Chapter One

Qasim Valiyullahi – A Sufi Saint

“You are the Glory that illuminates the narrow horizons

You are the beam of light that propagate this universe

You are the whole of every soul

You are the life of all lives

Be the art of my heart

Be the essence of my life”

A sufi devotes his life, lips, eyes and everything to God. He sacrifices himself to find out a better and harder way to love God. The fear of God is not filled with reverence, the love fills reverence. The sufis might be preached to love God. The verse “the gnosis of God begins with the realization of self” clearly states the life of a sufi, what it might be and what it should be. His life is full of struggles and despairs. The word Sufi actually derived from ‘Suf’ a woolen garb which was used to wear the so named sufis. This cloak symbolizes the simple and a noble life style and completely devoid of luxurious life. When the mundane minded men chose the silks, brocades and marbles for their daily activities the sufis remain confined to the prophetic traditions of abstinence and abhorrence to physical comforts and luxurious life. There are several interpretations to this word sufi, some of them are, the one who possesses piety, those who occupy the frontier of God, those with purified mind, those who enslave themselves to the great mosques in Medina and Mecca and it goes on. Broadly interpreting Sufism is apprehension of divine realities. 

The understanding of a sufi is a task that makes the explorer a sufi. This exploration adds importance to the lives of common men. The sufis are highly elaborated and the divinity of their hearts may overthrow the darkness of every soul. Sufis hardly come to the limelight of the common civics, indeed they have a fond for being isolated. They live in another world of wandering prophets, the invisible men and of course they make their own empire to live on. Their life is never completely understood through the eyes of common men. Junaid the Great told once, “they are dead in this world and they live in the beauty of God”.

 The name of Qasim Valiyullahi is being greatly honored and remembered throughout these centuries. He was one of the Grand masters of Sufism at that time. But his influence is still strong and firm to bind one to his belief and faith. As far as the Sufism is concerned this name cannot be easily erased from the history of Sufism in Lakshadweep. If you say this Lakshadweep is the coral paradise of India, then this great coral paradise is the empire of Qasim Valiyullahi for this he had all the powers to bestow his good deeds to us. As his name implies the Qasim which means the Divider, he divided all the power of god to the betterment of humanity in these islands. The wind, the weather, the sea, the sun, the birds, the trees and leaves all bow their heads to this noble man came from Ankola. The birds are very much obliged to carry out his commands, the sun light never strikes strongly the heads of his countrymen, the sea never encroaches the coastal margins of his country, the wind never comes with hungry to engulf the shores, and everything is fine here. The diseases never hunt the civilians and even the dark forces never make an attempt to invade the minds of those men who hold his name in high esteem. Qasim valiyullahi is the emperor of this Lakshadweep, by all means.

The empire of Qasim Valiyullahi cannot be interpreted easily; he lived precisely 101 years, a century to complete his mission. The mission was not to convert all men to his fort, but to compete with ugliness of this world to meet the beauty of God. He gathered many men under his way to seek God, and made them an invincible army to conquer the eternal world. He preached disciples to alleviate the sufferings of society and to stand firm for the service of society. One who cannot see the sufferings of his nearest; he will not be gifted to see the God. To see the God, we must help the community.

His Birth and Noble Ancestors:

He was born to the noble couples Moosa Valiyullahi and Haleema in Hijra 1039, after a long period of grief in prayers and offerings. The Moosa valiyullahi made a voyage to Holy land Mecca where he had an opportunity to meet with Khidr. Moosa valiyullahi unveiled his sobering facts to Khidr whereupon Khidr gave him two corn seeds and advised to consume the seeds by each of them. The wandering prophet also told him to name the child as Muhammed Qasim.

The ancestral hierarchy can be traced to Prophet Muhammed Musthafa Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him through Alquthubulaqthab Muhyidheen Abdul Qadir Jeelani. Qasim Valiyullahi belongs to Jeelani qabeela. There are many similarities between Sheikh Muhyidheen and Qasim Valiyullahi. This resemblance persists all along in his grandsons. The purest of bloodline exists within this Jeelani Qabeela, the behavioral likeness, the structural correlation, the intimacy with miraculous deeds, and so on can be seen in all his family members. So the embracing of this Valiyullahi is like embracing Muhyidheen Sheikh and ultimately Rasoolullahi Himself. This Chain as described in Qur’an Shereef cannot be broken, cannot torn apart. One holding the edge of that chain is actually had a firm grip on the hand of Muhyidheen Sheikh also.  

Sayyid Abdul Razaqul Qadri was one of the elegant figures among the children of Muhyidheen Sheikh. The eleventh grandson of Sayyid Abdul Razaqul Qadri, Sayyid Fathahullahil Bagdagi has come to India and settled in Karnataka state. In the district of Karwar the village named Ankola became the residing place of Fathhullahil Bagdagi, after a marriage with a belle in Ankola. He may be first Sufi master came with Qadiri Thwareeqa to India. He spent his last time in Bubberwada and his Qabr is still there as a hot spot of visitors. Sayyid Moosa Valiyullahi the father of Qasim Valiyullahi was born there in Bubberwada. His tomb stone is also seen alongside of his father.

The forefathers of Qasim valiyullahi has begun a way of living, the true way of living to cope up with ultimate union with creator. They preached and practiced many lessons in silence; the each respiration has imbibed the energy of this universe. So naturally Qasim Valiyullahi also inherited the way that they taught. The life of this sufi saint is strictly analyzed on the basis of pure academic interest, it is evident that the exemplary life has three different faces.

A humble disciple in search of knowledge, in order to get the eternal knowledge one must turn to a begging disciple. Qasim valiyullahi spent his very youth to find the truth.

A zahid lives in the desert of nothing. As the knowledge pours to heart sufi becomes a zahid, a state of being in abstemious life and floating in the elixir of life.

A dai helps others to find the truth. Qasim Valiyullahi is always there to help the people of Lakshadweep. He had a vision of sufi world and he invited all the men to that spiritual congregation. He shared the same core of knowledge which transmutates heart of metal to a soul of gold.

Once Prophet Muhammed Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him was enquired about the deed of high reverence, he answered thrice with the contemplation of God. The principle behind this teaching was not to give up all the good deeds that are prescribed to you but to find the truth through the path of divinity. The contemplation of God and living in a pool of knowledge of God is far more important than anything that exists in this universe. The sufis first realize the God completely and his beauty by knowing the Great God deep and deep. Naturally when one is known deeply, his image is fit to the wall of mind. God is a beloved one by every religion. He is the one with immense beauty, piety and everybody who has entered the path of Sufism will have a friendship with him. And what he has to be offered is our true love.  

It is quoted from well known Qasim Mala,

“He was shown as a star from the garden of God

He was born as a stream from the secret of Alif

He filled the world with fame of Alif

He forged the sword of prophet with the flame of Alif”