Sufism, or tasawwuf is known as the mystical heart of Islam and begins its journey with a spark of divine love to awaken the minds and souls of people towards Islam.
Some people are of the view that Sufism originated within Islam as a spiritual movement during the 8th-9th centuries CE while others believe that it began in the inner mystical reading of the Holy Qur’an.
“God awakens the lamp of divine light within the hearts of those who believe in Divine oneness. For the Sufi, this light is felt as love, tenderness, and guidance that is necessary to help us on the way. This light moves us back to the Divine, from pain of separation to the embrace of union” said Dr Ashraf Ali Qureshi, the divisional president of Jamiat Ulema Pakistan.
Islam as a religion was introduced via Southern Punjab only after the 8th century. The first Muslim state in Punjab was the Emirate of Multan, established in 855 CE after the disintegration of the Abbasid Caliphate.
Multan is the oldest city dating back to 5000 BC recognized as the sister historic oldest living city Rome following both of their rich archaeological and cultural heritage with historical linkages.
Previously called the “City of Gold” now the “City of Saints”, Multan among the rest of the regions across South Punjab become a thriving entity with all its spiritual and traditional essence.
Within a radius of twenty-five miles, there have been hundreds of mausoleums of saints who had propagated Islam in the sub-continent with a message of love and peace.
Historically, about 100,000 shrines have been constructed across the city and nearest towns in Southern Punjab with most of them either erased or destroyed with the passage of time due to expansion and development purposes, said an official of the local Auqaf department, Muhammad Arshad.
But in spite of that, around 3000 to 4000 shrines are intact yet with grandeur visited frequently by the devotees hailing from Southern Punjab and interior Sindh.
Among many, the most noteworthy Sufi saint of his time is Hazrat Sheikh Bahauddin Zakariya Suhrawardi also remembered as “Baha-ul-Haq”. He was born around 1170 AD in Kot Kehror (now known as Karor Lal Esan), a town located near Multan. Following his marvelous contribution, Multan earned a metaphoric title as “Baghdad of the East”.
The Sufi saint travelled from city to city in Southern Punjab and succeeded in winning the hearts of a large number of Hindus to convert them to Islam. His shrine is situated near the clock tower, the heart of the city.
According to certain chroniclers, Bahauddin Zakariya’s mother was a sister of the mother of Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Ganjshakar, one of the most revered and distinguished Muslim mystics of the medieval period.
The Khanqah (Shrine) of Shah Rukn-e-Alam, a masterpiece of architecture became the identity of Multan. It is situated on top of a small hillock, behind the old ruins of Multan Fort. The dome is more than 50 feet in diameter and height of over 100 feet. The entire complex is built with red bricks and decorated with wonderful woodwork.
Muhammad Arshad said that around 2000-3000 devotees among common visitors used to attend the three-day Urs of Hazrat Shah Rukn is scheduled to arrange from the 5th to 7th Jamadi-ul-Awwal every year. It’s solemnized by the custodian, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the PTI’s leader.
Bibi Pak Daman (1170-1262) known as Bibi Rasti was the mother of Shah Rukn Alam. She was also a disciple of Bahauddin Zakariya. She is stated to have brought the Suhrawardiyya order of Sufism to Multan. She died in 1295 and was buried near the temple of Mai Totla (one of Multan’s three pre-Islamic deities) once stood. The tomb is roughly rectangular and is decorated externally with Multan’s signature blue and white tiles. The traditional design of the tomb appears as the ‘flat roof’ just like the mausoleum of Hazrat Shah Yusuf Gardez.
Yusuf Shah was born in 450 AH in the district of Gardez in Afghanistan. The saint travelled to the city of Multan as his father Shah Ali Kasswer directed him. The area around the shrine is occupied by the family itself and goes by the name ‘Muhallah Shah Gardez’. His descendants are known as Gardezis and are one of the few old noble families in the country. He died in 1136.
The Mausoleum of Shah Yusuf Gardez is present at Bohar Gate inside the walled city. The tomb was properly built in 1150 AD, about 14 years after his death. The mosque inside the South of the tomb was made by Sher Shah Suri (1639-1655).
There are some shrines of Sufi saints reported to have been constructed at deserted locations in the district. It included Hameed-ud-Din Hakim, Qutab-al-Qutaab, Syed Pir Sakhi Shah Hassan Parwana, Syed Hasan Khanjzee, Hazrat Shah Dana Shaheed, Abu Hassan Hafiz Jamal-ud-din called Musa Pak Shaheed, Hazrat Shah Kamal Qadari, Hafiz Muhammad Jamal Chisti Nazami, Pir Chup Wardi Waly, Mollana Hamid Ali Khan Naqshbandi. Hazrat Khawaja Awais Khagga, Pir Syed Wali Muhammad Shah (Chadar Wali Sarkar) and shrine of Hazrat Gul Shah.
“For the Sufi, love is the beginning and the end of the journey. The Sufi’s mystical journey starts with a spark of divine love that leads to the remembrance of God.
This journey of love and longing burn away ego, sense of a separate self, a process called ‘fana’, or annihilation, which leads to ‘baqa’ (eternity), abiding in God” said Shakir Hussain Shakir, the author of the book: Hazrat Shah Yusuf Gardez and Hazrat Shah Shams Tabrizi.
