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A Short Biography of Allamah Nasir al-Din Nasir Hunzai - Spiritual Life

Spiritual Life

`Allamah Hunzai says: "Long before, an angel-like elder had suggested to me that if God's servitude, worship, remembrance, spirituality, knowledge and wisdom are dear to you, and if you want to progress on this path, start performing vigils exactly according to the instructions of Surah-yi Muzzammil (Qur'an: Surah 73). However, in order to do so, it is indeed necessary to receive a Supreme Name (ism-i akbar) or a recital (wird or wazifah) from a Perfect Guide."²⁶

Regarding this, the year 1946 and Bombay city are both very significant in `Allamah Hunzai's spiritual life, because it was in this year and in this city at Hasanabad Ziyarat that the Imam of the time, Nur Mawlana Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah al-Husayni (May peace be through him), granted him the Supreme Name (ism-i a`zam) and instructed him on how to perform special worship (`ibadat), for which an intense eagerness had been felt in his heart and mind for a long time.

`Allamah Hunzai writes that as soon as he reached Bombay, he came to know that the Imam of the time was going to bless the jama`at in Poona with his holy didar. He, with four other Hunzais, travelled to Poona from Bombay. Mawla granted his blessed physical didar in Poona, and for the very first time, he [`Allamah Hunzai] experienced the spiritual quake, as he says:

`Allamah Hunzai continues: "We returned to Bombay. Brother (kako) Nigah Shah and I were to be present in the holy Imam's sacred court to receive permission (idhn) and the blessings of baytu'l- khayal. Our names were put forward on the recommendation of an Iranian mukhi. The confluence of both the oceans of light (i.e., Hazrat-i Mawlana Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (May peace be through him) and Hazrat-i Shahzadah `Ali Salman (May peace be through him)) was surging in Hasanabad Ziyarat. Mawla with a glance of mercy looked at us, and said: 'Both of you come to my bungalow'. The next day, we went to Mawla's bungalow and informed the gate-keeper of Mawla's command. He, however, looked at our faces and clothes, then said: 'Mawla is not free', and turned us away without informing Mawla."

However, despite improper treatment, they were eventually blessed to be in the noble Imam's sacred presence at Hasanabad Ziyarat with a small group. The exalted Imam granted them the highest secrets of the Supreme Name (ism-i a`zam) and gave them invaluable guidance about it for approximately half an hour. The Imam told them that there are innumerable benefits in Kar-i buzurg.²⁸

`Allamah Hunzai alludes to the above event in the following wisdom-filled verse:

During the year of the Diamond Jubilee (1946), the Imam graciously remained in Bombay for four months. During this time, `Allamah Hunzai also stayed in Bombay. Related to this memorable time, he has written two fervent and ecstatic poems entitled: "Diamond Jubilee (1946) ki rangin-u pur-bahar yaden", the exordia of which are as follows:

The year 1946 was a year of all-embracing and far-reaching mercies and miracles, including in Hunza, where from 1st August, 1946, Diamond Jubilee Schools were established in almost every village. At the same time, `Allamah Hunzai also returned to his homeland and was appointed a teacher in his own village, Haydarabad. His poetry collections show that at that time he used to compose poetry in Persian and Urdu in addition to Burushaski, with the complete merits and beauties of prosody.³²

²⁶Mufid Interview (Karachi, 1993), p. 45.
²⁷Diwan-i Nasiri awr Bihishte Asquring (Karachi, 2001) p. 316; Idem, Kuzah-yi Kawthar (Karachi, 1994), pp. 179-184.
²⁸Jama`at-khanah (Karachi, 2002), pp. 37, 66-67, 105.
²⁹Diwan-i Nasiri awr Bihishte Asquring (Karachi, 2001), p. 318.
³⁰Idem, Diwan-i Nasiri (Urdu) (Karachi, 2004), [Part I], pp. 75-76.
³¹Ibid, pp. 11-12.
³²Mufid Interview (Karachi, 1993), p. 43.