Hazrat Sakhi Shah Chan Charagh
Encyclopedia
Syed Shah Chan Charagh, (also styled as) Syed
Sakhi Shah Chan Charagh Badshah is the patron saint of Rawalpindi
, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad through Imam Musa Kazim, the seventh pious Imam
of the Shia branch of Islam
. Hazrat Shah Chan Charagh traces his lineage through Ishaq Al Mawafiq to the Imam
, who was one of his nineteen sons, an Imamzadeh
decreed. He is a Kazmi, Mushahdi/ Mosavi Syed
and is a saint of the Qalandariya order. He lived during the days of Mogal Emperor Aurangzeb
, preaching the message of peace and love and showering blessings on all mankind. He died as a bachelor at a youthful age of 33.
Emperor Aurangzeb
. His ancestors came from the city of Mashhad
in Iran
and settled in the town of Chakwal
, part of the then British India. They were holy men venerated by the general folk as Fakirs by virtue; a concept of pious poverty as called Tawwakal practised by the mystics following a spiritual discipline called Tariqa. This is a spiritual path that links them as progeny to Ali
from whom the spiritual path takes its route. The village where they settled is called Syed Kasran
and hails numerous shrines of his ancestors, which still are highly revered and attract thousands of devotees throughout the year.
Few of them include, Sakhi Shah Nazar - Shah Deewan, Shah Maluk Badshah (his father), Mai Bint-e Khatoon (his mother), Sakhi Shah Abdal Khair, Hazrat Isam Ali Shah, Sakhi Shah Tajuddin (his grandfather) and numerous other relics including the mosque he used to meditate at and the stream he dived in to appear at river Neelam in Muzaffarabad
, Azad Kashmir
to beseech to his vanguard Hazrat Syed Sakhi Shah Inayat Walayat Badshah.
Hazrat Shah Chan Charagh was a source of spiritual guidance to general public. He preached the message of peace and tolerance. He is the propagator of Islam in that region along with Hazrat Bari Imam who was his first cousin from his father's side. Legend has it that he was born by Hazrat Bari Imam's dua who once told his uncle "you will soon have an illustrious son, who will be a Wali
of an exalted order and by his name I shall alight my path". They both lived in the same time carrying out their spiritual duties in their own areas.
Hazrat Shah Chan Charagh was a disciple of Hazrat Syed Sakhi Shah Inayat Walayat who was his maternal uncle, a highly celebrated Wali
. His shrine is located in Muzaffarabad
, Azad Kashmir
. After having acquired the learning, he was sent to continue walking backwards. This was an order by his very illustrious Murshid
and it was to be upheld as a command (Amr). Until he reached Rawalpindi, he stumbled and fell into a burning (tunoor), a clay oven i.e. the spot that marks a massive bonfire still to date called "Mach" in vernacular terms. He sat there steadfastly and continued in penance. That was the time when he gained popularity and masses flocked to him embracing his preachings. Hazrat Bari Imam
on the contrary carried out his intuition under water. According to common belief this duo commands each element loyal to them as part of the sacraments each Saint performed. There are tales of spiritual healings, karamaat and miracles he arbitrated.
An avid Aza'daar who prophesised Majalis and Azadari as his supreme legacy. He also contemplated that his shrine will once become a capital of a Muslim state. He never married and his descendence was carried out by his brothers issues. His spiritual legacy was carried out by four of his disciples, namely Syed Sakhi Shah Raza, Syed Qamar Ali Shah, Sakhi Shah Sharaf, and Kochak Ali Sultan, a Mughal
prince who allured by the light he had seen had given up a life of luxury and chosen a mystic's path. Notable mystics and Aulia like Syed Sakhi Zamaan Shah alias Bawa Zaman Shah Mottianwala follow Hazrat Shah Chan Charagh's tariqa through Sakhi Shah Deedaran Badshah both buried in Jhaamra district Chakwal
who was a disciple (Talib) to Hazrat Syed Sakhi Moazzam Shah of Jalihaari, a village on route to Chakwal
from Rawalpindi
.
The Darbar
is a complex boasting a beautifully erected modern Shia Jami Masjid, a graveyard of the Sadaat and Faqra, adherents of his Holiness, believers and vassals including the Sajjada Nasheens and the descendants, "Mach" which is the local term for the grand bonfire, his Holiness prayed in, his tomb of course and the markazi Imambargah also called Bargahe Kazmiya, Imambargah Bab ul Hawaij. The Bargah serves as the centre of Azadari and as a pinnacle of strong ideological stance, "Rad-e Khalsiyat" which marks this chamber as the torch bearer against neo-classical concepts like Khalsiyat which resonates as Wahhabism
in Shia Islam. The Minbar
at Darbar has been graced by notable scholars from Allama Mirza Yousaf Hussain, Hafiz Kifayat Hussain, Syed Azhar Hassan Zaidi, Hafiz Aashiq Hussain, to illustrious modern luminaries like Mohsin Naqvi, Allama Talib Johri, Agha Naseem Abbas and Allama Ghazanfar Abbas Tonsvi as the ace cynosure delivering three ashraas a year. The very illustrious Zakireen like Ameer Hussain Shah, Sabir Shah Behal, Syed Khadim Hussain Shah, Ghulam Qanbar and Ghulam Hussain Maachi are few amongst the very many to have put their feat. Syed Ghulam Haider Shah who also commemorated the Darbar, founded Azadari here in 1952 and was congregating the rituals at Imambargah Qadeem Rawalpindi since 1920.
It is a Shia dargah but attracts followers from all faiths and factions.
Syed
Syed is a masculine given name derived from the title Sayyid, it is not to be confused with the similar looking name Sayid...
Sakhi Shah Chan Charagh Badshah is the patron saint of Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad through Imam Musa Kazim, the seventh pious Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
of the Shia branch of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Hazrat Shah Chan Charagh traces his lineage through Ishaq Al Mawafiq to the Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
, who was one of his nineteen sons, an Imamzadeh
Imamzadeh
An Imāmzādeh is a word found in both the Persian and Urdu languages, that refers to an immediate descendant of a Shi'a Imam.Imamzadeh means “offspring” or descendent of an imam. There are many other different ways of spelling this term. Some of these are imamzada, imamzadah, and emamzadah...
decreed. He is a Kazmi, Mushahdi/ Mosavi Syed
Syed
Syed is a masculine given name derived from the title Sayyid, it is not to be confused with the similar looking name Sayid...
and is a saint of the Qalandariya order. He lived during the days of Mogal Emperor Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
, preaching the message of peace and love and showering blessings on all mankind. He died as a bachelor at a youthful age of 33.
Biography
His real name was Shah Zaman. Hazrat Shah Chan Charagh lived during the 18th century. Some records report it to be during the reign of MughalMughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
Emperor Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
. His ancestors came from the city of Mashhad
Mashhad
Mashhad , is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia Muslim world. It is also the only major Iranian city with an Arabic name. It is located east of Tehran, at the center of the Razavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Its...
in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and settled in the town of Chakwal
Chakwal
Chakwal is the capital of Chakwal District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located 90 km south-east of the federal capital, Islamabad and is named after Chaudhry Chaku Khan, chief of the Mair Minhas tribe from Jammu, who founded it in 1525 CE during the era of the Mughal Emperor, Zaheerudun Babur...
, part of the then British India. They were holy men venerated by the general folk as Fakirs by virtue; a concept of pious poverty as called Tawwakal practised by the mystics following a spiritual discipline called Tariqa. This is a spiritual path that links them as progeny to Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
from whom the spiritual path takes its route. The village where they settled is called Syed Kasran
Syed Kasran
Syed Kasran also Syed is a town in Gujar Khan Tehsil Punjab, Pakistan. Syed Kasran is also chief town of Union Council Syed Kasran which is an administrative subdivision of the Tehsil....
and hails numerous shrines of his ancestors, which still are highly revered and attract thousands of devotees throughout the year.
Few of them include, Sakhi Shah Nazar - Shah Deewan, Shah Maluk Badshah (his father), Mai Bint-e Khatoon (his mother), Sakhi Shah Abdal Khair, Hazrat Isam Ali Shah, Sakhi Shah Tajuddin (his grandfather) and numerous other relics including the mosque he used to meditate at and the stream he dived in to appear at river Neelam in Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad is the capital of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located in Muzaffarabad District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers...
, Azad Kashmir
Azad Kashmir
Azad Jammu and Kashmir or Azad Kashmir for short, is the southernmost political entity within the Pakistani-administered part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir...
to beseech to his vanguard Hazrat Syed Sakhi Shah Inayat Walayat Badshah.
Hazrat Shah Chan Charagh was a source of spiritual guidance to general public. He preached the message of peace and tolerance. He is the propagator of Islam in that region along with Hazrat Bari Imam who was his first cousin from his father's side. Legend has it that he was born by Hazrat Bari Imam's dua who once told his uncle "you will soon have an illustrious son, who will be a Wali
Wali
Walī , is an Arabic word meaning "custodian", "protector", "sponsor", or authority as denoted by its definition "crown". "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" over somebody else. For example, in Fiqh the father is wali of his children. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh...
of an exalted order and by his name I shall alight my path". They both lived in the same time carrying out their spiritual duties in their own areas.
Hazrat Shah Chan Charagh was a disciple of Hazrat Syed Sakhi Shah Inayat Walayat who was his maternal uncle, a highly celebrated Wali
Wali
Walī , is an Arabic word meaning "custodian", "protector", "sponsor", or authority as denoted by its definition "crown". "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" over somebody else. For example, in Fiqh the father is wali of his children. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh...
. His shrine is located in Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad is the capital of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located in Muzaffarabad District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers...
, Azad Kashmir
Azad Kashmir
Azad Jammu and Kashmir or Azad Kashmir for short, is the southernmost political entity within the Pakistani-administered part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir...
. After having acquired the learning, he was sent to continue walking backwards. This was an order by his very illustrious Murshid
Murshid
Murshid is Arabic for "guide" or "teacher". Particularly in Sufism it refers to a Sufi teacher. The term is used by other branches of Islam as well, e.g. by the Nizaris, the main school of Ismā‘īlī Shiites....
and it was to be upheld as a command (Amr). Until he reached Rawalpindi, he stumbled and fell into a burning (tunoor), a clay oven i.e. the spot that marks a massive bonfire still to date called "Mach" in vernacular terms. He sat there steadfastly and continued in penance. That was the time when he gained popularity and masses flocked to him embracing his preachings. Hazrat Bari Imam
Bari Imam
Bari Imam , or Shah Abdul Latif Kazmi, is the patron saint of Islamabad and the greater Potohar region. His spiritual title is Sultan-ul-Fuqra. His father, Syed Mehmood Shah, a sufi of standing, shifted his family from Karsal Village, Chakwal, to Bagh village, presently called Aabpara, Islamabad....
on the contrary carried out his intuition under water. According to common belief this duo commands each element loyal to them as part of the sacraments each Saint performed. There are tales of spiritual healings, karamaat and miracles he arbitrated.
An avid Aza'daar who prophesised Majalis and Azadari as his supreme legacy. He also contemplated that his shrine will once become a capital of a Muslim state. He never married and his descendence was carried out by his brothers issues. His spiritual legacy was carried out by four of his disciples, namely Syed Sakhi Shah Raza, Syed Qamar Ali Shah, Sakhi Shah Sharaf, and Kochak Ali Sultan, a Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
prince who allured by the light he had seen had given up a life of luxury and chosen a mystic's path. Notable mystics and Aulia like Syed Sakhi Zamaan Shah alias Bawa Zaman Shah Mottianwala follow Hazrat Shah Chan Charagh's tariqa through Sakhi Shah Deedaran Badshah both buried in Jhaamra district Chakwal
Chakwal
Chakwal is the capital of Chakwal District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located 90 km south-east of the federal capital, Islamabad and is named after Chaudhry Chaku Khan, chief of the Mair Minhas tribe from Jammu, who founded it in 1525 CE during the era of the Mughal Emperor, Zaheerudun Babur...
who was a disciple (Talib) to Hazrat Syed Sakhi Moazzam Shah of Jalihaari, a village on route to Chakwal
Chakwal
Chakwal is the capital of Chakwal District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located 90 km south-east of the federal capital, Islamabad and is named after Chaudhry Chaku Khan, chief of the Mair Minhas tribe from Jammu, who founded it in 1525 CE during the era of the Mughal Emperor, Zaheerudun Babur...
from Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
.
The Darbar
Darbar
Darbar may refer to:* A term for a court in Urdu from the Persian - Durbar * A surname used in the Indian Subcontinent, it originated during Mughal rule...
is a complex boasting a beautifully erected modern Shia Jami Masjid, a graveyard of the Sadaat and Faqra, adherents of his Holiness, believers and vassals including the Sajjada Nasheens and the descendants, "Mach" which is the local term for the grand bonfire, his Holiness prayed in, his tomb of course and the markazi Imambargah also called Bargahe Kazmiya, Imambargah Bab ul Hawaij. The Bargah serves as the centre of Azadari and as a pinnacle of strong ideological stance, "Rad-e Khalsiyat" which marks this chamber as the torch bearer against neo-classical concepts like Khalsiyat which resonates as Wahhabism
Wahhabism
Wahhabism is a religious movement or a branch of Islam. It was developed by an 18th century Muslim theologian from Najd, Saudi Arabia. Ibn Abdul Al-Wahhab advocated purging Islam of what he considered to be impurities and innovations...
in Shia Islam. The Minbar
Minbar
A minbar is a pulpit in the mosque where the imam stands to deliver sermons or in the Hussainia where the speaker sits and lectures the congregation...
at Darbar has been graced by notable scholars from Allama Mirza Yousaf Hussain, Hafiz Kifayat Hussain, Syed Azhar Hassan Zaidi, Hafiz Aashiq Hussain, to illustrious modern luminaries like Mohsin Naqvi, Allama Talib Johri, Agha Naseem Abbas and Allama Ghazanfar Abbas Tonsvi as the ace cynosure delivering three ashraas a year. The very illustrious Zakireen like Ameer Hussain Shah, Sabir Shah Behal, Syed Khadim Hussain Shah, Ghulam Qanbar and Ghulam Hussain Maachi are few amongst the very many to have put their feat. Syed Ghulam Haider Shah who also commemorated the Darbar, founded Azadari here in 1952 and was congregating the rituals at Imambargah Qadeem Rawalpindi since 1920.
It is a Shia dargah but attracts followers from all faiths and factions.