Khwaja Usman Harooni & shrine ख्वाजा उस्मान हारूनी خواجہ عثمان ہارونی کی سیرت اور مزار کی تاریخ

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Biography of Khwaja Usman Harooni and the history of his shrine

Dekhti Aankhooon aur sountay kaanoon ko Asslamoalaikum, sisters, brothers friends and elders, in informative series videos of Islamic ascolars, sufisaints, cultural heritages, islamic philosophys, islamic mysticisms and historical figures. today we are describing biography of Khwaja Usman Harooni and the history of his shrine.

Khwaja Usman Harooni was an early modern wali or Sufi saint of Islam in India, a successor to Shareef Zandani, sixteenth link in the Silsila of the Chishti order, and master of Moinuddin Chishti. Usman Harooni was born in Haroon, Iran. His year of birth is variously given as 1096, 1116 and 1131 AD (490, 510 and 526 AH). He is also known by the nicknames Abu Noor and Abu Mansur.

When he was young, he met a mystic named Chirk. This association brought about a significant transformation in his life. As a result, he decided to seek a higher moral and spiritual life.

Harooni later met Shareef Zandani, a mystic and saint of the Chishti order, and requested to enroll as his spiritual disciple. Zandani accepted his request by placing a four-edged cap upon his head.

He was indeed a grand and esteemed personality. Hazrat Sarkaar Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) hailed from a place in Khorasan known as Harwan or Hirwan, which is why he is also known as Harooni and Harwani or Hirwani.

He was a great scholar (Aalim) and an ascetic (Zahid), and a prominent Sufi of his time. He acquired knowledge from renowned scholars in Nishapur and excelled in various disciplines such as Hadith, Fiqh, Tafseer, and more.

Hazrat Sayyiduna Khwaja Uthman Harooni took Bay’at, the oath of spiritual allegiance, at the sacred hands of Hazrat Khwaja Haji Shareef Zandani, who was a great mystic in his era. He served his revered spiritual guide with utmost dedication and advanced swiftly in the path of spiritualism (Sulook) and divine knowledge (Ma’rifat).

He was well-known for his spiritual struggles and sincere devotion in worship. He engaged in Mujaahida, deep spiritual exercises, to attain closeness to Almighty Allah, and he did so with immense devotion. It is reported that for seventy years, he practiced intense Mujaahida, during which he never ate to his fill, only consuming what was necessary. Despite his intense spiritual endeavors, he was an exceptional Hafiz of the Holy Qur’an. Alongside his other acts of worship, he loved reciting the Qur’an and would complete one Khatam Shareef daily.

Subhan’Allah! This should serve as a lesson for all our revered Huffaz e Kiraam (those who have memorized the Qur’an). This was the way of these beloved servants of Allah. If a Hafiz or an Alim wishes to attain true success and blessings in their knowledge and recitations, they should seek inspiration from these beloved ones of Allah.

Hazrat Sarkaar Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him), the spiritual guide of Sultan ul Hind Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (may Allah’s mercy be upon him), was a truly blessed individual. His supplications would swiftly find acceptance in the Court of Almighty Allah. He was known as Mustajaabud Da’waat, meaning his prayers were answered promptly.

A beautiful example of this is when Hazrat Sarkaar Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) frequently prayed for his final resting place to be in the sacred city of Makkah Mukarramah. Almighty Allah accepted his supplication, and today his blessed tomb resides in the holy city of Makkah Mukarramah.

When making supplications for Sultan ul Hind Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (may Allah’s mercy be upon him), he would often say that this beloved son of mine, referring to his devoted disciple, has served me with utmost sincerity and devotion, leaving no deficiency in his service. O Allah! Bestow upon him the best of rewards and grant him excellence and divine proximity, elevating him to a distinguished position among the Awliyah (saints).

Subhan’Allah! He prayed for a place in Makkah, and his prayer was answered. He beseeched Almighty Allah to bless his devoted disciple and the pride of his disciples, Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (may Allah’s mercy be upon him), with exceptional excellence. And indeed, Allah bestowed upon him a unique excellence that was a result of the supplication made by his perfect spiritual guide and his sincere recognition of Huzoor Ghaus e Azam (may Allah’s mercy be upon him). This elevated him to the esteemed station of Sultan ul Hind, a position that is truly unique and exalted.

Hazrat Sayyid Meer Abdul Wahid Bilgirami is a distinguished and revered spiritual figure. In his widely renowned book, Saba’ Sanabil Shareef, he narrates the following:

The excellence and acceptance of Hazrat Sayyiduna Khwaja Uthman Harooni were of such magnitude that during his prayer, an unseen voice would declare, “We have accepted your prayer. Ask whatever you wish to ask.” Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) would respond, “O Allah! I seek Your proximity.” The voice would then say, “O Uthman! I have bestowed upon you an eternal radiance. What more do you desire?” Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) would humbly request, “O Allah! Forgive the sinful ones from the Ummah of Your Beloved Muhammad (peace be upon him).” The voice would reply, “Due to you, I have forgiven thirty thousand sinful people from the Ummah of My Beloved Muhammad Mustafa (peace be upon him).”

Hazrat Sayyid Meer Abdul Wahid Bilgirami further states that Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) would receive these glad tidings five times daily.

Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni was undeniably a great Wali (saint) and Sahib-e-Karamat (possessor of miracles). While this is a brief account, I will present a few of his blessed miracles (karamats) here.

To truly witness the miracles of Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him), one should visit Ajmer Sharif and seek the blessings of his radiant karamats, which continue to bestow blessings even after more than eight centuries through his perfect spiritual guide.

Hazrat Sarkaar Khwaja Gharib Nawaaz (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) would often narrate that once while traveling with my Shaykh-e-Kamil (perfect spiritual guide), we reached the banks of the River Tigris. Unfortunately, there was no boat available at that time to cross the river. My Murshid (spiritual guide) then instructed me to close my eyes. After a few moments, he said, “Open your eyes!” When I opened my eyes, to my astonishment, we were both standing on the other side of the river, on the banks of the River Tigris.

This incident emphasizes the importance of firmly holding onto the righteous servants of Allah and attaching ourselves to them. By doing so, we can partake in their blessings in all aspects of life, both in this world and in the hereafter.

Once, a distressed and anxious old man approached my Murshid, Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him). He expressed his sorrow, stating that his son had been missing for the past forty years. Overwhelmed by uncertainty, the old man sought Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni’s blessed supplication to help him locate his son and ease his distress. With humility, Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) bowed his head and entered a state of spiritual meditation known as Muraqaba.

After some time, Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) raised his noble head and addressed those present in his gathering, urging them to make dua (supplication) for the reunion of the old man and his son. Once the gathering completed their prayers, Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) said to the old man, “Go home, your son has arrived at your house.”

Upon reaching his home, the old man found a person standing there, joyfully announcing the return of his long-lost son. After an emotional reunion, they both visited the Court of Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him). Curious, Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) inquired about the son’s whereabouts and the events that had unfolded during his absence.

The son narrated his extraordinary experience, sharing that he had been abducted by jinns and held captive on an isolated island, bound by chains on his hands and feet. However, a blessed individual resembling Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) appeared before him. As the person glanced at the chains, they miraculously shattered and fell away. Taking the son’s hand, the blessed individual instructed him to close his eyes. Moments later, when the son opened his eyes, he found himself standing at the doorstep of his home.

Subhan’Allah! This incident exemplifies the remarkable abilities of the Awliyah Allah (saints of Allah). Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) never revealed that this was his karamat (miracle). Instead, he attributed the reunion to the collective dua of the people. In reality, through his divine insight (Nazr e Wilayat), while in the state of Muraqaba, Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) had scanned the earth, located the missing son, and freed him from the island. He had also facilitated the son’s transportation to his home. Thus, when he instructed the people to make dua for the son’s return, he already knew that the reunion had taken place by the mercy of Allah.

Once, Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) happened to pass by a place inhabited by fire-worshippers, also known as Zoroastrians. These worshippers had constructed a grand temple with a dome where a fire would burn continuously day and night. Twenty large loads of logs were burned daily, and the place was always crowded with fire worshippers.

Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) sat under a tree near a river, while his attendant Fakhrud’deen prepared some bread (rotis) for their iftar (meal after fasting). When Fakhrud’deen approached the fire worshippers to obtain some fire, they refused to provide it. Fakhrud’deen returned to Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) and informed him about the situation.

The perfect spiritual guide and Murshid of Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaaz (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) personally rose and approached the fire-worshippers. He went up to their leader, who sat on a throne with his seven-year-old son on his lap, surrounded by his followers who worshipped the fire.

Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) addressed the leader, questioning the benefit of worshipping a fire that could easily be extinguished with a little water. He urged the leader and his followers to worship the Creator who had created the fire and everything else, instead of the mere creation itself.

The leader of the fire-worshippers responded that fire held great significance in their faith. He explained that they worshipped fire as their deity to prevent it from burning them after death.

Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) challenged their belief, suggesting that they put their hand into the fire to test whether it would spare them or burn them. The leader of the fire-worshippers dismissed the idea, claiming that fire’s nature was to burn, and no one would dare to go near it.

Hearing this, Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) swiftly lifted the leader’s seven-year-old son from his lap, recited “Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem” (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), and recited the verse:

He then walked into the raging fire within their temple. The fire worshippers were astonished and began shouting and screaming. Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) disappeared momentarily within the flames and emerged unharmed. Not only were his clothes unaffected by the fire, but they were also untouched by smoke.

Thousands of fire worshippers had gathered, witnessing this miraculous event. Overwhelmed by the karamat (miracle), they repented and accepted Islam at the blessed hands of Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him). The Murshid of Sultan ul Hind, Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him), named the leader Abdullah and his son Ibraheem. Both of them became his devoted followers, and he nurtured them spiritually until Allah blessed them with sainthood (wilayat).

The Temple of Fire was dismantled, and a mosque was built in its place for the worship of Allah. Some narrations mention that Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Harooni (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) remained there for two and a half years, guiding and educating the newly converted community.

Subhan’Allah! This miracle performed by the perfect spiritual guide is reflected in Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaaz (may Allah’s mercy be upon him), who witnessed hundreds of thousands accepting Islam at his blessed hands during his lifetime. It is a clear manifestation of Murshid’s influence and teachings. This serves as evidence that a sincere disciple who adheres to the commands and love of their perfect Shaykh will reflect the qualities and manifestations of their Shaykh, becoming a means of divine blessings and guidance for others.

With this, we seek your permission until tomorrow, tomorrow we will describe the biography of Scholar Fakhr al-Din Iraqi and the history of his maqbara. Allah Hafiz.
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