Hazrat Noor-od-Din (Nuruddin) Abdur rahman Jami

Hazrat Noor-od-Din (Nuruddin) Abdorrahman Jami the son of Moulana

Nezam-od-Din (Nizamuddin) Ahmad was born in Jam, a small town of
Khorasan in 1414 AD (A.H. 817). Jam is now the Ghor province of Afghanistan. He died
in Herat on the 13th of Moharram in 1492 AD (A.H. 898). His poetic name is Jami, the
word Jam means "wine goblet" in Persian and Nuruddin means "Light of Faith." His
genius made the literary men of his time uncomfortable because no man is great unless he
appears humble.

When he was only a child, he learned the basic Persian and Arabic from his father. He
went to a school at Herat (presently Afghanistan) and then to school in Samarghand
(Samarqand). In Samarghand, he studied with Ghazi-zadeh Ruhm, one of the great
researchers of the time.

Hazrat Jami returned to Herat and studied mathematics and philosophy with
Ala-od-Din Ali Ghoshchi. Hakim Jami later joined hazrat Khaja Saaduddin Kashghari
, the chief of Naqhshbandis and became his disciple. It is said that
when hazrat Khaja Saaduddin gathered with other dervishes at the Jame
Mosque of Herat every time Hazrat Jami passed the mosque Hazrat
Saaduddin said of Hazrat Jami , "I am fascinated by him, this
man is truly worthy. I don't know with what trick and how to attract him to become a
student."

In 1472 AD (A.H. 877), Hazrat Jami started his pilgrimage to Mecca as every Moslem
who can afford to is expected once in his life to do I will further explain what occured in
the journey. Hazrat Jami was a staunch Sunni Moslem but it is Well documented that he
respected Hazrat Ali The leader of all the saints, the brother and son in law
of the prophet that just at the mere mention of Hazrat Ali's
name he would weep oceans!!!, He spoke highly of the 'Household of Hazrat Ali
' several times. Hazrat Jami wrote a poem in honor of Hazrat Ali
in Najaf and a poem in honor of Hazrat Imam Hussein in
Kerbala. One of the praiseworthy characteristics of Hazrat Jami is that he
had conviction in what he said and wrote. Hazrat Jami said,

"There are many seekers but mostly seekers of personal improvement. There are
very few real seekers after real truth."
Contemporary monarchs of his time made offers of large amounts of gold and other gifts
for him to participate in their courts. These offers constantly annoyed and declined by
Hazrat e Jami . He was also annoyed by people who wanted to make him a
hero rather than do something about themselves. Hazrat Jami said
"Ordinary human love is capable of raising man to the experience of real love".

Hazrat Jami was well known for his playful sense of humor. Hazrat Jami paid special
attention to Hazrat Sheikh Sa'adi and Hazrat Hazfez in poetry
and followed hazrat Nizami in his masnavi. When Hazrat Jami was seventy,
he wrote his masterpiece Yusuf and Zulaikha. Different people attribute Hazrat Jami to
writing from 44 to 99 books of grammar, poetry, and theology. Some of his well known
works include his prose works, "Nafahatul Uns" (Breaths of the Breeze of Friendship),
"Beharistan" (Abode of Spring), and a collection of biographies of Sufi Saints. Baharistan
is in the style of Hazrat Saadi's Rose-Garden and he wrote it for his son Ziao-od-Din
Yusuf. His major poetic work includes "Haft Awrang" (Seven Thrones of Grace), which
consisted of over twenty-five thousand couplets. Some of the well known writings of
"Haft Awrang" are tale of "Salaman and Absal.", a version of the story of "Leila and
Majnun", "Khiradnameh Iskandar" (Alexander's Wisdom), and poetic masterpiece of
"Yusuf and Zulaikha".

According to the venerable hazrat jaami in his own words, "I never took
lessons from anyone whom i saw as having me under his control, as having subjected me
to his domination and decree. With my own understanding, i always surpassed my
professors. No one can claim to have taught anything that was beyond me. I am really my
father's pupil, not anyone else's."

here is a short incident which happened to hazrat Jaami when he was in or

near iran; on the pilgram road to the hijaz,

A man of the desert noticed the venerable maulanas camel, and wanted to buy it from
him. He was so admantly insistent and persistent, that Hazrat jami found he
had no option but to accept the camel dealer's offer.

Hazrat sold his camel, but-who knows why?- the camel died soon afterwards, next to a
sandhill. The nomad went looking for the venerable hazrat. Once he had found him, he
kept saying: "you sold me a camel that was sick, diseased! You robbed me! He cursed
and swore, using the harshest words. The venerable hazrat jaami apologised
and repaid him his gold coins, and said when he had left: "i detected a change in this
mans face. His death is probably near at hand." They buried the man next to the sandhill,
where he had buried Hazrat jaami's camel.

wise words from maulana jaami (ra) -

The superior spirit is one that is always in a state of sorrow and contrition. The odour of
neglect is emitted by someone who has not experienced sorrow and contrition, while the
perfume of composure emanates from a person who is sad and contrite. Sorrow and
contrition are the emblems of those attached to this path.

"it is related that Hazrat Jaami having composed the qaseedah in praise of
the holy prophet decided to proceed for hajj. His further intention was to
stand before the rauza mubarak(green dome in madina) and then to recite his poem to ya
rasooallah .

When he intended to leave from mecca to medina munawwara, after performing the hajj.

The holy prophet appeared in a dream to the governor of mecca and told
him, "do not allow maulana jaami enter madina munawwara." The governor prohibited
him from going to Madina sharif, however his love and longing for Ya rasoolallah
was such that inspite of the
order, he secretly set off.

Some how Hazrat Jami knew the governor was going to send people after him, so he
decided to pay someone money to secretly carry him in a tabuk(chest made of metal).
The governors men caught up with the caravan and asked, anybody know a abdul rehman
jaami? They all remained quiet then a sum of money was announced as a reward,
instantly the man carrying hazrat jaami gave him up. Hazrat jaami was taken back to
mecca, where he was told to refrain from going to medina sharif. However that very night
hazrat jaami set off again, this time he met a sheperd on his way to madina
sharif with his livestock.

Hazrat jaami asked if he could travel with his animals, the man said what happens if you
try and nick my livestock? Hazrat jaami said i am no theif i give you my money, the man
was convinced and then they set off, Hazrat jaami crawled on all fours, hiding amongst
the animals so that he may not be spotted crawling, crawling like if he was a animal. The
governor again was instructed by the holy prophet that jaami is coming
hiding amongst a herd of animals. Hazrat Jaami was caught, and treated most harshly as
they arrested him and then cast him into jail. For a third time the messenger of Allah
appeared to the governor angry and reprimanding him, "he is no
criminal. All that he is guilty of is that out of his love for me he had written some lines
poetry which he had intended to recite in my presence. If he does that, my hand would
protrude from the grave in order to shake his hand.

Such a thing would cause great confusion (for that reason he was prevented) hazrat jaami
was freed and told about this, and did not even try to go madina Sharif after that...

When Hazrat Jaami was intiated into being the mureed of Hazrat sa'addin (Radi Allahu
Ta'ala Anhuma) said; "A falcon of the sky has now been caught in our net, The Lion
has been tamed".
he also added, "In the sphere of religion, i could not believe that there could ever be
a method of perfection superior to the formal sciences; not until Hazrat Jami..........."

At the command of Hazrat Sa'd-Din {Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhuma), Hazrat Jami
embarked on a programme of rigorous spiritual exercises, involving the struggle with the
lower self. He became competley reclusive, avoiding all contact with people and
abstaining from public appearance. After going through his forty day period of trial, and
only then, he was able to relate to other people again. By this time, however, the situation
had altered. It was as if he had forgotten the language of ordinary conversation. It almost
seemed that there was no longer such a thing as common understanding. He was flying in
a world of abstract phenomena, where concrete language was inadequate, to the point of
expressing nothing but a dreadful absent mindedness. He could only speak to people in
the context of two different personalties, one of them peculiar to himself, and the other
assigned to people and forced upon himself.

After a while, he experienced a condition in which he seemed likely to lose his conscious
awareness. Without knowing that he was doing so.

Hazrat Syed Fakhr ad Din Luristani Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhuma was great Awliya who
Knew hazrat jaami from his youth. In his Nafahat, Hazrat describes this meeting as
follows;

"Hazrat Syed Fakhrad-Din sometimes stayed in a mansion belonging to our family. He

used to sit me on his lap. In order to test my intelligence and my knowledge, he would
use his finger to spell such names as Hazrat Ali (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhuma) and Hazrat
Umar (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhuma) in the air, watching my face to see if i could read. I
read all the names, though they consisted of nothing but the movement of a finger, and he
found this quite amazing. I was just a little child, not yet at the age of reading, but my
father had made me accustomed to reading early on. The beauty and grace of venerable
Syed Fakhad Din had also fascinated me. From that day to this, loving affection for the
superior guides of the path of the Masters of wisdom has been established within me.
May Alllah revive me with their loving affection. May i die with their loving affection,
and may i be included among their friends (in the hereafter) Amen"
Hazrat Jami before setting of for the famous pilgrimige, and before the incident when he
was not allowed to go Madina sharif, went to Baghdad Sharif/karbala/najaf First... He
became involved in a dispute with members of the Rafidi sect, who milled around him
there. Due to the wisdom and charismatic grace he displayed on that occassion, he
quickly became a legendry figure. The people of the cities were so pleased with Hazrat
Jami's rout of the Rafidis, that they mounted their leader on a donkey, back to front, and
made him and his followers parade through the streets.

After a four month stay in Baghdad, Najaf, and Karbala, Hazrat Jami moved onto the
Hijaz. On his way to the pilgrimige and on his way home after not being allowed into
Madina sharif, he visited the blessed sites and composed a great many lyric poems, odes
and eulogies at every point along the road, he was recieved with honour by the local
rulers, the cheiftains, the men of religion and ordinary people, He would sit for hours in
the courtyard of Hazrat Imam Hussein Alaysalam crying to the blessed Imam about not
being allowed to see their blessed grandfather... It is said that a vision appeared to him of
Hazrat Imam Hussein alaysalam who said "O jami, are you not happy that my father
loves you as much as you love him? O jami are you not happy my Baba sheds tears for
you just the way you do for him, O jami your burden is his burden relieve yourself of this
burden," From that day never a tear was seen rolling down Hazrat's cheek, Every time
Hazrat thought that if i cry my beloved will feel me in pain, So he refrained from crying
as he did........

The following account is related by a religious scholar, who accompanied Hazrat Jami
on his pilgrim journey:

"I had fallen ill in Baghdad. My sickness had become severe. The venerable Hazrat Jami
did not ask about me or seek me out, and that made me very sad. One day, a
friend came in haste to tell me that Hazrat Jami was coming to see me, and
that he was on the way. This news made me very happy, so i was greatly relieved. I
raised my head from the pillow and sat up on the bed. The door was opened and Hazrat
Jami appeared. He sat down beside me, asked ho i was, and remarked that
my illness had lasted a very long time. I responded to him eith his poem, telling how
ardent lovers lie sick, yet in hope, for a hundred years. "Are you answering with a
poem?" said he, then he devoted a moment to vigilant contemplation. I suddenly felt
myself relieved all over. I was sweating profusely. When he raised his head from
contemplation and looked at my face, he noticed the beads of perspiration on my brow,
and he gave the order: "Do not sit up on your bed! lie down! i hope you will be well, once
you have have finished perspiring like this! He felt at that point. After spending that night
in a bout of intense perspiration, i got up full of life the next morning."
(Many incidents in which Hazrat cured people just by his mere presence)

Another significant incident is the manner in which a shia died, Fathi was the chief of the
Rafidi sect, who insulted Hazrat during his dispute with the Rafidis, at the time of his
arrival in Baghdad while on the pilgrim journey. When he realised that no barley was left
in his horse's nosebag, the rascal stuck his index finger into the sack, and the horse
snapped it off with a bite. The wound so inflicted carried Faathi to his death.

This is a message for those that reject some things for acceptable reason's no doubt you
are on the right path, but this secret is for some, please understand- it's the levels they
reach, through their hearts..

One day, the Sheikh ul Islam of Herat paid a visit to Hazrat Jami (Radi Allahu Ta'ala
Anhuma) who had some religious scholars in his company at the time. After recieving
him with gracious hospitality, Hazrat Jami provided a musical concert, with lyrics
recitals, wind instruments and songs. A few days later, a person called Sheikh Shah made
this protest to Hazrat Jami: "Is it proper for you, as the guide of the scholars and the pilot
of the mystics, to have the tambourine and the reed flute played at your meeting?" Hazrat
Jami whispered a few words in the protestor's ear. The poor man fell to the ground in a
fluster. When he came to himself, he grasped Hazrat's knees and feet and sought
forgiveness..

Hazrat Jami (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhuma) tells us in his own words:

"When i first embarked on this path, i saw visions of light; Obedient to the instruction of
my spritual guide, Hazrat Syed Sad'ad Din (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhuma), i paid no
attention to that light. I ignored it until it ceased to shine. It is necessary to know that
visions, illuminations and marvels are not reliable. For the dervish, the greatest marvel is
to experience ecstasy in the essence, and to be delivered from himself".

According to Hazrat Abd al Ghaffar:

"I asked Hazrat Jami: "The mystic realms are disclosed to some members of this sufi
community, while those realms are kept hidden from others. What is the wisdom inherent
in this?" He replied: 'There are two ways of pursuing the spiritual quest. One is the
method of tradtional training, which leads the seeker back to his source by retracing
the path that brought him down into this world. The other is the special method
known as the path of the masters of wisdom, on which the orientation of the
spiritual traveller is not toward the cause, and is linked solely to the essence.' (Can
you guess who or what that essence is?)

"By tempramental dispostion, Hazart Jami was inclined to view things from the
standpoint of 'wahda fi'l-kathra (unity in multiplicity), rather that of ijmal (summary,
epitome). His outlook is called 'the detailed (tafsili) point of view.' He used to say: 'if i
confine myself to the stage of summary, i am overwhelmed. Our spiritual guide, the
venerable Hazrat Syed Sad'ad Din, seldom went beyond summary to detailed exposition.
For this reason also, he frequently experienced istighraq (total immersion in spiritual
rapture). I have been so impressed by the secret of Unity (wahda) and the meaning of the
affirmation of Oneness (Tawhid), that i am quite incapable of discarding that dominant
impression. In this respect, i have absolutely no personal volition. Nothing can overtake
this concept within me, and in my spirit, this idea stands at the head of all thoughts and
feelings."

I hope you brothers and sisters understand what Hazrat Jami (Radi Allahu Ta'ala
Anhuma) is trying to point out? if not some day you will InshAllah!!

Once one of the son's of Hazrat Saydinna Jalaluddin Rumi (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhuma)
came to Khurasan from the regions of Antolia, (near Turkey) in order to visit the
venerable Hazrat Jami, who welcomed his guest with great attention loyalty, and the
highest degree of respect, and assigned them an apartment in his mansion. Hazrat Jami
did not sleep through the entire stay, One of the attendees said to Hazrat Jami, o master
why dont you sleep, or lay down for a rest? Hazrat Jami began to cry and say How can i
sleep when my beloved's son and my master is in my home? The attendee said lay down
rest your legs stretch them out for you seem to have prevented from strecthing your legs?
Hazrat Jami said, O, short sighted man, Would you strecth your legs towards the Ka'aba?
would you stretch your legs toward the Quraan? This syed is my Ka'aba and my Quraan!!
he may be moving around whilst i am asleep, and i can not bear to have my legs streched
towards him..
One night they stayed awake in the fellowship from the late evening prayer until the early
morning. Each of them was in a state of profound ecstatic silence. According to the the
attendee he describes the night: "From the late evening prayer until the early morning,
time passed as if a single breath had been inhaled and then exhaled".

Here is one sentence from what the two masters said that night: "This is one special
feature of the path of the masters of wisdom: Unless the great saints of this path are
inclined to address the spiritual state of those who come to receive their bounty, and
unless they are disposed to grant them attention and support, nothing can be gained
from this path."

Some sayings of Hazrat Jami

- True nobility is not a matter of being descended from ancestors of high rank. Genuine nobility is a
precious quality inherent in a person's character, a sign of beauty and superior merit.

- If you want circle of friends, throw away worldly tools, The seed of heart’s unification is the
divider of earthly matters..

-A very intellectual man went to Hazrat Jami and asked him to take him
as his pupil and give him initiation. Jami looked at him and said "Have you loved
anybody?" This man said, , "No, I have not loved." Then hazrat Jami
said, "Go, and love first, then come to me and I will show you the way."

- Do not call me rend (a drinker) , Sufi , Aref or Jami, For I have got lost in
(shahid)witness and can not tolerate names.

-While seeking to count the faults of other people, the bad man expresses his own faults.

-One must treat the destitute and the beggers with kindness and compassion. One must not withhold the
morsel from anyone, from neither the good nor the bad. In situations like this, one must not consider who
the begger may be, but look to his creator. One must not withhold benevolence from people like Hazrat
Junaid and Hazrat Shibli , assuming that someone of high degree and lofty
aspiration would never extend a beeging hand. How can one know that someone clad in rags and tatters
is not endowed with chrarismatic grace? The saintly friends of Allah may dress themselves in this fashion,
in order to conceal their spiritual state.

-Composure and well being are not a matter of wrapping ones feet in a dustcloth and sitting in a corner.
Well being means saved from one's own self. You must first be saved, then you may sit in a quiet nook, if
you wish, or mingle with other people, if that is what you prefer!

-The superior spirit is one that is always in a state of sorrow and contrition. The odour of neglect is
emitted by someone who has not experienced sorrow and contrition, while the perfume of composure
emanates from a person who is sad and contrite. Sorrow and contrition are the emblems of those
attached to this path.

-Essential affection means loving someone, but without knowing why. This kind of affection is very
common among ordinary people. Such affection for Allah is called Essential love. This is the most exalted
kind of affection. Essential affection means loving with gentle kind-ness, and not weakning love by making
a nuisance of oneself.
-To write poetry in praise of the prophet salalhoalhewaslam is Sunnat e Elahi (Something which Allah has
undertook)

To Listen to poetry in praise of the prophet sallalhoalhewaslam is Sunnah of the prophet

!

- The sacred words of the saints are gathered from the light of the Muhammadan
reality. The speech of the saints deserves to be treated with the same respect as the Quran and the
prophetic tradition (hadith). If someone seeks good fortune for himself, he must accord due reverence to
the speech of the saints. (those who don't are doomed, whatever they do is a waste of time and worthless
because they and Allah knows what is in their blackened hearts)