Ahl-e Imam-e-Rabbani (Q)

Imam-e-Rabbani had eight sons and two daughters:

Muhammad Sadiq 'quddisa sirruh ' is the Imam's 'quddisa sirruh' eldest son. He was born in the Hijri year 1000. He was only eight years old when Imam-i-Rabbani attained Khwaja Baki billah's sohbat. He took him along. So he was blessed with hadrat Khwaja Baki billah's looks at that very young age. With the barakat of his tawajjuh he attained hals, raptures and unbelievable valuables. He was flooded with Kashfs, zawks, ecstacies and immersion into haloes, so much so that his blessed father (Imam-i-Rabbani) told his disciples to "Buy Muhammad Sadiq some food from the market place [because food from a market place would be somewhat doubtful]. This will deplete the inundation of hals to some extent!"

He acquired most of the teachings pertaining to mental (scientific) and traditional (religious) knowledge in the presence of his father. By the time he was eighteen years old he had completed his education in Zahiri knowledge and taken up teaching in due diligence and perseverance.

His father 'quddisa sirruh', in a letter he sent to him, wrote as follows: "It has been inferred from your letter that you have an affinity with the Wilayat-i-khassa-i-Muhammadiyya 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam'. I thank Allahu ta'ala for this. For I have been desiring for some time that you attain this great blessing. One day, I made tawajjuh towards you so that you should reach this fortune. I happened to find you in the Wilayat-i-Musawiyya. So you were made to progress in that path and were transferred into Wilayat-i-Muhammadiyya. I pay my hamd to Allahu ta'ala for this."

His blessed father said about this son of his, "My esteemed son Muhammad Sadiq 'rah- matullahi alaih' has become an abstract of the marifats which this faqir (Imam-i-Rabbani) possesses. He has passed beyond the grades of Jazba and Suluk. My son is among those who are privy to my subtle, occult and secret marifats. He has been protected against erring."

When he was twenty-four years old, bubonic plague broke out and spread in the place he lived, killing many people. His blessed father made tawajjuh for the elimination of the nuisance. However, it was understood that the plague would not go back without receiving the high premium it had come there for. So this son of Imam-i-Rabbani's bowed to his destiny and sacrificed himself for Allah's born servants. He passed away on the ninth day of Rabi'ulawwal in 1025 [A.D. 1615]. Some time later the plague lost its grip. One of our superiors had a dream wherein a voice said, "If a person suffering from bubonic plague writes the name Muhammad Sadiq on a piece of paper, melts it or only dips it in water and drinks the water, he will get rid of the plague." The news spread in the city. People suffering from plague did so and recovered. In fact, even a bit of soil from his grave would be enough as a cure against the epidemic. Imam-i-Rabbani was very deeply grieved at the death of this son of his. He says in one of his letters, "The death of my late son was a great catastrophe. He was one of the ayats of Allahu ta'ala, a sign from him. He was one of the Rahmats (acts of compassion) coming down from the Rabb of 'alams (worlds). Very few people have obtained equal amount of Zahiri and batini knowledge he acquired within these twenty-four years." He was in a continuous state of hudu' and khushu' and always considered himself humble and imperfect. He would supplicate Allahu ta'ala bemoaningly. He stated, "Each Wali has asked for something from Allahu ta'ala. What I have asked for is tazarru' and iltija (supplication and taking refuge)."

Khwaja Muhammad Said 'quddisa sirruh' was born in the Hijri year 1005. He passed away on the twenty-seventh of the month of Jamaz-al-akhir in 1070 [A.D. 1659]. He was very small in the time of Khwaja Muhammad Baki billah 'quddisa sirruh'. Therefore, it may seem that he did not attain the blessing of the Khwaja's khuzur. However, the Khwaja (Baki billah) said, "Muhammad Said is such a person that he received nisbat from me in my absence." He attained Zahiri and batini perfection in the presence of his father. He was seventeen years old when he perfected himself in mental and traditional knowledge. Like his noble father, he was perfect in observing the religious rules, graced with taqwa, immaculate in adapting himself to the Sunnat, and determined in acting upon the 'azimat. He was soft-spoken and modest. He did not attach any importance to worldliness. He was a documentary source and occupied a very high rank in the knowledge of Hadith. And in the knowledge of Fiqh he was the very authenticity itself. Whenever Imam-i-Rabbani meant to inquire into a matter pertaining to the knowledge of Fiqh, he would commune with this son of his. He admired his true and sound answers and uttered benedictions over him. He reached all the ranks of Kamal (perfection) and tekmil (perfecting) in the elevated presence of his father. He was given ijazat and commanded to guide the disciples. He was prudent and far-sighted not only in matters pertaining to the Hereafter, but also in worldly affairs. In fact, Imam-i-Rabbani 'quddisa sirruh' would consult with him in many questions. He was his magnificent father's companion in batini knowledge (knowledge pertaining to heart and soul). Very few people were informed with the mysteries imparted to him. People physically afflicted would seek remedy in him, and people with unhealthy hearts would attain presence of soul and tranquility in his tasarruf (power of disposal). This state of his was fully concordant with the following statement made by Baha-ud-din-i-Bukhari 'quddisa sirruh', who was one of the (spiritual) inheritors of our master the Prophet 'alaihis- salam': "We have attained a grace, a blessing from Allahu ta'ala."

Imam-i-Rabbani 'qaddas-Allahu ta'ala sirrah-ul'aziz' stated: "Muhammad Said is one of the 'Ulama-i-rasikhin. Muhammad Said is one of the Sabiqun. Muhammad Said is a Halil of Allahu ta'ala. The rank of Hullat was transferred from me to him. Muhammad Said is a treasure of Allahu ta'ala's compassion. On the Judgement Day he will be granted the privilege of dealing out shares from the treasury of compassion. He has a great share from the rank of Shafaat (intercession). Muhammad Said passed beyond the circle of nafy (negation) like Ibrahim 'alaihis-salam'. Now he is with me in ithbat (proving true). One day I saw Muhammad Said running fast along the Sirat Bridge in order to enter Paradise."

His statement, "My nisbat is like the Mujaddid's nisbat," would suffice to express his greatness. He has a book of one volume titled Maktubat. This book is a collection of the subtle and occult pieces of knowledge poured into his blessed heart.

There was a woman who could not have a child because of old age. She came to him and said, "Please pray to Allahu ta'ala to give me a child. Your prayer will be accepted." He made tawajjuh and then said, "Allahu ta'ala is going to give you a male child." Indeed, she did have a male child some time later.

Someone had a son who was about to die. Bewailing in tears, he entered his presence and begged: "Hadrat Isa 'alaihis-salam' resuscitated dead people. You are Prophets' inheritors. Please do make tawajjuh so that my son should recover from this plight." The answer was a pregnant silence. A while later hadrat Muhammad Said said, "Your son's soul left his body; yet it has come back; he is alive and in good health now." When the man was back in his home, he found his son full of life and health.

Khwaja Muhammad Mathum 'quddisa sirruh' is well known as the Imam-i-Mathum, the 'Urwat-ul-wusqa, renovator of the Religion. He is the Imam's third son. He was born in 1009 and passed away on the ninth of the month of Rabi-ul-awwal in 1079 [A.D. 1668]. Imam-i-Rabbani 'rahmatullahi ta'ala alaih' stated, "Muhammad Ma'thum's birth brought about plenty of barakat. It was in the same year when he was born that I attained the blessing of kissing my exalted teacher's threshold, whereupon all this riches of knowledge and marifat was unleashed."

He was only three years old when he began to utter words of Tawhid such as, "I am the earth," "I am the sky" "I am this," "I am that," "That wall is the Haqq," "That tree is the Haqq." He memorized the whole Qur'an al-karim in three months. And he was sixteen years old when he completed his education in the mental and traditional branches of knowledge and began to teach his disciples. During his education he acquired the method of dhikr and muraqaba from his noble father. Then he attained all sorts of blessings that could, or, rather, could not be imagined. Imam-i-Rabbani said about him, "This son of mine has idiosyncratic propensity towards the Wilayat-i-Muhammadiyya 'alaihis-salam'. He is Muhammad-ul-mashrab and is one of the Mahbubs. The case of my son Ma'thum's obtaining our nisbat is identical with that of the author of the book Sharh-i-Wikaya, who memorized all the books written by his grandfather." I am afraid that, if his speed during the stages of Sayr and Suluk and in transcending the grades on his way and the ranks he attained were described, those who consider themselves close would flee to a distance; those who think they have arrived at their goal would run in the course of separation. When he attained hals, high ranks, peerless values and perfections, his blessed father gave him mutlaq ijazat (full authorization). So this son fell behind his noble father and followed him step by step in the knowledge of zahir and batin. His Kashf was precisely correct and powerful; he would say what grades of Wilayat his disciples living in far-away countries had reached and what their mashrabs (dispositions, natures) were.

One day, as he was in the presence of his blessed father, he said, "I see myself as a nur illuminating the world." Imam-i-Rabbani 'qaddas-Allahu ta'ala sirrah-ul-'aziz' said, "O my son! You will become the Qutb of your time. Do not forget this word of mine!" Afterwards, some time towards the death of his exalted father, the rank of Qayyum was taken back from his father and given to him. Thus he became the Qayyum-i-zaman and the Qutb-i-devran. Imam-i-Rabbani said to this son of his: "My attachment to this world was due to my duty as the Qayyum. Now you have been given this duty. All of the whole world has turned their faces in full enthusiasm towards you. The time of my transition to the Hereafter is close by." At some other time he said, "A share from nobility is seen in you. As the dough of our master the Prophet 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam' was being kneaded, they added a remaining piece into the leaven of your dough of creation." At another occasion he said, "This son of mine is one of the Sabiqun."

In short, his blessed body was, like his father, one of the ayats, signs of Allahu ta'ala. The world, which had been dark for some time, was illuminated with their barakat.

His letters, which were elucidations of abstruse mystic knowledge and marifats, were compiled in three books. He explained those parts of his exalted father's letters that were too difficult to understand, in its original language, Persian. Thus no secret was left unexplained. His Maktubat (Letters) was written again in 1340 [A.D. 1922] and was printed in a splendid form in Pakistan in 1395 [A.D. 1985].

His karamats are beyond the limits of enumeration. A day before his passing away, a mysterious voice was heard at the door of every house in Serhend and in the neighboring cities. It said: "Tomorrow the Qayyum-i-zaman Muhammad Mathum will pass away. Those who wish to see him must hurry!"

The miracles and wonders that happened during his visit to the Kaba al-muazzama and the Rawdat-ul-mutahhara are narrated in a book that was published under the title Al-yawakit. The compliments made to him by the haqiqat of Kaba al-muazzama, the conversations he had with our master the Prophet 'alaihis-salam', his attaining various graces and kindnesses and many new grades in that presence are depicted in a sweet and pulchritudinous language.

The number of his disciples and the people who derived benefit from them cannot be tallied. The fayd and perfections caused by his effective tawajjuh are the best evidences proving his high rank. More than nine hundred thousand people are said to have attained the happiness of becoming his disciples. He gave ijazat to seven thousand of his disciples. In his presence, a disciple would attain the grade of Fana-i-qalbi in a week and perfection in Wilayat in a month's time. He would make some people attain all these grades with only one tawajjuh. All his six sons were honored with the rank of Qutb. They filled the whole world with nur. In fact, his honorable father had said to him, "Your sons will become like me."

Hadrat Muhammad Mathum 'rahmatullahi ta'ala alaih' had six sons and five daughters.

Muhammad Ferruh and Muhammad Isa, two other sons of Imam-i-Rabbani, passed away of bubonic plague on the same day as did their eldest brother Muhammmad Sadiq 'quddisa sirruhum'; the former was eleven and the latter was seven years old 'rahmatullahi ta'ala alaihim ajmain'.

His youngest son was Muhammad Yahya 'quddisa sirruh'. He memorized the whole Qur'an al-karim when he was nine years old. The same year hadrat Imam (Rabbani) 'rahmat-ullahi alaih' passed away. He was very merciful, very compassionate to this son of his, too. After memorizing Qur'an al-karim, he studied Arabic teachings. He learned most of mental and traditional knowledge from his elder brothers, and was twenty years old when he completed this education. He became a documentary source in the knowledge of Hadith. He was an absolute document in the knowledge of Fiqh. Before he was born, the ayat al-karima, "We give thee the good news of a (coming) son, whose name shall be Yahya," was inspired to his noble father (Imam-i-Rabbani). Therefore he named this son of his 'Yahya'. He acquired the grades of Tariqa-i-ahmadiyya from his elder brothers.

Muhammad Alamghir Evrengh-i-Zib, the time's emperor, would visit him and derive benefit from him. He made Hajj twice.

Mawlana Khalid-i-Baghdadi 'quddisa sirruh', who was the Mujaddid of the thirteenth century, the paramount and peerless scholar of his time, who had attained the spiritual grades of Ahmadiyya and who had reached perfection and had the competence to make others reach perfection, states, "In this Ummat (among Muslims), with the exception of the Ashab al-kiram, I cannot see another person as good as Imam-i-Rabbani 'rahmatullahi alaih' in adhering to the Sunnat-i-seniyya, in having accurate and true views on the Names, Attributes and Person of Allahu ta'ala, and in possessing very high, very exact and extremely subtle marifats. Only Prophets 'alaihim-us-salam' could recognize his haqiqat. How could Awliya comprehend this?" One of our superiors 'rahmatullahi alaih" asked our master the Messenger of Allah 'alaihis-salam' in his dream: "What would you say about the Mujaddid?" The beloved Prophet's answer was: "I have four Khalifas. Ahmad is the fifth." Likewise, when Mazhar-i-Jan-i-Janan 'quddisa sirruh' asked our master the Prophet 'alaihis-salam' a similar question in his dream, he received this answer: "Is there anyone else like him in this Ummat?"

Abdullah Dahlawi 'rahmatullahi alaih' states in the hundred and ninth letter of his Makatib-i-Sharifa, "All Muslim countries have been covered with the fayd and nur emanating from Imam-i-Rabbani Mujaddid-i-Alf-i-Thani Ahmad Faruqi. It is wajib for all Muslims to be grateful for his fayd. None of the other Awliya has informed about any marifat or fayd similar to the new marifats and fayd communicated by him. Formerly, Mawlana Khalid-i-Baghdadi, Mawlawi Hirati and Mawlawi Qamer-ud-din Pishwaree were totally against him. When they visited this faqir and attained the fayd from the Mujaddid, they realized the very high grades and ranks in this path. Muhammad Abd- ur-rasul Berzenji (1103 [A.D. 1690], was drowned in the sea on his way back from hajj. His book, titled Refuting the Ignoramuses of Serhend, cannot be an evidence for the deniers (of the Imam). Someone named Arif translated Maktubat from Persian into Arabic without he himself understanding the subtle messages given in the book and thus changing them. When Berzenji came across this erroneous translation in Medina-i-munawwara he, being a person quite unaware of Tasawwuf, was disconcerted and wrote that refutation of his without thinking at all that he should inquire into the matter before doing so. On the other hand Mirza Muhammad Burhanpuri, who was profoundly learned in the Zahiri and batini branches of knowledge, saw the refutation and, translating Maktubat into Arabic correctly, proved that the writings in the blessed book were perfectly concordant with the Shariat, naming his correct version Atiyat-ul-ahbab fi-r-redd-i-alal-mu'tarid-i-ala-sh- Shaykh Ahmad Faruqi, and having Meccan scholars endorse his book.

Urwat-ul-wusqa Muhammad Mathum, (as we have already stated), is Imam-i-Rabbani's son 'rahmatullahi alaihima'. His book, Maktubat, is in Persian and consists of three volumes. There are 239 letters in the first volume, 158 letters in the second volume, and 255 in the third. Thirty- two of these six hundred and fifty-two letters have been translated (into Turkish and thence into English) and written below. Muhammad Mathum 'quddisa sirruh' passed away in the Serhend city of India in 1079 [A.D. 1668].