Wednesday, 19th Rabīʿ al-Ākhar
He (Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin RA) was the sacred, inhabited house built by the very hands of the Imam of his age. Oh how exalted was this house! A house which by virtue of its benevolence was eternal. A house whose qualities and traits were lofty, its glories pristine. Its actions and deeds were hand in hand with felicity and fortune, while its benedictions encompassed all tenets of faith. The perfection of its merits and favours was through its munificence and its stillness being anchored in perfection. A house which for all time remained a place for His true and eternal worship, with the commitment and dedication of the one whose worship, due to remaining engrossed in His glorification, became one of gratitude. He remained persistent in this worship through the remembrance of Allah and His beloved. Until he became so steadfast in it that no impediments nor difficulties would hinder him, nor would the criticism of critics cause him to turn away from it.
By Allah! How exalted was that radiant worship! One which yielded the pleasure of Allah and His beloved, may Allah’s salawāt be upon them. May Allah illuminate the noble countenance of the dāʿī who extolled Allah whether it be morn or eve. A dāʿī who unflinchingly called towards the remembrance of Allah and His beloved. The one who emulated Rasul Allah, his legatee and their progeny, the immaculate aʾimmat, in his namāz and recited salawāt upon them and offered prayers behind them, during this period of seclusion, as if he was in their presence. He strengthened the seven pillars of Islam and through adherence to them rased the standards of prosperity within the Dawat of haqq. He validated haqq through the establishment of its righteousness and eradicated falsehood by uprooting it.
His was a presence that was indeed exalted, a manifestation of effulgent radiance, a lofty threshold, a blossoming garden, an illuminated courtyard, a grand and sublime premise. It was the presence of our sovereign and our support. Our Maula and our guide. Our benefactor and our succor. The boundless forceful ocean, the doorway to the heavenly abode, the station of divine inspiration, the locus of divine radiance, the eternal spring of spiritual blessings, the source of sacred holy light, the isthmus of enlightened souls, the mine of godly grace, the confluence of exalted goodness, the repository of intricate secrets, the abode of imami entities, the knower of hidden allusions, the sea of esoteric truths, the guide of the people towards the blessed heavens: dāʿī of the imam in the world especially in the regions of Hind, Sind and Yemen, the trustworthy Maula of the Tayyibī Dawat and commander of the Fatimi empire, the sultan of the ʿAlawī kingdom, the pillar of the Murtaḍawī sultanate and the order of the upright and moderate faith.
The one who revealed astounding miracles and brought forth eternal good fortune and everlasting wonders and marvels. The bearer of saifīyyah, badrīyyah, burhānīyyah, husāmīyyah, najmīyyah, mohammadīyyah, zainīyyah, ʿizzīyyah, ʿalawīyyah and yūsufīyyah virtues, attributes and qualities. The personage of philosophical wisdom and angelic disposition as ordained by the stars. The one who attained exalted ranks; the vicegerent of the noble and eminent personalities and the one who established proofs upon all of mankind. He is the solemn Fatemi dāʿī, our sovereign and our beloved Maula Abu al-Qaidjohar Mohammed Burhanuddin. May Allah prolong the reign of his eternal sultanate till the Day of qiyāmah.
Indeed his demise is a heart wrenching tragedy; Oh how overwhelming it is! Oh how agonising and distressing! The news of his demise has brought upon Mumineen legions of despair. The convulsions of which have caused the skies to fall upon them while the mountains of grief and woe burden their chest. The earth in all its vastness has become constricted upon them and their skin has turned to gooseflesh. They remained in such a state until their hearts melted. At that instance we saw what was right, even though it was most difficult: to reclaim solace by pronouncing what the servants of Allah, the afflicted, the grief stricken, who submit to the will of Allah and humble themselves before Him pronounce: ‘Indeed to Allah we belong, and indeed unto Him we return.’(2:156). We leaned for support on the staff of patience and forbearance. A deed urged and encouraged by the Quranic injunction in the verse: ‘Verily, those who are patient will be given their reward without limit.’ (39:10). We took counsel from the hadith of our Nabī, may Allah’s salawāt be upon him: ‘Indeed patience is to be exercised at the very instant of affliction,’ We also heeded what was advised by his legatee, from whom, springs of wisdom and prudence flow forth: ‘That which one can evade should be evaded and that which one cannot, should be confronted with patience.’ And from his following verse:
‘Whenever you recall a misfortune that causes you distress, then remember what you have been afflicted with in Nabī Mohammed (and his progeny).’
Aah! Aah! Upon the absence of the Maula, due to whom we remained standing on the Mount ʿArafat of the knowledge of Mohammed, his noble progeny and their eminent duʿāt, attaining cherished portions of Allah’s mercy. We continue to remember, and will always do so, the sacrifices he performed as we would proclaim ‘Allaho Akbar.’ We have witnessed his worship and will always bear testimony to it, affirming his distinguished virtues. Surely, he was a resplendent star that had been illuminated by the sovereign of martyrs, Imam Husain, in the firmament of Dawat and from whom these celestial stars seek radiance. It is due to the tears he shed upon Imam Husain and his moving of others to tears, that these stars enter existence and are sustained. How vividly he has expressed this and how grand his bestowal as he states:
‘He (Imam Husain) descended from Zī al-Janah,
slowly, gently, a gleaming star of the sky,
upon his solemn station,
countless stars bear testimony.
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 sanctity and bless us with His intercession and the warmth of His comfort.