A Short Biography of Allamah Nasir al-Din Nasir Hunzai - The beginning of trials
The beginning of trials
"The following event occurred in Yarkand (China), when this humble darwish was undergoing the stages of spiritual revolution. One evening, while remembering God individually, I started to play the rubab (which consists of six strings: one extremely high (treble), two medium high (treble), one extremely deep (bass) and two medium deep (bass)). God's power is very amazing and marvellous. When I started to pluck the strings with the plectrum, some of them started to speak clearly. The bass string said: 'bara'y din, bara'y din (i.e., for the sake of religion, for the sake of religion)', and the two medium bass strings repeated the name of a miraculous personality. I was extremely bewildered by these two utterances of this spiritual miracle. Indeed, in this miracle of the Imam of the time (May peace be through him), there are numerous allusions for wise people. Moreover, there was also a prophecy about my future in it".
"The next morning, I went to jama`at-khanah on time and performed special dhikr and general worship as usual. The members of the jama`at had gone to their homes, but Qabul Akhund, who was a great mu'min, came to me inside the jama`at-khanah and said: 'Gujam (My khwaja (master)!), some people have come outside'. From his sad tone and face, I sensed that those people had not come with any good intention. I finished my additional prayers and tasbih, and after performing a final prostration, I came out to find that a group of opponents numbering between forty and fifty had gathered in front of the gate. They had come with the intention of arresting me, because prior to our arrival there, the jama`at used to practise precautionary secrecy (taqiyyah), and there was no jama`at-khanah anywhere. However, as soon as we constructed some jama`at-khanahs in several places, people came to know about the Ismaili jama`at. This created the misunderstanding among some people that Nasir al-Din had come to start a new [religious] movement. To make matters worse, some key members of our own jama`at were also against the construction of jama`at-khanahs, which is why they were opposing me vehemently".
"God is witness to the fact that since I had seen the spiritual miracles of the holy and pure Imam (May peace be through him), whenever the ecstasy of spirituality was descending upon me, I was not afraid of any danger. Thus, with courage and fearlessness, I asked the leader of that party some questions as to whether he had done such and such acts or not against the Ismaili jama`at and jama`at-khanah. He replied 'No, No!' in a very feeble and trembling voice."
"After a while, a rifleman also arrived there. He was a very tall and burly young man. Upon seeing him, everyone stood up with respect and shook hands with him with great warmth. My conscience which was intoxicated with spiritual wine, commanded me without any voice that if my arrest was sought, I should be arrested like a lion and not like a goat. Thus, I stood up from my place, and with extreme strength, tried to wrest the rifle by the front of its bayonet from that soldier or policeman. I almost managed to get the rifle, but as soon as the people saw this dangerous scene, they all attacked me and freed the rifle from my hands with great difficulty. I am astonished at this event, and wonder how I acquired such great power that it required so many people to struggle with me. What I would have done with the rifle if it had come into my hands is also a matter of wonder, because I did not have any plan at all!"
"After solving the problem of the rifle, the attackers at once tied both my hands behind my back. I was arrested by the enemies. They were now taking me somewhere away from my place. On the way, a vile man (who was a servant of my spiritual brother and friend, `Aziz Muhammad Khan, before the revolution) kicked me on my back and was abusive to me. However, the others condemned him for this act and forbade him from repeating his action. Believe me, at that time my body was full of the power of additional souls, and so no such hurt could affect me, yet I do not know why I complained to my Lord about this arrest and insult. In response, a sacred and majestic voice said: 'Have patience! It is not your hands, but mine which are tied'. Hallowed be God! How great was this favour!"
"Our local jama`at was perhaps thinking of a solution to this difficult problem. But how could a true lover [of Mawla] like Qabul Akhund be patient? He was following those attackers even though it jeopardised his life".
"Near the long bridge over the river Zarafshan (where the road from Yarkand goes to Qargiliq and Khotan), I was tied to a pole. I continued to repeat the valiant slogans of "Allahu Akbar" and "Ya `Ali", and there was no room left for anything like fear and terror in my heart. Although due to the tightness of the rope, blood was about to trickle from my fingertips, there was now the spiritual miracle of patience and courage in me. It was also a trial that in the meantime, I felt severe thirst and asked for water, but was kept deprived of it like the people of Karbala. Poor Qabul Akhund, under his unprecedented zeal for sacrifice, wanted to come close to me, but the opponents were throwing stones at him to keep him away, and in response he was also throwing stones at them".
"I remained painfully tied to that pole for three or four hours. In the meantime, the opponents conspired with many of those doing forced labour on the road and wrote an application to the government for my execution. Some people then handed me over to a police station on the other side of the bridge, where for the second time in my life I experienced abuse and a light beating. However, upon being asked, when I told them my account of injustice and oppression they apparently fell silent".
"It was autumn and so the night was long, very cold and terrifying. But there are Divine favours for the mu'mins and mujahids of Islam. Thus, during this time of trial and tribulation, the voices of the spiritual world were conversing with this indigent darwish. Meanwhile, I conceived as though a tempestuous fountain or pillar of voices was rising from within myself, and encompassing the universe. In this there were those furious voices which, according to the Qur'an, are ordained for the people of Hell, as well as those compassionate voices which are to favour the people of Paradise. I don't know why I said with childish auda`ity: 'O Chief of souls! At this moment, when you are conversing with the entire universe, where is a bit of time to spare to address something to this humble entity too?' The sacred voice replied: 'It is never so. We always have time to spare'. A strand of pure and sweet voice was then instantly created from the centre of the conversations, which started to converse with me while it continued its work without any interruption".
"The next morning, I was taken back to Yarkand. During the journey we had to stop at an office, and it was already dusk. It was a time when I mostly used to observe great miracles and secrets of spirituality. Thus, the miracles of the fingers were very prominent there. This was an indication that, just as the tongue of God's friends receives spiritual help, so too can spiritual help be given to their hands. After a while, two mu'mins of the jama`at of the village arrived with the decree of release from the authorities, and by the grace of God, I reached home safely. There were only forty-five families of our jama`at in the village where I was residing. They had unanimously appealed to the government for the immediate release of their religious scholar. They had also appealed to the government that responsible officers should come to the village and investigate why this injustice and persecution was being perpetrated against the Tajik jama`at".
"The word 'Tajik' is an altered form (mugayyar) of the Arabic word 'Tazi', which is used for the Ismailis of China, Russia and Afghanistan. In short, some responsible officers from the headquarters of the local government came to our village, Qarangu Tograq, and continued their investigations of the events for nine consecutive days. As a result, a decree was issued that the Tajiks (Ismailis) are independent in their religious matters. They are a separate community from others. The disrespect of their jama`at-khanah and attempts to take possession of their community school is an utter oppression and injustice. Also, despite this decree, if anyone tries to harm their beliefs, the government would take measures to punish the guilty".39
"After this event, the Ismaili faith, which was hidden until that time, became known, and its specific identity was accepted at the government level. Simultaneously, the spiritual wonders, marvels and miracles [I was observing] increased, and the chain of trials continued. Thus, I used to be arrested whenever reports against me were presented to the government, and then I would soon be released when guilt was not proven. During this period, I used to remember God abundantly through different ways, and my heart was disenchanted with the world and everything which belongs to it".
39Jama`at-khanah (Karachi, 2002), pp. 59-64.
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