MUSLIM SHRINES

BABA FARID (FARID-UD-DIN MASOOD GANJ-I-SHAKAR)

Baba Farid was born in 1173 A.D, at village Khotwal near Multan. His mother gave her son early inspiration for his spiritual discovery. According to a tradition, his mother used to encourage piety by hiding a piece of sugar candy under his prayer mat. After the prayer, that sugar candy was granted to him as a reward. One day she forgot to put the candy in place and was amazed, when she found out that the child was not denied his treat.

After gaining religious education from his mother, he proceeded to Dehli where he found his spiritual guide in the famous Chishti saint, Khawaja Kutab din Bakhtiar Kaki. A fair part of his life was spent in Multan, which was an important cultural center. Finally, he migrated to Ajodhan (now Pakpattan) an isolated place from centers of power & politics. Baba Farid married four times and had numerous children. He never withdrew from the domestic life and performed his religious duties resulting in the conversion of many tribes to Islam. Baba Farid died on the 5th of Moharram on 1266 A.D. Baba Farids mausoleum was built by the Chief of his Khalifas, Khawaja Nizamuddin Auliya.

The Mausoleum is a small building with two doors, in the south and east. The former is the famous "Bahishti Darwaza" (door to paradise). A revelation was given to Nizamuddin that whosoever passed through the door would be sanctified. There is a monument on the grave of the saint called Qadam-e-Rasool (the foot of the prophet). It marks the spot where the Prophet is believed to be standing on the occasion of the internment of Baba Farid. An annual fair takes place in Muharram and reaches its zenith on the 5th.


CHANNAN PIR

In the middle of the desert of Cholistan, there is a shrine of Pir Channan who was a disciple of Makhdoom Jahanian Jahangasht. The Pir was brought up in a state of destitution. It is believed that the Ziarat to his tomb protects the Children. The Pir never married but had seven brothers whose descendants are called the Channans.

The approach to the shrine is very difficult. But the annual urs at the beginning of March is held at his tomb in a colourful manner which is known as the Mela Channan Pir. A large crowd gathers on the night of full moon to offer Fateha. People of the area start for the fair sufficiently in advance through camel caravans marching day and night to the tune of little bells or trinkets around the necks of camels.


Data Gunj Baksh's Tomb

Hazrat Data Gunj Baksh, (Abul Hasan Ali) a famous saint of the subcontinent, was born in Hajver, a part of Ghazna in Afghanistan, in 400 AH (1009 AD). During the reign of Sultan Muhammad Ghaznavi, Punjab was annexed to the Ghaznavi kingdom, and Lahore became the focus and nerve centre of Islamic culture, second in importance only to Ghaznavi. Data Baksh migrated to Lahore at the age of 40 on the order of his spiritual guide. Choosing a spot where a former disciple of his spiritual guide was buried, he built a small mosque near his abode and preached his faith. His reputation for turning dust into gold spread, and soon he became popularly known by the name Gunj Baksh. Thousands of Muslims and non-Muslims thronged his shrine. A prolific writer and poet in Persian, he wrote a number of books on mysticism, the most famous being Kash-ful-Mahjoob. He died in 465 A.H. (1073 A.D.)

The shrine of the saint now stands outside Lahore's Bhati Gate. The original mausoleum was constructed in 465 AH by Ghazanavid Sultan Ibrahim, then King of Afghanistan and of northern areas of Pakistan (including Punjab), who had a great respect for the saint. Sultan Shamsuddin Altamush calligraphed the Holy Quran and presented it to the management of the tomb for rotation among the people. The Emperor Akbar added the marble floors, door frames and platforms. During the Sikh period, Maharan Chand Kaur built a vaulted chamber in the shrine. Later rulers made several changes. The darbar, framed by arched gateways, stands on a raised platform to which access is provided by a flight of steps. White and black marble has been used for the floors. The walls and the ceilings are embellished with verses from the Holy Quran. The mausoleum is topped by a round blue doom. Under the vault is the cenotaph of the saint, built of pure marble. Close to the dome is the Hujra, the place where Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti sat in contemplation for forty days.

An extensive mosque is attached to the shrine. Six graceful, tapering minarets surmounted by cupolas rise above the arched red-brick facade of the mosque. Floral arabesques adorn the marble interior of the mosque. In a special room, some memorabilia are preserved and shown on special occasions. Among the most interesting are several excellently calligraphed manuscripts of the Holy Quran presented by various kings and nobles. The shrine, long managed by hereditary custodians, was taken over in 1960 by the Auqaf Department.


HAZRAT MAGAR BEEN

The shrine of this saint is located at Jati, District Thatta. No one is allowed to enter the shrine. However, people offer Fateha outside the shrine, Hazrat Magar Been was the disciple of Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani. Near his shrine is the place where Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jillani, is reputed to have offered prayers.


Hazrat Makhdoom Jhanian's Tomb

Hazrat Makhdoom Jhanian Jahan Gasht was born in 707 A.H. (1307 A.D.) in Uch in the state of Bahawalpur. His real name was Mir Syed Jalaluddin. Having spent most of his time travelling in Arabia (he performed the Haj thirty-six times), he became known as Jhanean Jahan Ghasht, meaning Traveller of the World. He belonged to the Suhrawardiya order and first took the religious oath from his father and uncle. In Multan, he studied with Hazrat Rukn-i-Alam. He died in 785 A.H. (1384 A.D.) and is buried in Uch Sharif.

The date of the original construction of his tomb is uncertain. Most of the structure was restored or rebuilt during the 19th and 20th centuries. Nevertheless, its present form resembles the original built in the 13th or 14th century. This is borne out by inscription recording restoration dates.



The shrine is situated on a high platform surrounded by a wall with a gateway. Between the platform and the surrounding wall is a space for devotees to gather. The shrine is visited by devotees all the year round.


HAZART SHAH DAULA

The shrine of Hazrat Shah Daula, a saint during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb, is in Gujrat. Thousands of worshippers, specially barren women who supplicate for children, come to the saint invoking his blessings for the fulfillment of their wishes. The first born, usually with a very small head, is called the "mouse of Shah Daula" and is offered to work as a servant at the shrine. Subsequent births produce normal children.


HEER RANJHA

The legendary lovers of the Punjab, Heer Ranjha are buried near Jhang railway station. Heer Ranjha's is one of the folk love tales dear to the hearts of the people of the Punjab. It is believed that Ranjha was the crown prince of Takht Hazara (Hizro) and Heer belonged to a poor family of Jhang. She was forced to marry Saida of the Khera tribe. According to a tradition, she got divorce from her husband and married Ranjha.


LAHOOT SHARIF

Located at about 98 miles from Karachi via Hub Chowki, there is a place Lahoot Sharif. It is the citadel of all Sufi Saints belonging to various schools of thought. It is also believed that the Prophet Noah tied his boat at this place after the great Deluge. According to the local tradition even Adam also lived here for some time. There are "Chillagahs" (places of worship) of almost every prominent sufi saint such as Hazrat Qalandar Lal Shahbaz, Khawaja Moeenuddin Chishti Ajmeri, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, etc. According to Sufi belief, it is the living place of Panjatan Pak (the five pious personalities which include the Prophet Mohammad, Hazart Ali, Hazart Bibi Fatima, Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain peace be upon them). The place is also called. as Lahoot Lamakan.


Lal Shahbaz Qalandar's Shrine

Hazrat Lal Shahbaz was born in 573 in the town of Maroond in Afghanistan. His real name was Syed Usman. His genealogical links trace back to Hazrat Jaffar Sadaq.

After completing his early education in the Quran and Sunnah, Syed Usman went to Iraq to visit the religious monuments of Karbala. Then he is said to have gone to Sindh on the orders of Boo Ali Sina Pampatic to preach Islam. In Sindh, he took up residence in Sehwan Sharif and selflessly preached Islam until he died in or around 650.

His elegant tomb in Sehwan is said to have initially been constructed in 1356 by Malik Iftikharudeen, the ruler of Sewistan. It was enlarged by Mirza Jani Beg Tarkhan, added to by Mirza Ghazi Beg, and completed in 1693 by Nawab Dindar Khan. The process of improvement has continued to date, and it is now quite impossible to appreciate its original from, but close study suggests that its architecture is in the style of the 13th and 14th centuries, with assimilated influences from lower Punjab and Multan.

Every year the saint's Urs is celebrated from 18 to 21 Shaban. Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, is revered by Hindus as Raja Bhartari, and many Hindus come from long distances to pay tribute to their saint.


MAI MAKLI

The famous necropolis in Thatta is named after Mai Makli. Who is buried in the same graveyard. Her shrine is in a dilapidated condition. However, people still visit her tomb and offer Fateha.


MAI SOHNI AND MEHINWAL

There's is one of the famous love stories of Pakistan and almost every poet has written about them. These a mortal lovers are buried in district Sanghar. The shrine of Sohni is near Shahdadpur, whereas the shrine of Mehinwal is in the centre of the Shahdadpur city. Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai immortalized their love through his poetry particularly in the context of passion and affection.


MAKHDOOM BILAWAL SHAHEED

The shrine of Makhdoom Bilawal Shaheed is in Baghban, seven miles to the north of Dadu, adjacent to be Indus Highway. Near the shrine is a Jamia Masjid and a water pond. In the vicinity of the shrine there are also mazaars of very famous saints such as Makhdoom Danyal, who was a spiritual teacher of Makhdoom Bilawal Shaheed. His well known followers were Makhdoom Shah, Sheikh Bharkio and Haider Shah Sinai. The then Governor of Sind Miran Shah awarded death sentence to the saint. He was thrown in the oil expeller and killed.


MangHo Pir

Mangho Pir is said to have been a hermit who settled at the site of present Karachi, sometime in the 13th century. Erroneously called Mangho Pir, the saint was originally known as Kamaluddin and came from Khorasan. He was a contemporary of Sheikh Bahaul Haq Zakaria of Multan. According to folklore, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar and Ghous Bahaul Haq transformed this barren valley into a habitable place by causing hot and cold springs to issue forth from the rocks.

On the western side of the tomb is a swamp formed by the superfluous waters from the hot springs. This rather large pond is populated by big crocodiles which are fed goats and other animals offered at the shrine. As per local tradition, the crocodiles were introduced by another saint, Mor Mubarak, who brought a pair of young crocodiles from Waghodar. Thus the crocodiles came to be known as Mor Sain or Mor Sahib, after the name of saint, and Manhgo Pir came to be known as the Crocodile Saint.

A regular fair is held here annually in the holy month of Ramazan. Villagers from all over the adjoining areas who want to have a particular wish fulfilled slaughter a goat or a sheep and offer some of the meat to the crocodile. If "Mor Sahib" accepts the meat, then the wish is sure to be fulfilled.

As is common in Sindh, this site is also a place of pilgrimage for Hindus, who call Mangho Pir "Lala Jasrai."


MIAN MIR

Hazrat Mian Mir was a great saint of the Qadri order of Sufis. His real name was Mir Muhammad and according one school, he was born in 1550 A.D, at Sehwan in Sind. Another tradition traces his place of birth as Swistan, an area between Bhakhar and Thatta. He received his early religious education from the prominent scholars of his hometown. His cravings for spiritual attainment pulled him to Lahore in 1575, when he was 25. He received his further religious education from a famous scholar of his time-Maulana Naimat Ullah, who was very much impressed by the spiritual merits of his pupil.

After completing his education, he visited Sirhind and on his return stayed in Mohalla Khafipura-area now known as Anar Kali Bazar until his death. Mir lived in Lahore for over a quarter of century and spread the light of Islam far & wide. He died in 1635 A.D.

The saint was buried according to his own will, near the grave of his friend & disciple Mian Natha. The place at that time was known as village Darapur or Hashmipur, but is now known as Mian Mir. His Shrine is one of the important places of Lahore. It was partly built by Dara Shakoh and Aurangzeb. The mausoleum is built on a large platform of marble reached by a successive flights of steps. The dome over the tomb is supported by a quadrangular tower. The courtyard is spacious and pared with red sand stone.


Mian Omar Chamkani's Tomb

Hazrat Mian Omar Chamkani was born in 1688 in village Faridabad near Peshawar. A Yusufzai tribesman, he was brought up in Mandokhel. His father's name was Muhammad Ibrahim. He received his religious education from Hafiz Abdul Ghafoor Naqshbandi and Sheikh Saadi Lahori. The saint migrated to village Chamkani, six miles from Peshawar, to spread the light of faith far and wide. It is known that Ahmad Shah Abdali of Afghanistan first paid tribute to the saint before invading Afghanistan. The saint died in 1778 at the advanced age of 100 and was buried in Chamkani. Ahmad Shah Abdali, after successfully invading India, built his shrine, which is still visited by hundreds of devotees every year and which has the largest waqaf (trust) under the NWFP Auqaf Department.


Miran Shah's Tomb

Mirza Shah Hussain Zanjani, popularly known as Miran Shah, was an Iranian saint who travelled widely in search of knowledge and finally settled in Lahore to propagate Islam. He bequeathed his spiritual lineage to the celebrated Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer, who passed a fairly long period in seclusion and meditation at this tomb until he saw the divine light.

Miran Shah's mausoleum is situated at the far end of Misri Shah in a locality named after a well, Chah Miran, dug by Mirza Shah Hussain himself.


Sachal Sarmast's Tomb

Mian Abdul Wahab, popularly known as Sachal Sarmast, belonged to the noble and influential Farooqi family. His ancestors trace their genealogy from Hazrat Umar, the second caliph of Islam. One of his forefathers, Sheikh Shahabuddin, arrived in Sindh with Muhammad Bin Qasim in 93 AH (712 AD). After the conquest of Sindh, Qasim appointed Shahabuddin as administrator of Sehwan. Thereafter, his descendents held many important positions in the administration of Sehwan.

Shah Sachal was born in 1152 AH (1739 AD) in Draza Sharif, District Khairpur and died on 14 Ramadhan in 1242 A.H. (1829 A.D.).

The mausoleum at the grave of Sachal was built by Mir Rustam Khan Talpur, the ruler of Khairpur state, in the 1830s. It is located on the fringes of a metalled road in Draza Sharif. The tomb is a brick edifice squarish in plan. It stands on a raised brick-flagged raised platform. The side walls are 5 feet nine niches high. The 22-foot dome is placed on an octagonal drum created with the help of corner squinches. The dome is further surmounted with an inverted lotus topped with a domed and a finial. Externally, the shell is treated in ribbed style and is covered with glazed Sindhi tile-work which shows a direct link with the tile decoration of the Herat school of art. Blue on a white background predominates, producing a soothing effect in the sunlit sands of Sindh.


SAKHI SARWAR

Syed Ahmad Sultan, popularly known as sultan Sakhi Sarwar, is buried on the high brinks of a hill steam a the foot of the Sulaiman range, thirty two miles in the west of Dera Ghaz Khan. Sultan Sakhi Sarwar, also Known as the Lakh data in the Southern Punjab, is sold to have been son of Hazrat Zenulabedin, who migrated from Baghdad and settled at Sialkot (near Multan) in 650 A.H. (1220 A.D)

It is said that Sakhi Sarwar studied at Lahore and latter went to Dhonkal, near Wazirabad. while there, he saw a mare, which belonged to a carpenter. Sakhi asked the carpenter to give him that mare, to which denied whereupon, Sakhi called the mare and she came up to him at her own will. Sakhi then asked the carpenter, who was impressed then to sink a well, which he did. The descendants of the carpenter are considered as the guardian of the well & a fair is held every year to honour Sakhi Sarwar. From Dhonkal, by his fathers orders, Sakhi Sarwar preceded to Dera Ghazi Khan, to reside at the foot of Suleman Range and settled at the place now called after him. Its a spot eminently calculated to foster an austere life.

The shrine is built on the high bank of a hill stream, at the foot of Suleman Range. It is said that Sakhi Sarwar performed some wonderful miracles and was presented with mule loads of money by the Dehli emperor with which the Shrine was built the Shrine is a strange medley of architectural styles and religious traditions. It consists of a Hindu temple, a monument to Baba Nanak, the Sikh Guru, the mausoleum of Sakhi Sarwar, the tomb of his wife, as well as a Thakurdwara. All these monuments of diverse religious and cultural tradition fill the space of the Shrine of Sakhi Sarwar a befitting mark of religious tolerance and cultural assimilation. A splendid flight of steps leads from the bed of the river to these Shrines, where hundred devotees descend to take bath.


SHAH GARDEZ

In a village named Adam Wahan near Bahawalpur, stands a dilapidated structure known to the local people as the tomb of Shah Gardez. Nothing is known about him except that he was from Gardez. Whether he belonged to the family of the celebrated saint Shah Yusuf Gardezi of Multan is doubtful. Square in design, measuring 19 feet 9 inches side internally and 31 feet side externally, the tomb has been built entirely with mud brick with outer and inner facings of burnt bricks. It is a tall and majestic edifice constructed in three stages. A frieze consisting of a double zigzag brick course, placed in the masonry obliquely, runs all through the four rectangular openings crossed with a relieving arch, and below it, there is a flat wooden plank supporting the mass. The southeastern corner has another rectangular small opening, which apparently served as an entrance to the staircase leading to the second storey. The south and north walls once possessed recessed arched panels.

Internally, the top of the square storey is sealed with a wood course upon which corner-squinches have been provided to support the octagon, while externally, a circumambulatory gallery runs all through the octagon. The core of masonry is carried on wooden beams, and this represents the first appearance of the technique. Like the square of the lower storey, the octagon has also been rowed with another wooden beam and, above it, a frieze of a double brick course is arranged obliquely in the masonry to create a decoration. The octagon has further been converted into sixteen sides through the same technique of squinches to hold the round base of the high dome. Externally, the base of the dome was originally embellished with a frieze of glazed tiles in blue and white within an arched border. The rest of the shelf was finely plastered, traces of which still exist. There are four arched openings for light and air at the cardinal points in the lower part of the circumference of the dome. The apex of the dome has collapsed, but available evidence indicates that a wooden finial was fixed at the crown of the dome, which fell down due to the loosening of the masonry. Internally, the shell was ornamented with simple string courses of bricks and brick tiles arranged variously to create different decorative patterns.

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