A forum for all the Warsi’s across the globe

IZAT-E-WARIS

Tomb of Sarkar Alam Panah Syed Haji Waris Ali Shah

Syed Haji Waris Ali Shah

A Nineteenth Century Saint

Listen carefully! No doubt, there is no fear nor any grief upon the friends of Allah.

(Quran, Sura Younas – Chapter 11)

 

CHAPTER I

In the first quarter of nineteenth century when the din and clash of empires had hardly subsided in Europe, when the Moghal empire in India was in its last throes and when the British rule was rapidly established in other parts of the country, a child was born in a quite town of Deva whose word and example were destined to influence the religious conceptions and ideals of an incredibly large number of human beings. He was Haji Waris Ali Shah of Deva. Deva is an ancient town north of Bara Banki, seven miles from the headquarters of District. Like other towns, it has not escaped the ravages of time. Unsightly ruins and mouldering walls meet the eye on every side, but the moral decay is no less remarkable than physical. Noted once as the birth-place of great Sufis and divines, it is now notorious as the hot-bed of intrigue and litigation.

Haji Saheb came from a family of Hussaini Syeds, distinguished for piety and learning. His genealogy shows that he was born in the 26th generation of Hazrat Imam Hussain. The name given to him had a particular significance. WARIS is one of the ninety-nine names of Allah (as used in the Quran) and indicates that after everything else has perished, He alone will survive. It was an ancient practice among the Sufis to seek annihilation in one of the Divine attributes which colored the whole of their existence and became its pre-dominant feature. The attribute in question involves the annihilation of self and the true recognition of the everlasting nature Deity. He cut him-self off completely from the world and attained the highest degree of self-abnegation. Thus realizing a particular aspect of his name which lives today though he is no more.

He was not even three years old when he lost both of his parents. He was regarded as something of an infant prodigy. At the age of five he started learning the Quran and learnt it by heart in a period of just two years. Though he seldom read his books, to the amazement of his tutor he always knew the answer when tested. He seemed to learn by intuition. He preferred solitude to books and often slipped away to out-of-the-way places. He spent long periods in retirement and contemplation. Once on a search being made he was a discovered in woods in a state of mediation.

His biographers are silent on the subject of his studies and the extent of his learning. It is certain, however, that he did not acquire much from books. Bu t in his advanced age people came from distant places to discuss theological questions with him. He had a dislike for controversy but his replies, though brief, generally silenced his adversaries and showed a thorough knowledge of the dispute. He could speak fluently in many languages; probably he picked up various languages in his extensive travels.

His brother in law, Haji Syed Khadim Ali Shah, who live Lucknow, was a man of great learning, and a Sufi of great stature. He took charge of the boy's education personally and when he was only eleven years of age, the elder Syed initiated him into the mysteries of occult science and gave him the necessary training. It was not long before Haji Khadim Ali Shah died and his mantle descended upon the boy. He was duly elected a successor of the deceased Haji Khadim Ali Shah.

At the age of fourteen he started initiating people in his order and had quite a number of disciples. The burning glow of divine love, however, impelled him in another direction. He was only fifteen when he started on a pilgrimage to Mecca. He gave away all his property including a valuable library, to his relations and destroyed the papers related to his landed estates. When he left home he possessed nothing in the world which he could call his own.

That his mode of living was ascetic even at this early age is shown by the fact that he ate only once in three days. For twelve long years he traveled in Arabia, Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia, Persia, Turkey, Russia and Germany. He performed Hajj ten times in the course of his travels. One of the most important rights of the Hajj is the temporary discarding of made-up clothes and the donning of Ahram (un-sewn piece of cloth wrapped around the body). The pilgrims resume their ordinary garb when the Hajj is over. From the date of his very first Hajj, he adopted the Ahram as his garb, and retained it throughout his life. He abandoned subsequently the head-dress and the shoes also. He visited the countries enumerated above without having ever ridden a horse or vehicle and only got into a boat when he had to cross the seas.

He visited Constantinople in the time of his majesty Sultan Abdul Majid 1. One day Haji Saheb was going around the palace gardens to which he was conducted by one of his disciples (a functionary at the royal palace) when the Sultan happened to arrive. He was so impressed the sight of the holy stranger that he offered himself to be admitted into his order and was duly initiated. Thousands of persons became his disciples during his sojourn in the countries which were once the birth place and strong hold of Islam. It is difficult to conceive that in his youth he should have obtained such proficiency in mystic knowledge as to inspire people much older than himself with deep faith in him and longing for a spiritual life, and that he should have been welcomed in the sacred places like the holy of the holies. Nor is there any instance on record of one so young starting life as a Darwaish and attracting so much notice, especially in foreign lands. With his inherent love of God he united great powers of the mind which are acquired by other mystics after long years of self-mortification and hard ecstatic discipline.

It is interesting to note that on the occasion of his visit to Berlin, Haji Saheb was a guest of Prince Bismarck. One cannot but miss an account of what past between the future statesman and the humble servant of God and how they came to meet each other.

He went on pilgrimage to Mecca seven times from India. Three times out of seven he performed the journey on foot, crossing the formidable hills of Afghanistan in naked feet. When he returned home after more than a decade, his own were initially unable to recognize him. His parental house was in ruins. He went round the village but no one came forward to welcome a Faqir. Some of his relations who heard of his arrival shunned him lest should claim his property which they held in their possession. He smiled at their coldness and remarked "they seem to think that I have come back for the sake of my property as if I care for it".  He went away immediately and resumed his wandering life. He spent the major portion of his life in traveling. Though he paid frequent flying visits to the town of his birth but it was not till 1899 that he came to stay at Deva permanently at the request of some of his disciples.

Haji Saheb's asceticism led him to adopt a life of celibacy. It was quite in keeping with the conduct of one who renounced the world in early youth on account of soul consuming love of God. From this sacrifice of human affections it is not, however, to be imagined that he lacked tenderness of heart.

Being habitually absorbed in contemplations, he was a man of few words. He spoke quickly and in soft tones with down caste eyes. He often repeated his words to emphasize its meanings. He was particularly good and considerate to the poor, and his general bearing was one of humility. His exterior corresponded to his interior. His features were handsome, with an unusually broad and intellectual forehead. But his eyes formed the center of attraction. They possessed a magnetic power which was irresistible. When he walked in a crowd or assembly, he always seemed taller by the head. He never sat on a chair or sofa or used a bedstead. He slept in the floor throughout his life, but without a pillow. Some of his disciples state that he never actually fell into slumber.

If he once passed through a road or street he would go by the same way when he visited the place again. If carried by a different way he would turn back and follow the old route. He struck with the same tenacity to his resting places to his journey and to his hosts. It is one of those rare qualities of the mind from which spring lifelong friendship and affection. With him to know a man once was to know him always. He observed unusual silence during the first ten days of Moharram. He accompanied the Taazias sometimes and always stood up when a Taazia passed by his own house.

Reference has been made in the foregoing lines to his habit of fasting. From the age of fifteen to that of forty, he ate once in seven days. The interval was shortened subsequently to three. At the age of fifty, he had a severe illness and his medical advisors insisted on his having nourishments twice a day, even after his recovery. He followed their advice but his compliance was nominal. He proved by his example that man can live by God alone, though he cannot live by bread alone.