Dreams and Visions in Islamic Societies

14. The Visionaries of a Ṭarīqa: The Uwaysī Sufis of Shåhjahånåbåd

CHAPTER 14 The Visionaries of a T .ar¥qa The Uways¥ Sufis of Shåhjahånåbåd Meenakshi Khanna One day, in the assembly of Shaykh Sayyid ¡asan, there was a discussion about the appearance of the ennobling vision of the Prophet. The Shaykh related, “As, by the grace of God, this circumstance often appeared to me, therefore in order to confirm the legality of this matter, I dressed myself in distinguished robes and accompanied by a few other men visited the house of Shaykh ˜Abd al-¡aqq Mu±addith Dihlaw¥. He asked me, “Where have you come from?” I replied, “From the East.” He then questioned, “What is your intention in visiting this city?” I answered, “For my livelihood.” He further enquired, “What is your name?” I responded, “˜Abdallåh.” All this was true. . . . Then he asked, “What is the purpose of your visit?” I submitted, “There is a person who often sees his holiness, the refuge of prophecy, may God bless him and grant him salvation. Kindly verify this matter with an appropriate ÷ad¥th.” He responded, “The fact is, in whatever form the Prophet is seen, and if the seer is confident that the vision is the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him salvation, or if the apparition itself claims to be the Prophet, then undoubtedly the vision is of the Prophet. There is no interference of the Devil in this matter.”1 273 274 Meenakshi Khanna This episode is recorded in the hagiography of a seventeenth-century Sufi, Sayyid ¡asan, who lived in Shåhjahånåbåd. In the medieval sources he is mentioned invariably by his laqab (title) “Ras¶lnumå” (One who shows the way to the Prophet).2 Although this dialogue signifies the gravity of concern over the appearance of the Prophet in visions, it also hints at the tension between two alternate methods of spirituality that co-existed in Hind¨stån (northern India) in those days. On the one hand, ˜Abd al-¡aqq (1551–1642 AD), the renowned scholar of the Prophet’s traditions and practicing Sufi in the Qådir¥ †ar¥qa, epitomizes the idea of spiritual authority structured around the concept of silsila (initiatic genealogy). Sayyid ¡asan, on the other hand, subverts this scheme of spiritual-genealogical authority and challenges its historical frame of reference by forging direct association with the principal source of authority of the Prophet through the Uways¥ technique. The appellation “Uways¥” is inspired by the story of Uways al-Qaran¥, the Yemeni contemporary of the Prophet who never met him, but communicated with him through telepathic means, thereby becoming deeply devoted to him. Later, Sufis who were initiated by the spirits of Mu±ammad or of pre-Islamic prophets, or by the spirits of the Sufi saints from the past, were known as Uways¥.3 Because this †ar¥qa (spiritual method) was marked by the absence of a physically present shaykh (master), initiation and instruction along the Sufi path was mediated through visionary means. When compared with the more conventional formulation of the silsila as Sufi organizational behavior, the Uways¥ notion leaves the individual Sufi, notwithstanding his spiritual status, essentially unable to guide and teach others. The Sufi described in this chapter, however, proves himself to be a capable instructor of disciples by inducing dreams and visions. This study attempts to understand the method and significance of Sayyid¡asan’s †ar¥qa through an analysis of dreams and visions that are recorded in his principal hagiography, Malf¶z .åt-i ¡a¿rat Sayyid ¡asan Ras¶lnumå (“Discourses of the Venerable Sayyid ¡asan Ras¨lnumå”). I concentrate on two aspects of visionary experiences mentioned in this work. First, this chapter is concerned with the mode in which the visionary narratives highlight some formative aspects of an Uways¥ community established by Sayyid ¡asan Ras¶lnumå. Dream episodes play a vital role in the initiation and elaboration of relationship between the master and disciples, but in the Uways¥ tradition this relationship gains added strength due to the p¥r’s (guide) immediate relationship to the Prophet. As is seen here, Sayyid ¡asan not only communicated with the Prophet but also enabled his disciples to partake in his visions. Second, this chapter explores the contemporary Muslim intellectual 275 The Visionaries of a T .ar¥qa concerns for dreams and visions through the lens of Sayyid ¡asan’s hagiography...