Captain Wahid Baksh Sial Rabbani (1910 – April 21, 1995)
/ref> was a Pakistani saint in the Chishti (Sabri branch) order of

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, ...

s. He was initiated into the Chishtiyya Spiritual Order in 1940 by

Maulana Syed Muhammad Zauqi Shah Syed Muhammad Zauqi Shah (1878–1951) was a Sufist scholar considered a Waliullah or Sufist saint. He graduated from Aligarh University in India. A member of the Chishti Order of Sufi, his work combined merits of Islamic scholarship and mo ...

(1878-1951). He remained under Zauqi Shah's teaching for about 12 years, and then received khilafat (became his successor), along with Shah Shahidullah Faridi, Maulana Umar Bhai, and Maulana Abdus Salam. He was a practicing Sufi for 54 years until his wisaal (union) at 9:30 am on April 21, 1995.

Education and Career

He completed his

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

and then joined the Bahwalpur State Forces and qualified at the Indian Military Academy Dehra Dun (India) in 1933. He participated in the Second World War in Malaya. He retired from military service in 1946 and joined the Civil Secretariat of the Bahawalpur Government. He was transferred to the West Pakistan secretariat, Lahore, in 1955, and retired in 1968.

Work

Books

He wrote several important books in Urdu and English, such as # Islamic Sufism # Mushahida e Haq # Maqam e Ganjshakar # Reactivsation of Islam # Hajj e Zauqi # Ruhaniyat e Islam He also translated significant Sufi books from Persian to Urdu, including # Mirat ul Asrar # Iqtibas ul Anwar # Maktoobat i Qudsiya # Maqabis ul Majalis #Talqeen e Ladunni

Translation Work

His translations with commentary of ''Lawaih-e-Jami, Jawami-ul-Kalim, and Kashful Mahjub'' have also been published. His commentary on Kashful Mahjub (published in Urdu and English and popularly available) is a masterpiece and first-ever in the history of Sufism.

Other

He also collected his Shaikh Zauqi Shah's discourses and published them under the title ''Tarbiat-ul-Ushaq'' (Training of the Lovers), which is now available in English as well. This highly readable and beautifully written book focuses on the highest spiritual states and stations. He also worked on the history of Sufism and Sufi Texts and Teachings in English, encompassing the entire Muslim world, and wrote United States of Islam, discussing the notion of pan-Islamism, with a vision for the rise of the Muslim world. He also translated Sirr-e-Dilbaran, an encyclopedia of Sufi terminology, a work in Urdu by Zauqi Shah. His articles also appeared in the series "The Sufi Path."

Followers

His followers are in Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, Mauritius, the United States, Canada, France and the United Kingdom.

Death

He was buried in his hometown of Allahabad, in district Rahim Yar Khan (Pakistan).

Disciples

His disciples continue to publish his works and those of other Masters of their Order.

References

* Captain Wahid Baksh Rabbani, Islamic Sufism. "About the author". 1995: Justice Muhammad Akbar Academy, Pakistan.

External links

Books by Captain Wahid Baksh Rabbani
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rabbani, Wahid Baksh Sial 1910 births 1995 deaths Pakistani Sufis