Hazrat Umar and Pir Changi

Random thoughts
In one of my previous columns I wrote about the life of Maulana Rumi, his ‘Masnavi’ and the story given therin of Hazrat Musa (SA) and Firaun. Maulana Rumi’s Masnavi is regarded by many as a divinely inspired book and is considered a masterpiece in Persian containing many stories of moral values and advice.
Rumi was born in 605 AH in Balkh. His father’s name was Shaikh Bahauddin and he was, as a matter of fact, the maternal grandson of the King, Muhammad Khwarizm Shah. When he was six the family migrated to Larand where he was married at 18. He then settled down in Konia (now Turkey).
When he was 25 he went to Syria for advanced courses in religion. In 642 AH he became a disciple of the saint Shams Tibrez (RA). He wrote his famous Masnavi in 662 AH. He died and was buried in Konia at the age of 68. Thousands of devotees visit his tomb there every year.
Here I would like to give the story of Hazrat Umar (RA) and Hazrat Pir Changi (RA) (A chang is a sitar-like instrument and its player is known as a change). It contains a moral lesson about people who are famous for their achievements in their young days and are then ignored when they lose their utility old. I am indebted to Maulana Shah Hakeem Muhammed Akhtar for the Urdu translation and to Khanquahe Imdadia Ashrafia, Karachi for the Urdu translation as ‘Maa’rife Masnavi’.
“During the khilafat of Hazrat Umar (RA), a man used to sing while playing the chang beautifully. Men and women, young and old, all loved to listen to him. When he walked through the forest playing his chang and singing, even the animals and birds used to listen. As he grew older, he lost the timbre of his voice and the very same people who used to love listening to him now started ignoring and avoiding him. This led to his starvation.
“Considering the selfishness of the people, he was extremely saddened and called to the Almighty: ‘O Allah, when I was young and could sing and play chang beautifully, all used to admire me and would feast me. Now when I am old and have lost my beautiful voice, these same selfish people ignore and avoid me. What a pity, Oh Almighty, that I associated myself with such ungrateful people. It was pure hypocrisy. Alas, had I but associated myself with You and prayed and remembered You day and night, I would not have to see this ignominious day’.
“Pir Changi continued moaning and groaning, meanwhile repenting. He felt a strong attraction towards the Almighty. He then abandoned the people and went to a graveyard in Madina. There he took refuge in the hole of a broken grave. Crying, he spoke to the Almighty thus: ‘O Allah, I am Your guest now. Everyone has discarded me and I have no-one to turn to except You. O Allah, all my friends and admirers have vanished and I have none other than You to come to. O Almighty, I have come to You with great hopes, please do not turn me away. I am at Your mercy.”
While he was crying and praying, the Caliph, Hazrat Umar (RA), received a divine message. “O Umar (RA), my dear disciple who used to make people happy with his melodious voice and beautiful chang playing is now old and has lost his charming voice. He is now being ignored and discarded by all. This calamity has made him turn in repentance to Me. Even though he was not inclined to prayer and remembering Me, I accept his repentance and pardon him as he has no- one else to go to and seek help but Me.
“O Umar (RA), go to the state treasury, pick up a handsome amount and go to the graveyard. Convey My greetings to him, give him the money and tell him that the Almighty has chosen him as His favourite companion and has showered His blessings on him. He need not ask anyone for anything and he need not be worried or sad. O Umar, tell him that the Almighty has arranged his sustenance from unknown sources.”
When Hazrat Umar (RA) received this message from the invisible angel, he became very anxious, rose, took some money from the state treasury and rushed to the graveyard. There he saw an old man with a chang sleeping in the hollow of an old broken grave. His face and beard were wet from crying and for this (repentance) he received favour from the Almighty. Maulana Rumi commented that it was the benevolence of the Almighty that this old chang player received special attention and favour.
Hazrat Umar (RA) stood quietly in front of the old man, waiting for him to wake up so he could give him the money and greetings from the Almighty. While waiting he sneezed and this woke the old man up. He started trembling when he saw the Caliph standing there for he was known for awarding lashes to criminals. Hazrat Umar (RA) told him not to be afraid as he (RA) had brought good news from the Almighty.
Hearing this, Pir Changi became embarrassed and full of gratitude. Maulana Rumi says that, when Pir Changi heard the kind message from the Almighty conveyed through Hazrat Umar (RA), he was shocked, started trembling, biting his hands in shame and shouted: “O my Lord, I am so ashamed that, despite my detestable behaviour, You have been so kind and generous”.
After having cried for a while, he picked up his chang and smashed it to pieces on the ground. Then he looked at it and said: “You wicked thing; you kept me away from my Lord; you kept me away from the right path and you sucked my blood for 70 years. It is due to you that I was disobedient to Allah, ignored His edicts and became a wrongdoer in the eyes of the Lord.”
Hearing this, Hazrat Umar (RA) felt grieved and tears came to his eyes. He said: “O old man, your repentance and crying is proof of your soul’s awakening due to your nearness to the Almighty. Allah considers the repentant tears of a wrongdoer as invaluable”. Maulana Rumi comments here that the Almighty gives more importance to a single teardrop from a wrongdoer over a drop of blood from a martyr.
The moral of the story is that a man whom the Almighty has identified as hasty, ungrateful, quarrelsome, a wrongdoer and niggardly, can still call on the mercy and benevolence of the Almighty if he truly repents, because the Almighty is forgiving and kind and accepts repentance. Hence, a person should never lose faith in the benevolence of Allah as only kafirs lose faith in Him.
Email: dr.a.quadeer.khan@gmail.com