of Ibn ‘Arabi though he believed that some of his propositions were difficult
for the uninitiated to understand. Nonetheless, he was a most ardent
defender and exponent of Ibn ‘Arabi’s doctrine of
wahdat al wujud
and wrote
commentaries on controversial passages in Ibn ‘Arabi’s work in order to
convince the
ulama
of their true significance. However, he was also a great
scholar of the
hadith,
and some consider his works on the
hadith
to be more
valuable than anything else he might have written.
Besides the mysticism worked out from the theological position by the
learned Sufis, therewas yet another type of mystical sensitivity and devotional
passion represented by Miyan Mir and others like him.
Miyan Mir, also known as Mir Muhammad, (1531-1635) was a
contemporary of Abdul Haqq, but was not well educated like him and spoke
only the local Sindi dilect. Miyan Mir’s
pir,
Shaykh Khizr, was a Sufi
mentioned in Dara Shikoh’s
Sakinat ul Auliya
(‘The Ship of Saints’) as a
passionate believer in poverty and asceticism. After receiving guidance
from him, Miyan Mir went on to Lahore to seek knowledge from the Sufis
living there. Soon his fame spread far and wide, forcing him to leave the
town for a while. One of the myths surrounding him tells of an incident
when he was sick and he had a dream in which Ghaus ul Azam appeared to
him and cured him of his ailment.
His philosophy of life was based on trust in God, or
tawakkul
. It is said
that he used to throw out water on a hot Lahore evening to ensure that
none remained for the next day. He scorned Sufis like Shaykh Bahauddin
Zakariyya, a Suhrawardi shaykh of great renown and the recipient of lavish
gifts, expressing doubts about his spiritual achievements. He even criticized
the Sufi custom of wearing a patched cloak, as it attracted unnecessary
attention to the Sufis, who were then frequently brought offerings. He
