| Excerpts From Kashf al Mahjub The Oldest Treatise on Persian Sufism |
| On Miracles and Superiority of Sainthood (pages 220-225) |
| Miracles and sainthood are Divine gifts, not things acquired by Man, so that human actions (kasb) cannot become the cause of Divine guidance. (p.225) A miracle is token of a saint’s veracity; it is an extraordinary act (fili naqid-i adat), performed while he is still subject to the obligations of religion. Miracles are vouchsafed only to pious believers. Miracles are permanent and are not lost, even in sin. (p.223) When the veils are lifted, the saints are bewildered to see the bounties of God. A miracle cannot be manifested except in the state of unveiledness (kashf), which is the rank of proximity (qurb); and whoever is in state, to him worthless stones even appear as gold. (p.226) |
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| The lives, experiences, and spiritual powers of all saints together appear as nothing compared with one act of a true prophet, because the saints are the seekers and pilgrims, whereas the prophets have arrived and have found and have returned with the command to preach and to convert people…. Therefore, one moment of the prophets is better than the whole life of saints. |
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| By the universal consent of the Sufi Shaykhs, the saints are at all times and in all circumstances subordinate to the prophets, whose missions they confirm. The prophets are superior to the saints, because the end of sainthood is only the beginning of prophecy. |
| Superiority of Prophets to the Saints |
| A saint is known only to a saint. |
| The ascension of prophets takes place outwardly and in the body, whereas that of saints takes place inwardly and in the spirit. (Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) has been carried in body to 7th heaven, Moses was honored God’s “Tajjali”, Jesus Christ, had been removed alive from this world and is living in the 4th heaven, similarly Zilkifal and Alijah.) There is great difference between one who is carried there in body and one who is carried there only in thought (fikrat), for thought involves duality. (pages 235-239) |
| Superiority of Prophets to the Angels |
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| Trans. R.A. Nicholson |
| Ali b. Uthman Al Hujwary |
| There are two types of miracles: Mu`jizat: which are inimitable and are propriety of prophets Karamat: A blessing conferred upon friends of Allah |
| Mu`jizat involve publicity and Karamat secrecy, because the objective of the former is to affect others, while the latter are peculiar to the person by whom they are performed. Karamat are not established unless they bear testimony to the truth of one who has performed Mu`jizat, i.e. prophets of God. The manifestation of miracles to the saints is a second miracle, for they ought to be kept secret, not intentionally divulged.
Ali Hujwary has explained, if a saint reveals his sainthood and claims to be a saint, the soundness of his spiritual state is not impaired thereby, but if he takes pains to obtain publicity he is led astray by self-conceit. (p. 220-221) |
| The superiority of the prophets is indicated by the fact that Allah hath commended the angels to worship Adam; for the state of one who is worshipped is higher than the state of the worshipper. God awards superiority to whom He pleases, over whom He pleases. Sainthood is a Divine mystery, which is revealed only through conduct (rawish). (Pages:239-241) |
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| The affirmation of miracles, or of anything that involves the sight of other than God, appears hypocrisy to the people of Truth (the Sufis). Abu Yazid said, “The hypocrisy of Gnostics is better than the sincerity of disciples,” i.e. that which is a “station” (maqam) to the novice is a veil to the adept. |
| “The novice desires to gain miracles, but the adept desires to gain the Giver of miracles.” (pages:291-292) |
| To Sainthood |
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