Uwais al-Qarni - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Uwais Qarni, known also as Saint Uwais Qarni was a Muslim

Muslim

A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

mystic

Mysticism

Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...

, martyr

Martyr

A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...

and philosopher of Yemen

Yemen

The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....

who lived during the lifetime of Muhammad

Muhammad

Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...

, but never met Muhammad personally. As reported by the renowned historical scholar Ibn Battuta

Ibn Battuta

Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta , or simply Ibn Battuta, also known as Shams ad–Din , was a Muslim Moroccan Berber explorer, known for his extensive travels published in the Rihla...

, Uwais' tomb is found in Ar-Raqqah, Syria

Syria

Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

, where he was killed in the Battle of Siffin

Battle of Siffin

The Battle of Siffin occurred during the First Fitna, or first Muslim civil war, with the main engagement taking place from July 26 to July 28. It was fought between Ali ibn Abi Talib and Muawiyah I, on the banks of the Euphrates river, in what is now Ar-Raqqah, Syria...

, where he fought on the side of Ali. Another shrine was made in his honor in Baykan

Baykan

Baykan is a district of Siirt city of Turkey....

, in the Siirt Province

Siirt Province

Siirt Province is a province of Turkey, located in the southeast. The province borders Bitlis to the north, Batman to the west, Mardin to the southwest, Şırnak to the south, and Van to the east. It has an area of 5,406 km² and a total population of 300,695...

of Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

Life

Qarni converted to Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

during Muhammad's lifetime, though they never met in person. Yet Qarni was fully aware of Muhammads spiritual presence at all times of his life. The Uwaisi

Uwaisi

Uwaisyaan refers to those Sufis who have gained the spiritual chain from another Sufi without physically meeting them in this world. Usually "Uwaisyan" are known as a school in Tasawwuf, and the word Uwaisi is its singular form.-Background:...

form of spiritual transmission in the vocabulary of Islamic mysticism

Sufism

Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...

was named after Uwais Qarni, as it refers to the transmission of spiritual knowledge between two individuals without the need for physical interaction between them. Not long after a meeting with Ali

Ali

' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...

, Qarni left Qaran for Kufa

Kufa

Kufa is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000....

, modern Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

. He fought for Ali

Ali

against Muawiyah I

Muawiyah I

Muawiyah I was the first Caliph of the Umayyad Dynasty. After the conquest of Mecca by the Muslims, Muawiyah's family converted to Islam. Muawiyah is brother-in-law to Muhammad who married his sister Ramlah bint Abi-Sufyan in 1AH...

at the Battle of Siffin

Battle of Siffin

in 657.

Attributed sayings and prayers

The following are sayings attributed to Uwais Qarni

"An aim is required before embarking on an action; therefore, if your aim is to find God and his Prophets, then you will surely reach your aim."
"And choose a friend who is able to free you from all else."
"What is considered as modesty during Islamic Prayer?", he was asked. "For you to be so attuned that even if an arrow pierces you, you remain unaware of it."
"Be such on the path of God, so that no one exists for you but Him."
"I wanted a high position in life, I found it in modesty. I wanted leadership, I found it in giving advice. I wanted dignity, I found it in honesty. I wanted greatness, I found it in poverty. I wanted lineage, I found it in virtue. I wanted majesty, I found it in contentment. I looked for peace and found it in asceticism."

The following prayer is attributed to Uwais Qarni:

"In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. O God! I call you, and want no other but you. God, I desire You only. I call upon You, O You who bring comfort to those who are scared, and give refuge to those in need. You open hearts, and are in possession of all good. You bring stability to weariness, and purify all wrongs. You write out our good deeds and allow us to ascend. I ask of You to provide us with good intentions and not to subject our beings with dark objectives. O God, O Merciful, I call upon all Your Names, and all Your kindness which shall not remain hidden. I call You, upon Your most treasured Name, the Name which shall grant my prayer to be heard and answered quicker by You. Amen, O Lord of the worlds."

External links

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