Rang-o-Noor (BY SA'DI)

SEARCH FOR THE CARAVAN

May Allah raise Hazrat Syed Ahmad Shaeed, the members of his family and his companions in degrees! Apparently, Hazrat Syed Ahmad availed very short life but Allah put him into great task and put blessings in his task. He was born in Safar 1201 AH and was martyred in Zul-Qa'dah 1246 AH. It means, he lived almost forty-five years. The state of blessing in this short span of life is that the people get ready for "Jihaad in the way of Allah" as soon as they hear his name and his achievements when two hundred years have passed since his martyrdom. There was a strange state of his popularity even in his life time. Hazrat Maulana Abd-ul-Ahad writes:

"More than forty thousand Hindu Pagans embraced Islam at the hands of Hazrat Syed Ahmad and 3,000,000 Muslims pledged an oath of allegiance. That chain of allegiance is going on the earth through his successors and the successors of the successors. Billions of individuals include in this chain of allegiance. (Ruhaani Rishtay P:37)

People tyrannysed so great Mujaahid, Qutab and Mujaddi deven. Many people came to kill him. Many of them repented of their intentions whereas some others were adamant to their ill-luck. A chief in Peshawar mixed poison in his food. He was not killed due to that poison however he remained ill for many days. The state of gratitude was that he offered thanks to Allah at this incident that another Sunnah had also been fulfilled because the Holy Prophet had also been poisoned by the Jews. Allah had blessed Hazrat Syed Ahmad with wonderful insight. He used to say, "I often make a mistake in recognizing three things i.e. 1. Horse 2. Weapons 3. Man. His comrades testify that it actually happened so but Allah's system is very vast. In spite of so deep insight, so many unlucky people kept deceiving him. No doubt, the treasures of hidden knowledge lie with Allah. Hazrat Syed Ahmad himself would say, "It is Allah's will to inspire His slaves with some secret thing when He wills and keeps it hidden when He wills. Hazrat Syed Ahmad had devoted himself and his life to Allah. It is certain that the man who devotes himself to Allah, Allah also devotes Himself to him. Hence, there was strange awe and blessing in the company of Hazrat Syed Ahmad. Hazrat Nadvi states the state of his "Reformatory journey" in the following words:

"Hundreds of people at every place became holy, pious, God-fearing, worshippers, and followers of Sunnah and divine. Thousands of wicked people became holy saints. Scores of people came with the intentions to kill him but became true devoted sacrificing Muslims. They left their homes and accompanied him. So much so, they wee martyred in the battlefield. The man who visited him once was tinged in his colourings. He died but did not retreat even an inch from the Sharia." (Ruhaani Rishtay P:26)

Last week, I said, "I am studying Waqaai' Syed Ahmad Shaheed these days." The study of that sacred book completed last night with the capacity granted by Allah. Comprising almost 2500 pages, this book is a charming gift. This is the ocean filled with gems of Jihaad and spiritualism. If you want to study the summary of this book, do study the following three books by Hazrat Maulana Syed Abul-Hasan Ali Nadvi.

1. Jabb Emaan per Bahaar Ai

2. Seerat Syed Ahmad Shaheed

3. Caravan of Emaan and Azeemat.

Or study the following books by Maulana Ghulam Rasool Mahr:

1. Syed Ahmad Shaheed

2. Jama'at of Mujaahideen

3. Sar Guzasht of Mujaahideen

If you have not ample time but want to study the summary of all these books, do study "Ruhaani Rishtay" by Hazrat Syed Nafees-ul-Hussaini. Full name of the book is "Syed Ahmad Shaheed Say Hazrat Haaji Imdaad-Allah Muhaajir Makki kay Ruhaani Rishtay." This book comprises only 240 pages. You will get ample material in this book if Allah wills. These days, the "view" of most of the people about Jihaad is not fully Islamic. It is a great achievement of Hazrat Syed Ahmad Shaheed that he taught the Muslims the true meanings of Jihaad and Caliphate through his knowledge and activity. That's why; when we study the life history of Hazrat Syed Ahmed, we grasp the meanings of "Jihaad in the way of Allah" in detail. Besides it, the beautiful end and route to martyrdom also becomes visible. Then the degree of spiritualism endowed on Hazrat Syed Ahmad by Allah and the way people resorted to him; it was very easy for Hazrat Syed Ahmad to lead a peaceful and comfortable life. Many rich people and barons would shower gifts and offerings on him. Many rich people always remained alert and willing to sacrifice their wealth to attract his attention. But Hazrat Syed Ahmad adopted the path of Hijra and Jihaad for the sake of Allah's good pleasure and deemed this path the best path. During his journey at Bala Kot, once he said:

"O brothers, I have brought different slaves of Allah from different places undergoing different types of calamities and troubles to your country Kohistan only because the Pagans have dominated over the country of the Muslims and they exercise ever new kind of tortures and disgraces. I want to prevail upon them by the Divine help so that you may regain your own states and Islam may gain power. If I had been the desirous of comfort and luxury, there was every type of comfort and luxury for me in India and would never have come to Kohistan. So, the gist of discussion is that all of you should also stand up against the heathen government, join me through your lives and wealth, beat the unbelievers and drive them out from here." (Waqaai P: 2209)

Allah-o-Akbar! How great pining for the Muslims and how great modesty as, O Muslim, let your sense of honour be stirred because Pagans are over your!
Hazrat Syed Ahmad rose as a blessing and guidance from Takiya Raoy Braily and set up for Baalal Kot. On the way, he passed by numerous cities. He established Islamic government in the present NWFP and occupied Peshawar. He sent many delegates of persuasion to Jihaad to other Islamic states also but the rulers who loved their lives, wealth, posts and greedy of apparent peace were content at sending gifts only. Many riots and mischief also arose during that period. Many oppressors called Hazrat Syed Ahmad the agent of the British and many others issued the decree of his being ignorant but Hazrat Syed Ahmad remained busy in his true work. The troubles harder than the mountains could not hamper his way nor did he deviate from the path of Sharia seeing the ignorance and obstinacy of the people on any occasion. He answered every ignorance with tolerance and patience and retaliated every obstinacy with perseverance to Sharia. He enforced the dictates of Sharia in the lands under him with love, kindness and wisdom. With regard to enforcement of Din, he believed more in the method of persuasion than the use of force. He persuaded the people to pay Ushr and Zakat and appointed officials at different places to collect Ushr. Afterwards, the oppressors killed many of the representatives very mercilessly. In the same way, Hazrat Syed Ahmad tried to bring the matters of marriage on the lines of the method of Islam. Alas! Very few people benefitted from that endeavour whereas many others remained adamant to their anti-Islamic rites and methods.

These days, there is the need for spreading Hazrat Syed Ahmad's teachings because many people are changing the meanings of Jihaad. The answer to this subversion is present in Hazrat Syed Ahmad's addresses and activities. In the age, some people have taken Jihaad in the sense of beating and disruption of every kind. Hazrat Syed Ahmad told the people again and again that their object was not to create commotion, disruption and wickedness rather they wanted to wage Jihaad according to Sharia and Sunnah. If a number of so-called Jihaad organizations of today study the life history, incidents and sayings of Hazrat Syed Ahmad, they will come to know that they are not on the right path. In the same way, there is the subversion of scholars who clamour in the name of "Caliphate." Many organizations in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi are working in the name of "Caliphate." These people obviously talk of Caliphate but their activities are taking people away the holy system of Caliphate. Two things hold the position of obligation for Caliphate i.e. emigration and Jihaad but the scholars of those organizations have neither emighation nor Jihaad. They beat about the bush and have self-deceptive claims.

Will Caliphate be established sitting at home? If we study the verses of the Holy Quran on Caliphate, we perceive that the Muslims are blessed with Caliphate when they equip themselves with Belief and righteous deeds and get ready for every kind of sacrifice i.e. emigration and Jihaad. When Hazrat Syed Ahmad started the mission of Caliphate, he did not keep delivering lectures sitting in Takiya Raoy Braily rather he took up the path of emigration and Jihaad and told the Muslims the path of acquiring Caliphate. He himself set its example at one part of the earth but the collective situation of the Muslims was not becoming of the fact that they could be blessed with Caliphate. Hence, Allah invited Hazrat Syed Ahmad to Him and blessed his sincere companions with forgiveness, auspiciousness and martyrdom. The Caravan that Hazrat Syed Ahmad started, is still moving forward. The Caravan of Hazrat Syed Ahmad was not a new thing nor an innovation in Din. This is the Caravan that started from the filed of Badr and will keep moving till the arrival of Hazrat Eisa . The first commander of the Caravan was the Holy Prophet  and the last commander will be Hazrat Imam Mahdi and Hazrat Eisa. The fifteenth century is going on. That Caravan did not stop even for a day during the last 1400 years. The Holy Prophet has very clearly pronounced that the said Caravan is present in every age and it will be on the right path. Those who run with it will be successful. Allah chose Hazrat Syed Ahmad for the leadership of that Caravan in the 13th century and this Caravan and its achievements were exposed to the Ummah. It also happens sometimes that this Caravan keeps moving anonymously and the other Muslims of the world do not know of it. The world, earth and the ocean are very vast. These days, the world has claimed of measuring the entire world but a new thing comes to the view after a few years. As Hazrat Syed Ahmad was one of the Mujaddedin of this Ummah, the state of that Caravan came to the view of the world so that the people who had deviated from the right path might follow the Right Path gaining light from this Caravan. The Caravan of Badr and Baala Kot is still moving to its destination by the grace of Allah. The lucky Muslims to whom success and Paradise are ordained search this Caravan. Then they sacrifice their lives and properties and are worthy of Paradise.

I request all of you not to fall in the deception of worldliness. People in flocks are leaving this world and dying. It becomes clear that the world is mortal. It is not the place to be loved and pursued. All of you should study the life history and sayings of Hazrat Syed Ahmad Shaheed. Syed Ahmad, in other words, belongs to our age. The period of two hundred years is not a long period. All the subversions that we face today were also present in his age. Then how did Hazrat Syed Ahmad and his companions found the "Right Path" and success in this situation? If all of us are anxious about the Heareafter, we should discover the path of success from the Holy Quran and Sunnah from the Caravan of Hazrat Syed Ahmad. Then we should search that Caravan in this age and remain attached with it till death. O Allah, grant us with resplendence, Light Capacity and power to do so!

Translated by: Abdullah