al-Hujwiri
الھجویری
Data Darbar in Lahore
Personal
Bornc. 1009
Hujwir, Ghaznavid Empire
Diedc. 8 August 1072 CE (20 Dhuʻl-Qiʻdah, 464 AH)
Lahore, Ghaznavid Empire
ReligionIslam
EraIslamic Golden Age
DenominationSunni
JurisprudenceHanafi
Main interest(s)
Notable work(s)Kashf al-Mahjub
Teachers

Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Uthman ibn Ali (Persian: أبو الحسن علي بن عثمان بن علي, romanized: ʾAbū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn ʿUthmān ibn ʿAlī; c. 1009–1072/77), commonly known as al-Hujwiri (Persian: الھجویری, romanized: al-Hujwīrī), was an 11th-century Sunni Islamic scholar and preacher from Ghaznavid Empire, who became famous for composing the Kashf al-Mahjub ('Unveiling of the Hidden'), the earliest formal treatise on Sufism in Persian. Al-Hujwiri is believed to have contributed "significantly" to the spread of Islam in South Asia through his preaching.

He is known reverentially as Dātā Ganj Bakhsh by Muslims of South Asia. Khwaja Gharib Nawaz stayed at al-Hujwiri's mausoleum and quoted a tribute to him as a narration; گنج بخش فیضِ عالَم مظہرِ نورِ خدا ناقصاں را پیرِ کامل ، کاملاں را راہنما Ganj Bakhsh-e-Faiz-e-Alam Mazhar-e-Nur-e-Khuda, Na Qasaan-ra Pir-i Kamil, Kamilaan-ra Rahnuma.

Background

Of Iranian ancestry,[1] al-Hujwiri was born in Ghazni, in present-day Afghanistan, in around 1009 to Uthman ibn Ali. As is common with Sufi saints, his father, who was a direct descendant of Hasan ibn Ali. His genealogical chain goes back eight generations to Caliph Ali (r. 656–661).[2][3] According to the autobiographical information recorded in his own Kashf al-maḥjūb, it is evident that al-Hujwiri travelled "widely through the Ghaznavid Empire and beyond, spending considerable time in Baghdad, Nishapur, and Damascus, where he met many of the pre-eminent Ṣūfīs of his time."[4] In matters of jurisprudence, he received training in the Hanafi rite of orthodox Sunni law under various teachers.[4] As for his Sufic training, he was linked through his teacher al-Khuttalī to al-Husrī, Abu Bakr al-Shibli (d. 946), and Junayd of Baghdad (d. 910).[5] For a short period, the mystic is believed to have lived in Iraq[6] His brief marriage during this period is said to have been unhappy.[6] Eventually, al-Hujwiri settled in Lahore, where he died with the reputation of a renowned preacher and teacher.[6] After his death, al-Hujwiri was unanimously regarded as a great saint by popular acclaim.[6]

Spiritual Lineage

  1. Habib Al-Ajami
  2. Daawūd al-Tai
  3. Maruf Karkhi
  4. Sirri Saqti
  5. Junayd al-Baghdadi
  6. Abu Bakr Shibli
  7. Ali Husri Husri
  8. AbulFazal Khutli
  9. Al-Hujwiri

Views

Companions of Muhammad

Abu Bakr

Al-Hujwiri described the first caliph Abu Bakr (r. 632–634) as "the Greatest Truthful,"[7] and deemed him "the leader (imām) of all the folk of this Path."[7] Eulogizing Abu Bakr's piety, al-Hujwiri praised him for how "he gave away all his wealth and his clients, and clad himself in a woolen garment, and came to the Messenger Muhammad "[8] and stated elsewhere that he "is placed by the Sufi shaykhs at the head of those who have adopted the contemplative life."[9] In conclusion, al-Hujwiri stated: "The whole sect of Sufis has made him their patron in stripping themselvesan of worldly things, in fixity, in an eager desire for poverty, and in longing to renounce authority. He is the leader of the Muslims in general, and of the Sufis in particular."[10]

Umar

Al-Hujwiri described the second caliph of Islam Umar (r. 634–644) as one "specially distinguished by sagacity and resolution,"[10] and said that "the Sufis make him their model in wearing a patched garment and rigorously performing the duties of religion."[11] He further praised Umar for his "very exalted station" in combining a life of worldly duties with intense and consistent spiritual devotion.[10]

Uthman

Regarding the third of the Rightly Guided Caliphs of the early Islamic community, Uthman (r. 644–656), al-Hujwiri stated that the "Sufis take Uthman as their exemplar in sacrificing life and property, in resigning their affairs to God, and in sincere devotion."[12]

Ali

With respect to the fourth of the Rightly Guided Caliphs of Islam, Ali (r. 656–661), al-Hujwiri stated: "His renown and rank in this Path were very high. He explained the principles of Divine Truth with exceeding subtlety.... Ali is a model for the Sufis in respect to the truths of outward expressions and the subtleties of inward meanings, the stripping of one's self of all property either of this world or of the next, and consideration of the Divine Providence."[12] He also approvingly cited Junayd of Baghdad's saying: "Ali is our Shaykh as regards the principles and as regards the endurance of affliction."[12]

Family of Muḥammad (صلی اللہ علیہ و سلم)

Hasan

Regarding the grandson of Muhammad and son of Ali, Hasan ibn Ali (d. 670), al-Hujwiri described him as one "profoundly versed in [spiritual truths]" and as one of "the true saints and shaykhs" of the Islamic community.[13]

Husayn

With respect to the younger grandson of Muhammad and son of Ali, Husayn ibn Ali (d. 680), al-Hujwiri emphatically declared: "He is the martyr of Karbala and all Sufis are agreed that he was in the right. So long as the Truth was apparent, he followed it; but when it was lost, he drew the sword and never rested until he sacrificed his dear life for God's sake."[13]

Jafar al-Sadiq

Al-Hujwiri described Jafar al-Sadiq (d. 765), the great-grandson of Husayn, as one "celebrated among the Sufi shaykhs for the subtlety of discourse and his acquaintance with spiritual truths."[14]

Muhammad al-Baqir

Regarding the grandson of Husayn, Muhammad al-Baqir (d. 733), al-Hujwiri stated: "He was distinguished for his knowledge of the abstruse science and for his subtle indications as to the meaning of the Quran."[15]

Zayn al-Abidin

al-Hujwiri praised Zayn al-Abidin (d. 713), the son of Husayn, for being of "the character of those who have attained perfect rectitude."[13]

Doctors of law

Abu Hanifa

Regarding Abu Hanifa (d. 767), the traditionally recognized founder of the Hanafi school of orthodox Sunni jurisprudence, al-Hujwiri stated: "He is the Imām of Imāms (lit. 'Leader of Leaders') and the exemplar of the Sunnis."[16]

Ahmad ibn Hanbal

Regarding Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 855), the traditionally recognized founder of the Hanbali school of orthodox Sunni jurisprudence, al-Hujwiri stated: "He was distinguished by devoutness and piety, and was the guardian of the Traditions of the Messenger. Sufis of all sects regard him as blessed. He associated with great shaykhs ... his miracles were manifest and his intelligence sound. The doctrines attributed to him today by certain anthropomorphists are inventions and forgeries; he is to be acquitted of all notions of that sort. He had a firm belief in the principles of religion, and his creed was approved by all the theologians.... He is clear of all [the slander] that is alleged against him."[17]

Law and jurisprudence

As a Sunni Muslim, al-Hujwiri believed it was a spiritual necessity to follow one of the orthodox schools of religious law, being himself a staunch follower of the Hanafi school of orthodox Sunni jurisprudence.[18][19] As such, al-Hujwiri condemned as "heretics" all those who espoused mystical doctrines without following all the precepts of the religious law (sharīʿa).[20] He further denounced all those "who held that ... when the Truth is revealed the Law is abolished."[20] For al-Hujwiri, then, all true and orthodox mystical activities needed to take place within the boundaries of the religious law.[21]

Dancing

According to al-Hujwiri, purely secular dancing "has no foundation either in the religious law of Islam or in the path of Sufism, because all reasonable men agree that it is a diversion when it is in earnest, and an impropriety when it is in jest."[22] As such, he censured "all the traditions cited in its favour" as "worthless."[22] As for the legitimate ecstatic experiences of some Sufis, whose bodies convulsed when their "heart [throbbed] with exhilaration and rapture" on account of their intense love of God,[22] Al-Hujwiri declared that these movements only outwardly resembled dancing and opined that "those who call it 'dancing' are utterly wrong. It is a state that cannot be explained in words: 'without experience no knowledge.'"[22]

Poetry

al-Hujwiri deemed it lawful to listen to virtuous poetry, saying: "It is permissible to hear poetry. The Messenger heard it, and the Companions not only heard it but also spoke it."[23] Due to these reasons, he censured those who "declare that it is unlawful to listen to any poetry whatever, and pass their lives in defaming their brother Muslims."[23] Regarding the hearing of secular poetry, however, al-Hujwiri's opinion was far stricter, and he deemed it "unlawful" to hear poetry or love-songs that enticed the hearer to carnal desires through detailed descriptions "of the face and hair and mole of the beloved."[24] In conclusion, he stated that those who regarded the hearing of such poetry "as absolutely lawful must also regard looking and touching as lawful, which is infidelity and heresy."[24]

Saints

Al-Hujwiri supported the orthodox belief in the existence of saints.[25][26][27][28][28][29] As such, he stated: "You must know that the principle and foundation of Sufism and Knowledge of God rests on sainthood, the reality of which is unanimously affirmed by all the teachers, though every one has expressed himself in a different language."[25] Elsewhere, he said: "God has saints whom He has specially distinguished by His Friendship and whom He has chosen to be the governors of His Kingdom and has marked out to manifest by His Actions and has peculiarly favored with diverse kinds of miracles and has purged of natural corruptions and has delivered from subjection to their lower soul and passion, so that all their thoughts are of Him and their intimacy is with Him alone. Such have been in past ages, and are now, and shall be hereafter until the Day of Resurrection, because God exalted this community above all others and has promised to preserve the religion of Muhammad.... The visible proof [of Islam] is to be found among the saints and the elect of God."[30]

Tomb and legacy

In the present day, al-Hujwiri is venerated as the main wali of Lahore, Pakistan by the traditional Sunni Muslims of the area.[31][32] He is, moreover, one of the most widely venerated saints in the entire South Asia,[32] and his tomb-shrine in Lahore, popularly known as Data Darbar, is one of the most frequented shrines in South Asia.[32] At present, it is Pakistan's largest shrine "in numbers of annual visitors and in the size of the shrine complex,"[28] and, having been nationalized in 1960, is managed today by the Department of Awqaf and Religious Affairs of the Punjab.[28] The mystic himself remains a "household name" in the daily Islam of South Asia.[33] In 2016, the Government of Pakistan declared 21 November to be a public holiday for the commemoration of the commencement of al-Hujwiri's three-day death anniversary.[34]

Works

Kashf al-maḥjūb

Al-Hujwiri is perhaps most famous for writing what has been described as "the earliest formal treatise on Ṣūfism in Persian,"[28] the renowned Kashf al-maḥjūb (Unveiling of the Hidden).[28] The work presents itself as an introduction to the various aspects of orthodox Sufism and also provides biographies of the greatest saints of the Islamic community.[28] The Kashf al-maḥjūb is the only work of al-Hujwiri that has remained until today.[32] Egyptian Sufi scholar Abul Azaem has translated this work into Arabic.

Other works

Reynold Alleyne Nicholson provided a short list of al-Hujwiri's writings (all of which are lost aside from the Kashf al-maḥjūb), which included, amongst others, the following unpreserved works:

  1. Dīwān (Songs of Hujwirī), a collection of the saint's poems.[35]
  2. Minhāj al-Dīn (The Way of the Religion), a work containing: (i) a detailed account of those companions of Muhammad whom al-Hujwiri deemed the precursors of the Sufis; and (ii) a full biography of the executed 10th-century mystic Mansur al-Hallaj (d. 922).[35]
  3. Asrār al-khiraq wa 'l-ma'ūnāt', a work on the woolen, patched garments worn by the Sufis of his time.[36]
  4. An untitled work explaining the meaning behind the mystical sayings of Mansur al-Hallaj.[36]
  5. Kitāb al-bayān li-ahl al-'iyān, a treatise on the orthodox interpretation of the Sufic ideal of Fana.[36]

Of other books written by Shaykh al-Hujwiri:

  1. Kashf al-Asrār, a short Persian treatise on how to fully adopt the path of Tasawwuf, translated with in-depth commentary by El-Sheikh Syed Mubarik Ali Shah El-Gillani.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hosain, Hidayet and Massé, H., "Hud̲j̲wīrī", in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs: "Iranian mystic, born at Hud̲j̲wīr, a suburb of G̲h̲azna... Although he was a Sunni and a Hanafi...".
  2. ↑ Hasan, Masudul, Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh: a spiritual biographyʾ (1971)
  3. ↑ Alī al-Hujwīrī, Kashf al-maḥjūb, trans. Reynold A. Nicholson, Leiden 1911, intro
  4. 1 2 Strothmann, Linus, "Dātā Ganj Bakhsh, Shrine of", in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE, Edited by: Kate Fleet, Gudrun Krämer, Denis Matringe, John Nawas, Everett Rowson; see also ʿAlī al-Hujwīrī, Kashf al-maḥjūb, trans. Reynold A. Nicholson, Leiden 1911, intro.
  5. ↑ Alexander D. Knysh, Islamic mysticism. A short history (Leiden 2000), p. 133
  6. 1 2 3 4 Hosain, Hidayet and Massé, H., "Hud̲j̲wīrī", in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs
  7. 1 2 Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 31
  8. ↑ Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 32 (trans. slightly altered)
  9. ↑ Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 70
  10. 1 2 3 Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 72
  11. ↑ Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 73
  12. 1 2 3 Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 74
  13. 1 2 3 Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 76
  14. ↑ Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 78
  15. ↑ Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 77
  16. ↑ Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 92
  17. ↑ Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), pp. 117-118
  18. ↑
  19. ↑
  20. 1 2 Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 383
  21. ↑ See Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 383
  22. 1 2 3 4 Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 416
  23. 1 2 See Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 397
  24. 1 2 See Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 398
  25. 1 2 See Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 210
  26. ↑ "تذکرۂ صالحین - گنج بخش فیضِ عالَم مظہرِ نورِ خدا / مجدد الف ثانی اور مجدد دین و ملت". Dawate Islami. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  27. ↑ Hosain, Hidayet and Massé, H., "Hud̲j̲wīrī", in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs: "Iranian mystic, born at Hud̲j̲wīr, a suburb of G̲h̲azna... Although he was a Sunni and a Hanafi...".
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Strothmann, Linus, "Dātā Ganj Bakhsh, Shrine of", in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE, Edited by: Kate Fleet, Gudrun Krämer, Denis Matringe, John Nawas, Everett Rowson.
  29. ↑ Pilgrims of Love: The Anthropology of a Global Sufi Cult; Pnina Werbner, p. 4, Published 2003, C. Hurst & Co.
  30. ↑ See Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. 212
  31. ↑
  32. 1 2 3 4 Hosain, Hidayet and Massé, H., "Hud̲j̲wīrī", in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs.
  33. ↑ Wach, Joachim (1948). "Spiritual Teachings in Islam: A Study". The Journal of Religion. University of Chicago Press. 28 (4): 263–80. doi:10.1086/483758. ISSN 1549-6538. JSTOR 1199083. S2CID 170287582.
  34. ↑ "Data Sahib Urs: Lahore district govt declares public holiday on Nov 21". 19 November 2016.
  35. 1 2 Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. vii
  36. 1 2 3 Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2007), p. viii
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