Khwaja Muhammad Masum (1599-1668) worked very hard for the
mission and it is recorded that he had 900,000 disciples.This figure may not
be accurate, but there is no doubt that he was very popular.A large number
of his disciples accompanied him on
hajj
in 1657. His son Muhammad
Ubaydullah recorded his spiritual experiences during
hajj
.
Khwaja Muhammad Masum worked along the same lines as his father.
He would often apply Shaykh Ahmad’s teachings to new situations, which is
the task of a
mujtahid
. Like his father, he preached that innovations should
be uncompromisingly eradicated and the purity of the
sunnah
maintained
by the Sufis. In his times some of the Sufis, in order to gain popularity,
refrained from criticizing people for un-Islamic acts. Khwaja Masum in one
of his letters writes that such an approach is sinful for Sufis because they
are duty-bound to guide the people along the right path. He writes: “The
Naqshbandi saints strictly adhere to the ways of the Prophet. Those who
refrain from enjoining people to do good and forbid evil have deviated
from the path of our order…. Had God approved of non-interference with
the people, He would not have sent the prophets.” Then he goes on to
enumerate a number of great Sufis, including Ibn ‘Arabi, who admonished
people for their wrong actions.
11
Khwajah Muhammad Masoom claimed to be the
qayyum
of the age
(
qayyum
in the Naqshbandi order denotes one who is to shoulder the
responsibility of bringing stability, reform and resurgence in his own times).
Shaykh Ahmad claimed this title for himself and mentioned in one of his
letters that the role of
qayyum
would devolve upon his son Muhammad
Masum.
12
His movement was indeed of a missionary nature and mobilized
the people not only in India but also abroad. Its promoters appointed their
khalifah
and sent them to far-off places to spread their message. The fame
of the Naqshabandi saints having reached distant lands, seekers of
Th e Na q s h ba n d i Or d e r 178
11
Maktubat Khwajah Muhammad Masum Sirhindi
12
Maktubat Rabbani, Vol.3, letter 104
