Dr.

Annemurle Schlmmel:
Dr. Annemurle Schlmmel wus un lnternutlonully ucclulmed scholur, who dedlcuted more thun flfty yeurs
of her llfe, to expluln Islum to the West. She wus u seeker of the truth. She truveled ull over Musllm
world, especlully to Turkey, Puklstun und Indlu to understund Musllms und Islum und the messuges of
mystlcul poetry of Muulunu Jululuddln Ruml, Shuh Abdul Lutlf Bhuttul, Lul Shuh Buz Qulunder, Suchul
Surmust, Ruhmun Bubu, Khushul Khun Khuttuk, Bubu Furld, Allumu Iqbul und other mystlcul poets. Her
scholurshlp served us u brldge between Eust und West, cultures und rellglons.
Iqbuls Phllosophy of Khudl:
Iqbuls Phllosophy of Khudl teuches mun to develop hls own quulltles, hls own personullty, hls good
quulltles, ln such u wuy thut step by step he wlll come closer to the greutest ego the comprehenslve ego,
God, ln whlch our smuller egos contulned llke peurls ln the oceuns und the closer he comes to God the
more he cun understund hlm und the more he becomes perfected
Asrarlkhudl (erslan && or 1he SecreLs of Lhe Self publlshed ln erslan 1913) was Lhe flrsL
phllosophlcal poeLry book of Allama lqbal Lhe greaL poeLphllosopher of 8rlLlsh lndla and Lhe founder of
Lhe ldea of aklsLan 1hls book deals malnly wlLh Lhe lndlvldual whlle hls second book 8umuzl8ekhudl
dlscusses Lhe lnLeracLlon beLween lndlvldual and socleLy
lnLroducLlon
ubllshed ln 1913 Asrarlkhudl (SecreLs of Lhe Self) was Lhe flrsL poeLry book of lqbal Consldered by
many Lo be lqbals besL book of poeLry lL ls concerned wlLh Lhe phllosophy of rellglon ln a leLLer Lo Lhe
poeL Clranl lqbal wroLe LhaL Lhe ldeas behlnd Lhe verses had never been expressed before elLher ln Lhe
LasL or ln Lhe WesL 8A nlcholson who LranslaLed Lhe Asrar as 1he SecreLs of Lhe Self says lL caughL Lhe
aLLenLlon of young lndlan Musllms as soon as lL was prlnLed lqbal wroLe Lhls ln erslan because he felL
Lhe language was wellsulLed for Lhe expresslon of Lhese ldeas
Cvervlew
ln 1913 he publlshed hls flrsL collecLlon of poeLry Lhe Asrarekhudl (SecreLs of Lhe Self) ln erslan 1he
poems emphaslse Lhe splrlL and self from a rellglous splrlLual perspecLlve Many crlLlcs have called Lhls
lqbals flnesL poeLlc work 1 ln Asrarekhudl lqbal has explalned hls phllosophy of khudl or Self
lqbal s use of Lerm khudl ls synonymous wlLh Lhe word of 8ooh as menLloned ln Lhe Curan 8ooh
ls LhaL dlvlne spark whlch ls presenL ln every human belng and was presenL ln Adam for whlch Cod
ordered all of Lhe angels Lo prosLraLe ln fronL of Adam 8uL one has Lo make a greaL [ourney of
LransformaLlon Lo reallze LhaL dlvlne spark whlch lqbal calls khudl A slmlllLude of Lhls [ourney could be
undersLood by Lhe relaLlonshlp of fragrance and seed Lvery seed has Lhe poLenLlal for fragrance wlLhln
lL 8uL Lo reach lLs fragrance Lhe seed musL go Lhrough all Lhe dlfferenL changes and sLages llrsL
breaklng ouL of lLs shell 1hen breaklng Lhe ground Lo come lnLo Lhe llghL developlng rooLs aL Lhe same
Llme 1hen flghLlng agalnsL Lhe elemenLs Lo develop leaves and flowers llnally reachlng lLs plnnacle by
aLLalnlng Lhe fragrance LhaL was hldden wlLhln lL Same way Lo reach ones khudl or rooh one needs Lo
go Lhrough mulLlple sLages whlch lqbal hlmself wenL Lhrough and encourages oLher Lo Lravel Lhls
splrlLual paLh Llke noL all seeds reach Lhe level of fragrance many dle along Lhe way lncompleLe Same
way only few people could cllmb Lhls mounL LveresL of splrlLuallLy mosL geL consumed along Lhe way by
maLerlallsm 1he same concepL was used by larld ud uln ALLar ln hls ManLaqul1alr Pe proves by
varlous means LhaL Lhe whole unlverse obeys Lhe wlll of Lhe Self lqbal condemns selfdesLrucLlon lor
hlm Lhe alm of llfe ls selfreallzaLlon and selfknowledge Pe charLs Lhe sLages Lhrough whlch Lhe Self
has Lo pass before flnally arrlvlng aL lLs polnL of perfecLlon enabllng Lhe knower of Lhe Self Lo become
Lhe vlceregenL of Cod2
ln Asrar lqbal has explalned hls phllosophy of Self Pe proves by varlous means LhaL Lhe whole
unlverse obeys Lhe wlll of Lhe Self lqbal condemns selfdesLrucLlon lor hlm Lhe alm of llfe ls self
reallzaLlon and selfknowledge Pe charLs Lhe sLages Lhrough whlch Lhe Self has Lo pass before flnally
arrlvlng aL lLs polnL of perfecLlon enabllng Lhe knower of Lhe Self Lo become Lhe vlcegerenL of Allah on
earLh lqbal belleves Lhe answers Lo essenLlal quesLlons regardlng Lhe ego are lmporLanL ln deLermln[[lng
morallLy for boLh Lhe socleLy and Lhe lndlvldual 3
lnLroducLlon
rologue
Showlng LhaL Lhe sysLem of Lhe unlverse orlglnaLes ln Lhe Self and LhaL Lhe conLlnuaLlon of Lhe llfe of all
lndlvlduals dependenLs on sLrengLhenlng Lhe Self
Showlng LhaL Lhe llfe of Lhe Self comes from formlng deslres and brlnglng Lhem Lo blrLh
Showlng LhaL Lhe Self ls sLrengLhened by Love
Showlng LhaL Lhe Self ls weakened by asklng
Showlng LhaL when Lhe Sell ls sLrengLhened by Love lLs galns domlnlon over Lhe ouLward and lnward
forces of Lhe unlverse
A Lale of whlch Lhe moral ls LhaL negaLlon of Lhe Self ls a docLrlne lnvenLed by Lhe sub[ecL races of
manklnd ln order LhaL by Lhls means Lhey may sap and weaken Lhe characLer of Lhelr roles
1o Lhe effecL LhaL laLo whose LhoughL has deeply lnfluenced Lhe mysLlclsm and llLeraLure of lslam
followed Lhe sheeps docLrlne and LhaL we musL be on our guard agalnsL hls Lheorles
Concernlng Lhe Lrue naLure of poeLry and Lhe reform of lslamlc llLeraLure
Showlng LhaL Lhe educaLlon of Lhe self has Lhree sLages Cbedlence SelfconLrol and ulvlne
vlcegerence
SeLLlng forLh Lhe lnner meanlngs of Lhe names of All
SLory of a young man of Merv who came Lo Lhe salnL All Pu[wlrl Cod have many on hlm and
complalned LhaL he was oppressed by Lhe enemles
SLory of Lhe blrd LhaL was falnL wlLh LhlrsL
SLory of Lhe dlamond and Lhe coal
SLory of Lhe Shelkh and Lhe 8rahmln followed by a conversaLlon beLween Canges and Plmalayas Lo Lhe
effecL LhaL Lhe conLlnuaLlon of soclal llfe depends on flrm aLLachmenL Lo Lhe characLerlsLlc LradlLlons of
Lhe communlLy
Showlng LhaL Lhe purpose of Lhe Musllms s llke ls Lo exalL Lhe Word of Allah and LhaL Lhe !lhad(Lo sLrlve
or Lo sLruggle) lf lL be prompLed by landhunger ls unlawful ln Lhe rellglon of lslam
recepLs wrlLLen for Lhe Musllmss of lndla by Mlr na[L nakshbandl Who ls generally known as 8aba
Sahral
1lme ls a sword
An lnvocaLlon 4
Iqbals Philosophy oI Khudi
by M. Irfan Iqbal
Throughout history, prophets, poets and philosophers have appeared to remind human beings of
their true nature a nature that consists of a temporal as well as a heavenly element. They have
attempted to rekindle in the human beings the Divine Spark which is an integral part of their makeup.
Speaking of this Divine Spark, the Qur'an notes that when Allah (SWT) created the first human being,
He breathed His own spirit into this new creation (Al-Hijr 15:29 & Al-Sajdah 32:9). Consequently,
human nature is not "human," it is a "humanness" that has an element of the Divine in it. But after
having been created "in the best conformation" (Al-Teen 95:4), the human being was reduced "to the
lowest of the low" (Al-Teen 95:5). The question now arises as to whether the human individual can
again rise to the original noble heights at which he/she was created. n the twentieth century, no
Muslim thinker has delved into the depths of this issue more perceptively than the great poet-
philosopher Muhammad qbal (1877-1938). qbal formulated his philosophy of khudi in order to
express his ideas on this subject. The following quatrain illustrates the motive underlying his spiritual
and intellectual endeavors as well as the essential core of his philosophy:
Why should ask the sages about my beginning?
t is my ultimate destiny that am really concerned about.
Elevate your khudi to such heights that before every decree,
od Himself asks you: "Tell me, what is your wish?"
qbal's philosophy essentially revolves around the issue of the progression of human being, or the
rise of the "self" or "ego" the qbalian khudi in the direction of attaining exalted heights the
heights at which Almighty Allah (SWT) Himself begins to take the wishes, hopes, and aspirations of
the human being into account before formulating His decree.
qbal argues that khudi is the root of all existence, an entity which may appear to be perishable but
which can attain immortality. The human ego or "" has the potential of achieving permanence as an
element in the constitution of the universe provided that it adopts a certain mode of life. The ego can
evolve, progress, and succeed as well as degenerate, atrophy, and fail. The Qur'an puts these two
possibilities as follows: "The one who causes this (self) to grow in purity has indeed attained success;
and the one who is negligent of this (self) has indeed utterly failed" (Al-Shams 91:9,10). The human
ego has the ability to grow by absorbing the elements of the universe, of which it appears to be an
insignificant part, as well as the ability to incorporate the attributes of Allah (SWT). Muslim Sufis have
advised: "Create in yourself the attributes of Allah." f the human ego is able to do this, it would
become worthy of being the vicegerent of od on earth. qbal argues that the human ego has a
central place in the universe, while it is, at the same time, intimately linked with the Ultimate Ego, or
od Himself. qbal notes,
...throughout the entire gamut of being runs the gradually rising note of egohood until it reaches
perfection in man. That is why the Qur'an declares the Ultimate Ego to be nearer to man than his own
neck-vein.
1

n order to reach these noble heights of perfection, the ego has to pass through three stages which
qbal describes in Asrar-e-Khudi. These three stages can be seen as the different spiritual phases
through which the ego has to pass in its journey of spiritual ascension:
9a'a9, or obedience to the Divine Law;
ab9-e-Nafs, or self-control, which is the highest form of self-consciousness or egohood;
Niyaba9-e-ahi, or the vicegerency of od.
Even though these three stages in the spiritual progression of the human ego superficially resemble
Nietzsche's three stages of the metamorphosis of the spirit, they are not the same. n fact, qbal
himself deemed it "necessary to warn the reader of Asrar-i-Khudi that Nietzsche does not at all
believe in the spiritual fact which have described as khudi...."
2
The fact that Nietzsche does not even
accept the reality of the human ego is itself the most pressing evidence that the three stages in the
development of the qbalian khudi are not identical with the three stages in the development of the
Nietzschean spirit. Nietzsche argues that the human "" is a fiction and qbal accepts the argument
that this is indeed the case if the issue is viewed from a purely intellectual standpoint. This position of
Nietzsche echoes the Kantian argument in The Cri9ique of Pure Reason that the notions of od,
immortality, and freedom cannot be proven on intellectual grounds, however useful such notions may
be for practical purposes. But qbal goes on to note that the existence of the "" cannot be rejected
just because it cannot be proven on intellectual grounds because the human ego is not a purely
intellectual entity its existence is also rooted in inner experiences. Bradley (1846-1924) has also
noted that when one moves beyond the constraints of purely intellectual thought, and views the issue
from the perspective of "inner experience," the "" is no longer a fiction but an indubitable fact. qbal
notes that Leibnitz, in asserting that the "" is an ultimate fact, was closer to the truth than either Kant
or Nietzsche. But Leibnitz regarded the human ego as something closed or windowless. qbal,
however, notes that this assertion is contradicted by our experience in which the "" can grow and
evolve through the process of education. n light of this, the most pressing question for qbal is not
whether the human ego is a reality or not it most certainly is a reality but whether this weak,
created, and dependent ego or "" can survive the shock of death and thus become a permanent
element in the constitution of universe. As qbal argues in Asrar-e-Khudi, the human ego can attain
immortality if it adopts a certain way of life through which it can come into contact with the Ultimate
Source of existence, the Ultimate Ego.
Since attaining permanence depends upon perfecting the self and bringing it in accord with the Divine
Will, qbal appropriately exhorts that one should "know" his or her inner self. "Know thyself" is an
exhortation that has been made numerous times before by many others; the problem is not in the
exhortation itself but in its approach. According to qbal, all distinctly philosophical problems have
ultimate solution in the self, but, unfortunately, it is this very self which is still ignored. The reason
underlying the ignorance of the self is the fact that the self is thought of as being a material entity. But
the human being is not only a material being, he/she also possesses a non-material component. qbal
says that "the unity called man is body when you look at it as acting in regard to what we call the
external world; it is mind or soul when you look at it as acting in regard to the ultimate aim and ideal
to such setting."
3
n other words, there is an element in the composition of the human being that
manifests itself and experiences reality quite differently from the bodily element of the human
composition this non-corporeal element is the human soul. Together, the body and soul exist as a
unit. Thus, the qbalian "self" is an entity in which the body and the soul have to work together. Both
have to grow together and have to work harmoniously if the personality of an individual is to be
strengthened. The body and the soul are indispensable for the needs of each other, as qbal notes:
...the body is not a thing situated in an absolute void; it is a system of events or acts. The system of
experiences we call soul or ego is also a system of acts. This does not obliterate the distinction of
soul and body; it only brings them closer to each other. The characteristic of the ego is spontaneity;
the acts composing the body repeat themselves. The body is accumulated action or habit of the soul;
and as such undetachable from it.
4

qbal expresses the same point in a couplet:
To name body and soul separately is the requirement of speech.
But to see (or know) body and soul as separate entities is heresy.
According to qbal, the soul is that element in the constitution of the human being that can be
explained only in the sense that it is a Divine Spark in the human being:
The ambiance of the Divine Light is shrouded within this very (body of) clay,
O you heedless person! You are not just a sentient being!
Modern secular thought has lost all cognizance of this Divine Spark. The ignorance of this spiritual
reality has led to the degeneration of the human being to sub-human levels of existence,
notwithstanding the many scientific, technological, and economic accomplishments. Le Compte Du
Noy ends his book uman es9iny with the these words:
And let him [man] above all never forget that the divine spark is in him, and in him alone, and that he
is free to disregard it, or to come closer to od by showing eagerness to work with Him and for Him.
5

When the human being forgets this Spark of Divinity within, he/she falls prey to the false sense of
personal liberty a liberty which, in reality, is the worst form of slavery. Having lost sight of the
Divine Spark within, the human being inevitably loses sight of all higher moral and ethical principles
and, as a consequence, his/her life becomes totally subservient to the animal instincts of bodily flesh.
As a result of neglecting the awareness and realization of the Divinity within, the Divine Spark fades
away and eventually it is extinguished altogether. This leads to an unbalanced life in which the
individual exists only as an animal, a omo sapiens, and loses all sense of his/her humanity. The
following observation by Le Compte Du Noy takes on added significance in light of these facts:
Man must liberate himself from a bondage which is normal for animals and therefore evil for him. The
soul of man demands a complete mastery over the flesh.
6

The Age of Enlightenment, the subsequent ndustrial Revolution, and the succeeding era of Marx,
Darwin, and Freud, as well as of others like them, appear to be milestones in the evolution of human
thought. But these and other such milestones signify progress and development in only a limited
sense the progress and development of technological and mechanical culture. n spite of the
claims that humanity has "progressed" immensely during the modern age, the reality is that moral
and spiritual development have been virtually static while technological and mechanical development
has been proceeding vigorously. As a matter of fact, much of the technological and material
advancement has taken place at the expense of moral and spiritual values. The modern secular
society has become spellbound by all this material development, without recognizing the inherent
destructive tendency vis--vis moral and spiritual values that this development entails. All "progress"
has come to be measured in purely materialist and Darwinian terms but, as the following observation
highlights, this definition of "progress" has nothing to do with ethics and spirituality. Professor R.M.
Mecver notes in his book $ocie9y:
We should not define social evolution as though it meant or implied progress. How far we find a
correspondence between the direction of social evolution and the direction prescribed by our
particular concept of social progress is another matter. We may properly enquire into the relationship
between the two. But it is possible to do so only if we define social evolution in ethically neutral
terms.
7

Having rendered the human being incapable of moral self-assessment, modern secular thought has
become the greatest contemporary hurdle to human spiritual progress, because it makes the human
being unconscious of the true nature of human reality as well as the true nature of the reality of the
universe. The fatal flaw, the greatest misfortune of modern secular science, philosophy, and art is
that they have become totally lopsided totally focused on the material dimension of reality and
oblivious to its spiritual dimension. Consequently, it is no surprise that not only has the human being
not progressed spiritually during the modern period, but more tragically the human being's moral and
spiritual faculties have become numb and practically dysfunctional. However, even though the
spiritual faculties have become dormant, they are not dead altogether. These faculties are waiting for
the time when human beings would recognize the importance of these inner capacities and decide to
re-appropriate them so that they can play their rightful role in the reconstruction of humanity. For the
time being though, modern thought has come to rely exclusively on science (or a philosophy that is
the handmaiden of science) in its search for "objective" knowledge. But, as a matter of fact, neither
science nor philosophy is by itself capable of reaching the truly "objective" knowledge regarding the
actual nature of reality and the actual reality of the human being. Speaking about the limitations of
science in the human quest for knowledge, qbal notes:
Natural Science deals with matter, with life, and with mind; but the moment you ask the question how
matter, life, and mind are mutually related, you begin to see the sectional character of the various
sciences that deal with them and the inability of these sciences, taken singly, to furnish a complete
answer to your question. n fact, the various natural sciences are like so many vultures falling on the
dead body of Nature, and each running away with a piece of its flesh.... Natural Science is by nature
sectional; it cannot, if it is true to its own nature and function, set up its theory as a complete view of
Reality.
8

Whereas the limitation of science is that it is by nature "sectional," the limitation of philosophy is of a
similar nature:
Philosophy is an intellectual view of things; and, as such, does not care to go beyond a concept
which can reduce all the rich variety of experience to a system. t sees Reality from a distance as it
were.
9

Because of the obvious limitations of science and philosophy, it is equally obvious that the human
being cannot truly realize his/her humanity if the individual is left to depend upon his/her physical and
mental capabilities alone. n other words, the human ago, the qbalian khudi, cannot fulfill its true
potential if the individual avails him/herself only of the resources of science and philosophy. For qbal
it is only religion that can provide us with the intimate and holistic knowledge of Reality the type of
knowledge that is an essential prerequisite for the realization of our humanity. qbal argues:
[Philosophy] is theory... [Religion] is living experience, association, intimacy. n order to achieve this
intimacy thought must rise higher than itself, and find its fulfillment in an attitude of mind which
religion describes as prayer one of the last words on the lips of the Prophet of slam.
10

This attitude of mind, though only in its most developed and highest form, is the theistic counterpart of
Nietzsche's atheistic i 9o poer. Of course, the i is essential if one is to overcome the
temptations of an immoral life, as demanded by religion. However, the i without the support of
beief in something higher and more sublime cannot withstand the pull towards carnality and
corruption.
Khudi requires the coupling of i 9o poer and beief, eventually realizing itself in the form of yaqeen
or a deep inner conviction. n fact, it is undaunted conviction that serves as the pivotal point for the
"self" to act and react to the sensual temptations of life. However, this conviction will not actualize
itself unless the individual understands that his/her life has a purpose, and that this purpose has an
individual as well as a collective dimension. The evolution and ascension of the ego is not merely a
detached, personal, and individual event this spiritual development has a collective dimension too
that cannot be ignored. qbal notes that a great deal of sacrifice and benevolence is required on the
part of a person in order to bring the individual, self-preserving ego in harmony with the collective
ego. Consequently, the guiding principle in life cannot be one of conflict between the "self" and other
"selves" if the dynamic process of the development of khudi is to take place. This process can only
unfold if there is conscious realization of the tension between the individual and collective
dimensions, a consciousness which in turn enables the individual personality to balance this tension.
qbal defines "personality" as being this very state of tension, which, if not maintained, will cause
indolence to set in, short-circuiting khudi's process of development. The process of self-realization
requires tension to be present, as tension is the well-spring of dynamism. The human being's
complete freedom from the limitations of the material world and from materialism itself is
contingent upon the maintenance of this tension. n essence, the human being's aspiration to achieve
perfection necessarily requires the achievement of a balance between the individual ego and the
collective ego. n qbal's words:
The life of the ego is a kind of tension caused by the ego invading the environment and the
environment invading the ego. The ego does not stand outside this arena of mutual invasion. t is
present in it as a directive energy and is formed and disciplined by its own experiences.
11

This constant interaction between the individual ego and the environment provides the ideal
opportunity for self-evaluation. As the individual interacts with her/his environment, he/she must be
constantly assessing his/her own "self" not only on an individual basis but also in relation to other
"selves" in the environment. But one should not lose sight of the fact that the initial emphasis is on the
individual ego. Only that individual ego which has attained a degree of self-realization and self-
understanding will be able to genuinely understand and constructively engage with other individual
egos. This is another way of saying that only that ego which has learned self-respect, self-love, and
self-affirmation will be able to extend respect and love to other selves, and also affirm their dignity
and autonomy. qbal's philosophy of khudi posits that a mature and developed understanding of
respect, love, and affirmation on the part of individual ego requires respect, love, and affirmation for
every other "self" because only that individual ego which is genuinely integrated with its environment
and constructively engaged with other egos is really a conscious self.
n the context of qbal's philosophy, then, the progress of the individual human being depends on
his/her relationship to the self, to the family, to the society, and ultimately to od. The gradual
realization of this intricate and delicate web of relations will lead the individual to realize his/her fullest
potential and significance. Ultimately, with the rise of ego-hood on qbalian terms, the individual can
become the architect of human destiny. t is worth repeating the quatrain that was cited in the
beginning regarding the motivation and essence of qbal's intellectual and spiritual quest:
Why should ask the sages regarding my origin?
t is my ultimate destiny that am really concerned about.
Elevate your khudi to such heights that before every decree
od Himself asks you: "Tell me, what is your wish?"

The Great Book On Sufism - The Kashaf AI Mahjoob
This is one of the best and oIdest book written on Sufism nearIy 950 years ago. It has
the saying, methods and ruIes of the Sufis and the stories of AhIe Sufa, Shaba, AhIe
Bayt, Ancient Imams and Ieading Sufi saints of the earIy ages whose Iives were Iived
according to Quran and Sunnah. Data Saab discusses the various schooIs of Sufism,
the correct beIiefs of MusIims, Conduct, Hadiths and Quranic Tafsir etc. In this way it
is a compIete book where IsIamic teachings are given in such an easy way that from
student to saint everyone can benefit. Data Saab proves that Sufis are onIy those who
foIIow Quran and Sunnah and that Tariqat is no different from Shariah but the Tariqat
is the fruit and the end resuIt of shariah, and these two cannot be separated at aII. He
aIso refutes the faIse and fabricated Sufi taIes which corrupt peopIe and reminds that
we foIIow the true Sufi exampIes at aII times.
Kashf aI ?Mahjub is such a great book that it opens one?s heart to the SpirituaI
ReaIities and one can easiIy understand that Sufism is the true IsIamic teachings.
After reading the book, one finds that his mind, heart and thoughts gets new form of
Love, Wisdom and KnowIedge that no other book on Sufism provides. Data Saab
himseIf says in this book that peopIe shouId ?regard? this book, in terms of reading it
and benefiting from it. One can sureIy reaIize after reading the book ho great is Syed
AIi Hujwiri?s bIessed knowIedge, Marifat, Tariqat, Haaqah and WaIiyaat, given to him
by AIIah TaIa.
Kashf aI-Mahjub's KnowIedgeabIe AnaIysis and Rank
His book hoId dominant position in the worId of Sufism and it is written in Persian
Ianguage. This book represents the Sufi theories such as Marifat, Tariqat, Haaqah and
WaIiyaat in such a way that they refIect the needs of every age. For exampIe, this book
was usefuI earIy 900 years ago, was usefuI 500 years ago and is usefuI today and wiII
be usefuI for as Iong as AIIah want it to be. Hazrat Nizamuddin AwIiya says that:
1. If one does not have a Pir, he shouId read this book and by bIessing of reading
it you wiII find your Pir.
2. This book is Iike a compIete Pir (murshhed e kamiI) in Persian Ianguage Sufi
books it has no other match
3. This book is one of the best and authentic books of Sufism
4. Kashf aI-Mahjub is that book on Sufism that aII the Ieading Sufis Saints of India
takes their guidance from and it is considered as Torah or BibIe of Sufism.
5. Hazrat Syed AIi Hujwiri aIso known as Data Ganj Baksh hoIds dominant
position in the AhIe Tariqat Saints. He is high-ranking sufi saint. Many peopIe
consider him as true saint. His book Kash-aI Majub is one of the most
authentic books on Sufism.
6. This book does not onIy have the stories and saying of the saints but has deep
roots of originaI Sufi materiaI.
. The sayings in this book (Kash aI-Mahjub) represent a compIete Sufi Saint
(Murshid) instructions.
8. AhIe IIm (SchoIars) and AhIe BatiI (SpirituaI Saints) have both considered the
importance of this book.
9. Kash aI-Mahjub opens the door of guidance and straight path, enIightens the
heart with bright Iight removes fiIth and the person who reads this book
benefits from the true understanding of Shariat and Tariqat. This book cIeans
your inner heart and removes the hidden obstacIes from your seIf. Kash aI-
Mahjub contains the Iife stories of various Saints and the way it is written
opens door for guidance for those who read this book. This book is universaI
as it heIps the Students of Sufism in every age. Hazrat Syed AIi Hujwiri himseIf
writes in his book:
Oh Student of Sufism, May AIIah give the bounty of both the worIds? and he further
writes, ?By writing this book (Kash aI-Mahjub) my aim is that if someone has this book
then there shouIdn?t be a need to obtain any other book as I have said in the
beginning and your third question of this book that this book wiII be sufficient for the
Students of Sufism?.