June
2002 Feature
Sheikh Abul Hassan Kharaghani
(Eleventh Century, Persia)
Sheikh
Abul Hassan Kharaghani was among the well-known and well-respected
Sufis, a sun in the eternal heavens of the soul, a pole of his
time, a king to the spiritual travelers, the owner of the secrets
of the inner path. It is said that Bayazid Bastami used to travel
to Dehistan cemetery, once a year, and paid homage to those buried.
Whenever he passed Kharaghan, he would stop and take a deep breath,
saying: I smell a fragrance of a spiritual traveler, his name
is Ali, his title is Abul Hassan, and he has a family, he is engaged
in gardening and harvesting crops. (Abul Hassan Kharaghani was
born over one hundred years after Bayazid Bastami).
It
is narrated that for over twelve years Abul Hassan performed jamaat
prayers in Kharaghan, then would go to Bastam, pray and meditate
on Bayazid’s grave, and the next morning come back to Kharaghan
to lead people in prayers. (When in Bastam, he prayed that Allah
gave from what He had given to Bayazid. It is that said when at
the grave of Bayazid, he would cove his head, never had his back
towards Bayazid’s grave. Until one day he heard Bayazi’s
voice saying: Abul Hassan, it is time for you to lead. I have
seen your light when I passed by Kharaghan one hundred thirty
years ago. I knew that you were a chosen servant of Allah. So
seek the help of that light and find what you need to discover.
Translator’s note.)
Abul
Hassan had a garden, anytime he harvest, he earned a great deal
of wealth, and he prayed: Oh, Allah, the wealth of the world will
not take me way from worshipping you.
One
day a group of people came to Abul Hassan and asked him to pray
for them as they were travelling and the road was dangerous. He
said: when you face a danger call my name. People did not like
his answer and left. On their way they were attacked by highway
robbers, and the only one saved from the hands of thieves was
a man who called upon Abul Hassan. Thieves robbed everyone except
that one person. When the danger was gone and people were at ease
again, they asked the man what happened to him as no one could
see him or his belongings. He said he called upon Abul Hassan.
When they came back to Kharaghan they went to Abul Hassan and
told him the story, asked him to clarify. Abul Hassan said: When
you remembered God in that danger, you really did not call for
Allah in truth, you called Him out of habit or custom. But Abul
Hassan calls upon Allah in truth. When you call upon me, I will
call upon Allah for you, in truth.
In
one of his night praying he heard a divine voce saying: Do you
want me to tell the world what I know of you so they stone you
to death? Abul Hassan said: Oh, God, do you want me to tell people
how merciful and generous You are so no one prays for You any
longer? No! He heard. It’s better to keep our secrets.
Abul Hassan said: There were two brothers, one was steadfast in
worshipping Allah, and the other one serving their mother. One
night the second brother asked the first one to take his place
and be attentive to their mother’s need so he would have
a chance to pray to God. He accepted. That night he saw in a vision
that Allah said: Your brother is forgiven, and you are forgiven
because of him. He said: I pray for You day and night, and my
brother is only taking care of our mother, how come I am forgiven
because of him? I do not need your worshipping, but your mother
needs your attention and service, and your brother is the one
who takes care of that service, the voice said.
Abul
Hassan prayed: Oh, Allah, do not send the angel of death to come
and take my life. My life is not his but Yours, so I will not
give away what is Your, You take what is Yours.
He
said: Those who are looking for God are not looking for anything
else.
He
said: I do have any murid and followers, as I am not serving my
ego, Allah is enough for me.
Being
content with Allah’s destiny is greater than one thousand
good deeds that are not accepted by Him.
You
cannot quench the thirst of the one who is thirsty for the Divine
knowledge.
There
are many that walk on the earth yet they are dead; and there many
who are buried in the heart of dust but are alive.
Those
who are in love find God, and those who find God will forget themselves.
When
the time of his passing came close he asked people to bury him
thirty meters deeper than normal and said: It is not respectful
that my body is buried equal or higher than Bayazid’s body.
There
are many stories and words of wisdom related to him. A few are
as follows:
Someone
came to Sheikh Abul Hassan Kharaghani and asked the Sheikh to
give him permission to wear a Kherqab. The Sheikh said: I have
a puzzle. If you solve the puzzle, I will give you permission
to wear a Kherqah. The man agreed. If a man wears women’s
clothing, will he become a woman, asked the Sheikh? The man said:
No! If a woman wears men’s clothing, will she become a man?
The man said: Of course not. Sheikh Abul Hassan Kharaghani said:
Then if you are not a man for this path, even if you wear the
robe of a darvishi, you, too, will not become what you are not.
Someone
came to him and asked: Oh,dear Sheikh, give me an advice so I
will become able to invite people to Allah. The Sheikh said: Be
cautious that you do not invite people to yourself, pretending
that you are inviting them to Allah. The man said: How is it possible
to invite people to myself? The Sheikh said: There is a sign:
When you become angry and envious if someone else also invites
people to Allah, it is then that you should know that you have
been inviting people to yourself, not Allah. (Translator’s
note.)
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