Maktubat Imam Rabbani I-III: New Edition English Translation

Maktubat Imam Rabbani Complete English Translation Volume 1 to 3

The Maktubat-i Imam-i Rabbani Volume 1 to 3 contains a series of 536 letters (1st Vol. 313, 2nd vol. 99 and the 3rd vol. 124 letters) that explore the spiritual experiences and reflections of the author, particularly focusing on the states of self-disclosure and annihilation in the quest for divine closeness. The text engages with the concepts of tawhid, self-disclosure, and the transformative power of spiritual experiences, while emphasizing the importance of intention and the recognition of one's own shortcomings in the pursuit of spiritual perfection.

Maktubat is the common term referred to the letters of Sufi sheikh and scholars. The Maktubat of Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi are indeed the most popular among the letters of sufi sheikhs. This book is a classical and most venerated book of Sufism that covers classical Sufism, methodologies, beliefs and practices of Islam and many other spiritual secrets. Letters of Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi (may Allah be pleased with him) were compiled in his lifetime. Three volumes were compiled, as detailed below:

Volume 1 contains 313 letters, and was compiled by Khwajah Yar Muhammad Badakhshi Talqani (rahmatullah alaih), a murid of Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi. The volume was named as Durr al-Ma'rifat (در المعرفت) and was finished in 1025 AH, as the Sheikh ordered to complete it at 313 letters, 313 being a sacred number. Volume 2 was named as Noor al-Khallaq (نور الخلاق) and contains 99 letters. It was compiled by Khwajah Abdul Hayy. Volume 3 was compiled by Khwajah Muhammad Hashim Kashmi and contains 124 letters. The volume was named Ma'rifat al-Haqa'iq (معرفت الحقائق). Thus Maktubat-i Imam-i Rabbani Volume 1 to 3 contains a series of 536 letters.

Translator Ijazat My first shaykh Muhammad Mamunur Rashid gave me ijazat, mandate to translate the Mujaddid, and his chief khalifa, my second shaykh Qazi Rezaul Haq has confirmed it, and guiding me spiritually. Now when I asked Shaykh Mamun for ijazat, he said that I must journey to Sirhind and get a personal ijazat from the Mujaddid. I implored, You have a deep nisbat to the Mujaddid. Isn’t your ijazat good enough? He replied, No! That’s not enough. You need a personal ijazat directly from the Mujaddid. So finally when I went there in 2003, even before I visited the grave, as soon as I went to the office of the mazar, I received the sign that I’ve received the ijazat. Because the then caretaker Sheikh Yahya, within a minute after seeing me, his face beamed. He stood up to greet me, and exclaimed, Mujaddid would now POUR (dhal) into you. Silsila of interpretation While I translate directly from the original Persian/Arabic, I take my understanding from the Bengali translation by sufi shaykhs Shah Muti Muhammad Aftabi who learned the Maktubat from his shaykh and father, who in turn, learned it from his shaykh Wajid Ali Shah of Kolkata. Verification The greatest academic authority on the Naqshbandi tariqa in the West, Dr. Hamid Algar, of University of California at Berkeley, has given it a recommendation in an email dated Oct 13, 2020: This is the second volume of translations of the Maktubat of Imam Rabbani made by Sufi Irshad Alam, together with copious annotations. It is more systematic than the first, and the quality of the translation is also superior. It is recommended to all those interested in the Maktubat who are unable to access the original Persian. I look forward to his translations of the rest of this important work. Comment: By the term, first volume, Dr Algar meant my book Faith Practice Piety of which he gave a positive review as well.

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E-bog: 7. august 2025