HIDDEN GEMS – by Mufti Omar Dawood
Hazrat Khwaja Ameer-e-Kulaal رضي الله عنه
NAME – Shamsuddeen
APPELLATION – Ameer-e-Kulaal
Kulaal in Farsi literally means earthen pot maker but it is also the name of the tribe which Hazrat Ameer comes from. After the demise of his father, he became the leader of the tribe, hence the title Ameer-e-Kulaal (leader of the Kulaal tribe)
DATE OF BIRTH – Towards the end of the 13th century
PLACE OF BIRTH – In a town called Saukhar near Bukhara (current day Uzbekistan)
AREA OF SERVICE – Primarily in Bukhara (Uzbekistan)
SHAIKH IN TAREEQAH – Hazrat Khwaja Baba Samaasi رضي الله عنه
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY – Khwaja Ameer-e-Kulaal رضي الله عنه was born into a family of Sayeds and his genealogy reaches the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه و آله و سلم via Hazrat Imaam[1] Hussain ibn Ali رضي الله عنهما.
His birth name is Shamsuddeen but he was famously known as Ameer-e-Kulaal.
In his early life, Khwaja Ameer رضي الله عنه practiced wrestling. One day, while Hazrat Ameer-e-Kulaal رضي الله عنه was busy training, Hazrat Baba Samaasi رضي الله عنه passed through. He stopped and began to rest in the shade of a wall looking at Hazrat Ameer رضي الله عنه. His Mureeds asked him why he stopped there and in reference to Hazrat Ameer-e-Kulaal رضي الله عنه, he explained, ‘There is a marvel of a human being here whose company will benefit the most celebrated of the time. I await him to become my allotted share.’
Thus, when Hazrat Ameer رضي الله عنه cast his sight on Hazrat Baba رضي الله عنه, he lost his heart to his unique disposition and from then onwards, never practiced wrestling. He became a loyal and ardent spiritual disciple of Hazrat Baba Samaasi رضي الله عنه and for eight consecutive years, he would travel between Saukhar and Samaasi daily to be in the company of his Shaikh (the distance between Saukhar and Samaasi is approximately 30 km).
Ameer-e-Kulaal رضي الله عنه possessed much Taqwa. He would never dry his clothes on branches of trees or even grass for fear of them bending from the weight of his clothes and animals not being able to graze properly. Instead, he would dry them by placing them on his back for the sun to dry them.
Many Karaamats (miracles) are attributed to Hazrat Ameer-e-Kulaal رضي الله عنه but Hazrat Khwaja Bahaauddeen Naqshbandi رضي الله عنه , the patriarch of the Naqshbandi Tareeqah, is indeed his most famed miracle (his disciple and Khalifah). He had 114 Khulafaa.
TEACHINGS – If your back becomes bent and body weak due to Ibaadah and Mujaahidah, it is not sufficient for you to reach your destination if your sustenance is not earned through Halaal means and your clothing is impure.
- To follow the Shariah of the Holy Prophet صلي الله عليه و آله و سلم is the foundation of all goodness.
- To attain knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim, we should never stop acquiring knowledge.
- Tauba is the foundation of servitude.
DEMISE – 8th Jamaadul Oola, 772 A.H. (Thursday)
LOCATION OF HIS BLESSED GRAVE – Hazrat Ameer-e-Kulaal رضي الله عنه was laid to rest in Saukhar, Uzbekistan.
We pray that Allah جل جلاله bless us all through the pious means of Hazrat Khwaja Ameer-e-Kulaal رضي الله عنه.
References –
Nafahaatul Uns by Allamah Nooruddeen Abdur Rahmaan Jaami t
Tazkirah Mashaaikh-e-Naqshband by Allamah Noor Baksh Tawakkuli t
[1] The word ‘Imaam’ here is not to be confused with the Shia belief of ‘Imamate’.
