| Shaikh Habib Al-Raee | |
| Religion: | Islam |
| Denomination: | Sufism |
| Location: | Euphrates, Syria, present-day Iraq |
| Flourished: | 7th-century |
| Children: | Shaikh Haleem Al-Raee (son) |
| Parents: | Shaikh Saleem Al-Raee (father) |
| Predecessor: | Salman Farsi |
| Birth Place: | Euphrates, Syria |
| Death Place: | Euphrates, Syria |
Shaikh Habib Al-Raee (Urdu: شیخ حبیب الراعی) was an elevated Sufi saint and maintains a grand status amongst all the Shaikhs. He was a companion to Salman Farsi.[1] His father, Shaikh Saleem Al-Raee, was the founder and chief ancestor from whom the Arain originate. He related that Muhammad said, “The believer’s intentions are better than his acts.” He had flocks of sheep and his home was on the bank of the Euphrates. His religious path was retirement from this world.
A certain Shaikh relates as follows, “Once I passed by him and found him praying, while a wolf looked after his sheep. I resolved to pay him a visit since he appeared to me to have the marks of greatness. When we had exchanged greetings, I said,”O Shaikh! I see the wolf in accord with the sheep.” He replied, “That is because the shepherd is in accord with God.” [2] With those words he held a wooden bowl under a rock and two fountains gushed from the rock: one of milk and the other of honey. ‘O Shaikh!’ I cried, as he bade me drink, ‘how hast thou attained to this degree?’He answered,”By obedience to Muhammad, the Apostle of God. O my son! The rock gave water to the people of Moses, although they disobeyed him, and although Moses is not equal in rank to Muhammad: why should not the rock give milk and honey to me, inasmuch as I am obedient to Muhammad, who is superior to Moses?’ I said, “Give me a word of counsel.” He said, “Do not make your heart a coffer of covetousness and your belly a vessel of unlawful things.”[3]
Shaikh Habib Al-Raee was a Tabieen i.e. he was a follower of the Companions of Muhammad.[4]
The ancestral lineage of Shaikh Habib Al-Raee[5] is as follows:[6]
Shaikh Haleem Al-Raee son of Shaikh Habib Al-Raee also belonged to the Arain (tribe) and migrated with Muhammad bin Qasim to Multan side of Pakistan with his army.