SUFI STORIES #12 SHAYKH MAHSHOOK RAHMAN ABDUL MAJEED – MY QADIRI SHAYKH, A VERY LOVING, GENTLE & HUMBLE SAINT

 Shaykh Mahshook Rahman is my Shaykh in the Qadiri Tariqah. His name means one who is favoured by The Most Compassionate God. The Qadiri Sufi Order is named after Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (May Allah sanctify his soul), the Sultan of All the Sufi Saints (see Sufi Stories #4).

I call him Atta (“father” in Tamil). He was born in 1943 in Chittarkotai, Tamil Nadu, India. At his birth, his father confidently announced that his son will become a Saint, and he wrote this in his diary. His family was poor, and he worked as a shepherd before migrating to Malaysia (Malaya then) in 1956 with his uncle when he was 13.

At age 22 he was invited into the Sufi path by his teacher and Master, Shaykh Abdul Ghani Jalaludeen Siddiqi Al Qadiri (May Allah’s mercy be upon him), who had also come to Malaysia from Tamil Nadu. Shaykh Abdul Ghani was a descendant of Sayyidina Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, the first Rightly-Guided Khalifa of Islam. He was teaching at the main mosque for Indian Muslims in Kuala Lumpur (Masjid India). So Atta was able to learn and be spiritually guided while staying and working not far from there.

Shaykh Abdul Ghani received the authority to take disciples directly from Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (1077-1166), the Spiritual Pole (Ghawth Al Azam) of all Sufis. He frequently returned to India to spread Sufism and took many disciples under his wing, including Atta’s mother, wife and many of the villagers.

In his old age, Shaykh Abdul Ghani returned to his hometown in India, and died peacefully in 1975. May Allah grant him the best of Heaven! His shrine is beside the madrasa (religious school) that he built before his death. He called the madrasa his “last child”.

Atta used to work in a bookstore, selling Islamic books and paraphernalia. One day he received Divine instructions to stop working at the bookstore and “work from home” instead – to help and guide those that Allah will send to him.

At that time he already had a wife and three children. So he asked God how was he supposed to support his family? God answered that He will take care of his sustenance! Since then he has stayed home, giving advice to people, and guiding his disciples on good character, religion and spirituality. He distributes free Islamic booklets to various places, including mosques that are frequented by tourists. He also travels often, mostly to India.

I was introduced to him sometime in 1993 by my godbrother, a revert Indian Muslim, several years after I had already become a mureed of Shaykh Nazim (May Allah sanctify his soul) of the Naqshbandi Aliyyah Sufi Order. Atta knew about Shaykh Nazim, but had never met him.

I had known him for several years before he told me that he had received orders from Allah to take me as his mureed (disciple). I was extremely delighted because I had already observed that Atta is special.

One of his mureeds had dreamt of Atta lovingly and humbly putting on the slippers for the beloved Prophet (PBUH). Indeed Atta is a gentle, humble, loving man with a permanent smile on his face. He is extremely patient, and never gets angry.

He shows absolute obedience and submission to God. Not only does he do everything by first reciting the Basmallah (Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahiim/In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful), he actually WAITS FOR ALLAH’S PERMISSION before proceeding!

He calls Allah “Boss”. So there will always be a momentary pause before he does anything, until he gets the clearance from Boss.

Occasionally, he is denied permission. For example - somebody brings a gift, then, Boss tells him not to accept it (most probably there is some insincere intention behind it). Sometimes, he receives a gift from somebody, then when the next visitor comes, he gives that same gift to the new visitor because God commands him to do so, much to the surprise (and disappointment) of the original giver. He explains that God had meant that item as rizq (Malay – rezeki) or sustenance for the final receiver. Everything belongs to God; we are actually only temporary trustees of whatever we own; and God can decide to give more, take away some or all, or transfer ownership (trusteeship) to whoever He wishes!

Even when his phone rings, there will be a momentary pause to get Boss’s permission before he picks up the phone.

Because of his strict obedience to the command of the Qu’ran – to obey Allah, The Prophet (PBUH) and those in authority - I have not been able to visit him for the last 10 months since the COVID-19 MCO (Movement Control Order) began. As a senior citizen at risk (he is 77), he strictly abides by the government’s instructions to stay home and not to receive visitors. So now we only keep in touch via the phone with much assistance from his daughter and personal assistant.

Another of his unique character is his deep expression of reverence to God and The Prophet (PBUH). Muslims are taught to say the salutation “Subhana wa Ta’ala” (Most Glorious and Most High) when the name of God is mentioned; and the short salawat “Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam” (May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) when the name of The Prophet is mentioned. In writing, these are often shortened to SWT and SAW/PBUH respectively.

Most of us will quietly say these salutations whenever Allah and The Prophet (PBUH) are mentioned. But Atta does it full of feeling, putting his hands over his heart at the same time.

Atta never ever says bad things about anyone – unless God instructs him to convey something negative about somebody. And whenever I said something negative about someone, he would gesture to me to stop saying it and supplicate for that person instead.

Atta is never wasteful. When he eats, he will finish the last morsel of food. Not a grain of rice will be left, and the plate will be wiped cleaned (as if never used) with his fingers. His meals are always “finger-licking good”! The Prophet (PBUH) had taught us that every grain of rice, every bit of food, is rizq from Allah that must be appreciated and never wasted. The Prophet (PBUH) also taught us not to waste water even when we are at a river. Wastefulness is a trait of Satan.

I was lucky because Atta’s late wife (May Allah bless her soul) loved me very much and always asked him to invite me for meals. I called her Amma (Tamil for Mother). Once, after I had already become Atta’s mureed, I was invited for lunch. Then while I was eating, Atta kept me comfortable by fanning me with a hand-fan! I was really surprised. I asked why was my Shaykh treating me as if I were the Shaykh and he were the mureed? He said that he was nobody, just a humble servant of Allah. Every time I recall this incident, tears well up in my eyes. I am so thankful to God for putting me under the guidance of such a humble, loving and obedient Servant and Saint of His.

There were prophets and Messengers who preached openly (like Moses, Jesus and Mohammad, peace be upon them), and there were others who were “hidden” and only taught those who were sent to them (like Prophet Khidr – see Sufi Stories #9).

Likewise there are Shaykhs who openly invite people to become their mureeds (like Shaykh Nazim, Shaykh Muhammad Adil, Shaykh Hisham Kabbani and many others), and others like Atta who only take mureeds under Divine instructions, or instructions from The Prophet (PBUH). Atta does not have many mureeds like these other Shaykhs.

Even before the COVID pandemic, he rarely accepted visitors.  Very few of my family members and friends have had the privilege of meeting him. My Sufi friends from China had to wait 3 years before he agreed to see them. Remember, he only agrees if and when God allows him to do so. For now, he does not receive any visitor at all.

I have shared enough about his character for you to know about him, and agree that his father’s prediction was correct. He is a loving, gentle and humble Saint. In the next few articles, I will share my experiences that involve Atta, including some that illustrate the special powers God granted him. Since he is here in KL with me, I have more stories involving him than with my other Shaykhs who are not here.

Atta is camera-shy, and does not take photographs other than for the compulsory ID, passport etc. I do not have his photo and so he will remain hidden. However, I have permission to show the photo of his Master, Shaykh Abdul Ghani Jalaludeen Siddiqi Al Qadiri (May Allah sanctify his soul). So please take note that the photo below is NOT of him, but of his late Shaykh.

Atta’s face is as clean as that of his Shaykh. And he has white gleaming teeth which is the envy of many. That is because he always follows the Sunnah (Prophetic example) of brushing his teeth with the siwak (or miswak, the chewing or toothbrush stick made from the twig of a certain tree) many times throughout the day. A scientific study has revealed that the chewing stick (siwak) has parallel and at times greater mechanical and chemical cleansing of oral tissues as compared to the normal toothbrush [reference - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4114011/].

Salam/Peace to all. See you at my next SUFI STORIES!