Remembering Syedna Qutbuddin RA

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ

'Remember Me, and I will remember you.'

(Surat al-Baqara 152)

This article was written by Ra'sul Hududil Mayameen Janab Syedi Aziz Bhaisaheb Qutbuddin in 2016.

Allah Ta’ala has promised in the Quran Majeed that He will remember those who remember Him. Allah Ta’ala’s Awliya’ Kiraam are living an eternal life in Jannat and they too remember those who remember them. In the days of Syedna Taher Saifuddin’s RA Urus Mubarak, Ayyamul Barakaatil Khuldiyya, we remember Syedna Taher Saifuddin and are assured of his nazaraat on us as we have held firm to the daaman of his successors Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin RA, Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin RA, and Syedna Taher Fakhruddin TUS.

We remember Syedna Taher Saifuddin and Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin both saying in their bayaans – especially wada’ bayaan – that they will intercede on our behalf in the hazrat of Imamuz-zaman SA after their wafaat just as they beseeched doa for us in their lifetime. In one bayaan Syedna Taher Saifuddin said,

“Let me relate to you a personal matter, my brothers, if death comes to me before the zuhoor of Imam-uz-zaman, I will go to the hazrat of Imam-uz-zaman, and even then I will strive to alleviate your problems... do not forget me. My brothers, all my life I will endeavor for you, and when death comes I am certain that my Maula Imam-uz-zaman will be pleased with me. If any Mumin does araz through me, I will surely present his araz to my Maula Imam-uz-zaman: O Maula, I beseech you to alleviate his problems. A Mumin is always in my heart, always remember, I am your true well-wisher, I am your father, my affection towards you is such that only God or my Imam knows its depth...”

Today we remember Syedna Taher Saifuddin and Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, and we are confident of the intercession they will make on our behalf.

We also remember their successor Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin. It has been less than a month since Syedna Qutbuddin’s wafaat and every Mumin recalls with tears their memories with Maulana. After janaza and dafan, Mumineen were besieged with grief. Each was recalling his or her experiences and memories with their beloved father.

One Mumin recalled how every time he came to Maulana Qutbuddin – even in a crowd – he enquired about his children by name and asked him to bring them to him. He also recalled when he met Syedna Qutbuddin soon after Syedna Burhanuddin’s wafaat. In those difficult times, he asked Maulana how he was. Syedna simply replied, “I am truthful, and so I am at peace.”

Another Mumin recalled his childhood experience with Syedna Qutbuddin, “I was around 7 or 8 years old and I was standing in a long line for children right behind the bethak of Syedna Burhanuddin and Syedna Qutbuddin. This was the Eid ul Fitr majlis. Suddenly there was a huge rush and I got crushed beneath 3 or 4 other children. Not knowing what to do and in extreme pain I shouted “Moula, Moula!” and I reached out to Syedna Qutbuddin. Syedna Qutbuddin immediately looked behind, and gave me his hand and pulled me out. This action of his caught a lot of people’s attention and then they also helped to pull me out. I was in complete tears. Syedna Qutbuddin did not wait for anyone to help me and immediately extended his hand to me. When we say Haq na sahib aa duniya si hamney chhuravsey, I experienced it.”

Another Mumina remembered Syedna Qutbuddin’s ziyarat in Rozat Tahera, “It was after the iftetah of Anwar. Mumineen who had travelled to Misr were invited to Mumbai for Burhanuddin Moula's RA bethak. At night they had gathered to do ziyarat at Raudat Tahera with Qutbuddin Maula. I must have been a little over 8 years old. I observed Maula do ziyarat, slowly, the way he always did. Then everyone stood up with Maula and with one voice recited Tasbih Karey Chhe Mumineen. I was standing right across from Maula throughout the recitation of the marsiyah. The image of him standing there under the lights, the heartrending and beautiful marsiyah he had penned being recited, his sincere expressions of piety and devotion, have stayed with me all these years. Over the years I have had the opportunity to observe him do ziyarat many times, especially during Karbala-Najaf KUN safar, especially at Maulana Abbas Alamdar's Zarih Mubarak, as though channeling the spirit and strength of that Maula for the difficult days ahead and the sacrifices to come.”

Another Mumina recalled how she experienced the effect of Syedna Qutbuddin’s doa, “My husband and I had difficulty having children. The doctors had diagnosed me as infertile. My in-laws had given up hope, my mom was saddened with the news. In 1997, I visited India and I had the faith that when I do araz to Maula Qutbuddin -if aap will smile I was going to have a child regardless of what anyone believed. I was also crazy enough to demand from Maula that if I have children my first had to be a boy. Aap gave my husband and me 1 kg sugar each. Hubby ate it all but I ate only some of mine. I had seen Maula in Feb and in March I went to my doctor with the news of the pregnancy test in my hand. I was pregnant and had a boy Khuzaima, name Maula gave. I continued with the 1 kg sugar for the next 10 years. The barakat of that sugar was so great that I have 4 beautiful children. After my last one 8 years ago I went back to Maula and asked what to do with the left over sugar that I still couldn't finish. Maula had the biggest smile on his face, asked me to bury it in my backyard. Just imagine the same happening with the individual who went to Rasulallah and asked for children and Imam Hussain kept giving him 7. My Maula is the Dai of imam Hussain.”

We remember Syedna Qutbuddin RA. We are confident that his nazaraat flow from Jannat towards those who remember him.

We encourage mumineen to share their personal experiences with Syedna Qutbuddin RA in his 50 years as Mazoon and his 2 years and three months as the Dai al-Mutlaq by emailing info@fatemidawat.com. A selection of these messages will insha’allah be published in future issues of Sijill.

Har ghari yaad karye che tamnay

Maula hargiz na bhuljo hamnay

Nathi sabra hamara aa gham nay

Bawasahib guzri gaya che

May Allah Ta’ala raise Syedna Qutbuddin in the highest echelons of Jannat. May we continue to remember him and garner his nazaraat. May we sincerely follow and serve his successor Syedna Taher Fakhruddin, the living remembrance of Syedna Qutbuddin.