[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [General histories](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general) › [Muntakhab al-tawārīkh](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh) › [Muntakhabu-t-tawarikh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig) › 99.1 # Muntakhab al-tawarikh 99.1 Muntakhabu-t-tawārīkh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig) 99.1 - **Language:** English ### [99.1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.99.1.1) Chati is the chief town of a pargana in the District of Lahor. The Shaikh's noble ancestors came first from the land of the ‘Arabs to Sitpur, which is in the Multan country, and the holy Shaikh was himself born in that place. His noble father proceeded from this world to eternity before his birth, and his mother died very shortly after it, and he, left alone, as an incomparable pearl, was brought up under the guardianship of his elder brother, Miyan Rahmatu-’llah. When they set him tasks in the reading of the Qura’n, tears would sometimes flow over the surface of his blessed cheeks, and he would say, “ Trouble me not in respect of this matter, but leave me unto God the Most High.” From this time they knew that he had no need of any acquired learning. Couplet. “ What need had he of instruction in polite learning, “ Who was himself from the first well learned therein ? ” They say that one of the two princes of both worlds, either Imam Hasan or Imam Husain, (may God be gratified with them !), it cannot be decided which, taught the holy Shaikh in a dream some verses from the first chapter of the Qur’an, and sometimes when he went, to refresh his heart, to watch the play of children, he would dejectedly and perplexedly watch them from afar, and would say, “ I see their faces scratched, their bodies covered with blood, and their skin torn off, and some of them appear to me as though they had lost their heads.” ### [99.1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.99.1.2) When, after many temporal vicissitudes and various hardships, he came to the pargana town of Satgarah, and from there to Lahor, he commenced to study under Maulana Isma'il of Uch, who had received instruction from his highness the lord Maulavi 'Arif i Jami, (may God sanctify his tomb), and in early youth he read the commentary of Isfahani with such critical acumen, that the best students from among the natives of the country, who were reading that book in class with him, stood astonished at the perspicuous quickness of his apprehension and the clearness of his intellect, and his tutor said, “Friends, just as we, in our time, used to rejoice and contend for superiority in the sight of our respected master, so too will this lad, before long, attain to such a degree of respect that the people will look towards him with blessing and benediction, and from his noble and profitable words will gain advantage and excellence” At last he became a living witness (of the truth of) and (one might say) the source of (the saying), “Blessed is he who hath seen me or hath seen one who hath seen me” “My love, though he went not to school, nor wrote a line, “By means of one glance instructed a hundred teachers in (difficult) problems” ### [99.1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.99.1.3) And, having attained the position of a most learned sage he was rejoiced with the good news of the sacred text, “O David, verily have we made thee a vicegerent”. And at the very time when he was employed in the exercise of harsh and severe austerities, having conceived, by means of the attractions of God,— “which are equal to the acts of both men and jinn”— a strong craving after God, his spiritual holiness Ghausu-’s-Saqalain (may God be pleased with him!) evinced, in all circumstances, great interest in his progress, and became his helper, assister, and guardian, keeping his regard always fixed upon him, openly listening to and returning favourable answers to his petitions, until he perforce drew him, after the manner of beloved ones who are attracted, and attracted ones who are beloved, to the court of saintship, Divine guidance, and perfection, to the closet of propinquity (to God), to the chamber of the grandeur of God, and to the resting-place of the Holiness of the Lord of Majesty. When under the influence of this strong craving after God he used to wander bare-headed and bare-foot in the desert about Dibalpur, the dwelling-place of beasts of prey, wild animals, and birds, in a spot now known as Shirgarh: — Hemistich. “We are lovers wandering in the plains of Damascus.” ### [99.1.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.99.1.4) And sometimes when he went to circumambulate the blessed shrine of that holy Saint, obeyed of all the world, Ganj-i-Shakar, (may God sanctify his tomb!) he would there receive signs, and experience happy visions, and engage in conversation and intercourse (with the saint’s spirit), a detailed account of which is beyond the limits of this hastily compiled history. ### [99.1.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.99.1.5) They are recounted in detail in the book (known as) Naghmat-i-Da'udi, which was written by that cream of saints and fruit of the pure at heart, Shaikh Abu ’l Ma‘ali, the son of Shaikh Rahmatu-’llah, already mentioned, the date of whose most fortunate birth may be deduced from the words “ the beggar of Shaikh Da'ud,” or from the words “ Abu ’l Ma‘ali, the worshipper of the true (God),” and who is now the successor of Shaikh Miyan Da’ud, (may God sanctify his soul !) When he had spent a period of twenty years, or thereabouts, in ecstatic longing after God and wandering over plains and deserts, he was inspired to revert to a regular mode of life and to the religious instruction of the people, but since he had had no outward religious instructor and guide he hesitated to undertake the charge, until he was initiated and appointed by his spiritual holiness Ghaus i- A‘zam for the following duty, namely, to assist, for the sake of preserving the spiritual succession, the reverend Shaikh Hamid i Qadiri (may God sanctify his tomb !) who was the son of Shaikh ‘Abdu ’l Qadir the second, and the father of Shaikh ‘Abdu ’l Qadir, who at the time of writing is occupying his venerable father’s place in Ucch, by drawing him (more closely) to God And the late saint, (may God have mercy upon him !) since he had already many times asked for assistance from this disciple, who was after his own heart, and turned to him in every important business, and had asked that a fatihah might be offered up on his (the late saint’s) behalf, delayed to draw up his blessed tree of spiritual succession and to issue a permit for perfecting of disciples until he himself went one day to the town of Satgann, where the saint (may God have mercy upon him!) had many times previously lodged, on which occasion, when under the influence of his ecstatic longing after God, he said, “Here is Shaikh Ghaus-i-A‘zam (may God be pleased with him!) who has come and signifies that he entrusts to me his prayer-carpet, staff, tree of spiritual succession, horse, covered litter, and all the appurtenances of Shaikh-dom and spiritual leadership.” When the saint (may God sanctify his tomb!) was informed from on high of that occurrence, and when his knowledge of it was afterwards completely confirmed, he entrusted the divine charge committed to him to him whom his soul desired, but who appeared as though he were the seeker (not the sought after), returning from his soaring flight (of ecstasy) to ordinary intercourse (with his fellow creatures), and spread the mat of sojourning in the newly-built town of Shirgarh, near to Dhati, and half-way between Multan and Pattan, started a new order, the Qadiriyyah, which is midway between the two exalted orders, Sahrawardiyyah and Qishtiyyah (blessings on them, all three, from God!) and in the Divine power and by means of close connection with the true God, he so carried forward the work that the sound issuing therefrom will not die away until the sounding of the last trump. ### [99.1.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.99.1.6) When Mulla ‘Abdu-’llah of Sultanpur, who was known as Makhdumu-’l-Mulk, girded his loins to strenuous efforts in uprooting the men of God, becoming the means of the death of several of them, he sent an imperial order in the name of Salim Shah Sur, the Afghan, from Gwaliyar, summoning the holy Miyan among others, in obedience to which order the Miyan set out in haste with one or two attendants, and, meeting Makhdumu ’l Mulk, outside Gwaliyar, with marks of the greatest respect, alighted in a spot where he sat down with him, and where a beneficial conversation took place The pernicious mischief makers, as soon as they witnessed this conversation, fled away to every corner, so that they could not be discovered even by search being made. Makhdumu-’l Mulk said, “Their report is not on this ground (alone) falsified.” After much talk and conversation the Shaikh asked “What was the real motive for summoning us religious mendicants?” Makhdumu ’l-Mulk replied, “I heard that your disciples, when performing the religious exercise of zikr, said ‘O Da’ud, O Da’ud!’” The Shaikh replied “There has probably been some mistake in hearing, owing to a similarity of sounds, or else my followers must have said ‘O Wadud, O Wadud!’” In connection with this matter the Shaikh remained for a whole day, or a whole night, bestowing on him sublime exhortations and advice, and imparting to him precious knowledge and facts relating to God. ### [99.1.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.99.1.7) Makhdūmu-'l-Mulk was much affected and dismissed the Shaikh from that place with honour. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.99.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.general.muntakhab-al-tawarikh~en-ranking-lowe-haig.99.1) · Pramāṇa