Pir of Herat: Abu Ismail Abdullah al-Ansari al-Harawi

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا رسول الله

Prayers and peace upon you, Apostle of Allah

One of the eminent Saints of Islam is Abu Isma’il Abdullah al-Ansari al-Harawi (d. 1089 CE), affectionately known as the Pir of Herat رحمة الله عليه

He was a strictly orthodox Hanbali theologian and charismatic mystic.

Some bigoted and extremist individuals from among the Asha’irah are deeply critical of him and have even labelled him a heretic, God forbid!

Tragically, Tajuddin as-Subki (d. 1370 CE), an otherwise erudite and respectable Sunni scholar of the Shafi’i-Ash’ari tradition, was among those who criticized the Pir of Herat, having said:

فَاعْلَم أَن أَبَا إِسْمَاعِيل عبد الله بن مُحَمَّد الهروى الذى تسميه المجسمة شيخ الْإِسْلَام

“Know that Aba Isma’il Abdullah bin Muhammad al-Harawi, whom the Mujassimah named ‘Shaikh ul-Islam…’” (Tabaqat ash-Shafi’iyyah al-Kubra, v.3, p.132)

The implication here is that it is only the Mujassimah (corporealists—those who predicate a body to God) that respect the Pir of Herat and refer to him with the honorific title Shaikh ul-Islam.

But the truth is that Shaikh ul-Islam, the Pir of Herat, Hadrat Abdullah al-Ansari رحمة الله عليه was an eminent mystic and theologian of Islam who is highly regarded by the Sufis and the generality of the Sunni Muslims, especially in the eastern lands.

He was a disciple of the great Sufi mystic Abu l-Hasan al-Kharaqani (d. 1033 CE), may Allah have mercy on his blessed soul.

The way of the Sufis is to generally avoid the hairsplitting theological controversies and embrace all the great Saints of our Sunni Islamic tradition regardless of the camp or school they belonged to.