Shaikh Ahmad, popularly known as Mujaddid Alf-e-Sani, belonged to the Naqshbandi Order of Sufism. Khwaja Bahauddin Naqshband was the founder of this Order. The first saint of this order to enter India was Khwaja Baqi Billah. He settled in Delhi where he died after three years.
Shaikh Ahmad, disciple and khalifa of Khwaja Baqi Billah, was born in 1563-64 in Sirhind. Shaikh Ahmad’s father, Shaikh Abdul Ahmad was a very distinguished Sufi of his time. In 1598-99 when his father died, Ahmad left his home for making pilgrimage to Mecca. On his way he was introduced to Baqi Billah in Delhi. The saint asked him to stay for a week with him. But soon Ahmad came under his influence and agreed to stay longer. Finally he gave up the idea of making the pilgrimage and became a disciple of Baqi Billah. At the end of two months he was appointed Khalifa by his new pir and sent back to Sirhind.
Ahmad was in Lahore when news reached him of the death of his pir, so he hastened to Delhi where he was acknowledged as the head of the Naqshbandi Order. He was soon acclaimed as the much-needed Mujaddid, or reformer of Islam. His fame soon spread far and wide. He not only acted as a pir but also purged Islam of numerous heretical teachings which were current among Muslims, much of it was due to the influence of Din-e-Elahi, a religion founded by Emperor Akbar. Ahmad was thus hailed as the Saviour of Islam. His success however was more marked in the reign of Jahangir, when many of the leading officers of the court became his followers. He also managed to effect certain religious reforms among the Emperor’s soldiers. Jahangir was so impressed with his saintly life that he became his disciple.
On his advice the Emperor made several changes in matters of state. For instance, the custom of falling prostrate before the king, which had been in force from the time of Akbar, was discontinued.
A new mosque was built close to the Diwan-e-Am in the fort, for the special convenience of the king and his courtiers, and the Sunni code was adopted as the law of state.
He thus succeeded, by the grace of God, to extirpate the heresies introduced by Akbar, and purged sufism of many of those un- Islamic elements which had become attached to it through its long history. It was because of his efforts that the doctrines of mysticism were harmonised with the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah. Shaikh Ahmad forbade his disciples to make use of the following
practices: the use of music; dancing, while in the state of ecstasy; prostration before one’s pir; the worship of saints and shrines, and illuminating the tombs of saints. Shaikh Ahmad is credited with as many as 644 treatises on different religious subjects. His teachings are mainly embodied in a
series of letters. Shaikh Ahmad died in 1624 in Sirhind.
No comments:
Post a Comment