Shaykh (or Shah) Muhibullah Allahabadi, or Muhibb ullah Ilahabadi ( ur, محب اللہ الہ آبادی;
मुहिबउल्लाह इलाहाबादी 1587–30 July 1648) was a
Sufi
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
scholar who was active in
Allahabad
Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the administrat ...
in northern India during the reign of the Mughul emperor
Shah Jahan
Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...
. He is noted as a leading proponent of the Sufi doctrine of ''
Wahdat al-Wujud
In Islamic philosophy, Sufi metaphysics is centered on the concept of ar, وحدة, waḥdah, unity, label=none or ar, توحيد, tawhid, label=none. Two main Sufi philosophies prevail on this topic. literally means "the Unity of Existence ...
'', sometimes called "Oneness of Being". Some Sufis consider that he was a saint.
Life
Muhibullah was born in 1587in India.
He was a descendant of
Fariduddin Ganjshakar
Farīd al-Dīn Masʿūd Ganj-i-Shakar ( ; – 7 May 1266) was a 13th-century Punjabi Sunni Muslim preacher and mystic, who was one of the most revered and distinguished Muslim mystics of the medieval period. He is known reverentially as B ...
.
His home was in Sadarpur in Awadh.
There he compiled a commentary in Arabic on Ibn Arabi's Fusus ul-Hikam.
He was initiated into the Sabiriya branch of the
Chishti Order
The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Chisht, a ...
of Sufis with the help of Shaikh Abu Said Gangohi, and visited major Chishti places of pilgrimage and centers before settling in Allahabad in 1628, where he spent the rest of his life.
He was active during the reign of the Mogul emperor
Shah Jahan
Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...
(r. 1628–58).
Muhibullah founded the Indo-Islamic literary culture in
Allahabad
Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the administrat ...
, with his many writings on obscure Sufi topics in both Persian and Arabic.
In Muhibullah's view social relationships should be guided by the unity of Being.
He was the
preceptor
A preceptor (from Latin, "''praecepto''") is a teacher responsible for upholding a ''precept'', meaning a certain law or tradition.
Buddhist monastic orders
Senior Buddhist monks can become the preceptors for newly ordained monks. In the Buddhi ...
of
Shah Jahan
Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...
's son, prince
Dara Shikoh
Dara Shikoh ( fa, ), also known as Dara Shukoh, (20 March 1615 – 30 August 1659) was the eldest son and heir-apparent of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Dara was designated with the title ''Padshahzada-i-Buzurg Martaba'' ("Prince of High Rank" ...
.
In response to an inquiry from the prince he wrote that the state should not make a distinction between Muslims and Hindus, since God did not discriminate between his creations.
God had sent
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
as ''Rahmat al Alameen'', mercy for all of creation, not only for Muslims.
Many devotees visited Muhibullah's ''
Khanqah
A khanqah ( fa, خانقاه) or khangah ( fa, خانگاه; also transliterated as ''khankah'', ''khaneqa'', ''khanegah'' or ''khaneqah''; also Arabized ''hanegah'', ''hanikah'', ''hanekah'', ''khankan''), also known as a ribat (), is a buildin ...
'', including both Moslems and
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
s.
Muhibullah thought that mystic knowledge could be obtained from Hindus, and quoted the Hindu theory of cosmogony in a letter, but seems to have had no more than a very superficial understanding of Hindu mysticism.
Muhibullah followed the teachings of
Ibn Arabi
Ibn ʿArabī ( ar, ابن عربي, ; full name: , ; 1165–1240), nicknamed al-Qushayrī (, ) and Sulṭān al-ʿĀrifīn (, , 'Sultan of the Knowers'), was an Arab Andalusian Muslim scholar, mystic, poet, and philosopher, extremely influenti ...
(1165–1240), the great Sufi poet and mystic from
Andalusia
Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...
, and was himself called ''Shaikh-e Kabir'' (the great master).
Ibn Arabi had formulated the most advanced formulation of the ''Tawhid wajudi'' (''
Wahdat al-Wujud
In Islamic philosophy, Sufi metaphysics is centered on the concept of ar, وحدة, waḥdah, unity, label=none or ar, توحيد, tawhid, label=none. Two main Sufi philosophies prevail on this topic. literally means "the Unity of Existence ...
'') doctrine, a fundamental Sufist doctrine.
In the Sufi interpretation of the doctrine the face of God is seen everywhere, but that does not mean that everything that exists is an aspect of Divine unity.
Muhibullah Allahabadi strongly supported the ''Tawhid wajudi'' doctrine, and was called Sheikh Ibn Arabi II because of his depth of understanding of the doctrine.
Muhibullah wrote several books, most notably ''Taswiyah'', in which he ardently defended the doctrine.
The doctrine was highly fashionable during
Akbar
Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Hum ...
's reign (1556–1605), because Sheikh Tajuddin Zakaria Ajodhini used to talk of it privately to Akbar.
Muhibullah considered that the works of Ibn Arabi should not be interpreted either literally or metaphysically, and had more respect for Ibn Arabi's critics such as Shaikh
Ala ud-Daula Simnani and Mir Saiyid Muhammad Gesu Daraz than for commentators who simply glossed over Ibn Arabi's work.
He was opposed by
Mulla Mahmud Jaunpuri
Mulla Mahmud Jaunpuri ( fa, ; 1606–1651) was an important Indian natural philosopher and astronomer of the 17th century. Book II of his classic ''Shams-e-Bazeghi'' is on theoretical astronomy, where he raises doubts about the Ptolemaic system. ...
(of
Jaunpur) and his followers who attacked Sufism in general and emphasized the importance of rational thought as opposed to dogma and mysticism.
Some ''
ulama
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
'' said that his views about Appearance and Reality were heretical, and Muhibullah should not be considered a Muslim.
A fatwa was issued for his execution, which was only averted with considerable difficulty.
Muhibullah Allahabadi died on 32 July 1648.
Legacy
Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
(r. 1658–1707) may have suspected the orthodoxy of the doctrine of ''wahdat-ul wajud'' propounded by Shah Muhibbullah.
Aurangzeb threatened to burn his book in which he called
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብር ...
a hidden spiritual power in the Prophet rather than a winged angel.
It is said that Aurangzeb summoned Muhibbullah's disciple
Sayyid Muhammad Qannauji Sayyid Muhammad Qanauji was a Sufi scholar who was chaplain to the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (1592–1666) and teacher of his son, the emperor Aurangzeb (1618–1707).
Life
Mir Sayyid Muhammad Qanauji was the chaplain of the Mughal emperor Sha ...
, and asked him to explain how some of Muhibbullah's statements could be reconciled with ''
Sharia
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...
''. Qannauji replied that he could only explain Muhibbullah's words when he reached a similar spiritual status, which was far above his present condition. He also said that the emperor had enough fire in his kitchen and did not have to use a poor man's fire.
The important shrine of Daira Shah Hujjatulla in Allahabad was founded by Muhibullah.
Sheikh
Mohsin Fani
Mohsin Fani was a noted Persian historian from Iran. Some suggest he is the author of Dabistan-E-Mazahib.
Life & works
Born around 1615 in Iran, Mohsin Fani was once migrated to India, for the study of the religions there, in the time of the ...
of
Kashmir
Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
, a disciple of Molla Serf, celebrated Muhibullah in one of his poems.
Muhibullah had invested Mohisan Fani in the sacred costume of the Dervish.
Muhibullah was considered an important saint by the Sabiriya order of Sufis, founded by
Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari
Makhdoom Alauddin Ali Ahmed Sabir, also known as صابر کلیری Sabir Kaliyari ("Sabir of Kaliyar"), was an Indian Sunni Muslim preacher and Sufi saint in the 13th century. He was nephew successor to Baba Fareed (1188–1280),''Sheikh Fari ...
.
In the early 20th century the month of
Rajab
Rajab ( ar, رَجَب) is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. The lexical definition of the classical Arabic verb ''rajaba'' is "to respect" which could also mean "be awe or be in fear", of which Rajab is a derivative.
This month is re ...
was treated as a time for holiness and festivities in Allahabad, since it was not just the month of the Prophet's ascension but also the month of Muhibullah's
urs
Urs (from ''‘Urs'') or ''Urus'' (literal meaning wedding), is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint, usually held at the saint's dargah (shrine or tomb). In most Sufi orders such as Naqshbandiyyah, Suhrawardiyya, Chishtiyya, Qadiriyya, etc ...
.
Followers
Prominent followers of Muhibullah included:
*Qazi Ghasi
*
Mohammadi Fayyaz
*
Sayyid Muhammad Qanauji Sayyid Muhammad Qanauji was a Sufi scholar who was chaplain to the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (1592–1666) and teacher of his son, the emperor Aurangzeb (1618–1707).
Life
Mir Sayyid Muhammad Qanauji was the chaplain of the Mughal emperor Sha ...
*Abdul Rashid
* Qazi Muhammad Yusuf Salis Bilgrami
Qazi Mohammad Yusuf Salis Bilgrami (d. unknown) was a Sufi disciple of shiekh Muhibullah Ilahabadi, the friend of Mughal Royal Dara Shikoh. His father, Qazi Abul Makarim was a learned Man and served as a Qazi of Bilgram, his home- town in Awadh. Initially Qazi Muhammad Yusuf Salis was Faujdar in the Province of Malwah, but later he renounced worldly career as it was incompatible with his Sufi way of life. Prince Dara Shikoh formulated sixteen questions of exploring fundamental nature exploring the entire discipline of Sufism and sent them to Shiekh Muhibullah Allahabadi. At his teacher’s indication, Qazi Muhammad Yusuf Salis drafted their answers for submission to the Prince, naming the work: Hadyat us Sultaniyah
*Ahmad
Writings
A great many of Muhibullah's letters have been preserved, including a letter from Dara Shikoh (1615–59) with a list of questions on esoteric Sufi questions, and the detailed reply from Muhibullah.
Surviving writings by Muhibullah include:
*''Sharh-i-Fūsūs ul-Hikam'', an abstruse commentary in simple Persian on Ibn Arabi's ''Fūsūs ul-Hikam''
*''Ibādat ul Khawāss'', code of prayers leading to spiritual discipline
*''Haft-Akhām'', discussion of the seven points leading to spiritual discipline
*''Ghāyat-ul-Ghāyāt''
*''Taswiyah (Equalization)'', defense of the doctrine of ''Tawhid wajudi''
*''Miftāh ul-'ashiqin'', often quoted as the sayings of Nasīr ud-Din Mahmūd Chirāgh-i-Dehli.
Other surviving writings are:
*''Tarjamat al-kitāb'', Sufi commentary on the Koran
*''Anfās al-khawāșș'', mystical theories based on the lives and sayings of prophets and saints
Urs
The Urs (death anniversary) of Shah Muhibbullah Allahabadi is celebrated at the Dargah shareef Kydganj Dargah And Bahadurganj Khanqah on the 8th-9th of Rajab.
References
Sources
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{{authority control
Indian Sufi saints
Sufi poets
1587 births
1648 deaths