Continuing our trip to the seven pirs of Bukhara in Uzbekistan this summer and after visiting Hazrat ‘Abdul Khaliq al-Ghudjwani (r.a.) we took a cross-country taxi ride to the tomb of Hazrat Maulana ‘Arif Riwgari (r.a.). He was born six miles from Bukhara in the village of Riwakar, where he was also buried. He served his Shaykh tirelessly until attaining the state of perfection and receiving permission to teach others, after which his teachings spread far and wide.

We were greeted with the joy-filled warmth of the tomb’s warden and Imam; I was very touched that although I had only visited once before, some five years earlier, he remembered me. We offered our salams to this great Shaykh and were allowed into the enclosure around the tomb, where we sat for muraqabah. Once again, we were shaded from the direct sun and there was a blustering rural wind that cooled us. It felt very good to return and renew our connection.

Hazrat Maulana ‘Arif Riwgari’s (r.a.) recorded sayings include:
“Trust in God until He becomes your Teacher. Make the Remembrance of Death your partner.”
“Too much hope in the future veils you from the good found in Allah’s Way.”
“It is surprising to see so many Righteous (saliheen), and yet so few Truthful believers (sadiqeen).”
“To achieve healing from any affliction keep your affliction secret from people because they can be of no benefit to you. They can neither help you nor can they keep it from reaching you.”
“There are three kinds of hearts: the heart like a mountain, which nothing can move; the heart like a palm-tree, its roots firm but its branches in motion; and the heart like a feather, which the wind blows from right to left.”
“O Allah, whenever you want to punish me, do it, but don’t keep me away from Your Presence.”
“Whoever asks for Paradise without any good deeds it will be written for him as the Sin of Sins. Whoever awaits intercession without a cause, has a form of pride.”

Abdul Mateen