Sufi Arshad Mahmood

Born: Arshad Mahmood

22 June 1953

Kashmir, Pakistan.

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Religion: Islam

Denomination: Sunni

Tariqa: Naqshbandi

Jurisprudence: Hanafi

Creed: Maturidi

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Predecessor: Sufi Muhammad Aslam

The night enveloped everything in profound darkness as I entered the estate. There was a burning desire inside my heart to sit with the men of God and my quest led me to the house hidden within the obscurity. Amid the uncertainty, I pondered how I would locate the house in such an abyss. Scanning my surroundings, I sought to discern the gathering’s location, and soon, resonant melodies echoing the name of Allah in unison guided me. It felt as if the very ground beneath me quivered in Divine remembrance - a luminous beacon in the pitch-black estate. Approaching the entrance, I knocked, and a group of lively children welcomed me, guiding me upstairs with infectious laughter and excitement.

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Ascending the staircase, I turned the corner, and there, my eyes were captivated by the sight of the Shaykh, seated at the opposite end of the room. It felt as if I had traversed a millennium, standing at the threshold of one of the Beloveds of Allah, Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya. In that moment, a magical aura enveloped me. I stood at the entrance, gazing in astonishment at the Shaykh who was deeply immersed in the remembrance of Allah. The atmosphere left me in awe, questioning where I had come.

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Lost in my reverie, a compassionate soul noticed my presence and gestured for me to enter. The room was pitch black, yet somehow in that darkness there was a light present which gave enough sense of direction to find a place to sit. Settling down, I closed my eyes, joining the zikr, swaying in complete union; The sensation was unparalleled, an experience I had never encountered before. Unfortunately, this didn’t last very long as I was quite late and the dhikr concluded shortly after.

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As the lights turned back on, I felt as though I had re-entered reality, looking around to grasp my surroundings, but where I had been in that short span of time was elsewhere. Left in utter bewilderment, I hastily left the house, uncertain about the nature of the extraordinary experience I had just encountered.

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My second encounter with the Shaykh took place just a few months after the first, and in some ways this encounter was even more profound than the first. Once again, I found myself swaying from left to right, immersed in the rhythmic chanting of the Divine Name Allah in complete union and harmony. A deep sense of love entered my heart and enveloped my body; it felt as though the entire room was encircled by the Angels.

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As the zikr came to a close and the lights gently flickered back on, an irresistible urge compelled me to remain seated, head lowered and eyes closed. A gentleman approached the forefront of the assembly, initiating the recitation of the Qasida Burda of Imam Al Busiri. With each passing verse, I found myself sinking deeper into a state of contemplation, as though simultaneously drowning, yet ascending within. It then dawned on me where I was, I was seated in a garden of Paradise, enraptured by the praises bestowed upon the Beloved of Allah ﷺ.

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This persisted for approximately an hour, adorned with recitations of praises for the Prophet ﷺ and captivating poetry. It gradually dawned on me that, despite being a mere sinner, I found myself immersed in a gathering of ardent lovers. As the session culminated, the Shaykh began their mudhakarah by effortlessly quoting the words and Punjabi poetry of the illustrious mystic Sultan Bahu from memory. The fluency and eloquence left me awestruck. Sultan Bahu, being among the first from amongst the great Friends of God that I encountered on my spiritual journey, held a special place in my heart. Whenever I heard their poetry, a profound sense of happiness would engulf my heart and this particular moment was no exception.

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The Shaykh began to speak about how every one of us was here for a purpose, and our aim should be that even when we are to leave this world, our impact on this world should be such that our fragrance should still be present. “These are the friends of Allah,” the Shaykh proclaimed, “that even when they pass their fragrance remains!”. The Shaykh’s words encouraged the assembly to aspire to be among those whose positive influence and virtuous deeds persist, ensuring that their legacy continues to inspire and uplift generations to come.

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As the gathering drew to a close, a sense of anticipation filled the air as everyone rose to meet the Shaykh, Sufi Arshad Mahmood. Approaching my turn, I found myself lost in my thoughts on the appropriate way to greet such an honourable man of God. I looked, observing others as they would gracefully reach down and kiss the hands of the Shaykh. Lost in my thoughts, my turn arrived unexpectedly. The Shaykh, displaying unparalleled humility, took hold of my hand and enveloped me in a warm embrace, gently bestowing a kiss on my forehead. In a heartfelt exclamation, they expressed, “We need more young people like you.”

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Once again, my heart was moved by the genuine character and humility of the Shaykh, who, amidst the rush of others, personally took my hand and bestowed a kiss upon my forehead.

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After this meeting with the Shaykh, for the entire week I found that my heart and tongue were so engrossed in the remembrance of Allah that I would be doing the zikr unconsciously without even realising. Even in my moments of heedlessness I found that my heart was swaying in the same union as it was in the gathering, with the same melody and rhythm. It was quite an unusual experience, but unfortunately, perhaps due to my own sins, this affect wore off after 7 days and I was back to my normal state.

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Shortly after this state left, another arrived as I found my heart overflowing with love for the Shaykh. It had reached a point where I would just find myself lost in joy from looking at pictures of the Shaykh. It was a love that had enraptured my heart so suddenly, and one that even to this day several years later still persists. I can only describe this love as a warmth, a softness, a comfort to my heart that I was in safe hands.

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Shortly after this I decided to pay a visit to my homeland, and upon my return my body had entered a state of sickness and severe weakness. This weakness persisted for several weeks until one night I was blessed with a vision of the Shaykh:

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I found myself reclining on my bed, resembling the weakened state of an ailing individual, as the Shaykh drew near. With a gesture of profound spiritual significance, they blended their blessed saliva with mine. Although my mind grappled with confusion, my heart embraced the act and was in acceptance. The Shaykh spoke, revealing, “The ailment within you is a chilling malady that could lead to death.” Upon awakening the next morning, I discovered, almost miraculously, that my ailment had inexplicably disappeared, and I was restored to perfect health.

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These are the men of Allah who awaken the hearts, they bring a dead heart back to life, a dormant heart back to seeking, and a heart heedless of Allah to constant remembrance of Allah. They give without ever asking for anything in return. The Shaykh would often say, the one who asks from the people can never be a Dervish, the Dervish is the one who solely takes from Allah and gives to the people.

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On my next encounter, I awoke to the sun gleaming in through my blinds with unusual intensity, a seldom moment in the UK. Lost in thought about how to spend such a day, I suddenly remembered the Shaykh’s gathering scheduled for today. A doubt arose in my heart, it whispered, “Today is not the day for such gatherings”.

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I quickly checked the time of the gathering, and I glanced over towards the clock, I had to set off immediately to ensure I was to arrive on time. With haste, I quickly got ready and ran out the house without thinking twice. My mother’s voice trailed behind me, inquiring, “What about breakfast?”, but how could I explain to her the blessings I was going to receive at the gathering were to nourish me in ways food could never. I quickly got in my car and set off for the motorway expecting a 90-minute journey that stretched to almost two hours due to frustrating traffic.

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When I arrived at the gathering, I seated myself at the back and joined in with the gathering until it came to a close. When the time came to meet the honourable Shaykh, they looked at me in astonishment with a smile on their face proclaiming, “My son! you have made great effort to arrive to this gathering today.” I smiled in amazement, how was it possible they knew of the struggle of my journey without me even uttering a word?

“The Sufi is the one whose heart contains in it nothing but Allāh. His days and nights are spent in that remembrance, never does that remembrance cease. Even when he is asleep, he is awake. Yet others they are asleep even when they are awake”.

“Why do they say, ‘keep coming and going’ – ‘so that you may glance at me, and that i may glance at you. everything is contained within that glance… When they glance at you, it will purify your heart, and one day it will bring it to the level where whatever they wish they will be able to impart directly into your heart”.