Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Pir Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Shah RA, prominently known by his title Sultan-ul-Sabireen, is the 27th Shaikh of the (Sarwari) Qadri Order.
Ancestors & Parents
Sultan-ul-Sabireen Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Pir Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Shah is Qureshi Hashmi. His ancestral link goes back in 26 steps to Prophet Mohammad Sall’Allahu Alayhi Wa’alihi Wasallam’s uncle Syed-us-Shohada Hazrat Ameer Hamza Razi Allah Anha. His family lineage is as follows:
Pir Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Shah son of Shaikh Fazal Shah son of Shaikh Jiwan Shah son of Shaikh Bakhsh Shah son of Shaikh Jaam Shah son of Shaikh Hasil Shah son of Shaikh Qalandar Shah son of Shaikh Haleem Shah son of Shaikh Juman Shah son of Ameer Daood son of Ameer Junaid son of Ameer Shehzad son of Ameer Chaakar son of Ameer BaYazeed son of Ameer Somra son of Ameer Saddique son of Ameer Jalal son of Ameer Jabbal son of Ameer Mukhtar son of Ameer Saad son of Ameer Mazhar son of Ameer Ma’az son of Ameer Bartacha Bahadur son of Ameer Badee-uz-Zaman son of Hazrat Ameer Hamza.
Birth
Sultan-ul-Sabireen Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Pir Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Shah was born to Fazal Shah on Monday 14th of Zilhaj 1242 H (July 19th 1827 AD) at the time of Maghrib prayer in Chotti, district Dera Ghazi Khan. The Divine Inspiration of his birth was already given by Hazrat Khawaja Suleman Taunsvi who was a great saint of the Chistia Order.
Childhood & Youth
His father passed away when he was only at the tender age of 8. He had completed his religious education till the age of 18. As he gained religious knowledge, his soul became more and more restless and a Divine urge kept on increasing within him. His restlessness and anxiety further increased when at the age of 20 his mother also passed away. In this disturbed and sorrowful state, he used to roam about in the jungles and desolated places to the extent that his sacred feet would start bleeding. One day he was lying under a tree when he saw the King of Faqr, Prophet Mohammad Sall’Allahu Alayhi Wa’alihi Wasallam in his dream. Ghaus-ul-Azam Hazrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani and Sultan-ul-Arifeen Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Bahoo RA were also along. Prophet Mohammad Sall’Allahu Alayhi Wa’alihi Wasallam ordered him, “Go to Ahmadpur where Syed Abdullah Shah Jilani is waiting for you as you have been selected for the Trust of Faqr”. At that time Pir Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Shah was almost 25 years old.
Spiritual Journey
In accordance to the given orders, he reached Ahmadpur Sharqiah (Ahmadpur East), a city of the Bahawalpur state after a long journey on Tuesday 8th of Shawal 1267 H (August 5th1851 AD). He reached a mansion and saw a saint with an enlightened countenance sitting on a bed and the rest of the people were sitting on the ground. Among these people ministers and soldiers of Nawab Sahib of the state were also present. As soon as Pir Abdul Ghafoor Shah saw Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Pir Abdullah Shah RA, his deep-rooted restlessness and anxiety vanished and his heart witnessed that this is the face in whose search he was wandering about.
After 3 days, on Friday 11th of Shawal 1267 H (August 8th 1851 AD) he took oath of allegiance from Pir Abdul Ghafoor Shah and bestowed him with gold Ism-e-Allah Zaat. Pir Abdul Ghafoor Shah then stayed focused on his Murshid forgetting everything else, his education, his homeland etc. He spent 8 years, 11 months and almost 21 days in the company of his Spiritual Guide.
Mystic Poetry/Kalam
In the manuscript called “Malfuzat Pir Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Shah Rehmat-ul-Allah Alayh” (unpublished) compiled by Pir Abdul Haq, it is written that Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Pir Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Shah used to say, “Throughout my life I haven’t seen any one as beautiful and elegant in appearance like my beloved Murshid. Nobody could look at his face for long. It was impossible to look directly into his eyes. Whoever visited Shah Sahib for any work, got so absorbed in his vision that he would forget everything else, even the children busy playing around used to forget their games and were lost in seeing Shah Sahib.” Every word of the Saraiki poetry which Pir Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Shah Rehmat-ul-Allah Alayh wrote in the honour of his Murshid shows his ardent love for him.
The books Guldastah Abiyaat-o-Munajaat Shahbaz-e-Arifaan Sultan-ul-Auliya Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Syed Mohammad Bahadur Ali Shah and also in Kalam Mashaikh Sarwari Qadri, contain the first eulogy from his mystic poetry “Chashma Khuliya Noor Haqani” by the name of Syed Bahadur Ali Shah RA. Here is an extract:
“Chasma Khuliya Noor Haqani
Shah Abdullah Faiz Rasani
Ahmadpur Vich Noor Barasda
Jithay Shah Abdullah Vasda
Waqif Lauh-o-Qalam Te Masda
Hai Vich Mulk Bahawalkhani
Shah Abdullah Faiz Rasani”
Explanation: The spiritual beneficence of Syed Mohammad Abdullah Shah is just like an overflowing spring of Divine Light which is benefitting everything on its way. Ahmadpur, where Shah Abdullah resides, is a blessed city which is showered with the torrents of Light of Allah. Shah Abdullah enjoys the honourable status of being One with Allah after reaching the station of Fana Fillah (annihilation in Allah) and Baqa Billah (being immortal with Allah), thus he has acquired the Divine Knowledge of totality. He knows whatever is written in The Lauh (The Divine Tablet where the destinies of all the creations are written) with the Qalam (the Supreme Pen) and the Divine Ink. Due to Shah Abdullah’s presence, the district of Bahawalpur has become the centre of Divine Benevolence. watch Video Kalam
Divine Guidance
The Trust of Allah which is spiritually transferred from the Shaikh to that disciple which he choses to be his heir was transferred to Pir Abdul Ghafoor Shah from his Murshid on Friday 29th Ramadan 1276 H (April 20th 1860 AD). The demise of his beloved Murshid rendered him a Majzoob (ecstatic). One day, he felt as if a stroke of Light has enlightened his body and his Murshid appeared in his inner self and said; “Where are you searching for me? I am right inside your soul.” This sudden experience made him realize that his search has ended. He was then ordered by his Murshid, “Go to Shorkot, the city of Sultan-ul-Arifeen Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Bahoo, and keep visiting the shrine more often. Soon you will be informed about your final destination.” Hence, the duality within himself came to an end. Pir Abdul Ghafoor Shah had annihilated in the sacred self of Syed Mohammad Abdullah Shah. On 21st Shawal 1277 H, he reached a small mosque near a well in Shorkot which was the property of a Syed family, and settled here. Ghafoor Shah came to Mud Rajbana along with his disciples on Monday 7th of Safar 1279 H (August 4th 1862 AD). He spent 50 years here and people from faraway places came to him and received benefit of the Ism-e-Allah Zaat (personal name of Allah which contains His Essence) from him.
Spiritual Title
When the Trust of Allah was transferred to him, he was titled by Prophet Mohammad Sall’Allahu Alayhi Wa’alihi Wasallam as “Sultan-ul-Sabireen”. Ghaus-ul-Azam Hazrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani Razi Allah Anhu and Sultan-ul-Arifeen Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Bahoo RA used to call him “Pir Mohammad”. “Sultan-ul-Sabireen” meaning “The Sultan of the Enduring ones” is the title of Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Pir Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Shah. He received this title because he had to face extreme hardships throughout his life which he endured with utmost patience only to please Allah.
Spiritual Sufi Order
The Order of Faqr of Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Pir Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Shah RA is Sarwari Qadri and he is the 27th Shaikh of the (Sarwari) Qadri Order
The Sarwari Qadri Order lineage reaches Pir Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Shah RA in the following order:
- Prophet Mohammad Sall’Allahu Alayhi Wa’alihi Wasallam
- Hazrat Ali bin Abu Talib Karum Allah Wajhu
- Hazrat Khawaja Hassan Basri Razi Allah Anhu
- Hazrat Shaikh Habib Ajmi RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Daud Tai RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Maroof Karkhi RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Sirri Saqti RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Junaid Baghdadi RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Jafar Abu Bakr Shibli RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Abdul Aziz Bin Hars Bin Asad Yemeni Tamimi RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Abu-al-Fazal Abdul Wahid Yemeni Tamimi RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Mohammad Yousaf Abu-al-Farrah Turtoosi RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Abu-al-Hassan Ali Bin Mohammad Qureshi Hankari RA
- Hazrat Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi RA
- Ghaus-ul-Azam Hazrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani Razi Allah Anhu
- Hazrat Shaikh Taj-ud-Din Abu Bakr Syed Abdul Razzaq Jilani RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Syed Abdul Jabbar RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Syed Mohammad Sadiq Yahya RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Syed Najm-ud-Din Burhan Puri RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Syed Abdul Fattah RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Syed Abdul Sattar RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Syed Abdul Baqqa RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Syed Abdul Jaleel RA
- Hazrat Shaikh Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi RA
Construction of the Shrine of his Murshid
One year before his death, Pir Abdul Ghafoor Shah RA started construction of the shrine of his Murshid Syed Mohammad Abdullah Shah RA in 1327 H (1909 AD) on the same pattern as the shrine of Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Bahoo RA. He appointed his eldest son Pir Abdul Haq as the superior of the shrine. All the construction was done under the supervision of Pir Abdul Haq. Fatah Deen Faqeer from Gujrat was dealing with the construction. One evening before Pir Abdul Ghafoor Shah RA died, when everyone got free from work, Fatah Mohammad saw that Pir Abdul Ghafoor Shah went in the shrine. He went after him so he can have the privilege to see him. But when he entered the shrine Pir Sahib was not there. He was very amazed that where had Pir Sahib gone, as he had seen Pir Sahib entering the shrine with his own eyes. Next day, early in the morning Pir Sahib passed away. The shrine of Pir Abdullah Shah RA was completed before Pir Sahib passed away in Saffar 1328 H. The shrine is an exact reflection of the shrine of Sultan-ul-Arifeen.
Visal/Death
He passed away on Monday morning on 21st February 1910 AD (10 Saffar 1328 H).
Sacred Shrine
His shrine is 13 kilometers towards East of Garh Maharaja, Jhang district, in Mud Sharif.
Urs Mubarak
His Urs (death anniversary) is held annually on 9th and 10th of Safar.
Bibliography
- Shams-ul-Fuqara–an encyclopedia of the teachings of Sultan-ul-Arifeen written by Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman ISBN 978-969-9795-04-6
- Sultan Bahoo-The Life and Teachings: (Shams-ul-Fuqara in English): written by Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman and Translation of by Yasmin Khurshid Malik Sarwari Qadri, Ambreen Moghees Sarwari Qadri, Neyn Tara Sarwari Qadri ISBN 978-969-9795-18-3
- Sufism:Heart of Islam written by Sadia Dehlvi ISBN978-93-5029-448-2
- Mujtaba Akhir Zamani-life history of the Mashaikhs of the Sarwari Qadri Order written by Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman ISBN 978-969-9795-07-7
- The Spiritual Guides of Sarwari Qadri Order: (Mujtaba Akhir Zamani in English): Written by Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman and Translation of by Yasmin Khurshid Malik Sarwari Qadri, Ambreen Moghees Sarwari Qadri, Neyn Tara Sarwari Qadri
- Sarwari Qadiri Order ISBN9781158473861
- Kalam Mashaikh Sarwari Qadri-poetry of spiritual guides of Sarwari Qadri Order written by Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman ISBN 9789699795237
- Mirat-e-Sultani written by Dr. Sultan Altaf Ali
- Tazkira Auliya-e-Jhang’ written by: Iqbal Zuberi
- Tazkarah-tul-Auliya written by Hazrat Farid ud Din Attar RA
- Tareekh-e-Jhang written by: Iqbal Zuberi
- Biographical Encyclopedia of Sufis by N. Hanif ISBN 9788176250870
