According to Islamic conviction, with horrible torture On realising the horror of this torture, this dervish made a violent 'Nara' (loud shriek), and the next moment he was dead. I have never seen a dervish more horrified at the thought of the after-death questioning and torture of the sinful in their graves than this one. Hazrat Sadruddin further went on, "It is due to this thought of the horrible torture in grave that I have been in seclusion for the past 30 years, and you are the first person to whom I have related this story.

 

Therefore, my dear, it is better to spend our time in the devotion of God than in the company of worldly people, because so long as people spend their time in the company of worldly people, they are away from God. We must avoid such associations and prepare ourselves for the next world. "After this, he gave me two'Khurmas' (dry dates) and retired to his seclusion only to resume his repentance."

 

Hazarat Khawaja Muinuddin continues, "Once I, Hazrat Khawaja Usman Harooni Shiekh Ahaduddin Kirmani, and Janab Aarif Revigiri were sitting in the company of some other dervishes in the mosque of Damascus. In the course of the conversation, Janab Mohammed Arif said, "On the day of judgement (Qaya-mat), the rich will have to finish an account of their doings and conduct before God, but the dervishes will be exempted." One of the dervishes, however, hesitated to believe this and demanded authority on such a divine 'fireman' from an authentic book. After a little contemplation, Janab Arif gave out 'Kashful-Mahjoob' as the name of the book, but the dervish insisted on seeing the said book and the 'firam' with his own eyes.

 

 

Upon this, Janab Aarif prayed to the Almighty God for help, and by His grace, the angels presented the particular book to him. When it was shown to the arguing dervish, he bowed down his head at the feet of Janab Aarif apologetically. Afterwards, it was decided that each of the four dervishes present should show his 'Karamat' (miracle). Hazrat Usman Harooni put his hand under his 'Mussalla' (prayer carpet), brought out some pieces of gold, and asked one of the company members present to go and fetch some 'Halwa' (a kind of sweet paste prepared with refined flour, butter, and sugar for all).

 

Shiekh Ahaduddin Kirmani then touched a dead branch of a tree lying nearby, which immediately came to life and became green and flourishing. Owing to the great regard I had for my 'murshid', I did nothing. Hazrat Usman then turned to me and said, "Muinuddin, you did nothing". Upon this, I took out four fresh breads from my wallet and handed them over to the dervishes, who were feeling too hungry but did not express their desire before the company due to shame. Janab Aarif then said, "A dervish who had no such powers did not deserve to be called a dervish."

 

Hazrat Khawaja Muinuddin says, "Once I, Hazrat Usman, and another dervish were on a journey when we reached the town of Awash, where we met Shiekh Bahauddin Awashi. He was a great dervish, and it was his custom that whoever went to him at his khanqah (secluded place of meditation) was offered something. He used to distribute clothes, which he received from 'gheb' (invisible sources). When we left him, he gave me precious parting advice. He said, "O dervish, whatever you get, give it away in charity in the name of Allah, and never hoard any wealth. Feed the humble and the poor people of God so that you may become one of His beloved."

 

Hazrat Khawaja Muinuddin continues, "Our next halt was at Badakhshan, where we met a venerable old dervish, one of whose feet was amputated. He was 100 years old and was wholly absorbed in the devotion of God. When I inquired about his amputated foot, he said, "One day, overpowered by my 'nafs' (appetitive desire), I put this foot out of the 'Som Aa' (monastery) when I heard a 'nida' (voice), "O devotee, have you forgotten your pledge with me? I immediately felt ashamed and cut off my foot and threw it away because it had led me out of the 'Som Aa' and was the cause of breaking my pledge with God. I do not know how I shall be able to show my face and wipe off this disgrace before others on the day of judgement."

 

Hazrat Sayedna Gharib Nawaz (R.A.): His Days With Murshid: Conversion of Fire Worshippers

 

All historians report a wonderful miracle about Hazrat Khawaja Usman Harooni when he was not on one of his tours with Khawaja Muinuddin from Harwan to Baghdad. In the town of Ray, which was a big centre of fire-worshippers, they had a big fire temple wherein 20 wagonloads of firewood were consumed daily to keep the fire alive for all 24 hours. Hazrat Khawaja Usman stayed here under a shady tree. While he engaged himself in his evening prayers, he asked his attendant, Fakhruddin, to arrange for the fire and prepare some food to end the day's fast.

 

Fakruddin went to the fire worshippers and begged for some burning coal in order to prepare his fire, but they refused and said, "This is our god; we cannot give any fire out of it." The attendant returned and reported the matter to his master. Hazrat Khawaja Usman then himself went and found that an old man, whose name was Mukhtar, was sitting on a raised wooden platform with a 7-year-old boy in his lap, and many people were busy worshipping the fire around him.

 

Hazrat Usman questioned him, "What is the use of worshipping fire, which is but an insignificant creation of the Almighty God and which can be extinguished with a little water? Why didn't you worship that real and true God, the Creator of this fire and of all the universe, so that you may derive benefit and have eternal salivation?" The old man replied, "Fire in our religion is very sacred, and it is the source of our salvation. We worship it so that it will not burn us on the Day of Reckoning."

 

Hazrat Usman: Very well. Since you have been worshipping it for ages, now put your hand in it. If it is a source of your salvation, it should not burn you.

 

The Old Man: But burning is the nature of the fire; who can dare to put his hand in it and yet be safe from it?

 

Hazrat Usman: Fire is under the command of the Almighty God, the Creator of the whole universe; without His command, it cannot burn even a hair.

 

Having said this, Hazrat Usman took the boy from the arms of the old man, reciting, "Bismillah-Ar-Rehman-ir-Rahim-Yaa Naaro kuni bar da-wassalaam-un-ala-Ibrahim." (In the name of merciful and compassionate God, O fire, be thou cool and a means of safety for Abraham) (Quran), he suddenly disappeared in the burning fire.

 

The fire worshippers began to cry and wail. It was after some time that, by the grace of God, Hazrat Usman emerged out of the fire quite unscathed, with the boy in his arms, hale and hearty. The fire could do them no harm.

 

The old priest and his companions were surprisingly too happy to see the boy safe and sound and asked him, "What did you see in the fire?" The boy replied, "I was playing in a garden because of the blessings of this sheikh."

 

All the fire worshippers, after seeing this miracle, embraced Islam and became Hazrat Khawaja Usman's devoted disciples. Mukhtar's name was changed into Abdulla, and the boy's into Ibrahim, after Islamic fashion.

 

Hazrat Usman stayed in Ray for two and a half years and imparted the necessary Islamic teachings and lessons to the new converts. Instead of the fire temple, a magnificent mosque was built in Ray, which stands to this day.

 

Hazrat Sayedna Gharib Nawaz (R.A.): His Days with Murshid Punctuality of Namaz

 

According to Khawaja Muinuddin Chishti, "One day my Murshid Hazrat Usman said, "Tomorrow, when the day of judgement will come, all-prophets saints and Muslims will be interrogated by God Almighty about their responsibility to 'Namaz' (prayers). Those who have discharged this duty punctually will be spared, but those who have not, or who have been lethargic, will be hurled into Waile, which is a well in hell and where the punishment is dreadful."

 

Hazrat Sayedna Gharib Nawaz (R.A.): His Days With Murshid Crossing of Tigris

 

Recounting another journey with Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Khawaja Usman, Khawaja Muinuddin says, "We were on a journey; when we reached the bank of the river Tigris, it was horribly overflowing under a furious storm. I was disturbed about crossing it.

 

Hazrat Usman understood my apprehension and asked me to "close the eyes". I did so. When I opened my eyes after a little while, I found him and myself both on the other side of the river. I reverently inquired as to how it happened. The great Murshid said, "We repeated Al-hamd Sharif (Surah Fatiha from the Quran) five times and crossed the river.