Ma‘ruf al-Karkhi (quddisa sirruhu) was a paragon of the spiritual path, a guide on the journey of truth, a pioneer of the Sufi way, and a mentor to countless seekers from diverse backgrounds. He was deeply knowledgeable in the secrets of spiritual leadership, the essence of the believers' wisdom, and the refined virtues of futuwwah (altruism and valiant moral integrity) and piety. It was said of him, "Without marifah (knowledge of Allah), there would be no Ma‘ruf." Known for his miraculous acts and unmatched devotion, his legacy as a spiritual exemplar endures.
Ma‘ruf was born to Christian parents who ardently desired that he follow their faith. Determined to raise him in their tradition, they sent him to a church school along with his siblings. One day, the priest commanded him, "Say, 'God is the third of three.'" But Ma‘ruf refused and declared, "No! He is not three—He is One."
Angered, the priest beat and punished him. Unable to endure the abuse, Ma‘ruf fled the school and disappeared. His parents, devastated by his absence, said, "If only he would return, no matter what religion he follows, we would accept it and follow him."
Ma‘ruf, however, had found his way to Ali al-Ridha, the son of Imam Musa al-Kazim, and through his guidance, embraced Islam. After some time, he returned to his parents' home. When he knocked on their door, they asked, "Who is it?"
"It is Ma‘ruf," he replied.
When they opened the door, they immediately asked, "What religion do you follow now?"
"I have come to you as a Muslim," he answered. Upon hearing this, both his mother and father accepted Islam as well.
Ma‘ruf once recounted:
"I was walking the streets of Kufa when I came across Ibn al-Sammak delivering a khutbah. Among the many words of wisdom he shared, he said:
'If someone turns away from Allah, Allah turns away from them completely. But if a person turns their heart to Allah, Allah turns toward them with His mercy and turns the hearts of others toward them. If someone occasionally turns to Allah, Allah occasionally grants them His mercy.'
These words shook me to my core. I surrendered my heart to Allah and abandoned all other pursuits, except serving Ali al-Ridha. I relayed what I had heard to him, and he responded, 'If you seek advice, let this suffice for you.'"
Later, Ma‘ruf met Dawud al-Ta’i and undertook rigorous spiritual discipline and austerity. His acts of worship were meticulous and complete, and he reached a level of piety and devotion that made him a renowned figure of his time.
Muhammad b. Mansur al-Ta’i narrated:
"I was in the company of Ma‘ruf in Baghdad and noticed a scratch on his face. I asked, 'Yesterday, when I was with you, there was no mark on your face. What happened?'
He replied, 'Ask me about matters that benefit you.'
But I persisted, 'I ask you for the sake of Allah to tell me what happened.'
He said, 'After the Maghrib prayer, I went to Makkah and circumambulated the Kaaba. I then went to drink from the Zamzam well, but my foot slipped, and I struck my face on the door. This scratch is from that fall.'"
Ma‘ruf was not only revered by Muslims but also beloved by Christians. On one occasion, a Christian man came to him, asking for prayers to grant him a child. Seizing the opportunity, Ma‘ruf gently invited him to Islam.
The man responded, "I did not come to change my religion—I only came to ask for a child."
Ma‘ruf prayed for him, saying, "May Allah grant you a righteous child, and may that child bring you to faith."
Shortly thereafter, the man was blessed with a wise and intelligent son. When the boy reached school age, his father sent him to a church school. On the first day, the priest began teaching about the Trinity. The boy, however, grew visibly uneasy and said, "No, my heart cannot accept this, nor can my tongue utter it."
The priest, surprised, said, "Very well, we will discuss this later. Let us move on to the alphabet."
The boy began reciting a poem instead. The first verse began with the letters alif and ba, and the final verse ended with lam-alif and ya. Each line described the attributes of Allah and extolled the virtues of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. It was an exquisite and intricate composition.
The priest, hearing these words, was astonished. "I must know who taught you this," he demanded, realizing there was more to the child’s words than mere chance. Ultimately, the priest himself found guidance and invited the boy’s father to embrace Islam. The father, recalling Ma‘ruf’s prayer years earlier, readily accepted the faith.
When Ma‘ruf passed away, a remarkable dispute arose. Muslims, Christians, and Jews all claimed him as one of their own. Each group insisted, "He belongs to us!"
To resolve the matter, Ma‘ruf’s servant spoke up: "Before he passed, the Shaykh said, ‘The group that is able to lift my body from the ground will be the group to which I belong.’"
The Jews and Christians tried to lift his body but were unable to do so. Then the Muslims stepped forward, lifted him with ease, prayed over him, and buried him in that very place.
As his death approached, Ma‘ruf turned to his devoted student, Sari al-Saqati, and said, "When I die, give my shirt to the poor." This shirt was his only possession, a symbol of his complete renunciation of the world.
Sari later recounted: "After his passing, I saw Ma‘ruf in a dream, standing beneath the Throne of Allah. I heard the Almighty ask His angels, 'Do you know who this is?' The angels replied, 'You alone know, our Lord.'
Allah then said, 'This is Ma‘ruf al-Karkhi. His love for Me intoxicated him so completely that he remained in this state until he met Me.'"
