Shah Bahaudin Naqshband needs no introductions, the great Imam of the
Naqshbandi Tariqa is well known and respected all over the world.
However, very little literature is available about this great and
unique personality, especially in the English language. This is a
humble effort to bring some teachings of the great master to light and
encourage aspirants of the sufi path to meditate and benefit from
these teachings. May Allah inspire someone to write even bigger and
better literature about our great master Shah Bahaudin Naqshband.
Ameen.
Praying for rain
It is recounted among the wise that there was once a great drought at
Qasr al-Arifin , and the people went to the Master Bahaudin Naqshband,
asking him to pray, to ask God for rain.
He led them through the streets until he came to a place where a woman
sat, nursing a small baby in her arms.
'I beg of you to feed that infant said the Master.
'I, know when to feed the child, 'said the woman, 'as I am his mother.
Why do you concern yourself with things which are disposed of in a
manner whereof you know nothing'?'
Bahaudin had the woman's words written down and read out to the crowd.
Grouping
There was once a King, who visited the Shah Bahaudin Naqshband and sat
observing his assembly.
Afterwards, when they were eating, the King said:
'Teacher of the Age! Your disciples, when you are in session, are
ranged in semicircles, and in an orderly manner very similar to that
of my own Court. Is there any significance in this?'
Bahaudin answered:
'King of the World! How are your own courtiers stationed? Tell me, and
I shall describe the ordering of the ranks of the seekers.
'The first arc said the King, 'is composed of those who are of special
favour with me, so that they are nearest. The second array comprises
the most important and powerful people in the realm, and the
ambassadors. The outer rank is for all the less ones.'
'In that case, 'said the Shah, 'Our marshalling of the people is far
from theintention expressed by you. Those nearest to me are the deaf,
so they shallhear. The middle group iscomposed of the ignorant, so
that they may pay attention to the Teaching. Farthest away are the
Enlightened, for whom proximity of this kind is unimportant.'
Scent and Reality
The Master Bahaudin wassitting one evening after dinner, surrounded by
a large number of new comers, old and young, all eager to learn.
A silence fell, and the Master asked for a question.
Someone said:
'What is the greatest difficulty in the learning and teaching of the Way?'
The Master answered:
'People go by superficialities. They are attracted by preaching, by
rumour and report, and by that which went, but they do not, once
arrived at the proximity of the bloom, demand merely more and more
scent. They adjust to the nectar, which they have to collect. This is
the equivalent of the reality of wisdom, of which the report and
imagining areas it were the scent.
'so the number of "real bees" among humanity isvery small whereas
almost all bees are bees, in being able to collect nectar, almost all
human beings in the sense beingattuned to perceive whatthey' were
created for.'
Then the Master said:
'Let those who came here, to Qasr al-Arifin; because of reading standup.'
Many stood.
'Let those, 'he continued, 'who came to us because of hearing about us
also stand up.'
Many more stood.
'Those who are still seated; he continued, 'are those who came because
they perceived our presences and authenticity in another, subtle,
manner.
'Those who are standing, old and young, includes many who only demand
more and more of their feelings to be stirred, who desire excitement
orcalm. Before they can learn what they cannot experience elsewhere,
they must require knowledge and not services of attraction.'
He then said:
'There are those who are attracted to a teacher because of his repute,
and who accordingly travel to see him, to seek even more of the same
sensation. When he dies, they visit his grave, againfor similar
reason.
'Unless their aspirations are transformed, as if by alchemy, they will
not find truth.
'And,' he said, 'there are those who visit a teacher not because they
have heard of him as a great living mentor; not because they wish to
see his tomb, but because they recognise his inmostReality. One day
everyonewill possess this faculty.'
'But meanwhile the workwhich will be done eventually through the
generations has to be performed in one and the same individual. To
become a Moses you will have to transcend your Pharaoh. The man who
isattracted by repute must become, as it were, another man. He must
become a man who stays in proximity to wisdom because he has sensed
itsinmost Reality.
'This is the purpose of this Work before he can learn this, he is a
mere dervish. A dervish desires,a Sufi perceives.'
The Four Types
It is related that Shah Bahaudin Naqshband was asked about the various
kinds of people pursuing higher knowledge.
He said: 'I shall tell you bymeans of an allegory not to be taken as
literally true, but reflecting the condition of the human being.
Then he told this story:
It is recorded in the traditions of the Lovers of truth, that when the
souls were created, before the bodies, they were asked what they
wanted as a means of travelling in the world.
There were four parties among them. The first desired to travel on
foot, as the safest method. Thesecond desired horses forthis would
mean less work for them. The third wished to travel on the wind, to
overcome limitations. The fourth chose light, by which they could
understand as well as move.
These four groups still exist, and all people still abide by one of
these characteristics. Those who are the pedestrians are limited in
space and speed. They are the imitators. The horsemen are those who
rely on books, and are thus driven by, the third category are blown
all over the place as if by thewind, and the fourth are Sufis.
In terms of studies, the first group attach themselves to lower and
exciting cults; the second too zealously propagatedideas; the third to
systems of their own choosing or devising, taking something here and
something else there; the fourth are Sufis.
We can judge the ability of the people by the choice which they have
made of travelling. The first group are interestedin what they think
are techniques; the second inexciting thoughts and reports; the third
in one thing after another - and the fourth recognise the true Sufic
reality.
The Fires of Today ...
It is related that Shah Bahaudin Naqshband said:
'I was invited to speak at an assembly of the educated and the
ignorant. There arrived a very large collection of people, attentive
and interested, but as I looked and felt, I did not at that time see a
single"human being".
'I said to the people whom I had taken with me, in order to
demonstrate the limitations of action upon the unsuitable:
"A well is not filled by means of dew, and a leaf will not be found
after being deluged with the contents of a well."
'I started by saying:
"Sufis are a disgrace. They have a disgrace. They have secret
teachings which many Sufis attain is due to the exercise of forbidden
powers, now tell me, do you want to be a Sufi?"
'Almost all of those present shook their heads. 'Then I continued:
"Such were the words spoken by the ignorant, foolish and block
headedGovernor of Kufa, of whom you all know much. As you are aware,
he was a bigot, a murderer and an enemy of humanity. It is a small
wonder that he felt the need to represent the Sufis in that manner.
"Now all of us here knowthat the Sufis are the elect of humankind.
'Who among you dares tocall himself a Sufi?"
'At these words, everyonerose.
'Thus does pomposity stem from vanity, which is a manifestation of the
Commanding Self (nafs i ammara).
'The fires of today are theashes of tomorrow.'
The Law of Reverse Effect
A man once visited Al-Shah Bahaudin Naqshband, saying that he wanted
directions on how to behave, on how to live his life, what to doand
what not to do.
The Master called some ofhis disciples to dinner and asked the man to
puthis questions again.
When this had been done, Sheikh Bahaudin said:
'You should try to live an easy life, supporting yourself stealing,
and bringing part of the money to me. You should neglect prayer and
tidiness of appearance and should always get the upper hand over other
people. In short, lack of principle and cunning should see you
trough.'
As the Master spoke, the applicant was becoming more and more uneasy;
as soon as he had finished, he ran from the door.
Some weeks later, Bahaudin asked whether there was news of his
would-be disciple. 'Yes', they told him, 'he is livingan exemplary
life, in Samarkand. He also tells everyone that you are not a pious
person, and tried to wean him from the Right Path.'
Bahaudin laughed. 'If I had told him to live a good life, 'he said,
'he would not have obeyed, because all the injunctions so to have been
dinned into him from babyhood. In realityhe hankered for something
more strange, and when I assailed his inward self with an account of a
strange way of life, he realised that hewould feel better as a
compliant and virtuous man.'
'But' asked his disciple, 'what of his blackening your name an adviser in sin?'
'Those who believe evil, partake in evil,' said the Master. 'And I am
sure that the scholars of Samarkand are not such people.'
A Lesson for Moses
According to Abu-Talib Makki, Moses related tales of how he learnt to
widen his understanding,from narrow assumptions correct perspective.
Moses was ill, and he wasoffered various remedies to treat the
sickness. But he refused, saying that God would help him instead.
But God, it is related, commanded Moses to usemedicine saying:
'By refusing to accept themission of the medicine, you have called
into question the wisdom of him who endowed the remedies with their
virtue!'
It is for this reason that there is a saying, 'Trust inGod and tie
your camel'. If you were expected to do nothing, why is there such a
thing as a camel-hobble?
Hadrat Bahaudin Naqshband of Bokhara has said, in this connection:
'If a withering leaf says by its appearance that it needs water and
becauseyou have the power to provide it you also have the duty to do
so, these"words" of the leaf are the manifestation of command of the
creator of the leaf, and are addressed to you. If you insist upon a
personal command from the Originator, ask why' means of
communicationhas been placed before you. Is it there for you to
neglect?'
--
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And Allah Knows the Best!
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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
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'' Our Lord ! grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter and save us from the torment of the Fire '' [Ameen]
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{in Arab} :->
Rabbanaa aatinaa fid-dunyaa hasanatan wafil aakhirati hasanatan waqinaa 'athaaban-naar/-
(Surah Al-Baqarah ,verse 201)
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