A BIOGRAPHY of IMÂM-I- AHMAD RABBÂNÎ ‘quddisa sirruh’ (V)

The time of Imâm-i-Ahmad Rabbânî ‘quddisa sirruh’ can be described as follows: During the earlier dispensations, whenever an Ummat degenerated and the earth was covered with zulmat, a new great Prophet called Ulul’azm would come and a new religion would be revealed to him. The most useful Ummat is the Ummat of Muhammad ‘alaihis-salâm’. And the Prophet of this Ummat is the finality of all Prophets ‘alaihim-us-salawâtu wa-t-taslîmât’. Scholars among this Ummat are like the Prophets of Benî Isrâ’îl (Children of Israel). This fact is stated in a hadîth-i sherîf. It was decided (by Allâhu ta’âlâ) that existence of scholars in this Ummat would be sufficient (for Muslims). Therefore, one thousand years after our master the Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’, a noble person with perfect ma’rifat, knowledge and wisdom would be necessary to take the place of one of the past Prophets called Ulul’azm. For the latest period of the Muslim dispensation would begin one thousand years after our master the Prophet’s ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ death. Elapse of one thousand years is a matter of paramount importance and it is a major factor in the changing of situations. Since there would not be any change in this Ummat and in this religion, it would, beyond doubt, be necessary that the standard of spirituality and the firmness of guidance possessed by the earlier Muslims be reinstated in the later generations. Thus, Imâm-i-Ahmad Rabbânî’s ‘quddisa sirruh’ blessed person was equipped with all the perfections peculiar to prophethood and messengership and distinguished from others. People who observe his astoundingly unusual information, his ma’rifats pertaining to the Zât-i-ilâhî (Person of Allâhu ta’âlâ), his purely beautiful moral quality and his oral and written statements describing hâls, mawâjids, tajallîs and zuhûrs, will see this fact well. For these things are the essentials of the Islamic religion and make up an epitome of the teachings pertaining to Allâhu ta’âlâ, His Person and Attributes. Innumerous secrets and meanings, the haqîqat (the essence, the real inner meaning) of Kâ’ba-i-mu’azzama, the haqîqat of Qur’ân al-kerîm, the haqîqat of namâz, ma’bûdiyyat-i-sirfa, degrees of muhabbat (love) called hillat, muhibbiyyat and mahbûbiyyat, the grades termed ta’ayyun-i-wujûdî, ta’ayyun-i-hubbî, lâ-ta’ayyun, the zuhûr (manifestation) of properties called mabda-i-ta’ayyun in creatures, mabda-i-ta’ayyuns belonging to Prophets and angels, to which of the Divine Attributes or Names the idiosyncratic talents of each of his disciples were related, to what Prophet each of the Awliyâ was related as a result of natural identity (mashrab), e.g. Muhammadî-ul-mashrab, Ibrâhîm-ul-mashrab, etc., their own wilâyat related to muhibbiyyat and mahbûbiyyat-i-zâtiyya, their inner natures and peculiarities, the haqîqat of being a qayyûm, secrets of sabâhat and malâhat and combination of these two graces, and many other secrets and meanings were bestowed on him by Allâhu ta’âlâ. None of the Awliyâ ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ alaihim ajma’în’ had mentioned these values. A summary of these values is written in his three books titled Mektûbât and in his other seven pamphlets.