Titles and Honors:
- He was the manifestation of the bounties of the Generous Giver, steadfast in spiritual striving, and lofty in witnessing.
Name and Lineage:
Full Name: Sari ibn al-Mughallis
Title: al-Saqati
Kunya: Abu al-Hasan
Birthplace: Baghdad
Residence: Baghdad
Path: The Alia Path
Contemporaries: He accompanied Sheikh Ma‘ruf al-Karkhi, who was the teacher of Junayd and his maternal uncle.
Early Life:
The cause of his repentance occurred when he passed by a servant girl, and something fell from her, which distracted Junayd and caused him concern. He gave her a replacement item. Al-Karkhi passed by, saw this, and was impressed by his action, saying, “May God make you disdain the world and free you from your worldly entanglements.” So he left his shop and wandered.
Ahmad ibn Khalaf narrated: “One day I entered upon al-Sari and saw a new broken water jar in his room. He said, ‘I wanted cold water in a new jar, so I placed it on this ledge and slept. In my dream, a servant girl from Medina said to me, ‘O Sari, whoever proposes to someone like me does not cool the water,’ and then kicked it with her foot. I woke up to find the jar broken.’”
Life and Worship:
He was the first to speak on the tongue of monotheism and the realities of spiritual states. He was the imam of the people of Baghdad and their sheikh in his time. His daily practice consisted of five hundred rak‘ahs of prayer.
Reports and Miracles:
Allan ibn al-Khayyat said: “One day I was sitting with al-Sari when a woman came to him and said, ‘O Abu al-Hasan, I am your neighbor, and my son has joined the Ta’if. I fear he will be harmed. If you wish, come with me or send someone to him.’ Allan said: I expected him to send someone, so he stood and prayed at length. The woman said, ‘O Abu al-Hasan, please, my son may be harmed.’ He replied, ‘I am attending to your need.’ Then another woman came, and he told her, ‘Your son has been freed. Go to him.’ I was amazed at the speed of the response to his prayer.”
Ibn Abi al-Ward narrated: “One day I entered upon al-Sari and saw his water jar broken. I asked him, ‘What is the matter?’ He said, ‘The jar broke.’ I said, ‘I will buy you another.’ He replied, ‘From where will you buy me one, when I know the size of the jar, the one who made it, what he used, where he obtained the clay, and what he ate until he finished his work?’”
Passing:
He passed away to the realm of truth and witnessing in the year 253 AH. His shrine is located in the western side of Baghdad, in al-Shuwaynza, and remains a visible place of visitation.
Sources:
- Jami‘ Karamat al-Awliya, Vol. 2, pp. 21–22
- Tabaqat al-Awliya, p. 160
- Tabaqat al-Sufiyya, p. 48
- Tadhkirat al-Awliya, Murtada ibn Muhammad al-Nazmi al-Baghdadi, pp. 197–200
- Abd al-Majid al-Khani al-Naqshbandi, al-Hada’iq al-Wardiyya fi Haqa’iq A’jla’ al-Naqshbandiyya, pp. 48–49
