Letter 16 from the Maktubat of Haji Dost Muhammad Qandahari

Letter no. 16 from the Maktūbāt of Hazrat Khwaja Hājī Dost Muhammad Qandahāri Naqshbandi Mujaddidi, may Allah sanctify his soul.

Written to Khalifa Sher Muhammad Kulāchvi, about following the noble Shariah, and that the practice upon knowledge is necessary.

In the name of Allah, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful.

All praise is to Allah who gave rise to the sun of Muhammadan Prophethood in the eternal orbit, and …..

My brother, my dear, my elder Molvi Sher Muhammad sāhib, may Allah the Exalted preserve him in Deen and Dunya, and may Allah the Exalted make him lover for His Being.

From the humble faqeer, naught, Dost Muhammad alias Hājī, Allah be the substitute of everything for him.

After the Salām, Sunnah of the Best of creations, it be clear that Al-Hamd-u-Lillah (all praise is for Allah) [this] faqeer along with all associates is in good health until the 7th [day] of Rabi al-Awwal. May Allah keep you protected as well and bestow upon you persistence and consistency on the Muhammadan Shariah. The request is that my brother! always be engaged in the Zikr (remembrance) of Haqq (God, lit. Truth), and remain mindful of Him. So much that ignorance from that Holy Excellency should not come even for a single moment. Because except this way, there is no other choice for the seekers of Haqq (God). You should strive hard in spreading the noble Nisbah (cognation) of the masters of the exalted Naqshbandi tariqa. Because the present time is the time of closeness to the Judgement-Day, and that of sedition and corruption. Know that it is exactly by the will of Allah the Exalted. The chief of the world [Prophet Muhammad], may Allah’s mercy be on him, says:

(Translation:) “One who makes the servants of Allah dear to Allah, Allah will make him dearer to His servants. And the one who made my Sunnah alive after it had died (became out of practice), for him is the reward of a hundred martyrs”.

The condition of Ijāzah (authorization), that is, the condition for propagation of the noble tariqa of Sufis is that:

• Full persistence be achieved, externally and internally, upon the purified Mustafavi Shariah, on whose owner be peace and blessings. To the extent that there should not be even a bit of crossing the limits of Shariah, whenever possible.
• Specially, offer the five prayers in congregation [and] in first time, and be engaged in Zikr and Muraqibah (meditation) all the time.
• Talk less, eat less, and interact less with the people.
• Attribute yourself with Repentance, Patience, Reliance, Contentment, Asceticism, Gratitude, Acceptance, Satisfaction and Fear.
• Do not consider the Kashf and Karāmāt (miraculous visions and powers) as the commons do.
• Remain hopeless from your self and Māsiwā (everything other than Allah).
• Consider the poverty and hunger as great favors.
• Do not have any kind of greed in the possessions of [your] disciples.
• Do not be eager to [acquire] popularity or rejection by the creations (people).
• Run away from the wealth and the wealthy.
• Avoid doing backbiting and condemnation of people; do not contest them neither joke with them; overlook their slips.
• Do not be unafraid of the evils of Nafs (lower self) and the cursed Satan until the last breath.
• Consider yourself naught among all the creations.
• Do not be distressed in the search for food and livelihood. Because anything that is destined will necessarily reach you from Allah the Exalted.
• Do not take the knowledge and practice and useless flawed talks a medium for the creations and for acquiring Dunya (earthly concerns), like the commons and the non-practicing scholars [do].

Likewise, know that the religious and worldly bliss lies in the knowledge and the practice, provided that these two are only for [seeking] the pleasure of Allah the Exalted, and are in complete conformance with [the teachings of] the beloved of God Muhammad the Chosen, peace be upon him. If a person be a scholar of the sayings and practices and beliefs of Huzoor (Prophet Muhammad) peace be upon him, yet does not practice [according to them], is not a scholar in true sense. As comes in a Hadith:

(Translation:) “Hazrat Abi Darda’ relates from the Chief of the World, peace be upon him, that he said: a person who does not act upon his knowledge is not a scholar”.

And peace!