The King of Hindustan—Hazrat Khawaja Gharib Nawaz

By Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam 20 January 2024 Islamic saint Khawaja Gharib Nawaz was a Sultan al-Hind, the King of India. He established his kingdom governed by Sufism, Spirituality, and Islamic sainthood, rather than resorting to force, army and power. Khawaja Gharib Nawaz comes to mind the moment we hear the phrase "Hind Ke Raja, or Sultan al-Hind" which means "King of Hindustan or India". Typically, a king possesses an army of soldiers. However, if Khawaja Gharib Nawaz lacked an army, soldiers, or military might, how could he have been a king? The reason he is referred to be the King of India is because he ruled over the hearts of the Indians. Khawaja Gharib Nawaz lit the lamp of God's love and remembrance, illuminating the dark and broken hearts of India. File Photo: Dargah Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz ------ Khawaja Gharib Nawaz adopted the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah as a way of life. His works and letters make clear how deeply spiritual his interpretation of the sacred scriptures was. He was honest, moral, kind, and spiritual in all he did, and he spent his entire life behaving as a friend of Allah [Wali]. His extraordinary achievements, morals, virtues, and miracles served as an inspiration to many powerful and well-known individuals during his time. He became such a great Wali [friend] of Allah that he possessed miracles and is still renowned for them because he discovered such an ample portion of the blessings and bounties of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. He became so committed to serving Allah Almighty that he was able to live a life free from the shackles of the Self [Nafs]. He kindled the divine love candle in his blessed heart with such intensity that centuries later, people still find solace in its light for their shattered and tormented hearts. There is a pro-freedom chant going on, "Hum Leke Rahenge Azaadi." While some employ these catchphrases for political purposes, others do so to achieve peace and freedom under different circumstances. In actuality, real freedom can only come from submitting to divine will and giving up all ambitions and desires of the Self. To understand this spiritual idea, one must read Futhul Ghaib by the Master and King of Sufis, Huzoor Ghaus-e-Paak, with sincere mystical observations and meditations. Some people think that after they reach their objectives, they will be content, but in reality, the Nafs forbid them from ever being content. Rather, the Nafs feed their avarice in a variety of ways and make people fret about success—whether it has to do with money, power, fame or popularity. People don't realise that their captivity to Self [Nafs] prevents them from finding perfect peace and contentment. Islamic mysticism implies that the attainment of contentment and freedom from captivity to the Nafs depend on an individual's total surrender to obedience to, and the will of Allah. The noble servant, the Wali of Allah is the only one who is genuinely unbound from the chains of the Nafs and ego. Khawaja Gharib Nawaz became highly regarded as an Islamic saint, a great Wali of Allah. His steadfast goals were to approach the All-Powerful God in humility and ask for His guidance regarding piety, good acts, the divine will, and divine pleasure. These were the reasons behind his victory over the hearts of the Indians. He acquired this kingdom in Sufism, Spirituality, and Wilaayat [Islamic sainthood]. It was not a kingdom that could be conquered by bloody battles, bows and arrows, swords, spears, and armies, but rather one that won and ruled over people's hearts. Hasan is the name of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz. In 537 A.H., he was born in the Sanjar region of Sajistan or Sistan, which is now a region of Iran. He is Hasani and Hussaini Syed from his parents, which makes him Najib al-Tarfain. Moinuddin, Khawaja Gharib Nawaz, and Sultan Al-Hind are some of his well-known nicknames. His title ‘Gharib Nawaz’ came from his strong pro-poor stance. He did not get this title from any monarch; rather, the Almighty Allah had predetermined that Hazrat Gharib Nawaz would benefit the underprivileged, which is why he carried out this mission throughout his life and earned the reputation of Gharib Nawaz, the benefactor of the poor. We offer the above words in remembrance of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz, the Sultan of India, on the occasion of the yearly Urs of 2024. We also pray that Allah may grant us all His grace and kindness via the Waseela of His beloved Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and through the Waseela of His beloved Friend [Wali], Hazrat Gharib Nawaz (may Allah be pleased with him). ----- A regular Columnist with NewAgeIslam.com, Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Dehlvi is an Alim and Fazil (Classical Islamic scholar), with a Sufi-Sunni background and English-Arabic-Urdu Translator. He has also done B. A (Hons.) in Arabic, M.A. in Arabic and M.A. in English from JMI, New Delhi. He is interested in Islamic Sciences; Theology, Jurisprudence, Tafsir, Hadith and Islamic mysticism (Tasawwuf). 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