Patron in Cheif

“…and let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful.”
(al-Qur’ān Aal-e-Imran 3:104)

Islam is a religion of humanity. It should therefore be propagated in each and every corner of the world. Islam is not only a religion; rather, it is a way of life which tells you how to go about your daily affairs. It is the religion that was taught by every Prophet of Allāh the Almighty (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon them all). The Holy Qur’ān is the last book and the Holy Prophet Sayyiduna Muhammad (PBUH) is the final Messenger of Allāh. The Prophethood came to an end after the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the sacred message of Islam was spread and continues to be spread by all his devoted followers.

Muslims have always had a great attachment to missionary activities from the beginning of Islam – wherever they went and in whatever capacity they went, they were the prime missionaries of Islam. When they went to Persia, Africa, Europe and India in a wave of conquests they were first missionaries, and then soldiers. In the later years when the Muslim world split into various independent units (due to conspiracies of anti-Islamic elements), the rulers of these units were not as sincerely attached to Islam as they were to their own ego for power and worldly gain. Only due to devout missionaries, the spiritual conquest of Islam continued uninterrupted. History bears witness to the uncountable servants and spiritual luminaries who continued to carry the sacred message of Islam throughout the world. We, therefore, see that many countries in the world such as Indonesia, Malaysia and many parts of Africa were under the banner of Islam not by conquest but by the constant efforts of the devotees of Islam. Amongst these saints and servants of Islam, were the likes of Shaikh Abdul Qadir-Al-Jillani, Mujjadid Alf-Sani Hazrat Shaikh Ahmed Farooqi Sarhandi, Shaikh Data Ali-Hujweri, Shaikh Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai and many other Sufi saints, mystical teachers and philosophers who have made historical contributions to the cause of Islam. One of such great personalities in our age is Shaikh Muhammad Tahir Naqshbandi (very well known to his spiritual disciples by the name of Mehboob Sajjan Sain).

His Birth

The Indus valley of Sindh has produced many prominent Shaikhs and mystical teachers, one of them being Sajjan Sain. He belongs to the very famous clan named ‘Abbasi Quraishi’. This family is famous for its religious activities and many Shaikhs were born to this family. His Eminence was born on 21 March 1963, in the house of Al-Hajj Allāh Bakhsh (Sohna Sain) at Rehmat Pur Sharif in Sindh. His forefathers lived in the North of Sindh in Khanwan, which is near Kandiyaro City.

His Education

Before I go on to explaining his educational achievements, it is important to understand education in the Muslim family. In European and Non-Muslim countries, children are trained in modern education systems and that is as far as the road reaches. However, in the Muslim family, more stress is given to the religious education – as Muslims believe that their lives should be spent for the cause of our Lord Allāh the Almighty. Therefore, Sajjan Sain, when he was of the age of seven years, completed his basic recitation of the Holy Qur’ān. The recitation of the Holy Qur’ān is the basic and beginning of education in any Muslim family. Although for some Muslims, their Islamic education begins and ends with the recitation of the Qur’ān, fortunately, Sajjan Sain had a very learned, pious and spiritual father who was keen to train his beloved son in all Islamic sciences. Therefore, Sajjan Sain was sent to Madrasa Ruknul Islam, Hyderabad in 1969-70, where he learned the sciences of the recitation of the Holy Qur’ān: Tajweed and Qirat (phonetic techniques and pronunciation of the letters of the Holy Qur’ān).

There were many scholars and teachers who could teach him, but his father urged to send him to the most expert teacher in the above mentioned science of the Holy Qur’ān: Ustaadh-Ul-Qurra Maulana Al-Hajj Tufail Naqshbandi from Hyderabad. He is the teacher who His Eminence Sajjan Sain was sent to.

After acquiring basic training in the recitation and pronunciation of the Holy Qur’ān, he started learning many languages, which include Persian and Arabic. Alongside this, he learnt many theological sciences which include:

• Sarf and Nahu (Arabic Grammar)
• Tarjuma and Tafseer (Translation and exegesis of the Holy Qur’ān)
• Hadith (Talks and practical demonstrations of the Holy Prophet PBUH)
• Fiqh (Islamic Law and Jurisprudence)
• Ilmul-Kalaam (Fundamentals of Belief System and their philosophy)
• Mantiq (Logic)
• Falsafa (Philosophy)
• Balagha (Eloquence)
• Munazira (Science of Debate)
• Adabul-Arabi (Arabic Literature)
• Tareekh (History)

In addition to all the above theological sciences; he proceeded to acquire deeper knowledge of Tafseer, Hadith and Fiqh which are called respectively Usool–e–Tafseer, Usool–e–Hadith and Usool–e–Fiqh. Here, the principles and philosophies of these sciences are taught in more detail so that the student can provide an explicit explanation and interpretation. He was taught and trained in the above mentioned Islamic theological sciences at Jamiah Arabia Ghaffaria, Allāhabaad Shareef, Kandiyaro, Sindh.

His father himself was a famous Sufi teacher of the Indus Valley who had thousands of books in his private library, and would speak about opinions, ideas and philosophies of different thinkers, and compare teachings of many great scholars. This scholarly atmosphere motivated the young Sajjan Sain to move far away from his parents and to search for a theologian who could be taken as an authority in the field of theological sciences. He therefore was introduced to a great Shaikh and scholar of his time: Shaikh-Ul-Hadith Muntakhibul Haq Qadri, who received this spiritual son of a spiritual leader with great love and affection.

Sajjan Sain struggled day and night and did not leave any stone unturned to gain knowledge from his great teacher. The generosity of his teacher had benefited him a lot in the field of knowledge. He had acquired sound knowledge and was thus permitted by his great teacher to convey and spread this knowledge to humanity. He completed his Dars-e-Nizami (the higher degree in theological sciences in Indo-Pak) in 1982 AD/1402 A.H. A traditional feast was arranged at Kandiyaro for thousands of people when he completed his theological knowledge.

To guide humanity in the modern world, it is necessary for every leader, may he be a spiritual teacher or a political leader, to have knowledge of modern sciences and discoveries. Therefore, Sajjan Sain studied tirelessly, reading current magazines on modern discoveries, having discussions with professors and doctors until His Eminence reached a level of significant understanding of the respective fields.

Spiritual Discipline and Training

The atmosphere in which Sajjan Sain was brought up, was completely encompassed with spirituality and learning. Both his mother and father were very pious. His mother had given an oath to train her child with great care and respect. Whilst his father – who was a great scholar, a poet of high class, a sufi teacher and a mystical philosopher – gave his son spiritual and mystical training from an early age. He was kept very close to his father for spiritual training. On completion of his theological education in 1982, he turned his attention more towards his spiritual and mystical enrichment. His Eminence started spending his time in Dhikrullah (remembrance of Allāh), Suhbat–e-Shaikh (the company of a spiritual teacher) and studying the classical literature of great Sufi teachers of the past and present. He then started discussions with students of theological classes and disciples of his Shaikh on the science of Spirituality (Tassawuf). In the presence of his Shaikh, he would deliver lectures on Tassawuf. Shaikh Tahir was blessed with Khilafat (Deputyship of the Shaikh) three times – in 1980, 1982 and 1983, and therefore was whole-heartedly allowed by the great Shaikh Allāh Bakhsh Sohna Sain, to carry out his mission in the world. After the completion of his classical training of Tassawuf, the great Shaikh Sohna Sain handed over the mission to His Eminence, Sajjan Sain. This led to the Shaikh delivering lectures on various topics and leading the organization even when his Spiritual Teacher was alive.

The demise of the great Shaikh

His eminence al-Hajj Allāh Bakhsh Sohna Sain, the father and spiritual teacher of Sajjan Sain, travelled to the heavenly home on 12th December 1983 AD/1404 A.H. The task of preaching Islam and training the people in the field of Tassawuf was taken on by Sajjan Sain. Great scholars, devotees and other associated Sufi students democratically accepted Sajjan Sain as their spiritual teacher and guide.

An eloquent speaker

It is generally believed that eloquent speakers are born, not made. However, this is not necessary; human efforts with constant struggle and pains in this field can make a speaker great. Sajjan Sain was a very punctual and regular member of the student forum where he used to take part in debates and used to deliver various competent speeches.

Moreover, since 1980, he has been delivering lectures to crowds of hundreds of thousands of people – especially at the annual gathering which is attended by over 250,000 people (and is increasing in attendance).

His mission

After the completion of his formal education, Sajjan Sain joined Madrasa Ghaffaria to teach the higher classes’ students. Students were greatly influenced by his good conduct, character, sincerity, devotion and informative lectures on the concerning subjects.

He devoted himself completely to the sacred cause of Islam since the demise of his beloved Shaikh. From then onwards, every minute has been spent productively, and all his energy and body has been exhausted for the sacred mission of guiding people towards Islam, and to attain Tazkiya-e-Nafs (purification of the soul).

His Personality Traits

Sajjan Sain is an embodiment of the Muhammadan (PBUH) character, both inwardly and outwardly.

CHARMING PERSONALITY

As soon as a person sets his first glance on his shining face, he would remember Allāh. This is the most important sign of a pious man/beloved of Allāh and a true Sufi. His charming personality attracts people; it is as though a magnet is pulling you towards him.

SINCERITY AND DEVOTION

Another aspect of his personality is his sincerity and devotion. The diverse people who have different social statuses and belong to a different caliber are not different in the eyes of the Shaikh – they are all equal. He pays equal attention to all.

HUMILITY

Humility is another personality trait of the Shaikh. He is always humble. There are hundreds of spiritual ‘Karamats’ (miracles) of the Shaikh, which you will read later within this book, but he always says that it is not due to his piety, rather due to the grace and blessings of Allah.

RESPECT AND REVERENCE OF ALL

Sajjan Sain personality is also widely accepted because of his good character; although he is the head and Murshid (Spiritual Teacher) of thousands of people, he respects all. People mostly stand in his way and thus it becomes difficult for him to walk but he never rebukes nor shouts at anyone. People ask him to pray to Allāh for them – he prays individually for everyone that comes to him and never expresses a word of intolerance towards them.

A MAN OF WORDS

This is also another attraction of his personality, that the Shaikh remains faithful to his word. He is a practical man; therefore, he fulfils his promises in all circumstances.

RELIANCE IN ALLAH

It can easily be noticed by every person who come into contact with the Sheikh that he had never reliance in any person except in Allah. This quality has given him a courage and boldness to speak to the people of all social – classes about their moral disorders and weaknesses.

TRUST IN ALL

It can easily be noticed by every person who comes into contact with the Shaikh, that he has never sought reliance in anyone apart from Allāh. This quality has given him the courage and boldness to speak to every person regardless of their social status, religion, moral stances and weaknesses.

CHEERFULNESS

Cheerfulness is another quality of the Shaikh. He is never seen in an upset state, or a state of tension. He meets the rich, the poor, laborers and farmers with open arms, and always welcomes them in a respectful and cheerful way. This is the reason why people of all classes and walks of life are deeply in awe of him.

ADHERENCE TO ISLAMIC SHARI’AH

The first and foremost thing that a Murīd (disciple/student of a Shaikh) must notice in the spiritual teacher is his adherence to Shari’ah (Islamic law). Sajjan Sain, with the grace of Allāh, pays great heed to the Islamic ways and manner of life. All of his activities revolve around the commands of Allāh. He strictly follows the commandments of Allāh and ardently follows the blessed Sunnah of Rasool’Allāh (PBUH). In this regard, he has perfected himself so much that even if his enemies tried to point out a flaw in his personality, they would surely struggle to do so

Tareeqae Aaliya Naqshbandiya Mujadadiya

All schools of thought are respectable. Qadriya, Chistiya, Soharwardiya and other schools of thoughts are all worth respect. But the Tareeqa Naqsbandia has more excellence over other schools of thought for the following reasons:

It begins with Zikr-e-Qalbi (Remembrance of Allah in one’s heart) which is ecstasy (emotion) or trance with the Rab (Allah) whereas Zikr Zubani (Remembrance of Allah loudly) contains Suluk. Ecstasy and Suluk are two different things. In Suluk, a person tries to reach Allah through zikr and asceticism whereas Allah pulls a person towards Himself when the ecstasy is caused through Zikr-e-Qalbi.

Mollana Abdul Rehman Rehmat ullah Alehe said that those who are among the caravan of Naqsbandia that very quietly that caravan reaches the court of Allah.

The second excellence of the Silsila Naqsbandia is that it gives most importance to the love and followership of Rasool Allah (peace be upon him). The path to success here lies in the fact that one deeply follows the Quran and the Sunnah and only this path can lead to the great love for Allah.

According to the Silsila Naqasbandia, the shortest path to Allah is to reach Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) through the love of Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddiq (Razi Allah Anha) who is the best after all Prophets. It is but natural that the stronger the channel, the shorter and easy the path would be.

Where other schools of thoughts end, Naqsbandi Silsila begins from there. That’s why this way is the shortest to reach Allah.

Sufi Methodology

The Shaikh focuses on Qalbi Zikr (a method of remembering Allah by heart), which makes the base of his tariqah. He advises his murids or spiritual students to practice Muraqba daily, which is a kind of meditation for the Qalbi Zikr. The collective Zikr or Muraqaba is held daily after the Fajr prayer in all the centres of the organization. The Shaikh himself leads the Muraqaba at Dargah Allahabad sharif daily where he himself resides. This collective Muraqaba is different from other branches of the Naqshbandi tariqah. While the murids will go into meditation by closing their eyes and sitting in a recommended position, the shaikh (or the one who leads the Muraqba) will recite some verses of the Holy Quran and sing from the Sufi poetry, while making a sound from a Tasbih with large prayer beads. The sound is produced by striking the large stones of the Tasbih with each other while the Tasbih progresses, and is not rhythmic but continuous. This method was first practiced by Shaikh Ahmed Saeed Faruqi, the eighth Shaikh in the lineage of Sajjan Sain. Many other Sufi Shaikhs have also been reported to have practiced this method, including Shaikhs from other tariqahs such as Qadri.

The purpose of this sound from the Tasbih, as described by the Shaikh, is that a person can tune his meditation of pronouncing Allah, Allah, Allah with the sound of the Tasbih, thus making it easier to practice the Zikr. Other Sufi orders have also practiced some form of external sound to help meditate and proclaim the words of Zikr. Most of the Sufi music falls into this very purpose, though later modified at large extent. But this sound of Tasbih does not produce any rhythm, since music is considered unlawful in Islamic Sharia hence making it illegal in the Mujaddidi Sufi order which is based on adhering to the rules of Sharia.

What is Zikre Qalbi

Zikr or Dhikr means pronouncement or remembrance of Allah, Qalbi (Qalb means heart) is in one’s heart. Qalbi Zikr is remembrance of Allah in one’s heart.

Zikr can be categorized as two types:

• Verbal Zikr
• Silent Zikr

VERBAL ZIKAR:

Verbal Zikr is also known as Zikr-e-Lisani. Lisan meaning tongue, hence, a Zikr performed loudly is categorized under Zikr-e-Lisani. Examples of verbal zikr are the Azaan (call for prayers), Takbir (call for prayer just before the beginning of the collective prayer -namaz ba jamaat), Salaat (namas or prayer), Dua (praying) etc.

SILENT ZIKAR:

The Silent Zikr, or Qalbi Zikr also known as Zikr-e-Khafi and Daimi Zikr is performed quietly, in one’s heart, so no one hears it except Allah. This form of Zikr has been practiced and taught by the Auliya Allah (the friends of Allah) designated as Sufi or Saint. The Qalbi Zikr is taking the highest name “Allah Allah Allah Allah” in your heart.

How to do it?

The heart in a human body is on the left side, and to think at all times whether one is sitting, lying or standing that with each heartbeat my heart is doing ALLAH ALLAH ALLAH. As this is remembrance of Allah in the heart one does not need to perform ablution but it is better if he/she does. It is also very important to meditate at least once in a day.

Religious Contribution

Books and publications

He has been writing on different topics of Islam such as Sufism, Zikr (Remembrance of Allah), Islamic law etc. All of his publications are in Urdu language. Some of them are listed below.

Books written about him

A number of books have been published on his personality, his message and his teachings. Following are a few of them

List of Khanqah (Spiritual Centers)

There are quite a large number of spiritual centers across Pakistan which are being administered by his caliphs (khulafas)under his spiritual supervision. Following are the main centers:

• Dargah Allahabad Shareef, Kandiaro, Naushahro Feroze District, Pakistan
• Dargah Faqeer Pur Shareef near Radhan City, District Dadu, Pakistan
• Dargah Tahirabad Shareef, Chambar road, District Tando Allahyar, Pakistan
• Markaz Islah-ul-Muslimeen, Zakariya Goth, Near Toll Plaza, Karachi, Pakistan
• Markaz Rooh-ul-Islam, Baidyan Road, Bhatta Chowk, LahoreCantt, Pakistan
• Dargahe Tahiri – Markaz Roohul Islam, Street 20, Nasira Abad, Near Kohe Noor Mill, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
• Al Markaz Roohani Muhajir Camp, Baldia Town, Karachi

Organization of a Missionary and Spiritual Movement

His Eminence Sajjan Sain studying the psychology of the people has come to know that people always have different inclinations due to their different interests. Therefore, they should be given tasks according to their interests. For this purpose, he divided his disciples into various groups and organizations. So that it would be easy to work more in the better way and every person should use his abilities of head and heart in the interested field of work. The following organizations are established by the sheikh for the promotion of missionary and spiritual training.

JAMAT ISLAHUL MUSLEMEEN

All those who have completed their formal education and are now working in the schools, colleges, religious organizations, firms, factories and other institutions are Jamat members. The members of this Jamaat work day and night to bring the people on the right path.

ROOHANI TALABA JAMAT:

Students of Madarases, Schools, Colleges, Universities and other educational institutions are made the members of these organizations, so that the students can discuss their own educational problems in their own particular forum.

JAMAIYAT ULAMAE TAHIRIYA:

Ulamas (religious teachers/scholars) of various religious institutions are organized under the banner of Jamaiyat Ulama-e-Tahiriah to discuss and solve the religious problems of the masses. They are also responsible for guiding the people to Islamic life.

JAMAIYAT ASATIZAH ROOHANIYAH:

Teachers, Lecturers, Professors and educationists are provided with this unique platform to guide the students of respective institutions and thus solve their problems.

ANJUMAN NONIHAL-E-TAHIRIA:

The organization structure is for children who attend primary, middle school, and madrassah with the foremost aim to give them a proper environment from childhood.

WOMEN LEAGUES

Sajjan Saen (M.A) pays attention to the moral and spiritual development of both man and woman. He, therefore, has organized women leagues for women to discuss and explain the performance of religious activities, like SALAT (observation of prayer), WUDOO (Ablution), GHUSUL (bathing according to Islamic manners) etc.

Mission and Message

His Mission

Sajjan Sain, after completion of his formal education, joined Madrasa Ghaffaria to teach the students of higher classes. Students were greatly influenced by his good conduct, character, sincerity, devotion and informative lectures, on the concerning subject.
He devoted himself completely to the sacred cause of Islam after the death of his Sheikh. Since then on ward his every minute is being spent and his energy of head and heart is exhausted for the sacred mission of guiding people towards Islam and to attain Tazkiyah (purification of baser self).

His Message

His message is the same what has been of Sufi Saints. He focuses on the remembrance Allah in one’s heart, love of Muhammad and all creations of Allah. In his speeches he always emphasizes on how to purify inner soul so that love of God can be achieved. He believes in interfaith harmony and people from different sects and religions join his gatherings.

In Pakistan, he has large number of followers. The annual Urs of his shaykh which is celebrated every year in November, is attended by more than two lac people (2016 estimate), and is one of the biggest religious gatherings in Pakistan. Outside Pakistan he has a large number of followers in UAE and considerable numbers in countries such as UK, Australia and South Africa. Some of his murids live in the US, Canada, parts of Europe, Saudi Arabia, China, Sri Lanka and some other countries, where they are actively engaged to spread his message of inter-faith harmony and love of God with Qalbi Dhikr.

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