Question:

What is the role of the Qutb?

Answer:

Allah swt said:

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلاَئِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً

wa idh qala rabbuka li’l-malaikati nnee ja`ilun fi ’l-ardi khalifa.
{Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: “I will create a vicegerent on earth.”} (Surat al-Baqara, 2:30)

In his tafsir Ruh al-Bayan Ibrahim Hakki says that there are three men, wa hiya Hadrat ar-Rabb, Hadrat al-Malik wa Hadrat al-Ilah. These are three categories of the Divine Presence, those who are “at the Door”, by inheriting from the Prophet (s) what is best for human beings, as Allah said in Surat an-Nas:

{Say I seek refuge in the Lord of human beings, King of human beings, God of human beings.} (Surat an-Nas, 114:1-3)

Those who are Khalifatullah, are the Qutb and two Imams. The Qutb is Sahib al-Waqt, the Owner of the Era. In every era there is one Man who is responsible, who takes from the spiritual presence of the Prophet (s) and gives to human beings. One Imam is on the right side of the Qutb and one Imam is on the left side.

They are in three different levels, three different relationships to the Divine Presence.

We say they are in Hadrat ar-Rabb and Hadrat al-Malik and Hadrat al-Ilah – the Divine Presence of Lordship, the Divine Presence of Kingship and the Divine Presence of Godship.

These three different levels have been assigned, in every century, there must be someone on whom these manifestations appear in these inheritors that inherit from the Prophet (s). This is what we call the Qutb.

There is one who is known as the Red Sulphur, al-Kibrit al-Ahmar. He is always one in every century. When one passes away, another comes in his place. There must be someone sitting on that seat. The one who is sitting on that seat is the Red Sulphur. Shaykh Sharafuddin was known as the Red Sulphur, then Grandshaykh `Abdullah and then Mawlana Shaykh Nazim is the Kibrit al-Ahmar in our time.

Awliyaullah generally are like Kibrit al-Asfar, Yellow Sulphur, but among them are a very few who are very rare, and they are the Kibrit al-Ahmar. Awliyaullah generally are like Yellow Sulphur, but among them are a very few who are very rare, and they are the Kibrit al-Ahmar. Their teaching is red.

First you begin at the green light, then you go to yellow and then to red. Red is a higher level wali, one who can prevent you from falling into a problem. The yellow one takes you to the red. The saint of the Yellow Sulphur is in the common level of sainthood and can prepare you to be ready but he cannot prevent difficulties or obstacles from coming in front of you. Only the Red Sulphur can stop you from being in harm or difficulties. The yellow ones have their limits. The Red can have influence on you to bring you to maximum attention to you of not falling under the whispers of Shaytan. That is the difference between the Red Sulphur and Yellow Sulphur.

That is a hidden maqam. Not everyone knows our shaykh. But to be hidden 100 percent, it cannot be for the highest level wali in that hierarchy. The top one cannot be hidden. But in between the top and the bottom are many awliya and they can be hidden in different areas.

Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani