URS OF SULTAN AL-AWLIYA HAZRAT KHAWAJA SUFI MOHAMMAD HASAN SHAH (QSA).
We wishing everyone a blessed URS (annual commemoration of passing) of the great Sufi Saint Hazrat Khawaja Sufi Mohammad Hasan Shah Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu (QSA) (May Allah sanctify his secret).
He was born around 1880 (1298 A.H.) in Bhainsodi Sharif, Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, India. He was highly intelligent and learnt Urdu, Arabic and Farsi at a young age despite the lack of higher level religious education available in his area.
His father was a successful businessman in the textile industry, who was known to help the poor and orphans. His father would often give away wedding clothes to the poor who could not afford them. Hazrat Mohammad Hasan Shah (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) worked hard to help his father in business, but his interest was somewhere else.
He loved his elders and the awliya (holy saints), and was always serving them even from a young age. One of the awliya who he greatly benefited from was Hazrat Mastan Shah Qalandar (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) as they were very close. He later met his spiritual guide (Murshid) Hazrat Khawaja Mohammad Nabi Raza Shah (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) and received great spiritual blessings (faiz) from him.
After some time, Hazrat Khawaja Nabi Raza (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) passed ahead which greatly distressed Hazrat Mohammad Hasan Shah (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu). He left his town and went to Chittagong, Bangladesh to seek advice from his grand shaykh, Hazrat Shah Jahangir (II) Fakhrul Arefin Mawlana Abdul Hai (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) who told him to not worry as his time will come.
After a few months in Bangladesh, Hazrat Mohammad Hasan Shah (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) returned to India and pledged allegiance to the brother of Hazrat Khawaja Nabi Raza Shah (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) who is Hazrat Mohammad Inayath Hasan Shah (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) as he was accepted as the Sajjada Nashin (successor) by all the khalifas under the instruction of Hazrat Mawlana Abdul Hai Fakhrul Arefin (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu).
Hazrat Mohammad Hasan Shah (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) and Hazrat Mohammad Inayath Hasan Shah (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) became very close and regularly travelled together. Hazrat Mohmmad Inayath Hasan Shah (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) granted Khilafat to Hazrat Mohammad Hasan Shah (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) in 1912 in the court of Sultan ul-Hind, Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) in Ajmer, India.
After some time, Hazrat Mohammad Inayath Hasan Shah (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) also passed ahead and Hazrat Mohammad Hasan Shah (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) then began tirelessly calling people to zikr (divine remembrance of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala).
He was always busy in worship, meditation or preaching as no one saw him sleep more than 5 minutes. He would travel hundreds of miles and sometimes alone at night to teach just one disciple (mureed) about Islam, humanity and zikr. He would then go to the next mureed and do the same, until he had established many different gatherings of zikr (divine remembrance) and worship all over India.
There were many thousands of people all over India who became his mureeds (disciples) and he established many khanqhas (places of worship). He said that his life’s purpose was only to serve humanity.
He passed ahead in the month of Jumada al-Awwal in 1369 A.H. It is no coincidence that Hazrat Mohammad Hasan Shah (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) produced some of the biggest awliya (holy saints) of recent times. He was at such a high level that it has been said that he was the Renewer (mujaddid) of spiritual guides (Murshids). And it is well known that whoever took bayyat (pledged allegiance) to him, became one of the men of their time.
Dua:
Banda E Ajiz Hun Ya Rab Kar Meri Tawba Qabool,
Hazrat Shah Mohammad Hasan Sufiya O Beriya Ke Wasthey
O’Allah I’m just a helpless person so please accept my repentance,
For the sake of Hazrat Mohammad Hasan Shah QSA
Silsila - E - Aaliya Khushhaliya !!
(Ref: Chiragh-e-Abul Ulai)
Syed afzal Ali shah Maududi.
Editor cum Bureau chief.
Lucknow