Khoja Ali Romitoni

 Hajj Ali Ramitani is one of the famous spiritual authorities of the Sufi school Hadzhagana. He was the greatest master of wisdom, possessing high spiritual qualities and pronounced charisma. People nicknamedhim as “Azizon” (“venerable sheikh”).

He was born in 1195. He lived in the village of Kurgon (now Romitan district of Bukhara region) and died in 1321 in Khorezm at the age of 126 years. Later, the remains of the sheikh were transferred to his homeland.

Khoja Ali Ramitani perfectly mastered the weaver’s craft.

He was considered the fourth pir of the seven holy pirs of Bukhara.

After the death of his mentor Haji Mahmud of Anjir-Fagnawiya, Hajj Ali Ramitani took spiritual initiation from him and headed the spiritual brotherhood of the hajjagan.

Holy Hajj Azizon is the author of the famous work “RisolaiAzizon”, where  the main provisions of the mystical path of the Sufi “at-tasawwuf” are described.

Sheikh BadriddinMaidani asked Ali Ramitani: “We often mention God in our speeches.” Can you tellme how to mention him in a proper way? Is it with words or with heart? «Thesheikh replied: “It is necessary to start mentioning with your words, and ending with your heart.”

Sheikh Ali Ramitani had many statements. One of his most popular one is following: “Watch yourself during two kinds of actions – when you say and when you eat.”

Hajj had a long life. Before his death, he instructed his youngest son Hajj Ibrahim to continue his teaching.

Four Caliphs visited Hadji Ali Ramitani. They were Haji Muhammad Kulohduz, Haj Muhammad KhallajBalkhi, Haj Muhammad Bavardi and Haj Muhammad Baba Sammasi.

Khoja Mahmud Anjir Fagnawi

 Mahmud Anjir Fagnavi (died in 1317) - the most famous Sufi of his time, the recognized authority of Maverannahr.

The exact date of birth of Mahmud Anzhir Fagnavi is unknown, we only know that it happened in the village of Fagnavi, which is located almost in the middle between Bukhara and Gijduvan, 20 km from Bukhara.

According to eyewitnesses, Fagnavi was slightly above average height, with an open and smiling face, a regular straight nose and a somewhat large mouth. Unusually white-skinned, he wore a thick black beard, which beautifully set off a boiling-white turban - an indispensable attribute that the theologian never parted with. They say that the character of the famous Sufi was calm and not angry (like the Prophet Musa), and in general he was known as a pious and righteous person.

Fagnavi was the successor of the spiritual Sufi tradition, the most perfect of the followers of Arif ar-Rivgari, whose student (murid) he was for a long time.

The great Sufi mastered the craft of a carpenter to perfection and earned his living from this, even after he took the place of his spiritual teacher Arifa-ar Rivgari and acquired the right to instruct people on the path of truth.

In the annals of tarikat (spiritual brotherhood), he entered as a preacher of loud dhikr (spiritual meditation). It was he who, when sending prayers, began to greet and encourage along with the quiet dhikr - khufi, as well as the loud dhikr - jakhriya.

When his disciples asked why this was necessary, Faghnawi replied: “I would like to wake up the sleeping, immersed in worldly life, call on the careless to turn to the Almighty, follow the path of truth - tarikat, and sincerely repent before Allah. After all, only repentance is the key to forgiveness and bliss, a sign of happiness."

During his mentorship, Sheikh Mahmud trained many students, the most famous of which were his successors - Ali Ramitani and Amir Khurd Vabkadia, the younger brother of Amir Kulal.

Khadja Mahmud Anjir-Fagnawi died in 1286 or 1307 and was buried by his students and followers in his native village.

Today, the village where the grave of the famous Sufi is located is called Anzhirbog.

At present, a beautiful austere mausoleum has been erected over the grave of the saint, a Friday mosque has been built nearby, a hauz (pool) and a well have been dug, the water in which is also considered holy. A large garden is laid out on the territory of the memorial, there is also a place for receiving pilgrims, because the mazar is a place of mass visits of believers and grateful descendants.

Khoja Muhammad ar-Revgariy

 KHOJA MUHAMMAD ARIF REVGARI

Khoja Muhammad Arif Revgari, the second elder of the Khojagon series, who became famous with the nickname "Mohitoban", was born in the village of Revgar, which corresponds to the territory of the current Shafirkon district, around 1165.

The nisab of Khwaja Muhammad Arif is given differently in different sources. Researchers mention the village of Khoja Muhammad Arif as Revgar, based on the fact that he himself gave his nisba in the form of "Revgari" in the work "Arifnama", and mention it in the form of Revgari.

According to them, Khoja Arif was of medium height, moon-faced, with big eyes, arched eyebrows, and the smell of musk was emanating from his whole body. He was a gardener all his life.

Khoja Arif was the fourth caliph of Abdulkhaliq Gijduvani, and for many years he learned the teachings of Sufism from Abdulkhaliq Gijduvani. They met and talked in the village of Royibinon between Gijduvan and Shafirkon. As the fourth caliph (deputy) of Gijduvani, he managed the Khojagan silsila after the death of his master. He is mentioned in the "Silsilai Sharif" as the piri of the eleventh circle. Mohitoban Abdulkhaliq deeply understood the essence of obedience, enlightenment and rites of Gijduvani, thoroughly mastered them and further improved his teacher's teachings, expressed his views about the beautiful qualities that save a person. Also, Khoja Arif Revgari stated his views in the work "Arifnama" and defined the foundations of Sufism. His wisdom is famous: "He who depends on the event and denies fate is in hell, and he who surrenders to divine fate is in heaven."

After receiving permission from Khwaja Arif Revgari Abdulkhaliq Gijduvani for irshad (teaching murids), after the death of the leader of the sect after Gijduvani - Khwaja Ahmed Siddiq, he educated his murids at the same time as Khwaja Avliyoyi Kabir.

According to the work "Risolai Sighnaqi", one day, Khoja Ahmed Yassavi was cooking food and ordered his disciple Khoja Dugiy to go to Gijduvan and bring yogurt from Khoja Abdulkhalik. Before Khwaja Dugiy reached Gijduvan, Gijduvani's caliph brought yogurt to Khwaja Arif Revgari Ahmed Yassavi. Knowing about this, Khoja Dugiy acknowledges the perfection of Khoja Arif, saying: "Arif's condition has surpassed mine."

Khoja Arif Revgari left the work "Arifnama". It was written in 1225 at the request of Khwaja Naim, one of Revgari's murids, in the village of Nur (now Navoi region, Nurota district). The work is written in the form of an appeal and advice to the members of the sect. It reflects the views of the author on the stages of beauty, enlightenment, wisdom, and guardian manners. In addition, the work contains narrations about the life and views of Khwaja Arif Revgari's teacher Khwaja Abdulkhaliq Gijduvani, famous Sufis who lived in the early periods of the history of Sufism.

Khoja Muhammad Arif Revgari died in the village of Revgar around 1262 and was buried there.

After the independence, the construction of a mosque started at the Mohitoban shrine on the initiative of local worshipers. In 1997, the shrine was completed and handed over to worshipers and pilgrims. On August 10, 1998, the "Khoja Arif Revgari Mohitoban" mosque was registered with the state and received the status of a religious organization. In recent years, that is, during the years 2018-2019, the shrine of Khoja Arif Revgari was renovated and "Mohitobon Park" was established. Today, this place, built according to the traditions of Eastern architecture, is more crowded than ever.

First of the 7 Saints

The land of Bukhara keeps the ashes of many great figures of Islamic culture. Among them is such an iconic person as the outstanding Sufi Abd al-Khaliq Gijduvani (died 1180/1220). He was born and died in the village of Gijduvan near Bukhara.

Al-Gijduvani was a student of the famous sheikh Yusuf al-Hamadani and the founder of the Central Asian Sufi school "Hajagan" ("the way of teachers"). The followers of the Hajagan tradition were the Bukharian Sufis Amir Kulal and Baha ad-Din Naqshband, who gave rise to the teachings of Naqshbandiya.

In 1432 - 1433 Next to the burial of Sheikh al-Gijduvani, the ruler of Maverannakhr Mirzo Ulugbek (1409-1449) built a small one-story madrasah with a portal facing east. By area, it is four times smaller than the Ulugbek madrasa in Samarkand.
At the entrance to the madrasa of Ulugbek there is a small minaret, similar to the minaret of Kalyan. At the beginning of the XXI century, a modern memorial to Abd al-Khalik Gijduvani was built in Gijduvan. It is an exquisite wooden iwan on ten pillars with a blue dome, under which is the tombstone of Sheikh al-Gijduvani.
The full name of the holy feast is Khoja Abd al-Khaliq Abd al-Jamil Gijduvani. His grave is located in the village of Gijduvan in the Bukhara region. He was born in 1118, when Islam, as a religion, already fully mastered the minds of the inhabitants of the cities and villages of Maverannahr, and Bukhara acquired the status of the recognized capital of the followers of the Prophet Muhammad throughout Central Asia.

Abdulhalik was born into a deeply religious Islamic family and from early childhood was surrounded by the rites and mystery of Islam. His father was the imam of the mosque. By the age of nine, Abdulhalik knew by heart the main book of the Muslims - the Koran.
Such a boy's desire for scripture was a natural need of his developing spirit. From the age of ten he takes an active part in the joy of the dervishes, but after talking with them for about three years, he comes to understand that to improve the spirit in this environment enough true knowledge. And Abdulhalik goes to Bukhara.

During this period, mosques and madrasas were actively built in Bukhara. The city was ruled by the Karakhanids, whose rulers generously patronized Islam. In Bukhara there were many extensive libraries where rare manuscripts in Arabic, Persian, Turkic, and Uygur languages ​​were kept.
These were works on history, Islamic sciences, literature, philosophy, astronomy, medicine, and a whole series of exact sciences. Abdulhalik, without interrupting the friendship with dervishes and young Sufis, I eagerly plunged into the world of books, into the world of knowledge.
In Bukhara, he met with the sheikh of Abu Yakub Yusuf al-Hamadani, famous throughout the East, and soon became his most beloved disciple

Modari-khan Madrasah

 

Our 3rd destination this week was Modari-khan Madrasah. 

The Modari-Khan Madrasah forms a single ensemble with the Abdullah Khan Madrasah in Bukhara. The complex is called the Kosh Madrasah, which is translated as “double madrasah”. The Modari-Khan was dedicated to the mother of the ruler, and its name can be translated as “the mother of the Khan”. It may have been a “first attempt” in complex construction, but this building is smaller than the other building in the ensemble. The Abdullah Khan Madrasah built in the honor of Abdullah Khan II whose reign was a true golden age for beautiful Bukhara was built later and became a prominent creation of the architects of that time.

However, construction of the Modari-Khan was performed at a high level of quality, which is confirmed by the mention made in the manuscripts of the court chronicler. 400 years later, restorers confirmed once again that the building is solid and will stand for a very long time.

The madrasah was a traditional task — it was an academic institution for educating youth in the spirit of national and religious traditions. A complete education obtained in a madrasah opened the door to different future for a person. That was why each family tried to send at least one child to madrasah to study.

Ulugbek madrasah

 2nd of May.

Today’s destination was Ulugbek madrasah. So we find that place very easily. Because this madrasah was located opposite of the Abdulaziz-khan’s madrasah.

Ulugbek Madrasah was found in 1417, as the inscription on the bronze plate of door runs says. There is a name of master in the portal tympanum, which was building this monument – Ismail ibn Takhir ibn Makhmud Ispfargoni. It is possible he was a grandson of one of the masters, who had been captured by Timur in Iran and left their names on the portal of Gur-Amir complex in Samarkand.

Bukhara Madrasah is the first Madrasah, built by Ulugbek. It is comparatively small, but has great forms. This is a building with two-ayvan square yard, surrounded by two-storey hudjrs, with darskhana cupola halls and mosque on the cross of entrance hall.

Abdulaziz-khan

Abdulaziz-khan madrasah

Today is the first day of May. So our first destination was Abdulaziz-khan madrasah. All groups except ours came on time. Because this place not easy to find. Despite the fact that we have been living in Bukhara for a long time, we did not know about this place😅 Soo, finally we find this madrasah.

              Built in 1652, a few centuries later than Ulugh-Beg Madrasah (built in 1417), Abdulaziz-Khan Madrasah, which stands across from it, is an integral part of Bukhara’s most outstanding architectural ensemble. Abdulaziz-Khan Madrasah marks the remarkable progress of medieval Central Asian architecture; it shows us how amazingly high the skills of Central Asian architects, builders and artists were at the time.

 Abdulaziz-Khan Madrasah is often compared with Ulugh-Beg Madrasah, since they are a duet of completely different structures of different times. Ulugh-Beg Madrasah, built during the reign of the Timurid dynasty, is moderate in size and decoration, while its counterpart is grand and ornate.

The pishtaq portal of the madrasah is amazingly high and splendidly decorated. The iwan gateway has many facets and ornamental stalactites. While the iwan of Ulugh-Beg Madrasah is plain and has inscribed citations from the Koran, Abdulaziz-Khan Madrasah’s is covered with verse lines of famous poets.

The decorative patterns of the latter are also different. They are not precisely geometrical or astral, as it was common; they are bright and rich wavy plant designs.There are even images of a Chinese dragon and a mythical bird called Simorgh inside them, which is a sign of Bukhara’s close relations with Silk Road kingdoms at the time. The walls and chambers of the madrasah show almost all the decoration techniques used in those times: relief majolica, marble carving, tile and brick mosaic, wall painting and even gilding.