14. ^cArif ar-Riwakri

 

^cArif ar-Riwakri
May Allah Sanctify His Soul

"Is there any place our King is not? But His sorcery has blindfolded the viewer.
He blindfolds your eyes such that you see a dustmote at midday, but not the greatest Sun,
A ship at sea, but not the ocean's waves.
The ship's bobbing tells you about the sea, just as the movement of people tells the blind man that it is daytime.
Have you not read the verse, God has set a seal... [2:7] ? It is God who sets the seal, and it is He who removes it and lifts up the coverings [50:22].

Rama, Davan.

He was a Knower whose Inner Truth appeared to him in all its brightness and light. He was a Sun of Knowledge who illuminated the dark sky of his Age. He was called the Light in the Garden of Reality and the Light in the Garden of the Prophet (s).

Arif (q) was born in the village of Riwakar six miles from Bukhara and one mile from Ghujdawan. He stood at the door of his Shaikh, Abdul Khaliq, and served him until the Shaikh gave him permission for irshad (giving guidance). He took the Secret of the Order from his Shaikh who witnessed his attainment to the state of perfection. He filled the countries around Bukhara with the scent of his blessings. He opened the minds and the hearts of the people of his time to the secrets of his knowledge.

His students recorded many of his sayings. The following are some of them:

• "Trust in God until He becomes your Teacher. Make the Remembrance of Death your partner."
• "Too much hope in the future veils you from the good found in Allah's Way."
• "Whoever says ten times in a day, 'Oh Allah Guide the Nation of Mu ammad. Oh Allah Bless the Nation of Muhammad. Oh Allah remove all afflictions from the Nation of Mu ammad,' will be written among the group of saints known as the Abdal."
• "Whoever asks for Paradise without any good deeds it will be written for him as the Sin of Sins. Whoever awaits intercession without a cause, has a form of pride."
• "It is surprising to see so many Righteous ( ali an), and yet so few Truthful believers ( adiqan)."
• "To achieve healing from any affliction keep your affliction secret from people because they can be of no benefit to you. They can neither help you nor can they keep it from reaching you."
• "There are three kinds of hearts: the heart like a mountain, which nothing can move; the heart like a palm-tree, its roots firm but its branches in motion; and the heart like a feather, which the wind blows from right to left."
• "Who hopes to protect his religion, must avoid the company of people."
• "O Allah, whenever you want to punish me, do it, but don't keep me away from Your Presence."

Arif ar-Riwakri (q) died in the same city he was born, Riwakar, and he was buried there. He passed his secret to Shaikh Khwaja Mahmoud al-Injir al-Faghnawi (q).

taken from:

The Naqshbandi Sufi Way: History and Guidebook of the Saints of the Golden Chain, KAZI, 1995 by Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani