HIS POSITION IN THE SILSILA : Saalik-e-Hadrat-e-Malakoot, Shaahid Izzat-e-Jabroot Hadrat Shaykh Sirruddeen Sirri Saqti Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho is the tenth Imam and Shaykh of the Silsila Aaliyah Qaadiriyah Barakatiyah Radaviyah Nooriyah.
BIRTH : He was born around the year 155 Hijri in Baghdad Shareef.
NAME : His name is Sirruddeen and he was also known as Abul Hassan.
SHAYKH-E-TARIQAT : He was the mureed and Khalifa of Hadrat Ma'roof Karkhi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho. He also served Hadrat Habeeb Raa'ee Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho. He says, "Once I was sitting in my shop, when Hadrat Habeeb Raa'ee Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho passed by my shop, and I gave him some bread. He then made dua for me, and since then I decided to change my life for the better." [Masaalik as-Saalikeen]
HIS FATHER : His father's name was Hadrat Mughlis Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho. [Masaalik as-Saalikeen]
HIS EXCELLENCE : He was the Imam of the Ahle Tasawwuf and he possessed in-depth knowledge. He was a huge mountain of knowledge, yet he was blessed with kindness. He was amongst the students of Hadrat Fuzail ibn Ayaaz Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho and was also a Tabbe Taabi'een. He was amongst the first persons to openly spread the knowledge of tasawwuf in Iraq. Various great Shaykhs of Baghdad were blessed with being in his Silsila. He was also the maternal uncle, and the Peer-o-Murshid of Hadrat Junaid-e-Baghdadi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho. Hadrat Junaid-e-Baghdadi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho says, "I did not see any person as Kaamil (perfect) as my Peer-o-Murshid." Hadrat Bishr Haafi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho said, "I never used to ask for anything from anyone but Hadrat Sirri Saqti Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho, as I was very well aware of his piety and I knew that he was always happy to give." [Masaalik as-Saalikeen, Vol 1, Page 292].
It was his habit, that he performed one thousand rakats of nafil salaah daily. Hadrat Junaid Baghdadi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho says, "I have never seen a more greater Aabid and Zaahid than him, and I did not see this in anyone else, that he had reached the age of 98, and the only time I saw him rest, was at the time of his demise." [Masaalik as-Saalikeen]
He was the perfect example of his illustrious predecessors. Once some of his devotees came to him, and asked him to explain the reality of Sabr (patience). He thus began to deliver a lecture on the topic of patience. Whilst he was delivering his lecture, a scorpion stung him on his feet. He continued delivering his lecture. Those, present said, "Huzoor! Kill the scorpion and move it away." On hearing this, he said, "I am ashamed to behave contrary to that which I am discussing, in other words show impatience due to the sting of the scorpion."
DUA OF HIS SHAYKH : He says, "Once my Peer blessed me with the opportunity of clothing an orphan child. After I did this, he made dua for me and said, 'May Allah make the world your enemy and may he grant you freedom from this.' The power of his dua was such, that my entire life changed, and I divorced myself from the world."
Sayyiduna Sirri Saqti Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho
CHARACTER AND HABITS : He was a very kind and honourable person. He was also a very humble personality. Once he said, "Thirty years have passed now, and I am still making tauba because of one thing that I made shukr (thanks) for." People asked what he meant, and he said, "Once there was a fire in the market place and all the shops burnt down except mine. When I was informed of this, I made shukr (thanked Allah). I thus make tauba, since it meant that by saying Alhumdulillah my shop was saved, meant that I felt I was better than my other Muslim brothers and that I was pleased that a worldly possession was saved." [Masaalik as-Saalikeen]
Once Hadrat was delivering a lecture in Baghdad, and one of the ministers of the Khalifa came with great pomp and splendour and sat in his mehfil. His name was Ahmad bin Yazeed. At the time when he entered, Hadrat was saying, "From all Allah's creation, the weakest creation is man, yet he is so brave in committing major sins. It is sad, very sad." These words of Hadrat entered the heart of the minister. He immediately went home and remained in silence. He did not even eat a meal on that night. He remained hungry the entire night and in the morning, he dressed in the clothes of a faqeer and presented himself in the darbaar of Hadrat Sirri Saqti Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho. He said, "Yesterday, your lecture made a great impact on my heart, so please help me to gain closeness to Allah." Hadrat said, "The normal method is that you should read your five times salaah with Jama'at and give Zakaat from your wealth, and follow all the laws of Shariah with sincerity. The special method is this, that you should divorce yourself from the world and remain engrossed in the ibaadat of Allah, and that you should only desire the pleasure of Allah and nothing else." Hadrat was still advising him, when Ahmad bin Yazeed stood up and immediately walked towards the jungle. After a few days, his mother arrived crying. She said that he was her only son, and she did not know where he had gone. Hadrat said, "O Dear old woman! Your son will return soon, and I shall inform you when he returns." After a few days, he returned in the garb of a faqeer and only stayed for a while, and then left. He then came to Hadrat once more, and during that visit, he passed away in the hands of Hadrat Sirri Saqti Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho. [Masaalik as-Saalikeen]
A DRUNK BECOMES A NAMAAZI: Once he saw a drunk lying on the ground, calling the name of Allah. Hadrat washed his mouth and said, "He does not know that he is taking the most exalted name with his impure mouth." After he left, the drunk man became sober. Those that were present told him what had happened while he was intoxicated. He was very embarrassed, and he began to curse his nafs and weep bitterly. He said, "O shameless nafs! Sirri Saqti has now seen you in this sad state, and he too left. Now fear Allah and repent." That night, Hadrat Sirri Saqti Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho heard a voice from the unseen which said, "You washed his mouth for my sake, and I have washed his heart for your sake." When Hadrat went to the Masjid, for Tahajjud Salaah, he found the once drunk man, now in the Musjid reading his Tahajjud Salaah. Hadrat asked how the sudden change had occurred in him, and he said, "Why do you ask me concerning this, when Allah has already informed you about it." Hadrat Junaid Baghdadi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho says, "Once I presented myself at the home of Hadrat, and I found him very sad and silent. I asked the reason for his condition, and he said, 'A Pari (female Jinn) from amongst the fairies came to me and asked the meaning of (Haya) modesty, and when I explained the meaning to her, she melted like wax.' Even, I saw the water from the body of the Pari."
Aarif Sirri Saqti Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho and Aarif Junaid Baghdaadi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho
GEMS OF WISDOM :
- An Aarif is like the sun with its beauty and qualities, for its light passes over all. He is like the earth, that it holds the weight of the entire creation. He is like the water, through which the hearts gain life, and he is like fire that the entire domain is brightened by him.
- Do whatever you can before you become old, since in old age you will be able to do nothing, just as I can not do anything. (Even though not even the young where Like Hadrat Sirri Saqti in his old age).
- Stay away from the wealthy, those Qaaris who recite for name and fame, and from very wealthy Ulama.
- One who can not control his own nafs can not be of assistance to others.
- All become obedient to him, who is obedient to Allah.
- A man abstains from sins for three reasons., from the fear of Allah, the hope of attaining Jannat, and through the modesty in the Court of Allah.
- The most intelligent and wise amongst men are those who understand the secrets of the Quran and ponder over it.
- An Aarif is he, whose food is like the food of the sick, his sleep is like that of a person bitten by a snake, and his lavishness like that of a person who is drowning in water.
- The bravest deed is to take control of your nafs (desires).
HIS KHULAFA :
- Sayyidut Taaifa Hadrat Junaid-e-Baghdadi,
- Hadrat Shah Abu Muhammad,
- Hadrat Shah urf Shaykh-e-Kabeer,
- Hadrat Shah Hartaboon,
- Hadrat Shah Abul Abbas Mazroof,
- Hadrat Shah Abu Hamzah,
- Hadrat Shah Abul Hassan Noori,
- Hadrat Shah Fatal Al Mausuli,
- Hadrat Shah Abdullah aHr'raar
- and Hadrat Shah Saeed Abraar (Ridwaanullahi Ta'aala Alaihim Ajma'een).
WISAAL SHARIF : Hadrat Junaid-e-Baghdadi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho says, "I went to visit him when he took ill. There was a fan kept close to him, so I used it to fan him. He then said, 'O Junaid! Put it down. Fire is more powerful than wind.' I then asked him about his condition and asked him to advise me, and he said, 'Do not be diverted from the love of Allah through the companionship of the people.' He then passed from this world travelling into the hereafter. He passed away on a Tuesday, the 13th of Ramadaan, 283 Hijri at the age of 98, in Baghdad Shareeef.
MAZAAR SHAREEF : His Mazaar Shareef is in Baghdad Shareef in a place called Shawneez.
Syeduna Shaykh Sirri al Saqti and Syeduna Junaid al Baghdadi Ridwanullahi Ta'ala Alaihim Ajmaeen
