In one of his blessed sohbet, my Sheykh, Hz Sheykh Lokman Effendi, says: “The biggest title you can have is Abdullah, the biggest name that you must have is Abdullah. You have titles; you cannot be higher than the title of the Holy Prophet (AS). He has so many names, and when they asked him, ‘What is your best name, the name that you love the most?’ he says, ‘Abdullah.’ His names are endless, because Allah’s praises for him are endless, but he says, ‘The name I love the most is The Servant of Allah.’ Servant.“
Indeed, the goal of our creation is to serve our Allah, our Prophet AS, and our Sheykh, and we take the friends of Allah (Awlia’Allah) as an example of how they served with sincerity and with the most perfect adep (manner). We are, and we must try to follow in their footsteps as they never walked without love on the earth of Allah SWT and are accepted in the divine presence.
Hz Baba Abudullah Gazi QS is one of the exceptional figures in the history of Kashmir who has achieved extraordinary milestones in the service of Haq. A simple yet magnificent cypress tree in the rank of Awlia’Allah, Baba Abdullah Gazi was born around 1050 Hijri, that is 1640 AD, into a noble family in the Pargana Walur. He came from the family of Awlias; his father, Hussain Baba Qureshi QS, was also a saintly person.
Baba Abdullah Gazi’s spiritual tarbiyat was done by Baba Naseer ud Din Gazi QS, who was the first spiritual inheritor (Khalifa) of Sultanul Arifeen, Sheykh Hamzah Makhdoomi QS. Later, after the veiling of Baba Naseer ud Din Gazi QS, the spiritual training of Baba Abdullah Gazi QS was continued by Haji Baba. Thus, Abudllah Gazi is also another flower from the garden of Makhdoom Sahab.
Hz Baba Abudllah Gazi reached great stations of the tasavuf and was accepted in the divine presence. He is also called Mastana Baba because of his state of manifestation of Haq. It is said that if someone were to say the name of Allah before Baba Abudullah Gazi, he would get so happy and excited that he would pass until the next nimaz. Such was the zuhud and jazab of Abdullah Gazi. In some of the local accounts, it is written that during his visit to Neelam Valley on his horse, stones would imprint the impression of his horse’s feet. And later, people used to use the dust that was covering it as a remedy for illness, and miraculously, they would get healed with it.
With such a dragon-like spiritual stature within, Baba Abdullah Gazi was outwardly humble and simple. Instead of visiting or spending his time in the main urban areas of Kashmir, his focus was on the countryside. He would visit poor villagers and far and near with his mureeds and would give sohbets to enlighten their hearts with the nur of Islam. People loved Baba Abdullah Gazi so much that they would eagerly sit and listen to his sohbets. They would often invite him to their homes and would prepare feasts for their Sheykh.
He was not Abdullah merely by name; he embodied the true essence of this title in his character and actions. Wherever he traveled, he would serve by building masjids, bathrooms, and hamams with the help of his mureeds. And when no companions were present, it is narrated that he would even command the jinn to assist in this service. As Hz. Sheykh Lokman Effendi explains, the Awliya’Allah are constantly striving for the pleasure of Haq, and Baba Abdullah Gazi was deeply driven by the desire to be a true Abdullah in every sense. During his blessed lifetime, he is said to have built as many as 370 masjids, from Kashmir to Lahore, serving the Deen tirelessly and selflessly.
In my native village of Sogam Lolab, there once stood an abandoned structure in the main graveyard. It was extremely basic in appearance, with only a few stone walls still intact and no roof or other features. People believed that it was the first Masjid of Sogam, before a newer and larger one was later built in a separate nearby compound. Whenever I looked at it, I felt a deep sense of curiosity but never knew its true history.
Recently, however, the old Masjid was restored by a noble person from our village, Mr. Manzoor Ahmad Lone. Only then did I come to know that the Masjid had originally been built by Baba Abudullah Gazi (QS). The Masjid is now named after him and is fully functional, with five daily prayers being offered. On Fridays, we recite the famous Awrad-e-Fatiha after the Asr prayer. Thus, Alhamdulillah, we have rediscovered a part of our history that dates back nearly four hundred years.
This sacred legacy had long been forgotten, yet Allah granted us the blessing of uncovering it once again. Indeed, we need to rediscover the history of Islam and the lives of the Awliya’Allah so that their hidden legacies may awaken our hearts. While reflecting on how we have lost our historical compass, I recall the words of my Sheykh Effendi: “But that is another problem, because Muslims, we have forgotten our history, we have forgotten our past, we have forgotten our identity. We think we are the only ones ever to come to this world, we are the only ones ever to understand Islam. But those who came before us lived through more difficult times. If we know what we they went through, if we connect ourselves to them, if we seek their support, we are going to be the winners, and we are going to know how to move forward.”
The Masjid of Baba Abdullah Gazi KS is small and humble compared to modern masjid architecture, but it is filled with sincerity and peace. Whenever we sit in there, we feel a different level of peace and overwhelming emotions flowing out. Instantly, if one has an open heart can feel that this Masjid is special and is accepted in the divine court. Indeed, this masjid has the nazar of Baba Abdullah Gazi QS.
As Imam Al-Ghazzali (QS) said, “It is from the special qualities of the Auliya’-Allah that blessings are found in their words, their breath, their clothes, their homes, and even in the dust beneath their feet and the places where they sit.” Beyond being a house of Allah, this old and humble masjid carries the honor of having been built by one of the pious and chosen servants of Allah. Through the intercession of Abdullah Gazi (QS), this masjid holds a special divine favor and attention from Allah (AJ).
Hz. Baba Abdullah Gazi QS passed away in 1117 Hijri, that is 1705 AD, in the month of Muharram al-Haram. His final blessed resting place is in Guzriyal, Kupwara. Al Fatiha for his holy soul.
