HAZRAT DR.SHAH MEERZA IKHTIYAR HUSSAIN (R. A.)
Afsus bar aan dida ke ruy-e-tau nadida ast
Yaa dida wa ba’d az tau be-ruy negarida ast
(Woe to the eye which has not seen your face,
Or which has seen you and still wants to see another face.)
Writing about Hazrat Dr. Meerza Ikhtiyar Hussain RA is nothing less than the culmination of Zikr. It is, because while writing about Hazrat with the pen of love, mind naturally gets focused in his remembrance shutting down the door to all distracting thoughts. This is what the purpose of Zikr is! Actually, it is Hazrat’s tawajjuh that make us rise towards him just as the trees sway and dance with the tawujjah of wind.
This is the biography of a Sufi Shaykh whose every facet of life glitters like a diamond. Whether a Shaykh, or a father, a husband, or in any other relationship, he was simply the love incarnated. Besides, he was a Doctor, a poet, a writer, a musician, an avid reader with his own library. People who met him only once or twice belonging to any stratum of the society, had a lasting positive impression about him. His smiling bright face would emanate a peaceful feeling from some heavenly realm and was like a soothing balm for the agitated minds.
Hazrat Dr. Meerza Ikhtiyar Hussain R.A. was born in Jabalpur India on July 1st, 1922. He was the youngest child with two older sisters. His father Dr. Meerza Murtuza Hussain R.A. was a Physician by profession and also a Sufi Shaykh. Under His tutelage, Hazrat Dr. Meerza Ikhtiyar Hussain R.A. initiated treading the Sufi path not only inwardly but outwardly too in the form of reading Persian manuscripts about Tasawwuf directly from Him.
After completing basic academic education from Jabalpur, he joined Indore Medical College, India. However, due to partition, he moved to Pakistan and completed his medical education from the Dow Medical Karachi. From 1973 to 1985, he worked for the King Fysal Hospital, Al-Hofuf, Saudi Arabia.
He had deep love and respect for Prophet Mohammad SAW and would always slightly bow his head upon listening the name of Mohammad SAW. When visited the tomb of Prophet SAW for the first time, it was an occasion of great festivity for him. Obviously, we could only narrate the external aspect, as none of us were capable enough to fathom the intricacies of the inner dimension of that visit. However it could vividly be felt that after coming back from the Prophet’s Mosque, he spent all night in a state of ecstasy. As he said in one of the couplets:
Sarapa Kaif* hai ab tak nahin hai hosh usae
Yeh shab guzaari hai us nae kahan khuda jaane
(Kaif*is so overwhelmed with ecstasy that he is not conscious yet.
God knows, where he spent the last night!)
*Hazrat’s poetic name meaning ‘ecstasy’
After living in Saudi Arabia for twelve years, he returned to Pakistan and devoted himself totally to further the cause of the Sufis. He not only has a book of Sufi poetry ‘Kaifiyaat’ to his credit, but also wrote ten more books on different aspects of Tasawwuf. He passed away on Ramadan 7th i.e. July 26, 2012.
He is no more among us physically, yet fragrance of his beautiful presence touches every loved one in a unique way and candles of his love are being continuously re-lit by his disciples. Mystery of life thus tells its secret – Live like him, where love and only love prevailed in a dignified way in every gesture and step. A few memorable events from his last days will not be out of place here:
Just a few days before his departure, her youngest grand daughter was standing beside him. Though very weak, opened his eyes, embraced her and tears of love started saying whatever could be said to her. After a while, closed his tears filled eyes again!
His sense of humour prevailed even in those difficult days. When, one of his disciples approached him and said, ‘Please forgive any of my intentional or un-intentional mistakes.’ He said smilingly, ‘Okay, bring a pen and piece of paper and I will write it down for you.’
A group of disciples used to go with him for Friday prayers. When, he could not go to mosque for a couple of weeks, one of his disciples asked, ‘When are you going to get recovered so that, together we may go to the mosque again?’ He said, ‘Just wait for three more Fridays and then on fourth, we will go there.’ It was the fourth Friday, when his ‘Namaz-e-Janaza’(Prayer of funeral) was held in the same mosque.
Sufis call death as the time of unification of soul to its Source. This is why, it is called URS. His departure from the earthly realm has re-defined meaning of death for the disciples as his spiritual presence remains an overwhelming experience and colourful flowers of his charisma keep on blooming amid his loved ones. We know that love occurs as a gift. No one can be forced to love anyone. It arises on its own from the ‘Qalb’ i.e. spiritual heart, which is the home to Allah Subhan O Ta’ala. Due to this particular aspect, love has another beautiful quality that it is capable of expanding. If we see love as a circle or an aura around us then it grows from a smaller circle of family and friends to a larger circle of humanity. This is what, as the followers of the Sufi path, we should strive for! However, such struggle cannot be called struggle, once coloured in the colour of the true Shaykh. It is like entering of a stream into the river. Sluggishness of stream transforms into the vitality of river and then the journey of life becomes beautiful despite challenges of life.
Yaa dida wa ba’d az tau be-ruy negarida ast
(Woe to the eye which has not seen your face,
Or which has seen you and still wants to see another face.)
Writing about Hazrat Dr. Meerza Ikhtiyar Hussain RA is nothing less than the culmination of Zikr. It is, because while writing about Hazrat with the pen of love, mind naturally gets focused in his remembrance shutting down the door to all distracting thoughts. This is what the purpose of Zikr is! Actually, it is Hazrat’s tawajjuh that make us rise towards him just as the trees sway and dance with the tawujjah of wind.
This is the biography of a Sufi Shaykh whose every facet of life glitters like a diamond. Whether a Shaykh, or a father, a husband, or in any other relationship, he was simply the love incarnated. Besides, he was a Doctor, a poet, a writer, a musician, an avid reader with his own library. People who met him only once or twice belonging to any stratum of the society, had a lasting positive impression about him. His smiling bright face would emanate a peaceful feeling from some heavenly realm and was like a soothing balm for the agitated minds.
Hazrat Dr. Meerza Ikhtiyar Hussain R.A. was born in Jabalpur India on July 1st, 1922. He was the youngest child with two older sisters. His father Dr. Meerza Murtuza Hussain R.A. was a Physician by profession and also a Sufi Shaykh. Under His tutelage, Hazrat Dr. Meerza Ikhtiyar Hussain R.A. initiated treading the Sufi path not only inwardly but outwardly too in the form of reading Persian manuscripts about Tasawwuf directly from Him.
After completing basic academic education from Jabalpur, he joined Indore Medical College, India. However, due to partition, he moved to Pakistan and completed his medical education from the Dow Medical Karachi. From 1973 to 1985, he worked for the King Fysal Hospital, Al-Hofuf, Saudi Arabia.
He had deep love and respect for Prophet Mohammad SAW and would always slightly bow his head upon listening the name of Mohammad SAW. When visited the tomb of Prophet SAW for the first time, it was an occasion of great festivity for him. Obviously, we could only narrate the external aspect, as none of us were capable enough to fathom the intricacies of the inner dimension of that visit. However it could vividly be felt that after coming back from the Prophet’s Mosque, he spent all night in a state of ecstasy. As he said in one of the couplets:
Sarapa Kaif* hai ab tak nahin hai hosh usae
Yeh shab guzaari hai us nae kahan khuda jaane
(Kaif*is so overwhelmed with ecstasy that he is not conscious yet.
God knows, where he spent the last night!)
*Hazrat’s poetic name meaning ‘ecstasy’
After living in Saudi Arabia for twelve years, he returned to Pakistan and devoted himself totally to further the cause of the Sufis. He not only has a book of Sufi poetry ‘Kaifiyaat’ to his credit, but also wrote ten more books on different aspects of Tasawwuf. He passed away on Ramadan 7th i.e. July 26, 2012.
He is no more among us physically, yet fragrance of his beautiful presence touches every loved one in a unique way and candles of his love are being continuously re-lit by his disciples. Mystery of life thus tells its secret – Live like him, where love and only love prevailed in a dignified way in every gesture and step. A few memorable events from his last days will not be out of place here:
Just a few days before his departure, her youngest grand daughter was standing beside him. Though very weak, opened his eyes, embraced her and tears of love started saying whatever could be said to her. After a while, closed his tears filled eyes again!
His sense of humour prevailed even in those difficult days. When, one of his disciples approached him and said, ‘Please forgive any of my intentional or un-intentional mistakes.’ He said smilingly, ‘Okay, bring a pen and piece of paper and I will write it down for you.’
A group of disciples used to go with him for Friday prayers. When, he could not go to mosque for a couple of weeks, one of his disciples asked, ‘When are you going to get recovered so that, together we may go to the mosque again?’ He said, ‘Just wait for three more Fridays and then on fourth, we will go there.’ It was the fourth Friday, when his ‘Namaz-e-Janaza’(Prayer of funeral) was held in the same mosque.
Sufis call death as the time of unification of soul to its Source. This is why, it is called URS. His departure from the earthly realm has re-defined meaning of death for the disciples as his spiritual presence remains an overwhelming experience and colourful flowers of his charisma keep on blooming amid his loved ones. We know that love occurs as a gift. No one can be forced to love anyone. It arises on its own from the ‘Qalb’ i.e. spiritual heart, which is the home to Allah Subhan O Ta’ala. Due to this particular aspect, love has another beautiful quality that it is capable of expanding. If we see love as a circle or an aura around us then it grows from a smaller circle of family and friends to a larger circle of humanity. This is what, as the followers of the Sufi path, we should strive for! However, such struggle cannot be called struggle, once coloured in the colour of the true Shaykh. It is like entering of a stream into the river. Sluggishness of stream transforms into the vitality of river and then the journey of life becomes beautiful despite challenges of life.