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33rd Qutb
His Holiness
Saadat Ali Shah Isfahani
The
light of the Saints, the pride and ornament of the pure and guide and
master of the united, the esteemed of God, Mr. Saadat Ali Shah. His
noble name was Hajj Mohammad Kazem known as Sheikh Zain-e-Din, born in
The
lineage of his first son Sheikh Mohammad Zain-e-din Isfahani, who was a
distinguished religious authority in the beginning of the Qajar period
and the lineage of his daughter who was the mother of His Holiness Haj
Hussain Hussainali Shah Guide and Master
of the Nematullahi Spiritual Order.
His
Holiness Saadat Ali Shah in the beginning of his youth was engaged in
commerce and as the grace of God was always in favor of His Holiness; he
was inclined towards those who were possessed of the knowledge of God
and attained the companionship of a group of learned authorities, till
at last had the honor of repentance and was initiated into dervishood
by His Holiness Mast Ali Shah
and most of the time benefited by being in the company of His Holiness
during journeys, till His Holiness Mast Ali Shah in the year 1253 AHL
passed away. He then in the presence of His Holiness Rahmat Ali
Shah Shirazi successor of His Holiness Mast Ali Shah, the qutb of that
time renewed his covenant and under the grace and traning of His
Holiness continued training to attain perfection. Till in the year 1271
AHL on behalf of His Holiness obtained permission to guide the
worshippers and instruct the remembrance of God and oral litanies to the
seekers and once again His Holiness Rahmat Ali Shah after one year
favored him with the permission to instruct the remembrance of God (in
the heart) and finally in the year 1276 issued a decree in his name to
be his successor and endowed him with the title Saadat Ali Shah and
handed over the affairs of the faithful
(Fuqara) to him.
His
Holiness Saadat Ali Shah in the view of pretentious people did not
posses knowledge and have extensive information in formal sciences, as
he had assigned all his efforts to gain internal perfection and with the
excessive yearning and state, did not go after formal studies.
After the death of His Holiness Rahmat Ali Shah, some kinfolks of His
Holiness considered themselves more worthy and perfect than His Holiness
Saadat Ali Shah to be the successor of His Holiness Rahmat Ali Shah and
supposed external merits a priority for themselves, arranged and
prepared a Decree with the writing of another in the name of Hajj Agha
Mohammad, paternal uncle of His Holiness Rahmat Ali Shah and diverted a
great number of fuqara from the truth towards themselves.
It
seems there was some talks of disagreement between the fuqara about this
situation and the traces of jealousy of some of the rivals of His
Holiness Rahmat Ali Shah during the last days of his life was apparent
and obvious, as the contents of this letter which His Holiness nearing
his death had written to His Holiness Saadat Ali Shah the transcript
copy of which is exactly depicted here, shows that this matter was
perceived by His Holiness, because in this letter it has explicitly
commanded the fuqara to follow and obey His Holiness Saadat Ali Shah and
reminded of the forged writings which was sent to Isfahan.
Letter of His Holiness Rahmat Ali Shah to His Holiness Saadat Ali Shah
as follows:
In
the name of God the beneficent merciful
It
has been heard that, some writings on behalf of this faqir have been
sent which is against Sufism and contrary to my views. Let it be known
concisely, I have not assigned you to bear the difficulties of the
affair on my own behalf, and if I were not appointed by the great divine
leaders and sheikhs, I would never have had troubled you. And if someone
has sent writings in the name of this faqir, it is against God and his
Messenger and the guiding Imams ( peace be upon them) you must attend
and put in order the affairs of the fuqara and on Friday nights seek for
help in the affairs of tariqat and make this faqir happy and cheerful
and if you are neglectful and indolent, it will result in sadness and
grievance of this faqir. Your intention, God willing, was good and will
always be good and if a writing from this fagir is sent, it is contrary
and not to this devotee’s consent and I have no information at all about
it. The fuqara of that region will be troubled as whatever is to the
approval and advise of the honorable brother Mr. Mohammad Kazem should
be obeyed and not to exceed the boundaries of his instructions as it
would be contrary to the consent of this fagir.
Written in the month of Jamadi-al-Aval 1277 AHL at Shiraz. Hope best
provision to be our end and be successful in gaining peace this world
and the hereafter.
However, since we are going to have a glance on only the biographies of
the Divine leaders of the Order, hence, to mention detailed events will
be refrained. Those who are interested can get more information from the
written works such as the preface of the collection of Poems of Safi Ali
Shah.
Anyhow, after the demise of His Holiness Rahmat Ali Shah as a result of
the development of this discord and the implication of doubts, those who
had the honor to renew the covenant with His Holiness Sadaat Ali Shah
were an insignificant number. On the other side, the accusers used to
speak spitefully and slanderously about his Holiness. The pretentious
jurisprudents also in the persecution and annoyance of His Holiness
would make every possible endeavor. Therefore, His Holiness, most of the
time was in an isolated state in his own home and had assigned Mondays
and Fridays to meet the dervishes.
The
period of guidance of His Holiness was for approximately 16 years,
during this period no Sheikh or authorized person was appointed. His
Holiness personally undertook the initiation of the seekers of truth and
it was because of this reason the number of fuqara during the guidance
of His Holiness were but a very few. Although the number was
insignificant, but each of them were a perfect manifestation of
eagerness, affection and love.
His Holiness in the year 1280 travelled to Khorasan and on this trip,
His Holiness Sultan Ali Shah Gonabadi had the honor to meet Mr. Saadat
Ali Shah and was attracted to him spiritually and after the return of
His Holiness Saadat Ali Shah to Isfahan.
His
Holiness Sultan Ali Shah in the year 1284 (AHL) with the intention to
visit the Holy Shrines started from Gonabad and after reaching Isfahan
went to meet his honorable Master with eagerness and for sometime under
the divine guidance of His Holiness was engaged in the purification and
refinement of the heart and reached the summit of perfection and
attained the decree for spiritual guidance and to be the successor of
His Holiness Saadat Ali Shah.
His
Holiness Saadat Ali Shah after a while due to the increase of
persecution of the enemy was compelled to leave his own country. From
Isfahan in the year 1289 he visited by way of Baku and Tiflis and
Istanbul to glorious Mecca and radiant Madina , thereafter by way of
Jabel to the Holy Shrines and from there returned to Iran and took up
residence in Teheran and due to ill health in the year 1293 his
honorable spirit left this world to join his Beloved and in the shrine
of Hazrat Abd-ul-Azim, in the courtyard of Imamzadeh Hamzeh, in the
cemetery reserved for the fuqara was buried. The poet Roshan Isfahani
has chanted the date of his death as “gather Ali, Rahmat and Saadat and
the year of his death will be known”.[1]
A
part of the sayings of His Holiness:
One
of the followers asked a question to His Holiness that what is the
difference between the high position we fuqara hold for Ali (AS) and the
Ali-Allahis.
His
Holiness said: the difference is that we say that Ali (AS) does not but
God exists, they say God does not, but Ali (AS) exists. Another seeker
asked His Holiness the meaning of this narration: The people of heaven
are engaged by the heaven’s blessings and the residents of hell are
engaged to me (God). His Holiness said, according to the narration, that
the world is the heaven of disbelievers and the prison of the faithful,
the meaning of people of the heaven in this narration is the
disbelievers who are engaged in this world’s favour; and meaning of the
people of hell are the
faithful who are engaged in the memory of God.
One
of the friends in jest read the following quatrain for His Holiness:
In
the early morning, tea and milk are pleasing,
Approaching noon, bread and cream are pleasing,
In
the evening time, Namseh (Russian) tea is pleasing,
In
the midnight the groan of a ladle is pleasing.
His
Holiness said No, and instantly chanted the following quatrain:
In
the early morning, manifestation of the Guide is pleasing,
Approaching noon, half filled stomach with bread is pleasing,
In
the evening time meeting the faithful is pleasing,
In
the midnight, the lamentation of supplication is pleasing.
Contemporaries of His Holiness from Jurisprudents and Theosophists
1)
Sheikh Morteza Ansari
2)
Hajj Mirza Hassan Shirazi
3)
Sheikh Hamdi Shams-ol-Olama
4)
Molla Agha Darbandi
5)
Hajj Molla Hadi Sabzewari
6)
Mirza Abolhassan Jelveh
Those attributed to mysticism:
1)
Hajj Agha Mohammad Monavar Ali Shah
2)
Mr. Mohammad Hassan Naqash Zargar Samet Ali
3)
Mr. Mirza Hadi Paqalehei
4)
Hajj Mirza Hassan Safi Ali Shah
5)
Hajj Gholam Reza Sheeshehgar
6)
Hajj Mohammad Karim Khan Kermani
From
Kings and rulers
Nasser-e-Din Shah Qajar and Hajj Mirza Hussain Khan Sepahsalar
From
Poets
1)
Mirza Ahmad Vaqar Shirazi
2)
Mr. Mohammad Hassan Farabi
3)
Reza Gholi Homay Shirazi
4)
Hajj Mehdi Hejab Shirazi
5)
Mr. Mohammad Taghi Sahab Shirazi
6)
Mirza Mohammad Ali Souroush Isfahani
[1]
In eastern Farsi / Arabic talking countries, to remember
important dates, usually specific numeric values are assigned to
alphabet characters and then by finding some words/ poems
relates the numeric values of them to that important date.
This expression which
has a numeric correspondent is called “date article”
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