Sheikh Baha-ud-din Zakariya Multani PDF

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Hazrat Sheikh Bahauddin Zakariya Suhrawardi was the leading Sufi saint of his in North Western India and belonged to well known Suhrawardi silsila originating in Baghdad and he established the Suhrawardiyya order of Baghdad in medieval South Asia.He was a contemporary of Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Gan...

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the life of most famous Sufi of Indian Subcontinent

SHEIKH BAHA- UD-DIN ZAKARIYA MULTANI (c.1170 – 1262)

Introduction: Hazrat Sheikh Bahauddin Zakariya Suhrawardi was the leading Sufi saint of his in North Western India and belonged to well known Suhrawardi silsila originating in Baghdad and he established the Suhrawardiyya order of Baghdad in medieval South Asia.He was a contemporary of Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Ganjshakar of Ajodhan and Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki of Delhi. All three great saints had a close friendship and mutual regard for each other.

Early life and Education: Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya was born in the morning on Friday the twentyseventh of Ramazan in 566 AH in Kot Karor.Others record his year of birth as 587AH/1192AD - the year when Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti arrived in Ajmer. His paternal grandfather who originally belonged to Qureshi tribe of Makkah migrated from Khwarazim to Multan while his maternal grandfather shifted to Multan during Mongol invasions. His father, Shaikh Wajihuddin, married Bibi Fatima, the daughter of Maulana Husamuddin Tirmizi who had settled in Kot Karor. Other sources relate that Bibi Fatima was the daughter of Hazrat Shaikh Isa, who was a descendant of Hazrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani and was married to Shaikh Wajihuddin when he travelled to a city called Hama.He lived there for sometime before returning to Kote Karror. According to certain chroniclers, his mother is said to be the sister of the mother of Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Ganjshakar. He committed the Holy Quran to memory at the age of seven and also learnt the seven rhythmic methods of reciting it. When he was twelve years old his father died. He left for Khurasan where he stayed for five years and completed his spiritual and temporal education. Then he moved to Bukhara and later to Hijaz. He served in Masjid-e-Nabvi for five years and acquired education of Hadith from Kamal-ud-din Yamini. Later he went to Baghdad and under Sheikh-

ul-Shauookh Shahab-ud-din Shurawardi accomplished his spiritual training and became his khalifah (chief disciple). Sheikh assigned his duty at Multan.

His Spiritual training: Hazrat Bahauddin was directed by his Sheikh to return to the subcontinent and settle in Multan to spread the teachings received from him. He was accompanied by Hazrat Sheikh Jalaluddin Tabrizi, who was nominated to work in Bengal. When they reached Neshapur, Shaikh Jalaluddin Tabrizi went to meet Hazrat Fariduddin Attar. On his return, Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya asked him who he considered was the best among the dervishes. He replied: "Undoubtedly Hazrat Fariduddin Attar is the best." Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya then asked him about the conversation he had with Hazrat Fariduddin Attar. He replied that as soon as Hazrat Fariduddin Attar saw him, he inquired as to where the dervish had come from, to which he replied that he had come from Baghdad. Hazrat Fariduddin Attar then inquired which dervish was most absorbed in the remembrance of God. He said that he did not reply and had remained silent. Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya suggested that rather than remaining silent he should have replied, mentioning the name of Hazrat Sheikh Shihabuddin Suhrawardi. Hazrat Jalaluddin Tabrizi then said that the great respect he had for Hazrat Fariduddin Attar had so greatly overwhelmed him that he forgot to mention his name. This annoyed Hazrat Zakariya before they parted ways in Neshapur. After an arduous journey, he eventually reached Multan. Multan was then an established centre of learning and was also the home of many outstanding and accomplished dervishes. Sheikh Bahauddin Zakariya used to go for prayers to the madrasa of the chief Qadi of Multan, Qutbuddin Kashani, who was against Sufism. Once Sheikh Bahauddin finished prayer earlier than the prescribed time, and when asked about the reason, he replied: "If someone learns through intuition (nur-i batin) that the prayer leader has made an error, it is appropriate for him to arise before the end of the prayer." Qutbuddin Kashani, who was the Imam, i.e. the leader during this particular prayer, was annoyed at the selfconceit of Hazrat Bahauddin, and exclaimed: "Every intuition which is not in accord with the dictates of the Law, that is a heinous sin!" After the incident Qadi Qutbuddin

forbade Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya from showing himself in his madrasa in future. Initially his stay in Multan was uneventful. He spent the period in equipping himself for the great task that awaited him, leading a life of seclusion. He devoted himself to prayer, remembrance of God, meditation and ascetic practices. Later, he began to preach and propagate the doctrine of truth. Sheikh Bahauddin reputation as a scholar, and the distinctive place he acquired among the disciples of Sheikh Shihabuddin Suhrawardi, soon made him an important figure in Multan. Merchants from Iraq and Khurasan were attracted to him in large numbers. The Sheikh erected an extensive khanqah containing granaries. However, it was not a meeting place for the common people; only eminent religious people and perhaps state dignitaries and wealthy merchants were admitted. The Sheikh discussed with them topical theological and spiritual problems and in his own estimation they all benefited from him company.

Political Role: Sultan Qutbuddin Aibak was ruling at that time at Delhi as viceroy after the victory of Shahabuddin Muhammad Ghori over Raja Prithviraj Chauhan (in 1192 AD) while Nasiruddin Qabacha was his governor at Multan. When Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish succeeded Sultan Qutbuddin Aibak, Qabacha hatched a conspiracy to declare himself as the sole ruler of Multan province independent of Delhi. This action was disliked by the then Qazi of Multan (Maulana Sharfuddin Asfahani) and Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya both of whom loved Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish dearly as he was a very pious, God-fearing and benevolent ruler and a mureed of Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki. They, therefore, informed Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish of this conspiracy. When Qabacha came to know of this through the interception of two letters conveying this information, he immediately had the Qazi executed and summoned the Sheikh to his palace. On being shown the letter and being asked for an explanation, the Sheikh boldly replied that he had written the letter in accordance with divine mandate and upon hearing this, Qabacha began to tremble and asked him to go away. After the annexation of Multan and Sind by Shamsuddin Iltutmish in 1228 AD, relations between the Sultan of Delhi and Hazrat Sheikh Bahauddin became more amicable. Shamsuddin Iltutmish invited him to preside over the mahzar

organized to judge the allegations of adultery against Sheikh Jalaluddin Tabrizi by the Sheikh-ul-Islam, Najmuddin Sughra. He preached Islam to every class of society including kings and paupers. Although Nasir-ud-din Kabacha was the ruler of Multan, Sheikh Zakariya favored Shams-ud-din Iltumish who was a man of noble character, This offended Kabacha but later he also began to revere him.

Death and Shrine: He passed away in Multan and in the same city his shrine is a special and common place of pilgrimage. The shrine of Bahauddin Zakaria Multani is a masterpiece of architecture. He passed away on 21 December 1261 AD / 7 Safar 661 AH. Your Mazar-e-Sharif is a reference creation at the end of Qila Muhammad bin Qasim. The carvings on the building of the shrine are visible and hundreds of poems are worth remembering. On the occasion of Urs, the speeches of the scholars become a guide for the people of God. Caravans of disciples and devotees from within Sindh arrive on foot. References: 1: Maulana Abdul Hai Lukhnavi, Nuzhat Al Khawatir (Arabic),(p99-100) 2:https://seekerofthesacredknowledge.wordpress.com/biographies-of-awliyaallah/hazrat-bahauddin-zakariya-multani/...