Al-Ghawth Al-Aʿzam RadiyAllāhu ʿAnhu and Salāh Al-Dīn Al-Ayyūbī RadiyAllāhu ʿAnhu

Shaykh Ahmad Al-Rifāʿī writes in his book that Sayyidunā Al-Ghawth Al-Aʿzam went to the region of Dasnāfī with some of his Murīds to spread Islām. The archbishop there, who had spent some time in Baghdād and Egypt and had heard some Ahādīth from Muslim scholars, approached Al-Ghawth Al-Aʿzam and said, “There is a Hadīth of your Prophet ﷺ in which he ﷺ said, ‘The lordly scholars of my Ummah will be like the Prophets of Banū Isrā’īl.’”

Al-Ghawth Al-Aʿzam asked, “What doubt do you have in this?” The bishop replied, “Sayyidunā ʿĪsā ʿAlayhi Al-Salām was a Prophet of the Banū Isrā’īl, and Allāh ﷻ gave him the Muʿjizah of resurrecting the dead with one strike. You are from the ʿUlamā’ of your Prophet’s Ummah so show us something like that of the Prophets of the Banū Isrā’īl.” Al-Ghawth Al-Aʿzam said, “Without doubt this is the dignity of the lordly scholars of our Prophet ﷺ, meaning the Awliyā’-Allāh.”

Thus, Al-Ghawth Al-Aʿzam went with him to a graveyard nearby. The bishop pointed at a very old grave and said, “I want to see this deceased person exactly like that.” Al-Ghawth Al-Aʿzam came closer to the grave and while striking the grave, he said, “Rise, with the will of Allāh, and show this person what he wants.” The grave opened that very moment. The deceased rose, greeted Al-Ghawth Al-Aʿzam and then asked, “Has Qiyāmah come?” Al-Ghawth Al-Aʿzam replied, “No, this was done upon the request of this priest. Inform him from which era you are.” He said, “I am from the time of Sayyidunā Dānyāl ʿAlayhi Al-Salām and I was his follower.” Al-Ghawth Al-Aʿzam then said, “Return back to your grave. You will stay there until Qiyāmah.” The deceased returned back to his grave and it closed, with the will of Allāh ﷻ.

Witnessing this Karāmah, the bishop and all of his people entered into the folds of Islām, which later on made great successful and victorious efforts for Islām. The conquerer of Bayt Al-Maqdis, Sultān Salāh Al-Dīn Al-Ayyūbī was an individual from these people. His father accepted Islām in that time and became a Murīd of Al-Ghawth Al-Aʿzam, and he went on to serve as a very senior army officer for the Abyssinian Sultāns of Al-Shām. He once went to Baghdād and presented his ten year old son, Salāh Al-Dīn Al-Ayyūbī, in the august court of Al-Ghawth Al-Aʿzam. He asked Al-Ghawth Al-Aʿzam to place his hand on his son’s head and pray that he would become a great fighter and conqueror. Thus, Al-Ghawth Al-Aʿzam placed his blessed hand upon the head of Salāh Al-Dīn Al-Ayyūbī, made Duʿā’ and said, “In shā’ Allāh, he will be a famous personality in history and Allāh will give a great victory through him.”

And so history has seen how great a conqueror Salāh Al-Dīn Al-Ayyūbī, who was instated as Sultān after Sultān Nūr Al-Dīn Zangī, was. Bayt Al-Maqdis was won through him, and the armies of the greatest Christian rulers of Europe could not stand in front of his military grandeur. Sultān Salāh Al-Dīn Al-Ayyūbī defeated all of Europe in the Battle of the Cross. This was all the grace of the glorious Karāmah of Al-Ghawth Al-Aʿzam and his prayers that that clear victory changed the course of history and gave the Muslim nation great glory.

From volume one of Sharh Hadā’iq e Bakhshish by Muftī Fayz Ahmad Uwaysī ʿAlayh Al-Rahmah

Translated by Neesarahmed Amjadi