Mystictsm 175 MULLAISM AND MYSTICISM. ‘The worst part of this whole picture is that Mullaism and Mysticism have become almost identical. Its underlying cause Is the aspiration for religious leadership and the desire to gain cheap popularity without acquiring even the minimum knowledge of the basic concepts of the Quran. Anybody who adopts a particular type of appearance with a particular type of dress and beard, is able to express himself eloquently and Is conversant with some fairy tales of the past or the present, Is well set to become a religious leader. The academic qualifications of these people are almost negligible. They are ignorant of what is going on in the world around them. They easily dismiss anything that Is outside the pale of their knowledge as western idea, worth being spitted on. However, the minds of these petty religious leaders are easily impregnable. They do not possess the faculty of “weigh and consider. They can easily assimilate all that emanates from Mullas of higher ranks. Therefore It is worthwhile to throw some light on the mess the Mullas of higher ranks have made, so that we may be able to assess the Ideas that trickled down from them, through petly Mullas, to Muslim masses. Deseribed below are the beliefs and ideas of some of the big Mullas who dominated the fleld of religious leadership in the South Asian Sub-continent for quite some time— Shah Waliultah Birth—Shah Wallullah describes that when his father Shah Abdur Rahim reached the age of 60. he got the inspiration that he shalll get another son who shall be a man of great knowledge and spiritual powers. ‘thus occurred the Idea of remarriage. The old- age marriage was objected by certain people but his father told them that he sull had a Jong span of life and that he shall get more sons. Thus according to this prophecy he got two more sons including myself. One night when I was still inside the womb of my mother, my father and mother raised two hands each during midnight prayer when suddenly another pair of two small hands appeared, making it six hands in all. My father told my mother, “these hands belong to our son who is nol yet born’. (Anas al- Arifeen, pp. 145, publishers Almuarif, Lahore). Another story—Shah Wallullah sald, “When | was inside the womb of my mother, a beggar woman came to my father. He gave her half a loaf of bread. When she turned her face, my father called her back again and gave her the second half as well: and said thal the child inside the womb had requested for it". (Anjas al-Arffeen, pp. 145). Dead man leacting prayers—Shah Waliullah sald, "Whenever my father sat al the grave of Shelkh Muhammad Quds and said prayers, every time the spirit of the dead Sheikh appeared and led the prayers”. (Anfas al-Arifeen. pp. 116). ‘Martyrs come back to life andl bring news of the unseen—Shah Waltullah said, “My father used {o appear bodily before me afler his death and used to bring news of the present and of the future. It so happened (hat once my niece Karima fell ill and her Ulness was prolonged. One day when I was sleeping inside my room, my father came in suddenly and said that he wanted to see Karima, When he saw Karima she recognised him and said, "you were dead; how you happen to come here"? My father said, “leave It my daughter. You have suffered a good dea. Insha Allah you shall be free from misery176 Conspiracies against the Quran by tomorrow morning’. Afler that he disappeared and Karima died the following morning”. (Anfas al-Arjeen, pp. 115-116). Hakimul-Ummat Ashraf Ali Thanvi also believed in return after death. He also related a similar tale that his grandfather returned after his death to present sweet- meat to his grandmother. (Ashraf us-Sowaneh, Vol. I, pp. 12). Ashraf All Thanvi also said— “Qasim Nanautvi returned afler his death to Deoband and asked Raflud Din (the manager of the institution) as to how Mahmood-ul-Hasan got entangled in mutual disputes. Raflud Din perspired {with shame). He sent for Mahmood-ul-Hasan and related the incidence to him. This caused the latter to take “bal'at’ at the hand of the former.” (Hakayat-e-Aulya by Ashraf Ali Thanvi, Hakayat No. 247, pp. 288-289). A masterpiece of Ashraf Ali Thanvi's genius indicating how far Mullaism and Mysticism are wedded together— “Somebody asked a ~5y* believer in ‘Oneness’ (mystic) that if animal excreta and pudding are “One’, let us sce if you can eat both of them. The mystic got himself converted into a pig and ate the excreta and again reconverted himself into a human being and ate the pudding.” (Ref. Imdad atMushiaq by Hakimut Ummat Thanvi, pp. 110. Malfoazat Hajt Indadul Haq Mahyjir Make ) ‘The Hakimul Ummat has argued in the footnote that the sald mystic had to take this trouble and go out of the way only to satisfy the dullheaded person who had raised the objection: otherwise ‘Oneness’ is a reality. May I ask the readers that, afler this excellent performance, is there any further proof required in support of the mystic concept of ‘Oneness’? Another story from Malfooz'at Shah Abdur Ralm— “Once I was sitting with some of my friends when a dreadful person appeared with @ bow and arrow in his hand and politely saluted me and told me that he was an angel and was on duty of epidemic control which was prevalent at that time. He sald further that he had a desire to see him since long and that today his contingent was passing this way and thus he got the opportunity to meet him. Then he gave me the happy news that my friends and followers shall be saved from the epidemic. Afler that he wished me well and went away. It so happened that alter a few days the epidemic shifted from our locality to another one ear-marked by the angel; and thus my [riends and followers were all saved." (Anfasul Anfeen, pp. 116). Mullas bellefin 43" ‘Nazar Niaz! It means that stomachs of living human beings can be used, as a post office box, to send food to dead persons. Shah Wallullah related a story which he took from his father— "On the occasion of one y-% Urs of the holy Rasool . I was short of money. So I‘Mysticism 177 ‘sufficed on grams and sugar for offering 34, . The same night I actually saw with my ‘own eyes that various kinds of foods were being presented to the Rasool® and in the meantime the grams and sugar (offered by me) were also presented. The Rasool accepted it with pleasure. ate some of it and distributed the rest to those sitting around him’. The writer says that the story without doubt relates to his father although some people have related it in connection with others. (Anfasul Arifeen, pp. 106-107). Shah Waliullah exempted from the law of Requital: rytaato JieeeslrLettole fae luis" See gs Selb ee enh a “Alongwith it 1 was exempted from the law of requital in this world and in the hereafter; so that any hardships that came to me were only on account of my physical nature and not by way of accounting’. (Fayyazu! Harman by Shah Wallullah, pp. 191; Publishers Muhammad Saeed & Sons, Karachi). Shah Wallullah has described a number of formulae and the mode of thelr recitation in order to meet the spirits of the dead lying inside the graves, in Intbah-fee- Salasul Aulié, pp. 113-114. Aulta Allah join the ranks of angles after death and along with them take part in the execution of world affairs— “Consequently when the battle of fort Sapsatol was being fought. some .101,) ‘men of God’ saw at the time of J3.gi midnight prayers that Rasool“Allah and his companions were throwing arrows from Masjid-e-Nabvi; and this was followed by Muslim victory the next morning”. (Hujat-Allah al-Batigha by Shah Wallullah, p. 74. Footnote). Haktmul Ummat Ashraf Ali Thanvi supports the view held by Jalalud-Din Roomi that a Wall gets merged into God after death— Jalalud-Din Roomt, a renowned mystic, upheld the view that a Walt becomes God afler he merges Into God. ‘The readers may please note that the affair Is not so simple as It looks. Just see what mischlef this belief has spread. Room also said that the Rasool” himself merged Into God and became God after his death (God forbid) He said: Saha OL Bde sea lard ony it means that the Quran itself has said that the whole humanity is subservient to the Rasool”. Here Roomt refers to the following verse of the Quran: Beene eee ee 9959) dul RBIS GES GEHL