"In the name of God, the Compassionate and the Merciful…
He is the First and the Last, the Appearance and the Reality.
Whomsover God elevates, none can degrade and whomsoever
God degrades no one can elevate. None can hide what he wants
to reveal and nobody can conceal whatever he wants to reveal…
May God bless Muhammad (S.A.W) and his followers, his Companions
and other saintly persons… After His praise I declare that
the study of the knowledge and principles of the Traditions…
gives light to him who pours water on burnt places through
its knowledge. This path is, in fact, perilous and full
of hazards and difficult in view of results. In this branch
of knowledge the best book is the Tamhid-u-‘l-Muhtadi of
Abu Shakoor Salimi… This book has been studied under me,
lesson after lesson, from the beginning to the end, minutely,
attentively, carefully and thoroughly, by the dutiful son,
pious, the Imam of the Age and blessed, Nizam-ul-Millat
wa’d Din Muhammad son of Ahmad, who is an adornment of imams
and scholars and the pride of the holy and the virtuous.
May God bless him with the desire of submission to Him and
be merciful to him and elevate his position… At the time
of teaching him, I found him capable, able, meritorious,
well-behaved and good mannered. I now permit him to teach
this book to students, provided he avoids mistakes in teaching,
writing and explaining it and utilises his energy and knowledge
in discussion, correcting the manuscripts and purification
of the language. God is the real protector from errors of
speech and a saviour from disruption and diseases in religious
work. This deed of permission was drawn during the month
of Ramazan, on a Wednesday. May God extend the bounties
of this blessed month. This document was drafted at the
order of the Shaikh of the Shaikhs of the World, may God
ever protect his honour and prestige, and was written by
the humble slave of God, Ishaq son of Ali, a resident of
Delhi, in the presence of the Shaikh of the Shaikhs of this
world.
I also permit Nizam-u’l-millat wa’d Din to narrate
things which he has learnt or heard from me and has collected
and preserved.9
He should follow the right course and many blessings
be on him. I also permit him to adopt isolation in some
mosque where the prayers are offered in congregation. He
should not disregard the conditions laid down about seclusion.
Progress (on the mystic path) lies in following them. The
basis of this seclusion is the Traditon of the Holy Prophet
which runs: "Live in the world like a traveller or a wayfarer
and count yourself among the dead." Consequently, the person
who, in accordance with this precept has made up his mind
and summoned up his courage, is permitted to adopt seclusion,
provided he controls (the desires of) the flesh and thinks
himself non-existent and weak, and renounces the (material
attractions of the) world and its temptations. He must also
be aware of the harm that wordly ambitions and desires do
(to the spiritual personality). The time of such recluse
becomes adorned with various devotions when his material
ego (nafs) is prevented from coming back to the ordinary
devotions from the higher devotions. When the struggle wears
him out, he should calm his passions either by religious
devotions or by sleeping for a while, for this pacification
prevents the supremacy of the passions. One should abstain
from idle seclusion because this makes one’s heart neglectful.
May God save Nizam-u’l. Haq-wa’d-Din from such evils and
guide him right. Nizam-u’d-din is really my deputy and successor
in things wordly and religious, and obedience to Him is
obedience to me. May God be kind to them who show respect
and honour to Nizam-u’d-din, whom I honour and for whom
I have great regard. If any one does not respect him, may
God disgrace him. All these words are from faqir Mas’ud."10
