Saturday, 22nd Rabīʿ al-Ākhar
He (Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin RA) was chosen by Allah for the trusteeship of His beloved and was appointed by Him as the erudite and learned dāʿī for the pure progeny of Mohammed. His days, months and years were spent in this manner until he was transformed into pure gold by the sun of guidance. The rational proofs that were established for him were not established for anyone else and the radiance of evident testimonies that shone for him will never shine for anyone. No one will elucidate like he did, amongst the outstanding, venerated and trustworthy scholars. His singularity was apparent by virtue of the countless scattered virtues gathered in him and his blessings flowed forth leading the realms to flourish and prosper with its numerous bounties.
Whenever he recited the Quran, he would shine like a luminous star for the dwellers of the sky and angels would unceasingly praise his recitation in the morn and the eve, exclaiming: Glory be to Allah! Glory be to Allah! By Allah! How noble was he, a dāʿī whose bountifulness graced the seekers of knowledge with eternal blessings opening for them doors of benedictions in the form of imtihān (examinations). Why should the Majlis al-Zikra not be remembered, through which he favoured the faithful with its blessings and grace. He secured the prosperity of untold mumineen by accepting their wajebāt and beseeching Allah for their affluence with the words, ‘May Allah reward you with manifold barakat.’ He graced numerous homes of Mumineen and honoured several of their shops granting them the privilege of ziyāfat and majlis, bestowing them with good fortune in this world and the hereafter and safeguarding them from all evil and plight.
He initiated several good and beneficial traditions and graced many Mumineen by taking their oath of allegiance and solemnising their marriages. Many a time, he attained the privilege of conversing with the imam of his era spiritually, just as Prophet Mūsa was granted the distinction of speaking. He became heir to the countless glories of the solemn Dāʿī, Syedna Musa Kalimuddin whose ʿurs we commemorate on this auspicious day. We recite our salawāt and salaam upon them both. May Allah exalt both their heavenly abodes and may He continue to nourish us with their solace and intercessory comfort.
Our dāʿī (Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin) had indeed inherited the glories of all the auspicious duʿāt mutlaqīn before him. Surely, he was an embodiment of their pristine personages. Although he was a servant to the progeny of Mohammed, they had handed him the reins of their Dawat and its inhabitants. He guided them towards their immaculate mawālī – may Allah’s salawāt be upon them – and showered upon them a downpour of knowledge from the skies of their divine wisdom. He cultivated in their pure souls, plants of wisdom and sowed in them the seeds of haqīqa: the ultimate bounty. These souls were then prepared to ascend in the ranks of faith and were adorned with notions of purity and sincerity in the love of their Maula through obedience and humility. congregations, institutions, universities, schools and masjids prospered due to him and amenities and facilities became readily available. Eternal good became copious and divine blessings overflowed. Never had past times witnessed such a confluence, nor had such radiance brought about by the abundance of blessings been seen before. The Dawat of the Lord of the era became as apparent as the midday sun.
Indeed his demise is a tragedy that assails and wounds the heart with swords of grief and sorrow, leaves the eyes swollen from the pouring of tears, renders the body bedridden due to excessive remorse and regret, and the innards in tatters due to the intense torment and anguish:
‘Oh what grief! Indeed we have lost an expert physician,
devout, trustworthy and enshrouded in piety.
Indeed we have lost a forceful ocean!
Oh what sorrow! And a radiant moon.
Indeed we have lost a keen sword,
Oh what regret! And a valiant lion.
Indeed we have lost the one of pure, noble origins,
and solemn glories and dignified persona.
Indeed we have lost the most guided of paths,
prudent of opinions in all affairs.’
He was befitting of every magnificence, preeminence and honour, ruling the land of humanity and modesty in its entirety. He repeatedly sipped the waters of nobility and benevolence. May Allah exalt his heavenly stature and bestow upon him garbs and adornments of compassion. Countless verses and chapters from the Quran allude towards his exalted station and through them his lofty and resplendent virtues become apparent. The remembrance of the auspicious duʿāt goes hand in hand with his remembrance, revealing the meaning of the following verse, ‘By the angels who pull the souls gently’ (79:2). He accomplished what the imam of his era intended whether withholding or bestowing. He was Mansūr al-Yaman (the divinely aided in Yemen), the trustworthy and trusted dāʿī of Allah. Our sovereign and our beloved Maula, Abu al-Qaidjohar Mohammed Burhanuddin. May Allah prolong the life of his withholding and bestowing until the day of qiyāmah. And may He keep us mourning his absence, wailing upon his departure from us with Aah Aah! Exclaiming in remembrance of his radiant attributes, ‘Wah Wah!’ Especially while remembering his grief upon the oppressed grandson of Rasul Allah, the sovereign of all martyrs, Imam Husain, the one of lofty station. How eloquent are his words and how magnanimous his favors:
‘My grief for you will never cease,
my desire towards you will never end,
my Maula, my wishes are fulfilled by you,
your serf has come before you.
I will continue to weep upon you, my Maula Husain!
My tafādī (sacrifice) for you is eternal, my Maula Husain!
My Maula! My Maula Husain!
Aah! Upon the forsaken in the land of Karbala,
in pain and in affliction,
thirst upon the scorching desert,
for Allah he endures these tribulations.
I will continue to weep upon you, my Maula Husain!
My tafādī (sacrifice) for you is eternal, my Maula Husain!
My Maula! My Maula Husain!’
May Allah increase his sacredness and may He shower upon us his intercessory blessings and benedictions.