BIRTH: He was born in Samrah in the year 247 Hijri (Masaalik-us-Saalikeen vol. 1 pg. 316)
NAME: His name was Jaafar & he was also known as Abu Bakr. The name Jaafar bin Yunus is engraved on his blessed shrine. His title was Mujad'did. (Masaalik-us-Saalikeen). He was known as shibli, because he came from a place called Shibla or Shabeela.
EDUCATION: He says as follows about himself, "I studied & attained the knowledge of Fiqh & Hadith for thirty years. The sea of knowledge flowed in my heart. I presented my self before many of those who were known as people of great knowledge & learning. I asked them to bless me with the knowledge & learning. I asked them to bless me with the knowledge concerning the journey towards Allah & yet not one of them knew anything about what I asked. They all said, "that the sign of something will be found in something, but there is no sign of Ghaib" I heard their words & was amazed. I said, you are all in the dark & Alhamdulillah, I am the light. I then thanked Almighty Allah & then gave my wilaayat to a thief, ntil he did with me as he did."
HIS SHEIKH-E-TARIQAT: He is the mureed & Khalifa of Sayyidut Taaifa Hazrat Junaid-e-Baghdadi (radi Allahu anha).
HIS EXCELLENCE: He was the muqalid of Hazrat Imam Maalik (radi Allahu anhu) & he knew the entire Muwatta of Imam Maalik (radi Allahu anhu) by heart. He spent most of his time in the Ibaadat of Almighty Allah. He visited all the great Masha'ikh of his era & spent time with all of them. He gained a very exalted position in spiritualism. His spiritual position had become so great, that the ordinary mind could not understand him. It is stated that for a very long time, he lived under a tree. He would walk around the tree, making the zikr of "Hoo - Hoo" People who saw him, asked him concerning his condition. He said, "There is a dove on this tree which is saying "Koo - Koo" I am thus following it's pattern & making the Zikr of Hoo Hoo. Those who saw this noticed that the dove would not remain silent until he stopped his zikr. For as long as he was in Zikr, the dove also went on cooing.
HIS POSITION IN THE COURT OF PROPHET (sallallahu alaihi wasallam): Hazrat Abu Bakr bin Mujahid (radi Allahu anhu) was a very great saint & a great Imam of Hadith & Fiqh. Many Ulama & Masha'ikh sat in his gatherings to listen to the knowledge he imparted. Once Hazrat Abu Bakr Shibli (radi Allahu anhu) went to one of his gatherings. On seeing Hazrat Abu Bakr Shibli (radi Allahu anhu) went to one of his gatherings. On seeing Hazrat Abu Bakr Shibli (radi Allahu anhu), he immediately stood up in respect. He embraced him with great love & then kissed his forehead. A man from those present at the gathering (who did not know Hazrat Abu Bakr Shibli) stood up & said, "Huzoor! This man is a deewana (One who does not seem to be in the right state of mind), why do you treat him with such respect?" Hazrat Abu Bakr ibn Mujahid (radi Allahu anhu) said, "O People! I have done with him as I saw the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) do with him." He then narrated a dream by saying, "I dreamt that it was the most exalted gathering of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) stood up & kissed his forehead. I said, Ya Rasool allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), Why such a great amount of love & affection for Shibli? & the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, "After Namaaz, he reads from Laqa Jaa Akum Rasoolun until Azeem & he then says Sallallahu alaika Ya Rasool allah three times." (Raah-e-Aqidat Pg. 19/20)
Once, Hazrat Imam Abu Bakr Shibli (radi Allahu anhu) was accused of being insane (as none knew the reality of his spiritual condition). He was admitted to a mental facility for treatment. Some of his disciples & well wishers heard of this & came to meet with him. He asked who they were & they said that they were amongst those who had great love for him. He then launched stones at them, which caused them to run away from him. He said, "If you are from amongst those who love me, then why do you run away from me when I launch stones at you? Those who truly love somebody will not run away from his pain." (Shahrat-ul-Kaamileen pg. 206)
HIS SHEIKH'S LOVE FOR HIM: Once a few disciples of Hazrat Junaid-e-Baghdadi (radi Allahu anhu) were seated together praising Hazrat Abu Bakr Shibli (radi Allahu anhu). They said, "There is none that is more respected & honest amongst us than Abu Bakr Shibli (radi Allahu anhu)" As they were having their discussion, Hazrat Junaid-e-Baghdadi (radi Allahu anhu) entered & said, "What are you discussing about Abu Bakr Shibli? All that you have said is improper. He is not as good as you all say. Now remove him from the room." After Hazrat Abu Bakr Shibli (radi Allahu anhu) left the room, Hazrat Junaid-e-Baghdadi (radi Allahu anhu) addressed his disciples & said, "I have a hundred times more respect & love for Shibli, compared to that which you were discussing. When you were praising him in his presence, it was like you were striking him with a sword. It was for this reason, that I had no option but to say what I said, so that it may be a shield against that which you were saying, if not he would have been devastated (for he could not accept being praised, due to his humility)." (Kashf-ul-Mahjoob PG 193)
HIS KARAAMATS: Once Hazrat Abu Bakr Shibli (radi Allahu anhu) had taken very ill. Ali bin Esa informed of the Khalifa of this & the Khalifa sent a Christian doctor to treat Hazrat Abu Bakr Shibli (radi Allahu anhu). This doctor was the royal specialist physician. He treated Hazrat Abu Bakr Shibli (radi Allahu anhu), but he could not help in making him feel better. The doctor once said to Hazrat, "If I felt that your cure was in a piece of my flesh, then I would not even mind cutting of a piece of flesh." Hazrat Abu Bakr Shibli (radi Allahu anhu) said, "My medicine is in something else." The Doctor said, "In what is it?" Hazrat said, "In this, that you leave kufr & accept Islam." The doctor immediately read the kalima & accepted Islam. When the Khalifa heard of what had happened, he began to weep. He said, "I thought that I had sent a doctor towards one who was ill. Little did I realize that I had sent one who was ill towards a doctor." (Masaalik-us-Saalikeen vol. 1 pg. 323)
Hazrat Ambaazi (radi Allahu anhu) states that once he wore a beautiful shawl & went to visit Hazrat Abu Bakr Shibli (radi Allahu anhu). When he reached there, he saw that Hazrat was wearing a very beautiful hat. On seeing the hat, he thought that the hat would be very well suited for him. He wished that the Sheikh would present the hat to him. He was still thinking of this, when Hazrat asked for his shawl. The Sheikh then took both the chaadar & the hat & threw them into a fire. He said, "With the exception of the Deedar of Almighty Allah, a person should not have any other desire in his heart." (Tazkirat-ul-Auliyah)
GEMS OF WISDOM: The Sheikh once said to his mureeds,
- "If you come to me on a Friday after one week & you find that you thought of other than Allah during the week, then you should know that you have the desire of the world in your heart. What can the one who desires the world gather for the hereafter? Thus, for as long as you are in the world, prepare for there hereafter."
- "It has never been such, that I remained hungry for Allah & Allah had not entered the Noor of secrets into my heart."
- "A Sufi is one who is away from the people & close to Allah."
- "If a person claims to have love, yet he spends his time in other things, then, he does not desire his beloved, but he desires something else, in other words, he is making a mockery of his beloved."
- "Love means, that you should give up everything for the sake of the beloved."
- "Shariat is this, that you should follow it, Tariqat is this, that you should desire & Haqeeqat is this, that you should see."
WISAAL: Various highly spiritual incidents occurred during the time of his wisaal. Many people asked him to read the Kalima & one person proclaimed the shahaadat aloud, so as to remind him. On hearing this, he said. "The dead have come to remind the living." He passed away on the 27th of Zil hajj, 334 Hijri on the eve of Friday, at the age of 88 years.
HIS KHULAFA: The names of only two of the Khulafa of Hazrat Abu Bakr Shibli (radi Allahu anhu) could be found.
- Hazrat Khwaja Abdul Waahid Abul Fadhl Tameemi (radi Allahu anhu)
- Hazrat Abul Hassan Neemalam (radi Allahu anhu).
AFTER HIS WISAAL: After his wisaal, a pious man saw him in his dream & asked, "Huzoor! What transpired with the Angels of the grave?" He said, "When the angels came to me & asked about my Lord, I said, "It is He, who created Adam (alaihis salaam) & commanded the Angels to prostrate before him. All of them prostrated but Iblees, who turned his face away from the command of Allah & showed pride. At that time, I was in the spine of Hazrat Adam (alaihis salaam)." The Angels said, "He has answered on behalf of all the children of Adam (alaihis salaam)." (Shajrat-ul-Kaamileen Pg. 203)
MAZAAR SHAREEF: His Mazaar Shareef is in Samrah, which is in Baghdad Shareef (Iraq).
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