Naat & Mushairah Program, Poetry Sessions, 12 Imams in Sunni Tradition Revival
Traditional Islam
Reflections on Hafiz
Saturday, March 12, 8 pm
Tickets: http://ow.ly/Y94mD
Reflections on Rumi
Saturday, April 16, 8 pm
Tickets: http://ow.ly/Y94u7
Reflections on Kabir and Khusrau performed by Shujaat Khan and Ramneek Singh
Friday, April 29, 8:30 pm
Tickets: http://ow.ly/Y94wc
12 Imams in Sunni Tradition
Traditional Islam over the next couple of months will be releasing many works by great scholars and Imams of Ahle Sunnah wal Jammah on the 12 Imams. Our intention is bring out the works of the scholars of Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamaah so our community can have more knowledge and connection with these great personalities whose students shined in all Islamic and Worldly fields and spread Islam from East to West and spiritually elevated this Ummah. From Shaykh ul Akbar Moihuddin Ibn Arabi (Futuhat Al Makkiyah) to Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (Tafsir Jilani) to Bahauddin Naqshaband to Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti to Maulana Rumi the 12 Imams is central in most popular Tariqah's of Sufism. The Shaykh's of the Ba Alawi Tariqah in Hadramut including Shaykh Habib Ali Jifri, Shaykh Umar bin Hafidh have books recommended that are biographies of the 12 Imams. The Khalifah of of founder of the Naqshabandi order Khawaja Parsa in Faslul Khitab has a biography on the 12 Imams. From the Deobandi school to the Barelvi school, to the Turkish Ottoman Empire, Mughal Empire to the Safaivid Empire both Sunni' and Shia's revered and visited and studied the life of these Imams of Spirituality. The first book we are releasing is the English translation of Ahwal i Imma from a manuscript - The chronicles of the 12 Imams by the great scholar of Hadith Shaykh Abdul Haq Muhhadith Dehlavi. Many more are coming inshallah in the pipeline which we will share the PDF versions and book copies will also be made freely available.
The late Muhaddith of Hijaz; Shaykh as-Sayyid Muhammad ibn ‘Alawi ibn ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Maliki al-Hasani al-Makki (rah) was a descendent of the Prophet Muhammad (uwbp). He was the first “Saudi” to receive a PhD. from Sunni Islam’s foremost seat of learning, Al Azhar. He held over 200 Ijazah’s in Hadith, Aqedah, Fiqh, Usool etc. Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Alawi’s family taught in the Haram in Makka Al Mukkarama as did the Shaykh himself, from the age of 15.
He was titled ‘Shaykh al-Islam fil-Balad al-Haram’, the educator of Ahl al-Sunna and light of the House of the Prophet in his time, a major contemporary Scholar of Hadith, commentary of Qur’an, Law, doctrine, tasawwuf, and Prophetic biography (sira), the most highly respected authority of Ahl al-Sunna in the Mother of Cities, and passed away in 1425/2004. Both his father (d. 1971CE) and grandfather were the Imams and head preachers of the Sacred Mosque in Makka, as was al-Sayyid Muhammad himself beginning in 1971 and until 1983. May Allah have mercy on them and continue to benefit us with them. He single handedly refuted each and every one of the Wahabi/Salafi scholars of Najd.
Jalia til-Qadr
The venerable Shaykh al-Islam fil Balad al-Haram as-Sayyid Muhammad ibn ‘Alawi al-Makki encouraged the regular recitation of the Qaseeda Jalia til-Qadr on the 17th of each month, and recited it himself as well. This Qaseeda makes mention of the Imams of Ahlul Bayt, specifically identifying them as “Ali, Hasnain, ‘Ali Sajjad, wa bi Baqir, wa bi Sadiq, wa bi Kadhim, thummar Radha…Naqihum, wa Taqihum, wa bi ‘Askari, a’immati ithna ‘ashar (the Twelve Imams), and the Seal of them, the descendant of the Prophet; Muhammad Mahdina (our guide), Imam al-Muntadhar (the Awaited Imam)”.
Here are the verses from the Qaseeda about the Twelve Imams in Arabic,
وكذا بفاطمة التي فَضُلَتْ على كل النِّسَاء وقلِّدَتْ عِقدَ الفَخرأيضاً
وبالحَسَنين سِبطي سيِّد ال كونين مَن بكِسائِهِ لهُما ستر
وبعمه العباسِ ثمَّ بنجلِهِ ال حَبر عبد الله نِبراس الفِكر
وكذا بكل الآل والأصحاب وال أزواجِ والعمات ربَّاتِ الخَفر
وعليٌّ السَّجَّادِ مِصباحِ الدُّجَى وبباقرٍ مَن للمعالمِ قدْ بقر
وبصَادقٍ وبكاظمٍ ثمَّ الرِّضَى مَن للمَساجد والمدارس قد عَمر
والأمْجَدَين نقِيهُم وتقِيهُم وبعسكري أئِمَّة اثني عشر
وبختْمِهم نجْلَ الرَّسُول مُحَمد مَهدِينَا الآتِي الإمَام المُنتظَر
In his book the Ghadir Declaration, Shaykh al-Islam Dr. Tahir al-Qadiri quotes Imam Rabbani’s comments on the status of Hadrat al-Murtada and the Twelve Imams, and the dependence of those who seek guidance directly on them for it, stating,
“And there is another way close to the spiritual sovereignty and this is the way of the Saints and the general friends of Allah, and this way is marked by its characteristic passion and it carries the guarantee of mediation and the leader and chieftain of the Saints of this way is ‘Alī al-Murtada. And this grand office is reserved for him. On this way, the feet of the Holy Prophet are on ‘Alī’s head and Fatima and Hasan and Husayn are included with him. I believe that he enjoyed this position even before his physical birth, as he did after it, and whosoever has received the divine blessing and guidance, has received it through him, because he is closest to the last point on this way and the centre of this spot belongs to him. And when his period ended, the grand office passed on to Hasan and Husayn and then on to each one of the Twelve Imāms, individually and elaborately. And whosoever received guidance in their life and after their death, received it through these Saints. And the refuge and place of shelter of the Saints of high ranks are these Saints, (because they are the centre of all spiritual activity) and the sides tend to converge on the centre” (Maktubat, Volume 9:173#123).
To elaborate further on the topic of the Ummah’s dependence on the Twelve Imams in order to obtain Ihsan, the Masterful Khwaja; Imam Rabbani Mujaddid Alf Thani Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi (qadas Allahu sirrahul ‘aziz) describes the dependence of the Qutb al-Aqtab, who is responsible for the guiding the entire creation, on Hadrat ‘Ali’ al-Murtada (karram Allahu wajhu), stating in the Maktubat Sharif Vol. 1,
“O Brother! Indeed Imam ‘Ali is the holder of the keys of the Sainthood, Wilayah, of the Prophet Muhammad [s] and the training regime for the status of Aqtab, Awtad and Abdaal, who are from amongst the reserved Awliya, is done under the shelter of his Sainthood. The rank of Qutb al-Aqtab, who is the greatest Qutb and the guide and mentor of others, lays under his (‘Ali’s) feet. His orders are issued under the supervision and support of ‘Ali and he performs his duties under the supervision and support of ‘Ali and fulfills his tasks. Sayyida Fatima and both of her sons, the Imams (Hasan and Husayn) share this rank with ‘Ali.” (Maktubat Imam Rabbani, Volume 1:438#251)
Furthermore, Hadrat Shah Wali Allah Muhaddith al-Dahlawi echoed this belief, that dependence on the Sainthood of the Illustrious Twelve Imams is one-third of the faith, as it is the Twelve Imams who are the Pivots of Guidance in Tasawwuf, and since Tasawwuf leads to Ihsan, and since it is them who are the Pivots of that science, it is clear that it is the Twelve Imams then who lead one to the perfection of faith, Ihsan.
Poem on Twelve Imams
Gharīb Nawāz Khwājah-e-Aʿẓam Sayyid Muʿīnuddīn Ḥasan Sanjari Chishtī رحمة الله عليه (The great Sufi Saint who converted Millions of people into Islam in South Asia)
(Khwājah Ajmeri has sought the intercession of the Twelve Imāms in the following supplication-poem)
Poem
(The English translation of the Urdu translation of the poem’s verses has been included here)
1. O Lord! I beseech upon you seeking the intercession of Ḥaẓrat Muḥammad صلى الله عليه وسلم who is the interceder of sinful people and the fountainhead of bestowal
2. O Lord! With the intercession of the Shah(King) of Najaf(Imam Ali) in whose praise were revealed the Surahs: Mulk, Ya-Seen and Insān
3. O Lord! With the intercession of the mourning and weeping of Ḥaẓrat Fāṭimah, O Lord! with the intercession of Fāṭimah’s cries; she who is the Leader of all women
4. O Lord! With the intercession of Imām Ḥasan’s heart’s hundred pieces; he who is the King of all horizons
5. O Lord! With the intercession of Imām Ḥusain’s thirst and the intercession of the blood of all the martyrs of Karbala
6. O Lord! With the intercession of Ḥaẓrat Imām Zayn al-ʿĀbedīn and Imām Muḥammad Bāqir; and the intercession of Imām Jaʿfar Ṣadiq, Imām Mūsā Kāẓim and ʿAli Riḍā
7. O Lord! With the intercession of Ḥaẓrat Imām Muḥammad Taqi and Imām ʿAli Naqi; and the intercession of the leader of all leaders Imām Ḥasan ʿAskari
8. O Lord! With the intercession of that truthful guide Imām Mahdi whose persona is akin to that of Ḥaẓrat Muḥammad Muṣṭafā صلى الله عليه وسلم, the leader of all and one who has been accepted
9. O Lord! With the intercession of all your Prophets; and the intercession of the souls of all your patrons
10. O Lord! With the intercession of pure love from an All-Sufficient loved one; O Lord with the intercession of the wailing of helpless lovers
11. O Lord! Muʿīn is hopeful of your grace and blessing; spare me on the day of judgement for the sake of the Leader of Martyrs.
