Born in Sirhind, India in 1563, Imam Rabbani was a great Islamic scholar and mujaddid (reviver) of his time. With his works, lectures and discourses that were highly influential in explaining the Qur'an in a correct way, Imam Rabbani was a great scholar who made an impact that will last for centuries, both in his time and the time after him.
At an early age he learned the Holy Qur’an by heart and became a hafiz.
With his deep knowledge, sincerity and wisdom of his manners, Imam Rabbani was very successful in rendering the materialist philosophy ineffective, and in communicating the existence and Oneness of Allah to large masses.
He defended the moral values of the Qur’an and the Sunnah of our Prophet (saas) against the irreligiousness of his time, the deviant ideas in India, and the moral collapse resulting from false Mahdi claims. He waged a great intellectual struggle to rid the religion of superstition.
The esteemed Islamic scholar, Imam Rabbani was instrumental in setting the public at ease when they revolted against the erroneous practices of the sultan of the time, thus preventing the loss of unity andbrotherhood.To this end, he was imprisoned many times yet even under those trying circumstances, he caused many prisoners to embrace Islam by preaching the morality of the Qur’an.
Imam Rabbani was released after the value of his ideas was properly appreciated, and he was effective in the enlightenment of the Islamic world through his works, and the students he continued to educate until his death in 1624.
He served Islam in the best way possible with his valuable ideas and views in his three-volume work called “Maktubat- The Letters of Rabbani”, which is composed of a collection of his five hundred and twenty six letters along with his many other works.
Works of Imam Rabbani
- Maktubat: It is composed of three volumes and a collection of five hundred and twenty six letters. A few of the letters in Maktubat are in Arabic and others are in Farsi.
- Radd al-Rawafid
- Ithbât-un-Nubuwwa
- Mabda wa Ma’ad
- Adab Al-Muridin
- Taliqat Al-Awaarif
- Risalah at-Tahliliyya
- Sharh al-Rubaiyat Abd al-Baaqi
- Ma'arif-i Ladunniyya
- Mukashifat e-Ayniyya
- Risalah al-Jadhdhba wa al-Suluk
From Mr. Adnan Oktar’s Interview Dated March 3rd, 2009
ADNAN OKTAR: Imam Rabbani is a very respected and great scholar, who is greatly loved by the Sufi community. But a very great scholar… Imam Rabbanī Shaykh Ahmad al-Faruqi al-Sirhindi was born in the Sirhind region of India on the Ashura day, which is the tenth day of Muharram [Hijri calendar] in the year 1563 and he lived for 63 years. People called him with beautiful names like “Ulama ar-Rasikhin” [Profound scholars who have progressed on the way of tasawwuf and attained to perfection] “Ghawth al-Wasilin”, “Afdal al-Fudala”, “Qutb al-Aqtab” [Guide of that period], “Ali Janab”, “Mazhar-al Karamat” [Recipient of miracle], “Jami al-Darajat”, “Imam at-Tariqa” [Imam of Tariqa], “Mukhtada al-Ahl-al-Haqiqat”.
Here it's written ; "His lineage reaches Hazrat Omar (may Allah be pleased with him) after some 20 generations, may Allah bless him.” In the accounts related from Our Prophet (saas), he said ; “A person known as Sila [meaning reunion, combiner] will come into my community.” It is said that this account refers to Imam Rabbani.
Yes, Sufism is very nicely told in the works of this valuable individual. He tells the profundity and subtleties of Sufism, the truth about matter, and the depth of matter with a very sincere and nice style. It is understood from his works that he is a very religious, faithful and sincere Muslim. Such scholars are immediately recognized from their works and their confident and sincere manner of speech. He is a person who has met with Khidr (pbuh) several times and who has experienced many extraordinary spiritual states. He has many detailed and thorough explanations about Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh).
THE END TIMES BY IMAM RABBANI
Imam Rabbani brought light to the End Times by interpreting the hadiths narrated from our Prophet (saas). In his writings and lectures, he attached great significance to the subject of the End Times, and noted that the emergence of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) was a certain fact. In his works where he told the features of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) in detail, he heralded all Muslims with his coming.
HAZRAT MAHDI (pbuh) IS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF WALAYAT [GUARDIANSHIP]. (Imam Rabbani, The Letters of Rabbani, p. 357. Mahdi and Dajjal, Saban Dogen, p. 153)
Related from Jabir ibn Abdullah; "WHOEVER DENIES THE APPEARANCE OF THE MAHDI; WILL CERTAINLY BE DENYING WHAT IS SENT DOWN TO MUHAMMAD (SAAS). Whoever denies the descent of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), the son of Mary, would certainly be an unbeliever. And the one who does not accept that the dajjal [antichrist] will come would certainly be an unbeliever." (Letters of Rabbani, 1/611)
ALL OF THE PORTENTS OF THE DAY OF JUDGMENT TOLD BY OUR PROPHET (SAAS), THE LOYAL INFORMANT, ARE TRUE. There is no possibility of falsehood in them. The following are among those:
- As contrary to ordinary, the Sun rising from the West
- THE EMERGENCE OF MAHDI
- The descending of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh)
(Imam Rabbani, The Letters of Rabbani, 2. volume, 380. Letter, p. 1177-1178
Imam Rabbani informed the appearance date of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) as 1400 [Hijri calendar]
Imam Rabbani stated that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will come between “the first and the second one thousand YEARS” after 1,000 (one thousand) years have passed following passing away of our Prophet (saas).
The reinforcement of the commands of the Qur'an, the renovation of people takes place in this SECOND THOUSAND. The just witness to the veracity of this cause is: THE EXISTENCE OF THE PROPHET JESUS (pbuh) AND MAHDI (pbuh) IN THIS THOUSAND. (Imam Rabbani, The Letters of Rabbani, vol. 1, p. 611)
According to these explanations of Imam Rabbani, the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will come between the thousand and the second thousand years.
The hadiths of our Prophet (saas) informs us that the life of his community will not exceed 1,500 years:
The life of this community will exceed 1,000 years, yet be limited to 1,500 years... (Al-Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-Ashrat al-Sa'ah, p. 299)
According to this, the dominion of Islam will last until 1500 Hijri calendar. Therefore, between the years 1500-1600 corruption will take place, and then the Day of Judgment is to be expected.
In another saying of Imam Rabbani regarding this matter, he denoted that the emergence of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will take place at the beginning of the century.
That is because his [Hazrat Mahdi’s (pbuh)] appearance will be at the beginning of the century. (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, Letter no. 381, p. 1184)
If the life span of the community of Muhammad will not exceed 1,500 years, then there is one century left to 1500 according to the Hijri calendar, which is the beginning of 1400. Therefore, THE TIME OF THE EMERGENCE OF HAZRAT MAHDI (PBUH) IS THE BEGINNING OF 1400 ACCORDING TO THE HIJRI CALENDAR.
