RISALA ROOHI SHARIF

ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND EXEGESIS WITH

PERSIAN SCRIPT
 RISALA ROOHI SHARIF
ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND EXEGESIS WITH
PERSIAN SCRIPT

Author
Sultan Bahoo

Translation & Exegesis by

Mrs. Ambreen Moghees Sarwari Qadri

SULTAN-UL-FAQR PUBLICATIONS LAHORE

PAKISTAN
 Sultan-ul-Faqr Publications Regd. Lahore,
Pakistan.
© All Copyright reserved with translator and
Sultan-ul-Faqr Publications (Regd.)
No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner
whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Published in
Pakistan with the permission of the copyright owner.
Second Edition August 2023
ISBN 978-969-2220-34-7

Sultan-ul-Faqr Publications Regd. Lahore,

Pakistan.
Sultan-ul-Faqr House, 4-5/A Extension Education Town, Wahdat
Road, Lahore, Pakistan - Post code-54790
Contact # +9242-35436600, +92322-4722766, +92321-4507000
Email: sultanulfaqrpublications@tehreekdawatefaqr.com
www.sultan-ul-ashiqeen.com www.sultan-ul-faqr-publications.com
www.sultan-ul-ashiqeen.pk www.sultan-bahoo.com
 Dedicated to my Spiritual Guide,
The Universal Divine Man
and Reviver of Islam of His Era

Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen

Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman

Without his favour and kindness
I am nothing
 CONTENTS

Preface 7
Foreword 14
Short Biography of Sultan Bahoo 18
Introduction to Risala Roohi Sharif 24
English Translation 32
Exegesis 38
Terminology 333
Bibliography 349
Original Persian Script
 PREFACE

Spirituality and mysticism is in the soul of every human. Every

soul is curious to know about its Creator and remains anxious for
His closeness. To satisfy this curiosity, man is busy in exploring
Nature but his anxiety never ends because the soul basically
wants to behold and recognize its Creator rather than the
creation. Only the Sufis and Mystics find eternal peace of heart
as their souls reach and recognize their Beloved Creator. Only
His closeness is the safest refuge from all the worries of this
world and the hereafter. His closeness also reveals all the hidden
secrets of Nature because He is the Creator and knows
everything about His creation, so whoever reaches Him gains the
hidden knowledge. That is why, the pioneers of all the basic
branches of science like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics
etc. were the Sufis such as Al-Khawarizmi, Ibn Al-Haytham,
Abu Rehan Al-Biruni, Bu-Ali Sina (Avicenna), Jabir bin Hayyan,
Omar Khayyam and many more.
When a Saint reaches Allah, he brings message from Him for His
seekers and lovers. This Divine message tells the human beings
what the purpose behind their creation was, what is their
relationship with their Creator, how they can fulfil the main
purpose of their lives and return successfully to their eternal
home without being trapped by the world, Satan and desires of
their self (nafs).
Risala Roohi Sharif is one such Divine message; concise,
comprehensive and complete, conveyed to us through the most
eminent Sufi Saint of sub-continent, Sultan Bahoo. He has
written 140 books, of which Risala Roohi Sharif is the most
popular and contains the essence of all his teachings. It not only
opens the doors of spiritual world upon its readers but is also a
source of elevation for those seekers of Allah who have been
 8

demoted from their spiritual level. It is the only book by Sultan

Bahoo which is recommended as litany in various mystic orders.
Its magnificent spiritual value owes to the fact that Sultan Bahoo
has written it while being in the state of absolute oneness with
Allah.
Sultan Bahoo writes in his book Ain-ul-Faqr:
 I did not get formal academic education like Prophet
Mohammad. We had the Divine knowledge. The Divine
experiences revealed such inspirational knowledge upon me
inwardly and outwardly that needs a number of books to be
expressed.
This statement shows that Sultan Bahoo probably could not read
or write. That is why, no document or manuscript of any of his
books written by himself is available. Whatever he dictated
verbally, as a result of Divine inspiration, his disciples wrote as
it is. The manuscripts written by the disciples were kept safe by
the descendants of Sultan Bahoo. Though, among 140 of his
books, the manuscripts of most of the books were lost or wasted
with time. Now only thirty-six of his books are available.
Risala Roohi Sharif is translated and published by various people
and publications, both in Urdu and English. The details regarding
its manuscripts and published scripts are given below:

PERSIAN MANUSCRIPTS
1. A manuscript written by Hazrat Ji in1902 AD.
2. A manuscript written by Sultan Noor Ahmed who was the
caretaker of Sultan Bahoo‟s shrine from 1901-1920 AD
(1319-1338 AH). The year of writing is not mentioned. This
script is available in the library of the Persian department of
Government College University, Lahore.
3. A manuscript on which the writer‟s name is not mentioned
but the year of writing is stated as 1383 AH.
 9

4. A manuscript of Risala Roohi Sharif is available in Iran-

Pakistan Institute of Persian Studies. Its script number is
12060. It was written in 1278 AH. Writer‟s name is not
mentioned on the script.
5. Another manuscript is available in this institute which was
written in 1303 AH. Writer‟s name is not mentioned on it. Its
script number is 12473.
 Sultan Altaf Ali, who belongs to the family of Sultan Bahoo,
has mentioned various manuscripts of Risala Roohi Sharif in
his book Mirat-e-Sultani.
 Ahmad Saeed Hamdani has also mentioned four other
manuscripts of Risala Roohi Sharif in his Urdu translation
and exegesis of Risala Roohi Sharif, which he got from
different sources.

PRINTED PERSIAN SCRIPT

A printed script of Risala Roohi Sharif is available in Nuskha-e-
Mutabarika which consists of four books by Sultan Bahoo i.e.
Risala Roohi Sharif, Mohabbat-ul-Asrar, Ganj-ul-Asrar and
Majalisa-tul-Nabi. It was published by Itehad Press Lahore on
the request of Haji Mohammad Siddique who was a book trader
at the shrine of Sultan Bahoo. This script is found from Masood
Jhandir Research Library, Mailsi, Pakistan.
I am truly grateful to my spiritual guide Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen
Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman for providing me these
manuscripts which he got from different sources after much
research and hardwork.
 10

PRINTED PERSIAN SCRIPTS WITH URDU

TRANSLATION
Many printed Persian scripts along with Urdu translations of Risala
Roohi Sharif are available. Some worth mentioning translations
are by:
1. Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman,
first edition published from Lahore in August 2012, second
edition in April 2018, third edition in July 2022.
2. Nizamuddin Multani, published from Multan in 1930.
3. Noor Mohammad Kulachvi. Translation of Risala Roohi
Sharif with Persian script is included in his book Makhzan
al-Asrar, published from Dera Ismail Khan. Date is not
written.
4. Altaf Hussain, published from Lahore in 1983.
5. Doctor K.B Nasim, published from Lahore in 1987.
6. Doctor Sultan Altaf Ali, published from Quetta in 1993.
7. Ahmad Saeed Hamdani, published from Naushehra,
Khushab in1994.
8. Saad Ameer Khan Niazi, published from Chakwal in 1999.
9. Shahid Al-Qadri, published from Gakhar Mandi, date is not
mentioned.
10. Published by Allah Walon Ki Qaumi Dukan from Lahore in
1952.

PRINTED ENGLISH TRANSLATION WITH PERSIAN

SCRIPT
Ahmad Saeed Hamdani has translated Risala Roohi Sharif in
English and has also given the Persian script along with the
translation. He has also discussed a few important topics of
Risala Roohi Sharif.
 11

ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS WITHOUT PERSIAN

SCRIPT
1. Khalifa Shaukat Ali Sarwari
2. Zaheer Abbas Gondal
3. Mr. Qirfiraz Ahmad Siddique (South Africa)
These translations are available on internet but without original
Persian script and are not available in the form of published
books. No proper exegesis of Risala Roohi Sharif is available till
now.
The Persian script of Risala Roohi Sharif in all the mentioned
printed and unprinted materials are the same and I have not
found any worth mentioning dissimilarity in them. Although,
translations are done according to the intellectual level and
spiritual understanding of the translators, hence are different
from each other.
By the grace of Allah, I am having the honour of translating and
explaining this Divine work on the order of my perfect spiritual
guide Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman.
He is the spiritual descendant of Sultan Bahoo and the present
leader of Sarwari Qadri order of Sultan Bahoo. For this English
translation and exegesis I am referring to the same Persian script
of Risala Roohi Sharif which he used for Urdu translation. The
spiritual education and guidance gained from him is all what I
have. I am nothing without his kindness and favour.
Translating and explaining this most important book by Sultan
Bahoo in English is need of the time because English is
internationally used and understood language in this age.
Though, when Sultan Bahoo wrote it, Persian was the most
popular language in the world and most of the knowledge was
transmitted in Persian. With the decline of Muslim Empires in
the world, this language also faced downfall. Afterwards, the
entire knowledge was translated in English but the mystic
 12

knowledge was the least transmitted and translated knowledge,

as neither Muslims nor other nations had much interest in it. The
religion of Muslims was reduced to just superficial aspects of
Islam and they had no attention towards its soul. Hence, were no
more interested in the knowledge of spirituality and mysticism.
Neither did they bother to spread the teachings of their great Sufi
ancestors nor transmitted them to next generations.
Now, the Reviver of Islam, Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman
being a great visionary, has taken the initiative of translating the
mystic knowledge as well as the details about our great Sufi
Saints and their teachings into English. Sufism-The Soul of Islam
and The Spiritual Guides of Sarwari Qadri Order are his
masterpieces. Translation and exegesis of Risala Roohi Sharif is
just another step towards the accomplishment of this mission. If
we want to educate our coming generations about the soul of
Islam and introduce them to their great Sufi ancestors, then it is
essential to translate mystic knowledge in English. Moreover, if
we want to spread the Divine message of our Saints worldwide,
English is the best medium.
I have tried my best to keep this translation and exegesis as
simple as possible so that it can be understood by all. Although it
was indispensable to use some Sufi terms which are not
commonly understood. For the ease of readers, a separate section
of Sufi terminology is given.
I am truly grateful to Sahibzadi Muneeza Najib Sarwari Qadri
and Yasmin Khurshid Malik Sarwari Qadri for reviewing this
book and giving precious suggestions to improve it. I am also
thankful to Sultan Mohammad Ahsan Ali Sarwari Qadri for
formatting the book and incorporating the final corrections.
While doing this translation and exegesis, I continuously sought
inward and outward help from my spiritual guide Sultan-ul-
Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman as well as spiritual
guidance from Sultan Bahoo. May Allah grant me His favour to
 13

convey the true spirit behind this Divine message. May Allah
also make this book a source of persuading common Muslims to
travel the path of righteousness and opt Faqr-the Divine path to
reach close to Allah, have His vision and gain presence in the
Mohammadan Assembly. Ameen
Lahore Ambreen Moghees Sarwari Qadri
July, 2023 M.A. Mass Communication
University of The Punjab
 FOREWORD

Risala Roohi Sharif is a very concise and subtle treatise, an

ocean in a drop, consisting of each word based on truth on the
Divine subject of Faqr. In fact, it is a masterpiece of the
masterpieces of Sultan Bahoo, the fifth Sultan-ul-Faqr. He has
written it in the state of oneness with Allah at the station of
HaHooiyat (the realm of Incomparable and Unknowable). This
book is all about his exploration of the Divine experiences,
revelations, the hidden secrets of Faqr, which, for the first time
any Saint endeavoured to write and made public. The Divine
secrets which were never disclosed are now unfolded by the
sacred author. Sultan Bahoo, because of his grand status of being
the Beloved of Allah, converses with Allah, relates the
knowledge of Allah and unfolds the secrets of Allah.
The book talks about the Essence (Zaat) of Allah that was
concealed in the realm of Incomparable and Unknowable. An
intense passion to be recognized aroused in Him. The desire
revealed so intensely that the Saints called it Ishq (ardent Divine
love) which is the base of creation. Ishq is His first theophany that
manifested in the form of light of Ahmad. The light of Ahad
concealed in the veil of „M‟ of Ahmad, manifested Himself as
Ahmad and from him manifested the seven Sultan-ul-Faqr souls.
Risala Roohi Sharif is in fact the real story of the creation of man
and his relationship with Allah as He says, “Man is My secret
and I am his secret.” Sultan Bahoo describes the purpose of
creation and the six steps of Divine descent which include the
journey of soul from spiritual realms to the physical world. He
also relates about the Universal Divine Man who is
comprehensive of all the levels and the perfect manifestation of
Allah.
 15

Sultan Bahoo tells about his pledging allegiance at the sacred

hand of the Holy Prophet in Mohammadan Assembly where he
met his sacred Family, was blessed by them and honoured with
the titles of Mustafa Sani and Mujtaba Akhir Zamani by the
Holy Prophet.
The author himself speaks of the book that if it is considered
amongst the signs of Divine command and is called revelation
from Allah then it is correct. God forbid! If somebody considers
it as the word of a human. No doubt, it is Divine. It serves as a
guide for those who have not yet found the perfect spiritual
guide and also reinstates those who have been demoted from
their spiritual level. In short, this book deals with the elevation of
the soul. The seekers of Allah can achieve a lot many spiritual
benefits from it.
After a short introduction of Risala Roohi Sharif, I dare to write
some words in the honour of my sacred spiritual guide Sultan-ul-
Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman who is the
spiritual descendant of Sultan Bahoo and the present Shaikh of
his Sarwari Qadri order. He is the author of several books on
Sufism which he has written for spreading the teachings of Faqr
and the enlightenment of seekers of Allah. His books are a
beacon to show people the path of Allah in this world of
bafflement. He is also a torch-bearer in the world of confusion
among sects and groups of Muslim umma. In clear words, he is
the Universal Divine Man (al-Insan al-Kamil) of the present era.
His books like Shams-ul-Fuqara, Mujtaba Akhir Zamani,
Haqeeqat-e-Mohammadia and many more are a precious gift for
the seekers of Allah.
The present book, which is the interpretation and exegesis of
Risala Roohi Sharif, is the best ever attempt in English language
among the spiritual works undertaken on the writings of the great
Saint Sultan Bahoo. This effort is done by my dear companion
and Sarwari Qadri sister Mrs. Ambreen Moghees who took the
 16

high responsibility of interpreting and then elaborating the

details of Risala Roohi Sharif on the command of our spiritual
guide Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman. Due to his spiritual
influence and valuable instructions, she has been successful in
writing such a beautiful piece of mystic literature upon the
marvellous and inspirational book of Sultan Bahoo which
contains profound statements and words that could be explained
in a huge length only by such a spiritually enlightened writer
accompanied by the guidance of her perfect spiritual guide. She
has full command on four languages i.e. English, Urdu, Punjabi
and Persian, and she knows the Arabic language as well. She has
translated Imam Husayn‟s book Mirat-ul-Arifeen into Urdu from
Arabic and has also done its exegesis which was hard to
understand and explain but she did that too with a great detail
under the guidance of our honourable spiritual guide. She is also
translating Sultan Bahoo‟s other books from Persian to English.
The exegetist has also shared with me in writing the English
versions of books by our spiritual guide, Shams-ul-Fuqara and
Mujtaba Akhir Zamani with the titles Sufism-The Soul of Islam
and The Spiritual Guides of Sarwari Qadri Order, respectively.
She is very capable and has the great ability to receive as much
beneficence from our respected spiritual guide as no one else can
among our female fellow disciples. Due to her talents she was
chosen for the great task and has fulfilled the required purpose of
conveying the Divine message very well.
Hence, the details of the spiritual elevation, descent and ascent of
the soul, the description of Mohammadan Reality which was the
outcome of intense Divine passion, the revelation of seven
Sultan-ul-Faqr souls, the marvels of Universal Divine Man, the
author‟s spiritual experiences and his presence in Mohammadan
Assembly, the explanation of spiritual levels, rather each and
every word of Risala Roohi Sharif she interpreted and elaborated
with such an ease that only she has the knack of doing such a
 17

great job. She proceeds in sequels, taking the Persian paragraphs

one by one, interpreting and giving their explanation exactly as
Sultan Bahoo has proceeded stage to stage in his book. She
explains every concept to the satisfaction of the reader. The most
beautiful line which impressed me is, “The title implies that this
subtle inspirational treatise is revealed by the Soul upon a sacred
soul for the elevation of pure souls.” Although, every line is
beautiful but some of them touch the heart and soul.
She proves every point with references from the Holy Quran,
Hadiths and books of the Saints like Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani,
Ibn Arabi, Ibrahim Al-Jili, Al-Ghazali, Rumi, Bulleh Shah,
Allama Iqbal and Sultan Bahoo‟s other books which makes it an
authentic piece of mystic writing. The description of Divine love
and its joy, the intensity of relationship between the Divine lover
and the Beloved never lets even an ordinary reader lose interest
and he goes on and on to know all about it. It is not only an
exegesis but also an analysis. The writer seems an analyst at
times. She is able to read between the lines and tells the
underlying meanings with expertise. How effectively she explains
the details of Divine Trust which was presented to everything of
the universe but they refused and man took up the great
responsibility.
As regards her diction, she explains in appropriate words but at
times she uses complex words according to the elevation of the
description. Her style is convincing and mature following her
sacred spiritual guide‟s writing style. The book includes a
separate section of terminology, citations and bibliography too.
I will conclude my words saying that this book will prove to be a
milestone in the realm of Faqr or Sufism and a blessing for the
seekers of Allah.
Yasmin Khurshid Malik Sarwari Qadri
M.A English Literature, E.L.T
University of The Punjab
 SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF
SULTAN BAHOO

Sultan Bahoo was born on Thursday, 1st of Jumada ath-thani in

1039 AH (17 January, 1630 AD) at dawn, in the reign of Mughal
Emperor Shah Jahan in Shorkot, District Jhang, Pakistan (then
India). He belonged to the Awan tribe of the progeny of Ali ibn
Abi Talib. Awans are Ali‟s children from wives other than
Fatimah bint Mohammad. Sultan Bahoo‟s father Bazayd
Mohammad was a soldier by profession and a titleholder in Shah
Jahan‟s army. His mother, Bibi Rasti was a Saint. She was
spiritually informed of Sultan Bahoo‟s grandeur and spiritual
status before his birth and according to his status of annihilation
in Hoo1, his name Bahoo (one with Hoo‫ )ھو‬was revealed to her.
Sultan Bahoo says:

‫اہند‬ ُؒ
‫ابھو‬ ‫امدر‬ ُؒ
‫ابھو‬ ‫انل‬

‫اہند‬ ‫ُھو‬ ‫اب‬ ‫دایمئ‬ ُؒ

‫ابھو‬ ‫زاہکن‬
Explanation: Bahoo‟s mother named him Bahoo because Bahoo
has always remained with Hoo‫ھو‬.
Sultan Bahoo was a Saint by birth. He remained engrossed in
heavenly experiences and doubtless revelations from his early
age. Sultan Bahoo gained his early mystic education from his
mother. A non-Muslim would immediately recite shahada and
accept Islam if his eyes fell upon the luminous face of Sultan
Bahoo, such was the intensity of Divine theophanies radiating
from him.

1
The Divine Essence
 19

Sultan Bahoo states in his books, “I searched for a spiritual guide

for thirty years but in vain.” It was because he already held such
elevated levels of Faqr where access of anyone is extremely
arduous. Sultan Bahoo relates one of his revelations in his books
that one day, engrossed in Allah‟s vision, he was wandering in
the suburbs of Shorkot when Ali ibn Abi Talib came and took
him to the Mohammadan Assembly where People of the Cloak
and Rashidun Caliphs were also present. There, Sultan Bahoo
took oath of allegiance at the sacred hand of Prophet
Mohammad. Then the Holy Prophet entrusted Sultan Bahoo to
Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani for further spiritual guidance. That is
why, Sultan Bahoo always refers Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani as
his spiritual guide in his books. He says, “When Ghawth al-
Azam Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani blessed me spiritually, I
surpassed all the spiritual levels from eternal beginning till the
eternal end.” Afterwards, following the orders of Shaikh Abdul
Qadir Jilani, Sultan Bahoo took oath of allegiance at the hand of
Shaikh Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi who entrusted the Divine
Trust of Faqr to Sultan Bahoo in a single meeting.
The splendour of Sultan Bahoo is beyond anyone‟s speculation.
He is blessed with the extremities of Faqr and stationed at the
status of Sultan-ul-Faqr V. He says, “Since the eternal
benevolence has graced me with grandeur, Prophet Mohammad
sall’Allahu alayhi wa’alihi wasallam has ordered me to guide
everyone, Muslim or non-Muslim, fortunate or unfortunate, dead
or alive and he has titled me Mustafa Sani and Mujtaba Akhir
Zamani with his pearl divulging tongue.” (Risala Roohi Sharif)
The spiritual order of Sultan Bahoo is Sarwari Qadri order.
Qadri order reaches up till Prophet Mohammad through Shaikh
Abdul Qadir Jilani. There are two offshoots of Qadri order;
Zahidi Qadri and Sarwari Qadri. Sultan Bahoo declares only
Sarwari Qadri order the proper and real Qadri order. He says:
 20

 Qadri order has two offshoots; Sarwari Qadri and Zahidi

Qadri. Sarwari Qadri spiritual guide has perfect command
over contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat. When he blesses the
seeker with the spiritual education and Divine guidance
through Ism-e-Allah Zaat, he grants him the status equal to
his own on the very first day. The seeker becomes indifferent
and independent of all the needs, his attention remains
focused only on the Truth. Hence, gold and soil become
equal for him. On the contrary, the follower of Zahidi Qadri
order has to devote at least twelve years to very hard mystic
struggles, so much so that his stomach remains empty. After
twelve years he becomes eligible to be presented before
Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani and attains the status of a
majdhub devotee while the status of a Sarwari Qadri is that
of a beloved devotee. (Kaleed-ul-Tauheed Kalan)
He describes the status of Sarwari Qadri spiritual guide and
devotees in these words:
 What is the initial level in Sarwari Qadri order? It is that the
perfect Qadri spiritual guide drowns the true seeker of Allah
in Divine light of gnosis and grants him presence of
Mohammadan Assembly just by his glance, the contemplation
of Ism-e-Allah Zaat, the invocation of shahada or by his
spiritual attention. This is the first day lesson of Qadri
followers. The guide who neither knows this lesson nor takes
his disciples to the holy assembly is not the perfect Qadri
spiritual guide. His state of ecstasy is just his vain thought.
The true Qadri disciples are eternally drowned in the Divine
light of gnosis and union with Allah. (Kaleed-ul-Tauheed Kalan)
Sultan Bahoo himself holds this status. He says:
‫ز ادتبا ات ااہتن کی دل ربل‬ ‫رہ ہک اطبلِ قح وبد نم احرضل‬
‫ات راسمن رو ِز ا ّوك ابدخا‬ !‫اطبل ایب! اطبل ایب! اطبل ایب‬
 21

Explanation: For every true seeker of Allah I render my

guidance. I can take him from the initial stage of the spiritual
journey to the final and supreme level in just a moment. Come to
me! Come to me! Come to me O seeker of Allah! I can take you
to Allah on the very first day. (Risala Roohi Sharif)
Sultan Bahoo could not receive formal academic education
because he was ever absorbed in the deep ocean of Divine Unity,
even then he has authored 140 books. All of his books are in
Persian except the collection of his poetry which is in the form of
Punjabi quatrains.
Sultan Bahoo‟s books are masterpiece of Divine knowledge. He
proclaims that if anyone could not find a spiritual guide, his
books will prove to be a medium for him to reach the perfect
Sarwari Qadri spiritual guide who will take him to Allah.
Sultan Bahoo‟s writing style is very simple and easy to
understand even for a less educated person. However, at some
places where he mentions the Divine secrets, his diction becomes
complicated. Nevertheless, his writings are so persuasive and
influential that they envelop the reader completely. If his books
are read respectfully after ablution, an ocean of spiritual
beneficence pours down to the reader. If the reader continues
reading them with complete faith and true intention, he will be
guided towards the perfect Sarwari Qadri spiritual guide who is
the real spiritual successor of Sultan Bahoo in the contemporary
age.
Urdu translations of Sultan Bahoo‟s following books are
available in the market:
(1) Abyat-e-Bahoo (Punjabi poetry) (2) Divan-e-Bahoo (Persian
poetry) (3) Ain-ul-Faqr (4) Majalisa-tul-Nabi (5) Kaleed-ul-
Tauheed (Kalan) (6) Kaleed-ul-Tauheed (Khurd) (7) Shams-ul-
Arifeen (8) Ameer-ul-Kaunain (9)Taigh-e-Barhana (10) Risala
Roohi Sharif (11) Ganj-ul-Asrar (12) Mehak-ul-Faqr (Khurd)
 22

(13) Mehak-ul-Faqr (Kalan) (14) Asrar-e-Qadri (15) Aurang

Shahi (16) Jamay-ul-Asrar (17) Aqal-e-Baydar (18) Fazal-ul-
Liqa (Khurd) (19) Fazal-ul-Liqa (Kalan) (20) Miftah-ul-Arifeen
(21) Nur-ul-Huda (Khurd) (22) Nur-ul-Huda (Kalan) (23)
Taufeeq-ul-Hidayat (24) Qurb-e-Deedar (25) Ain-ul-Arifeen
(26) Kaleed-e-Jannat (27) Mohkim-ul-Fuqara (28) Sultan-ul-
Waham (29) Deedar Bakhsh (Kalan) (30) Deedar Bakhsh
(Khurd) (31) Kashf-ul-Asrar (32) Mohabbat-ul-Asrar (this book
is also known as Tarfa-tul-Ain) (33) Saif-ur-Rehman (34)
Talmeez-ur-Rehman (35) Ganj-e-Deen.
Among these, following books have been published in English
by Sultan-ul-Faqr Publications:
1. Kashf-ul-Asrar (2015)
2. Ganj-ul-Asrar (2015)
3. Shams-ul-Arifeen (2016)
4. Sultan-ul-Waham (2016)
5. Ain-ul-Faqr (2016)
6. Ameer-ul-Kaunain (2017)
7. Mohkim-ul-Fuqara (2017)
8. Kaleed-ul-Tauheed (Kalan) (2017)
9. Qurb-e-Deedar (2018)
10. Nur-ul-Huda (Kalan) (2019)
11. Nur-ul-Huda (Khurd) (2021)
12. Ganj-e-Deen (2021)
13. Talmeez-ur-Rehman (2021)
14. Ain-ul-Arifeen (2021)
15. Aqal-e-Baydar (2023)
16. Kaleed-ul-Tauheed (Khurd) (2023)
17. Taigh-e-Barhana (2023)
Sultan Bahoo has not used the conventional terms of Sufism or
Mysticism for his teachings, rather he calls them „Faqr‟. Faqr is
the spiritual way which leads to the Divine knowledge and vision
of Allah. In all his books, he lays emphasis on acquiring Faqr
 23

under the guidance of a Sarwari Qadri spiritual guide. He

declares the invocation and contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat
the key to ultimate sanctity and purgation of soul after which the
soul is blessed with the vision of Allah and presence in the
Mohammadan Assembly which are the most elevated spiritual
stations.
Sultan Bahoo says in his books that despite all his efforts he
could not find a truly capable seeker of Allah to whom he could
entrust the Divine Trust of Faqr for the future guidance of
seekers. Hence, on the 1st of Jumada ath-thani in 1102 AH (1st
March, 1691 AD) he passed away without transferring the Trust
to anyone. Afterwards Sultan Bahoo entrusted it spiritually to
Sayyid Mohammad Abdullah Shah Madni Jilani. The shrine of
Sultan Bahoo is in Jhang, Pakistan. His death anniversary is held
on the first Thursday of Jumada ath-thani. 2
After Sultan Bahoo, the Sarwari Qadri order is continued as:
 Sultan-ul-Tarikeen Sultan Sayyid Mohammad Abdullah
Shah Madni Jilani
 Sultan-ul-Sabireen Sultan Pir Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor
Shah Hashmi Qureshi
 Shahbaz-e-Arifaan Sultan Pir Sayyid Mohammad Bahadur
Ali Shah Kazmi al-Mashhadi
 Sultan-ul-Auliya Sultan Mohammad Abdul Aziz
 Sultan-ul-Faqr VI Sultan Mohammad Asghar Ali
 Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman

2
To read complete biography and teachings of Sultan Bahoo study the books SHAMS-UL-
FUQARA and MUJTABA AKHIR ZAMANI written by Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan
Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman, or their English versions titled as SUFISM-THE SOUL
OF ISLAM and THE SPIRITUAL GUIDES OF SARWARI QADRI ORDER respectively.
His complete biography is also compiled by Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman by the
title SULTAN BAHOO in Urdu as well as English.
 INTRODUCTION TO
RISALA ROOHI SHARIF

According to the Sufi terminology „Mystic‟ (Arif) is the one who

worships Allah while seeing Him i.e. the one who is blessed with
the vision and closeness of Allah. The Mystic who has found
eternal union with Allah and has become immortal with Him
after completely annihilating in Him, is called Arif Billah. He is
one with Allah and His absolute manifestation in this material
world. He is also titled as the Universal Divine Man (al-Insan al-
Kamil) or the perfect Fakir. Becoming one with Allah is the
highest spiritual status. To attain this level a Mystic has to pass
through innumerable spiritual states and levels which are not, in
any case, known to common people, neither worldly knowledge
is enough to reach this level. No one can become true Mystic
merely by reading books on mysticism. One has to join the path
of Faqr, pledge allegiance to the perfect spiritual guide of
Sarwari Qadri order and pass all the spiritual stages under his
guidance and supervision with pure intention to have ultimate
closeness of Allah. So, spirituality or mysticism is an entirely
different world. Unless one covers all its waystations and
becomes a Mystic himself, he or she cannot understand what the
other Mystic is saying and what inner meanings are hidden in his
words. Sultan Bahoo himself says:

‫ ایک اجےن اسفنین ُھو‬،‫اعرف ِِدی لگ اعرف اجےن‬

Explanation: Only a Mystic can understand the words of other
Mystic. Common people who are captured in the clutches of
inciting self cannot comprehend their true meanings.
Translation and exegesis of Sultan Bahoo's books cannot be
properly done unless one has got spiritually linked with him after
covering numerous spiritual stages. Risala Roohi Sharif is
 25

considered as the essence of all his writings, so it requires more

of spiritual understanding which is miraculously provided by this
treatise itself to those who truly and sincerely seek it.
Sultan Bahoo is the Sultan of Mystics and stationed at the
ultimate spiritual rank of oneness with Allah i.e. the Sultan-ul-
Faqr. This absolute oneness makes all his words Divine, as he
himself says about Risala Roohi Sharif, “If this book is
considered amongst the signs of Divine command, it is perfectly
true, and if it is called revelation from Allah then this is correct
as well. God forbid! If someone thinks this exquisite piece of
writing as words of a human, undoubtedly it is Divine.” Thus,
his words have Divine effect on pure inwards. They purify and
enlighten the soul of the reader and provide him the clarity of
mind to understand the spirit of the words. It is also important to
know that every seeker understands his writings according to his
own level. The seeker at initial spiritual level will absorb the
message according to his capacity. As his level keeps on
elevating, his capability to understand the actual message will
also increase. Whenever he reads Sultan Bahoo‟s books, he will
find new and deeper meanings from the same line.
Risala Roohi Sharif is a wonderful prose written beautifully in a
poetic style. Its each and every word contains myriads of
meanings which need volumes to elaborate them fully. Exegesis
done here is just a humble effort to explain this Divine book.

ABOUT THE TITLE

The title “Risala Roohi Sharif” has its own significance. Risala
is an Arabic word basically used for a treatise, pamphlet or
booklet. In dictionary it is also translated as a written message,
letter or an epistle. Both meanings are suitable here because
Risala Roohi Sharif is the smallest book by Sultan Bahoo and is
the written message from Divinity.
 26

Rooh is an Arabic word for soul. The title implies that this subtle
inspirational treatise is revealed by the Soul upon a sacred soul
for the elevation of pure souls. It is a message of Soul for the
souls. In the Quran, Allah has owned the Soul which was
breathed into the body of Adam. He says:
ُ َ ََ ّٰ َ ُ
(32:9)‫ىہ َق نفخ فِ ۡی ِہ ِم ۡن ّر ۡق ِحہ‬
ُ ‫ ث ّم َس ّو‬
Meaning: Then He fashioned him (Adam) and breathed into him
of His Soul. (32:9)
َ ََ
)51:92( ‫حِی فق ُعوۡا ل ٗہ ّٰس ِج ِدیۡ َن‬
ُ ُ ۡ ََ ُ َ َ َ
ۡ ‫ ف ِاذا َس ّویۡت ٗہ َق نفخت فِ ۡی ِہ ِم ۡن ّر ۡق‬
Meaning: So, when I have fashioned him and breathed into him
(Adam) My Soul, then fall you down before him in prostration.
(15:29)

The angels were ordered to prostrate before Adam because the

material body of Adam contained the Soul of Allah. This proves
that the reality of Adam is the Soul of Allah. Material body is
just a cover for it. This is the reason why soul is always attracted
towards Allah, as He is its origin and the terminus.
َ ۤ َّ ّّٰ َ ّ
)9 :516( ‫ ِانا لِل ِہ َق ِانا ِال ۡی ِہ ّٰر ِج ُعوۡ َـ‬
Meaning: Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.
(2:156)

Mystics compare the relation of soul with Allah as that of a wave

to an ocean. The wave which returns and annihilates in the
ocean, finds eternal union and becomes ocean itself. This is the
state of the pure souls of Saints and Friends of Allah.
The Soul of Allah that is the purest is called the Divine Soul (ar-
rooh al-qudsi). This Soul is hidden within the being of every
human. Only because of the presence of this Soul, humans are
considered the best creation. Divine Soul is concealed in three
layers or covers which are like its dresses i.e. the kingly soul (ar-
rooh as-sultani), the celestial soul (ar-rooh an-nurani) and the
 27

soul directly related to physical body or the bestial soul (ar-rooh

al-jismani). These three layers have their own peculiar
characteristics and importance in the body.
The bestial soul is assimilated in the flesh, bones and blood of
the humans. It is also present in the animals. It keeps the body
moving and all the systems of the body running. It is associated
with the material world so it possesses all the qualities which a
body needs to survive in this world. Feelings of hunger, thirst,
sleep, tiredness etc. are associated with it. It also possesses the
bestial characteristics like lust, greed, anger, vice, malice etc. It
is always attracted towards this material world and keeps a
person trapped in worldliness by creating more and more carnal
desires in him. Thus, he only wishes to progress in the physical
world and never tries to strengthen his spiritual relationship with
Allah. The inciting self that provokes a person to commit sins, is
related with the bestial soul. The medical science has approach
to this soul only. Its withdrawal from the cells of human body is
called physical death.
The second layer, celestial soul is associated with angelic realm.
This soul is attracted towards excessive worship, recitals, fasts
and other religious exercises in order to achieve higher ranks in
the hereafter and a better place in the heaven. Since it is closer to
the bestial soul, it has impact of bestial qualities and is still not
free from the clutches of material world and its desires. Though,
it attracts a person towards devotions, yet the reason behind this
attraction is not the pure love of Allah but the love of this world
or hereafter. That is to say, a person worships either for the
solution of his worldly problems or to get more of worldly
luxuries or for the pleasures of hereafter. The second and
improved level of self, the repenting self, is related with this soul.
Characteristic of repenting self is that it regrets after committing
sin.
 28

The third layer, kingly soul is associated with the realm of

power. This is the soul which is blessed with Divine love. It
urges and struggles to reach close to Allah and have His vision.
It is away from the desires of world and hereafter. This is the
soul which connects man with Allah. The third level of self, the
inspiring self which warns through inspiration and prevents a
person from committing sin, is related with this soul.
When, after purgation, a person gets rid of bestial characteristics
and worldly desires aroused by the bestial soul, this soul is
annihilated in the celestial soul. In other words, the celestial soul
dominates the bestial soul. When a person gets rid of the desires
of hereafter as well and starts loving Allah truly abandoning all
other pleasures for His sake, the celestial soul gets annihilated in
the kingly soul. The kingly soul then travels spiritually towards
Allah to have His vision and union. To reach this destination a
person essentially needs guidance of the perfect spiritual guide
who is well aware of the ups and downs and the obstacles of
spiritual path as well as the ways to cross them. Without his
guidance, travelling this path is impossible. Intensity of Divine
love annihilates the kingly soul in the ultimate Divine Soul.
Hence, the Divine Soul manifests in the being of a person, that is
to say, its attributes dominate the attributes of the other three
layers. The fourth and purest form of self, the peaceful self that
never inclines towards sins, is associated with this Soul. This
level is specific for the Prophets and Saints.
The realm of Divinity is the home of Divine Soul, here the soul
possesses all the Divine powers and attributes. Only it can have
the vision and union of Allah due to its purity and subtlety. It is
origin of the souls of all the humans and the final destination as
well. Those who do not travel the path of Faqr under the
guidance of perfect spiritual guide with an intense desire to have
vision and union of Allah, remain deprived of finding the eternal
peace and pleasure of reaching the destination. Shaikh Abdul
 29

Qadir Jilani has beautifully summarized the relation of soul with

Allah in his book Sirr al-Asrar as below:
 Allah created the human soul in the realm of Divinity from
Mohammadan soul (Divine Soul) in beautiful form and
named it as human being. The very realm of Divinity is his
real homeland. When four thousand years after the creation
of human soul had passed, Allah created Throne with the
light of the sacred eye of the Holy Prophet and from the
Throne created the rest of universe. All the souls were then
sent to the lowest part of the universe, the realm of bodies as
Allah says:
َۡ َ َ ّٰ َُ
َ ‫ ث ّم َر َد ۡدن ُہ ا ۡسف‬
(95:5) ‫ل ّٰس ِف ِلیس‬
Meaning: Then We returned him to the lowest state of the
low. (95:5)
It means, first of all the Divine Soul descended to the realm
of power from the realm of Divinity. Between the universe
of Command and the universe of creation, the Divine Soul
was clothed with light of the realm of power and was titled
„kingly soul‟. Then the Divine Soul was sent to the angelic
realm where it was dressed in the celestial light of angelic
realm and was called „celestial soul‟. Then from the angelic
realm it was descended to the realm of bodies, the physical
world, where it was clothed in the bestial soul. Then the
bodies for the souls were created as Allah says:
ُۡ ً َ ُ ُۡ ۡ ُُ ُ ُ ّٰ ۡ َ َ ۡ
َ ‫ ِمن َہا خلقنک ۡم َق فِ ۡی َہا ن ِع ۡیدک ۡم َق ِمن َہا نظر ُجک ۡم ت‬
(20:55)﴾﴿‫ارۃ اؼ ّٰری‬ ِ
Meaning: We created you from this (very soil of the earth)
and We shall return you into the same and shall bring you
forth from the very same once more. (20:55)
Then Allah commanded the souls to enter the bodies and
they followed. Allah says:
 30

ُ ُ ۡ ََ
ۡ ‫ َق نفخت فِ ۡی ِہ ِم ۡن ّر ۡق‬
(15:29)‫حِی‬
Meaning: And breathed into him (Adam) My Soul. (15:29)
When the relationship of souls and bodies was established,
they forgot the promise which they made to Allah on the day
of Divine covenant in the reply of “Am I not your Lord?” by
saying, “Yes! You are.” Hence they forgot their real and
original homeland (the realm of Divinity). Allah helped them
out of His compassion by sending upon them the heavenly
Books so that they may remember their original homeland,
as Allah says:
ّّٰ ّٰ َ ُ ّ َ
ّ ۡ ۡ َ
(14:5)‫ىم الل ِہ‬
ِ ‫ ق ذؽِرھم ِبای‬
Meaning: And remind them of the days of Allah. (14:5)
It means the days which their souls spent in the nearness of
Allah. Thus all the Prophets came in the world and returned
making them recall their covenant. (Sirr al-Asrar)
Risala Roohi Sharif is also an effort by a great Saint to make the
human souls recall their relationship with Allah and also
suggests the medium to strengthen it. It addresses all the four
levels of soul and is also a source to elevate the bestial soul to
Divine Soul.
The word Sharif literally means „noble‟ and it refers to holiness.
In the sub-continent it is a tradition to use the word Sharif as a
suffix with the names of sacred places or things. It shows respect
and devotion for that holy place or thing. Such as, Majeed,
Kareem or Sharif are used with „Quran‟ to highlight its holiness.
Risala Roohi is the message of Allah through His beloved Saint
Sultan Bahoo. Its each and every word contains light of Allah
which purifies the rusty and filthy souls. Hence, to highlight its
holiness the word „Sharif‟ is added to it.
 31

MAIN CONTENTS
In Risala Roohi Sharif, Sultan Bahoo has revealed myriads of
spiritual secrets, specifically the status of seven Sultan-ul-Faqr
souls. He has also discussed his own level of oneness with Allah.
Seven main points are the gist of the book which are discussed
topic wise:
1. Reason of creation and seven steps of Divine descent, based
upon the Qudsi Hadith:
َْْ َْ َ َ ُْ َ ُ ََ ْ ًَْ ُْ
‫ کن ُت کنزا َمخ ِف ًیا فا َر ْدة ا ْـ اع َر َػ فخلق ُت الخل َق‬
Meaning: I was a hidden Treasure, I intended to be
recognized so I created the creation.
2. Manifestation of light of Allah in the form of light of
Ahmad.
3. Introduction of seven Sultan-ul-Faqr souls.
4. Spiritual status of Sultan Bahoo.
5. Description of sublimity of Risala Roohi Sharif and its
spiritual impact on the readers.
6. Short account of presence of Sultan Bahoo in Mohammadan
Assembly and getting titles of Mujtaba Akhir Zamani and
Mustafa Sani from the Holy Prophet.
7. A piece of conversation between Allah and His beloved
Sultan Bahoo at the ultimate station of Incomparable and
Unknowable realm.
The original Persian script of Risala Roohi Sharif is given at the
end of the book.
 ENGLISH TRANSLATION

In the Name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.

Allah be glorified! He is the Sustainer of all the worlds. Peaceful
end is for the pious ones. Blessings and salutations upon Allah‟s
Beloved Prophet Mohammad sall’Allahu alayhi wa’alihi
wasallam, his sacred progeny, esteemed Companions and People
of the Cloak.
My dear! May Allah keep you steadfast upon the right path in
both the worlds. Allah says:
َْْ َْ َ َ ُْ َ ُ ََ ْ ًَْ ُْ
‫ کن ُت کنزا َمخ ِف ًیا فا َر ْدة ا ْـ اع َر َػ فخلق ُت الخل َق‬
Transliteration: Kunto Kanzan Makhfiyan Fa Aradtu Un O'rafa
Fa Khalaqtul Khalq.
Meaning: I was a hidden Treasure, I intended to be recognized so
I created the creation.
ُْ
You must know that in this Qudsi Hadith Kunto (‫ کن ُت‬meaning „I
was‟) refers to the Incomparable and Unknowable realm (alam
ًَْ
al-HaHooiyat). Kanzan (‫ کنزا‬meaning „Treasure‟) refers to the
ْ
realm of First Manifestation (alam al-YaHoot). Makhfiyan (‫َمخ ِف ًیا‬
meaning „hidden‟) refers to the realm of Divinity (alam al-LaHoot).
ُ ََ
Fa Aradtu (‫ فا َر ْدة‬meaning „I intended‟) refers to the angelic realm
ُْ َ
(alam al-malakut). Un O'rafa (‫ ا ْـ اع َرػ‬meaning „to be recognized‟)
refers to the realm of power (alam al-jabarut). Fa Khalaqtul
َْْ َََْ
Khalq (‫ فخلق ُت الخل َق‬meaning „so I created the creation‟) refers to
the physical world (alam an-nasut). The Divine Essence
 33

completely manifested in the entity (Universal Divine Man) who

is the fount and eye of the Reality of His Incomparable and
Unknowable Essence.
Allah-The Ishq, adorned the Throne of His kingdom above both
the worlds in the glorious court of His Own magnificence. To
understand the quiddity of the Divine Essence, countless efforts
of wisdom went in vain due to the utmost astonishment about
His pure Being. Allah be glorified! He has manifested the signs
of Divine beauty (Jamal) and Divine majesty (Jalal) of His
perfect Nature through thousands of earthen elemental bodies
which are His perfect manifestation. By making them pure
sanctified mirrors, He is observing His Own beautiful
Countenance. In fact, He is experiencing His Own love. He
Himself is the Sight, the Beholder and the Beheld. He Himself is
the Love, the Lover and the Beloved. If you remove the veil
from yourself, you will observe that only One Entity exists. The
duality (variety of material things) you see is because you lack
spiritual sight.
The author of this treatise is secluded in the Divine sanctuary of
majesty and beauty of the Incomparable and Unknowable
Essence, engrossed in beholding the Absolute Self, blessed by
the Divine favour due to witnessing the Omnipresent and
Worshipped Reality, in the beloved care of “I am the Exalted,
great is my glory” and honoured with great respect, adorned with
the crown of gnosis of absolute Oneness and wrapped in the
sanctified cover of “You are Me and I am you,” entitled as Haq
(truth) by the Truth, the secret of the Divine secrets of Ya-Hoo,
annihilated in Hoo, Fakir Bahoo, belongs to the Awan tribe and
resides in the suburbs of Qila Shore (may Allah keep it safe from
calamities and tribulation). He writes some words to describe the
reality of Faqr which is the station of Incomparable Divine
Essence, and to impart the specific knowledge of the veritable
 34

meanings of Allah‟s words “My compassion encompasses

everything3.”
The Mystic immortal with Allah beholds nothing except Allah
wherever and whatever he sees. He becomes absolutely one with
the One, perishing the traces of his existence and everything
other than Allah.
Know! When the Divine light of Ahad,4 coming out of His
isolated Oneness, intended to manifest Himself in multiplicity,
He graced (all the worlds) with the splendid disclosure of His
pure Divine beauty. Both the realms started burning like a moth
on the candle of His blazing beauty. Then the light of Ahad (‫)احد‬

concealed in the veil of M (‫ )ل‬of Ahmad5 (‫ )احمد‬and manifested

Himself as Ahmad. He then shook Himself seven times due to
the abundance of Divine passion and will, with which seven pure
souls of Fakirs annihilated in Allah, immortal with Him,
absorbed in the contemplation of the Essence, all core without
any flesh or body, drowned in the unfathomed ocean of the
Divine beauty appeared on the eternal tree of pure transparent
belief seventy thousand years before the birth of Adam. Neither
did they see anything except the Divine Essence since pre-
existence till eternity nor did they hear anyone other than Allah.
They ever stayed in the Divine sanctuary in the form of such an
ocean of union which has no decline. At times they endeavour
for sanctity and transcendence with their body of light. At times
they are a drop in the ocean and at times the ocean in a drop.
They are blessed with the cover of beneficence of “When Faqr is
accomplished that is Allah.” Hence, they have got an eternal life
and are honoured and exalted with the crown of “Faqr demands
nothing from Allah or anyone other than Allah.” Neither are they

3
Sura al-A’raf verse 156.
4
Allah‟s attributive name „the One‟.
5
Ahmad is the attributive name of Prophet Mohammad.
 35

aware of the birth of Prophet Adam nor about the occurrence of

the doomsday. They have their steps on the heads of all the
Saints, al-Ghawth and al-Qutb. It is absolutely correct to call
them god, and if they are called men of God, it is fine as well.
This secret is known only to those who recognize them. Their
station is Divine sanctuary of the Magnificent. They never
requested for anything from Allah except Allah Himself. They
never paid any heed towards the petty world or the blessings of
hereafter i.e. the houris and castles of heaven. The sole
theophany that made Prophet Moses perplexed and Mount Sinai
crushed into pieces, the same theophany of passions and lights of
the Essence descend upon them seventy thousand times every
moment yet they do not object or lament. Rather they utter, “Is
there any more?” They are the Sultan-ul-Faqr (Sultan of Faqr)
and the lord of all the worlds.
One of them is the sacred soul of the queen of doomsday
(Fatimah bint Mohammad). Second among them is the sacred
soul of Hasan of Basra. The third soul is our spiritual guide, the
reality of Truth, the absolute light, the exact manifestation of
Truth, the beloved of Allah, Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani. Fourth is
the soul of Sultan of Divine light and secret of the Eternal
Essence, Shaikh Sayyid Abdul Razzaq Jilani son of Shaikh
ُ
Abdul Qadir Jilani. The fifth soul is the eye of Hoo (ْ‫)ھو‬, the

secret of secrets of the Divine Essence, annihilated in Hoo (‫)ھو‬

ُ

Fakir Bahoo. Two among them are the souls of other Mystics.
Both the realms owe their stability to the dignity of these two
sacred souls. Unless these two souls manifest in the world of
diversity coming out of the abode of Oneness, the doomsday will
not occur. Their sight is absolutely the Divine light of Unity and
the alchemy of honour. On whosoever the reflection of their
hidden reality is cast, his whole being is transformed into
 36

absolute light. They do not need to engage their disciples in the

struggle of physical devotions and daily recitals.
Know! The writer of this fine treatise, Fakir who is the absolute
light, has removed all the veils and has become exactly one with
Allah. Allah be glorified! My physical body is just like a subtle
and minor curtain, behind which Allah is revealing thousands of
strange secrets and rare facts. He Himself is the Speech as well
as the Speaker, He is the Writer as well as the Book, He Himself
is the Proof and the Proved, He is the Lover and the Beloved.
If this book is considered amongst the signs of Divine command,
it is perfectly true, and if it is called revelation from Allah then
this is correct as well. God forbid! If someone thinks this
exquisite piece of writing as words of a human, undoubtedly it is
Divine.
If a Saint having spiritual union is dropped from the spiritual
world or from the angelic world being demoted from his rank
and he seeks mediation of this treatise, it will prove to be a
perfect spiritual guide for him. If he does not make it his
mediator, he is liable and if he does then we are responsible to
elevate him back to his status. If a traveller of spiritual path
keeps faith in this book and seeks help from it, I will surely
enlighten him and enliven his soul just on holding the book.

‫ز ادتبا ات ااہتن کی دل ربل‬ ‫رہ ہک اطبلِ قح وبد نم احرضل‬

‫ابدخا‬ ‫ا ّوك‬ ‫رو ِز‬ ‫راسمن‬ ‫ات‬ !‫اطبل ایب! اطبل ایب! اطبل ایب‬
Explanation: For every true seeker of Allah I render my
guidance. I can take him from the initial stage of the spiritual
journey to the final and supreme level in just a moment. Come to
me! Come to me! Come to me O seeker of Allah! I can take you
to Allah on the very first day.
Keep in mind! The perfect Mystic of (Sarwari) Qadri order is
omnipotent and omnipresent. The author of this treatise who is
 37

completely engrossed in the Absolute Incomparable and

Unknowable Essence, says, “Since the eternal benevolence has
graced me with grandeur, Prophet Mohammad sall’Allahu alayhi
wa’alihi wasallam has ordered me to guide everyone, Muslim or
non-Muslim, fortunate or unfortunate, dead or alive and he has
titled me Mustafa Sani and Mujtaba Akhir Zamani with his
pearl divulging tongue.
‫م‬
‫جتب ِی‬ ‫وخادنہ اتس رفزدن امرا‬ ِ‫دتس تعیب رکد امرا طصم‬
‫قلخ را نیقلت نکب رہبِ دخا‬ ِ‫دش ااجزت ابوھؒ را از طصم‬
‫رعمتف ہتشگ اتس رب نم انمجن‬ ؓ‫اخکِِ اپمی از نیسحؓ و از نسح‬
Explanation: I have taken oath of allegiance at the sacred hands
of Prophet Mohammad and he has called me his spiritual son. He
has allowed and ordered me to persuade and guide people on the
path to Allah. I am the dust of feet of Husayn and Hasan. Due to
the favour of these exalted personalities, gnosis has become
Divine assembly for me.
When I reached the ultimate destination of Faqr, the Divine
decree came from the majestic court, “You are My lover.” I
respectfully submitted, “My humble being is incapable of the
love of the Majesty.” Then it was commanded, “You are My
beloved.” On this, I kept quiet. The sheen of ray of Divinity
submerged me into the oceans of Divine engrossment like a mere
particle and the Divine commandment came, “You are exactly
Me and I am exactly you. With respect to the station of reality
you are My Reality and with respect to the station of gnosis you
ُ ُ
are My beloved and the secret of Ya-Hoo (ْ‫ )یَاھو‬lies in Hoo (ْ‫)ھو‬.”
 EXEGESIS

The statement of Risala Roohi Sharif:

ْ ُ َ‫ َکنْ ًزا ی‬،‫اھو ّیَ ْت‬ ُ ‫الد َار ْین۔ ُک ْن ُت َھ‬
َّ ّ ّٰ َ َ َ ْ َ
ّٰ ‫الل ُہ تَ َعال‬
‫ َمخ ِف ًیا‬،‫اھوْة‬ ِ ِ ‫ی‬ ِ ‫ف‬ ‫ی‬ ‫ِبداـ! ارشدؽ‬
‫ ذاة‬،‫اسوْة‬ ُ َ ‫ َف َخ َل ْق ُت ال ْ َخ ْل َق ن‬،‫ اَ ْـ اُ ْع َر َػ َجب َ ُر ْقة‬،‫فاَ َر ْد ّ ُة َم َل ُکوْة‬،‫ة‬
َ ُْ َ
‫لاھو‬
َ ُ َ
‫اھ ِو ّی ْت‬‫حقیقت ھ‬
ِ ِِ ‫رسہمشچٔ ِچشما‬
‫م‬
Meaning: My dear! May Allah keep you steadfast upon the right
path in both the worlds. Allah says:
َْْ َْ َ َ ُْ َ ُ ََ ْ ًَْ ُْ
‫ کن ُت کنزا َمخ ِف ًیا فا َر ْدة ا ْـ اع َر َػ فخلق ُت الخل َق‬
Transliteration: Kunto Kanzan Makhfiyan Fa Aradtu Un O'rafa
Fa Khalaqtul Khalq.
Meaning: I was a hidden Treasure, I intended to be recognized so
I created the creation.
ُْ
You must know that in this Qudsi Hadith Kunto (‫ کن ُت‬meaning „I
was‟) refers to the Incomparable and Unknowable realm (alam
ًَْ
al-HaHooiyat). Kanzan (‫ کنزا‬meaning „Treasure‟) refers to the
ْ
realm of First Manifestation (alam al-YaHoot). Makhfiyan (‫َمخ ِف ًیا‬
meaning „hidden‟) refers to the realm of Divinity (alam al-
ُ ََ
LaHoot). Fa Aradtu (‫ فا َر ْدة‬meaning „I intended‟) refers to the
ُْ َ
angelic realm (alam al-malakut). Un O'rafa (‫ ا ْـ اع َرػ‬meaning „to
be recognized‟) refers to the realm of power (alam al-jabarut).
َْْ َََْ
Fa Khalaqtul Khalq (‫ فخلق ُت الخل َق‬meaning „so I created the
 39

creation‟) refers to the physical world (alam an-nasut). The

Divine Essence completely manifested in the entity (Universal
Divine Man) who is the fount and eye of the Reality of His
Incomparable and Unknowable Essence.

Exegesis: Before conveying the message of Allah, Sultan Bahoo

is praying for the readers that this treatise may become a source
to show them the straight path and keep them steadfast on
righteousness. “Both the worlds” mean the inward and the
outward worlds. Inward of a person is related only with Allah
and outward is related with His creation. The inward straight
path means to have faith only in Allah, to love only Allah, to
trust only Allah and to fear only Allah, that is to say, a person
should be devoted only to Allah inwardly. There is no space for
anyone else in the inward. This is in fact the true meaning of:
ّّٰ َ ّ َ ّٰ َ
ُ‫اللہ‬ ‫ لٓا ِالہ ِالا‬
Meaning: None is worthy of worship but Allah.
Reciting shahada verbally is easy but following it exactly
according to its spirit and conforming our deeds to it is very
difficult. The Holy Prophet said:
َ ْ َ ْ َ ّّٰ َ َ ّّٰ َ ّ ُ َ
‫ قائِلوْ َـ لَٓا ِال ّٰ َہ ِالا الل ُہ ُم َح ّم ٌد ّر ُسوْ ُؾ الل ِہ ک ِثی ًرا ّق ُمخ ِل ُصوْ َـ ق ِل ْیلًا‬
Meaning: There are many who verbally recite shahada “None is
worthy of worship but Allah, Mohammad is the Messenger of
Allah” but only a few are true to their words.
There are two basic requirements for the completion of faith;
declaration of shahada by tongue and verification by heart.
Unless our deeds are in conformation with what we declare
verbally, the second prerequisite i.e. verification by heart with
sincerity is not possible which means our faith is incomplete.
Ibn Arabi says, “Whom you love the most is the one you
worship.” When we worship Allah physically but our inward is
 40

filled with love, fear and desires of others than Allah, then such
worship is impure and hypocritical. Hence, is unacceptable in the
court of Allah. Similarly, the worship which is done with an
intention to solve the worldly problems or to get more worldly
luxuries or pleasures of the hereafter, is also polluted with
personal desires. The worship done due to the fear of hell instead
of the fear of Allah is also not pure. This fact is described in the
Holy Quran in these words:
َ َ َ َّ ََ
ُ ‫ اف َر َءیۡ َت َمن اتخذ ِال ّٰ َـہ ٗہ ھ ّٰو‬
)51:92( ‫ىہ‬ ِ
Meaning: Have you seen him who has made his desire his god.
(45:23)

How could such worships lead one on the straight path to Allah!
The Holy Prophet said:
ْ َ ْ ُ َّ َ
‫ لَا َص ّٰلوۃ ِالا ِب ُحضوْرِ القل ِب‬
Meaning: No salat without the presence of inward.
Thus, the person whose inward is entangled in worldly desires
and relations is not worshipping Allah rather is worshipping
idols of his own desires. The poet of east Allama Iqbal says:

‫ںیم وج رس بشجدہ وہا یھبک وت زںیم ےس ٓاےن یگل دصا‬

‫ ےھجت ایک ےلم اگ امنز ںیم‬،‫ریتا دك وت ےہ منص ٓاانش‬

Explanation: Whenever I prostrated, I heard a voice from the
earth, “Your inward is filled with idols, what would you gain
from your salat which is void of Allah‟s love!”
To keep the inward on straight path, one should worship Allah
purely because He is worthy of worship. He is the One Who is
worth all our love and fear. Had he not created the heaven and
hell even then He deserved to be loved, feared and worshipped.
It is related that one day Rabia of Basra was going with a bowl
 41

of water in one hand and fire on the other. The people asked her
about it. She replied, “I want to burn the heaven with fire and
extinguish the hell with water as these both have engaged people
with themselves and nobody pays attention towards Allah.”
Hence, true Muslim is the one who does not pollute his inward
with the love and desires of things and relations other than Allah.
To adopt righteousness outwardly a person should follow the
sharia and Sunna of the Holy Prophet out of his true love and
with pure intention to please Allah only. He should fulfil all the
obligations and be kind to Allah‟s creation, keeping himself
away from all the vices and undesirable acts.
In the Qudsi Hadith, “I was a hidden Treasure, I intended to be
recognized so I created the creation” Allah clearly states the
reason behind the creation of this universe and the mankind, that
is, He wanted Himself to be recognized. He wished to manifest
His grandeur and desired to be admired for His beauty and
majesty. To admire His beauty, it is essential to have His
closeness and vision. In the Holy Quran Allah says:
ُ َّ ۡ ۡ َ ۡ ُ ََۡ
(51:56)‫ َق َما خلقت ال ِج ّن َق الاِن َس ِالا ل َِی ۡع ُبد ۡق ِـ‬
Meaning: And I created the jinn and human beings solely for My
worship. (51:56)
While explaining this verse of sura al-Dhariyat, Abdullah ibn
Abbas, Companion of the Holy Prophet and the first exegetist of
ُ ُ
Quran, interpreted the Arabic phrase ‫ ل َِی ۡع ُبد ۡق ِـ‬as ‫ ل ِ َی ْعرِفوْ ِـ‬that means
„for My gnosis and recognition.‟
He meant to say that in this verse, „for My worship‟ actually
means „for My gnosis and recognition.‟ Because, true worship is
only possible after His gnosis and recognition.
Hence, gnosis and recognition of Allah is the main purpose
behind the creation of the universe. Especially the mankind,
 42

because, being the best of all the creations, Allah manifested

Himself the most in humans as compared to other creations. That
is why, the closeness to Allah which can be gained by humans
cannot be gained by any other creation, not even the angels.
Allah created the earth and everything in it for mankind but
created the mankind for Himself, for His love, closeness, vision
and recognition. It is documented in ar-Risala tul-Ghausia
which is a record of dialogue between Allah and Shaikh Abdul
Qadir Jilani, that Allah said to him:
ْ ْ ََ َْْ ُ ْ َ َ ْ ْ ُ ْ َْ َْ َ َ
‫اـ۔‬ِ ‫اـ َم ِط ّیۃ الاِن َس‬ِ َ‫ یَا غوْت الاعظ ْم َج َعلت الاِن َساـ َم ِط ّیتِ ْی َق َج َعلت َسائِرِ الاکو‬
َ َ ّ َ ْ ُ َ ْ ْ ُ ْ ُ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ ُ َّ َ ْ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ َ
‫الرَ اک ُِب انا َق‬ ‫ یا غوت الاعظم نِعم الطال ِب انا قنِعم المطلوب الاِنساـ نِعم‬: ‫ققاؾ لِی‬
َْْ َُ ُ ُ ْ ْ ُ ْ ْ ْ ْ ُ ْ ْ ُ ُ ْ ْ
ِ َ‫نِع َم المَ ْرکوْب الاِن َساـ َقنِع َم الرَاک ُِب الاِن َساـ َقنِع َم المَرْ کوْب لہ َسائِرُ الاکو‬
‫اـ‬
Meaning: “O Ghawth al-Azam! I have made man My transport
and made the universe his transport.” He further said, “O
Ghawth al-Azam! How nice is the Seeker I am and how nice is
the man as the desired one! How nice is the Rider I am and how
nice is the ride of man and how nice is the man as a rider who
has such a nice ride, the universe.” (Ar-Risala tul-Ghausia)
Alas! Man gets tangled in the mortal beauty and fake charm of
this world and forgets the main purpose of his creation, thus
remains deprived of the vision of the Divine beauty and the
ultimate contentment of having proximity to his real and eternal
relation, Almighty Allah.
This subtle book is written by Sultan Bahoo while being in the
Incomparable and Unknowable realm where there is nothing but
Allah, which means in this book Allah Himself is majestically
describing the levels of the Divine descent. The magnificence of
Divinity can be felt if the book is read keenly.
No doubt, light of Allah is present in every creation as He is
Omnipresent. In the Qudsi Hadith “I was a hidden Treasure, I
 43

intended to be recognized so I created the creation” Allah

describes how He descended from Oneness to multiplicity and
manifested Himself by concealing in the core of every creation.
Sufis refer every word of the Hadith to a particular step or level
of the Divine descent.
ُ ُْ
1) Kunto (‫ )کنت‬meaning “I was”, is related to the Incomparable

and Unknowable realm (alam al-HaHooiyat) which is also called

the realm of Transcendent Unity (alam al-Ahadiyah). This is the
realm of non-manifestation which is beyond and above all the
realms and stations. Even it cannot be referred to as a „world‟ or
„station‟. Here Allah is alone and hidden in His Own veil. No
one can understand the Essence of Allah at this level. Nothing
related to the creation can reach here as it is the point of non-
creation. Here Allah is as the verse states:
ٌَْ ْ َ َ
)59:55(‫ ل ْی َس ک ِمث ِلہ شی ٔی‬
Meaning: There is nothing like Him. (42:11)
A Hadith about this level is:
ٌ ْ َ ُ َ ّّٰ َ َ ‫ ک‬
)8557 ‫اـ الل ُہ َقل ْم یَک ْن شی ٔی (اخبری‬
Meaning: There was nothing but Allah. (Bukhari 7418)
Neither the Divine Essence nor any of His attributes are yet
revealed or manifested. Here He is called „Hoo‟ by the Mystics
and Sufis instead of „Allah‟ because Allah is the Entity having
different attributes. Allah is the One to be worshipped but He
cannot be worshipped unless there is a worshipper. Similarly, He
is the Merciful but this attribute cannot manifest unless there is
someone to be blessed with His mercy. Same is the case with all
His attributes, they require some „being‟ other than Him on
whom and for whom they could be manifested. Since there is no
creation at this level so His Essence and attributes are hidden in
 44

Himself. Allah has also called Himself as Hoo ( ) in the Holy

Quran:
َّ َ ّ ّّٰ
)12:99( َ‫ ُھوَ الل ُہ ال ِذ ْی لَٓا ِال ّٰ َہ ِالا ُھو‬
ُ
Meaning: He (Hoo ‫ )ھو‬is Allah, besides Whom there is no
God. (59:22)
Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi writes in Tohfa Mursala Sharif
about this level:
 The first stage is undeterminable, beyond implication and is
about His Absoluteness. It does not mean negation of
implication and determinacy rather it means that at this level
Existence is pure of bounds of attributes and even
implications. This is called the level of Transcendent Unity
and it is the secret of Allah, no level is above it rather all are
below. (Tohfa Mursala Sharif)
This level of Divine Absoluteness is unimaginable, unknowable
and unreachable for intellect. Here, Divine descent has not
started yet. It is the world of Ishq as Allah has manifested
Himself here as the power of Ishq. Only Ishq remains and rules
here.
ًَْ
2) Kanzan )‫ )کنزا‬meaning „Treasure‟, is related to the realm of

First Manifestation (alam al-YaHoot), also referred to as the

realm of Divine Solitude (alam al-Wahdah). Here the Divine
Essence Hoo manifested in the form of Mohammadan light. It is
the first step towards Divine descent. Mohammadan light is not a
creation, it is just the first manifestation of light of Allah. In fact,
Mohammadan light is the „Treasure‟ which was hidden in the
Divine Essence and was anxious to manifest. Sultan Bahoo
writes in his book Ain-ul-Faqr about this level:
 45

 When Allah desired (to be recognized), he separated Ism-e-

Allah Zaat from Himself (manifested Himself in the form of
Ism-e-Allah Zaat). From Ism-e-Allah Zaat, the Mohammadan
light manifested. When Allah beheld His reflection in the
mirror of His Oneness in the form of Mohammadan light, He
was fascinated and became fond of Himself and got the titles
of „Lord of the lords‟ and „the beloved of Allah‟ from His
Own Divine court. (Ain-ul-Faqr)
Hence, Mohammadan light is the mirror of Divine Essence. Since
this is the realm of Divine Solitude (alam al-Wahdah), it must be
understood that Mohammadan light and light of Allah are not
two separate entities, rather Mohammadan light is exactly the
light of Allah, as Sultan Bahoo writes:
 Ism-e-Allah Zaat transforms into Ism-e-Mohammad as Allah
says in a Qudsi Hadith:
َْ ََ ََ َْ
‫ ان َت انا َق انا ان َت‬
Meaning: (O Mohammad!) You are Me and I am you.
(Mehak-ul-Faqr Kalan)

This shows that these two names are of the same Divine Entity.
In sura al-Nur Allah has also likened His light with the light of
Mohammad. He says:
َ ّ ُ ۡ ُ ُ ّّٰ َ
ُ ‫الس ّٰم ّٰو ِة َق الۡاَ ۡرض ؕ َم َث ُل نُوۡرف کَم ۡش ّٰکو ٍۃ فِ ۡی َہا م ۡص َب ٌاج ؕ اَلۡم ۡص َب‬
َ ‫اج ف ۡی ُز َج‬
ؕ ‫اج ٍۃ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ اللہ نور‬
ٌّ َ َ َّ َ َ ُ َ َ ُّ َ
)24:35( ‫اجۃ کان َہا کوۡک ٌب ُد ّرِی‬ ‫الزج‬
Meaning: Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth. The
likeness of His light (which is glowing in the world in the form
of Mohammad‟s light) is as a niche-like (sacred breast) wherein
is glowing the lamp (of Prophethood), the lamp is contained in a
crystal globe (the radiant inward of Prophet Mohammad). This
globe is (as dazzlingly bright owing to the reflection of Allah‟s
light) as a glittering star. (24:35)
 46

Thus, the Divine Essence that could not be exemplified with

anything in the Incomparable and Unknowable realm (alam al-
HaHooiyat), can now be likened with the light of Mohammad at
the level of First Manifestation (alam al-YaHoot).
Here Hoo is called „Allah‟ because now there is a being in the
form of Mohammadan light who worships Allah. This level is
called Ya-Hoot because now there is an entity who would
address Hoo as Ya-Hoo (O Hoo).
When Allah saw His Own beautiful reflection in the mirror of
Mohammadan light, He entitled him as His beloved and decided
to create the creation who would praise and glorify His beloved,
as He says:
َ ّ ُ ْ َ َْ ََ َ ََْ
‫الرَبُوْ ِب ّ َیۃ‬ ‫ لولاؽ لما اظہرة‬
Meaning: If it was not for you (O My beloved Mohammad) I
would not have manifested My Lordship.
َ َْ ْ َ َ َ
‫ لَوْلَاؽ لَمَا خلق ُت الْافلَاؽ‬
Meaning: If it was not for you (O My beloved Mohammad) I
would not have created the universe.
In the following Hadiths, the Holy Prophet also states his reality
as the First Manifestation of Allah and the foundation of every
creation:
ُ ّّٰ َ َ ََ
‫ ا ّق ُؾ َما خل َق الل ُہ نوْرِ ْی‬
Meaning: First of all, Allah manifested my light.
ُّ َ ُ َ ّّٰ ُ ّ َ َ
‫ انا ِم ْن نوْرِ الل ِہ ت َعالّٰی َقک ّ ُل خلَائِ ٍق ِّم ْن نوْرِ ْی‬
Meaning: I am from the light of Allah and all the creation is
from my light.
ُّ ُ ْ ْ ّّٰ ُ ّ َ َ
‫ انا ِم ْن نوْرِ الل ِہ َقالمُ ٔو ِمنوْ َـ ِم ْن نوْرِ ْی‬
 47

Meaning: I am from the light of Allah and all the true believers
are from my light.
ّّٰ ْ ُ ّ ْ َ َ
ْ‫الل ِہ َقالْمُ ْٔو ِم ُنوْ َـ ِمنِ ّی‬ ِ‫ انا ِمن نور‬
Meaning: I am from the light of Allah and all the true believers
are from me.
Thus, the realm of First Manifestation is also the origin of true
believers. A true believer (Mumin) is the one who returns to his
origin, the Mohammadan light, after covering all the spiritual
and inward levels.
Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani writes in this regard:
 Allah says:

ْ‫ َخ َلقْ ُت ُر ْق ِج ُم َح ّمَ ٍد ِم ْن نُّوْرِ َق ْج ِھی‬

Meaning: I manifested the soul of Mohammad with the light
of My Face.
As the Prophet himself said:
ّّٰ َ َ َ َ ُ َ ّ َ
ْ ‫الل ُہ ُر ْق‬
‫حِی‬ ‫ اقؾ ما خلق‬
Meaning: First of all, Allah manifested my soul.
ُ ّّٰ َ َ ََ
‫ َق ا ّق ُؾ َما خل َق الل ُہ نوْ رِ ْی‬
Meaning: And first of all Allah manifested my light.
َ َ ْ ّّٰ َ َ ََ
‫ َق ا ّق ُؾ َما خل َق الل ُہ القل َم‬
Meaning: And first of all Allah manifested the Pen.
ْ ْ ّّٰ َ َ ََ
‫ َق ا ّق ُؾ َما خل َق الل ُہ ال َعقل‬
Meaning: And first of all Allah manifested wisdom.
Thus, all the above mentioned mean the same thing and that
is the Mohammadan Reality. It is called Divine light because
 48

the Holy Prophet‟s sacred being is pure of darkness. As

Allah has said:
ٌۡ ُ ّٰ َ ُ ّّٰ ُ
)1:15)﴾﴿ ‫ٓاءک ۡم ِّم َن الل ِہ نوۡ ٌر ّق کِت ٌب ّم ِبیس‬
َۡ
َ ‫ قد َج‬
Meaning: There has indeed come to you a light from Allah
(Prophet Mohammad) and an enlightening Book. (5:15)
The Prophet is called „wisdom‟ because he has the intuition
of the whole knowledge and is called „Pen‟ because he is the
source of transference of entire knowledge as pen is the
source of transmitting information in the world of words.
Hence, the soul of Prophet Mohammad is the epitome of the
whole universe and is its origin and inception. As, the Holy
Prophet himself said:
ّّٰ َ َ َ
ْ‫الل ِہ َقالْمُ ْٔو ِم ُنوْ َـ ِمنِ ّی‬ ‫ انا ِمن‬
Meaning: I am from Allah and all the true believers are from
me. (Sirr al-Asrar)
Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi describes:
 Second stage is the first level of descent where Allah
concisely acknowledges His Essence, attributes and the
entire creation within Him without distinguishing one from
the other. This is the stage of First Manifestation called the
Mohammadan Reality. (Tohfa Mursala Sharif)
ْ
3) Makhfiyan (‫ ) َمخ ِف ًیا‬meaning „Hidden‟ is related to the realm of
Divinity (alam al-LaHoot) and is also called the realm of Divine
Uniqueness (alam al-Wahidiyah). At this level of Divine
descent, the whole universe and all the creation is hidden in
Mohammadan light as a unit and is anxious to manifest itself,
just like whole tree is hidden in the seed and appears in the world
after a particular process. This level is the beginning of that
process. At this level the soul of Mohammad manifested from the
 49

Mohammadan light. This purest soul is called the Divine Soul

(ar-rooh al-qudsi). Remember! Divine Soul is not „created‟ from
Mohammadan light, rather it „manifested‟, as it is the world of
absolute Divinity and creation has not started yet. The presence
of word „Hoo‟ in the first three levels i.e. HaHooiyat, YaHoot
and LaHoot is a clue that these three are levels of non-creation.

In mystic terminology these three realms are collectively called

the universe of Command (alam al-Amr ‫)عالم الامر‬. They are
beyond time, space, creation, density and dimensions. It is
merely an ocean of hidden lights and the world of subtle secrets.

The next three levels i.e. the realm of power, the angelic realm
and the physical world are collectively called universe of
creation (alam al-khalq‫) عالم الخلق‬.

Divine Soul is owned by Allah in the Quran in these words:

ُ ُ ۡ ََ
ۡ ‫ َق نفخت فِ ۡی ِہ ِم ۡن ّر ۡق‬
)51:92( ‫حِی‬
Meaning: And breathed into him (Adam) My Soul. (15:29)
ۡ ُ ََ
)58:22( ُ‫ َق ا ّی َدھ ۡم ِبرُ ۡق ٍج ِّمنہ‬
Meaning: And strengthened them with His Soul. (58:22)
ُ َ ََ ّٰ َ ُ
(32:9)‫ىہ َق نفخ فِ ۡی ِہ ِم ۡن ّر ۡق ِحہ‬
ُ ‫ ث ّم َس ّو‬
Meaning: Then He fashioned him (Adam) and breathed into him
of His Soul. (32:9)
Since, at this level the light of Allah and the Mohammadan light
are one and the same because this is the realm of Divine
Uniqueness, so the Soul of Allah is in fact the soul of
Mohammad. This oneness of Soul of Allah and soul of
Mohammad can be proved by following verses of Quran:
 50

َ َ َ ّّٰ ُ ّّٰ َّ َ َ َّ َّ
)57:51( ‫ ِاـ ال ِذیۡ َن یُ َبای ِ ُعوۡنک ِانمَا یُ َبایِ ُعوۡ َـ الل َہ ؕ یَد الل ِہ فوۡؼ ایۡ ِدیۡ ِہ ۡم‬
Meaning: (O beloved Mohammad!) Indeed, those who pledge
allegiance to you in fact pledge allegiance to Allah alone.
Allah‟s Hand is over their hands. (48:10)
ّٰ ُ ۡ َ ّ ُ ۡ ۡ
)12:2-5( ﴾﴿ ‫ َق َما یَن ِطق َع ِن ال َہ ّٰوی ﴿﴾ ِاـ ھوَ ِالا َقح ٌی ّیوۡحی‬
ُ ۡ
Meaning: And he (Prophet Mohammad) does not speak out of
his (own) desire. His speech is nothing but revelation which is
sent to him. (53:3-4)
ّٰ ّّٰ َ ۡ
َ ‫ َق َما َر َم ۡی َت ِاذ َر َم ۡی‬
(8:17)‫ت َق ل ّٰ ِک ّن الل َہ َرمی‬
Meaning: (O beloved Prophet!) When you smote (the infidels
with pebbles), it was not you who smote them but Allah smote.
(8:17)

ّّٰ ََ ۡ َ َ
َ ‫الر ُسوۡ َؾ فقد اط‬ َ
ّ ‫ َم ۡن ّی ِطع‬ ُ
(4:80)َ‫اع اللہ‬ ِ
Meaning: Whoever obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah indeed.
(4:80)

A few Hadiths also endorse this oneness:

َ ََ
‫ انا ا ْحمَ ٌد ِبلَا ِم ْیم‬
Meaning: I am Ahmad without „m‟.
ْ َ ََ
‫ َم ْن َر ّٰان ِ ْی فق ْد َرأی ال َح َق‬
Meaning: Whoever beheld me, in fact beheld the Reality.
ُ َ َُ ٌ َ َ ّ ْ ّّٰ َ
‫ ل ِ ْی َمع الل ِہ َقق ٌت لا یَ َس ُعنِ ْی فِ ْی ِہ َملک ّمغ ّ َػ ٌب َق لَا ن ِب ٌّی ّم ْر َس ٌل‬
Meaning: At times I have such closeness with Allah when
neither any Prophet nor any archangel is between us.
All the human souls are created from the Divine Soul, hence it is
the origin and essence of every soul. That is why, this level is
also called „the human reality‟ and this realm is mystically
 51

considered the actual homeland of human. The real human

belongs to this world. Ibn Arabi writes in Fusus al-Hikam:

 The material for all the souls was taken from the soul of
Mohammad (Divine Soul), although a human soul may not
acknowledge this fact while being enclosed in the earthen
body in the physical world.

Abdul Karim bin Ibrahim al-Jili says in this context:

 It should be known that there is also a created soul in every
living thing with which its physical form exists and the soul
has same significance for it as the meaning has for a word.
Nonetheless, there is a Divine Soul for this created soul due
to which it sustains. (Al-Insan al-Kamil)
The Divine Soul is a complete entity that possesses all the
Divine attributes in perfect form. It is the Totality having the
entire knowledge, intellect, wisdom, powers of sight, hearing,
speaking and all other Divine powers along with the power of
love, in totality and perfection. The Divine Soul is concealed in
every human and is the source of connecting man with Allah.
This is the Soul which was breathed into the body of Adam.
Only due to its presence the earthen body of Adam was
prostrated by the angels. Due to its presence humans are
considered the best creation and Allah says about them:
ّٰ ّّٰ َ َ َ
)6998 ‫ خلق الل ُہ ا َد َؿ َعلّٰی ُصوْ َر ِتہ (اخبری‬
Meaning: Allah created Adam in His picture. (Bukhari 6227)
Divine Soul is not destined to die or perish. Due to its Divine
attributes and powers, it is immortal. There is no change in its
state. That is, its purity, sublimity and immaculateness is
unaffectable and unchangeable. It is concealed like a pearl in the
inward of a man and is revealed only upon those who try to
reach it. When this concealed Soul manifests in the true believer
 52

as a result of his ardent Divine love and his struggle to reach

close to Allah, Allah says about him:
َّ ُْ َ َ َ ُ َّ َّ َ َ
‫اؾ َع ْب ِد ْی یَ َتغ ّ َػ ُب ِال ّیَ ِبالنوَافِ ِل َحتی ا ِح ّ َب ٗہ ف ِاذا ا ْح َب ْب ُت ٗہ کن ُت َس ْم َع ُہ ال ِذ ْی‬
ُ ‫ َق َما یَ َز‬
َّ َ ُ َّ َّ ُ
‫یَ ْسمَع ِبہ َق بَ َع َر ُف ال ِذ ْی یُ ْب ِع ُر ِبہ َق یَ َد ُف التِ ْی یَ ْب ِطش ِب َہا َق رِ ْجل ُہ التِ ْی یَ ْم ِص ْی ِب َہا‬
)6119 ‫(بخاری‬
Meaning: When My slave becomes close to me through
excessive prayers and devotions, I start loving him so much so I
become his ears by which he listens, I become his eyes by which
he sees, I become his hands by which he holds and I become his
legs by which he walks. (Bukhari 6502)
Only the Divine Soul has the honour of having the vision and
closeness of Allah owing to its purity and Divinity.
Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi describes about the realm of
Divinity:
 And the third stage is the second level of descent. It refers to
Allah‟s detailed knowledge of His Essence, attributes and of
all the existences distinguishing one from the other. This is
the realm of Divine Uniqueness (alam al-Wahidiyah) and is
also referred to as „the reality of human being‟. (Tohfa Mursala
Sharif)

This level is called „the reality of human being‟ because from

here starts the human existence in detail.
ُ ََ
4) Fa Aradtu (‫ )فا َر ْدة‬meaning „I intended‟ refers to the realm of
power (alam al-jabarut) or the realm of souls (alam al-arwah).
In Arabic language jabarut means „bridge‟ or anything which
joins two points or things. This is the connecting world between
the universe of Command and the universe of creation. It is also
a connection between Divinity and humanity.
 53

This level is the beginning of creation. The Divine Soul which is

non-creation light of Allah or the Mohammadan light, is
descended to the realm of power cladded in particular dress of
this realm which is called „kingly soul‟. The kingly soul
concealed Divine Soul in its cover like a tree grows from its seed
and also conceals the seed in it. The kingly soul is the first dress
or cover of Divine Soul.
The realm of power is the detail of Divinity where the Divine
attributes and names manifest distinctly. According to Abu
Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi:
 And the fourth stage is the realm of souls. It is the primary
stage of the revelation of the incorporeal and expansive
essence of created worldly things. (Tohfa Mursala Sharif)
At this level, the angels were also created from Divine Soul. It is
written in ar-Risala tul-Ghausia:

‫شیئ خلقت الملائکۃ۔ قاؾ لی یا غوت الاعظم!خلقت‬

ٍ ‫ ثم سالت یا رب من ای‬
‫الملائکۃ من نور الانساـ قخلقت الانساـ من نوری‬
Meaning: Then I (Ghawth al-Azam) asked, “O my Holy Lord!
With which thing you created the angels?” He replied “O
Ghawth! I created the angels from the light of humans and
created the humans from My light.”
Kingly soul has the same traits and attributes as those of angels
because both were created at the same level. At this stage the
soul is without any recognizable form, it can appear in any form
and shape it wants. That is why, angels can adopt any form they
desire. This level is called jabarut also because of the creation of
Angel Gabriel who is like a bridge and source of connection
between Prophets and Allah.
 54

َ ُْ َْ
5) Un O'rafa (‫ ) اـ اع َرػ‬meaning „to be recognized‟ refers to the

angelic realm (alam al-malakut). It is also called the realm of

metaphorical forms (alam al-mithal). At this level, kingly soul is
clothed in the cover of celestial soul. Here, the soul took a
recognizable form for the first time. However, it is incorporeal
and intangible that can neither be touched nor captured.
According to Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi:

 The example of this realm is like a shadow which is visible

but cannot be held. This realm of exemplary forms is the
subtle compound of created things which cannot be broken,
torn or joined.
Dreams also come from the angelic realm. In dreams we see the
symbolic forms of worldly things e.g. snake in a dream is a
symbolic form of enemy, milk symbolizes knowledge etc.
The souls of plants, animals and non-living things were also
created at this level.
In the Holy Quran Allah says:
ُ َّ َ ُ َ ُ َ ّ ُ ّٰ ّٰ َ ّ ُ َ ُ ّ َ ُ
‫الس ۡبع َق الۡا ۡرض َق َم ۡن فِ ۡی ِہ ّ َن ؕ َق ِا ۡـ ِّم ۡن ش ۡی ٍء ِالا یُ َس ِّبح ِب َح ۡم ِدف َق‬ ‫ تس ِبح لہ السموة‬
َ َ ۡ َ َّ
(17:44) ‫لّٰ ِک ۡن لا تفق ُہوۡ َـ ت ۡس ِب ۡی َح ُہ ۡم‬
Meaning: The seven heavens and the earth and all that exists in
them persistently extol the glory of Allah and there is not a
single object (in the entire universe) but it glorifies Him with His
praise. But you cannot identify their glorification. (17:44)
This verse proves that even non-living things praise Allah. That
means non-living things have something living inside their non-
living bodies which praises Allah persistently. Moreover, non-
living things are made of atoms which have protons and neutrons
in their nucleus and electrons are continuously revolving in their
shells around the nucleus. Which power keeps the electrons
 55

moving in a non-living object? There are reactions taking place

continuously in non-living things, new bonds are created, old
ones break, new atoms are created, old ones decay, that shows
there is a continuous change taking place in them. What is the
source of bringing all these changes? From where do they get the
power for their existence and the reactions taking place in them?
Certainly, it is due to the soul of non-living things which was
created at this level, and its origin is also the Divine Soul as
Allah says in Quran:
ّّٰ َ َ ُ ۡ َ ّ َ
(2:165)‫ اـ الق ّوۃ لِل ِہ َج ِم ۡی ًعا‬
Meaning: Undoubtedly, all the powers originate from Allah.
(2:165)

Ibrahim al-Jili says:

 The Mohammadan light is present in everything of all the
worlds just like water is present in every cell of the tree. The
tree whose roots become dry and devoid of water, dies. (Al-
Insan al-Kamil)

The human soul is distinguished from the souls of other creations

because human soul is created directly from the Divine Soul in
the realm of Divinity while the souls of other creations are
created at lower levels.
Due to the creation of souls of animals at this level, the human
soul also adopted bestial qualities like rage, lust, greed, covet,
malice, callousness etc. and was hence called the bestial soul.
The more the soul descended, the less subtle and more dense it
became.
ََْْ ُ َََْ
6) Fa Khalaqtul Khalq (‫ )فخلقت الخلق‬meaning „so I created the

creation‟ refers to the physical world (alam an-nasut) and is

called the realm of bodies (alam al-ajsam) as well. Here the
celestial soul was covered in bestial soul, the soul directly
 56

associated with physical body, which was then breathed into the
bodies of flesh and bones or non-living materials. Thus the
process of creation completed and Allah manifested Himself
completely in humans in the form of Mohammadan light by
concealing in the covers of Divine Soul, kingly soul, celestial
soul and bestial soul, descending from the Incomparable and
Unknowable realm to the realm of First Manifestation then to the
realm of Divinity, realm of power, realm of angels and finally to
the physical world. Success of a human is to ascend to the realm
of Divinity travelling through all the realms and attain the Divine
Soul to have vision of Allah. Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani
describes this journey in his book Sirr al-Asrar as:
 Allah manifested Divine Soul in the realm of Divinity in the
most beautiful form. At the same time, He intended to
descend human being to the physical world according to
verse 5 of sura at-Tin:
َْ َ َ ّٰ َُ
َ ‫ ث ّم َر َد ۡدن ُہ ا ْسف‬
)2 1 :1( ‫ل ّٰس ِف ِلیس‬
Meaning: Then We returned him to the lowest of the low.
(95:5)

Human was descended to the lowest of the low so that

alienation from his origin (realm of Divinity) may create in
him the passion of Divine love. Due to dominance of this
passion he would struggle for closeness of Allah. As a result,
he would be exalted to the great station of truthfulness. This
is the station of Prophets and Saints. Divine Soul is
descended to the realm of power with the seed of Oneness
(Ism-e-Allah Zaat). Then it is descended to the angelic realm
where it wears the dress of this world and is kept safe till its
descent to the physical world. Then soul is descended to the
physical world where dress (body) made of four elements is
prepared for it. This dress safeguards the subtle soul in the
physical world.
 57

 Real soul is the Divine Soul.

 As per the dress of realm of power it is named as the
kingly soul.
 As per the dress of realm of angels it is named as
celestial soul.
 As per the dress of physical world it is named as bestial
soul or soul directly related to the physical body. (Sirr al-
Asrar)

The Divine descent does not mean that Allah descended in this
world and is not present in other worlds. He is Omnipresent,
every world is His world. He is here as well as there. Neither
should it be thought that the light (Nur) of Allah is present in the
creation in divided or broken form. Light is just like fragrance
which can neither be divided into parts nor can be separated,
though it spreads. Light may also be exemplified with
knowledge which when transfers from one person to another,
remains intact in the first person, though it depends upon the
second person how much capability he has to absorb and
manifest that knowledge. Similarly, the Essence of Allah is
present in every entity in intact form but it depends on the
capability of every entity that how much attributes and powers of
Allah it can manifest. Minor creations manifest only those
attributes and powers which are necessary for their survival e.g.
a fish is given the powers and knowledge which are enough for
its survival. Only the humans have the capability to manifest the
most of Allah‟s attributes as well as in their best form.
Allah says in the Quran:
َۡ َۡ َ ۡ َ َ ۡ َ َ َ ۡ َ ۡ َ ۡ َ ّٰ ّٰ َ ّ َ َ َ َ َ َ ۡ َ ۡ َ َ َ ّ
‫اؾ فابَی َس ا ۡـ ّی ۡح ِملن َہا َق اشفق َن‬
ِ ‫ض ق ال ِجب‬
ِ ‫ ِانا عرضنا الامانۃ علی السمو ِة ق الار‬
ً ُ َ َ َ ٗ َّ ُ َ ۡ ۡ َ َ َ َ َ َ ۡ
)22:72) ﴾﴿‫اـ ظلوۡ ًما َج ُہوۡلا‬ ‫ِمنہا ق حملہا الاِنساـ ؕ ِانہ ک‬
Meaning: Indeed, We offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth
and the mountains, but they declined to bear this and felt scared
 58

of it, but man took it on. Verily he is ever so cruel (towards his
self) and ignorant (of his highest rank near Allah). (33:72)
This Trust is the Divine Essence in the form of Divine Soul
which could not be borne by any creation of the skies and earth
because they do not have the capability to manifest it completely,
although the humans have. They are ignorant because they do
not know that the Essence of Allah is present in their inward,
that they are the best creation not because of any other reason but
because of the presence of Divine Soul in them, as Allah says:
ُ َ ََ ُ ُ َۡ ۤ
)15: 21)‫ َق ف ِ ۡی انف ِسک ۡم ؕ افلا ت ۡب ِع ُر ۡق َـ‬
Meaning: And (I am) in your selves. So do you not notice? (15:21)
It is a fact that the trust is always meant to be paid back in its
original form otherwise the trustee is considered unfaithful and
disloyal and has to face punishment. Allah gave this Trust to
humans not only to test them but also because He wanted them
to be benefitted by its presence in their being. Through it they
can achieve the purpose of their life which is to have vision and
recognition of Allah. They can get attributed with all the Divine
attributes due to the presence of Divine Soul in them, as ordered
by the Holy Prophet:
ّّٰ َ ْ َ ْ ُ َ ّ َ َ
‫اؼ اللہ‬
ِ ‫ تخلقوا ِباخل‬
Meaning: Be attributed with the attributes of Allah.
After getting attributed with the Divine attributes they cannot
only progress in religion but in the world also, they can become
the best and beneficent humans. If they do not get attributed with
the attributes of Divine Soul after purgation, it means that they
let the bestial qualities of bestial soul dominate their being and
could not reach the level of real humans. Hence, they devalued
and disregarded the importance of Divine Soul present within
themselves. Allah made the man in the best constitution as He says:
 59

َۡ َۤ ۡ ۡ َََۡ ََۡ
َ ‫ لقد خلقنا الاِن َس‬
)95: 4)‫اـ ف ِ ۡی ا ۡح َس ِن تق ِویۡ ٍم‬
Meaning: Indeed, We have created man in the best constitution.
(95:4)

And He wants the man to return to Him in the same best

constitution which is possible only by acquiring the magnificent
attributes of Divine Soul. This is what „paying back the Trust in
its original form‟ actually means. Man is not only ignorant of
this Trust but also of the consequences he will have to face on
the doomsday for not getting benefitted by its attributes and not
paying back the Trust in its original form. He is in fact cruel
towards his own self as he himself is responsible for the
punishment he will have to face.
Unless a person breaks the veils of bestial soul, celestial soul and
kingly soul by getting rid of their desires and attributes, he
cannot reach the Divine Soul. Unless he reaches it, he cannot
understand its importance in his existence. This spiritual journey
can be covered only under the guidance of the perfect spiritual
guide because only he knows how to travel the spiritual path. If a
person wishes to reach the Divine Soul, he has to ascend in the
backward order of the steps of Divine descent discussed before,
as stated in the Hadith:
ْ َ ّ َ‫لن َہایَ ُۃ ُھو‬
‫الرُ ُجوْ ُع ِالی ال ِب َدایَ ِۃ‬
ّ َ
ِ ‫ ا‬
Meaning: Returning to the origin is the utmost level.
Just like a circle is completed when its end point meets the
starting point.
The aforementioned six steps of Divine descent are called
 60

Tanazalat-e-Sitta6 in mystic terminology and are the base of

theory of Oneness of Being (Wahdah al-Wujud) which states that
nothing but the Divine Essence exists in the entire universe.
In the Quran, Allah has also mentioned about creating the
creation in six steps. He says:
ۡ َ ۡ ‫اؿ ثُ ّ َم‬َ َ َّ َ َۡۡ َ ّ َ َ َ ۡ َ ّ ُ ّّٰ ُ ُ َ ّ َ َ ّ
‫اس َت ّٰوی َعلی ال َعرۡ ِش‬ ٍ ‫الس ّٰم ّٰو ِة َق الارض ف ِ ۡی ِست ِۃ ا ّی‬ ‫ ِاـ ربکم اللہ ال ِذی خلق‬
)7:54)
Meaning: Indeed, Allah is your Sustainer, Who created the heavens
and the earth in six phases (or steps) and then (as is His glory)
ascended to His Throne. (7:54)
In the Holy Quran, Allah has mentioned at seven places that He
created the universe in six phases or steps:
(1) Al-A’raf, verse 54
(2) Yunus, verse 3
(3) Hud, verse 7
(4) Al-Furqan, verse 59
(5) Al-Sajdah, verse 4
(6) Qaf, verse 38
(7) Al-Hadid, verse 4

6
Many Saints have explained Tanazalat-e-Sitta in their books. Abu Saeed Mubarak
Makhzoomi who was the spiritual guide of Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, has explained
them in his book Tohfa Mursala Sharif. They are also discussed in the exegesis of “Fusus
al-Hikam”-book by Ibn Arabi and many others. In all these books, the six steps of Divine
descent are in the order:
1. The Incomparable and Unknowable realm 2. Realm of First Manifestation 3. Realm of
Divinity 4. Realm of power 5. Realm of angels 6. Physical world.
However, in Risala Roohi Sharif realm of angels is kept at fourth step while the realm of
power at fifth. There is a very subtle reason behind it. Since Sultan Bahoo has explained
these steps corresponding to the Qudsi Hadith in which the word Un O’rafa meaning „to
be recognized‟ comes at the fifth step and the recognition of Allah is possible only at the
upper boundary of the realm of power, so to correspond the realm of power with Un
O’rafa, Sultan Bahoo has kept it at fifth step.
 61

َ َ َّ
ٍ ‫ِست ِۃ ا ّی‬
Usually the religious scholars translate the Arabic phrase ‫اؿ‬
(Sittati Ayyamin) used in all these verses as „six days‟. Some say
that for Allah „a day‟ is equal to thousand years of the earth,
some say it is equivalent to ten thousand years. Anyway, they
ََ
ٍ ‫( ا ّی‬Ayyamin) with a time span. But time was created after
relate ‫اؿ‬
the creation of the sun and the earth when earth started revolving
around the sun. So Ayyamin cannot be translated as days or any
time span. Allah is beyond time and space. He says Kun (Be!)
and it is done. He never needed „time‟ to create the universe. He
is the Creator of time. Sittati Ayyamin actually refer to the six
steps of Divine descent.
After mentioning the six steps of creation of heavens and the
earth and whatever is in it, Allah says in the aforementioned
verse:
ۡ َ ۡ ‫ ثُ ّ َم‬
‫اس َت ّٰوی َعلی ال َعرۡ ِش‬
Meaning: Then He ascended to His Throne.
This shows that there is a seventh step after which His
manifestation completed. That is why, Allah has mentioned about
the steps of creation seven times in the Quran. Corresponding to
this seventh step there is an addition in Risala Roohi Sharif
after the Qudsi Hadith:
َ ُ َ
‫اھ ِو ّی ْت‬ ‫حقیقت ھ‬
ِ ِِ ‫ ذاة رسہمشچٔچشما‬
‫م‬
Meaning: The Divine Essence completely manifested in the
entity (Universal Divine Man) who is the fount and eye of the
Reality of His Incomparable and Unknowable Essence.
Allah says in Qudsi Hadiths:
َ ّّٰ ُ َ ْ َْ
‫ قل ُب المُ ْؤ ِم ِن ع ْرش الل ِہ ت َعال ّٰی‬
Meaning: The inward of believer is the Throne of Allah.
 62

ْ َْ َ َ
‫ لَا یَ َس ُعنِ ْی ا ْر ِض ْی َقلَا َسمَٓائِ ْی َقلّٰ ِک ْن ّی ْس ُعنِ ْی قل ُب َع ْب ِدالمُ ْؤ ِم ِن‬
Meaning: Neither the earth nor the heavens could contain Me whilst
the inward of My believer can.
Hence, the inward of perfect believer, the Universal Divine Man,
is the exalted Throne of Allah and he is His ultimate and
complete manifestation. After creating this universe, Allah sent
His representative, Prophet Adam on the earth who had Allah‟s
Soul in him. Allah said to the angels:
ًَ ۡ َ ٌ َ َۡ ّ
(2:30)‫ض خ ِل ۡیفۃ‬
ِ ‫ ِان ِ ۡی جا ِعل فِی الار‬
Meaning: I am about to place My representative on earth. (2:30)
Before sending him to the earth, Allah adorned Adam with all
His attributes, as He says:
َ َ َ َ َ َ ٰٓ َ ۡ َ َ ۡ ُ َ َ َ َ ّ ُ َ َ ّ ُ َ َ ۡ َ ۡ َ َ ّٰ َ َ ّ َ َ
‫اؾ ان ۢۡ ِبـُٔوۡن ِ ۡی ِبا ۡسمَٓا ِء ٰۤھ ُؤل َٓا ِء ِا ۡـ‬ ‫ ق علم ادؿ الاسمٓاء کلہا ثم عرضہم علی المل ِئک ِۃ ۙ فق‬
ۡ ۡ ۡ َ َ َّ َ َّ َّ ۤ َ ۡ َ َ ُ َ ۡ ُۡ
‫کن ُت ۡم ّٰص ِدقِی َس ﴿﴾ قالوۡا ُس ۡب ّٰحنک لَا ِعل َم لَنا ِالا َما َعل ۡم َتنا ؕ ِانک ان َت ال َع ِل ۡی ُم ال َح ِک ۡی ُم‬
(2:31- 32)
Meaning: And He taught Adam the Names (Divine attributes) all
of them; then He propounded them to the angels and said,
“Declare to Me the names of these, if you are truthful.” They
(angels) said, “Glory be to You, we have no knowledge except
what you have taught us. Verily, it is You, the All-Knower, the
All-Wise.” (2:31-32)
All the names of Allah depict His attributes such as the most
Merciful, the most Kind, the Pardoner, the Avenger, so on and so
forth. In other words, Divine names are actually the attributes of
Allah. In this verse “taught Adam the Names, all of them”
implies that Allah blessed Adam with all His attributes so that he
could become His true representative on the earth. Even the
angels did not have the capability of representing all the
 63

attributes of Allah. Representing all the attributes means

representing the Divine Essence.
After Adam, a series of Prophets continued and there always
remained a representative of Allah in this world in the form of a
Prophet or Messenger who manifested the Essence and attributes
of Allah in the world and was also a source of conveying the
message of Allah and guiding people towards Him. This series
ended at the most beloved and exalted Prophet Mohammad
sall’Allahu alayhi wa’alihi wasallam. Being the most eminent
Prophet of Allah, he is the perfect and absolute manifestation of
the Divine Essence and attributes. Hence, he said, “Whoever
beheld me, in fact beheld the Reality.”
The Holy Prophet is the Universal Divine Man (al-Insan al-
Kamil) i.e. the man who represents the Divine Essence and His
total attributes. Sayyid Abdul Karim bin Ibrahim al-Jili states in
his literary work titled al-Insan al-Kamil:

 Among the levels of existence, the level and marvel at which

Prophet Mohammad is appointed, none else can ever achieve
that. The speech, actions and states of the beloved Prophet
Mohammad are a proof that he is unique in all the marvels.
He is the Universal Divine Man and the rest of Prophets and
perfect Saints are connected to him the way „perfected ones‟
are connected to „the Perfect‟. They are related to him just as
the „distinguished ones‟ are related to „the Distinguished‟ but
unanimously the ultimate and absolute Universal Divine
Man is Prophet Mohammad. (Al-Insan al-Kamil)
Since Allah created this universe for His Own manifestation and
His manifestation is incomplete without the Universal Divine
Man, hence presence of Universal Divine Man is essential in this
world in every era. Without him the world is like a body without
soul. There is always a distinguished person in the world who is
the Universal Divine Man of his era. Before the Holy Prophet,
 64

all the earlier Prophets represented Allah in this world as the

Universal Divine Man and after him the perfect Saints and Fakirs
of Mohammadan umma are the Universal Divine Man. The
perfect Fakirs cover all the spiritual levels following the
footsteps of the Holy Prophet exactly and return to their origin,
that is the realm of First Manifestation which is the realm of
Mohammadan light and the light of Allah, annihilating
themselves and becoming one with Allah. Here they are adorned
with the crown of Universal Divine Man, as their existence has
been converted into the Mohammadan light absolutely. Sultan
Bahoo says:
 The sacred existence of the Holy Prophet is from the light of
Allah while the entire universe is created and manifested
from the Mohammadan light. Reality of man is the same
light which is called his „self (nafs)‟ regarding his deeds and
is called „inward‟ regarding his states and is called „soul‟
regarding his level of union with Allah. When the self, the
inward and the soul of the seeker turn into light and merge
becoming one, he is raised to the level of Universal Divine
Man. (Aqal-e-Baydar)
 The Holy Prophet is the Universal Divine Man while all
others7 have attained to the levels (of perfection and
proximity to Allah) through him according to their status.
(Ain-ul-Faqr)

My spiritual guide Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman writes

in his book Sufism-The Soul of Islam:
 In Sarwari Qadri order when the seeker annihilates himself
ُ
in Hoo (‫ھو‬, the Divine Essence) and there remains nothing in

his esoteric and exoteric being except Hoo then he reaches

the status of:
7
Here „all others‟ refer to the Companions of the Holy Prophet as well as the perfect
Fakirs and Saints of his umma.
 65

‫ ہمہاوتسدرزغمووپتس‬
Meaning: Only the Divine Essence is manifested in the
physical and spiritual self.
Now he becomes the Fakir who is the master of universe and
the Universal Divine Man who is the spiritual successor of
Prophet Mohammad. He is the perfect spiritual guide
possessing the light of guidance. This successor of Prophet
Mohammad is present in every era denoting that the
Mohammadan Reality manifests every time with a different
countenance through his successors, vicegerents and heirs.
Allah says in the Quran:
ْ ُ ٓ ّٰ َ َ َ ُ
(36: 12)﴾﴿‫اؿ ّم ِبی ٍس‬ ُ ْ
ٍ ‫ َقک ّل ش ْی ٍٔ اح َص ْینہ ف ِ ْی ِا َم‬
Meaning: And We have encompassed everything in the
Imamin Mubin. (36:12)
In this verse, the Arabic phrase Imamin Mubin literally
means enlightened leader and it refers to the Universal
Divine Man. Allah has kept all His wills, commands and His
created universe in the Tablet which is in fact the inward of
Universal Divine Man. The inward of Universal Divine Man
is the place where theophanies of Divine Essence are
revealed and its vastness can neither be explained nor
imagined. (Sufism-The Soul of Islam)
Ibrahim Al-Jili says:
 The Universal Divine Man is the celestial pole around whom
the whole universe of existence revolves from pre-existence
till the eternal end. Ever since the beginning of existence till
eternity, he is unique entity appearing in different physical
dresses in different ages each with a new name that would
not go for another of his dress. His actual name is
Mohammad, teknonym is Abu al-Qasim, appellation is
Abdullah and title is Shamsuddin. In accordance to each
 66

physical dress he has a different name. In every era he is

given a name according to the respective age.
 The Mohammadan Reality manifests itself in every era in the
being of the Universal Divine Man according to the
requirements and prevailing conditions. The Universal
Divine Man is the representative of Prophet Mohammad in
his particular era. (Al-Insan al-Kamil(
Ibn Arabi says about the Universal Divine Man:
 Everything that exists in this world is a manifestation of a
particular attribute of Allah and that attributive name is its
Sustainer. Whereas the Universal Divine Man is the
ّّٰ
manifestation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat (‫ )اللہ‬which is comprehensive
of all the attributive names of Allah. Hence the Sustainer of
all the sustainers and the Sustainer of all the worlds.

 After Prophet Mohammad there will neither be a Prophet nor

a Messenger who will bring a new sharia. However, there
will always be a „perfect‟ individual in every era who is the
manifestation of Mohammadan Reality and honoured with
the station of annihilation in Prophet Mohammad. This
accomplished individual is al-Qutb and in every era, one
chosen Saint is stationed at this spiritual rank.
 In every era, from pre-existence till eternity, Prophet
Mohammad changes his physical dress and manifests
himself in the beings of „the perfect individuals‟ only. (Fusus
al-Hikam)

In the statement of Risala Roohi Sharif which is being explained,

Allah is declaring that there is an entity who is the fount and eye
of the Reality of His Incomparable and Unknowable Essence.
This entity must be the Universal Divine Man who is His
ultimate, absolute and perfect Manifestation. Allah is calling him
„fount‟ because he is the origin of all creation. He is also the
 67

origin of all the marvels, attributes and characteristics which

afterwards appeared in humans. He is the point from where the
light of Allah diverges in the whole creation and then again
converges. He is the source of Divine beneficence, mercy,
compassion and righteousness for the whole creation. He is also
the source of Divine guidance as he guides the seekers of Allah
on the spiritual path and leads them towards the world of
Divinity where they can have the vision and closeness of Allah.
Thus, he is the fountainhead of righteous guidance and is also
called the perfect spiritual guide possessing the Divine light.
Allah has also called him as His „Eye‟. He is Allah‟s Eye
because Allah sees Himself as well as the creation through him,
as explained by Ibn Arabi:
 Insan literally means pupil of an eye which has the power of
sight and due to which an eye can see. Since Allah sees
Himself i.e. His attributes and marvels as well as the whole
creation through the medium of Universal Divine Man (al-
Insan al-Kamil), hence for Allah he is like the pupil of eye
through which He sees His creations and blesses them with
His Compassion and Mercy. (Fusus al-Hikam)
 Universal Divine Man is to Allah as eye is to pupil. (Fusus al-
Hikam)

Since the Universal Divine Man has reached the Incomparable

and Unknowable realm after ascending back all the spiritual
levels, rather it should be said that he actually belongs to this
realm, hence only he knows the reality of the Incomparable and
Unknowable Essence. No one except him is fully aware of the
Reality. Sultan Bahoo writes in his book Sultan-ul-Waham:
 The Universal Divine Man is the one whose physical being is
engaged with the creation but esoteric being is engrossed in
the Creator as he is actually appointed in the realm of
Divinity which is the hidden world. In that world he is
 68

present in the form of Divine Soul which is reflected

outwardly in the physical world. He descends five steps
(from the Incomparable and Unknowable realm to the realm
of First Manifestation, then to the realm of Divinity, realm of
power and the realm of angels) to be present in the material
world. That is why he is called „the man having five levels
simultaneously‟ (as he is present in all the five worlds or all
the five worlds are present in him). At the first level (in the
Incomparable and Unknowable realm) he is present in the
form of a theophany of the Divine Essence which is a very
subtle and concise form of his existence that would manifest
in the physical world. That theophany is just light and non-
creation and is related with the world of Reality. At the second
level (realm of Divinity) he is present as the Divine Soul. At
the third level (realm of power) he is present as human soul,
this is the world of souls having all the senses (that manifest
from the human body). At the fourth level (angelic realm) he
is present as the soul having proper recognizable form.
Although it is non-material but its form is the same as a
material body, it cannot be touched but seen. This is the
world of symbolic forms of bodies. At the fifth level (realm
of bodies) he is present with his physical body. This is the
world of material bodies or the world of manifestations and
is also called the world of physical beauty. (Sultan-ul-Waham)
Thus, the Universal Divine Man is simultaneously present in all
the realms and knows their reality. He is comprehensive of
Lordship and slavehood, transcendence and immanence, Divine
and human attributes, hence is the medium of connection
between man and God. Allah has mentioned about His
transcendence and immanence in the Quran in following verses:
ّٰ ۡ َ ُ َ َۡ َ
ٌ ‫الس ّٰم ّٰو ِة َق الا ۡرض ؕ َمث ُل نوۡرف کمشکو ٍۃ فِ ۡی َہا م ۡص َب‬ُ ّّٰ َ
ّ ‫ الل ُہ نوۡ ُر‬
)24:35( ‫اج‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ
Meaning: Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth. The
likeness of His light (which is glowing in the world in the form
 69

of Mohammad‟s light) is as a niche-like (sacred breast) wherein

is glowing the lamp (of Prophethood). (24:35)
The first part of this verse “Allah is the light of the heavens and
the earth” refers to His transcendence (tanzih) while the
remaining part refers to immanence (tashbih).
ُۡ ۡ ُ َ ُ َ ۡ َ َ
ّ َ‫ ل ۡی َس کمث ِلہ ش ۡی ٌء ۚ َق ھو‬
)59:5 5 ( ‫الس ِم ۡیع ال َب ِصیر‬ ِ
Meaning: There is nothing like Him and He alone is All-
Hearing, All-Seeing. (42:11)
The first part “There is nothing like Him” is transcendence while
the second part “He alone is All-Hearing, All-Seeing” is
immanence. We can understand transcendence and immanence
by simple example of flame of a candle which is lit at one place
in a room but its light is spread everywhere. The flame of candle
is immanence and its light is transcendence. Likewise, the
Divine Essence is completely and absolutely manifest with
totality of His attributes only in one being, the Universal Divine
Man who is like the flame of candle and it is his light that is
spread in the entire cosmos.
The statement of Risala Roohi Sharif:

‫ربعت‬ ِ ‫رضحت قشع ابالےئ وکنین ِبراگہِ ربکای تختِ تنطلس ٓاراہتس۔ از‬
ِ ‫امکك‬ ِ
ِ ‫امہ ّی َِّت‬
ِ ‫ذاتاپشکزہاراںزہاروےبامشروقاِلفلقعاسگنسر۔‬
Meaning: Allah-The Ishq, adorned the Throne of His kingdom
above both the worlds in the glorious court of His Own
magnificence. To understand the quiddity of the Divine Essence,
countless efforts of wisdom went in vain due to the utmost
astonishment about His pure Being.

Exegesis: In these lines Sultan Bahoo is addressing Allah as

Ishq. „Ishq‟ is an intense and ardent emotion of love. It is an
Arabic word for which there is not any proper word in English
language because „love‟ is an English word for Persian word
„mohabbat‟ whereas Ishq is much more powerful emotion than
love. The intensity and power that Ishq has, cannot be described
by simple word „love‟. A person can love many people at a time
e.g. a woman loves her parents, siblings, husband, children etc.
but Ishq is for one person only. Love can decrease or even end
with time but Ishq is always on the rise. Love asks for many
things in return but Ishq demands nothing in return. Love does
not have the courage to sacrifice everything for the beloved but
Ishq has, like Abu Bakr Siddiq sacrificed each and everything in
the Ishq of the Holy Prophet. Since there is no word for Ishq in
English, we are using „love‟ for it in the book.
There may be a number of reasons why Sultan Bahoo is
addressing Allah as „Ishq‟, some are discussed:
The Essence of Allah was secret and hidden in the Incomparable
and Unknowable realm. Then an intense passion to be
recognized aroused in Him. This desire was revealed with such
power that the respected Sufis interpreted it as Ishq. Thus, Ishq is
the reason of creation. The Incomparable and Unknowable realm
 71

is the world of Ishq. It can be reached upon only through Ishq of

Allah and only the Ishq remains and rules here, except that
everything perishes while reaching here. Ishq is Allah‟s first
theophany which manifested in the form of Mohammadan light.
Ishq is the first emotion which aroused in Allah when He saw the
Mohammadan light as His own mirror. Hence, this realm, before
the beginning of any creation or the emotions and attributes
related to the creation, is the world of Ishq only. Ishq is the
eternal beginning and Ishq is the eternal end. The relationship
between soul and Allah is that of Ishq. Ishq is the most powerful
entity in the whole universe. Ishq is the power that attracts the
soul of ardent lover of Allah towards Him. Then this power pulls
the soul out of the physical world and elevates it through the
angelic realm and the realm of power to the realm of Divinity
where he is blessed with the vision of Allah. When soul ascends
to the realm of First Manifestation, it transforms completely into
the Mohammadan light and the lover becomes the beloved of
Allah. The lover annihilates himself in Allah and becomes one
with Him. After complete annihilation of the lover, the only
thing that remains is „Ishq‟ and that is Allah Himself. The
journey that started from Ishq completed at Ishq making the
lover an embodiment of Ishq. Iqbal says:

‫از اگنہِ قشع اخرا قش وبد‬

‫قشعِ قح ٓارخ رسااپ قح وبد‬
Explanation: A single glance of Ishq can even break the rocks.
The Ishq of Truth itself transforms into Truth at its ultimate
stage. (Asrar-e-Khudi)
Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani writes in ar-Risala tul-Ghausia:
 I saw Allah. Then I asked, “O Lord! What is meant by love
(Ishq)?” He replied, “O Ghawth al-Azam! Love Me, love for
 72

Me and I am Love Myself and liberate your inward and

actions from everything other than Me.
Sultan Bahoo writes in Mohabbat-ul-Asrar:
 It should be clarified that the path of Ishq is not written in
the books on religion or community. It means the Lord of
lords.
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman says:
 The passion of Ishq cannot arouse in a person for some other
person. Whoever claims it, is a liar. Since Allah Himself is
Ishq, hence Ishq is meant for Him only. (Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen)
 The origin of the universe is Divine love (Ishq) and the
creation of man is for the sake of love. When the human
souls were created from the Mohammadan light, the
exclusive essence of Divine love was also transmitted to
them. The passion of love must arouse in the inward of
seeker for Divine vision. In fact, the relation of the soul with
Allah is that of love. Without love neither the soul awakes
nor can it have Divine vision. Love is present in the form of
a seed within the human inward, though it is dormant. As
soon as it awakes in the soul by invocation and contemplation
of Ism-e-Allah Zaat, by inscribing the name of Allah on the
body and by the attention of the spiritual guide, the passion,
longing and attraction for Allah start increasing.
The perfect Fakirs state that love is essential for the vision of
Allah and faith is imperfect without love. Divine love helps
the seeker to reach the court of Allah. Only love takes man
ahead through the spiritual path that is the path closer than
his „jugular vein‟. Only love makes the man intimate to the
Divine Essence within him. Only love ignites the flame of
urge in the soul to meet Allah. Only love keeps the soul
restless and anxious day and night for beholding and meeting
 73

Him. It intensifies the fire of parting and leads to the vision

of the Reality. (Sufism-The Soul of Islam)
Just as the word „Allah‟ has no plural, no opposite, no feminine,
Ishq has no opposite, no plural, no feminine. Ishq is out of the
boundary of intellect and Allah is also beyond intellect.
Ishq is light as well as fire. It is light because it shows the way to
Allah and transforms the being of the person who travels towards
Him into light by its magnificent effects. It is fire because it
burns away everything other than Allah in the being of His lover.
Rumi says:

‫قشع ٓاں ہلعش اتس ہک وچں ربِارفوتخ‬

‫رہ ہچ زج وشعمق ابیق ہلمج وستخ‬
Explanation: Ishq is the flame which when flares up, burns
everything except the Beloved.
Ishq is the most special attribute of true believers rather it is their
identity. Allah says:
ّّٰ ً ُ ّ َ َ ۤ ُ ّٰ َّ
)9:561( ‫ َق ال ِذیۡ َن ا َمنوۡا اشد ُح ّبا ل ّ ِل ِہ‬
Meaning: But those who believe, love Allah the most. (2:165)
Iqbal does not consider a person Muslim if he is not a lover of
Allah.

‫ملسم ار اعقش ابندش اکرف اتس‬

Explanation: If a Muslim is not an ardent lover of Allah, he
should be considered an infidel. (Asrar-e-Khudi)

‫ارگ وہ قشع وت ےہ رفک یھب املسمین‬

‫ہن وہ وت رم ِد املسمں یھب اکرف و زدنقی‬
 74

Explanation: If a person loves Allah ardently, he is a Muslim

even if apparently he is non-Muslim. Without Divine love, even
a Muslim is a hypocrite and heretic because he prefers worldliness
to the love of Allah and this is infidelity. (Bal-e-Jibril)
The statement “Allah-The Ishq, adorned the Throne of His
kingdom above both the worlds in the glorious court of His Own
magnificence” can be described at two levels. Firstly, at the
initial level i.e. before the beginning of creation, secondly at the
final level i.e. absolute manifestation of Allah in the Universal
Divine Man. Let us first discuss it at initial level.
In the Incomparable and Unknowable realm, Allah Himself is
Ishq, indefinable, unperceivable and unmanifested. In the realm
of First Manifestation, when Allah beheld His reflection in the
mirror of His Oneness, in the form of Mohammadan light, He
was fascinated and became fond of Himself. Thus manifested the
Ishq. Since this is the realm of Oneness therefore Allah,
Mohammadan light and Ishq are one and the same. No duality
here. On beholding Himself in the mirror of Mohammadan light,
Allah decided to create the creation who would praise His beauty
in the entity of Mohammad. He named His light as „Mohammad‟
because it literally means „the one who is excessively praised‟.
„Above both the worlds‟ means before the creation of the
spiritual realms and the physical world. Although, neither the
spiritual nor the physical worlds were created yet, however Allah
had planned and sketched them. Whatever is created materially
in this world is always previously present in non-material form
in our minds. For example, before a house is built, its map is
sketched in mind in non-material form, then it is drawn on paper
and afterwards it is built. A dress is always designed in mind
first and then it is made outwardly. Similarly, initial form of
every creation is its non-material esoteric form which is present
in Allah‟s Essence. Allah creates it as He had designed it in the
realm of First Manifestation. So, creation was present in the
 75

Divine Essence ever since eternity. Allah adorned His Throne

upon that non-material creation and observed and examined it in
the court of His Own magnificence because it is present within
Him. Just as when a king has to rule a country, first of all his
throne is established and then all the other plans about running
the country are carried out, similarly Allah first of all adorned
His Throne and then carried out His plan of creating the creation.
Since „kingdom‟ does not mean only the throne of the king, it
must include the subject, so in the statement „kingdom‟ includes
the Throne of Allah as well as the creation upon which He is the
Ruler. Though, that creation is not in a physical form, rather it is
in non-created immaterial form. Allah knows what is hidden and
what is revealed.
To understand the quiddity of Allah‟s Essence is beyond human
intellect. The Holy Prophet said:
َ َّ َ َ َّ َ َ
‫ تفؾ ُر ْقا ف ِ ْی ّٰا ّٰی ِتہ َقلَا تفؾ ُر ْقا ف ِ ْی ذا ِتہ‬
Meaning: Reflect upon the signs of Allah not the Essence.
Divine Soul is the entity which has the perfect and total intellect,
wisdom and Divine knowledge. In the realm of power, where
human souls were created, the intellect and wisdom was divided
among them. Every soul got just a part of that intellect. Hence,
the intellect of all the humans is incomplete, they cannot
understand Allah-The Transcendent Reality with this incomplete
intellect, even if anyone of them is the most intelligent person on
worldly basis. Unless a person reaches the realm of Divinity with
the power of Ishq, where the Divine Soul dominates the kingly
soul and the celestial soul, his intellect remains imperfect. Only
the power of Ishq can take a soul to the Divine realm, intellect is
just a lame horse on this path.
Though intellect of humans help them explore the universe and
progress in this world but it keeps them bound in seven
dimensions and never lets them free to travel towards Allah Who
 76

is beyond all dimensions. That is why, all the efforts of scholars

to understand the quiddity and Essence of Allah on the basis of
their knowledge, wisdom and intellect went in vain. The poor
bounded intellect cannot understand the indomitable Divine
Entity.
The quiddity of Allah has always been a mystery. He cannot be
exemplified with any material thing while intellect and wisdom
are based on material things which can be seen, touched or felt.
That is why, sometimes scholars and scientists reject the
existence of Allah because they cannot prove it on rational basis.
How could their imperfect, impure and bounded intellect
perceive the Perfect, Pure and Boundless Entity! If a drop of
water wants to know the quiddity of an ocean, it has to annihilate
in the ocean and become an ocean itself, only then can it have
some knowledge about the ocean. If a flower wants to know
about the quiddity of fragrance, it has to perish itself and become
fragrance itself, in spite of the fact that fragrance is a part of
flower and hidden in it. Similarly, Allah is hidden in every
human but he is unaware of His Essence. Unless soul of a person
annihilates in the Divine ocean of Oneness of Allah, it is
impossible to understand the Essence. Annihilating oneself is
possible only through the intense passion of Ishq. Since intellect
suggests to save oneself, how can it reach the point of Oneness
which is achieved only after perishing oneself! Intellect is related
with the outer world while Ishq is an inner emotion and Allah is
also in the inward of a person, so Ishq and Allah are
interconnected and interrelated, rather they are one as described
earlier that Ishq is synonymous for Divine Essence.
My spiritual guide Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman writes
in his book Sufism-The Soul of Islam:
 The source of intellect is brain while the centre of love is
inward. In the inward is the manifestation of Allah. The base
of entire worldly knowledge is intellect and wisdom. The
 77

material knowledge is gained through intellect and in return

it increases the intellect. Human intellect and its knowledge
are limited as they are based on the information received
within the dimensions of time and space so they keep the
man bound within these limitations. Human brain does not
have the capability of thinking beyond these dimensions
while Allah is above all limitations. Hence, man cannot get
the recognition of Allah on the basis of intellect and
knowledge. When a man enters the realm of Ishq after
crossing the boundaries of his knowledge and intellect then
the power of Ishq takes him to the station of no station by
crossing all the boundaries of time and space where he meets
and sees his Beloved Allah. (Sufism-The Soul of Islam)

Rumi expounds:

 We can never describe Divine love by intellect and

knowledge.
He further states:

‫قشع ٓادم لقع وخد ٓاوارہ دش‬

‫سمش ٓادم عمش وخد راچیرہ دش‬
Explanation: When the passion of love aroused in my being, the
poor intellect became useless, as the candle is no more required
when the sun rises.

‫رہِ لقع زج چی در چی تسین‬

‫رہِ اعاقشں زج دخا چیہ تسین‬
Explanation: The path of intellect is very complicated but the
path of lovers is none other than Allah Himself.
Sultan Bahoo states:
 78

 Knowledge and intellect are regarded as a great hurdle in the

path of Divine love. There is such a pleasure and trance in
the love of Allah that if an excellent scholar finds a little bit
of it, he will be lost in it forgetting all his knowledge.
He says in his Punjabi couplet:
‫ک‬
ِ ُ ‫ وتکك اہجز چیووے‬،‫قشع دنمسر ڑچھ ایگ کلف ےت‬
‫ھو‬

ِ ُ ‫ اچ ےلہپ وپر وبڑویے‬،‫لقع رکف ِدی ڈوڈنی ونں‬

‫ھو‬
Explanation: The river of passionate love for Allah reaches the
fathomless ocean of Divine Oneness. Faqr is simply the path of
love, intellect has nothing to do with it. Therefore, by drowning
the useless boat of intellect save yourself from it since the very
inception of your journey of Divine love. (Abyat-e-Bahoo Kamil)
In the statement of Risala Roohi Sharif under explanation, Sultan
Bahoo is proving the superiority of Ishq over intellect by saying
that all the efforts of intellect went in vain in search of Allah. It
got destroyed in the way but could not reach Allah while Ishq
not only reached the court of Divine Magnificence but also
adorned its Throne there.
If this statement is explained at the final level when Allah had
created the creation and manifested Himself as Universal Divine
Man, then in fact, Ishq is the Universal Divine Man or the
perfect Fakir who has annihilated himself in the Ishq of Allah
and has first become the beloved of Allah and then by perishing
himself completely, has become Ishq on returning to the
Incomparable and Unknowable realm where only Ishq sustains.
“Adorning the Throne” means his acceding to the throne of
Divine guidance and persuasion as the perfect spiritual guide for
the guidance of seekers of Allah. This throne is adorned above
both the worlds i.e. in the Incomparable and Unknowable realm
because that is Universal Divine Man‟s actual station. His
physical body is in the material world but his soul is one with
 79

Allah. Being the perfect manifestation of Allah, it is obligatory

upon him to guide the seekers of Allah towards Him. Hence, he
adorns the throne of Divine guidance and persuasion which is
physically in the material world but actually above both the
worlds. He takes the seekers all the way from the material world
to the world of Divinity and blesses them with the vision and
closeness of Allah.
The quiddity of pure being of Universal Divine Man is
impossible to understand because apparently his body appears to
be made of soil like other humans but in fact it is complete light.
As Allah says:
ُ ُ
( 24:35) ‫ نوۡ ٌر َعلّٰی نوۡ ٍر‬
Meaning: Light upon light. (24:35)
That is, his esoteric being is light and the cover of physical body
upon it is also light. Sultan Bahoo says:
 The Fakir who is annihilated in the Essence of Allah is an
embodiment of theophanies of light because Fakir is directly
in connection with the Divine. (Asrar-e-Qadri)
 The existence of Fakirs is nothing but the Divine light
whereas existence of rest of the people is made of the four
elements of matter (fire, water, air and soil). However, Fakir
can turn his existence into fire or water, he can rise in air
becoming the air or mix in soil becoming the soil. (Asrar-e-
Qadri)

The boundaries of time and space cannot restrict him just like
they could not become an obstacle in the way of the Holy
Prophet on the night of Miraj. He visited the seven skies,
observed the heaven and the hell and finally had vision and
union of Allah with his body and soul. What could be the
quiddity of such a being which is not bounded by any
limitations? He was completely connected with Allah while
 80

living in the physical world. He got commands and knowledge

directly from Allah and conveyed to his umma in the form of
Quran and Hadith. Universal Divine Man is only one among the
whole mankind who perpetually remains with Allah as well as
with humans. It is impossible to understand how his being which
appears to be made of soil has transformed into light, how he
remains inwardly in the world of Divinity connected with Allah
and outwardly in the physical world connected with men of
Allah simultaneously. So, the reality of Universal Divine Man is
also transcendent. Sultan Bahoo says:
 The enchanting existence of the Universal Divine Man is the
maze of treasure of the Divine name and Essence. (Nur-ul-
Huda Kalan)

The Holy Prophet said about himself:

‫ لم یعرفنی حقیقۃ غیر ربی‬

Meaning: No one knows my reality except my Allah.
The statement of Risala Roohi Sharif:
ّ ّٰ َ َ ْ ُ
ِ ‫اـ اللہ! از ااسج ِل انعرصِ اخیک زہبار رہظم وہظر ٓااثر امجك و‬
‫الجك دقرت‬ ‫سبح‬

‫ امتاشےئ ُروےئزابی یم رفامدی۔وخد اب وخد امق ِر قشع‬،‫ٓاہنیئ ِء اب افص اسہتخ‬،‫اہےئ اکہلم‬

‫وخد اعقش و وخدوشعمق۔ ارگ‬، ‫ وخد قشع‬،‫وخد انرظ و وخد وظنمر‬،‫ وخد رظن‬،‫یم ابزد‬
‫چش‬
ِ ‫ہمہکیذاتودویئہمہازاوحَّك متصت۔‬،‫رپدہراازوخدرباَّدنازی‬
Meaning: Allah be glorified! He has manifested the signs of
Divine beauty (Jamal) and Divine majesty (Jalal) of His perfect
Nature through thousands of earthen elemental bodies which are
His perfect manifestation. By making them pure sanctified
mirrors, He is observing His Own beautiful Countenance. In fact,
He is experiencing His Own love. He Himself is the Sight, the
Beholder and the Beheld. He Himself is the Love, the Lover and
the Beloved. If you remove the veil from yourself, you will
observe that only One Entity exists. The duality (variety of
material things) you see is because you lack spiritual sight.

Exegesis: Allah possesses infinite attributes, all of them can be

categorized under two primary attributes i.e. Jamal and Jalal.
Jamal is translated in English as Divine beauty and compassion
while Jalal as Divine majesty and wrath. However, both of them
are much wider terms. Jamal includes all the attributes related
with beneficence, mercy, benevolence, forgiveness etc. and Jalal
includes the attributes related with might, wrath, power,
magnificence etc. For every attribute of Jamal there is a counter
attribute of Jalal.
َّ َ
 Allah is the Manifest (az-Zahir ‫ )الظا ِھر‬and also the Hidden
َۡ
(al-Batin ‫)ال َبا ِطن‬.
 82

ۡ َۡ
 He is called the Avenger (al-Muntaqim ‫ )المُن َت ِق ۡم‬as well as the
ُ َۡ
Pardoner (al-Afu ‫)ال َعفو‬.
ْ َ َْ
 He is the Constrictor (al-Qabid ‫ )الق ِابض‬and the Reliever (al-
ْ َْ
ِ ‫)ال َب‬.
Basit (‫اسط‬
َْ
َ ‫ )ال َہ‬as well as the Depraver (al-
 He is the Guide (al-Haadi ‫ادی‬
ْ ‫)اَلْمُ ِض‬
Mudhil ‫ل‬

Allah says that He created man with both His Hands as is the
verse:
َّ ُ ََۡ َ َۡ َ َ َ
(38:75)‫اؾ ٰۤی ِابۡ ِل ۡی ُس َما َمن َعک اـ ت ۡس ُج َد ل ِمَا خلقت ِب َی َدی‬
َ ‫ ق‬
Meaning: (Allah) said, “O Iblis! What has prevented you from
falling down prostrate before (Adam) whom I have created with
both My Hands? (38:75)
Both His Hands refer to His attributes of beauty (Jamal) and
wrath (Jalal). That is to say, He embellished man with both
kinds of His attributes. In the Quran Allah says:
َّ ُ َۡ ّٰ َ ّ
(2:32) ‫ٓاء کل َہا‬
َ َ‫ َق َعل َم ا َد َؿ الا ۡسم‬
Meaning: And He taught Adam the Names (Divine attributes),
all of them. (2:31)
Teaching all the Names actually means bestowing the ability to
acquire all the Divine attributes. Every Name of Allah depicts a
particular attribute. Since the reality of humans is the Divine
Soul which is directly created from the light of Allah, that is why
it possesses all the attributes of beauty and wrath in their perfect
form. However, the Satan, the self (nafs) and the desires of
material world suppress these attributes in humans and do not let
them manifest in their veritable form. Throughout the life of a
man, the bestial qualities of inciting self, evil tricks of Satan and
 83

wishes of the material world remain dominant over his true

being. If he fights and wins over the vile qualities of self and his
worldly desires, then the wishes of pleasures of the hereafter
possess him. He worships day and night to achieve them. His
worships elevate him to the angelic realm where he may attain a
few angelic attributes but still remains away from Allah and
deprived of Divine attributes which were embedded in him.
There are some chosen men of Allah who, by virtue of their pure
intentions, intense Divine love and struggle to have the vision
and closeness of Allah, overcome all the evil qualities of inciting
self and satanic attributes, and acquire the Divine attributes
according to the order given in the Hadith:
ّّٰ َ ْ َ ْ ُ َ ّ َ َ
‫اؼ اللہ‬
ِ ‫ تخلقوا ِباخل‬
Meaning: Be attributed with the attributes of Allah.
By the grace of Allah and guidance of the perfect spiritual guide,
they also get rid of all the desires of material world and pleasures
of hereafter. Only the desire of getting more and more close to
Allah keeps them advancing towards Him. When they spiritually
reach the realm of Divinity crossing all the boundaries, the
Divine Soul that was hidden in them dominates their being and
all the attributes of Divine beauty and wrath manifest from their
earthen elemental bodies. Their being becomes so pure and
sanctified that their clear inward acts like a mirror and reflects
the light of Allah.
Allah has created the inward of humans on the pattern of a
mirror. When a baby is born, its inward is pure and clear like a
mirror. But as a person grows, the attractions of this world, his
inciting self and Satan teach him to commit sins. Every sin
affects the mirror of inward and puts a black dot on it, as
mentioned in a Hadith:
 84

َ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ َّ
‫ ِإـ ال َع ْبد ِإذا أخطأ‬:‫اؾ‬ َ ‫ َق‬،‫الل ُہ َعلَ ْی ِہ َق َس ّلَ َم‬ ّّٰ َ ّ َ ّّٰ ْ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ
‫ عن رسو ِؾ الل ِہ صلى‬،‫ عن أبِی ھریرۃ‬
َْ َ َ‫اس َت ْغ َع َػ َقت‬
‫ َق ِإ ْـ‬،‫اب ُس ِق َل قل ُب ُہ‬ ُ َ َ ٌَ ُْ َْ ْ َ ُ ً َ َ
ْ ‫ َفإ َذا ُھوَ ن َ َز َع َق‬،‫اء‬
ِ ‫خ ِط ْیئۃ ن ِکتت ف ِ ْی قل ِب ِہ نکتۃ سوْد‬
ْ َ ُ َ َّ
ِ )۳۳۳۳ ‫اد زِیْ َد فِ ْی َہا َحتى ت ْعلوَ قل َب ُہ (رتذمی‬ َ ‫َع‬
Meaning: Abu Huraira relates that the Holy Prophet said,
“Certainly when a person commits a sin, a black dot appears on
his inward. If he repents on his sin and seeks forgiveness from
Allah, his inward is cleansed. But if he commits the sin again
(and continues committing sins) the blackness of his inward
increases so much that it is completely blackened. (Tirmidhi 3334)
The Holy Prophet added that Allah has mentioned about the
same in the verse:
ۡ ُ َ َ ُُ َّ َ
(83:14)‫اـ َعلّٰی قلوۡ ِب ِہ ۡم ّما کانوۡا یَک ِس ُبوۡ َـ‬
َ ‫ کلا بَ ۡل َر‬
Meaning: (The evil deeds) which they earned have rusted their
inwards. (83:14)
Desires of self and wishes of this world also put a veil over the
rusty mirror of his inward, hence the person cannot see Allah
Who is always present inside him, neither can he hear Allah‟s
voice from within himself. Saadi Sherazi says:

‫دعسی اجحب تسین وت ٓاہنیئ اصف دار‬

‫امجك دوتس‬
ِ ‫زاگنر وخردہ ےک امندی‬
Explanation: O Saadi! There is no veil between you and Allah.
Just keep the mirror of your inward clean because a rusty mirror
cannot show the beauty of the Beloved.
If Divine favour attracts a person, he first of all repents upon his
sins truly. The tears of repentance cleanse his inward mirror.
After leaving sins, he starts his journey towards Allah by
offering excessive devotions. Here, he crucially needs the perfect