A Short Biography of Allamah Nasir al-Din Nasir Hunzai - First Spiritual Light
First Spiritual Light
`Allamah Hunzai writes: "In 1947 and 1948, I was sent to Karachi by the [jama`ati] leaders of the Northern Areas [of Pakistan] as their representative to deliver the religious dues of the jama`at to the Estate Agent of Mawlana Hazir Imam (May peace be through him). Despite having been granted ism-i a`zam by the exalted Imam in 1946, I had made no significant spiritual progress for two years. However, in 1948, my zeal for faith was aroused and I undertook an i`tikaf of forty days with strenuous spiritual discipline. At the end of the forty days, the initial spiritual light of ism-i a`zam appeared to me in the old jama`at-khanah of Kharadar (Karachi). Although it was the initial, testing light, I started to receive immense happiness and joy from this inner observation. This light, with all its effulgence, not only continued, but also increased tremendously day by day".33 He continues: "In 1948, while I was undergoing this state, Mr. Fath `Ali Khan also came to Karachi from Misgar (Hunza) for some work. He said to me: 'Come! Help me. My religious knowledge is very limited. God willing, we will both go to Sariqul and Yarkand [in China] and will strive to build jama`at-khanahs and small religious schools for our jama`at there. This task would only be possible with the participation of the local hereditary mukhis there. However, first and foremost we will have to seek permission from the holy presence of the exalted Imam'. I replied: 'The intention is very good. Please seek permission for this service from the Imam of the time (May peace be through him) through Wazir Karim. As for me I cannot commit myself to anything until I ask my parents'. Thus, a written farman was issued from [Mawla's] exalted court, and we set out from Karachi to Hunza via Chitral. In Hunza, my parents consented gladly".
"Thus, we set out for Sariqul (China) from Hunza, and reached Tashgurgan on 13th February, 1949. The following persons were appointed for the above-mentioned task: From Hunza: Fath `Ali Khan (I was his assistant); from Yarkand: Mukhi Mawla Bakhsh, Mukhi Abu Sa`id Khan and Mukhi Yaqut Shah; and from Sariqul: Mukhi `Asaf Jan, Mukhi Saltanat Khan and Sayyid Idris Khan. In Sariqul, we struggled for five months, but due to the false fear of some of the people, we did not achieve any success. It was then decided that I should go to Yarkand with the holy farman".34
"As far as my own personal world is concerned, al-hamdu li'llah, the initial light which I had seen in Karachi was increasing more and more, and an extraordinary revolution was taking place in my dreams and imagination. Thus, one night in Tashgurgan, I saw an unusual dream in which I found myself slaughtered. My head hung on a peg on a solid wall due east, and my body lay on the ground in the direction of north to south, i.e., in the way bodies are placed for funeral prayers. I was observing this scene from some height due west in an amazing kind of glittering space. I, that is, my consciousness, was among the countless luminous particles. However, I could not tell which particle I was in. It is possible that they were the very innumerable particles of my own soul and that their collective unity was my 'I'. Thus, on the one hand I saw my sacrificed body lying on the ground and my head suspended on the wall, and on the other hand, the countless particles of my soul in space. I thought of my martyrdom and was delighted. When I woke up, my mind automatically turned to its interpretation. I thought that it was an indication of either my physical death, or the voluntary death of my carnal soul. Thereafter too, I saw the scene of my death twice in my dreams. In one of them, a prince shot at me, and in the other, perhaps the same prince drove a truck over me".
"The indication of the above-mentioned dreams was that I should be ready for death of any sort. It is a great favour of God, the Blessed, the Exalted, that I was not despondent, because in some other luminous dreams there used to be very great glad tidings as well. However, in every condition, I had to remain ready for death".35
"As it was decided that I should go to Yarkand with the holy farman, I departed for it with Tila Khan Aqsaqal. Aqsaqal (white-bearded; aq = white, saqal = beard) is a Turkish title. Tila Khan was a wise, religious person of goodwill. I left Sariqul for Yarkand with him on 15th July, 1949, and reached it after 6 days. Tila Khan Aqsaqal first arranged the reading of the holy farman at his residence. Hundreds of members of the jama`at from near, far and very far came to listen to the holy farman, including the hereditary mukhis and sadat (pl. of sayyid). The name of this village was Qarajash".
"After Aqsaqal, my extremely dear and kind friend `Aziz Muhammad Khan Bay invited the entire jama`at to his house in Qarangu Tograq, and the farman was read there. He was endowed by the Lord of the worlds with both the wealth of religion as well as the riches of this world. As soon as we had reached Sariqul, he had received the news that two servants of the faith from Hunza had arrived for the purpose of establishing jama`at-khanahs and religious schools. Thus, without any tarry or delay, he built an edifice in the local style, comprising a jama`at-khanah, a class- room and two rooms for a residence".
"The farman was also read in some other eminent families' homes. One of them was the house of `Andalib Akhund. The Ismaili jama`at of Yarkand is unique and unprecedented in religious virtues, and I was therefore successful beyond my expectations in serving the jama`at. In this service `Aziz Muhammad Khan's part was very great. His golden services are so numerous that a detailed description of them would require several pages".36
33Mufid Interview (Karachi, 1993), pp. 28-29, 45-46.
34Ibid, pp. 28-30.
35Ibid, pp. 45-47.
36Ibid, pp. 29-31.
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