Whenever the poor and needy visited Khwaja
Shareef (radi Allahu anhu) he showed them so much of love and
respect that the people present would be left surprised. So much
was his love towards them that he used to take the dust from their
feet and place it on his eyes and while in this act he used to say,
“O Allah! Haji Shareef is at the service of the poor and keep my
love for them firm.” He never associated with the rich and
wealthy.
Like all the grand masters he adopted the path of
FAQR, which is generally translated to mean poverty but according to
Sufism it is to be outwardly poor but spiritually being rich with
Allah. In this state one has complete trust in Allah. This state
is a gift bestowed only to the chosen servants of Allah. A faqeer
feels joy and happiness in the state of poverty and seclusion
because it is only in this state that he receives a great Divine
Light and sees the mysteries of Allah’s spiritual world. When
Hazrat Haji Shareef Zandani Shareef (radi Allahu anhu) passed a day
in this state of extreme poverty, he, at the end of the day used to
recite with great love 100 rakaats of nafil salaah to thank Allah.
When he was asked by the people about this he used to say “This
insignificant Haji Shareef is so ashamed that even if every hair on
my body were turned into a tongue to make Allah’s zikr and if I were
to perform the salaah equal to all of Allah’s creation still I would
not be able to thank Allah enough for this one day. It is my good
fortune that Allah remembers me among the poor and needy. When
there is extreme poverty in my house it is not such a great calamity
because I am worthy of it just like all the Prophets and Saints of
Allah and I make dua to Allah to give me death amongst the poor and
raise me on the day of Qiyamat amongst the poor.”
Once a very poor man in distress presented
himself in front of Hazrat Haji Shareef Zandani Shareef (radi Allahu
anhu) explaining to him that he had seven daughters and he did not
have enough money to get them married. He requested assistance from
Hazrat Haji Shareef (Radi Allahu Anhu). Hazrat Haji Shareef (R.A)
listened to his plea and told him that he should not worry and that
he should come the next day. On his way back home he met a Jew who
enquired from where he was coming. The man replied and told him that
he was coming from Hazrat Haji Shareef (Radi Allahu Anhu) to whom he
had went to request some financial help to get his daughters
married. The Jew then said that Haji Shareef has given up the
world, he himself has nothing how is he going to help you, tell your
sheikh to become my servant and I will give you 7000 gold dinars to
get your daughters married and the condition being that he should
work for me for seven years to my satisfaction after which I will
give him his freedom. The man immediately went to the Great Khwaja
and reported the entire story. Hazrat Haji Shareef readily agreed
and said, “If by my seven years of work your problem can be solved I
accept to work for the Jew on his conditions.” After saying this
they both went to the house of the Jew and got the contract signed
and presented it to the qazi of the city. The Jew then handed 7000
gold dinars to the old man, which he used for the weddings of his
daughters. The Jew then told Hazrat Haji Shareef, “from now on you
are my slave and you have agreed to work for me for seven years to
my satisfaction,” to which the Khwaja accepted. The Jew then gave
him instructions by telling him to guard the entrance of his house
day and night without any sleep preventing any thieves from entering
the house. This news spread throughout the city like wild fire.
When the king heard about this he immediately sent 7000 gold and
7000 silver dinars to the Khwaja and requested him to give it to the
Jew so that he may get back his freedom. Hazrat Haji Shareef (R.A)
took all the money and distributed it to the poor and needy and said
that he had promised the Jew that he will work for him for seven
years and under no condition will he break his promise. When the
Jew heard about this he immediately came and requested the Khwaja to
forgive him for his disrespectful behaviour and gave him his
freedom. Hazrat Khwaja Zandani then told him, “Just as you have
freed me Allah will free you from the fire of hell.” Immediately
thereafter he became a Muslim and a mureed at the hands of Hazrat
Khwaja Shareef Zandani (R.A). After spending some time with his
murshid he also renounced the world and became a perfect Sufi.
Hazrat Khwaja Haji Shareef Zandani (R.A) loved
listening to Sama. At times his mehfil-e-sama programmes used to
continue for a period of three to four days. Most of the Masha’ikh
used to attend these mehfils. He used to say that Sama is a great
gift and everybody does not know its secret.
Hazrat Khwaja Haji Shareef Zandani (R.A) passed away on the 3rd
of Rajab 412 A.H, at the age of 120 years. He bestowed the Khilaafat
of the Chishtia order upon his beloved mureed Hazrat Khwaja Usman
Harooni (R.A).
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