HADHRAT YUSUF BIN HUSAIN (rahmatullah alayh)
1. Hadhrat Yusuf Bin Husain (rahmatullah alayh) was the mureed of Hadhrat Zunnoon Misri (rahmatullah alayh). He was extremely handsome and by nature had a beautiful disposition.
The daughter of an Arab chief once saw him and was overwhelmed by love. She too was famed for her beauty. One day when she found an opportunity to see him in privacy, she expressed her burning love for him. Fear of Allah overcame Yusuf Bin Husain and he promptly fled. During the night he dreamt that Hadhrat Nabi Yusuf (alayhis salaam) was seated on a throne. Rows of malaa-ikah were standing with reverence infront of him. When Nabi Yusuf (alayhis salaam) saw Yusuf Bin Husain, he (Nabi Yusuf) arose from the throne and stepped forward to welcome him. He honoured Yusuf Bin Husain by seating him on the throne. Nabi Yusuf (alayhis salaam) said to Yusuf Bin Husain:
"When the fear of Allah gripped you when the daughter of the Arab chief expressed her love for you, Allah Ta'ala said to me:
'O Yusuf, look! You had supplicated to Me to save you from the evil of Zulaikha. Here is Yusuf (Bin Husain) who did not even look at the daughter of the Arab chief for the sake of My Fear.'
Nabi Yusuf (alayhis salaam) added:
'I have been instructed to welcome you. You will attain the ranks of the Auliyaa of the Deen. Go to Zunnoon Misri and acquire the Ismul A'zam from him."
When his eyes opened, Yusuf Bin Husain journied to Egypt. He spent a year in the suhbat of Hadhrat Zunnoon Misri (rahmatullah alayh). After expiry of the year, Hadhrat Zunnoon Misri said: "Ask whatever you wish for." Yusuf Bin Husain said: "Impart to me the Ismul A'zam." Zunnoon Misri remained silent. After another year had passed Hadhrat Zunnoon Misri gave a dish covered with a cloth to Yusuf Bin Husain instructing him to deliver it so a buzrug near to the river Nile. Along the way, Yusuf Bin Husain detected a movement in the dish. Curiosity led him to open the lid. As he did so, out jumped a mouse. Feeling highly ashamed of himself, he closed the dish and delivered it to the Buzrug. When the buzrug found it empty, he said: "When you could not guard even a mouse, how can you guard the Ismul A'zam?"
Full of shame he returned to Hadhrat Zunnoon Misri who commented: "I had prayed to Allah Ta'ala seven times requesting for consent to impart the Ismul A'zam to you. Each time it was intimated to me to put you to test. It has now transpired that you have not yet developed the ability to guard the Ismul A'zam. Now return to your land. You will acquire the Ismul A'zam in due course."
2. On Yusuf Bin Husain's departure, Hadhrat Zunnoon Misri gave the following naseehat: "Forget whatever you have learnt (i.e. of book-knowledge) so that all veils are lifted. Forget me too. Do not mention to anyone that I am your Shaikh. Give naseehat to people and call them to Allah. Do not think of yourself as the intermediary (between Allah and His servants)." He returned to his homeland, the land of Re.
3. In his homeland he engaged in discourses. On account of the opposition of the establishment Ulama (Ulama-e-Zaahir), his audience dwindled. One day not a single person attended hence he thought of abandoning his discourse. An old lady reprimanding him said: "You had pledged to Zunnoon that you would admonish people. You now think of violating your pledge." This admonition alerted him and he continued with his bayaans (discourses / lectures) for the next 50 years. He became indifferent to the number of people present in the audience.
4. Hadhrat Yusuf Bin Husain said:
A man who believes in the omnipresence of Allah, flees from people.
Allah eliminates all thing besides Himself from a heart which truly remembers Him.
A Saadiq conceals his ibaadat and takes to seclusion.
The thirst (for Allah's love) of one drowned in the ocean of Tauheed is never quenched.
The noblest object is ikhlaas.
You are a slave. Therefore live like a slave (obeying the commands of Allah).
Those who recognise Allah by reflection (fikr), increase their ibaadat.
5. After the death of Yusuf Bin Husain, a buzrug saw him in a very lofty spiritual rank. The buzrug asked: "How did you attain this rank?"
Yusuf Bin Husain replied: "I had never mingled good with evil while I was on earth."
The daughter of an Arab chief once saw him and was overwhelmed by love. She too was famed for her beauty. One day when she found an opportunity to see him in privacy, she expressed her burning love for him. Fear of Allah overcame Yusuf Bin Husain and he promptly fled. During the night he dreamt that Hadhrat Nabi Yusuf (alayhis salaam) was seated on a throne. Rows of malaa-ikah were standing with reverence infront of him. When Nabi Yusuf (alayhis salaam) saw Yusuf Bin Husain, he (Nabi Yusuf) arose from the throne and stepped forward to welcome him. He honoured Yusuf Bin Husain by seating him on the throne. Nabi Yusuf (alayhis salaam) said to Yusuf Bin Husain:
"When the fear of Allah gripped you when the daughter of the Arab chief expressed her love for you, Allah Ta'ala said to me:
'O Yusuf, look! You had supplicated to Me to save you from the evil of Zulaikha. Here is Yusuf (Bin Husain) who did not even look at the daughter of the Arab chief for the sake of My Fear.'
Nabi Yusuf (alayhis salaam) added:
'I have been instructed to welcome you. You will attain the ranks of the Auliyaa of the Deen. Go to Zunnoon Misri and acquire the Ismul A'zam from him."
When his eyes opened, Yusuf Bin Husain journied to Egypt. He spent a year in the suhbat of Hadhrat Zunnoon Misri (rahmatullah alayh). After expiry of the year, Hadhrat Zunnoon Misri said: "Ask whatever you wish for." Yusuf Bin Husain said: "Impart to me the Ismul A'zam." Zunnoon Misri remained silent. After another year had passed Hadhrat Zunnoon Misri gave a dish covered with a cloth to Yusuf Bin Husain instructing him to deliver it so a buzrug near to the river Nile. Along the way, Yusuf Bin Husain detected a movement in the dish. Curiosity led him to open the lid. As he did so, out jumped a mouse. Feeling highly ashamed of himself, he closed the dish and delivered it to the Buzrug. When the buzrug found it empty, he said: "When you could not guard even a mouse, how can you guard the Ismul A'zam?"
Full of shame he returned to Hadhrat Zunnoon Misri who commented: "I had prayed to Allah Ta'ala seven times requesting for consent to impart the Ismul A'zam to you. Each time it was intimated to me to put you to test. It has now transpired that you have not yet developed the ability to guard the Ismul A'zam. Now return to your land. You will acquire the Ismul A'zam in due course."
2. On Yusuf Bin Husain's departure, Hadhrat Zunnoon Misri gave the following naseehat: "Forget whatever you have learnt (i.e. of book-knowledge) so that all veils are lifted. Forget me too. Do not mention to anyone that I am your Shaikh. Give naseehat to people and call them to Allah. Do not think of yourself as the intermediary (between Allah and His servants)." He returned to his homeland, the land of Re.
3. In his homeland he engaged in discourses. On account of the opposition of the establishment Ulama (Ulama-e-Zaahir), his audience dwindled. One day not a single person attended hence he thought of abandoning his discourse. An old lady reprimanding him said: "You had pledged to Zunnoon that you would admonish people. You now think of violating your pledge." This admonition alerted him and he continued with his bayaans (discourses / lectures) for the next 50 years. He became indifferent to the number of people present in the audience.
4. Hadhrat Yusuf Bin Husain said:
A man who believes in the omnipresence of Allah, flees from people.
Allah eliminates all thing besides Himself from a heart which truly remembers Him.
A Saadiq conceals his ibaadat and takes to seclusion.
The thirst (for Allah's love) of one drowned in the ocean of Tauheed is never quenched.
The noblest object is ikhlaas.
You are a slave. Therefore live like a slave (obeying the commands of Allah).
Those who recognise Allah by reflection (fikr), increase their ibaadat.
5. After the death of Yusuf Bin Husain, a buzrug saw him in a very lofty spiritual rank. The buzrug asked: "How did you attain this rank?"
Yusuf Bin Husain replied: "I had never mingled good with evil while I was on earth."
