(Translated from Hulya Yilmaz, Dunden Bugune Gumusanevi Mektebi, Istanbul: Seha 1997)

Hadrat Ahmed ibn-i Suleyman al-Arwâdî was the last deputy of Shaikh Mawlâna Khalid-i Baghdâdî. He was born in the town of Arwâd in Trablus-sham province of the Ottoman State. He is known by the name of his town. He is a descendent of Hadrat Imam Huseyin RA, the grandchild of Prophet Muhammad SAS.

Hadrat Shaikh al-Arwâdî QS started his education in his hometown. He also traveled to Egypt and Damascus to receive instruction form the famous scholars of his time. Among these scholars were Ibrahim al-Bajûrî and Shaikh Muhammad al-Fudâlî who were instructors at al-Azhar University. He also received instruction from the muftis of Egypt including Shaikh Ahmed at-Temîmî, Shaikh Abdurrahman al-Ushmûnî, Shaikh Ahmed es-Sâvî al-Khalwetî an-Naqshbandi, Mustafa al-Mubellâd al-Ahmedî, Mustafa al-Bolâkî, Shaikh Abdurrahman al- Kuzberî, Huseyin ad-Dejânî, and Allame Muhammad ibn-i Abîdîn.

He completed his studies and received his diploma. He advanced in the fields of study beyond his own instructors.

Having advanced in his field of study, he decided to join a tariqa. In search of a spiritual guide, he served various shaikhs. He completed his spiritual training and received authorization to guide in the Akbariyya, Rifaîyye, Desûkiyye, Ahmediyye (Badawiyya), Khalwetiyya, and Shadhiliyya tariqas. Then he served to Shaikh Mawlâna Khalid-i Baghdâdî and attended his discourses. In a short time, he received full authorization to guide in Qadiriyya, Suhrawardiyya, Kubrawiyya, Chistiyya, Naqshbandiyya, Mazhariyya, and Khalidiyya tariqas or branches. With the instructions of his Shaikh, he spread the tariqa in his hometown.

Hadrat Arwâdî was a scholar in all fields and a shaikh in all tariqas. He used to teach effectively those who searched for him to learn. For those who are after spiritual yearning, he would instruct with the method of one of the tariqas that he was authorized depending on the abilities of the seekers. For some disciples, he would only turn to them spiritually as in the Akbariyya tariqa. For some other disciples, he would look at them with love and affection as in the Badawiyya tariqa. Sometimes, he would put his disciples in circles around him and turn to them spiritually to help them eliminate the worldly thoughts from their minds and hearts. He would have special treatment for each disciple to have them all fully benefit in the spirituality.

In the interpretation of the work R. Men Arafe Nafsahu faqad Arafe Rabbeh by Grand Shaikh Muhiddin ibn-Arabi, Hadrat Arwâdî explained how one goes through the seven stages of the nafs. He added the following:

Going through the seven stages of the nafs can be accomplished in different ways in different tariqas. In some tariqas, it is accomplished by going through esma-i seb'a (seven names). In some tariqas it is done as the shaikh turns to the disciple spiritually or looks at him with love and affection. In some cases, the shaikh and the disciple get together to study. In such cases, the dervish may not hear what the shaikh says, yet the transfer of the knowledge takes place. In fact, that used to happen to me. While I was with my shaikh Mawlâna Khalid, I would be totally immersed in the spirituality and would not hear what he said or see anything. Yet when I was in his madrasa in Damascus, I would remember everything he had taught me when some scholars in the madrasa questioned me on the related topics.

After Hadrat Arwâdî QS stayed in his town for a while, Hadrat Mawlâna Khalid QS sent him to Istanbul with a great mission:

Oh Friend! Go to Istanbul and find the person with whom the Northern Africa, Bukhara, Egypt, Makkah, Madina, India and Far East will be illuminated. He is a bud of walâyat that have not been bloomed (i.e., he is going to be a great walî). There have been many spiritual guides who were sent to Istanbul, yet the duty of preparing him has been apportioned to you in the beginning of the time. Go and guide him, for he will be a great person of his time and a great spiritual guide.

Having received these words, Hadrat al-Arwâdî went to Istanbul, found Hadrat Ahmed Ziyauddîn Gumush-khanewi, and initiated him to the tariqa.

Mawlâna Khalid-i Baghdâdî sent deputies to every region in the Ottoman country. For the deputies he sent to Istanbul, he had laid down specific rules because it was the capital and the center of Khilafetil Aliyye for the Muslim world. Every tariqa was represented in Istanbul that formed a rich Tasawwuf environment for all. Here are the rules for Istanbul Deputies:

1. Deputies in Istanbul have to avoid close contact with the ministers or other statesmen with a high rank in the administration. They shall not ask for any salary or wages, nor would ask for a position. It has to be avoided even if it is on behalf of the tekke or dargah.

2. They should not allow young women come to the tekke even if it is for the initiation to the tariqa.

3. The deputy in Istanbul shall keep his guard in all matters no matter how insignificant it may appear and keep contact with the headquarters. He shall not act independently.

4. The deputy shall not marry a woman from Istanbul if he is already married. He must avoid such a thing that may deteriorate the efficiency of the hidhmet (service).

5. The deputy shall not allow his disciples to abuse the name of the tariqa or the dargah in personal businesses.

6. The deputy must be content with what he has from this world and remember often the hadith of the Prophet: “Work for this world for as much as you are going to live in it, and work for the hereafter as much as you are going to stay there. Work for Allah as much as you need, and work for the hellfire as much as you can withstand the hellfire.”

These rules, which were laid down for the Khalidi deputies, indicate some of the principles of Mawlâna Khalid's method. They were also meant to remove the criticism towards the tariqas at his time.

It is obvious that Al-Arwâdî QS was qualified in all aspects to be a deputy of Mawlâna Khalid QS for Istanbul. He was sent specifically to guide Ahmed Ziyauddîn Gumush-khanewi in the tariqa.

Beside Hadrat Gumush-khanewi, Al-Arwâdî QS had other deputies and disciples. One of his deputies, Salim al-Masûtî, described some of the miracles of Al-Arwâdî QS:

I saw a small pitcher with a long spout in the hand of my shaikh. He started to wash his hands to make wudu'. Soon the water in the container finished. Hadrat Shaikh glanced at the container. All of a sudden, the container got filled with water. Soon the water finished again. He glanced at the container again, and it got filled again. This happened three or four times. He completed his ablution.

At another incident, he heard the call of one of his disciples who was jailed unfairly in a far place. He traversed great distances in a moment and saved the disciple from the jail.

Among the deputies of Hadrat Al-Arwâdî was Abdullatif ibn-i Omar al-Bukharî.

Mawlâna Khalid QS favored Al-Arwâdî with words "You deserve to be called the guide of greater Damascus area." Clearly, Hadrat Al-Arwâdî was honored with the spiritual secrets, a clear light, abundant inspiration, great virtues that emanated from him, and with being a sayyid, a descendant of the Prophet SAS. He was one of the great scholars and sages of his time. He authored over one hundred works. He was also a poet.

Ahmed Ziyauddîn Gumush-khanewi QS included a poem of Al-Arwâdî at the end of the book Jâmiu'l Usûl. The poem is famous as Qaside-i Râiyya. Here is the introduction by Hadrat Gumush-khanewi:

"This poem belongs to our great leader and guide, ârif-i billâh (one who attained the true knowledge of Allah), Shaikh Hadrat Ahmed ibn-i Suleyman al-Arwâdî."

O you who is conceited by his life,
O you who is busy accumulating wealth in this life,
O you who loves high ranks and being praised,
O you who offends the family of the Prophet silently or openly,
Do you think you have the taqwa?
All you do is wage a war towards the guiding Prophet.
You prevent people from joining a tariqa,
You put obstacles for the guidance of women,
Yet you do not keep them away from bid'ah, mischief, enmity, play and entertainment.
How come you do not keep people away from abusing what belongs to orphans, from prohibitions and from drinking?
You do not mind extending improper stories to the family of the Prophet.
Aren't these the manifestation of your foul character?
You have been unaware, as though in sleep, throughout your life,
Yet you blame people for their legitimate rest in sleep.
People are fed up with you and turning to Allah to complain.
Be aware of this fact and save yourself!
Their forefather was the Glory of the World, the Prophet,
Archangel Gabriel helps them,
Yet you are unaware of these facts!
Know that the Prophet accepted the pledges of women without holding their hands.
Don't you ever read the Qur'an?
Do you have a different holy book?
Why does it bother you when a believer wants to serve a righteous person?
O poor spirited! Don't you realize that our Prophet appointed Abu Amr as his deputy?
Wasn't the Zi'n-Nurayn a deputy, too?
So was the husband of Fatimatu'z-Zehra!
Just like them I took the hand of the shaikh who is a deputy of the Prophet.
If you reject my words, you must question your intelligence.
Especially when the spirit of Mawlâna Khalid is the guide,
I say you see the Truth if you have a spirit and the secret.
The experts of the rabita in the path of guidance are in touch with me
And there is no exaggeration in my words.
The power in this spiritual link originates
From my forefather Muhammad Mustafa and
Comes through his close company, respected Ebâ Bakr-i Siddîq,
Omar al-Fâruq who sliced the enemy,
And Othman Zi'n-Nurayn,
And my grand-grand father Haydar.
That door is the full moon of the Prophet!
My shaikh Abdulqadir Geylanî says one who meets him falls in the flame of love.
And my shaikhs Badawi and Rifâî; the refuge for the powerless,
And my shaikhs Desûkî and Muhyiddin-i Arâbî zil fawzi kâlim,
And also my shaikhs Bistâmî and Shâh-i Naqshband--unique in dhikr and knowledge
Abdul-Ghaniyyu'n-Nablûsî and Mustafa Seyyidu'l-Bekrî and my shaikh Ebu'l-Abbas were the leaders.
Those who help me in this path include Seyyid Khidhir and the elderly of all tariqas.
And my shaikh is Khalid-i Baghdadî who invited the servants to guidance.
His power that eliminates all that is abhorred,
could also eliminate all the evil from Ahmed.
Still you know that I am the last deputy of that Hadrat
My name is written in his divan that goes beyond the stars
Suffices for you that I am the inheritor of the last of the Prophets
and the last of the deputies of Khalid-i Baghdadî.
Peace and prayers be on our beloved master and on his companions.

Some of Al-Arwâdî's works are the following:

1. Farâid-i Fewâid
2. Mir'âtu'l-Irfân
3. Tarîh-i Kabîr
4. Elfiye fî Ulûmi'l-Edeb
5. Kifâyetu'l-Murîd min Muhimmâti'l-Tarîq
6. Kitâbu'n-Nuri'l-Mazhâr fî Sherhi Salâti'l-Wustâ li'sh-Sheyhi'l-Akbar
7. R. fî Rabita beyne fîha Shamâili'r-Rijâli't-Tarîqa
8. Risâle fi'l-Khalwet
9. Ewrâd
10. Manzûme fî Esmâi'llâhi'l-Husnâ
11. Ilhâmâtu'r-Rabbâniyye fî Sharhi's-Saliti'z-Zâtiyye
12. Keshfu's-Sutûr an Meâni Salâti'n-Nûr
13. Et-Tibru'l-Mesbûk fî nihâyeti's-Sulûk

Upon the instruction from his shaikh, Al-Arwâdî went to Istanbul in 1261H/1845 CE. He took Hadrat Gumush-khanewi for a khalwet. He returned to his hometown for a while. A year later, he returned to Istanbul. He taught Hadith discourses at Hagia Sophia for two years. Following the second khalwet, he authorized Hadrat Gumush-khanewi to guide in all tariqas that he himself had been authorized. Al-Arwâdî recommended Gumush-khanewi to take Shaikh Abdul Fettah al-Ukari, who was another deputy of Mawlâna Khalid for Istanbul, as a sohbah shaikh. Al-Arwâdî then returned to Trablussham.

Ahmed bin Sulayman al-Arwâdî, known as a mufti of Trablussham passed away in his hometown in1275 H/1858 CE. He was buried at the cemetery in the premises of Diba Mosque.

Bibliography

Feridüddin Attar, Tezkiretü'l-Evliyâ, Haz. M.Z.K., s.311-314, Istanbul 1983
Gündüz, Irfan, Ahmed Ziyâüddîn Gümüshânevî, s.31-42, Istanbul 1984 .
Kevserî, Muhammed Zâhid, Altin Silsile, Terc. M.Vehbi Sahinalp- M. Zahid Kalfagil, Izmir 1983