effect in that person. They would enable him to experience the spiritual state of ecstasy and unawareness of this world, transcending his ordinary self and neither knowing nor seeing transitory things. They would enable him to taste the experience of absence from this world and self-annihilation, an experience enjoyed by some of the spiritual wayfarers after so much strenuous endeavour, and rarely even then. Throughout Transoxiana and Khurasan, he became famous for the kind of spiritual influence he exerted on the seekers and the visitors [to holy shrines]. If anyone achieved the honor of kissing his blessed hand, that person would stagger and fall down. Early one morning, it has been told, he went out from his house while experiencing the spiritual state described above. Everyone touched by his gaze was utterly transformed, to the point of transcending his ordinary self. One of the dervishes set out on the blessed journey [of Pilgrimage] and came to Herat. The signs of ecstasy, absence from his normal self, rapture and bewilderment were evident in his condition. When he passed through the market, it was obvious that the inner state had overwhelmed him, for he was quite unaware of the people coming and going and what they were talking about. According to the venerable link in this chain of transmission, whose favour I need to receive: "The spiritual state of that dervish was nothing other than this: He was constantly observing and contemplating the form of Khwaja Hasan with the eye of the spirit, so he kept that form stored within himself. By virtue of this safekeeping, the rapturous attraction of that great individual had been infused into that dervish." In accordance with the chain of transmission of the Spiritual Path of the Masters of Wisdom [Khwajagan], the venerable Khwaja Hasan used to take upon himself the burden of the invalids, relieving them of their sickness. On one occasion, it has been related, he set out on the blessed journey [of Pilgrimage] and came to Shiraz, where a local nobleman was truly dedicated to him and had entered his Spiritual Path with sincere devotion. An illness had afflicted this man, so the venerable Khwaja Hasan took his illness upon him, rescuing him from the malady. The patient recovered, but the Khwaja fell ill in his place, and because of this illness he passed on to the other world. His death occurred on the Monday night of the Festival of Sacrifices in the year A.H. 826 (1422 C.E.). His blessed corpse was transported from Shiraz to the province of Saghaniyan, where it was laid to rest beside the tomb of his great father [the venerable 'Ala' ad-Din 'Attar].
May Allah be well pleased with him! (Courtesy:Sunni Path http://www.sunnipath.com/ )

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