Sufism.ir - تصوف ايران --- His Excellency Nour Ali Shah The 2nd

The 35^th Qutb

Hazrat Nour Ali Shah the Second

http://www.nouralishah.ir

The manifestation of the mysteries, fortitude and God inspired, eminent truthful, steadfast guardian, glorified mystic His Holiness Nour Ali Shah the second.

His noble name was Ali and spiritual title (Nour Ali Shah), son of His Holiness Sultan Ali Shah, born in Baydukht; his illustrious birth date was on the 17^th Rabi- a-thani 1284 AHL. His mother was the daughter of the late Hajj Mulla Ali Baydukhti who, father after father were famous for their knowledge and its practice and known for their devotion and piety.

His mother died two years after his birth and he was taken under the support and training of his esteemed father physically and spiritually and in the beginning under the training of his father started studying till he reached the age of maturity and from his father received instruction for the remembrance of God (Dhikr) and meditation (Fikr). Then for the continuation of education he went to Mashad, since in the affairs of religion what he had, he was not certain and did not know enough. In the year 1300 AHL he set out on a journey without the permission of his father to scrutinize and make research in religions. In the beginning he traveled to Turkestan, after that to Afghanistan and Kashmir and Hindustan and Hejaz and Iraq and Yemen and Egypt and Syria and the rest of the Ottoman provinces and every where had discussions with religious authorities and used to make research and from every garden he would pick a flower and from every harvest a cluster.

In his homeland, relatives were uneasy and disturbed from his absence and non-communication and his condition, but his esteemed father used to say, rest assure, that he is fine and safe and till he does not complete his journey, his ignition inside will not be extinguished and he is re-assured and alleviated, but in the end he will come back.

In Dhu’l-hijjah 1305 His Holiness visited Mecca and incidentally His Holiness Sultan Ali Shah also visited Mecca, in Arafat His Holiness Nour Ali Shah passed in front of his father’s tent and recognized him, the sight of his father transformed and touched him, but as his research and quest was incomplete and he was not yet ready for total surrender, he overcame his exterior love for religious sentiments and restrained from recognizing his father and this forbearance showed the strength of his soul and inward potential.

His Holiness after finishing Hajj went to Madineh and from there to Damascus, thus, everywhere he had discussions with various religious authorities and heads of Spiritual Orders and somewhat gained information on their condition and status. Then he went to Iraq and at the Holy Shrines from the Learned and Authorities who issue religious decrees benefited from their presence and during this entire journey, he was not heedless of his education in science and continuous research in various religion paths and he used to earn his living wherever and whenever suitable by making pen-cases, prayer writing, inscription writing, engraving, tailoring, hat making and engage in the rest of the Arts he somewhat knew. Till the year 1307, His Holiness Sultan Ali Shah wrote a letter to the late Hajj Sheikh Abdullah Haeri Ibn-el-Sheikh who was a devoted follower of His Holiness and who lived in Kerbala, that, his son Mulla Ali should be by his side at this time and to be in search of him. Mr. Haeri appointed Hajj Ali Khadem to find His Holiness Nour Ali Shah. The aforesaid, accidentally met His Holiness Nour Ali Shah in the market place, acquaintances were manifest, but he was not ready to go back to Gonabad yet, till in the Holy Shrine, the condition of attraction was evident in him and he was bound for Gonabad. After this long journey he was given a fitting welcome on his arrival to his homeland.

During initiation in the presence of his father, he fell down on the ground and prostrated in praise and gratefulness, the poet Saraie who was present at the ceremony ad-lib chanted a quatrain in praise of His Holiness Sultan Ali Shah on this occasion:

Your son who is distinguished, came,

who for sometime was searching for his goal,

since he found that you are the destination everywhere,

returned to his home.

After sometime, His Holiness on the orders of his father was engaged in self discipline and after having accomplished self discipline, got married to the daughter of Hajj Mulla Salih, his uncle and in Dhu’l-hajjih 1308 AHL, his first son, His Holiness Hajj Sheikh Mohammad Hassan Salih Ali Shah set foot in the arena of existence.

Later on, he fulfilled many Forty days of spiritual retreat on the orders of his father and was engaged in the glorification of his soul, till eventually his work on self discipline was accomplished and on behalf of his honorable father in the middle of the month of Ramadan 1314 AHL, was authorized to guide the seekers and was given the spiritual title of Nour Ali Shah.

His Holiness in the year 1317 journeyed to Holy Mashad and the year after in 1318 for the second time according to the orders of his father visited Holy Mecca and returned back to Gonabad and like before was engaged in agriculture and teaching and attending the spiritual teaching classes of his father, till, his noble father was martyred on the 26^th Rabi-al-awwal 1327 AHL, and he succeeded his father to lead the faithful towards God the Almighty.

His Holiness, after the martyrdom of his father was burdened with harshness and events of that time, periodically from the enemies of Sufism the causes of inconvenience and annoyance was brought about for his Holiness. Among them, not more than fifty days had passed from the martyrdom of his noble father that with the instigation and plot of internal enemies in Gonabad and foreign enemies, Salar Khan, a Baluch murderer and bandit came to Gonabad and plundered the house of His Holiness along with his relatives and imprisoned His Holiness along with some people in the government dwelling station. After having seized some amount of money, moved His Holiness through the jungle with the intention of taking His Holiness to Mashad and delivering him to the enemies there.

During this time and as a result of efforts of friends from Gonabad, Mashad and Teheran, a telegraph was sent to the murderer for the release of His Holiness from the actual culprits who were the main cause of this circumstances and His Holiness was set free, he returned to Gonabad and was engaged in the guidance of worshippers till the 1^st World war started in the year 1332 AHL.

Again the opportunity for expressing grudge and enmity, conspiracy and plot fell in the hands of the enemies of Islam and accusations for having connections with the Germans was made against His Holiness. The Russian garrison, which was in Torbat, as a result of this false accusation, sent officers to arrest His Holiness.

The Russian Kazaks in the beginning of the month of Ramadan 1333 AHL broke into His Holiness’s house and arrested His Holiness and took him towards Torbat Hayderieh and did not permit anyone to accompany His Holiness, only the late Mr. Sheikh Taghi Allaf Tehrani, who in a frenzied state set out on foot after His Holiness and till Torbat accompanied His Holiness closely. During evening His Holiness entered Torbat, after meeting the Russian Consul and discussions between them, the false accusation of the enemies was clear to the Russian Consul and he apologized for the inconvenience caused, to return back immediately or to stop over in Torbat was left to the choice of His Holiness.

His Holiness for a few days stopped at Torbat to rest in the house of the late Sheikh Nasrullah Sadr-ol-Ollama Torbati, then returned back to Gonabad and with extraordinary honor from the local citizens entered Baydukht.

But again, His Holiness was not left in peace and the internal enemies gathered and started full opposition with His Holiness in Baydukht. Thereupon, His Holiness in the year 1336 AHL overnight left Gonabad for Teheran and after being for sometime in Tehran, on the request of the faithful, went to Arak (known as Sultanabad then) and from there, on the request of the faithful of Kashan accepted their invitation and went to Kashan.

Unfortunately, in Kashan by the hands of murderers was poisoned and in the poisoned condition set out from Kashan and in the early morning of 15^th Rabbi-ul-thani 1337 in Kaarizak, the criminal oppressors reached their goal and His Holiness submitted his soul to the Beloved. His holy body received such a glorified escorting from the faithful and taken to Imamzadeh Hamzeh and in the tomb of the late Saadat Ali Shah, that previously His Holiness had it restored, was buried alongside the grave of the late Saadat Ali Shah.

His Holiness, in Rabbi-ul-thani 1329 had authorized his son His Hoiliness Hajj Sheikh Mohammad Hassan to initiate the seekers and to be his successor and had given him the spiritual title “Salih Ali Shah”, and in that year, when His Holiness vacated the Robe of Guidance, His Holiness Salih Ali Shah sat on the seat of Guidance.

Marriage and the Children of His Holiness:

His Holiness had only one wife, the daughter of the late Hajj Mulla Salih who was the mother of the honorable Salih Ali Shah. The children of His Holiness were one daughter by the name of Zainab and four sons.

1) His Holiness Hajj Mohammad Hassan Salih Ali Shah

2) Mr. Hussainali Saadati

3) Mr. Abol Kasem Nournejad

4) Mr. Sultan Mohammad Nouri

The authorized on behalf of His Holiness:

1) Hajj Sheikh Abdullah Haeri son of Sheikh (Rahmat Ali Shah) who was also authorized during his honourable father’s time.

2) Sheikh Mohsen Sarvestani (Saber Ali)

3) Hajj Sheikh Emad-e-din Sabzewari (Hedayat Ali)

4) Hajj Sheikh Abbasali Ghazvini (Mansoor Ali) who after was subject to the devil’s temptations and carnal desires, which abandoned him from his way and the Dervish Order. His affection for worldly gains destroyed him and he deposed himself from his position.

5) Aga Mirza Abu Talib Semnani (Mahboob Ali)

6) Hajj Mirza Yusef Haeri (Ershad Ali).

Contemporaries of His Holiness from the learned and jurists:

1) Mr. Syed Mohammad Kazem Tabatabaie Yazdi

2) Mr. Hajj Mirza Hussein Mirza Khalil

3) Mr. Shariat Isfahani well known as Sheikh-ul-Shariyeh

4) Hajj Mirza Hussein Naini

5) Mir Syed Mohammad Tabatabaie

6) Syed Abdullah Behbahani

7) Hajj Sheikh Fazlullah Nouri

8) Mr. Sheikh Mohammad Taghi Najafi Isfahani

9) Hajj Aga Nourullah Isfahani