Uwais al-Qarni
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| Sufi Master and Scholar Medieval Islamic Era |
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| Name: | Uwais al-Qarni |
| Birth: | Unknown |
| Death: | 657 A.D. |
| School/tradition: | Oveyssi |
| Notable ideas: | "Keep watch over thy heart." |
| Influences: | |
| Influenced: | |
| The Eight Ascetics |
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Uwais al-Qarni or "Oveys Gharani" (Arabic: أويس القرني) (died 657 A.D.) was a Muslim resident of Qaran in Yemen who lived during the lifetime of Muhammad. His grave is in Baykan, Siirt Turkey. Although his life was insignificant from a worldly point of view, he is renowned and honored among both Shia and Sunni Muslims, Sufis in particular, for his piety, practice of zuhd (asceticism), and love for Muhammad. The Oveyssi Sufi order is held as an example that love can be attained through the heart and people who are not part of the Muslim umma can also be Muslims from the heart. His order is still in existence today with an unbroken lineage, presently under the exclusive leadership of Salaheddin Ali Nader Shah Angha. The school now has over a half-million students worldwide.
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[edit] Life
Uwais embraced Islam during Muhammad's lifetime but he could not present himself before Muhammad because he looked after his elderly, blind mother and thus remained deprived of the honour of companionship. It is said that he spent his hours in solitude, fasting, night vigil and salat (prayers). In honour of Muhammad, who at the Battle of Uhud in 625, had lost two of his teeth, Uwais al-Qarni drew out his own teeth. Muhammad called him the best of the Tabieen (successors) and he advised his companions to, “Get him to pray for your forgiveness.”
In a Hadith Qudsi recorded by the Companion Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace and blessings, said speaking on behalf of his Lord:
"Allah, Exalted and Mighty is He, loves of His creation the God-fearing, the pure in the heart, those who are hidden, and those who are innocent, whose face is dusty, whose hair is unkempt, whose stomach is empty, and who, if he asks permission to enter to the rulers, is not granted it, and if he were to ask for a gentle lady in marriage, he would be refused, and when he leaves the world it does not miss him, and if he goes out, his going out is not noticed, and if he falls sick, he is not attended to, and if he dies, he is not accompanied to his grave."
They asked him, "O Messenger of Allah, how can we find someone like that?" He, upon whom be peace and blessings, said, "Uwais al-Qarani is such a one."
Concerning the hadith of the Prophet, upon whom be peace and blessings, "More people shall enter Paradise through the intercession of a certain man from my Community than there are people in the tribes of Rabi`a and Mudar,"[1] al-Hasan al-Basri said: "That is Uwais al-Qarni."
At times the Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace and blessings, would say of him. "I feel the breath of the Merciful, coming to me from Yemen." Shortly before Muhammad died, he directed Umar ibn al-Khattab (second Caliph) and Ali ibn Abi Talib (the first Imam of the Shi'a) to take his cloak for Uwais.
Following the death of Muhammad in 632, Umar and Ali set out on a quest to find Uwais, who was residing alone in the desert. When they found Uwais, he was engaged in prayer, and they waited until he finished his devotions. They then asked for his blessings, gave him Muhammad's greeting and enjoined him to pray for the Muslim ummah (community).
According to Hujwiri¹, Attar Niyshabpouri², and Sheikh Mohammad Ghader Bagheri³, the first recipient of Mohammad’s Cloak was Uwais al-Qarni.
In so doing, Muhammad confirmed the method of heart to heart communication through which Uwais had received the essence of Islam. The method of the passing of the Cloak represents two significant elements in the teachings of Muhammad which constitute the method of instruction of the School of Islamic Sufism--cognition must take place inwardly, and cognition must be confirmed--as it was in the case of Uwais, and Ali.
In the famous book of poetry, “Masnavi”, by Jalaleddin Rumi, the following is said by Mohammad about Uwais Qarni:
The Prophet Mohammad says that the breeze brings O’men!
The divine perfume from Yemen.
The scent of Ramin comes from Uwais
The fragrance of God from Uwais.
Uwais’ heavenly perfume from God,
Overjoyed the heart of the Prophet of God.
Forsaking his mortal being willingly
That earthly (Uwais) become heavenly.4
Uwais al-Qarni says, “Keep watch over thy heart”, (Arabic: عليك بقلبك) "Alayka bi-Ghalbik".
Uwais al-Qarni said, “Hidden invocation (al-du`a fi dhahr al-ghayb) is better than visiting and meeting," because hypocrisy (riya) might enter in the latter two.
The method of the passing of the Cloak represents two significant elements in the teachings of the Holy Prophet which constitute the method of instruction of the School of Islamic Sufism--cognition must take place inwardly, and cognition must be confirmed--as it was in the case of Hazrat Uwais, and Amir al-Mumineen Hazrat `Ali.
Since that time, the cloak and the method of receiving knowledge through the heart, symbolizing the highest level of divine illumination, and conferring honor, recognition and respect on the recipient, has been handed down through an unbroken succession of Sufi masters.
Not long after this meeting Uwais left his homeland of Qaran and came to Kufa, in modern day Iraq. One day he was seen by Harim ibn Hayyan, but after that nobody saw him until the period of the first Muslim civil war (656-661). He fought for Ali ibn Abi Talib against the army of Muawiyah and was martyred at the Battle of Siffin in 657.[2] Other accounts relate that he died in an expedition accompanying `Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, to Azerbaijan.
[edit] Invocation of Uwais al Qarni (دعاء أويس القرني)
اللهم خلقتني ولم أك شيئا مذكورا، ورزقتني ولم أملك شيئا، وظلمت نفسي وارتكبت المعاصي وأنا مقرّ بذنبي، إن غفرت لي فلا ينقص من ملكك، وإن تعذبني فلا يزيد في سلطانك، وإنك تجد من تعذبه غيري وأنا لا أجد من يغفر لي إلا أنت، إنك أنت أرحم الراحمين
Translation of the Invocation of Uwais al-Qarni:
"O Allah, You created me when I was not worthy of mention;
And You provided for me when I had nothing;
And I wronged my soul and sinned, and I confess my guilt.
If You forgive me, that will in no way diminish Your sovereignty;
And if You punish me, that will in no way augment Your authority.
You can find others to punish besides me,
But I can find no one to forgive me but You.
Truly, You are the most merciful of those who show mercy."
[edit] Notes
Prose contains specific citations in source text which may be viewed in edit mode.
1. Hujwiri , Kashf al-Mahjub, (Tehran, Tahoori Publication, 1979)
2. Attar, Sheikh Farid al-din, Tazkerat al-Olia, (Tehran, Amir Kabir Publication, 1964)
3. Baghiri Namini, Sheikh Mohammaad Ghadeer, Aghtab Oveyssi, (Tehran, Amin Pubication. 1973)
4. Jalaledin Rumi, Massnavi, (Persian edition, 1925, Sepehr Publication) p. 716,line 1826[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (School of Islamic Sufism)
- The Extreme Mourning of Uwais al-Qarni, Shia Website
- Islamic Sufism Genealogy, November 2004, Tehran University Publications
- The Uwaisi Transmission of Spiritual Knowledge (Naqshbandi-Haqqani website)
- About Uwais al-Qarni, from "The Children Around the Table of Allah," by Shaykh Muhammad Sa'id al-Jamal ar-Rifa'i
Categories: Tabi‘in | Sufis | Sufism
