Around eight hundred years ago, Sultan Nooruddin Mahmood Zangi رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه offered his night Nawafil and Wazaaif as usual and fell asleep. As his eyes shut down, his fortune awoke. The Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم came in his dream, showed him two blue eyed men and said: Save me from them! He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه woke up anxiously. He performed Wudu, offered Nawafil and fell asleep again. Same thing repeated three times. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه called his minister in the same night. They consulted and left for Madinah Munawwarah the next morning with a lot of wealth. They arrived in Madinah Munawwarah after travelling for 16 days. He performed Ghusl outside the city and then entered the city. He performed Nawafil in Riyad-ul-Jannah, presented himself at Raudah-e-Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and sat inside the Masjid. All residents of Madinah were called informing them the Sultan has arrived and wants to distribute gifts. However, the wanted people were not seen. Upon inquiring, they were told that there are two righteous men from the West. They do not take anything from anyone. In fact, they give Sadaqah [charity] in abundance. They worship and carry out spiritual exercises all night long and offer water to thirsty people during the day. They were presented before the Sultan and he immediately recognised them. They were the same accursed people who were shown in the dream by the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. When they were asked about the reason for their arrival in Madinah, they said that we have just come here to live in the neighbourhood of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.
They were questioned again and again but they didn’t reveal the truth. When their house was searched, immense wealth and few books were found. Sultan started strolling anxiously. All of a sudden, as soon as the mat laid on the floor was removed, everyone was shocked to see a tunnel beneath the mat that was leading to the Raudah of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Both the accursed men would dig the tunnel at the night time and would fill the waterskins of soil and throw it in the graveyard. When they reached near the blessed grave, the sky shivered and a severe earthquake struck. It seemed as if the mountains will fall out. Sultan Nooruddin Mahmood Zangi رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه reached Madinah Munawwarah the next morning. Once their crime was proven, Sultan ordered them to be beheaded. Moreover, he got the ground dug around the blessed Raudah to the level of water and poured molten lead into it so that no one could attempt any such evil act ever again. (Wafa-ul-Wafa, Juz: 2, pp. 648; summarized)
Dear Islamic brothers! Entire life of the great devotee of Rasool, the lion of Islam, Abul Qaasim, Nooruddin Mahmood Zangi رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was spent in serving the Deen. This is the reason that not only the Muslim historians praise him, but non-Muslim historians also praise him. Some of his remarkable achievements are mentioned below:
Scholarly achievements
٭ He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه compiled the Ahadees namely ‘Al-Fakhr-un-Noori’. He gathered Ahadees on the topics of justice, helping the poor for the sake of Allah Almighty and admonitions and advice, in this compilation.
٭ He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه also authored a book on the topic of ‘Jihad’. (Mirat-uz-Zamaan, vol. 21, pp. 211)
٭ He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه donated a lot of expensive books. (Siyar A’laam-un-Nubala, vol. 15, pp. 242)
٭ He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه fixed stipends for the teachers, students and Islamic scholars. (Urdu Daa`irah Ma’arif-e-Islamiyyah, vol. 22, pp. 503)
Achievements in Masajid’s construction
Whatever wealth he would receive from the kings and rich people, he would spend it all on the construction of the Masajid. Once he ordered to count the Masajid of Damascus. The count came up to approximately 100. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه established Awqaf [administrative department that looks after the religious sites] for them. Other than that, he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه constructed a lot of Masajid and Madaris in Damascus, Halb [Aleppo], Baalbek, Manbij, Rahba, Mosul, Hama and various other cities. Names of some of them are as follows:
٭ Jami Masjid of Fort Damascus
٭ Masjid Atiyyah near Bab Jaabiyah
٭ Masjid Ramaheen
٭ Masjid of Bazar Saaghah
٭ Masjid Dar-ul-Bateekh
٭ Masjid Abbasi
٭ Masjid Kashk [کشک] (Mirat-uz-Zamaan, vol. 21, pp. 210; Mirat-ul-Jinaan, vol. 3, pp. 291)
٭ Three hundred thousand dinars were spent in the renovation of Al-Jaami’ An-Noori in the city of Mosul. (Mirat-uz-Zamaan, vol. 21, pp. 208)
٭ He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه established a Dar-ul-Hadees in Damascus. Haafiz Ibn ‘Asakir was the Shaykh-ul-Hadees of this Dar-ul-Hadees. (Urdu Daa`irah Ma’arif-e-Islamiyyah, vol. 22, pp. 503)
٭ He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه called the famous scholar, mathematician and doctrinal of Khurasan, Qutbuddeen Mahsood Nayshapuri and established a Madrasah ‘Aadiliyah for him. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه laid foundations for another Madrasah Aadiliya-tul-Kubra that was completed by Malik ‘Aadil Sayfuddeen Ahmad after him. This was the central educational institute of the Islamic world where great personalities like Ibn Khalkaan, Jalaluddin Al-Qazweeni and Ibn Maalik Nahvi rendered their teaching services. (Ibid)
٭ There was a well in the field of Uhud that was shut down due to a flood. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه opened it up again.
٭ He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه widened the narrow markets of Hijaz Muqaddas. He completed the construction of the safety wall around Madinah Munawwarah. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه built shrines, bridges, inns for travellers and hospitals. (Siyar A’laam-un-Nubala, vol. 15, pp. 241)
(To be continued in the next month’s edition)
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