Kushada Dil...
During my stay at the city of "Osh" (the birthplace of Hazrat Qutab Uddin Bakhtiyar Kaki r.a now in present day Kyrgyzstan). I had heard of a mystic who wanders in the hillocks of Suleyman Gara ( the mountain of Prophet Suleyman a.s). Nobody knew where he lived, but almost every inhabitant of that city who had some interest in the spirituality or mysticism I met, mentioned that wandering mystic.
I set out from Osh to seek this mystic. His fame was carried from mouth to mouth far and wide, and there were rumors that many high officials even during the USSR years had visited him several times. For every day I will take the Trolly Bus to reach near to the hillocks and then will wander in the hope that today my search will end and I will meet this mystic. On the 6th day of my search a youth told me that somebody told him that there is a cell on the top of the other mountain where he was seen a week ago.
I reached this cell before the sunset. As I entered the small cell, and on saluting the mystic I found out that he had with him one cat he was feeding with milk. The mystic rose and embraced me, and offered me to sit on the only wooden chair. I said to the mystic “ In the name of God”, but he replied quoting from the Quran “ There is none of us but has an appointed place”. So I mounted on the chair and the mystic sat on the straw carpet and leather mat.
It is during my early youth, I had graduated my High School, and was pursuing Russian Language to further continue the studies of medicine.
A very close friend of my maternal grandfather, descendant of Hazrat Baba Farid Uddin Masood Ganj Shakar r.a who himself was the writer of several books and a Sufi Shaykh kissed my forehead when I told him that I was going to the city of “Osh”. There is a mosque with one Minar in that city where our great master Hazur Qutab Paak started his studies of learning the Holy Book. It is the birthplace of Hazrat Qutab Uddin Bakhtiyar Kaki r.a . Do look for the first Madrassah of Qutab Paak”. I came to pay my last visit to the shrine of Qibla-e-Aalam Hazrat Khwaja Nur Mohammed Maharvi r.a in Chishtian Sharif. He was coming out of the shrine and was waiting for his shoes when we met. “After your visit , come to my Library”. After the visit I went to his house nearby and as I entered his library , saw a big welcome smile on his face, as if a lover was looking at the face of traveler who was about to set out on his journey to the city of the Beloved. The only advice I would like to give you young man is to always keep in your mind that you are not going there by yourself or by the efforts of your parents. You are being sent, so be in proper Adab. The rest I don’t know….
Now I was sitting before this mystic in his cell on a chair higher than hosts…..it was not proper “Adab” but elders have told that “ Amr fouq al adab” order is above adab. “If you have ablution we can pray the Meghrib prayers”, upon my positive node he asked me to lead the prayer. After the prayer, both of us sat on the straw carpet and he called for the food. An African looking tall young Mongol with Oriad features entered in the cell with a tray of food, he invited me to eat from the only bowel filled with some Shorba and a plate of famous “Manty” steamed dumplings filled with ground meat and onions.
“ I did not see this boy outside your cell; is he your disciple? I asked the mystic. Oh he is “ Kushada Dil”….he comes to help whenever required but he is no servant or disciple. After the dinner he will take you to the other cell to sleep, if you need anything tell “ Kushada Dil”. We will now meet tomorrow night as I have to depart at mid-night to attend the ensemble of friends of Allah, and should return before the evening.
Kushada Dil escorted me to another small cell, with the straw carpet, a vessel for ritual ablutions, a jar of water and cup, a blanket and a prayer rug.” Feel comfortable here, and if you need anything just call my name, and I will be in your service” he said and closed the door.
While I was wondering what to do, this night was very mysterious. I came here to search for the Madrassah of Hazrat Qutab Uddin Bakhtiyar Kaki r.a and now I was lying in a typical Kyrgyz nomadic camp. Now to mind came “why” with capital W; recalled the words of “ You are being sent, so be in proper adab”. I had this strong urge for the tea, but I was ordered to be in Adab. I heard the voice of Khushada Dil “ Respected would you like to have “ Chai” here or you would like to join me out at fireplace”. It was so prompt that I assumed that my heart and mind was being watched. I raised the cloth and came out. Khushada Dil was standing there with smiling eyes carrying a metal tea pot and an axein his hands, stock of woods on his back. He greeted me with “Sallam” and asked me to follow him towards a big rock. He placed the woods down, and arranged the stones in a way that he can put the pot…. As he was preparing to fire , I was continuously watching this strange looking youth.
Khushada Dil, my brother how old are you? “Two hundered”.he answered without turning his eyes from the flame struggling from wind. . Two hundered years, months or days….I laughed. Khushada Dil laughed back and said “certainly years my brother”…. He laughed in such a way that I didn’t doubt that he was lying. It was natural “ Who he was?”…a cold feeling of fear of unknown ran through my veins.
To Be Continued……..
During my stay at the city of "Osh" (the birthplace of Hazrat Qutab Uddin Bakhtiyar Kaki r.a now in present day Kyrgyzstan). I had heard of a mystic who wanders in the hillocks of Suleyman Gara ( the mountain of Prophet Suleyman a.s). Nobody knew where he lived, but almost every inhabitant of that city who had some interest in the spirituality or mysticism I met, mentioned that wandering mystic.
I set out from Osh to seek this mystic. His fame was carried from mouth to mouth far and wide, and there were rumors that many high officials even during the USSR years had visited him several times. For every day I will take the Trolly Bus to reach near to the hillocks and then will wander in the hope that today my search will end and I will meet this mystic. On the 6th day of my search a youth told me that somebody told him that there is a cell on the top of the other mountain where he was seen a week ago.
I reached this cell before the sunset. As I entered the small cell, and on saluting the mystic I found out that he had with him one cat he was feeding with milk. The mystic rose and embraced me, and offered me to sit on the only wooden chair. I said to the mystic “ In the name of God”, but he replied quoting from the Quran “ There is none of us but has an appointed place”. So I mounted on the chair and the mystic sat on the straw carpet and leather mat.
It is during my early youth, I had graduated my High School, and was pursuing Russian Language to further continue the studies of medicine.
A very close friend of my maternal grandfather, descendant of Hazrat Baba Farid Uddin Masood Ganj Shakar r.a who himself was the writer of several books and a Sufi Shaykh kissed my forehead when I told him that I was going to the city of “Osh”. There is a mosque with one Minar in that city where our great master Hazur Qutab Paak started his studies of learning the Holy Book. It is the birthplace of Hazrat Qutab Uddin Bakhtiyar Kaki r.a . Do look for the first Madrassah of Qutab Paak”. I came to pay my last visit to the shrine of Qibla-e-Aalam Hazrat Khwaja Nur Mohammed Maharvi r.a in Chishtian Sharif. He was coming out of the shrine and was waiting for his shoes when we met. “After your visit , come to my Library”. After the visit I went to his house nearby and as I entered his library , saw a big welcome smile on his face, as if a lover was looking at the face of traveler who was about to set out on his journey to the city of the Beloved. The only advice I would like to give you young man is to always keep in your mind that you are not going there by yourself or by the efforts of your parents. You are being sent, so be in proper Adab. The rest I don’t know….
Now I was sitting before this mystic in his cell on a chair higher than hosts…..it was not proper “Adab” but elders have told that “ Amr fouq al adab” order is above adab. “If you have ablution we can pray the Meghrib prayers”, upon my positive node he asked me to lead the prayer. After the prayer, both of us sat on the straw carpet and he called for the food. An African looking tall young Mongol with Oriad features entered in the cell with a tray of food, he invited me to eat from the only bowel filled with some Shorba and a plate of famous “Manty” steamed dumplings filled with ground meat and onions.
“ I did not see this boy outside your cell; is he your disciple? I asked the mystic. Oh he is “ Kushada Dil”….he comes to help whenever required but he is no servant or disciple. After the dinner he will take you to the other cell to sleep, if you need anything tell “ Kushada Dil”. We will now meet tomorrow night as I have to depart at mid-night to attend the ensemble of friends of Allah, and should return before the evening.
Kushada Dil escorted me to another small cell, with the straw carpet, a vessel for ritual ablutions, a jar of water and cup, a blanket and a prayer rug.” Feel comfortable here, and if you need anything just call my name, and I will be in your service” he said and closed the door.
While I was wondering what to do, this night was very mysterious. I came here to search for the Madrassah of Hazrat Qutab Uddin Bakhtiyar Kaki r.a and now I was lying in a typical Kyrgyz nomadic camp. Now to mind came “why” with capital W; recalled the words of “ You are being sent, so be in proper adab”. I had this strong urge for the tea, but I was ordered to be in Adab. I heard the voice of Khushada Dil “ Respected would you like to have “ Chai” here or you would like to join me out at fireplace”. It was so prompt that I assumed that my heart and mind was being watched. I raised the cloth and came out. Khushada Dil was standing there with smiling eyes carrying a metal tea pot and an axein his hands, stock of woods on his back. He greeted me with “Sallam” and asked me to follow him towards a big rock. He placed the woods down, and arranged the stones in a way that he can put the pot…. As he was preparing to fire , I was continuously watching this strange looking youth.
Khushada Dil, my brother how old are you? “Two hundered”.he answered without turning his eyes from the flame struggling from wind. . Two hundered years, months or days….I laughed. Khushada Dil laughed back and said “certainly years my brother”…. He laughed in such a way that I didn’t doubt that he was lying. It was natural “ Who he was?”…a cold feeling of fear of unknown ran through my veins.
To Be Continued……..
Takht Suleyman , Osh.
Traditional Kyrgyz camp.
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