Question:
Assalaamu Alaykum respected Shayukh,
Please can you advise me on how or what to do in order to locate a grave of a Wali that is buried in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
A khadeem in Cape Town at one of the mazaars, told me that there are Awliya buried in Port Elizabeth, but he does not know the exact location.
I am astonished to know that there are mazaars in this area. SubhanAllah! I am from an old town near Port Elizabeth, and I never knew of any mazaars there when I lived there.
How can I find these special graves?
Any ayats that I can read?
Please advise.
JazakAllah.
Answer:
Wa `alaykum as-Salam wa rahmatullah.
You are seeking to open a matter belonging to the Unseen.
“And with Him are the keys of the Unseen; none knoweth them but He.” (VI, 59)
Still, history does provide a great example of such a process in the discovery of the location of the Greatest Shaykh Muhyiddin Ibn `Arabi, may Allah sanctify his secret. In the classic Mercy Oceans (Book Two) of Sultan al-Awliya Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani, may Allah sanctify his secret, knowledges relating to that event have been revealed in relation to which you may discover guidance:
I heard from our Grandsheikh this tale describing the real powers of Awliya. He was speaking of the miracles of Sheikh Muhiy-ud-Din Ibn Arabi; Esh-Shaikh Al-Akbar. In his books he wrote many predictions for the future. He said: “If ‘siin’ is going into ‘shin’ then will appear the tomb of Sheikh Muhiy-ud-Din.” After he was killed for saying to the people: “The god you worship is under my feet” many years passed with his burial place in obscurity, until Sultan Selim captured Sham. Selim (initial letter ‘siin’) entered Sham (initial letter ‘shin’) as predicted. On the first Friday he ordered a bath, and ordered that no one else be permitted inside. He took off his clothes, and was stepping into the bath-dome when he saw someone sitting there. He quickly became angry, “Who is that?” Came the reply: “O Sultan, just go and bring soap and a wash-cloth and wash my back.” The Sultan carried out the order, thinking: “This is no ordinary person.” “O Sultan, do you know who I am?” “For the sake of Allah, tell me, who are you?” “I am Muhiy-ud-Din Ibn Arabi.” Then the Sultan kissed his hands and feet. The Sheikh asked him to find his tomb and build a dome and mosque there. “How can I find the tomb?” “Before fajr go up a minaret and look toward Jebel Qasiyun. You will see a column of light reaching to the sky.” The Sultan did this and sent workers to dig at that spot. They found Sheikh Muhiy-ud-Din intact in his shroud…
So many miracles there are for the Awliya of this Ummah, giving an indication for the proof and power of the Prophet…
Mahmoud Shelton
