The Glory of the Highs and Lows and Sunrise of the Light of Existence. Sheikh Abol Qasem Gurakani Toosi. His patronymic is Abol Qasem and His honorable name Ali, a notable gnostic during the end of the 4^th Hijri century and was successor and vicegerent of His Holiness Sheikh Abu Imran Maghrebi. In Nafahat al-Uns[1] His Holiness has been mentioned on the same status as Sheikh Abu Saeed Abol Khayr and Sheikh Abol Hassan Kharaqani. In Tadhkirat-ol-Ouliya[2] he is considered among chivalrous[3] men of the spiritual path. A group from blessings of his training reached excellence and from His Holiness two spiritual orders initiated. One through Sheikh of Sheikhs and his successor Sheikh Abubakr Nassaj and the other through Abu Ali Fazl bin Farmadi. His Holiness Sheikh Abol Qasem, had a strong mannerism, such that supplications of all were towards his threshold and in discovering events for disciples, he was also a sign. His Holiness’ demise was in the year 450 Hijri (1058 AD) and the words "Abol Qasem Qaseem" is the chronogram (Article of date) of the date of his demise.[4]

His successor and vicegerent was Sheikh Abubakr Nassaj. The period he was seated on the throne of guidance was for seventy seven years.

Contemporaries of His Holiness from notable Sheikhs and Mystics:

1) Sheikh Abu Saeed Abol Khayr

2) Abu Abdl Rahman Salami

3) Sheikh Abu Ali Daghagh

4) Sheikh Abol Qasem Qoshairi

 

From religious authorities and Jurists:

1) Seyed Morteza Alam ol Hoda

2) Seyed Razi-e-din Alam ol Hoda

3) Sheikh Mofeed

4) Sheikh Abu Jaffer Toosi

 

From theosophists:

1) Sheikh Abu Ali Sina (Avicenna)

2) Hakim Nasser Khousrow Alavi

 

From Caliphs:

1) Al Taye Billah

2) Al Qader Billah

3) Al Qaem bi Amrillah

 

From Amirs and Sultans:

1) Sultan Mahmood Saboktakin in Khorasan

2) Sultan Toghrol Saldjuqi in Iraq

3) Qaboos Bin Voshmgir in Gorgan and Tabarestan

 

Some brief sayings of His Holiness:

Some asked His Holiness that, if the spiritual wayfarer should consent in the course of destiny or subject himself to supplications. Said: If the position of consent and supplications were in one place, contradiction would be proved. But the place of consent is paradise and the place of supplications is tongue, thus, the wayfarer in the course of destiny should be pleased from the heart and the supplicant with tongue.

Some asked since contentment exists. What are the benefits of supplication? Said: inability and need in the needless Remedial God. And informed disposition of himself, that if he was not appointed, from the conquest of consent would not open mouth and supplicate, and in spite of being appointed it is now for number of years did not open tongue for supplications and am unable to supplicate and in specifying issues perplexed, because if I ask Him for something, it would be impolite.

They said: Don’t you ask for His wisdom from Him? Said: the zeal of my love does not allow me to know Him, although I don’t want anyone to know Him other than Him, and till I am I, therefore I am a stranger and thus powerless to ask for wisdom. Abol-Hassan bin Osman Ghaznavi says: I asked Sheikh Abol Qasem Gurakani that, what the minimum quality a dervish should have, till the name of faghir (dervish) befitting and deserving of him? Said: Three things and not less than three things are eligible. One: he should be able to stitch a torn truly, next: should know to speak and hear truly. Third: he should be able to put his feet on the ground truly. A group of dervishes who were present when returned back to their homes said: come let each of us speak in the meaning of this speech. I said, to stitch the torn truly was this that, to stitch to poverty not to adornment, and speech truly is this that to say based on his mood and hear not by the ego and capture truly and endeavor not with jest and in the course of living, comprehend its mystery not by reason and to put feet on the ground truly is that, with gratitude put the feet on the ground not with play. These words when informed to His Holiness, said: they understood well in accordance to God’s Almighty announcement.

 

A glimpse at the generosities of His Holiness:

Abol Hassan Ali bin Osman also says that, an episode occurred to me and the means to solve it became difficult. I intended to be at the services of His Holiness Sheikh Abol Qasem. I found him at a mosque which was in front of his house. Since he saw me from afar, turned his face towards the pillar of the mosque and expressed the solution of the episode which was in my mind without more and less. I, without asking obtained the answer. I said O Sheikh, this is my episode. Said: O child the Exalted God made this pillar to vocally speak with me at this hour that asked me the question and I answered as you heard.

It is said, when the Sheikh was passing by a road, a young man came to him and asked for counsel. Said: Go and obey your father and mother. That young man who previously did not pay heed to the commands of his father and mother, started obeying their commands, till one day his father inquired the reason for this change. The boy mentioned the counsel of the Sheikh and its effect on his heart. The father took the hand of his son and came to the presence of Sheikh and both of them repented and obtained inspiration. It is narrated that one day he confronted with a drunken young man, the young man stole the Sheikh’s robe from his shoulder. The next day Sheikh sent some gold dinars through one of his disciples for the young man, saying, I know you need the money and that robe has no value, make use of this money for yourself and return the robe. The young man headlong ran to Sheikh, repented and obtained inspiration.