Ma’aarif- e -Mathnawi MA’AARIF E MATHNAWI A Commentary of the MATHNAWI Of Hazrat Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi (Rahmatullah Alaihe) By: Shaikh-ul-Arab Wal Ajam Arifbillah Hazrat-e-Aqdas Maulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb (Damat Barakaatuhum) Publisher Kutub Khana Mazhari Gulshan Iqbal, Block 2 Karachi, Pakistan www.khanqah.org 1 Ma’aarif- e -Mathnawi Table of Contents ABOUT THE AUTHOR ............................................................... 8 FOREWORD ............................................................................. 10 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 12 SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF MAULANA RUMI ................................. 15 SECOND PHASE OF MAULANA RUMI’S LIFE ................................. 16 MAULANA’S WRITINGS .......................................................................... 18 SPECIALTIES OF THE MATHNAWI .................................................... 18 WRITING STYLE ......................................................................................... 19 SUMMARY OF THE LIFE OF MAULANA RUMI ................................20 THE MEETING OF MAULANA RUMI AND SHAMS TABREZI....24 THE STORY OF HAZRAT JAAFAR AL-TAYYAR ....................... 29 THE STORY OF SULTAN MAHMOOD GHAZNAWI ................... 32 THE STORY OF THE VEILED KING ......................................... 40 THE STORY OF HAZRAT SULTAN IBRAHIM BIN ADHAM (RAHMATULLAH ALAIHE )....................................................... 47 THE STORY OF HAZRAT PIR CHANGI .......................................67 THE STORY OF A HERDSMAN AND NABI MOOSA (ALAIHIS SALAAM ) ............................................................................... 73 THE STORY OF HAZRAT LUQMAAN ....................................... 76 2 Ma’aarif- e -Mathnawi THE STORY OF THE SAINT IN THE MOUNTAIN ........................85 THE STORY OF HAZRAT BILAL (RADHIALLAHO ANHO ) ........ 87 THE STORY OF SULTAN MAHMOOD AND AYAAZ .................. 93 THE STORY OF HAZRAT ZUN NOON MISRY ......................... 97 THE STORY ABOUT A CURE FOR SENSUAL LOVE ................. 100 A WORD OF WARNING REGARDING SENSUAL LOVE ........... 103 THE STORY OF HAZRAT ABUL HASAN KHARQANI .................. 108 THE STORY OF HAZRAT JALALUDDIN RUMI ........................ 114 THE STORY OF HAZRAT UMAR AND THE ROMAN ENVOY ... 127 THE STORY OF HOW A PERSON ’S MOUTH BECAME CROOKED BY HAVING MENTIONED THE PROPHET 'S NAME IN JEST .. 129 THE STORY OF THE 'N IGHT RUBY LAMP ' AND THE WATER COW..................................................................................... 130 THE STORY OF THE PATIENCE AND TOLERANCE OF NABI MOOSA .............................................................................. 133 THE STORY OF HAZRAT SAFOORA ...................................... 135 THE STORY OF THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN A FROG AND A MOUSE ................................................................................ 137 THE STORY OF THE PARROT AND THE SHOPKEEPER ........... 146 THE STORY OF THE UNGRATEFULNESS OF NAMROOD ....... 149 3 Ma’aarif- e -Mathnawi THE WISDOM OF HAZRAT LUQMAAN ................................. 152 THE STORY OF THE ACCEPTANCE OF "AAH " ....................... 153 THE STORY ABOUT THE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON AN ELEPHANT ............................................................................ 155 THE VAIN IMAGINATION OF A FLY .................................... 156 THE STORY ABOUT THE TREATMENT FOR A TANNER ......... 158 THE STORY OF THE BEWITCHED PRINCE ............................ 159 THE STORY OF THE SINCERITY OF HAZRAT ALI ............... 162 THE STORY OF THE TRADER AND THE CAPTIVE PARROT .... 166 THE ROMANS AND THE CHINESE IN DECORATING ............ 168 THE STORY OF THE REPENTANCE OF HAZRAT NASOOH .... 170 THE STORY OF THE DEBATE OF HAZRAT ALI WITH A REJECTER ............................................................................. 173 THE STORY OF THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN HAZRAT MU'AWIYA AND IBLEES ...................................................... 175 THE STORY OF THE GRAMMARIAN AND THE SAILOR ......... 176 THE REJECTION BY A PHILOSOPHER ................................... 177 THE STORY OF HAKEEM JALINOOS .................................... 179 THE STORY OF RASULULLAH ’S (SALLELLAHO ALAIHE WASALLAM ) VISIT TO THE SICK ......................................... 181 4 Ma’aarif- e -Mathnawi THE STORY OF THE ROYAL FALCON .................................... 183 THE STORY OF THE FALCON AND THE OWLS ..................... 184 THE STORY OF A PEACOCK AND THE HAKEEM .................... 185 THE STORY OF HAZRAT ANAS BIN MAALIK ...................... 186 THE STORY OF A THIEF DURING THE TIME OF HAZRAT UMAR (RADHIALLAHO ANHO ) ........................................................ 187 THE STORY OF HAZRAT MOOSA VISITING THE SICK ........ 189 THE STORY OF THE TREE OF LIFE ...................................... 190 THE STORY OF HAZRAT IZRAEEL STARING AT PERSON ..... 192 THE STORY OF THE PLAN OF THE THIRSTY ONE ............... 193 THE STORY OF PROMISING TO DO SOMETHING TOMORROW ............................................................................................ 195 THE STORY OF A MOUSE LEADING A CAMEL ...................... 197 THE STORY OF THE KILLING OF THE ELEPHANT CUB ......... 200 THE VIRTUE OF REQUESTING DUA ’A FROM OTHERS .......... 202 THE STORY THAT OUR SAYING 'Y A ALLAH ' IS HIS REPLY 204 THE STORY OF MAJNOON LOVING THE DOGS OF LAYLA’S STREET .............................................................................. 205 THE STORY OF LAYLA AND THE CALIPH OF BAGHDAD ....... 207 5 Ma’aarif- e -Mathnawi THE STORY OF MAJNOON WRITING LAYLA 'S NAME ON THE SAND ................................................................................... 209 THE STORY OF HAZRAT MOOSA AND TAUHEED ................. 214 THE STORY OF NABI SULAIMAN AND HIS INVITATION TO BILQEES .............................................................................. 217 THE STORY OF NABI MOOSA INVITING FIR ’AUN TO ISLAM ............................................................................................ 220 THE STORY OF FIR ’AUN CONSULTING WITH HIS WIFE AASIYA OVER EMBRACING ISLAM ....................................... 222 THE STORY OF MAJNOON AND HIS CAMEL ....................... 226 THE STORY OF THE PERSON WALKING WITH A LAMP IN THE DAY ...................................................................................... 228 THE STORY OF THE SLAVE WHO DID NOT COME OUT OF THE MOSQUE .............................................................................. 230 THE STORY OF NABI ESA FLEEING FROM AN INSANE PERSON ............................................................................................ 231 THE STORY OF A TWO -MONTH OLD BABY CONVERSING WITH RASULULLAH ........................................................................ 234 THE STORY OF AN EAGLE TAKING RASULULLAH (SALLELLAHO ALAIHE WASALLAM )'S SOCKS ............................................ 235 THE STORY OF A KING AND HIS BELOVED ......................... 237 THE TREATMENT FOR EVIL AND FIGURATIVE LOVE ........... 240 6 Ma’aarif- e -Mathnawi THE STORY OF A WOMAN CRYING BEFORE ALLAH TA’ALA OVER THE LOSS OF HER CHILDREN .................................... 242 THE STORY OF A CHILD BEING THROWN INTO THE FIRE IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS MOTHER ......................................... 243 THE STORY OF THE WIND 'S DESTRUCTION OF THE PEOPLE OF NABI HOOD (ALAIHIS SALAAM ) ................................... 245 THE STORY OF A MOSQUITO COMPLAINING TO NABI SULAIMAN (ALAIHIS SALAAM )........................................... 246 THE STORY OF THE MOURNING TREE ................................ 248 THE STORY OF THE MIRACLE OF THE PEBBLES .................. 249 THE STORY OF THE PERSON CRYING OVER HIS DOG ......... 250 THE STORY OF AYAAZ AND THOSE WHO WERE JEALOUS OF HIM ..................................................................................... 251 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UJUB AND TAKABBUR ............. 255 THE STORY OF ONE WHO CONSIDERED HIMSELF FORCED 257 THE STORY OF A MAN WITH A LION TATTOO ON HIS ARM ............................................................................................ 258 THE STORY OF THE SNAKE IN THE CITY OF BAGHDAD ..... 260 TOWARDS FOLLOWING A SAINTLY SPIRITUAL GUIDE ....... 262 7 Ma’aarif- e -Mathnawi About the Author Shaikh-ul-Arab Wal Ajam Arifbillah Hazrat-e-Aqdas Maulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb (damat barakaatuhum) is a glittering star amongst the friends of Allah Ta’ala. Hazrat Maulana's heart is brimming with the LOVE of Allah Ta’ala and His beloved Rasul (sallellaho alaihe wasallam ). Readers of Hazrat Maulana Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb's ( damat barakaatuhum ) writings and listeners of his speeches are in reality drinking from the three fountains of knowledge and sincere LOVE for Allah Ta’ala and His beloved Rasul ( sallellaho alaihe wasallam ). These three great spiritual fountains are: Hazrat Maulana Shah Abdul Ghani Phulpuri Saheb (Rahmatullah Alaihe) Hazrat Maulana Shah Muhammad Ahmad Saheb (Rahmatullah Alaihe) and Hazrat Maulana Shah Abrarul Haq Saheb (Rahmatullah Alaihe) in whose company Hazrat spent many years of his life and received 'khilafat' from them. Hazrat Maulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb (damat barakaatuhum ) is the author of numerous books on various subjects, especially on 'Tasawwuf ' and on "Maarifat" (recognition) of Allah Ta’ala. His commentary of the 'Mathnawi Sharif' of Maulana Rumi Saheb ( Rahmatullah Alaihe ) has been hailed by great Ulama such as Maulana