INTRODUCTION TO SILSILA E ALIYA AWAISIA
Silsila awasia is referred to Imam ul Ashiqeen Hazrat Khawaja Awais Qarni (may Allah be pleased with him). He had a very high status in marifat and affection. Hazrat Khawaja Awais Qarni was given the status of the best of the successors of the companions of the prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him). He was lost in the contemplation of God (finahfillah). Through being absorbed in the being of Allah his walayait was completed. It was certified by the hadith of prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) that for his love of the prophet, there cannot be any better evidence than the fact that the prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) often used to look towards Yemen, and said: “I am getting the beautiful fragrance Allah’s blessings in the breeze. It is for Awais Qarni.” Hazrat Mohammad (peace be upon him) said that a servant of God and my friend Awais lives in Yemen. The companions of prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) asked him with fondness and curiosity regarding whether Awais (ra) had a chance to visit him. The prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) replied “No. His mother is elderly so because of her, he cannot come to visit me.” There was no other means to look after his mother, so he could not leave her alone and go and pay tribute to the prophet (may Allah be pleased with him). This separation further increased his passion and love for the prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him). Such an attraction of love overcame him that the prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) honoured him with a visit and granted him spiritual favours in the inner world of the soul (batin).
Silsila e awasia with awaisi link takes the seeker on the path of marifat and then to the destination finally. Because this silsila was not known outwardly, this silsila was interpreted as secret (anqa). Anqa can also be explained as invisible. Because this silsila does not exist externally and because it’s wali’s (friend of God) received and inward spiritual favour(baatni). Hazrat Khawaja Awais qarni (may Allah be pleased with him) has reference to Mohammad (peace be upon him) the same as that of every wali of silsila awasia has an inner reference with Mohammad (peace be upon him) and hazrat Khawaja Awais qarni(ra).
Qibla wa kaba Mohammad Noor u Din awaisi (ra) said that Hazrat Khawaja Awais Qarni (may Allah be pleased with him) has spiritual inspirations internally from Mohammad (peace be upon him). His knowledge and wisdom didn’t appear to anybody, it remained secret. After him his silsila also remained secret, so nobody knew the facts of the silsila awasia for long time.
There have been fuqraa who had sighted Mohammad (peace be upon him)) without any pir’s direct baa’at or spiritual inspirations in a dream or in the mushahida direct, in which they had inspirations from Mohammad (peace be upon him). Fuqraa like this call themselves awaisi. Because like Hazrat Khawaja Awais Qarni they had direct spiritual inspirations from Hazrat Mohammad (peace be upon him). Infact, these people are called awaisi because of their method. They are not actually awaisi. Fuqraa like this have been connected to silsila qadria, naqshbandia, soharwardia and chishtia and they have got spiritual favours from these silsilas and have come into baa’at in those silsilas. So, in these silsilas awaisi connection is additional but not actual. In the same way the people who got spiritual inspirations, these are the people who got spiritual favour from a mentor(guide) not in his life but after his death (from his spirit) and these are called awaisi as well because they got spiritual favours (faiz) through the awaisi method although there was a long time-span between them.
True awaisi’s are those who are connected to Hazrat Khawaja Awais Qarni. Apparently Hazrat Khawaja Awais Qarni(ra) did not have any successor (Khalifa) until Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai 1689 there was not a single Wali who was popular by the name Awaisi Wali Allah and Khawaja Awais Qarni’s silsila was secret (anqa) until Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. Although most people were not aware of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai’s awaisi connection and Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai had got spiritual favours and Khilafat from his grandfather Abdul Kareem Bulhari. Despite that, he was inspired by the spiritual favour from Hazrat Awais Qarni and he was granted Khilafat e Awaisi as well. He was Qutab Ul Aqtab Wali E Akmal of his time. Formally he didn’t give the awaisi spiritual favour to anybody in his life. A long time after his death, Hazrat Shah Long Sindhi came to his shrine and after a long time mujahida Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai granted him with internal (batni) Khilafat.
In the lifetime of Hazarat Shah Long Sindhi, Hazarat Shah Mohammad Arif Arrorvi came to visit him and after a long time Shah Mohammad Arif Arrorvi was granted a Khilafat by Shah Long Sindhi so from him first time the Silsila became famous by the name Silsila Awaisia. In this situation, until today, regarding Hazarat Shah Long Faqir (ra), Hazrat Shah Mohammad Arif Arrorvi, there is not famous history that from Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai the silsila Awasia was spread. Despite this, when Molana Noor U Zaman Shah Sahib was granted Khilafat by Hazrat Shah Mohammad Arif Arrorvi (ra), at that time silsila awasia was introduced openly by Molana Noor u Zaman sahib and when Noor U Zaman Shah sahib granted khilafat to Qibla Alam Molvi Mohammad Amin Sahib and from Amin Sahib to Qibla Mohammad Noor u Din sahib then at that point the Silsila Awaisia became famous like broad day light.
Qibla wa Kaba Mohammad Noor u Din Awaisi (ra) narrated that the Silsila Awaisia was not open to the public so that was the reason silsila awasia was not that popular. Secondly the Wali of Silsila Awaisia does not show Nasooti wonders (Karamat) and Nasooti wonders (Karamat) mostly happens from Alam e Nasoot and Wali’s from Silsila Awaisia do not give much importance to Nasooti wonders but happening of the Malkoti miracles is a real Walayait. They can take a seeker on the right path passing him through the secrets and signs by mushahida and raising his status giving him the recognition of the almighty Allah and making him kamil and Akmal in the marifat of Allah. For this reason, this type of Wali didn’t become famous. Thirdly, in silsila awasia there is not a special method for tazkia and mujahida except acting upon the Shariah, like other silsila’s there is a Dhikr o Azkaar loudly or silently, and in this silsila there is no special dress code that would show signs of Tareeqat.
Qibla Wa Kaba Mohammad Noor U Din Awaisi said that the Silsila Awaisia is also called Qalandari. The reason for this is that the awaisi seeker jumps the 41 stages of Alam e Nasoot in one step and he enters in to Ijlas e Mohammadi. Qalandar is a Farsi word, is used to describe a juggler who jumps backwards, usually this word is linked to the monkey man because monkeys jump backwards. Therefore, because a Wali of silsila Awaisia jumps over the Alam e Nasoot and enters straight into Ijlas E Mohammadi, this is known as the Qalandari silsila.
The characteristics of the favouritism of the silsila awaisia is that when the reader of the Durood Shareef of silila awaisia, reads the durood shareef of the silsila awaisia for the first time he inwardly becomes present in the Ijlas e Mohammadi. It is another matter that in some circumstances because of the lack of the purification of heart, Tazkiya and Mujahida he cannot have a mushahida himself.
Because of the favouritism of the silsila awaisia wali of the Silsila Awaisia does not need permission to enter in the Ijlas e Mohammadi. The doors are open the doors are open for him twenty-four hours a day to enter as many times as he would like to. He can enter the Ijlas e Mohammadi without permission. Qibla wa Kaba Mohammad Noor u Din Awaisi says that because of this love the Awaisi Faqeer’s mistakes are ignored. Despite this relaxation, strict rules are followed regarding manners. As high as the status is, it is as necessary to regard the manners (Adab E Tareeqat). This is a fact, that where the Love of God is regarded, the manners of Love are necessary for the seeker. When you have sold yourself in the Baa’at of a Pir Akmal, then it is necessary for a person to abstain from his desires. Then it is prohibited for the seeker to love anybody other than God or the Love is not perfect, Hazoori (presence) is impossible. After Love a sensitive stage comes, that a Faqeer whilst regarding the manners he should not commit mistakes and sins, this is against the manners. If he is a new follower then the rules will be relaxed. The reason of the mistake, to be a way for purification (Tazkiya), which is prohibited in mushahida, so it is important that for Tazkiya, a Faqeer is put through physical pain so for a seeker this action becomes a cause of the pain, until his desires are purified so that there is no chance of another mistake. For the Kamal (Learned) a small mistake or sin is so accountable that his Muratib (status) is dropped. Such a Faqeer is passed through a very hard test. For which he is passed through a strong Ibadah and Mujahida. At that stage the manners for a Faqeer are like passing over the bridge to reach the paradise for a believer. He is accountable for even a small mistake. Then at this stage when the secrets of the universe are open to the friends of God (Wali), he by himself will be careful and pure from sin. But this path of the Tareeqat becomes very difficult at this stage the Wali becomes distant from everything else except Allah and becomes careful.
In these circumstances silsila awaisia in comparison with the other silasil, gives more importance to adhering to Shariah, tazkiya and mujahida. However, in silsila awasia, because of a Pir Akmal’s love and fame he is given this relaxation that he is not thrown out of the walayiat. Except that he is dropped from his status and put through tests so that he can attain purification. On completing purification (tazkiya) he is taken out of the test and returned to his status. This all depends on the will of the Pir Akmal, that he enters him in a test or he is put through the test by the Batin so because of the recommendation of the Pir Akmal his difficulties are reduced.
Qibla said Allah gave this status of favouritism (Mehboobiyat) to Khawaja Awais Qarni because of his pure love. This favouritism was inherited by followers. The people connected with Khawaja Awais Qarni, if they do not show this connection then they are not called Awaisi. The sign of this connection is that these people love prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) more than their life, their wealth, their offspring, and all things. In Silsila Awaisia, in all aspects of life, you keep the image of the prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) in your mind and heart. To show your love of the prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) through your character you give priority to the Durood Sharif and meditation During your work, your rest time and your night. In this state no day or night in your life should pass without a few moments of meditation, remembrance, Tahajjud, and recitation of Quran.