Titles and Honors:
- The sanctuary of gnosis, the source of the path and certainty, the sheikh of the scholars and the Sufis, and the possessor of the highest perfections veiled within the secrets of divine mysteries.
Name and Lineage:
Title: al-Karkhi, referring to al-Karkh in Baghdad
Full Name: Ma‘ruf ibn al-Fayruzān
Kunya: Abu Mahfuz
Birthplace: Baghdad
Early Life:
His brother ‘Isa narrated: “My brother Ma‘ruf and I were studying in the school. We were Christians at that time. The teacher taught the children (father and son), and my brother Ma‘ruf would shout ‘Ahad! Ahad!’ The teacher struck him severely, once so harshly that he ran away with a bleeding face. My mother wept, saying, ‘May God restore my son Ma‘ruf to me; I will not follow him in any other religion.’ Many years later, Ma‘ruf returned, and she asked, ‘My son, which religion are you upon?’ He replied, ‘Islam.’ She said, ‘I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Messenger.’ Thus, my mother embraced Islam, and we all followed.”
Teachers and Narrations:
He narrated from Dawud al-Tai, Ibn al-Sammak, Ali al-Ridha (peace be upon him), and Bakr ibn Khunis.
Contemporaries:
He was contemporary with al-Sari al-Saqati, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Ibn Ma‘in.
Residence:
He lived first in Kufa and then in Baghdad.
Path:
He received the path through two chains:
- From Sheikh Dawud al-Tai, from Sheikh al-Habib al-Ajmi, from Hasan al-Basri, from Imam Ali (peace be upon him).
- From Imam Ali al-Ridha, from Imam Musa al-Kadhim, from Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq, from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, from Imam Ali Zain al-Abidin, from Imam Husayn (peace be upon him), from Imam Ali (peace be upon him).
Life and Miracles:
Sheikh Ma‘ruf was known for being answered in his prayers. He was devout in fasting and spiritual striving and had many miracles, including walking on water. When asked if he walked on water, he said: “I never walked on water, but whenever I intended to cross, it would gather for me at its edges, allowing me to step across.”
Ibrahim ibn al-Atrash narrated: “Ma‘ruf al-Karkhi was sitting by the Tigris in Baghdad when some young men passed by in a boat, gambling and drinking. His companions said, ‘Do you not see them disobeying God? Pray against them!’ He raised his hands and said, ‘O my Lord and Master, I ask You to grant them joy in Paradise as You granted them joy in this world.’ His companions asked, ‘Did we not tell you to pray against them, not for them?’ He replied, ‘If you wish them joy in the Hereafter, their worldly deeds will not harm you.’”
Amir ibn Abdullah al-Karkhi narrated: “There was a Christian servant of mine. I had no children, so I went to a saint to pray for a child. I brought him to Ma‘ruf al-Karkhi’s gathering and explained the situation. Ma‘ruf first instructed him in Islam. The Christian said, ‘You cannot guide me to Islam without God’s guidance.’ The Sheikh prayed and raised his hands, saying: ‘O Allah, grant him a child who will be righteous and a cause for his parents’ guidance.’ God answered his prayer. The man had a son who grew up devoted to learning. When taught, he said: ‘My tongue rejects polytheism, and my heart is devoted to the One.’ His parents embraced Islam along with approximately five hundred others through this blessing and the Sheikh’s spiritual guidance.”
Passing:
He passed away in Baghdad in the year 200 AH. His grave is visited and is said to be the “Tried Remedy of Ma‘ruf” (Qabr Ma‘ruf Tiryāq Mujarrab).
Sources:
- Jawad al-Murabit, Al-Tasawwuf wa al-Amir Abd al-Qadir al-Husseini al-Jazairi, pp. 55–57
- Ibn al-Jawzi, Sifat al-Safwa, Vol. 2, pp. 210–214
- Abd al-Ra’uf al-Munawi, Al-Kawakib al-Durriya fi Tarajim al-Sada al-Sufiyya, Vol. 1, pp. 268–269
- Murtada ibn Muhammad al-Nazmi al-Baghdadi, Tadhkirat al-Awliya, pp. 160–163
