Gharibnawaz(R.A) >Arrival ,Preaching And Miracles
"The seer by devotion and contemplation, prepared himself for the duties of Guide and Leader to mankind but when there comes the clear call, he must stand forth and proclaim the Message, in purity unselfish devotion and patient long suffering; to save men the distress of the Final Day. For Manu there be who glory in life of ease and plenty. arrogant splendour and the applause of men who scorn God's Truth and reject the divine. How will they fare when the Judgement come, and the penalty? Every fact in life's pageant is but a portent for the future. Every soul is in the pledge and must redeem itself by Faith, Prayer, by Charity and earnest care for the Realities of life. Bring but the will, and God will guide-the Lord of Righteousness, the Lord of Mercy and Forgiveness. "(Quran: LXXIV: C. 254 by Abdulla Yusuf Ali).
Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty arrived in Ajmer at the age of 52 in 587 AH or 1191 AD on his divine mission, unique in the annals of Islam and also in the history of India. As we have seen, for the success of his grand mission he had already been suitably trained by his Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Khawaja Usman Harooni and divinely equipped by the blessings of the Holy Prophet Mohammed. He was thus an apostle of God dedicated to the cause of Truth which "always and invariably prevails though in the long run." His only armour for the success of his great mission was that greatest invisible power that pervades and sustains the whole universe.
Truth Always Prevails
Again and again through all successive ages, the apostles of God have successfully fought and defeated the forces of evil. Prophet David succeeded in overthrowing Goliath. Prophet Abraham survived the torture of a huge fire made by Namrood to destroy him but it turned into a garden of fragrant flowers and Namrood himself was destroyed by a gnat. Shree Ramchandra, the exiled but dutiful son of Raja Dashratha secured a mighty victory over Ravana the demon king of Ceylon, in righteous cause. In spite of all torture, the Holy Christ and his religion did survive even after his crucifixion and the Holy Prophet gave noble lessons of Christianity to the world. Prophet Mohammed was tormented by Abu Jehal and Abu Lehab with superior forces but he succeeded triumphantly in the end with his grand religious mission. The whole history of the world is replete with such illuminating and noble examples of the success of 'Truth' against evil and repeats itself again and again. Whenever and wherever there is a struggle between Truth and falsehood the former is ultimately a victor. Raja Prithvi Raj of Ajmer unfortunately adopted a false policy of arrogance, persecution and insult against a harmless dervish and had to go down before the divine dispensation of the Almighty God.
Natural & Inevitable
Whenever the 'Divine will' ordains to inspire a band of righteous people to work as "Torchbearers of Truth" to a corrupt humanity, there never fails to appear a band of those diehards who pitch themselves in deadly opposition to inflict on the victims all sorts of tortures and troubles. Truth and Righteousness come out all the more shining when tried and tested by hardships and such a period of adversity cannot also fail to bring out the best character in the martyrs, their patience fortitude, humiliation unflinchingly faith, etc. In fact they live if they can for the Truth and die, if they must for the Truth. Moral perfection can be attained and moral virtue can reach their highest standard of persecution. And the ultimate success after fighting against odds, goes to prove beyond all doubt how the "Divine Movement " and the Divine help and guidance work behind it. Their severe trials are so to say, a blessing in disguise. In the furnace of trials and persecution the one of character becomes burnished gold. Adversity and hardships bring out some of the finest qualities in man. They either make of him an everlasting character, the light which shall shine always and everywhere or reduce him to nothingness and oblivion. Therefore those who aspire after success must be prepared to tread the road of hardships and trials.
Greatest Preacher Of Islam In India
It is a historic fact that Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty was the greatest preacher and founder of Islam in India. It was he who laid the real foundation of Islam in India by his peaceful mission and unparalleled forbearance. He brought the message of 'Universal Love and Peace' and paved the way for his succeeding Khalifas for the peaceful propagation of Islam in this country without any compulsion whatsoever in the true spirit of the Holy Quran which says, "Let there be no compulsion in religion. Wilt thou compel men to become believers? No soul can believe but by the persuasion of God." Khawaja Moinuddin followed this dictum through out his mission. Before his arrival, Muslims in India were in a most negligible minority. His piety and sympathetic preaching made a profound impression upon all he came across.
The invasions of Mohammed-bin-Qasim and Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni contrary to general belief, did little or nothing for any real or permanent promotion of Islam in India. They were more or less military campaigns for the economic exploitation like the British and bear no comparison whatsoever with the grand mission of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin who did wonders with his peaceful preaching of Islam in this country. He did not bring any armies with him but came with only a few companions; he feared none on earth except Allah. He did not come out to conquer the wealth of India, he came out to endear and win the hearts of Indian people by free conviction in order to put them on the right path of "Truth and Love" and thus give them happiness and prosperity in life and salvation after death.
Here was the God's chosen man for a particular mission at a particular period of history Khawaja Moinuddin had renounced the world at an early age and braved self-imposed mortification and contentment when he could have easily lulled himself in a luxurious life on the rich traditions of his illustrious family. But, like all other great prophets and redeemers of the oppressed world his heart ached at the persecution and suffering which the barbarous man perpetrated upon his innocent fellow beings. Here was the man of destiny who was a penniless and friendless orphan when he renounced the world and left Neshapur in quest of education. And yet by exemplary self-denial and diligent industry, he was able to obtain the highest moral and religious training at the leading institutions of Samarqand and Bokhara.
Miracles & Sufi Derveshes
The 'Karamaat' or miracles, which formed a most prominent part of Khawaja Moinuddin life and mission, have always been intimately associated with the lives of other Sufi saints and Hindu seers in the East. As a matter of fact, miracles emanate from the supernatural powers bestowed upon these holy persons by God as the result of their life long devotion, probation (Mujahedas) and trials, and are beyond the scope of common conception of ordinary human beings, their experiences and knowledge. Modern science and logic have no place in the 'hidden' calculation and determination of miracles. They are displayed only when there is a great emergency to justify them. In fact they are used as a `last remedy' when all other common sense persuasion failed to convince the devil in man or the teachings and principles of the divine doctrines of Truth or the laws of God, in order to maintain a harmonious equilibrium among mankind in the "Divine Scheme of God." so essential for the happiness of His creation on earth. Highly talented and enlightened Sufis and seers are extremely few and rare in this age. They are ranked as Walees in Muslim terminology who as the lives of Khawaja Moinuddin and others of his most distinguished order prove, were obliged to use their supernatural powers to meet the circumstances of each situation strictly in accordance with the divine law and will in the cause of Truth and nothing else.
Round the Anasagar lake where the Khawaja Sahib's party was camping there were many temples. The followers of the saint used to draw water and sometimes catch the fish also from this lake for their food. The Brahman priests of these temples naturally remonstrated against this and reported the matter to the Raja who ordered immediate removal of "these Muslim fakirs" from the place. The servants of the Raja not only demanded Khawaja Sahib's movement from this place but also asked him to leave Ajmer at once, and this demand was made in very insolent and unbecoming manner. But it was impossible for Khawaja Sahib to agree because he was there by the will of God and the command of his Holy Prophet of Islam. When the rude crowd of Brahmans tried to mob and molest these innocent fakirs with the ultimate intention of murdering them the Khawaja Sahib only threw some dust upon them which forced them not only to shrink back but caused the loss of their senses and vitality also.
Persistent Prejudice & Attacks
The priests had carried the news of palpable miracles to Raja Prithviraj who naturally got furious in spite of his mother's warning to control his temper. She reminded him calmly of her 12-year-old prophecy about the entry of a fakir in his kingdom and warned him to treat the dervish with restraint if he wanted to preserve his kingdom. But the warning did not pacify the Raja. He lost no time in summoning one of his most trusted councilors, Ajaipal, (who was also his spiritual 'guru') for an urgent conference. Ajaipal was recognised to be the greatest exponent of the sciences of black art magic and witchcraft, astronomy, astrology, and the like. He also expounded these sciences to many hundreds of his chelas (disciples). When he heard the news of Khawaja Sahib's miracles, he assured the Raja not to worry at all and informed him that this fakir was only a fake juggler of occult sciences and that he would turn him out of Ajmer without any difficulty. He advised Prithviraj to go to the fakir with his bodyguard, promising to follow him very soon with his own army of chelas and the necessary paraphernalia of his witchcraft etc. to meet the emergency.
Ajapal's Magic Attacks
While on his way to Khawaja Sahib, Prithviraj fired by his lingering wrath, thought of hurting the saint terribly but as soon as this evil thought occurred, he lost his vision and could not move forward. But when he recollected his mother's pacifying warning to treat the fakir reverently his heart suddenly softened and he regained his eyesight. By the time he actually appeared before the saint, he had such miraculous experiences no less than 7 times. At last when he reached Anasagar, he was encouraged to see Ajaipal also arriving at the spot in time with his promised troop of disciples.
Strange Experience
Ajaipal immediately started one of his magical attacks upon the unarmed and peaceful saint whose few followers got frightened for a while. To ward off their fear, the Khawaja Sahib asked them to draw a circle on the ground around their party for protection against Ajaipal's magical attacks which produced horrible scenes.
First of all, Ajaipal made a violent attack through a whirlwind of "chakras" (a sharpedged disc that terribly revolved in the air and cut everything it touched). But instead of harming the Khawaja Sahib and his party, these hundreds of Chakras, whirling violently in the air only reacted back on Ajakpal's own men and caused no harm to the saint's party.
The attacks which followed were more dreadful than the first. But these could do not a bit of harm to the small party of God's innocent fakirs. On the contrary, they did a lot of damage in the ranks of Ajaipal's men.
Frustrated by his Chela's persistent failures, Ajaipal now made a last desperate bid in order to regain his damaged prestige in the eyes of his people by trying a masterpiece of his magical art. He enquired Khawaja Sahib of his position in the realm of the spiritual world. The saint replied, "Let us first see what status you hold in your spiritual world? After that God willing we shall also show you our position."
It was now a lost game for Ajaipal and he surrendered himself to the mercy of Khawaja Sahib finally. While Ajaipal was the redoubtable master of all the evil science of his day, the Khawaja Sahib was only a humble devotee of none but the all-powerful the all pervading and the Almighty God of the universe.
Ajaipals Attacks
Having lost his battles, Ajaipal now embraced Islam, and became one of Khawaja Sahib's devoted disciples. He now requested the saint to show his unique position in the realm of the spiritual world as promised by him and wonderland of the 7th heaven through Khawaja Sahib's spiritual powers which had no limit. Amazed at the wonderful powers of Khawaja Sahib, Ajaipal aspired to have an 'eternal life' so that he could gain time to seek God's pardon for his past sins. He begged the saint to have this wish fulfilled and the Khawaja Sahib did pray to the Almighty God accordingly. The prayer was granted on the condition that Ajaipal's spirit will remain immortal only for the service of mankind, although he will not be seen in his mortal form which must decay in due course of time under the unchangeable Divine Law. Although Ajaipal died in 694 AH and cannot be seen in his mortal form but his immortal spirit, according to a legend exists for the service of humanity even to this day. This immortal spirit is known as Abdulla Bayabani, a name given to him by Khawaja Shaib.
Now that so many people embraced Islam and had become Khawaja Muinuddin’s devoted followers, they requested the saint to shift from Anasagar hill to the former’s house in the city-the site of the saint’s present shrine-to enable the citizens of Ajmer to derive best advantage from his divine preaching. The Khawaja Sahib agreed to this suggestion and his missionary work began to flourish here so much so that within a short time thousands of people from the surrounding districts of Ajmer embraced Islam.
