Syedna Qutbuddin’s Shafaqat: Our Loving Father

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَاؤُكُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ

'We are your Awliyullah, in this World and the Hereafter'

(Surat Fussilat: 31)

This Sijill Article was written by Mustafa bhai R in 2017.

As we approach the first Urus of Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin RA, we take solace in the Quranic Ayat above. Our Awliyullah are with us, both in this World and the Hereafter, a favor from Khuda Ta’ala unto Mumineen. Syedna Qutbuddin was an affectionate father to Mumineen, his memory will live with us for the rest of our lives.

For most of us from the younger generation, we grew up in the latter stage of Syedna Burhanuddin’s RA zamaan. We learnt of the shafaqat Du’at have toward Mumineen; we learnt of the affectionate care and attention Syedna Taher Saifuddin RA maintained towards each and every Mumin and how he nurtured them. In Syedna Burhanuddin’s waaz, especially during the 10 days of Ashara waaz, we felt the depth of his love in the doa he would bestow on Mumineen. His bayaans were a beacon for us, a guide in matters of deen and dunya. We obtained barakaat through his deedar and qadambosi and experienced the immense shafaqat he held for us. In addition, we also received Syedna Burhanuddin’s barakaat through his Mazoon & Mansoos, Syedna Qutbuddin, from who we experienced the same shafaqat on a deeply personal level. Attending his hazrat, the longing gaze, the doa, the affectionate care when a father asks his children how they are, his voice filled with concern for us. This voice will ring in our ears till the very end of our lives. He made each one of us feel special. He, quite literally, held our hands tight when we were at our most vulnerable. As soon as we would leave, we would long to spend time with him again and deeply miss his presence. He made time for all of us, including the smallest: even those in their mother’s womb received the barakat of his doa. And with his doa, he always imparted practical guidance on how we should conduct ourselves in this life, while prioritizing the Hereafter. When we arazed before an exam, he would bestow doa and then remind us to study and work hard. When we arazed about our business, he would bestow doa and then remind us that business requires courage. On the occasion of our niqah, he would bestow doa and counsel the couple on how to lead a happy life. On the occasion of the birth our child, he would bestow doa and remind us to maintain shafaqat on our children at all times.

Syedna Burhanuddin’s wafaat was an unbearable catastrophe, a storm that completely took us by surprise. He was our Dai since birth, many of us were born because of his doa. We learnt his name before we learnt the names of our parents. At such a traumatic time, our only solace was in the persona of his successor, one who possessed those same lofty qualities. The events immediately after the wafaat of Syedna Burhanuddin made things even harder. Most of us were cut out from the only community we knew. Relationships we thought were close suddenly became distant. Family members who did not agree with our views shunned us. In these times, our singular solace was in Syedna Qutbuddin. His sabr, his courage, his unwavering stance was what grounded us. Our faith in his doa kept us safe from the calamities the world hurled at us. Syedna Taher Saifuddin RA said “Khuzaima ni doa mustajab che.” And I am personally witness to how seemingly monumental challenges that we suffered in those days would ease in a matter of time, simply with Syedna Qutbuddin’s doa. An invisible divine shield was around us, keeping us intact and unaffected from the tumultuous surrounding events.

Then, a year ago, another catastrophe came our way – we learnt of the sudden wafaat of Syedna Qutbuddin. One storm after another. Our affectionate father, the source of all our courage, had departed from our midst. On the surface, it was beyond comprehension how we would face tomorrow. Yet, as always with Awliyullah, they depart this world only after leaving one like them self in their stead. We saw Syedna Qutbuddin’s strength, courage, resolve and above all, affection, in his successor, his beloved son whom he prepared his whole life. Syedna Fakhruddin TUS is now our Dai now our guide in all matters, deen and dunya. We take his barakaat and doa, and through his shafaqat, we obtain najaat, both in this world and the Hereafter.

Words cannot capture the shaan of Syedna Qutbuddin and his immense ehsanaat on Mumineen, yet it is incumbent upon us to do shukr through zikr. At a time like this, we remember Syedi Sadiq Ali Saheb QS’s words:

دريا جوھوئے سياھي نے اقلام هوئي نبات

تونه لكھي سكے كوئي آ شاه ني صفات

If all the seas were parchment, and all the trees were pens

Even then, one could not write all the praises of our Maula