stories and anecdotes - especially those relating
to or told by Hz. Zahurmian. Some can be found in
various books but others may never have been
published before. The division in to sections is
arbitrary.
1
The first story, however, was told me by Hazrat Nuri Baba of
Konya, it had such a beneficial effect that I believe Zahurmian
will not object to me beginning with it. The occasion of the
telling of this was a visit to Nuri Baba's home, in Mehram, in
Konya. It was translated for me by friends. Salt is symbolic of
spiritual purity.
There was a donkey who went into a sea of salt.
The donkey was eaten by the salt which destroyed
him, eating his bones and flesh. Whilst there was
even one hair of the donkey remaining it could still
be called 'donkey' but when even the last hair of
the donkey had been eaten by the salt there was
no more donkey - only salt.
2
Here is a small example of something Zahurmian said that
may have been intended to put displays of piety into
perspective.
The occasion was when a number of disciples
sitting in somebody's house and had been treated
to a video show of a film about Moses as this
appeared to be an appropriately religious theme.
Zahurmian appeared to watch with some interest
correcting points where it differed from the Qur'anic
version, and then at the end turned quietly to a
disciple and said - 'I like very much the films of
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers - very good
dancing'.
3
Here is a story I was told about Nawob Saheb, Zahurmian's
guide. This is something which actually happened.
Nawob Saheb came under criticism by some
religious persons for sometimes taking people to
the local cinema (in the days before television and
videos). When one person made this particular
criticism to him Nawob Saheb invited that person
to go with him to a Film. On return that person
professed himself nonplussed - though he had
gone to see an ordinary film he had found that it
appeared to him that he was watching nothing but
the conversations of saints.
4
This is an original story - so I do not think you will find it in any
books. The first occasion on which it was told was by a murid
sitting with Zahurmian and some other disciples. Zahurmian
appeared to approve of it.
There were two fishes swimming in the water, they
came across a delicious looking bait attached to a
large spiky hook on the end of a fishing line, the
bait was just the kind of thing they liked best. They
paused. The question is what should they do?
Should they take the bait or swim on?
What would be your advice? If you would like to offer your
answers, and reasons for it, why not e-mail it to me. jamil.
morris@btinternet.com I will tell you the answer given.
5
Here is an example of something which illustrates
how Zahurmian used a simple story from his own
experience to achieve a powerful effect.
One very cold winter evening Zahurmian was very
ill and forced to remain in bed. A disciple sat
beside him as he lay, apparently asleep, on the
bed in the family room. The disciple sat in a wicker
chair, wrapped in a shawl to keep warm. The family
members were elsewhere.
Nothing was said for a very long time, but in
Zahurmian’s company many wonderful things
appeared in the heart and consciousness of the
murid. One could say they travelled together
inwardly across the vast spaces of the heart –
listening and talking only within.
After several hours the disciple became mentally
tired from the concentration involved and was
ready to go to his bed. Suddenly Zahurmian sat
bolt upright in bed. To all intents and purposes he
had appeared as if asleep until then. He described
to the English murid how, as a boy, there was an
Englishman who taught him at school. That
teacher had encouraged him always 'to go the
extra mile'. Zahurmian smiled and gave a
characteristic snort. He promptly returned to his
former supine position.
The disciple understood from this that more mental
effort was required from him and remained with his
guide for some time longer. The inner travels with
his guide continued within the disciple’s heart.
When, eventually, the exhausted disciple did take
his leave of him to retire - though hardly any words
other than those quoted had passed between them
- Zahurmian looked at his disciple with that familiar
penetrating look he had. He smiled and said to the
disciple, "Well we had a good time didn't we!"
6
Here is a an actual event that I think reminds those of us who
begin to think highly of our own sacrifices or discomforts
endured.
The 'Urs (death anniversary) of Khawaja
Muinuddin Hasan Chishti had just formally
concluded with the recitation of the Qur'an,
cleaning of the tomb, and a short qwaali (music)
session in the main Mehfil Khana. Those attending
from the Sufi order had enjoyed moments of
spiritual elevation mixed with hard formal discipline
that actually underlie such events.
I cannot say for sure but perhaps some self-
satisfaction with having passed six nights in the hot
and demanding conditions had crept in. Or it may
have been for some other reason that Khawaja
Saheb showed us a fitting lesson.
As we made our way back to Sharib House we
went round a different route from normal in order to
attempt to miss at least some of the vast throng of
people who made it difficult to make any progress,
even in a sizeable group as we were. This route
took us across a marbled area - it was midday and
very hot - the marble burnt almost instantly into the
feet, (hot beaches are nothing by comparison), and
it took every ounce of self discipline to maintain
any attempt at composure as we walked across
that furnace. However as we did so I became
aware of the fact that all around us on that burning
marble the villagers, the poor, and the country
people who visit in their hundred thousands every
year - were lying on the marble resting or sleeping
with nothing more than the thinnest of cotton
sheets under them.
In an instant the real devotion that Khawaja Saheb
inspires from the unsophisticated people, the real
hardship they undergo to be there at that time
burnt into our brain even more than the heat of the
marble burnt into our feet.
What can we say of a soul that inspires that so
may hundreds of years after his apparent death.
We can only say one thing - he is no other than
Khawaja Muinuddin Hasan Chishti.