Saturday, 24th Rabīʿ al-Awwal 1435H
He (Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin RA) was the locus of the Fatimi Imam’s divine emanation and radiance, and the repository of his knowledge and secrets. His virtues are beyond the enumeration of those who wish to list them; the essential truth of his being eludes all those who attempt to define it. His discreet acts of charity were numerous as were his open gestures of benevolence. His good was immeasurable, as was his grace. His bequests were numerous as were his philanthropic endowments. How many times has he dispelled the darkness of hardship and relieved those befallen by calamity. He spent his wealth assisting and uplifting Mumineen, elevating the word of truth and conviction, and strengthening the laws of guidance and faith.
Who is there that is like him? Whose efforts can even compare to his? By Allah, his glories are truly awe-inducing and his intent is pure. Every part of him is dignified and his essence is entirely noble. He polished his heart so that Allah might shine within him and Allah did. O how virtuous is his upbringing! How illustrious is his ancestry! How magnificent are his luminous glories! By Allah, he devotedly upheld the conditions and requisites of piety, never paying heed to the censure or ridicule of detractors in Allah’s cause.
The tragedy of his loss is great; the pain of his passing spreads far and wide. Hearts are shattered and left asunder and celestial bodies have eclipsed. The clouds of sorrow pour incessantly and the handhold of patience has fractured. Woe unto those tearful eyes sore, aching out of grief! O what a harrowing affliction and distressing calamity! How is one to find solace in this grief; it is so severe that if it were to befall mountains it would destroy them by the intensity of its shock and the force of its blow.
Where is the one who was a radiant star? Where is the one who was a bountiful cloud of rain? Where is the one who was an eminent proof? Where is the one who was a triumphant sultan? Where is the one who was immaculate and virtuous? He is the resplendent sun amongst the Duʿat Mutlaqeen, the close companion of Amirul Mumineen, Mansur al-Yaman, Allah’s honest and trustworthy dāʿī, the delight of the eye of the Imam of the Pious: our beloved Maula, Syedna Abu al-Qaidjohar Mohammed Burhanuddin, son of al-Dai al-Ajal Syedna Abu Mohammed Taher Saifuddin. May Allah lengthen the life of his infinite graciousness and merciful gaze until the Day of Qiyamat. He chose the auspicious and fortunate day of Friday to ascend towards the divine firmament of the imamate. And he chose the day of Saturday, the day of respite and relief, to reunite his radiant form in Raudat Tahera with that of his father, al-Dai al-Ajal al-Muqaddas Syedna Taher Saifuddin. The scene that unfolded when we carried Syedna Burhanuddin’s janāza mubāraka through the passionate throngs of Mumineen who had gathered from across the world to participate in the final funerary rites, was so moving that even the following verses fail to capture its true impact and effect:
Before having witnessed your funerary procession, I had never expected to see a mountain move upon the shoulders of men.
They carried the bier, and each mourner was shocked [in grief], thunderstruck like the Nabi Musa on the day when the Tur Mountaincollapsed and crumbled into dust.
Cries of mourning could be heard everywhere as Mumineen — old and young alike — thronged [around the janāza mubāraka] overfilling the streets. There were those who when addressing Maulana Mohammed Burhanuddin cried out, ‘Moula! Moula!’ Others sought blessingsfrom the blessed janāza, which was indeed an honour reserved for and befitting angels. Aah! Aah! Aah! How I mourn the passing of the one in whose radiant countenance we beheld the Khamsat At-har and in which we witnessed remnants of the tears shed by Mohammed, Ali, Fatima and Hasan upon Imam Husain, tears which blessed Mumineen with eternal, spiritual life. May Allah increase his sanctity in heaven and may He bless us with His intercession and warmth.