Chosen Saints of God and the Bigoted Mullas — Page 33
gade and a backslider. (Tazkera-i-Sufiya-i-Sarhad: p. 149, by. Ejaz-ul-Haq Quddoosi: Markazi Urdu Board, Lahore). The eleventh century Hijra (1) HAZRAT MUJADDID ALIF THAANI (born 971, died 1034). . Hazrat Sayyad Ahmad was the Mujaddid (Reformer) of the eleventh century of Islam who started a crusade against all innovations that had crept into the Faith. He zealously worked with his pen and his speeches. His 'Maktoobaat' (letters) are a veritable treasure of knowledge and wisdom and serve as an excellent guide in religious problems and mysticism. . During the course of his zealous work, the Mujaddid had to face innumerable trials and hardships. He encountered considerable opposition, especially from the priest class of his own faith when he expounded the true teachings of Islam and the. Holy Quran. The most disappointing of these was the report made against him to the Court of Emperor Jehangir that a sage living at Sarhind was expressing views bordering on heresy. . It is mentioned in "Khazeenat-ul-Asfiya” that some of the. Ulemas had even pronounced their ruling of capital punishment for him and raised a storm of opposition against him throughout the length and breath of the sub-continent. Like Prophet Joseph he also spent about a year in prison at Gwaliar Fort. (Rod-iKauthar: p. 222-226) (2) HAZRAT SARMAD THE MARTYR (born 1002, died 1070). Hijra). Hazrat Sarmad was a poet who originally came from. Armenia where he had accepted Islam in his early youth. He is generally known by his nom-de-plum "Sarmad". He came to. India from Iran during the reign of Emperor Shahjehan. Owing to intense love of God and austere mystic exercises he got deranged and lost his reason. He used to go about stark naked. . The bigoted Mulla found him an easy prey for heresy. They produced one of his quatrains which said, "Whosoever acquires the knowledge and understands the truth of 'His Existence' shail assimilate expanses greater than the Space: The Mulla says that 33