Ziyarat in Kitab with a visit from Hazrat Dervisch Muhammad al-Samarqandi, Hodja Mahmud al-Amkanaki, Hazrat Bashir. Return to Samarkand. Overnight in Samarkand

On the way...

Maqam of Shaykh Darwish Muhammad

قMawlana Shaykh Muhammad Adil ق visiting the resting place of Shaykh Darwish Muhammad ق in Kitab, Uzbekistan

The shrine of Darvesh Muhammad (date of birth is unknown and Mevlana Darvesh Muhammad died in 1562). The shrine of Mevlana Darvesh Muhammad is located in the village of
Khujaisparoz (or Khujaparvoz), 14 km far from east of the center of Kitab district of Kashkadarya region, and is also known as the Aksu shrine. In this shrine there are the graves of the great sahibkiran Amir Temur’s teacher Sheikh Shamsiddin Kulol (XIV century) and Mevlana Darvesh Muhammad. The healing Aksu River flows in front of the shrine. Till today, a mosque built in the 14th century and a mulberry tree planted at that time are preserved in this sacred place. The length of the mulberry tree can fit up to 9 people’s arms. In its time,
the front of the shrine also contained khujras, after The World War II (1941- 1945) they were destroyed and the bricks were carried away, but the main foundations are still preserved.

Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Adil (Q.S) making dhikr at the mosque of Khawaja Darwish Muhammad (Q.S)

Personality and life of Darvesh Muhammad (Mevlana Darvesh Muhammad) Darvesh Muhammad was originally from the village of Vakhshuvor in the Altynsay district of the Surkhandarya region, that is why he is also known as Darvesh Muhammad Vakhshuvori. Darvesh Muhammad was the nephew of Muhammad Zahid, who was a disciple of Muhammad Khoja Ahror Vali and his descendants are related to Hazrat Umar. He spent 15 years of his youth in zuhd (piety) and riyazat(difficulty). He was educated by his uncle Muhammad Zahid.
After having a knowledge of religion, Darvish Muhammad became one of the greatest of the khalifa and taught the followers and disciples the sciences of the Qur’an and hadith, as well as other scientific rules. He has such works as “Maktubot”, “Risolai dar suluk”, “Risolai khush dar dam”.
According to the narration of the sainthood of Darvish Muhammad, Bukhara khan invited to the meeting all the greats and pirs . Meals were served at the meeting. Darvish Muhammad did not eat any food, and when asked why, he said that these foods were not prepared halal. They asked the reason of why it was not halal, he said that there was najaz (dead animal) in the well which the water of the meal was taken. When they went to the well, they saw a dead
animal at the bottom. Darvish Muhammad, known also as “Khojagan Sardaftari”, allowed his son Khojagi Muhammad Imkanagi to be the sheikh after him. In present day, this sacred place is visited by both local tourists and tourists from all countries around the world such: Indonesia, India, Turkey, Bangladesh, England, France and China.

He is the Ghawth (Arch-Intercessor) of the Famous Saints and the Blessing of the Scholars of Islam. He is the Dawn and the Light of both the East and the West. He is the Master of the Kingdom of Guidance. He grew up in the house of his uncle who taught him the best manners, educated him in spiritual and religious knowledge, and nursed him from the fount of morality and ethics. He quenched his thirst with the Heavenly Realities and Unseen Knowledge, until his heart became a House of Revelation, as Allah said in the Holy  Hadith, “Neither my heaven nor my earth could contain Me, but the heart of my Believing Servant contained Me.”

He was known in his time as Darwish Wali. He grasped all kinds of understandings of the Religion and he was able to erase the mischief and the misguidance of many of the false teachers of his time. He revived languishing hearts and he mended broken hearts, until he became the blessing of his time and the Human Essence of Guidance. He had many followers throughout the country. His house and his mosque were filled with visitors asking and seeking his guidance.

One time after an association he had just held with him and other murids, Shaykh Muhammad az-Zahid told him to go up a certain hill at some distance and wait for him there. The Shaykh told him he would be coming later. Darwish Muhammad was so obedient to his Shaykh that he surrendered his will to him completely. His conduct was perfect. He went and waited for the Shaykh to come, without using his mind to ask: “how shall I go there, what shall I do when I get there, etc.” He moved immediately. He arrived and began to wait. The time for afternoon prayers came and the Shaykh did not show up. Then the sun set. His ego was telling him, “Your Shaykh isn’t coming; you have to go back. Maybe the Shaykh forgot.” His truthful belief, however, told him: “O Darwish Muhammad, believe in your Shaykh and believe that he is certainly coming, as he said. You have to wait.”

How was Darwish Muhammad’s heart to believe his ego when his heart was being lifted up to be with his Shaykh? He braced up and waited. Night came and it was very cold on the hill. He was freezing. He spent all night awake and his only source of warmth was his dhikr of “la ilaha illallah”. Dawn came and the Shaykh had still not shown up. He was hungry and started looking for something to eat. He found some fruit trees, ate, and kept waiting for the Shaykh. The day went, and then the next day. He was again in a big struggle with his ego, but he kept thinking: “If my Shaykh is a real Shaykh, he knows what he is doing.”

A week went and then a month. The Shaykh was not coming. The only distraction Darwish Muhammad had from waiting was dhikrullah, and his daily prayers were his only other activity. He kept on only until the power of his dhikr made the animals come and sit around him to make dhikr with him. He realized that this miraculous power had come to him from his Shaykh.

Winter came and the Shaykh didn’t come. It began to snow. It was extremely cold and there was no more food. He began to cut the bark of the trees and feed himself on the moisture inside, and from roots and whatever green leaves he could find. Deer came to him and he began to milk the ewes. This was another miracle which appeared to him. The ewe did not move when he milked her, and another came. He was being lifted up to higher and higher spiritual levels, and his teacher was sending him spiritual knowledge through these miracles and visions. Khidr ” He said, “What if something had happened to me?” Darwish Muhammad said, “O my Shaykh, if I had not stayed here and waited for you and obeyed, you would have never come to me by permission of the Prophet ” Darwish Muhammad had detected in his heart that his Shaykh was coming by the order of the Prophet .

The Shaykh laughed and said: “Come with me.” At that moment he poured to him the secret and the power of this Golden Chain of the Naqshbandi order that he had in his heart. He then ordered him to be the Shaykh of the murids. Darwish Muhammad remained in his Shaykh’s service until Shaykh Muhammad az-Zahid passed away.

Darwish Muhammad died on the 19th of Muharram, 970 H. He passed the secret of the Order to his son, Muhammad Khwaja al-Amkanaki (q).

Khawaja Muhammad al Amakanki (Q.S)

Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Adil (Q.S) making the ziyarah of Khawaja Muhammad al Amakanki (Q.S)

Shrine of Khojagi Muhammad Imkanagi (Mevlana Abdulboki Khojagi Imkanagi, 1512-1600)
The shrine of Khojagi Muhammad Imkanagiy is located in the village of Imkanak, 12 km far from the east of the center of Kitab district of Kashkadarya region. There is a large complex built on the hill in the early XVII century and there are remains of the khanaqah and the walls of the complex, and in the eastern part of the building there is a dakhma. This complex and dakhma were built by his son and disciple Hoja Abdulqasim in 1601-1605. The foundation of the dakhma was rectangular and the surface was decorated with gray marble.

At the top of the dakhma there is a tombstone made of white carved marble. The shrine is also important because of its location in a beautiful place and is of great interest to visitors. A mosque was built on the territory of the shrine for Muslim tourists during the years of independence. In the southern part of the area there is also a large 16th century maple tree, which can easily accommodate 8 people inside.

Hodja Mahmud al-Amkanaki

Shaykh Muhammad Khwaja al-Amkanaki was born in Amkana, a village of Bukhara. His father and his uncle raised him. During his childhood, he was well guided, until he became like one beneath an exalted dome, protected from every shame. He never discovered any good characteristic except that he acquired it. He discarded even the smallest mistakes and errors. H never encountered a high station without encompassing it, nor a valuable secret without keeping it, nor a delicious spiritual taste without savoring it.
He followed his father like the sun on a bright day and like the full moon on a dark night. He sat on the throne of succession. He tried his best to lift up the hearts of people. He wore the cloak of the spiritual poles. Every atom in this world, whether human or animal, plant or inanimate object, was supported by his spirituality. The light of his power enlightened the Way of this Order, so that his fame spread far and wide. People ran to him to receive his knowledge, to be guided by his light, and to be enlightened by his guidance. His door became the aim of every knower and the qiblah (focus of spiritual attention) of the hearts of the pious. He was dressed and decorated with the attributes of the Divine, attesting to his high position in the heavenly realm.Read more here

Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Adil (Q.S) making hadra after the ziyarah of Khawaja Muhammad al Amakanki (Q.S)

Hazrat Bashir.

the tomb of Hazrat Bashir in Kitab District of Kashkadarya region, the original name of Hazrat Bashir is Sultan Said Ahmad Ali. He was born in 1368 in the village of Kosatarosh of the Kitab District. Until the age of 4-5 , Hazrat Bashir would live under the wing of his parents,and then independently,would reach perfection in the chapter of Sharia, tariqat , enlightenment and truth. He Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Adil (Q.S) making hadra after the ziyarah of Khawaja Muhammad al Amakanki (Q.S)Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Adil (Q.S) making hadra after the ziyarah of Khawaja Muhammad al Amakanki (Q.S)followed the tariqat of Sheikh Bozrukwar Yassavi. The heritage and traditions left by him have been of great value in the Islamic world as well as their place. Rumor has it that Hazrati Bashir throws a stick made of Arch in his hand from the place where he lives, and the stick is pinned to a hill in the same place. Over time, the stick begins to bruise from the place where it was pinned. This juniper is also now living as a burrow. Hazrat Bashir passes away at the age of 96. His grave is on a hill of Spruce greenery, and now this place is called the tomb of Hazrat Bashir. Some sources say that after having placed Hazrati Bashir in the grave,the light fell from the sky after the evening prayer which light the blessed graves of him.

The power of Awliya’ led so many people to guidance. Not only that, but each of them made scholars by teaching the knowledge of Dunyā & Ākhirah. They sent their followers & Murids everywhere, so became means for spreading Islam. All this was for the pleasure of Allah

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8. Khwaja Alauddin al-Attar

Khwaja Alauddin al-Attar (may God sanctify his innermost being), is the eighteenth Shaykh in the Naqshbandi Golden Chain and at the same time, the ninth Khwaja of the ‘Khwajagan’ – the Masters of Wisdom of Central Asia.

Born in Bukhara, his personal name was Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Bukhari, but he became known as Khwaja Alauddin Attar. He left everything that he had inherited from his father to his two brothers, and devoted himself to study in the Sufi and Islamic Schools in his home city. He consequently became a leading authority in both Islamic and Sufi knowledge.

He asked his Master, Khwaja Shah Naqshband, for his daughter’s hand in marriage. The answer came to Shah Naqshband after midnight, while he was sleeping in the village of Qasr al-Arifin. On awakening, he went to the School in Bukhara, where Khwaja Alauddin was studying and living. Shah Naqshband found everyone sleeping except Khwaja Alauddin, who was reading the Holy Quran by the light of a small oil lamp. Coming up behind him, he tapped him on the shoulder but Alauddin did not respond. He tapped him again but he still did not respond. Then through his spiritual vision, Khwaja Shah Naqshband perceived that Khwaja Alauddin was not present but was in the Divine Presence. He then called him spiritually and Khwaja Alauddin immediately looked up and said, “O my Shaykh”.
Shah Naqshband said, “I’ve had a dream in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) accepted your proposal for my daughter. This is the reason that I have come to you so late at night – to inform you of the good news.”
Khwaja Alauddin responded, “O my Shaykh, I have nothing to spend on your daughter nor myself, because I am poor, having given my inheritance to my brothers.”
Shah Naqshband replied, “O my son, whatever God has written for you on the Day of Promises will accrue to you. So do not worry, God will provide.”

Like Joseph was close to the heart of his father, Jacob, Khwaja Alauddin was very dear and special to Shah Naqshband, who took full responsibility for Khwaja Alauddin, raising him from one level to another until he was ready to appear in the Divine Presence. Khwaja Alauddin became unique among the many followers of Shah Naqshband, with the Shaykh ordering him during his lifetime, to enlighten some of the Shaykh’s followers. Consequently, Khwaja Alauddin became the Shaykh of Khwaja Muhammad Parsa, who said he heard Khwaja Alauddin say, “I was given a power by my Shaykh, Shah Naqshabnd, such that if I were to focus on everyone in this universe, I would raise them to the state of perfection. “

Khwaja Alauddin was very dear and special to Shah Naqshband, just as Joseph had been dear to the heart of his father, Jacob.

Two weeks before his death, Khwaja Alauddin Attar advised those close to him, “I am going to leave you, to go to the other life.” He died in 1400 AD and was buried in Denau, in the Surkhandaya region of south-east Uzbekisatn, near the Afghan border.

He passed the secret of the Naqshbandi order onto his foremost Deputy, Khwaja Yaqub al-Charkhi.
His other Deputies, that continued the Naqshbandi teaching were:-
– Khwaja Nizamuddin Khamush, a man of numerous miracles. Shaykh Sa’d al-Din Kashghari was one of his deputies.
– His noble son, Khwaja Hasan Attar, who was a prominent Naqshbandi Shaykh, having many Deputies.
– Shaykh Sayyid Sharif al-Jurani, the author of the Books, ‘The Unity of Being’ and ‘Definitions’.