Download PDF: [S] Baba Raten from India meets the Holy Prophet (Islamic Story)

This issue was researched by Khawaja Qamarudeen Siyalwi.

 

Khawaja Qamarudeen Siyalwi says that there is a town in India which is called Pathandah. There was a Raja in this town who noticed the splitting of the moon in the time of the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.

 

He sent one of his close advisor’s to go to Mecca and find out what had actually happened. The person who travelled to Mecca Shareef was a person named Baba Raten. It is said that later on, Baba Raten also became a blessed companion. In fact, Baba Raten had travelled on business a few times before to Arabia and was well acquainted with the conditions there.

 

It is reported that once he arrived in Mecca Shareef during the period when the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – was very young. The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – was standing in a valley and some of the camels under his care were on the other side of the valley. However, in between the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – and the camels, there were also a fast flowing stream.

 

When Baba Raten Saheb came to that spot, he felt immense love for the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – and asked him, “Shall I not become a camel for you (so that you could use me to cross over)?”

 

The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – agreed to this.

 

The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – then sat on his shoulders and placed both his blessed feet on the chest of Baba Raten Saheb. In this manner Baba Raten saheb experienced the coolness of the blessed feet of the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. He also managed to kiss the blessed feet of the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.

 

After he left the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – on the other side, the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – is reported to have said to him, “Allah Almighty give you Barakah in your  life.” He repeated these words thrice.

 

Later on, when the Raja of Phatanda heard about Islam, he sent Baba Raten to find out about the arrival of this new Prophet. He also sent him with a special instruction. The Raja asked that the new Prophet reveal miracles to him. He sent him a trouser without the string which is normally threaded around the top of the trouser (Shalwar). He also handed him a leaf of paan without any ingredients on it. Meaning there was no masala on this leaf of paan. He also mentioned to Baba Raten Saheb that if this person was a Prophet, he would speak to Baba Raten Saheb in Hindi.

 

When Baba Raten Saheb arrived in front of the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – asked him, “Are you the same person who once acted as my camel?”

 

Baba Raten Saheb replied that indeed he was the same person. The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – again made Du’a for him and repeated this Du’a thrice which was, “Allah Almighty give you Barakah in your life.”

 

When Baba Raten Saheb presented the other two items, the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – asked where the string around the Shalwar was and where was the masala on the paan. In fact, the words are also mentioned in Hindi.

I have searched for this name in many books of Asma Rijaal and could not find it under the letter of Alif. However, I did find it under the letter Raa. In fact, even in this section the name is Raten.

 

In the Tahzeeb Al Tahzeez and in the Al Usaabah fi Tameez As Sahaabah it is mentioned that, “In the Mizaan Al I’tidaal, page 236, it is mentioned that, “He continued to live in Arabia until the period of Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Uthman Ghani – may Allah be pleased with him. During this period, he decided to return to India. He also brought a copy of the Qur’an which was recorded in that period”.

 

This copy is still to be found in the city where he lies buried. I also did manage to read a section of this Qur’an. He was also given a camel by Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Uthman Ghani – may Allah be pleased with him – as a gift. Since he once acted as a camel for the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, as a mark of respect, he was also made to sit on this camel by the eminent companion.

 

In this manner, it is proven that he was indeed one of the blessed companions. I did visit his blessed grave. In fact, while I was returning from Ajmer Shareef, I was informed that on the way back, there was a Mazaar a few miles away which was the grave of Baba Raten Saheb.

 

It is also reported that Baba Raten Saheb lived for seven hundred years. He did mention this to others. The reason is that on his first meeting, the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – had repeated the words of the Du’a thrice and this equated to three hundred years. On the second occasion, the same thing happened and this equated to another three hundred years. And prior to going there, he was already nearly a hundred years old. I had also seen the entire neighbourhood where this blessed grave is to be found and there is also a special grave where the camel is buried which he brought from Arabia. Allah Almighty knows best.

 

In the marginal notes of Fataawah Hadasiyyah, Peer Qamarudeen further elaborates, “He is known as Baba Raten and his title is said to be “Abur Rida”. His grave is to be found in Pathandah which is a famous city in India. I have also visited his grave and also managed to recite a small section from the Qur’an which he had brought from Arabia. It is also not written in the normal font which you would find today but in a very ancient method of writing”.