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| 786 The Zahuri Sufi Web Site: Articles |
This article is contributed by Mohammed Siraj Elschot a Dutch disciple of Hazrat Zahurul Hasan Sharib he writes:
Sufi Language
It is very difficult to write something about Zahurul Hassan Sharib (1914-1996) as he best can be compared to an iceberg. He did not show to his surroundings who he really was. He was born in Moradabad in India and received a doctorate in political science at Lucknow university. He joined the Gudri Shahi order of the Sufis and after some time even became it's head. He lived for a long time in Ajmer overlooking from his study the shrine of the renowned Sufi Mu'inuddin Hasan Chishti.
Dr. Sharib's work in Urdu and English has been translated into Dutch, Italian and German. The following lines are from his hand. They are to be published in a book called Sufi Language. This forthcoming publication consists of letters to his disciples. You can however read the following excerpt as if it is addressed to you. At the same time it gives a good impression of its author. It will tell you more than a dry biographical description of his life!
Sufi Language
It is very difficult to write something about Zahurul Hassan Sharib (1914-1996) as he best can be compared to an iceberg. He did not show to his surroundings who he really was. He was born in Moradabad in India and received a doctorate in political science at Lucknow university. He joined the Gudri Shahi order of the Sufis and after some time even became it's head. He lived for a long time in Ajmer overlooking from his study the shrine of the renowned Sufi Mu'inuddin Hasan Chishti.
Dr. Sharib's work in Urdu and English has been translated into Dutch, Italian and German. The following lines are from his hand. They are to be published in a book called Sufi Language. This forthcoming publication consists of letters to his disciples. You can however read the following excerpt as if it is addressed to you. At the same time it gives a good impression of its author. It will tell you more than a dry biographical description of his life!
Sufi Language
It happened today, when I was sitting all alone in my small room, which you have seen. Love came uninvited, and as you know she always comes in this way. Finding me alone, she confided to me some of her secrets. What did she say? Should I tell you? Perhaps you are impatient to know it. I will tell you. Do not lose patience. Love began to talk to me in a soft, sonorous, but stern voice thus: 'People should feel obliged to me, that I unite them. I give them courage and I give them power to bear hardships without grudge. Throughout my life, I have played a constructive role. I have always united people and never separated them. I am free from pride and prejudice. People call me blind, but I assure you, that I am not blind. I have eyes to see. I recognise the right and fit person, who can be recipient of my favour. Once I select the person, the life of the person selected is transformed and changed considerably. Once I selected Majnun for my favour and, as you know, Majnun has become immortal. Majnun has come to be recognised as an inspiring figure'.
At this point I interrupted her and said to her, that at one stage of his life Majnun appeared to be tired of her. She said: 'What do you mean? I can not understand. Please, explain'.
I said that I meant to refer to what Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi has written. Hearing this, she said that she would very much like to hear it all. I said, that I was prepared to give her in a nutshell what Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi has written about her relations with Majnun. He has thus described how Majnun complained to God and what reply God gave to Majnun:
One night, in the secluded chamber of secrecy,
Majnun said: 'O, Sustainer and Nourisher, independent and free,
Why hast Thou given me the name of Majnun?
And why hast Thou placed the love of Laila in my heart?
Thou hast made my bed a bed of thorns,
My weeping and wailing the nights carry upward to the sky.
What dost Thou desire from my dire condition?
O, my God, and what from my wailing and weeping?'
An invisible Speaker said that: 'O, thou, man humble and meek,
In love I have given thee the sweet pain,
It is not the love of Laila, it is My handiwork;
The beauty of Laila is the Reflection of My Cheek.
It appears to Me nice, thy complaints in the night,
I am pleased by thy saying in agony:
'O, my Protector and Preserver'.'
Hearing all this, Love appeared to be pleased and said smilingly: 'It is due to me, that Majnun was able to attain such a high position, that God liked to hear him and reply'.
I asked her: 'Tell me, whom else you have favoured?' She said, that there are a few chosen ones. I said: 'Will you name them?' She said: 'If you want to know their names, I may tell you that besides Majnun and Laila, whom I have favoured, there are others too. To name a few, they are Farhad and Shirin, Yusuf and Zuleikha, Antony and Cleopatra, Romeo and Juliet, Othello and Desdemona'.
The talk ended. For some time we were sitting together and talking without speaking. It was a silent speech. All of a sudden I stood up. I consulted my watch. It was 6 pm. I said to her: 'It is now 6 P.M. It is the time for me to go to one of your chosen ones, the one who is also your votary. 'Who is he?' she anxiously inquired. I replied: 'You must be knowing him well. He is Mu'inuddin Hasan Chishti, to whose shrine I go every day at this time. He has loved you all his life'. Love said: 'Yes. It is true and perfectly true. He has loved me well'.
I said: 'You stay. I shall be returning soon'. She said: 'You go and return whenever you like. I promise to stay'.
Published by The Zahuri Sufi Web Site
It happened today, when I was sitting all alone in my small room, which you have seen. Love came uninvited, and as you know she always comes in this way. Finding me alone, she confided to me some of her secrets. What did she say? Should I tell you? Perhaps you are impatient to know it. I will tell you. Do not lose patience. Love began to talk to me in a soft, sonorous, but stern voice thus: 'People should feel obliged to me, that I unite them. I give them courage and I give them power to bear hardships without grudge. Throughout my life, I have played a constructive role. I have always united people and never separated them. I am free from pride and prejudice. People call me blind, but I assure you, that I am not blind. I have eyes to see. I recognise the right and fit person, who can be recipient of my favour. Once I select the person, the life of the person selected is transformed and changed considerably. Once I selected Majnun for my favour and, as you know, Majnun has become immortal. Majnun has come to be recognised as an inspiring figure'.
At this point I interrupted her and said to her, that at one stage of his life Majnun appeared to be tired of her. She said: 'What do you mean? I can not understand. Please, explain'.
I said that I meant to refer to what Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi has written. Hearing this, she said that she would very much like to hear it all. I said, that I was prepared to give her in a nutshell what Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi has written about her relations with Majnun. He has thus described how Majnun complained to God and what reply God gave to Majnun:
One night, in the secluded chamber of secrecy,
Majnun said: 'O, Sustainer and Nourisher, independent and free,
Why hast Thou given me the name of Majnun?
And why hast Thou placed the love of Laila in my heart?
Thou hast made my bed a bed of thorns,
My weeping and wailing the nights carry upward to the sky.
What dost Thou desire from my dire condition?
O, my God, and what from my wailing and weeping?'
An invisible Speaker said that: 'O, thou, man humble and meek,
In love I have given thee the sweet pain,
It is not the love of Laila, it is My handiwork;
The beauty of Laila is the Reflection of My Cheek.
It appears to Me nice, thy complaints in the night,
I am pleased by thy saying in agony:
'O, my Protector and Preserver'.'
Hearing all this, Love appeared to be pleased and said smilingly: 'It is due to me, that Majnun was able to attain such a high position, that God liked to hear him and reply'.
I asked her: 'Tell me, whom else you have favoured?' She said, that there are a few chosen ones. I said: 'Will you name them?' She said: 'If you want to know their names, I may tell you that besides Majnun and Laila, whom I have favoured, there are others too. To name a few, they are Farhad and Shirin, Yusuf and Zuleikha, Antony and Cleopatra, Romeo and Juliet, Othello and Desdemona'.
The talk ended. For some time we were sitting together and talking without speaking. It was a silent speech. All of a sudden I stood up. I consulted my watch. It was 6 pm. I said to her: 'It is now 6 P.M. It is the time for me to go to one of your chosen ones, the one who is also your votary. 'Who is he?' she anxiously inquired. I replied: 'You must be knowing him well. He is Mu'inuddin Hasan Chishti, to whose shrine I go every day at this time. He has loved you all his life'. Love said: 'Yes. It is true and perfectly true. He has loved me well'.
I said: 'You stay. I shall be returning soon'. She said: 'You go and return whenever you like. I promise to stay'.
Published by The Zahuri Sufi Web Site