Mansur Al-Hallaj (a Life History)

The saints of Allah (Ahl-Allah) were always tested in different ways, the prophets (peace be upon them) were tested and examined to a very high degree and the magnitude and intensity of the trails of our Prophet Muhammad (May Allah send Prayers and Peace upon him) becomes clear to us through the study of Qur'an and Ahadith. Many among the Ummah had trodden such paths and destinies where even the strongest and the mightiest would have perished. Even if we overlook the events of display of Ishq Ilahi (Divine Love) and sacrifices during the era of the Sahaaba & Tabi'een (May Allah be Pleased with Them) and take a look at the later stages, then too it will only make the list of trials and examinations lengthier. The name of Husayn Ibn Mansur Hallaj (May Allah's Mercy be upon him) and the utterance of "Ana al-Haqq" has been written in big and bold words in this lengthy list. A prominent feature of the trail of Husayn Ibn Mansur Hallaj is that from the beginning of the 4th century Hijri to the first half of the 14th century, the scholars of the Muslim Ummah have been in extraordinary kind of doubtfulness and uncertainty over his integrity and loyalty regardless of his lofty status, because of the carelessness in the reports playing a huge role in painting a wrong picture of the historical accounts. However, a few elite scholars and the 'Aarifeen (knowers of Allah) had investigated the soundness of the historical accounts and found Husayn b. Mansur to be in the lofty spiritual stage of Aarif Billah and Fana Fillah. When Hakim al-Ummat Hadhrat Thanwi reviewed these investigations, he found the trails of Husayn b. Mansur similar to the trails of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah be pleased with him). In order to illustrate this fact, Hakim al-Ummat (May Allah be pleased with him) collected all the materials available in the form of historical traditions and research references related to Husayn b, Mansur and in the light of the collected materials, ordered his prominent student, Maulana Zafar Ahmad 'Uthmani to compile such a complete biography of Shaykh Fana fi-Allah Husayn b. Mansur (May Allah be Pleased with him) which along with explaining his lofty status and mysticism and the lofty stage of his Divine love, also refutes the allegations, doubts and uncertainties surrounding him. Mufti Muhammad Taqi Uthmani