PUNJAB'S SIXTH RIVER-THE CHISTI SUFIS
Most of us in this part of Punjab have a
wrong notion as to how lslam spread on the land of Punjab. We erroneously give
credit to fanatic rulers of the likes of Aurangzeb. While the truth lays
elsewhere. They were in fact the Sufi saints who through their language of love
took these carefree people to the realms of spiritualism. Surprisingly these saints
from westwards merged in the mainstream of Punjabi culture and enriched it from
all sides. Dr. Naresh, a son of Punjabi culture reminds us in short of these
great men who taught us to live up to the love of contentment compassion and
see God in every form visible on this earth.
For centuries the sufi saints, through their words
and deeds have played a vital role in quenching the spiritual thirst of human
souls. Of the 175 orders of the Sufis, recorded by the Historian MA Shushtari,
eight blossomed on the Indian soil and added to India's age- old glory in the
field of spiritualism:
The Chishti order of the Sufis, established by Abu Ahmed
Abdal ( 874-956 A.D.) in Afghanistan,
was introduced to India by Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (1142-1236AD ) of Ajmer,
who attracted a large number of Indians to his nine principles of meditation namely contentment, compassion, abandonment,
abnegation, generosity, truthfulness, fasting, frugality and taciturnity. The
history of Chishti Sufis in this side of the divided Punjab starts with the
advent of Sheikh Farid Ganj-e-shakar at Hansi in the year 1244 A.D. During his
12 year long stay at Hansi, Sheikh Farid drew the populace towards spirituality
and established the first ever Chishti monastery in the East Punjab. His
beloved disciple Sheikh Jamal Hansvi was the first Sufi saint authorised to
initiate seekers to his order as a Khalifa of Baba Farid.
Sheikh Jamal, born in 1193 AD came to India at the age of five. His father was
a senior officer in the army of Shihabuddin Ghauri. When the Ghauri conquered
India, he appointed Jamals father as the
Qazi of Hansi. Sheikh Jamal tm, in his orun time, rose to the position held by
his father but soon got disillusioned with worldly and matters and retired to
meditation in seclusion. Sheikh Farid not only accepted him as his disciple but
helped him rise in his spiritual ascent to God. Sheikh Farid's entire stay at
Hansi wasin fact devoted primarily to spiritual elevation of Sheikh Jamal.
Another pupil of Sheikh Farid, Muntakhibuddin who too lived
in Hansi during the Sheikh's sojourn there, was also elevated to the Caliphate
but was sent to preach Sufism in the Deccan,
where he lived until 131G A.D. A nephew of Sheikh Farid, Sheikh Allauddin Ali
Ahmed Sabir, was physically and spiritually brought-up his mentor as his
father, being an eccentric Faqir, was unable to look after the child. Sheikh
farid nurtured Ali Ahmed with love and care and finally inducted him into the
Chishti order.
As a Khalifa of the Sheikh, Sabire established his abbey at
Piran Kaliyar. He was so popular with the masses that his own line with kin the
order soon came to be known as the Sabiri-Chishti branch.
Sheikh Nizam Thanesari, a son-in-law of Sheikh Jamal,
established a Chishti monastery at Thanesar. He was revered not only as a saint
but also as as great scholar and a competent alchemist. He incurred the wrath
of Emperor Jahangir by his blessing and Siding with Prince Khurram in his
defiance of his father and was consequently exiled. Sheikh Jalal Thanesari, a
teacher by profession, rose to be the mufti (dispenser d Muslim law) in the 15
the century. Deeply : influenced by the Sufi saint Sheikh Abdul Quddus Gangohi,
he got initiated into the Chishti order and achieved a respected position.
An other prominent Sufi of the I5th century was Sheika Chain
of Ladda village near Rewari. He was invited by Emperor Akbar to Fatehpur Slkri
and was accommodated in a house near the famous ibadatkhana, Akbar used tc discuss
with him the intricacies , of religion and philosophy. Sheikh Chain died at
Fatehpur Sikri in 1590 A.D
Perhaps the most reputed sufi saint of the 15th century.
Sheikh Jalal Panipati, a Chishti- Sabiri saint. He was so popular with the masses
that after his death his followers Iined up as two waning sections, one each in
favour of the two sons of his Khalifa. The bono of Contention was the amount of
offerings at the Sheikh's tomb. The war like situation impelled emperor
lbrahirn Lodhi to visit Panipat to sort
out the dispute himself. Known for his peerless forbearance and winning over
fierce enemies through the power of love was Sheikh Abul Muali (1 553- 1616A.D.)
of Shahabad and of the chishti- Sabiri order. He was also a poet and his 'Baramasa',
composed during the last decade of the 16th century comes up to be the first in
Urdu literature.
Sheikh Abul Muali's favourite disciple Shah Miran Bhik Bhikhan
Shah is the one Sufi saint who is held in high esteem not only by the Muslims
but by the Sikhs as well. He is belieVed to have visited Patna to have a 'darshan'
of the infant Guru Gobind Singh when the later was just 21 days old. On seeing
the child, he declared that the infant would emerge as a 'sanjha Pir'of the Hindus
and Muslims. Thaska village, sanctified with the meditation by M
iran Bhik, is
even today known as 'Thaska Miran Ji". He is burried at Ghuram in Patiala
district and his magnificent shrine is considered to be a great place of
pilgrimage by Muslims and Sikhs alike.
Hafiz Moosa, a disciple of Shah Salam, established his
monastery at Manakpur in Ropar district. Born at Behlolpur in Ludhiana district,
in a family of blacksmiths, Hafiz Moosa was initiated into the Sabiri-Chishti order
by Shah Salam, a grand disciple of Miran Bhik. Hafiz's shrine attracted Shah Khamosh, a son of the ruler of Hyderabad whose
mother built grand buildings known as' Daknion ki haveli', 'Masjid' and 'Langar,
at Manakpurand added 'Daknion ka baagh' to the Hafiz's shrine.
Even though the partition of India had dragged almost all
Muslim residents of Punjab to Pakistan, the shrines of Sufi saints were never
subjected to disrespect. To the day these shrines stand wetl-managed and continue
to be thronged by the Hindu and Sikh devotees in large numbers….Z
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