THE STRUGGLE TOWARDS SAINTHOOD
Afzal Shah Madudi 
There was a woman in Baghdad Sharif who was so impressed by the fame of Sayyidina Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) that she asked the shaykh to train her son to be like him. Sayyidina Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) accepted the child and began training him in spirituality. After some time, the mother returned and saw that her son was very weak while eating a piece of bread. She went to see Sayyidina Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) and found him eating a chicken. She became very upset and screamed “you are eating chicken here while my son has nothing to eat but a piece of bread!”
At that time, Sayyidina Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) placed his hand over the chicken bones and prayed “In the name of Allah, Who revives bones from dust, rise!” The chicken immediately became alive and ran around the table saying, “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger and Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani is the true friend of Allah and His Messenger!” Sayydidina Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) then turned to the woman and said, “When your son can do this, he can also eat whatever he wishes.”
Everyone sees the shaykh when he is complete, but very few see the journey. Hazrat Khawaja Mohammad Khushaal (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) undertook so many spiritual seclusions (chillahs/khalwa) which is impossible for a common man unless he is divinely chosen by Allah ﷻ.
He undertook countless spiritual seclusions of 40, 60, 90 and 120 days. He fasted continuously for 17 long years (faqa-kashi) with only the water of lentils (moong ki daal) and black tea. He would spend his day reciting 10,000 salawat and his nights in the rememberance of Allah ﷻ as he slept a maximum of only 30 minutes per day. His sincerity and asceticism (zuhd) could be matched by very few awliya of recent times.
He undertook all these struggles only to gain the love of Allah ﷻ. He took all the problems of his disciples (mureeds) and the Muslim Ummah all on himself and solved them without asking for anything in return. He reached great spiritual stations and never went after any publicity or fame.
Dua:
Qadir-e Muthlaq hai tu apni inayat hum sab pe rakh,
Ghousul Azam Shah e Jilani Qutbul Awliya ke Vaastey
O’Almighty put your attention on all of us,
For the sake of the Supreme Helper Sayyidina Abdul Qadir Jilani, the King of the awliya
Syed afzal Ali shah Maududi.
Editor cum Bureau chief.
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