Muhammad Qadiri - Ministry and Teaching

Ministry and Teaching

Haji Muhammad is reported to have memorised the Qur'an within three months. He was known for his knowledge of Tasawwuf (Islamic mysticism), which he claimed came to him from Allah directly (Ilm-i Ladunnī). Mirza Ahmed Beg Lahori records a story that one night two angels came and placed their fingers into the mouth of Syed Naushah. All of a sudden he became a learned and knowledgeable man in the field of Islamic mysticism. The next morning he told his teacher about this extraordinary spiritual experience. The teacher remarked: “There is no need for you to get further knowledge from me. Perhaps on the Day of Judgement I shall be rewarded with salvation of my soul for having given a few lessons to you before this glorious spiritual experience.”

Haji Muhammad was considered an expert in the fields of Fiqh (Islamic law), Hadith (the report of the practise and sayings of the Prophet), Tafsir (exegeses of the Qur'an), logics, philosophy and Kalam (theology concerning the tenets of belief). Beside Arabic and Persian he spoke Kashmiri, Sanskrit and other regional languages as well.

At the age of twenty-nine years Muhammad accepted Shah Sulaimān Nūri as his spiritual guide, placing him in a Silsila (spiritual order or chain of saints) that stretched back to Abdul Qadir Jilani. This spiritual lineage ends via Ali Al-Murtaza at the final and Muhammad.

- (26) Syed Haji Muhammad Naushah Ganj Bakhsh disciple of

- (25) Sakhi Shah Sulaiman Nūri,
- (24) Sakhi Shah Muhammad Ma‘rūf Khushābī,
- (23) Syed Mubārak Haqqāni,
- (22) Shah Ghauth Muhammad Bandagī,
- (21) Syed Shamsuddīn Gilani,
- (20) Syed Shah Mīr Gilani,
- (19) Syed Abul Hasan Ali Gilani,
- (18) Syed Mas‘ūduddin Halbi,
- (17) Syed Abul Abbas Ahmad,
- (16) Syed Safiyiuddin Sufi,
- (15) Syed Saifuddin Abdul Wahhāb,
- (14) Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani,
- (13) Khawaja Abu Sa‘īd Mukharrami,
- (12) Khawaja Abul Hasan Al-Hakkāri,
- (11) Khawaja Abul Farah Yusuf Tartūsi,
- (10) Khawaja Abul Fadl Tamīmī,
- (9) Khawaja Abu Bakr Shiblī,
- (8) Khawaja Abul Qasim Junaid Baghdadi,
- (7) Khawaja Shah Sari Saqati,
- (6) Khawaja Ma‘rūf Karkhī,
- (5) Khawaja Dāwūd Tā’ī,
- (4) Khawaja Habīb Ajamī,
- (3) Khawaja Hasan Basri,
- (2) Ali Al-Murtaza ibn Abi Tālib,
- (1) Syeduna Muhammad Al-Mustafa

In obedience to Shah Sulaimān Nūri's instructions, Muhammad left Ghogganwali and travelled around the subcontinent preaching. He prioritised education in his teaching, going so far as to tell his son that he should first give priority to his education and if he heard about his father’s death he should not come back but pray for his salvation and continue to pursue his education.

According to Islamic mythology, Haji Muhammad experienced Ilhām (divine inspiration) after descending into a dried up well to meditate. After forty days, he was found there by a shepherd who took him out of the well and revived him with goat's milk. When Muhammad recovered consciousness, he expressed his displeasure at the interruption. Immediately afterwards, he was told that he had attained a very high status in the presence of Allah and was commanded to sit under a dried-out and withered tree. As soon as he sat there, it turned green and was laden with blossoms and fruit. From each leaf he heard the word “Naushah” ("bridegroom") and when he faced towards the local village, he heard all the jinn, the human beings, the animals and the angels calling “Naushah”, “Naushah”. All birds, all animals, trees and stones begun to say this name. Finally everything in the whole area began to call him “Naushah”. At this point, he experienced his enlightenment.

All the teachings and rules of behaviour of Haji Muhammad were based on the Qur'an and the Hadīth, the statements of the Qādiria Order. He strongly rejected any practice that contradicted these teachings. According to him, someone who has adopted to follow the spiritual path, first of all has to have a sound knowledge of the religion. He should recite the Qur'an accurately, repeat the Kalima (declaration of faith), observe himself and perform the voluntary prayers, like the Awwābīn-prayer (an extra voluntary prayer after the evening-prayer, i.e. Maghrib). He performed the daily prescribed prayers in the mosque himself and recommended this also to his Murīds (disciples). His prohibited any spiritual exercises that he felt didn not agree with the Sharī‘ah.

Haji Muhammad stated that one is not a Sufi (mystic) until one has purified oneself totally. This purification is achieved by eliminating sensual desires. These are eliminated when the nafs (the ego that inclines to evil) has been conquered. One conquers this by taking distance from pleasures in this worldly life and to consider them as transitory. One has to perform all one's actions in contradiction to one's nafs in order to attain this.

He gave instructions to his Murīd to consider death all the time and to be aware of it. "One has to live without any allegation or false attitude," he said. He stated that one can only become a good human being from fraternising with saints and holy men.

A focus of his teaching was sincere intention. He said that by sincerity and piety the body is cleaned and by eating Halal the tongue is cleaned. According to his teaching, one should not expound the deficiencies and small faults of others, but should rely on God's trust and be satisfied with His will. He paid much attention to taking care of parents and those who are poor and in need. He said that taking care of them can be a significant cause of attaining the divine grace. He also taught his followers to eat little and to keep awake in the night for voluntary prayers and recollections. "By waking up, the heart is illuminated," he said.

All his teachings stemmed from his interpretation of the Qur'an and the Hadīths, supported by the conclusions of the Mujtahidīn (those qualified to make religious decisions).

Haji Muhammad was said to have converted over two hundred thousand Hindus to Islam as well as followers of Christianity, Buddhism and Parsism.

Tradition claims that a well-known Hindu leader, whose number of disciples exceeded more than one thousand and who possessed great skill in the black magic (Istidrāj), arrived one day accompanied by his followers. He asked permission to show his skill. He changed himself in three appearances: as an old man, a young man and as a child. After his performance he said that it took him twelve years to achieve this spiritual level, after withdrawing three times in Chillah (seclusion). Muhammad answered that he had wasted his life in pursuing this engagement, saying, “To take three different appearances comprises not any spiritual perfection at all. Accept that one is merged into the divine love in such a way, that when he looks at somebody, his heart is filled with this intense love.” After saying this he pronounced the article of faith “Lā ilāha" ("there is no god")and glanced at the riverside of the Chenab, whereupon a wave of water splashed in his direction. From every drop that fell on the ground before him was heard: “Illallāh" ("except Allah"). The Hindu leader went into ecstasy converted to Islam. All his disciples and admirers followed him in this.