Allah Ta’alah Guides the Sincere – Story of Hadhrat Moulana Abdul Qaadir Raipuri (Rahmatullahi Alayh)

Hadhrat Sheikh Zakariyya (Rahmatullahi Alayh) wished that Hadhrat Mufti Mahmood Saahib (Rahmatullahi Alayh) (His Khalifa and Mureed) also take benefit from the other mashaaikh that were present. When any of them visited Hadhrat Sheikh (Rahmatullahi Alayh), he would insist that Hadhrat Mufti Saahib (Rahmatullahi Alayh) remain with them and take benefit from them.

It was for this reason that Hadhrat Mufti Saahib (Rahmatullahi Alayh), on several occasions, visited Raipur to benefit from the company of Hadhrat Moulana Abdul Qaadir Rai Puri (Rahmatullahi Alayh). At times, Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi Alayh) would remain there for long periods of time. Once when he reached Raipur, Hadhrat Raipuri (Rahmatullahi Alayh) was about to depart on a journey. Hadhrat Raipuri (Rahmatullahi Alayh) said to him, “If you want to eat lavish meals and go visiting, then you may join me, but if you want to do work, then work can only be done sitting in one place.” Hadhrat Mufti Saahib (Rahmatullahi Alayh) immediately understood what he meant and opted to stay behind as his purpose for coming was islaah and self-reformation.

On one occasion, he spent approximately 2½ months in Raipur. Before leaving  on a journey, Hadhrat Raipuri (Rahmatullahi Alayh) had shown Hadhrat Mufti Saahib (Rahmatullahi Alayh) the different azkaar and ashghaal (methods of making the Zikr of Allah Ta’ala). In this way, his entire 24 hours were fully occupied in these practices. Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi Alayh) once wrote to Hadhrat Sheikh (Rahmatullahi Alayh) that in Raipur he never had time to even read any kitaabs which he thought he would do in his free time.

The extract from the biography of Hadhrat Moulana Abdul Qaadir Raipuri (Rahmatullahi Alayh) of how he searched for a sheikh and made his Islaah (reformation) provides valuable lessons for the sincere Saalik (seeker).

In search of a Sheikh

After he had completed his studies, hadhrat was concerned about his Islaah and self-reformation. He went in search of a Sheikh and came across Mirza Ghulaam Ahmad Qaadiyani, who was very famous at that time. He requested him for bay’t but the latter refused, saying that he should recite “Ihdinas Siraatal Mustaqeem” abundantly. Mirza also requested that he correspond with him regularly. This continued for a while until one night, Hadhrat Moulana Abdul Qaadir Raipuri (Rahmatullahi Alayh) dreamt that he was standing knee deep in filthy, dirty water, and after a while he emerged from this water. When he awoke, he found that his heart had disinclined from Mirza. He thanked Allah Ta’ala for removing him from this polluted, dirty water.

Thereafter, he went to Moulana Ahmad Raza Khan Saahib, who was also famous and regarded as pious in those days. When Hadhrat Moulana Abdul Qaadir Raipuri (Rahmatullahi Alayh) arrived here, he was given a job teaching the little children in the maktab. He was told that he should first attend to these children and thereafter he will be given bay’t.

One day, a person came to ask a mas’alah and Molvi Ahmad Raza answered the query. Hadhrat Moulana Abdul Qaadir Raipuri (Rahmatullahi Alayh) who was sitting nearby said to him that the mas’alah he had given was incorrect and he indicated to him the correct mas’alah. Molvi Ahmad Raza replied, “What you are saying is surely correct because this person is very close to me, I cannot give a ruling that will harm him.” Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi Alayh) says that when he heard thi,s he realised that his goal could not be attained here either. He resigned and quietly departed.

Eventually, Allah Ta’ala guided him to Hadhrat Moulana Abdur Raheem Saahib Raipuri (Rahmatullahi Alayh), the senior khalifa of Hadhrat Moulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (Rahmatullahi Alayh). After taking bay’t he moved to Raipur and served his Sheikh for approximately fifteen years. When Hadhrat Moulana Abdul Qaadir Raipuri (Rahmatullahi Alayh) went to Raipur, out of extreme poverty, he used to eat the leaves of the trees as he could not afford bread. Once, someone discarded an old blanket in the dump. Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi Alayh) picked it up, washed it and thereafter used it for 15 years. He would sit on it, sleep with it, cover himself with it in the cold and would also perform salaah on it. Hadhrat Moulana Abdul Qadir Raipuri (Rahmatullahi Alayh) mentions; “My Hadhrat gave me permission to stay and arranged for my daily food from his home which consisted of some mealie bread. When I ate this I would become constipated but I never mentioned it to anyone. A few days later, Hadhrat sent me to the mehmaan khana (visitors quarters) and told the cook to arrange my meals. I became very happy as I thought that I was now saved from mealie bread only to discover that Hadhrat had instructed the cook to prepare mealie bread for me daily. The bread was such that the dough was not properly kneaded nor was it fully cooked. As a result, I suffered with big worms growing in my stomach which caused me great discomfort. Eventually, I was forced to approach the cook, requesting him to bake the bread properly to which he replied, ‘If you want to eat superior quality food then you should go home. Here the quality of the food will remain the same. In this place you will get your bread in this manner.’ I told the cook not to worry as I would eat the bread in the manner that it was prepared. The realisation dawned on me that this is where my islaah will be made.”

Extracted from The Biography of Hadhrat Mufti Mahmood Hasan Gangohi (Rahmatullahi Alayh)