Ganj ul Asrar English Translation with Persian Text/English Translation
"In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Beneficent. Infinite praises, blessings and glory for The Holy Prophet who is The Master of the masters and his sacred Progeny, Family and Companions. The writer of this book, Faqeer Bahoo son of Bazayd, who belongs to the Awan tribe and lives in the vicinity of Shorkot, sacrifices his life for them. He is united with Allah, Knower of Allah and the follower of the Qadri Order. Faqeer Bahoo is going to write a few words about The Divine Way of Ism-e-Allah Zaat which blesses the Seekers of Allah with the presence of The Holy Assembly of Prophet Mohammad and spiritual meeting and slavery of Hazrat Shah Mohiyyudin Ghaus-ul-Azam Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani. This way is completely in accordance with the Quran and Hadith and gives awareness about capturing the nafs after getting rid of the evilness of satan and worldly desires. It also teaches renunciation of the world, complete Trust upon Allah and the ways of acquiring The Divine knowledge and then takes to the final level of Faqr.
Knowledge about every spiritual level from beginning till the end of this esoteric journey has been written in this book and is titled as Ganj-ul-Asrar (The Treasure of Divine Secrets). Although, reading this book apparently grants only a part of the whole knowledge but in reality it covers all the knowledge of every part and The Whole. It contains solution of all the problems, purifies the innerself (of its reader)and elevates him from the level of Ilm-ul-Yaqeen (knowledge) to Ain-ul-Yaqeen (seeing) and Haq-ul-Yaqeen (experiencing) during his spiritual journey. By the continuous Zikr, the invoker reaches the level of Tareeqat where the flame of Divine Light burns his heart (in the fire of Divine Love)and The Divine Theophanies fall upon his soul. By their effects the Seeker of Allah remains anxious and restless due to the separation from The Beloved (Allah)which makes him crazy and he reaches the level of a Majzoob. The final and third level of faith i.e. Haq-ul-Yaqeen can be approached at only by gaining The Divine Knowledge of Reality. Whoever found The Divine Knowledge, found it by drowning himself in this Knowledge. Allah says: The Divine Way to the Vision and Closeness of Allah Annihilation in Allah-Faith gained through knowledge. This is the first level of faith. Faith gained through observation. This is the second level of faith. Faith gained through experience. This is the third and final level of faith.
Meaning: And worship your Lord so much that you attain to the ultimate level of faith (Al-hijr-99)This book is written following the teachings of The Holy Prophet Sall’Allahu Alayhi Wa’alihi Wasallam and according to the school of thought of Shah Meeran Jilani who is the Omniscient Spiritual Guide and the Perfect Knower of Allah.
Hazrat Sultan Bahoo met many Saints during his search for Murshid Kamil Akmal. Among those Saints Syed Mohammad Ameer Hajravi was also included who was the son of Hazrat Saif-ur-Rehman son of Syed Mohammad Muqeem Mohkimmuddin Hajravi and also the superior of his shrine. He belonged to the progeny of Hazrat Bahawal Sher Hajravi. Most probably Sultan Bahoo is referring to Syed Mohammad Ameer Hajravi with the title of “Second Mohiyyuddin”and “Second Shah Meeran”because in the next poem he has called him the son of Saint Muqeem and descendant of Lal Bahawal Ali Razi Allah Anhu. He is a pure Syed22and united with The Truth. Meaning: Since he is the son of great Knower of Allah, Hazrat Muqeem, so he has to be the follower of the Straight Path. Meaning: He has the honour to belong to the progeny of Lal Bahawal who was united with Allah. You must not underestimate his grand status by watching the poor condition of his shrine. Meaning: He has renounced the world and got rid of the desires of nafs. He is ever united with Allah blissfully. Meaning: By The Divine Command, the true Qadri Faqeer23has got such an elevated level that his reality is Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani and his soul is The Holy Prophet himself.Meaning: Bahoo is the humble slave of Shah Meeran who himself is the true religion. Bahoo has become his disciple with his heart and soul and with complete faith in him. Know that the Qadri way dominates all the other mystic ways because if the beginning of a Qadri disciple is compared with the finality of a disciple of any other Order, the Qadri will be the superior. If a disciple of any other order spends his whole life in mystic struggle and exhausts himself in hard devotional exercises, he cannot reach even the level of the lowest ranked Qadri disciple. As, the mystic struggle grants energy and nourishment to a Qadri disciple and his sleep takes him to The Divine Observation. For the follower of this way hunger and satiation are the same, sleeping and awakening are alike, intoxication and vigilance are equal, speech and silence are the same. Such a Qadri Faqeer is entitled as The Lion, The King and The Man of Divine Secrets.
The follower of Qadri Way should abstain from three things. Firstly music, because it creates lust and desires of nafs. The perfect Qadris are not inclined towards music as they are always engrossed in Allah. Whoever is attentive towards Allah, music can neither distract him nor create desires of nafs in him. Such followers of Qadri way are the Men of Divine Knowledge and Compassion, hence they refrain from the illusionary and deceitful effects of music. You must know that music does not give life to the soul rather it carries away from Allah and His Prophet Mohammad and brings embarrassment only. Although, there is a kind of music whose effects on the soul helps in reaching the level of Kashf-ul-Qaloob27and Kashf-ul-Qaboor28but keeps one deprived of the presence of The Holy Assembly of Prophet Mohammad and Union with Allah. Though music excites its listeners and creates strange sensations but all these are just distracting satanic effects, one should abstain from them thousand times. Since, a Qadri follower gets anxious for Allah only through the effects of Tasawur of Ism-e-Allah, so listening music is completely forbidden for him (as it will distract him from Allah). Secondly, he should refrain from the world and thirdly, from the worldly people. Whosoever does not follow these things is not on the Qadri Way.
A Qadri Seeker has three signs. Firstly, he becomes generous (in the way of Allah)by the Zikr of Ism-e-Allah and is blessed with such insight which enables him to observe the reality of things, hence, soil and gold become equal for him. Secondly, Allah grants such spiritual powers to a Qadri Seeker that whosoever seeks guidance from him on the Way to Allah, he can grant him the whole Divine Knowledge from eternal beginning till the end only by his single spiritual glance. Whosoever is jealous of this way, is disgraced in both the worlds. Thirdly, the Qadri Seeker is blessed with the vision of both the worlds. These powers are possessed by the Perfect Murshid of the Qadri Way only. When he blesses any true Seeker, he elevates him to the grand level of his own in just one day. ‘Qadri’ is entitled so, because he is empowered by The Qadir Himself.
The Faqeer Saints are blessed with ultimate Union of Allah and such spiritual ecstasy which has no decline. Although, they are not rich outwardly but are enriched inwardly, however they do not boast about their highest spiritual level. Allah says: Meaning: Allah is The Generous and you are the Faqeers. (Mohammad-38)Allah says: Meaning: Beware! Verily, the Friends of Allah will not have any fear, nor will they grieve. (Yunus-62)Hadith: Meaning: When Faqr is accomplished that is Allah. Hadith: Meaning: The Faqeer needs nothing from anyone but Allah. I am really surprised at those who have misunderstood the meaning of (Run towards Allah)as (Run away from Allah). They do not have even a hint of Divine Knowledge but consider themselves blessed with Divine Presence. Actually, they have just got the power of deceptive miracles and unveiling which makes them proud and keeps them away from The Divine Knowledge. Eventually they are tormented and disgraced due to their lust for worldly riches and fame. What do “the world” refer to?Meaning: Whatever keeps you away from Allah is the hideous world and whatever takes you towards Allah is heavenly. Interpretation of the Hadith (Worldly life is preparation for the life hereafter)is that whatever Allah grants you, you should spend it in the Way of Allah.
The sacred rank of Murshid was granted to the Prophets and Saints on the basis of their Divine Knowledge and Faqr. Allah does not grant this great honour and highest rank to any mean, contemptible and incapable person who seeks only the world. This honour is granted only to the Perfect Saints and Seekers of Allah who are at the highest spiritual level. Meaning: Listen! O’enlightened person! A seeker of world can never be a Faqeer. One who is against the Qadri Way is either a hypocrite and liar or a dissenter and Kharijite. There are some spiritual guides who claim that they have got Khilafat32from all the mystic ways like Naqshbandi, Soharwardi, Chishti and Qadri (i.e. they can take bayat from disciples of all the ways and can guide them on whichever way they want). Such people are absolute liars. Whoever has got Khilafat from the sacred Qadri Way, becomes indifferent and heedless of all the other Ways.
In the Qadri Way five kinds of knowledge are granted in the very beginning, which are called The Five Divine Treasures. First is the knowledge of Quran and Hadith along with their exegesis. Second is the Ilm-e Dawat33which elevates to the highest level in just a moment. Third is the knowledge of alchemic sight through which an Arif Billah34can give life to a dead heart because an Arif Billah’s existence is like a panacea. Fourth is the knowledge of effects of Tasawur of Ism-e-Allah Zaat which grants enlightened insight. Fifth is the Knowledge of elevation to the level of Fana Fillah Faqeer which grants dominance over the nafs. When a Qadri Murshid imparts these five kinds of knowledge to a true Seeker of Allah on the very first day, he actually grants him the Faqr. Hence, the Seeker gets rid of the world, acquires the life hereafter (i.e. the spiritual life)and involves himself in the eternal prayers of engrossment in Allah in which first he recites (i.e. applies the meaning of this verse upon his life): Meaning: And whoever puts his trust in Allah then He (Allah)is sufficient for him. (At-Talaq-3). Then, the Seeker completes his worship on this prayer: Meaning: O’Allah! Let me live among the Miskeens and die among them and also raise me among the Miskeens on the doomsday. “Miskeen” is the Faqeer who permanently resides in LaHoot (The Divine World beyond time and space)and is ever drowned in the Closeness of Allah. The Faqr which takes to this level is the pride of Prophet Mohammad. Then, the Seeker prays to Allah while keeping his hands on his heart:
Meaning: O’ Allah! I seek Your refuge from the knowledge which is fruitless, from the heart which is free from Your fear, from the nafs which is never satisfied and from the prayer which is not acceptable in Your Court. O Allah! I seek Your refuge from all four of these. Know! If all the Saints on the earth gather to put the person on the path of The Divine Knowledge who has love of the world in his heart, even if it is as small as a seed of barley, they cannot, unless it is removed from his heart and it gets purified of the rust, filth and darkness of the worldly love, because love of the world is like a poison. The love of world destroys the faith of a person and its poison kills his soul.
Ghaus-ul-Azam Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani asked the Satan, “O cursed! Who is your greatest enemy?” He replied, “I have three enemies who torture me too much. First is the true religious scholar who practices what he preaches and enlightens the world with his knowledge. Second is the perfect Faqeer who kills me and my brother, the Nafs-e-Ammarah 35 , with the sword of Zikr of Allah and The Divine Knowledge. My third enemy is the generous person who cuts both my hands when I hold his hands to prevent him from giving charity to the indigents”. Such perfect practitioners, religious scholars and Faqeers having The Divine Knowledge and the extremely generous and compassionate persons are found only in the Qadri Order. If anyone belonging to any other order claims to be equal to the highly honoured Qadris, he will only be embarrassed. Whoever found betterment, found it from the Qadri Way, because the beneficence found in this way cannot be found from anywhere else. The followers of this way are men of compassion and free from the desires of getting power of miracles and unveiling. They are the Arif Billah who are always drowned in the ecstasy of Closeness with Allah and observing The Divine Light of Union with Allah through the Zikr of Ism-e-e-Allah Zaat. These are the splendid levels of a Qadri Faqeer which have no decline. Whoever found any rank of sainthood, righteousness, worldly or spiritual kingdom, Closeness to Allah, level of Fana Fillah Faqeer who rules over nafs and possesses enlightened soul, or any physical or spiritual rank, found it from Ghaus-ul-Azam Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani as he has got the power and authority to confer The Divine Beneficence upon both the (spiritual as well as the physical)worlds. Whoever denies his elite status is the most unfortunate person as he is deprived of any kind of beneficence.
Meaning: By The Divine Command, the Qadri Faqeers are the Beloved Friends of Allah. They drown in The Divine Reality after going through many tough spiritual states. He also said: Meaning: One who loves Allah is disgusted of everyone other than Allah.
Meaning: Allah says to His true men, “O’My dear! You do not know how valuable you are for me. I watch you three hundred and sixty times a moment. Meaning: Be faithful to Me and do not go away from Me as I am purely yours since pre-existence till eternity. Meaning: If your soul has become polluted due to the filth of sins and you have no source to cleanse it then be hopeful that My Compassion will surely remove it. Meaning: We will give the record of your deeds only in your hands on the doomsday so that no one may know what is written in it. Meaning: I will grant the reward of your one virtue ten times more in this world and in the hereafter I will increase it seven hundred and seventy times.
Meaning: If you commit a sin I forgive it out of My Compassion. O’My slave! Is there anyone except Me who is so Kind and Merciful?
Meaning: I am with you everywhere, why are you afraid of the Satan! I have taken you in My shelter, so tell Me, can Satan enter My shelter? Meaning: O Mohiyyuddin! If there would ever be any disloyalty, it would be from your side only. I am The God and I am always Loyal and Kind. Meaning: Remember the time when on My Command every Saint and enlightened mystic put his head under your foot. Meaning: Whoever honours you is raised to the level of angels and whoever disrespects you is degraded to the level of Satan. Meaning: The foot of Hazrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani is on the neck of every Saint. He is our Divine Guide and the foot of The Holy Prophet is on his neck.
Meaning: The denier of his grand status gets depraved from the right path and is trapped by the desires of nafs. Meaning: My Divine Guide (Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani)is forever alive with his pure soul. He is free of all the needs and worries in his grave. Meaning: Shah Meeran is immortal and is the soul of the immortal religion Islam. He is present everywhere and listens every word of everyone. Meaning: A blind person cannot even see the bright sun as his eyes are veiled with blindness (similarly, the spiritually blind people cannot understand the grandeur of Shah Meeran who is the brightest sun of the horizon of sainthood). Meaning: The Holy Prophet has assigned me the task to convey The Divine Message to his Nation and guide his followers on the right path as his representative.
In the mystic way of The Reality, the Seeker is blessed with the ecstasy of spiritual states due to his Closeness with Allah. Such ecstasy is free of anxiety and wrath and is absolutely peaceful. In this mystic way of The Reality, the physical as well as the spiritual being of a Faqeer is purified by the effects of eternal Zikr and Tasawur of Ism-e-Allah Zaat and is converted into Absolute Noor. Then, the Faqeer is blessed with the Closeness and Union of Allah and The Divine Presence. Before reaching this level, the Faqeer must have to pass through two inward stations. Firstly, he has to get rid of the effects of anger and wrath because they make him ignorant of the reality. He becomes arrogant even on his imperfections, and arrogance gives birth to intoxication of self conceit due to which he harms his fellow Muslims. Secondly, he should become free of extra mercy and compassion as they are harmful for the soul (because the soul becomes alive only when the nafs is dead and nafs cannot die if the Seeker is merciful towards it). When the Seeker gets free of the wrath and extra mercy, he crosses these two stations and leaving them behind, he reaches the station of Jamiat. Jamiat means being blessed with complete awareness and perfect wisdom. A wise Seeker is always fearful of the doomsday and finds himself accountable before Allah, so he is always beneficial for his fellow Muslims. Meaning: I am relieved from the worry of profit and loss. Meaning: I keep the knowledge of this deceitful world so that you cannot call me an ignorant person. Meaning: Why should I beg before mean people for a single piece of bread. It is better that I do some effort and get it myself.
The Zikr of Ism-e-Allah Zaat has four stages (AllaHoo, Lillah , LaHoo , and Hoo ). The Zikr of Hoo, which creates the love and excitement for Allah, is the eternal Zikr. The Seeker, who is accomplished in this Zikr, is united with Allah and observes The Divine Light every moment. He is always experiencing various spiritual states due to this Zikr and is called the man of spiritual beneficence. He started gaining The Divine Knowledge in eternity on hearing the call of meaning: (Allah asked the souls)Am I not your God? He remained prostrated before Allah for thousand years on hearing this call and started The Divine Prayer of slavehood of Allah in the eternity which blessed him with the secrets of The Divine Knowledge. So, when he is born in this material world he is already enlightened. Such Faqeer is heedless to the world. I am surprised at the imperfect Murshids who indulge their disciples in listening the music, which is utterly satanic sound,instead of involving them in listening and learning Quran, Hadith, their exegesis, the knowledge of jurisprudence and exact inner meaning of . Such a Murshid is himself a Satan. Meaning: Your heart will be purified just by watching the countenance of an Arif Billah Faqeer. Be an Arif so you gain Oneness with Allah. The worldly people are slaves of this world, while this world and the worldly people both are slaves of Arif Billah Faqeer. The Arif Billah Faqeer possesses complete authority over the world and is its Master. There is nothing wrong if the Master calls his
slaves in his court and if the slaves recognize and obey him. The Holy Prophet and all the other Prophets did not like the world, firstly because it is faithless and secondly because the slave of the world is spiritually blind, black hearted and full of wrath.
Almost one lac and eighty thousand Prophets said the same about the world. How could a person, who disobeys the Prophets, be called a Muslim? Surely an animal is hidden in his human body. Meaning: Faqr has got The Divine Sight from The Divinity so it is blessed with the Vision of The Divine Essence. When both the physical and spiritual sights become one, the faith reaches its ultimate stage i.e. Haq-ul-Yaqeen. Meaning: When Faqr enlightens the physical eyes with the spiritual sight then the Secrets of Allah are revealed upon the Seeker. Meaning: On reaching the level of Oneness with Allah, every word read by you will grant you an ocean of Divine Knowledge. Meaning: I have been blessed by Allah with a heart filled with Divine Secrets just for the guidance of Seekers of Allah. Meaning: You must not travel the mystic way without a Spiritual Guide, only he can tell you the secrets of travelling this way successfully.
Meaning: The person who is not guided by a Perfect Spiritual Guide is guided by the cursed Satan. Meaning: O Bahoo! My Spiritual Guide is the Fana Fillah Faqeer Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani who is always with me to help and guide me. Allah says: Meaning: O Believers! Fear Allah persistently and search a source to (get closer to)Him and strive hard in His way so that you may prosper. (Al-Maida-35)The Holy Prophet said: Meaning: Whoever is not guided by a Perfect Spiritual Guide, has no faith and he is guided by Satan. Being a Murshid is not an easy job, it is based on many great Secrets of Allah.
INTERPRETATION OF THE ETERNAL ZIKR
There is a secret Zikr going on in the inward of the reciter about which he himself is unaware. It is the Zikr which starts by the effects of Tasawur of Ism-e-Allah Zaat and blends in the whole being of the reciter, just as the salt mixed in food and water in milk. This secret Zikr can be identified by four symptoms. Firstly, by the effects of Tasawur of Ism-e-Allah Zaat the reciter of this secret Zikr feels such pleasure and ecstasy that if only a drop of that pleasure is given to all the creatures of the universe, they all will fall into such a trance that will end on the doomsday by the clarion call of Israfeel. Secondly, the reciter is so much drowned in this state that he loses consciousness of his ownself, if someone beheads him or cuts him into pieces with a sword, he will not move a bit. Thirdly, by the effect of Tasawur of Ism-e-Allah Zaat, this secret Zikr makes the reciter so heedless to the worldly wealth that if the entire wealth of the universe is presented before him, he will not even look at it, as the gold and soil are equal for him. Fourthly, this secret Zikr grants its reciter such engrossment in Allah that he reaches the level of 38. Allah says to His angels, “Look O’ angels! How engrossed My slave is in Me! He has forgotten both the worlds for Me. His eyes see nothing except having My Vision and observing My Light and Self Disclosures. Since I am God, I swear by My Ownself that I will confer an infinite reward upon him that will not be contained in both the worlds and I will distinguish him from everyone else”.The Holy Prophet said: Meaning: The meditation for a moment is better than prayer of both the worlds. Allah says: Meaning: Remember your Lord, forgetting everything else. (Al-Kahf-24)Such Zikr, meditation and engrossment in Allah are only the specialties of the Qadri Way. If follower of any other way claims them, he is certainly lying. A true Qadri follower can easily overcome the Satan and world, but the Satan or world can never dominate a follower of Qadri Way because this way completely follows the Shariah39and is headed by Pir Dastgeer Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani who is the vicegerent of The Holy Prophet. He is aware of every physical and spiritual condition of all his disciples. His disciples possess alive and pure souls like Hazrat Rabia Basri and Hazrat Bayazid Bastami. They are neither the seekers of world nor the followers of Satan and desires of nafs. The person whose spiritual level is not above the Ghaus40and Qutb41, cannot be the disciple of Hazrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani. His true disciples know and see everything from pre-existence till eternity. Allah Only, everything other than Allah is lust.