1. It is narrated that Imam Mahdi (AS) has said in respect of nafs (soul or self) that "when the candle of divine Unity (Ahdiyyat) is lighted, this disgraced sinner (nafs) should throw itself in the fire like the moth (an ardent lover). As Allah has said: "(The righteous will however be greeted on that Day), O Soul! which is at rest, Return to thy Lord, well-pleased, well-pleasing!" (S. 89 : 27 and 28 SAL)

2. It is reported that Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ), Siddiq-e-Mahdi (AS), used always to say: "If we repeat what Imam Mahdi (AS) had said, the muwafiqan-e-Mahdi (AS) (supporters of Imam Mahdi (AS)) would themselves stone us (to death) and it would become difficult for us to reside in any city for a year or two, for Imam Mahdi (AS) was expelled from some places after he claimed to be Imam Mahdi al Mau'ood (AS)."

3. It is reported by Miyan Raje Muhammad bin Meena that he had heard certain things from Bandagi Miyan Shah Dilawar (RZ). Miyan Raje Muhammad quoted the Shah (RZ) as saying: "If I were to reiterate what I have heard from Imam Mahdi (AS) in front of some of the migrants, they will stone me (to death)."

4. It is reported by Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ) that Imam Mahdi (AS) had said: "The people who do not accept Imam Mahdi (AS) and who accept Prophet Muhammad (SLM) and send salutations (darood) on hearing the Prophet's name, would have stoned him (to death) if he (the Prophet SLM) were alive today and had conveyed the divine revelations to them. This servant (of Allah) is a liar if they were not to stone him (to death). Whatever this servant now says would have been falsehood." Allah says: "... So oft as an apostle came to you with anything disagreeable to your mind, you grew arrogant, and some, you called imposters and some, you killed." (S. 2 : 87 SAL)

5. It is narrated by Miyan Sher Malik (RZ) that he asked Imam Mahdi (AS): " Whatever your exalted self has said is the Truth. Then, why do these people (the opponents of the Imam) oppose you?" In reply, Imam Mahdi (AS) said: "These people are weak. Had they the strength, they would have stoned me (to death). This is so because if some person were to abuse their beloved, how could its lovers ('ashiq) be happy? The world is the beloved of the opponents (of Imam Mahdi (AS)), and here (in the daira of the Imam) their beloved is abused day and night. Now can they (the lovers of the world) relish (such talk)?"

6. Siddiq-e-Mahdi (AS), Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ) used often to say: "As long as the makhluq (people) are against us, there is hope of the religion (being among us). And when the people begin to conform (muwafiqat) with us, it will become known that religion has vanished (from among us)."

7. Further, be it known that when someone were to explain the practices of Imam Mahdi (AS) and his companions (after him), people would talk about it and raise objections. they would say that, "These narrations (naqul) are not authentic, because they do not conform to the conditions of our lives and those of our murshids (spiritual guides)."

8. O friend, if somebody has written these narrations from out of his own imagination, he should be deemed to have been doing wrong (zulm) to his own self (nafs). Allah said: "(Mark!) who is more wicked than he who foisteth a lie on Allah or who treateth His signs as lies?..." (S. 6 : 21 SAL)

9. It is narrated by Bandagi Miyan Shah Ni'mat (RZ) that one of the revered elders of the past has said that to talk about the religion in our times has become like some hawker who goes around the locality of the infidels, shouting: "Buy beef." Would not the people of the locality kill him. They would certainly. They would stone him to death. To talk about Imam Mahdi (AS) and his companions has become like that in our times.

10. These days, we keep company with the hypocrites, seekers of the world and squatters, who abandon migration; we go to the houses of the people who claim to be the supporters (muwafiq). We have become like them. These people have no knowledge of the religion of Imam Mahdi (AS): neither do they migrate, nor trust in Allah, nor remember Allah, nor do they renounce the world, nor do they pay ushr or zakat. Not only this, they work against the Shariat of Prophet Muhammad (SLM) and Imam Mahdi (AS) at (various) times and places. Hence, (it is obvious that) we have conformed to their ways for our own (worldly) gains. We go to their houses. Why should they not become our friends? If we were to tell them the Truth, it will not please them. We fear that these people will become our opponents, and refuse to conform with us. This has become the decadence of the religion; those who conform with us are stoning, as it were, us to death. Whom can we tell about this affliction of ours? Hence, one, who says this, is a poor person among the followers of the Imam. Nobody trusts the veracity of the narrations of Imam Mahdi (AS), as Prophet Muhammad (SLM) has said: " Verily the religion (deen) began as a gharib (innocent, indigent) and it will soon return to that state in which it had started." Hence, glad tidings (of Paradise) to the poor and the indigent.

11. Often we have heard from Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ) that these people will become our sympathisers when we begin to say what appears to be pleasant to their ears, and join their business to do what they like. Allah says: "They desire thee to deal with them tenderly in order that they might deal with thee tenderly." (S. 68 : 9 SAL)

12. And some people say that the sympathisers of Imam Mahdi (AS) should not be termed as worldly people (dunya-dar). However, Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ) had called the people of the Bariwal tribe as dunya-daran, although they were the people, some of whom, had sacrificed their lives for Imam Mahdi (AS), and some others migrated to the daira and died there. Bandagi Miyan had not called them musaddiqs (believers in Imam Mahdi (AS)) before they sacrificed their lives and before migration; he used to call them dunya-dars before they migrated. And Bandagi Miyan told the indigent (fuqara) that "this servant (of Allah) will not remain among you, since you have developed an inclination to go to the dunya-daran, so much so, that you allowed the members of your family to go to the dunya-daran. But, earlier, he had said that they should not consult the shirkers and squatters.

13. The day Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ) was going to the city of Naharvala (Patan in Gujarat) from Seeh, Malik Lateef ordered his soldiers not to fight and not to follow Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ). Afterwards, Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ) announced that he would not consult the shirkers and squatters. And he counted among shirkers and squatters the people, who had not migrated from among the group of musaddiqeen of Imam Mahdi (AS). He has also said the musaddiqeen of Imam Mahdi (AS) are those people who have complete conformity with the word, deed and the condition of Imam Mahdi (AS); and those, who do not have these attributes should not be called musaddiqeen. Such people were called as "lisani" (orally professing the faith) by the companions of Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ). And some well-to-do people who lived in the daira should be called well-to-do.

14. It is narrated that someone called Malik Bakhkhan (RZ) as a dunya-dar (man of the world). Iman Mahdi (AS) said in Hindi: "You call him dunya-dar, why do you not call him a kafir (infidel)." When Malik Bakhkhan Bariwal (RZ) went to Khorasan along with Iman Mahdi (AS), he was a well-to-do man. One of the brothers of the daira called him dunya-dar. For this reason, Imam Mahdi (AS) had said so.

15. It is narrated that Imam Mahdi (AS) has said, "As long as one does not migrate from the manifest home, there is no chance of his being destined to achieve subliminal (batini) migration. Besides, without manifest migration, the achievement of subliminal migration is rare. And rarity is like being non-existent."

16. It is narrated by Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ) that if a person were to go to some other place abandoning the place of 'aliat (excellence) for the sake of roti (bread, that is, food), he would not get any share or benefit of the religion (deen), and such going from one place to another will not be for the sake of Allah.

17. Prophet Muhammad (SLM) has said that deeds are judged on the basis of the intents (niyat). For every person, it is what he intends (to achieve). Hence, the migration, which is intended towards Allah and His messenger (SLM), is towards Allah and His messenger (SLM). And the migration, which is with the worldly intentions, results in the achievement of the world: may be, he gets a woman and marries her. In short, one gets what he intends to get by his migration. Those are zalim (oppressors) who migrate with the intention of going to the people who have abandoned migration. Hence, the murshids should call an ijma' (congregation) and prohibit such persons.

18. Miran Syed Mahmood (RZ) (the first caliph of Imam Mahdi (AS)) used to convene an ijma' once a week or a fortnight and prepare documents (mahzar) and say: "Throw us out of the daira, if you see anything opposed to Imam Mahdi (AS) in our zath (nature, essence)."

19. Further, Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ) and Bandagi Miyan Shah Ni'mat (RZ) used to say: "If someone sees in us anything which is opposed to Imam Mahdi (AS) and does not prevent or challenge us here, we will blame him on the Day of Resurrection (Qiamat)." Glory to Allah!

20. Some of the believers have now become such that they prevent, and make fun of, the person who repeats, in front of their murshids, narrations of Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ) or Bandagi Miran Syed Mahmood (RZ) or the migrant-companions of Imam Mahdi (AS). They say: "Who are you to tell all these things to our murshids? Have not these people heard these things from Imam Mahdi (AS), that you arrogate to yourself the task of repeating these narrations before our murshids."

21. May it be known that this author and Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ) were sitting together. (Bandagi Miyan) caught hold of my daman (a part of the apparel) and said: "If you see anything opposed to Imam Mahdi (AS) in me and do not rebuke me here, I will blame you on the Day of Resurrection.''

22. Further, be it known that there are many tests, trials and tribulations in the manifest migration (zahiri hijrat). Allah says: "(O believers!) Do you think that you will be left to lie still while Allah has yet to make known who among you are yet to bear successfully the trials ahead of you, and who have to prove that they hold none as friends except Allah, His Apostle and the faithful? Allah is fully apprised of what you do." (S. 9 : 16 SAL)

23. It is narrated that Imam Mahdi (AS) has said: "When you buy an earthen pot for a paisa or two, you test it by knocking it repeatedly, and you buy it if it gives good sound and if it is not broken, cracked or damaged: otherwise, you return it; when you claim to be seeking Allah, how can you be let off without tests and trials?" Like the Quranic Verse, just quoted above, another Quranic Verse has been revealed.

24. It is reported by Prophet Muhammad (SLM) that when Allah's commandment was revealed to dig the trench, the companions (RZ) of Prophet Muhammad (SLM) had been starving for the ninth day. Every one of the companions (RZ) had tied one stone over his stomach. While the Prophet (SLM) had two stones tied over his stomach. When someone asked about the condition of the (the companions RZ), the Prophet (SLM) lifted the front part of his garment and showed that he had two stones tied over his abdomen, lest the people thought that "your friend" (the Prophet SLM) had eaten something. It was at this time that the Quranic Verse was revealed; the verse says: "Do you fancy that you will enter the Garden (Paradise) while you have yet to pass through the mill through which those gone before you had passed? Poverty and distress tried them and they were so shaken that the Apostle (SLM) and those of the faith who were by his side cried out: "When will the help of Allah come?' Note! The help of Allah is nigh" (S. 2 : 214 SAL). Even now the murshids (spiritual guides) should live their lives in that manner.

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