Pir Fazal Ali Qureshi
Encyclopedia
Hazrat Khwaja Pir Fazal Ali Qureshi was a prominent Islamic scholar and the leading Naqshbandi
shaikh of colonial India in the early twentieth century. He was born to Hazrat Murad Ali Shah in 1270 AH (1853 or 1854) in Daud Khel
, Punjab, and died at 84 in the first night of Ramadan
1354 AH (28 November 1935) and was buried at Miskeenpur shareef, district Muzaffargarh, Punjab
.
sufi order. He first went to Khwaja Muhammad Usman Damani
for Ba'yah, but he was too old to take new followers. So he took the oath of allegiance with Sayyad Laal Shah Hamdani
who was a khalifa of Khwaja Usman
. After the death of his shaikh, he then did second oath of allegiance with the son and successor of Khwaja Usman
, Khwaja Sirajuddin Naqshbandi
and received Ijazah
and Khilafat from him.
) named Faqirpur shareef in 1892 AH in district Muzaffargarh, Punjab. Due to hard-to-reach location of Faqirpur, he established another spiritual center named Miskeenpur shareef in the same district, near Shahar Sultan. He lived there for the rest of his life and was buried there.
His biographers have written that the number of days he spent in traveling for preaching, was greater than the days he spent at home. He traveled to many places of Sindh and Punjab, and also traveled to (current day) India for multiple times. He followed Hanafi
school of law, and avoided the local schools of thought in India namely Deobandi Barelvi, rather followed the Naqshbandi
school in all matters.
branch of the Hanafi
school of thought. Many of his followers follow this school and claim that the shaikh himself followed it. But there are others who claim that the shaikh never followed the Deobandi
school, rather merely visited the Deoband
Islamic school for preaching Islam and Naqshbandi
tariqah. This difference of opinion is even evident in the immediate family of Pir Qureshi, where some of his grandsons follow the Deobandi school while others follow the shaykh himself and do not affiliate to the Deoband.
Mawlana Abdur-Rauf Shah was the son-in-law of Pir Fazal Ali Qureshi. He once told that the shaykh did not go to Deoband due to any devotion or affiliation, rather he went there for reviving the Sunnah of the prophet.
He told that once the Shaykh went to a gathering near the city of Deoband, preaching Islam and tariqah to the people, as he did all his life travelling vast distances for the same purpose. There, some people told the shaykh that Deoband is a center of learning and many famous scholars teach there, but as a matter of fact, Sunnah is not observed there; many students cut their beards (less than the Sunnah), etc. Upon this, the shaykh went there, accompanied by his khalifa Mawlana Abdul Malik Siddiqi who had previous contacts with the madrasah and its scholars.
Once a khalifa of Pir Qureshi claimed to Abdul Ghaffar alias Pir Mitha that shaykh was a Deobandi. Pir Mitha replied that he was not, and quoted an event witnessed by them both. He reminded him that when the Shaykh went to Ajmer
Sharif on the Urs of Khwaja Mueenuddin Chishti, the shaykh not only allowed his followers to listen to the Qawwali
(sufi poetry sung with music) sung with musical instruments, he himself listened to it at the time of leaving. He even gave money to the singers as a homage, according to the local custom. This act was due to the reverence and love of Khwaja Ajmeri, otherwise Shaykh Fazal Ali Qureshi would never allow his followers to listen to any kind of music (as music is forbidden in Sunni Islam). But even this special permission is against the rulings of Deobandi school of thought, who would never allow it.
In the same book, Mawlana Siddiqi narrates that the mentioned scholar Qari Muhammad Tayyab was indeed too happy to see the shaykh and invited him at his home for food. Pir Qureshi accepted it and visited him. When the shaykh was leaving from his home, Qari Tayyab, out of pleasure and deep respect, helped the shaykh put on his shoes. This is a sign of deep esteem and respect in Sufism, and shows esteem the scholars of Deoband gave to the shaykh.
Another famous Deobandi scholar, Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari
was also devoted to the shaykh. Once he was traveling and passed near the village of shaykh and visited him. Pir Qureshi was ploughing his farm at the time. When Syed Bukhari
met him and requested for praying for him, the shaykh taught him the Zikr-e-Qalbi (the remembrance of heart, the first lesson of Naqshbandi
sufi order). Syed Ata'ullah
narrates that his heart immediately started doing this Zikr. From that time, Syed Bukhari
was deeply devoted to the shaykh and is reported to have met him multiple times.
The shaikh respected the Deobandi scholars, but did not affiliate himself to any of them. This is according to Pir Mitha who narrates:
Shaykh Fazal Ali himself built a covered room meant to be his final burial place, and told this to Pir Mitha and Mawlana Abdul Sattar (brothers and khulafa of Pir Qureshi) and asked them to bury him there. At the time of death, Mawlana Abdul Sattar was there and he told the people the Shaykh's will, so they buried him there. This is in contradiction to the Deobandi
rulings that the grave must not be covered.
Pir Fazal Ali attended the Urs
of Sufi saints of India and the gatherings of Mawlid
. This also is in contradiction to the Deobandi
doctrine that the practice of Urs
is Bid'ah
. The most famous is his attending the Urs
of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
in Ajmer
, India, where the shaykh not only attended the Urs but also listened to the Qawwali
(sung with music) which is prohibited in the Deobandi
doctrine. Though the shaykh himself never listened to the music neither allowed his followers, he listened to the Qawwali
only due to the love of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
Ajmeri.
Shaykh Qureshi also believed that making the tombs at the shrines of Sufi saints is a righteous practice, and also believed in covering the graves of saints with embroidered clothes, a practice common on most of the Sufi shrines. Deobandi
scholars strictly prohibit these practices.
Sufi tariqah. His spiritual lineage goes to Prophet Muhammad, through Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi
, the Mujaddid of eleventh Hijri century. The complete lineage is as under:
Fazali. Born at Jalalpur-Pirwala near Mutan, he traveled to Sindh on the command of his shaikh, and later migrated to Rahmatpur, Larkana, Sindh. He had more than a hundred Khulafa. He died in 1964 and was buried in Rahmatpur, Larkana. He himself had about 143 Khulafa, and was succeeded by Hazrat Khwaja Allah Bakhsh
Abbasi alias Sohna Saeen, whose son, Hazrat Khwaja Muhammad Tahir
is currently living and a leading shaikh of Naqshbandi
sufi order in Pakistan.
Khwaja Abdul Ghaffar and his brother Khwaja Abdul Sattar were both Khulafa of Pir Qureshi. Pir Qureshi once told Khwaja Abdul Ghaffar that I have never given Khilafat (Ijazah
) to any two brothers before. You belong to such a family that if your elder brother (Mawlana Muhammad Ashraf) and your father (Mawlana Yar Muhammad) were alive, I would have given Khilafat to both of them.
Pir Qureshi did have sons but not paternal grandsons. At dargah Miskeenpur sharif, his maternal grandsons reside who all are Islamic scholars and shaykhs. The most prominent among them is Mawlana Muhammad Rafiq Shah Qureshi who is the current Sajjada-Nasheen (successor) at dargah Miskeenpur. He is an Islamic scholar who studied at dargah Allahabad near Kandiaro in Sindh, and received Ijazah
of Naqshbandi
tariqah from Hazrat Khwaja Sohna Saeen. He is currently associated with Khwaja Muhammad Tahir Bakhshi, son and successor of Sohna Saeen. He is the son of Mawlana Abdul-Rauf Shah who was the son-in-law of Pir Qureshi and was affiliated with Shaykh Sohna Saeen.
Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi is one of the major Sufi spiritual orders of Sufi Islam. It is considered to be a "Potent" order.The Naqshbandi order is over 1,300 years old, and is active today...
shaikh of colonial India in the early twentieth century. He was born to Hazrat Murad Ali Shah in 1270 AH (1853 or 1854) in Daud Khel
Daud Khel, Punjab
Daud Khel is a town of Mianwali District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The town is located at 32°52'60N 71°34'0E at an altitude of 207 metres and is part of Mianwali Tehsil. It is administratively subdivided into two Union councils, one for the urban area and another for the rural area....
, Punjab, and died at 84 in the first night of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
1354 AH (28 November 1935) and was buried at Miskeenpur shareef, district Muzaffargarh, Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
.
Tariqat
He was a shaikh of NaqshbandiNaqshbandi
Naqshbandi is one of the major Sufi spiritual orders of Sufi Islam. It is considered to be a "Potent" order.The Naqshbandi order is over 1,300 years old, and is active today...
sufi order. He first went to Khwaja Muhammad Usman Damani
Khwaja Muhammad Usman Damani
Khwaja Muhammad Usman Damani was a prominent Muslim scholar and Sufi shaykh of Naqshbandi tariqah of 19th century in South Asia .-Biography:...
for Ba'yah, but he was too old to take new followers. So he took the oath of allegiance with Sayyad Laal Shah Hamdani
Sayyad Laal Shah Hamdani
Sayyad Laal Shah Hamdani was a Muslim scholar and prominent Sufi shaykh of Naqshbandi tariqah in South Asia . One of his forefathers Hazrat Shah Bilawal Hamdani migrated from Hamadan to district Chakwal and settled at Danda, which is now called Danda Shah Bilawal after his name.Sayyad Laal Shah...
who was a khalifa of Khwaja Usman
Khwaja Muhammad Usman Damani
Khwaja Muhammad Usman Damani was a prominent Muslim scholar and Sufi shaykh of Naqshbandi tariqah of 19th century in South Asia .-Biography:...
. After the death of his shaikh, he then did second oath of allegiance with the son and successor of Khwaja Usman
Khwaja Muhammad Usman Damani
Khwaja Muhammad Usman Damani was a prominent Muslim scholar and Sufi shaykh of Naqshbandi tariqah of 19th century in South Asia .-Biography:...
, Khwaja Sirajuddin Naqshbandi
Khwaja Sirajuddin Naqshbandi
Khwaja Muhammad Sirajuddin Naqshbandi was a prominent Islamic scholar and Sufi shaikh of Naqshbandi sufi order in South Asia . He was born in 1879/1880 and died in 1915 at Mussa Zai Sharif, Dera Ismail Khan...
and received Ijazah
Ijazah
An ijazah is a certificate used primarily by Sunni Muslims to indicate that one has been authorized by a higher authority to transmit a certain subject or text of Islamic knowledge...
and Khilafat from him.
Tabligh (Preaching)
He established the first spiritual center (dargahDargah
A Dargah is a Sufi shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint. Local Muslims visit the shrine known as . Dargahs are often associated with Sufi meeting rooms and hostels, known as khanqah...
) named Faqirpur shareef in 1892 AH in district Muzaffargarh, Punjab. Due to hard-to-reach location of Faqirpur, he established another spiritual center named Miskeenpur shareef in the same district, near Shahar Sultan. He lived there for the rest of his life and was buried there.
His biographers have written that the number of days he spent in traveling for preaching, was greater than the days he spent at home. He traveled to many places of Sindh and Punjab, and also traveled to (current day) India for multiple times. He followed Hanafi
Hanafi
The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani...
school of law, and avoided the local schools of thought in India namely Deobandi Barelvi, rather followed the Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi is one of the major Sufi spiritual orders of Sufi Islam. It is considered to be a "Potent" order.The Naqshbandi order is over 1,300 years old, and is active today...
school in all matters.
Deobandi school
There are conflicting accounts from the shaikh's biography about his following the DeobandiDeobandi
Deobandi is a movement of Sunni Islam. The movement began at Darul Uloom Deoband in Deoband, India, where its foundation was laid on 30 May 1866.-History:...
branch of the Hanafi
Hanafi
The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani...
school of thought. Many of his followers follow this school and claim that the shaikh himself followed it. But there are others who claim that the shaikh never followed the Deobandi
Deobandi
Deobandi is a movement of Sunni Islam. The movement began at Darul Uloom Deoband in Deoband, India, where its foundation was laid on 30 May 1866.-History:...
school, rather merely visited the Deoband
Deoband
Deoband is a city and a municipal board in Saharanpur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the upper Doab region of Uttar Pradesh. Deoband used to be surrounded by dense forests, and was believed to be the abode of the Goddess Durga, according to one tradition this is...
Islamic school for preaching Islam and Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi is one of the major Sufi spiritual orders of Sufi Islam. It is considered to be a "Potent" order.The Naqshbandi order is over 1,300 years old, and is active today...
tariqah. This difference of opinion is even evident in the immediate family of Pir Qureshi, where some of his grandsons follow the Deobandi school while others follow the shaykh himself and do not affiliate to the Deoband.
Mawlana Abdur-Rauf Shah was the son-in-law of Pir Fazal Ali Qureshi. He once told that the shaykh did not go to Deoband due to any devotion or affiliation, rather he went there for reviving the Sunnah of the prophet.
He told that once the Shaykh went to a gathering near the city of Deoband, preaching Islam and tariqah to the people, as he did all his life travelling vast distances for the same purpose. There, some people told the shaykh that Deoband is a center of learning and many famous scholars teach there, but as a matter of fact, Sunnah is not observed there; many students cut their beards (less than the Sunnah), etc. Upon this, the shaykh went there, accompanied by his khalifa Mawlana Abdul Malik Siddiqi who had previous contacts with the madrasah and its scholars.
Once a khalifa of Pir Qureshi claimed to Abdul Ghaffar alias Pir Mitha that shaykh was a Deobandi. Pir Mitha replied that he was not, and quoted an event witnessed by them both. He reminded him that when the Shaykh went to Ajmer
Ajmer
Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
Sharif on the Urs of Khwaja Mueenuddin Chishti, the shaykh not only allowed his followers to listen to the Qawwali
Qawwali
Qawwali is a form of Sufi devotional music popular in South Asia, particularly in the Punjab and Sindh regions of Pakistan, Hyderabad, Delhi, and other parts of northern India...
(sufi poetry sung with music) sung with musical instruments, he himself listened to it at the time of leaving. He even gave money to the singers as a homage, according to the local custom. This act was due to the reverence and love of Khwaja Ajmeri, otherwise Shaykh Fazal Ali Qureshi would never allow his followers to listen to any kind of music (as music is forbidden in Sunni Islam). But even this special permission is against the rulings of Deobandi school of thought, who would never allow it.
Pir Qureshi and scholars of Deoband
Mawlana Abdul Malik writes in Tajalliyat that once the shaykh was in madrasah of Deoband, and at the time of Zuhr prayer, Qari Muhammad Tayyab came to lead the congregation. He had covered his head with a cap. After the prayer, the Shaykh said "Lack of following the great Sunnah even in the center of learning?", pointing to the lack of following the Sunnah of Amama (turban) during prayer. At this, Qari sahib asked someone to bring the Amama and put it near the place of Imam, so whoever would lead the congregation, would take that and place it on the head.In the same book, Mawlana Siddiqi narrates that the mentioned scholar Qari Muhammad Tayyab was indeed too happy to see the shaykh and invited him at his home for food. Pir Qureshi accepted it and visited him. When the shaykh was leaving from his home, Qari Tayyab, out of pleasure and deep respect, helped the shaykh put on his shoes. This is a sign of deep esteem and respect in Sufism, and shows esteem the scholars of Deoband gave to the shaykh.
Another famous Deobandi scholar, Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari
Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari
Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari , was an Indian Muslim scholar, religious and senior political leader from the Indian subcontinent. He was one of the Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam's founding members...
was also devoted to the shaykh. Once he was traveling and passed near the village of shaykh and visited him. Pir Qureshi was ploughing his farm at the time. When Syed Bukhari
Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari
Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari , was an Indian Muslim scholar, religious and senior political leader from the Indian subcontinent. He was one of the Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam's founding members...
met him and requested for praying for him, the shaykh taught him the Zikr-e-Qalbi (the remembrance of heart, the first lesson of Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi is one of the major Sufi spiritual orders of Sufi Islam. It is considered to be a "Potent" order.The Naqshbandi order is over 1,300 years old, and is active today...
sufi order). Syed Ata'ullah
Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari
Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari , was an Indian Muslim scholar, religious and senior political leader from the Indian subcontinent. He was one of the Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam's founding members...
narrates that his heart immediately started doing this Zikr. From that time, Syed Bukhari
Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari
Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari , was an Indian Muslim scholar, religious and senior political leader from the Indian subcontinent. He was one of the Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam's founding members...
was deeply devoted to the shaykh and is reported to have met him multiple times.
The shaikh respected the Deobandi scholars, but did not affiliate himself to any of them. This is according to Pir Mitha who narrates:
Once Molvi Ashraf Ali Thanwi was mentioned before my shaykh. He said, "Molvi Ashraf Ali was a scholar, but being a person of Batin (a spiritual person) and Waliullah (a saint) is a different thing." Indeed my Pir's saying was true. I have met many of his muridMuridMurid is a Sufi term meaning 'committed one' from the root meaning "willpower" or "self-esteem". It refers to a person who is committed to a Murshid in a Tariqa of Sufism. Also known as a Salik , a murid is an initiate into the mystic philosophy of Sufism. When the Talib makes a pledge to a...
s but they do not even know about QalbQalbقلب is an Arabic word meaning "Heart". It is the second among the six purities or Lataif-e-sitta in Sufi philosophy.-Sixteen stages of Taming Qalb:To attend Tasfiya-e-Qalb, the Salik needs to achieve the following sixteen goals.#Zuhd or abstention from evil...
.
His Beliefs
Many of his followers maintain that Pir Qureshi believed in plain Sunni beliefs and did not follow any of the offshoots of Sunni Islam in India. Following points from the Malfuzat of Pir Mitha, who was one of his chief Khulafa, assert this idea.Shaykh Fazal Ali himself built a covered room meant to be his final burial place, and told this to Pir Mitha and Mawlana Abdul Sattar (brothers and khulafa of Pir Qureshi) and asked them to bury him there. At the time of death, Mawlana Abdul Sattar was there and he told the people the Shaykh's will, so they buried him there. This is in contradiction to the Deobandi
Deobandi
Deobandi is a movement of Sunni Islam. The movement began at Darul Uloom Deoband in Deoband, India, where its foundation was laid on 30 May 1866.-History:...
rulings that the grave must not be covered.
Pir Fazal Ali attended the Urs
Urs
Urs is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint in South Asia, usually held at the saint's dargah . South Asian Sufis being mainly Chishtiyya, refer to their saints as lovers and God as beloved...
of Sufi saints of India and the gatherings of Mawlid
Mawlid
Mawlid or sometimes ميلاد , mīlād is a term used to refer to the observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad which occurs in Rabi' al-awwal,...
. This also is in contradiction to the Deobandi
Deobandi
Deobandi is a movement of Sunni Islam. The movement began at Darul Uloom Deoband in Deoband, India, where its foundation was laid on 30 May 1866.-History:...
doctrine that the practice of Urs
Urs
Urs is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint in South Asia, usually held at the saint's dargah . South Asian Sufis being mainly Chishtiyya, refer to their saints as lovers and God as beloved...
is Bid'ah
Bid'ah
Bid‘ah is any type of innovation in Islam. It linguistically means "innovation, novelty, heretical doctrine, heresy". In contrast to the English term "innovation", in Arabic, the word bid'ah generally carries a negative connotation...
. The most famous is his attending the Urs
Urs
Urs is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint in South Asia, usually held at the saint's dargah . South Asian Sufis being mainly Chishtiyya, refer to their saints as lovers and God as beloved...
of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
Moinuddin Chishti
Sultan-ul-Hind, Moinuddin Chishti was born in 1141 and died in 1230 CE. Also known as Gharīb Nawāz "Benefactor of the Poor" , he is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order of the Indian Subcontinent. He introduced and established the order in South Asia...
in Ajmer
Ajmer
Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
, India, where the shaykh not only attended the Urs but also listened to the Qawwali
Qawwali
Qawwali is a form of Sufi devotional music popular in South Asia, particularly in the Punjab and Sindh regions of Pakistan, Hyderabad, Delhi, and other parts of northern India...
(sung with music) which is prohibited in the Deobandi
Deobandi
Deobandi is a movement of Sunni Islam. The movement began at Darul Uloom Deoband in Deoband, India, where its foundation was laid on 30 May 1866.-History:...
doctrine. Though the shaykh himself never listened to the music neither allowed his followers, he listened to the Qawwali
Qawwali
Qawwali is a form of Sufi devotional music popular in South Asia, particularly in the Punjab and Sindh regions of Pakistan, Hyderabad, Delhi, and other parts of northern India...
only due to the love of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
Moinuddin Chishti
Sultan-ul-Hind, Moinuddin Chishti was born in 1141 and died in 1230 CE. Also known as Gharīb Nawāz "Benefactor of the Poor" , he is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order of the Indian Subcontinent. He introduced and established the order in South Asia...
Ajmeri.
Shaykh Qureshi also believed that making the tombs at the shrines of Sufi saints is a righteous practice, and also believed in covering the graves of saints with embroidered clothes, a practice common on most of the Sufi shrines. Deobandi
Deobandi
Deobandi is a movement of Sunni Islam. The movement began at Darul Uloom Deoband in Deoband, India, where its foundation was laid on 30 May 1866.-History:...
scholars strictly prohibit these practices.
Spiritual Chain of Succession
Pir Fazal Ali Qureshi belongs to the Mujaddidi order of Sufism, which is the main branch of NaqshbandiNaqshbandi
Naqshbandi is one of the major Sufi spiritual orders of Sufi Islam. It is considered to be a "Potent" order.The Naqshbandi order is over 1,300 years old, and is active today...
Sufi tariqah. His spiritual lineage goes to Prophet Muhammad, through Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi
Ahmad Sirhindi
Imām Rabbānī Shaykh Ahmad al-Farūqī al-Sirhindī was an Indian Islamic scholar from Punjab, a Hanafi jurist, and a prominent member of the Naqshbandī Sufi order. He is described as Mujaddid Alf Thānī, meaning the "reviver of the second millennium", for his work in rejuvenating Islam and opposing...
, the Mujaddid of eleventh Hijri century. The complete lineage is as under:
- Sayyadna MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
d.11AH, buried Madinah SA (570/571 - 632 CE) - Sayyadna Abu BakrAbu BakrAbu Bakr was a senior companion and the father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He ruled over the Rashidun Caliphate from 632-634 CE when he became the first Muslim Caliph following Muhammad's death...
Siddiq, radiya-l-Lahu'anh d.13AH, buried Madinah, SA - Sayyadna Salman al-Farsi, radiya-l-Lahu'anh d.35AH buried Madaa'in, SA
- Imam Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abu BakrQasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abu BakrAl-Qāsim ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr as-Siddiq was an important jurist in early Islam. He is considered the fourth in the Naqshbandi Golden Chain of Sufi masters. Naqshbandis also consider him to have passed the chain to his grandson Ja'far as-Sadiq...
d.107AH buried Madinah SA. - Imam Jafar Sadiq, alayhi-s-salam (after which moves to Iran) d 148AH buried Madinah SA.
- Shaikh Bayazid BastamiBayazid BastamiBayazid Bastami , also known as Abu Yazid Bistami or Tayfur Abu Yazid al-Bustami, was a Persian Sufi born in Bastam, Iran.- Background :...
, radiya-l-Lahu canh d 261AH buried Bistaam, Iraq (804 - 874 CE). - Shaikh Abul Hassan Kharqani, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 425AH buried Kharqaan, Iran.
- Shaikh Abul Qasim Gurgani, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d.450AH buried Gurgan, Iran.
- Shaikh Abu Ali Farmadi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah (after which moves to Turkmenistan) d 477AH buried Tous, Khorasan, Iran.
- Khwaja Abu Yaqub Yusuf Hamadani, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 535AH buried Maru, Khorosan, Iran.
- Khwaja Abdul Khaliq Ghujdawani, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 575AH buried Ghajdawan, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
- Khwaja Arif Reogari, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 616AH buried Reogar, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
- Khwaja Mahmood Anjir-Faghnawi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 715AH buried Waabakni, Mawralnahar.
- Shaikh Azizan Ali Ramitani, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 715AH buried Khwaarizm, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
- Shaikh Muhammad Baba Samasi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 755AH buried Samaas, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
- Shaikh Sayyid Amir Kulal, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 772AH buried Saukhaar, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
- Shaikh Muhammad Baha'uddin NaqshbandBaha-ud-Din Naqshband BukhariBaha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari was the founder of what would become the Naqshbandi. He was born in Bukhara which is located in Uzbekistan...
, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 791AH buried Qasr-e-Aarifan, Bukhara, Uzbekistan (1318–1389 CE). - Shaikh Ala'uddin Attar Bukhari, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah buried Jafaaniyan, Mawranahar, Uzbekistan.
- Shaikh Yaqub Charkhi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 851AH buried Charkh, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
- Shaikh Ubaidullah Ahrar, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 895AH buried Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
- Shaikh Muhammad Zahid Wakhshi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 936AH buried Wakhsh, Malk Hasaar
- Shaikh Durwesh Muhammad, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 970AH buried Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
- Shaikh Muhammad Amkanaki, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah (after which moves to India) d 1008AH buried Akang, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
- Shaikh Muhammad Baqi Billah Berang, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 1012AH buried Delhi, India.
- Shaikh Ahmad Faruqi SirhindiAhmad SirhindiImām Rabbānī Shaykh Ahmad al-Farūqī al-Sirhindī was an Indian Islamic scholar from Punjab, a Hanafi jurist, and a prominent member of the Naqshbandī Sufi order. He is described as Mujaddid Alf Thānī, meaning the "reviver of the second millennium", for his work in rejuvenating Islam and opposing...
, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 1034AH buried Sarhand, India (1564–1624 CE) - Muhammad Masum Sirhindi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 1079AH buried Sarhand, India.
- Muhammad Saifuddin Faruqi Mujaddidi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 1096AH buried Sarhand, India
- Hafiz Muhammad Mohsin, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah
- Sayyid Nur Muhammad Badayuni, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, d.1135AH
- Mirza Mazhar Jan-e-JanaanMirza Mazhar Jan-e-JanaanMirzā Mazhar Jān-i Jānān , also known by his laqab Shamsuddīn Habībullāh , was a renowned Naqshbandī Sufi poet of Dehli, distinguished as one the "four pillars of Urdu poetry." He was also known to his contemporaries as the sunnītarāsh, "Sunnicizer", for his absolute, unflinching commitment to and...
, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, d.1195AH - Abdullah Dahlawi, alias Shah Ghulam Ali DehlaviShah Ghulam Ali DehlaviShah Abdullah alias Shah Ghulam Ali Dehlavi was a very prominent Sufi Shaykh in Delhi during early 19th century. He was a master of the Naqshbandi tradition and also in other major Sufi orders such as Qadri and Chishti.-Biography:...
, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, d.1240AH - Shaikh Abu-Saeed Faruqi Mujaddidi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, buried in Dehli, India, d.1250AH
- Shaikh Ahmed Saeed Faruqi Mujaddidi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, buried in Madinah, d.1277AH
- Khwaja Dost Muhammad Qandhari, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, Musa Zai Sharif, d.1284AH
- Khwaja Muhammad Usman DamaniKhwaja Muhammad Usman DamaniKhwaja Muhammad Usman Damani was a prominent Muslim scholar and Sufi shaykh of Naqshbandi tariqah of 19th century in South Asia .-Biography:...
, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, Musa Zai Sharif, d.1314AH - Sayyad Laal Shah HamdaniSayyad Laal Shah HamdaniSayyad Laal Shah Hamdani was a Muslim scholar and prominent Sufi shaykh of Naqshbandi tariqah in South Asia . One of his forefathers Hazrat Shah Bilawal Hamdani migrated from Hamadan to district Chakwal and settled at Danda, which is now called Danda Shah Bilawal after his name.Sayyad Laal Shah...
, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, Hamdan, Punjab, d.1323AH - Khwaja Muhammad SirajuddinKhwaja Sirajuddin NaqshbandiKhwaja Muhammad Sirajuddin Naqshbandi was a prominent Islamic scholar and Sufi shaikh of Naqshbandi sufi order in South Asia . He was born in 1879/1880 and died in 1915 at Mussa Zai Sharif, Dera Ismail Khan...
, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, Musa Zai Sharif, d.1333AH - Pir Fazal Ali Qureshi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, Miskeenpur, district Muzaffargarh, Punjab, Pakistan, d.1935
Notable Khulafa
- Khwaja Abdul Ghaffar NaqshbandiKhwaja Abdul Ghaffar NaqshbandiKhwaja Muhammad Abdul Ghaffar Naqshbandi , popular with the name Pir Mitha was a prominent Islamic scholar and Naqshbandi shaikh of Sindh, Pakistan. Born in district Multan in present-day Punjab , he migrated to Larkana, Sindh and established a dargah named Rahmatpur near Larkana city...
commonly known as Pir Mitha (Larkana, Sindh) - Mawlana Abdul Sattar Naqshbandi, brother of Khwaja Abdul Ghaffar NaqshbandiKhwaja Abdul Ghaffar NaqshbandiKhwaja Muhammad Abdul Ghaffar Naqshbandi , popular with the name Pir Mitha was a prominent Islamic scholar and Naqshbandi shaikh of Sindh, Pakistan. Born in district Multan in present-day Punjab , he migrated to Larkana, Sindh and established a dargah named Rahmatpur near Larkana city...
(Jalalpur-Pirwala, Punjab) - Mawlana Abdul Malik Siddiqi (Ahmadpur Sharqia, Bahawalpur, Punjab)
- Mawlana Abdul Ghafoor Madani Abbasi (Madinah, SA)
- Mawlana Muhammad Saeed Qureshi (Ahmadpur Sharqia, Bahawalpur, Punjab)
- Hafiz Qari Kareem Bakhsh (Bahawalpur, Punjab). Previously muridMuridMurid is a Sufi term meaning 'committed one' from the root meaning "willpower" or "self-esteem". It refers to a person who is committed to a Murshid in a Tariqa of Sufism. Also known as a Salik , a murid is an initiate into the mystic philosophy of Sufism. When the Talib makes a pledge to a...
of Pir Meher Ali ShahPir Meher Ali ShahPir Syed Meher Ali Shah Gilani was born 14 April 1859 in Golra Sharif, which is located midway between Rawalpindi and Islamabad, in present-day Pakistan. The time just before his birth saw the Indian Rebellion of 1857 fought between the British and the sepoys allied with seven of the Princely...
His Family
Grandsons- Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Rafiq Shah sahab, son of Mawlana Abdul Rauf Shah, khalifa of Hazrat Khwaja Allah BakhshHazrat Khwaja Allah BakhshKhwaja Allah Bakhsh Ghaffari Naqshbandi also known as Sohna Saeen is noble Naqshbandi saint in Pakistan...
Abbasi alias Sohna Saeen - Mawlana Nazeer Ahmed Shah sahab, son of Mawlana Abdul Rauf Shah
- Mawlana Kaleemullah Shah sahab, khalifa of Mawlana Abdul Ghafoor Madani Abbasi
Successor
He is said to have about 66 Khulafa, many of whom became prominent shaikhs after his demise. The most famous of them was Hazrat Khwaja Abdul Ghaffar NaqshbandiKhwaja Abdul Ghaffar Naqshbandi
Khwaja Muhammad Abdul Ghaffar Naqshbandi , popular with the name Pir Mitha was a prominent Islamic scholar and Naqshbandi shaikh of Sindh, Pakistan. Born in district Multan in present-day Punjab , he migrated to Larkana, Sindh and established a dargah named Rahmatpur near Larkana city...
Fazali. Born at Jalalpur-Pirwala near Mutan, he traveled to Sindh on the command of his shaikh, and later migrated to Rahmatpur, Larkana, Sindh. He had more than a hundred Khulafa. He died in 1964 and was buried in Rahmatpur, Larkana. He himself had about 143 Khulafa, and was succeeded by Hazrat Khwaja Allah Bakhsh
Hazrat Khwaja Allah Bakhsh
Khwaja Allah Bakhsh Ghaffari Naqshbandi also known as Sohna Saeen is noble Naqshbandi saint in Pakistan...
Abbasi alias Sohna Saeen, whose son, Hazrat Khwaja Muhammad Tahir
Hazrat Khwaja Muhammad Tahir
Khwaja Muhammad Tahir Bakhshi Naqshbandi , also known as Sajjan Saeen , is a prominent Naqshbandi Sufi shaykh in Pakistan. He was born on January 6, 1962 at dargah Rahmatpur Sharif, district Larkana, Pakistan. He is successor to Khwaja Allah Bakhsh, also known as Sohna Saeen, whose lineage goes to...
is currently living and a leading shaikh of Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi is one of the major Sufi spiritual orders of Sufi Islam. It is considered to be a "Potent" order.The Naqshbandi order is over 1,300 years old, and is active today...
sufi order in Pakistan.
Khwaja Abdul Ghaffar and his brother Khwaja Abdul Sattar were both Khulafa of Pir Qureshi. Pir Qureshi once told Khwaja Abdul Ghaffar that I have never given Khilafat (Ijazah
Ijazah
An ijazah is a certificate used primarily by Sunni Muslims to indicate that one has been authorized by a higher authority to transmit a certain subject or text of Islamic knowledge...
) to any two brothers before. You belong to such a family that if your elder brother (Mawlana Muhammad Ashraf) and your father (Mawlana Yar Muhammad) were alive, I would have given Khilafat to both of them.
Pir Qureshi did have sons but not paternal grandsons. At dargah Miskeenpur sharif, his maternal grandsons reside who all are Islamic scholars and shaykhs. The most prominent among them is Mawlana Muhammad Rafiq Shah Qureshi who is the current Sajjada-Nasheen (successor) at dargah Miskeenpur. He is an Islamic scholar who studied at dargah Allahabad near Kandiaro in Sindh, and received Ijazah
Ijazah
An ijazah is a certificate used primarily by Sunni Muslims to indicate that one has been authorized by a higher authority to transmit a certain subject or text of Islamic knowledge...
of Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi is one of the major Sufi spiritual orders of Sufi Islam. It is considered to be a "Potent" order.The Naqshbandi order is over 1,300 years old, and is active today...
tariqah from Hazrat Khwaja Sohna Saeen. He is currently associated with Khwaja Muhammad Tahir Bakhshi, son and successor of Sohna Saeen. He is the son of Mawlana Abdul-Rauf Shah who was the son-in-law of Pir Qureshi and was affiliated with Shaykh Sohna Saeen.
External links
- Very Short Biography in Urdu
- Short Biography in Urdu by Mukhtar Ahmed Khokhar
- Book about his biography (in Urdu) by Mawlana Habib-ur-Rahman Gabol
- Samples from his poetry
- Few letters of Pir Fazal Ali Qureshi
- Website of Miskeenpur under the supervision of Pir Muhammad Shah Qureshi
- http://www.tasawwuf.org
- http://www.pirghulamhabib.com
- http://www.tazkiyanafs.org