Muhammad al-Baqi Billah
May Allah Sanctify His Soul"O Sayyid! Agnostic of high degree used to say,
'Being a dervish is to correct the imagination.'
In other words, nothing other than the Real
should remain in the heart. In truth, he spoke well.
O Sayyid! Since the veil is nothing but imagination,
the veil must be lifted through imagination.
Night and day you must dwell in imagining Oneness."Shaykh Baqi's son, Khwaja Khurd.
He was the Knower, Annihilated in God (fana billah) and Existing in His Existence (baqa billah), who was lifted to the highest station of Vision. He was a Secret of Allah's Secrets and a Miracle of Allah's Miracles. He combined in his person the two types of knowledge: the Outer Knowledge and the Heavenly Knowledge. God gave him from the two Oceans, and conferred on him Authority in the two worlds of men and Jinn.
Imam Rabbani Ahmad al-Faruqi (q) said, "Muhammad al-Baqi was the One Sitting on the Throne of all Shaikhs, and he was the Deputy of all Masters of the Naqshbandi Golden Chain, who reached the end of the Infinite, who achieved the highest states of wilayat (Friendship of God). He was the qutb(Spiritual Pole) who supported every creature on this earth. He unveiled the secrets of Reality. He was the Verifier of the Station of the Reality of Muhammad . He was the Pillar of the People of Guidance. He was the Essence of the Knowers and the Guide of the Verifiers (muhaqqiqin)."
He was born in 972 H. in the city of Kabul in the land of `Ajam which was a colony of the Sultanate of India. His father was the judge Abdu-s-Salam. He went to India in the first instance on personal business. There he was attracted to an attraction from God's attraction. He left this worldly life behind and sought spiritual knowledge from the Master of the century. He kept company with masters and saints, until he himself became an ocean of intellect and a saint of spirituality. He traveled continuously until he reached the city of Samarqand. There he connected himself to the Master of his time,Muhammad Khwaja al-Amkanaki (q). He received from him the Way of the Naqshbandi Order. In a very short time he received what most seekers require a lifetime to receive. He was elevated also through the spiritual care of Ubaidullah al-Ahrar (q). His honor became known everywhere. His shaikh, Muhammad Khwaja al-Amkanaki, authorized him to take followers and to train them in the conduct of the Order. He ordered him to go back to India. He predicted, "You are going to have a follower who will be like the sun." This would be Imam Rabbani Ahmad al-Faruqi (q).
He moved back to India and stayed in the city of Delhi-Jahanabad, which he filled with faith and knowledge and secrets and lights. Through him the Naqshbandi Order was spread with great swiftness throughout the Indian Subcontinent and millions of people were connected to him through his deputies. All nations in the Subcontinent were attracted to his knowledge and his Heavenly Power and to the Prophetic Characteristics dressing him. It became known throughout the Indian Subcontinent that anyone coming to him and looking in his eyes, or sitting in his association doing dhikr, would enter a state of Self-Effacement, through which he could reach a state of Annihilation, in a single meeting. By this miraculous power he attracted millions of people, until this Naqshbandi Order was on the tongue of every person in his time.
He died on Wednesday, the 14th of Jumada al-Akhira, 1014 H., in the city of Delhi at the age of 40 years and four months. His grave is on the West side of the city of Delhi.
He passed the Secret to his successor, the Shaykh of this Chain, the Reviver of the Second Millennium, al-Imam ar-Rabbani Mujaddid alf-ath-Thani, Shaykh Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi (q).
“Fana “and baqa are both steps in the mystical occurence. “fana billah” is understood as merging with the Divine Essence or unification with God.or the “existence of the self in God”.
This is the first stage in the mystical experience and only a stepping stone toward the final goal of attaining “baqa billah” or “eternal life in union with God” . When fana is experienced by the mystic, he forgets his self but when he reaches the phase of experiencing “baqa” he recovers some of his individuality and therefore, the distinction between him and the Divine again becomes obvious to him. “Fana” is the first stage in the mystical journey and also the entities experience in the quest for union with the Divine. Some mystics remain trapped in the first unitise stage. for those who cannot proceed to the next stage are prevented from Accepting separation from the Divine. Nevertheless the second stage is also dangerous at times and the most painful experience. Yet there is much joy in the experience, pain is a part of the joy here. The pain on the universe is worth such a experience. One has to be blessed to be chosen for such a journey as life here is short and the life beyond the universe is much beautiful. For such a occurence one can sacrifice oneself and die a billion death.
However Perfect Master is at Baqa-Billah or the highest point of Divine realization, and is one with God. He is on all levels of consciousness in unison. He transcends the Cycle of repeated lives. After losing His individuality and merging with the Oneness of the Infinite Divinity, He again attains duality consciousness, and works for the evolution of humanity and for those who surrender to Him. The spiritual journey is divided into seven stages of inner evolution also called the planes of consciousness. The lower planes are full of miracles while the seventh or the Highest plane is of God Realization, where one becomes one with God. Such realized Souls are of immense spiritual benefit. From among the God-realized, some souls become Perfect Masters and return to help other souls reach God realization. However, to reach the highest seat of consciousness the mystic encounter's annihilation at every stage. One perishes in a million ruins in the journey. It's comfortable for another to pinpoint fingers and denounce the journey of another.. the pain of such mystics can never be understood by any unrefined. To reach the highest stage one dies and passes away over there is no more existence on the sphere. It's heartbreak and pain. Death and vacant ness, void to fullness, again full of empty, and it elapses. This is the true life of a Sufi mystic. My Conclusion:WHAT Purpose IS THE Existence ON EARTH, WHICH Esteems NONE. WHAT LOVE DEMANDS HERE is CONDITION AND WHAT LOVE Exists THAT What JUDGES YOU AS Second. Wherefore Perish FOR THE Compassion OF Almighty, WHO Embraces YOU Amid ALL YOUR FLAWS