Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi
His name is Yamin ad-Dawlah Abdul Qasim Mahmud ibn Sabuktegin ق who was born in Ghazni, Afghanistan. He was the founder of the Ghaznavid Empire which ruled over many areas including the Indian sub-continent. He was a great military commander and also a student of Shaykh Abul Hasan al-Kharaqani ق. It is narrated that out of love for The Beloved Prophet, he would not say the name Muhammad ﷺ without wudhu.
On one occasion a poor man came into his presence and requested justice from the Sultan. The poor man said that his wife was an extremely beautiful woman and due to his poverty, a certain member of the Sultan’s courtiers would visit his house and take advantage of his wife.
The Sultan was unhappy at what he had heard and told the poor man not to worry and that he shall receive the justice he deserves. Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi ق asked the man to call him on the day that the courtier visits his house. The poor man did as the sultan instructed and when the day arrived, the sultan asked him to turn off any lamp or light in the house.
When the courtier arrived to carry out his crime, the lights were blown out and Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi ق killed him. After doing so he asked the poor man to put the light back on and to bring him a glass of water. The man did as he was told and then asked the Sultan what was the reason for turning off the lights and now the glass of water.
Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi ق advised that he asked for the lights to be turned off as he feared the one committing the crime may have been his own son, the prince. He did not want the compassion of being the father of a son to get in the way of him delivering justice. He also explained that he had made a pledge to Allah ﷻ that until he had delivered justice he would not eat or drink anything, so he had not eaten anything since the day the man had asked for justice.
May Allah ﷻ sanctify his secret and grant us the love of His Awliya.
Fatiha.
