Dr. Abdulhamid al-Kandah as-Sayyadi ar- Ruphai

O! My Master! O! The Messenger of Allah! You are the aim of creatures! You are the master of each father and nature! You are the unique pearl that all creatures turn around! You are the light filling up earth and sky! Trees and stones greet You! Dump animals start to talk in the presence of you! Date trunk cries because of your separation and longs for you! Dried well swarms with water thanks to your blessed spittle of your blessed mouth!

O! Muhammad Muta al-Haznavi who is a heir of the Prophet Muhammad! It is rumored from Abdullah ibn Masud in Ebu Nuaym’s “Hilye”, Imam Ahmed’s “Mudned”, Haqim’s “Mustedreq”, Bayhaqi’s “Shuab-ul Iman” and Tabarani’s “Avsat” that: “ The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon Him) said: It is certain that there are three hundred servants of Allah among creatures whose hearts are like Adam’s heart! It is certain that there are forty servants of Allah among creatures whose hearts are like Abraham’s heart!

It is certain that there are seven servants of Allah among creatures whose hearts are like Musa’s heart! It is certain that there are five servants of Allah among creatures whose hearts are like Gabriel’s heart! It is certain that there are three servants of Allah among creatures whose hearts are like Michael’s heart! It is certain that there is a servant of Allah among creatures whose heart is like Israfel’s heart! Allah removes misfortunes for the sake of them. Allah gives us rain for the sake of them. They said: O! The Messenger of Allah! Inform us their features! He said: They forgive those who behave cruelly towards them and they do kindness to the people who harm them!”

O! Heir of the Prophet Muhammad! Give ear to the word of Ahmad ar-Ruphai in his Burhan-i Muayyad! He speaks about those who envy a heir and says: “Some ignorant people think that the tutorship of the Prophet Muhammad can be gained by gossip, property or relatives. No! It’s a gift given by almighty Allah with the command of ‘Surely (as for) those for whom the good has already gone forth from Us, they shall be kept far off from it!’” May Allah give peace to our beloved Prophet Muhammad! Now, a quatrain is coming to my mind that Khidr said to Muhammad Baha ar-Ravas, when he saw him in a sheep:

Al-Khidr said those words:
“O! The passenger in the sheep!
I’m telling the good news to you that: Everything is yours!
Look! She is Zulaiha!
She frankly says to you ‘Come on!’”

O! My Master! A man rises from a position to the tutorship position only with “self-possession”. One becomes master of self-possession only by knowing sufi tariqas. I’m telling you the good news that you have a lesson from being Rufai! I will tell you a dream announcing good news to you. After the invitation from Sheikh Salih al-Cazra, Sheikh Ahmad as-Suvayhil and Sheikh Sayyid Muhammad al-Hamid had come to me, I slept. It wasn’t in my mind! In my dream, the saints of a town were building a wall for you in Tal Baraq.

Those saints are Rufais! Then a man of Damascus saints came to write your name. The name of that saint is Abu Suleiman to whom my heart is devoted. Abu Suleiman ad-Darani! He is the sweet basil of Damascus! People of Damascus know him. They know Prof. Abdurrazzaq al-Munis and Abu Suleiman ad-Darani the ulama of Damascus. When he came to write “the heir of the Prophet Muhammad, Muhammad Muta al-Haznavi”, they said to him: “Wait! Wait until covering the wall with ceramic!”

O! My Master! The relationship between us and you reaches past eternity like the family of Sheikh Isa and Namus! My forefather Namus and your forefather Sheikh Ahmad al-Haznavi had choose themselves in past eternity. Today, I and you are two lovers loving each other with Allah’s will and the Prophet’s blessing! I ask almighty Allah for having mercy on this town and protecting it.

Peace and Mercy of Allah be upon you!