Rang-o-Noor (BY SA'DI)

HAZRAT ABDULLAH BIN MUBAARIK

There are some slaves of Allah that Allah's Mercy descends due to mentioning them. The Imaam of the Muslim Ummah and leader of the Mujaahideen Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik is also one of those personalities. Another Imaam of Ummah Hazrat Nov'vi tells this point thus:

Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik is the personality to whose leadership and grandeur all agree. He is the figure whose mention causes Allah's mercy descend and for whose love absolution and forgiveness can be expected. (Tahzeeb-ul-Asma).

Imaam Nov'vi himself is a very a very great figure. He wrote many resplendent books. You would certainly have looked at his book "Riaz-us-Saalikheen." One night, Imaam Nov'vi was writing in the light of a lamp. All of a sudden, the lamp went out. Allah exposed light from his fingers and he kept writing long with the help of the light from his fingers. This Imaam Nov'vi says that mentioning Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik causes Allah's Mercy descend. He says absolutely true. You will experience it very today if Allah wills. Actually, I am to describe the Jihaad of Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik. He was the most successful Mujaahid of the Ummah. Seeing his Jihaad the Mujaahideen can correct their Jihaad and make it acceptable. But before his Jihaad, a few other incidents and details about his life so that all of you may become somewhat aware of Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik's personality and position. A few points about his family were described in the last column. Today, a few of his other attributes are presented. You will wonder that when big Mujaahideen of the Muslim Ummah are discussed, Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik is seen in the first rank among them. When Mystics (Sufis) are discussed, Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik is also present in the first rank. Hazrat Ali Hajveri has mentioned him in his book "Kashf-ul-Mahjoob" among great Mystics (Sufis). In the same way, when the Juriconsult, Haffaaz and Tradition reporters of the Ummah are mentioned, Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik is counted in the very first rank. In his childhood, he fell victim to negligence. He was the son of a baron. The wealth showed its effect and he got busy in mirth and fun. When he became twenty years old, Allah opened to him the door of repentance, love, knowledge, His own Recognition and Jihaad. The incident of his repentance is very strange. It will be described in the next column. Today, observe a few aspects of his sacred life.

Ideal Generosity
He was very wealthy. He had inherited much wealth. He traded even so that he might spend on the indigent, feed the Mujaahideen, serve the students of Hadith, perform Hajj, make other people perform Hajj and bear his own and that of his companions' expenses in Jihaad. Once, he said to a famous stoic and saint Hazrat Fuzail bin Ayyaz:

"If there had not been you and people like you, I would not have traded." (Tahzib-ut-Tahzib)
It means that the people like you have discarded the world and got busy in worship and tasks of Din. I trade in order to serve you. Allah had blessed Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik's wealth with amplitude. He used to expend on the deeds of good and his wealth kept increasing. Estimate a little please that:

i. He would spend one hundred thousand Dirham on the poor every year.

ii. One year, he would go out to wage Jihaad and bore all the expenses himself. The next year, he would go to perform Hajj. He would himself bear his own and that of his companions' expenses. He did not accept the spoils in Jihaad. During Hajj, he would feed his companions well and did shopping for the members of his family.

iii. He never took meals alone. He would always invite Ulama, students and other guests, lay a vast table and feed them. He would get ever new kinds of flummeries prepared and feed his guests. Out of the 600,000 Dirham he inherited from his father, he spent 460,000 Dirham on deeds of goodness. No bout, generosity in the righteous deeds is a great blessing of Allah.
Good Manners

Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik was his own example in good manners and morals. His manners were not pretended that they might be for popularity among the people rather Allah had blessed him with such mild nature and habit that he seemed the embodiment of good manners. Moreover, the religious training and pious people had also showed their clourings.

There was no one on the earth like Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik (in his age) and according to my knowledge, Allah had blessed him with a good share in all the habits and attributes of goodness created by Him.

Hazrat Nuaim bin Hammaad says that he asked Abd-ur-Rahmaan bin Mahdi, "Who is preferable from among Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik and Sufysn bin Ainiyah?" He said, "Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik." He said, "People do not follow your point." He said, "People have not seen him closely otherwise there is no one like Mubaarik"

Despite enjoying so high position, Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik entertained others. He would carry the fire wood on his shoulders and did shopping in the bazaars bare-foot. He would regard it as disrespect to tell some body any issue in the presence of the saint like Hazrat Sufyan bin Ainiyah. Once somebody said, "O my Lord, what is humility?" He said, "Showing pride in the presence of the rich." Allah-o-Akbar! It means, man should not disgrace his self in the presence of wealth and matter. He was asked, "What is arrogance?" He said, "Considering other people mean."
Ideal Piety

There was great favour of Allah on Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik with regard to worship and piety. He would go out for Jihaad and spend the whole night in worship. He would patrol the army of the Mujaahideen, arrange supererogatory prayers in the saddle during journey, make his companions sleep at night and estalish prayers secretly, serve his companions with costly delicious dishes during the journey but he would himself observe fasts, weep so bitterly due to fear of Allah that the beard wetted and still concealed his worship from people. Hazrat Ahmad bin Hanbal say, "Allah has endowed Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik with so high reward due to his secret worship." Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik himself says, "The more a man fears Allah, the greater scholar he is." When he came to Baghdad, the rulers there were somewhat cruel. He doubted, "Is my stay here right or not?" Hence he would give one Dinar in the way of Allah daily so that it might compensate for the sins due to his stay in that city. Once, he borrowed a pen from an individual in Syria, forgot to return it to him and went back. Reaching Kharasan, he recalled it. He travelled to Syria just to return the pen to him. During his death journey, he was inclined to drink Sattu(barley parched and ground and made into a paste drink). His companions searched for it was were found with the king's servant. When the companions told him the situation, he forbade than to take it and left this world without it. O yes, the person who served the people all his life with ever new kinds of dinners and cold drinks, could not drink Sattu at the last moments of his life. It is guartrust and piety that man may not be negligent of Allah in any situation nor he may be inclined to donbtful things making a pretext of some constraint.

Sobhaan Allah! See Allah's favours! He was the Imaam of the Ummah, pride for the Mujaahideen, leader of the stoics, generous, brave, modest, pious, holy, adventurous, horse-rider and the prominent Muhaddith of his time.
Avoidance From Government Posts

The rulers of that age were more holy, pious and modest than those of our age. They themselves waged Jihaad and sent the armies of Islam to far off countries. In spite of all this, Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik remained away them. He followed in the footsteps of his dear leader Imaam Abu Hanifah in not accepting the government post. He would always praise Imaam Abdu Hanifah for the fact that he refused the post of Qazi. He said, "I did not find anyone more pious than Abu Hanifah. He was tested with whips and wealth."

Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik remained away the rulers. Allah granted him with rule over the hearts of the people. Once Harun-ur-Rasheed was in Raqqah City. Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik also happened to go there. People flocked to visit him. There was so big crowed of the visitors that the shoes of the people wore out and the atmosphere was filled with dust. A maid servant of Harun-ur-Rasheed saw this from one of the windows of the palace and asked, "What it is?" She was told that a scholar from Kharasaan named Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik was there. She blurted out, "By Alalh, actual kingship is this. What is Harun's rule in comparison with it that people are accumulated through police force. "
Death of the Indigents

He died on his return from Jihaad in journey. When death time came, he said to his freed slave, "Place my head at the soil." The slave began to weep. He said, "Why do you weep?" He said, "The thing that makes me weep is that you led a very rich life. Now you are leaving the world in indigence." He said, "Be silent. I had prayed to Allah to bless me with life of the generous and death of the indigent." Then he said, "Do instruct me for the kalimah and do not' talk any other thing."
Jihaad-The superior Most Activity

A famous worshipper and tradition reporter Hazrat Fuzail bin Ayyaz's Muhamamd says, "I saw Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik in dream and asked, "Which action did you find superior?" He said, "Ribaat and Jihaad." He said, "Yes." I said, "How did your Lord deal with you?" He said, "My Lord granted with authentic absolution and celestial wives talked to me."

May Allah raise Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarik in his degrees and bless all the Muslims with traits like those of him!


 

Translated by: Abdullah