Er. Mohammad Ashraf Fazili
His native place is at Tujar village at Pargana Zainagir. He was born in the year 900 AH. The chronogram of his birth is: “Khas Dahar” He came to the city with the liking and passion for pure counsel and uprightness. He was drawn towards worship to Allah and salook in the path of Tariqat in young age and spent days and nights in worship, extreme praying, and obedience and in those recital incantations, which he would listen from the pious majesties of the time. He would often receive directions from the unknown in dream and practice. It is said that he was Uwaisi.
When Jenab Hazrat Sayid Jamal-ud-din Bukhari (QS) reached this city, he went to see him by a hint from unknown and became special by his excellent kindness and favours. He executed the rules of salook as required for six months and obtained the good news of great glad tidings. In a brief period he covered seven practices (seven orders) due to his potential capability and God given acquired aptitude and after the departure of his preceptor, by his permission sitting on the seat of piety, abstinence and authority, with perfect steadfastness, he became the source of strange events and fine excellence. In spite of all this he continued to be steadfast in the restrictions of strained praying, piety and extreme worship. Often he would hold his breath for full night-(perform Habs-i-Nafs) invoking Allah’s name (Zikr-i-Char Zarb), because of which his whole auspicious head had softed. Because of internal heat and spiritual pain and passion he would never feel at rest but would spend day and night in sighs and lamentation. He was a sign from the manifestation of the signs of Allah in solving the problems of the seekers, helping the poor miserable, confinement of travel in space, land and time, do extraordinary work and in passion and possession.
Aalam-ul-Ulama,Mafkhar-ul-Awlya Shaikh Baba Dawood Khaki who was quite perfect among the companions of his majesty (i.e. Hazrat Makhdum) has written that Hazrat Shaikh Makhdum possessed the station of “abdal”-(an order of saints)(745). In the end he was practicing on all orders. He was also performing “zikr-i-jahar” according to Yaswya order.
The details of him -the Qudwa Ahl-i-Kamal (i.e Hazrat Makhdum Shaikh Hamza) is mentioned in Vird-ul-Muridin (748) authored by the said Aalam-ul-Ulama and in the other books of his Khalifas. Here we produce some verses as a benediction from the text of Vird-ul-Muridin: —— page 168 & 169 Waqat-i-Kashmir (Urdu)-
The chronogram of the visal (death) of Karamat misal Hazrat Makhdum-ul Urafa is the creation of Jenab Baba Dawood Khaki as:
similarly:
Besides the chronogram of the death of this preceptor of excellence is also famous from the statements of Shaikh Baba Dawood Khaki (QS):
Rfaizi Shias had framed a disrespectful chronogram according to the status of their understanding due to their great jealousy with his majesty (RA). The Sunnis set it right with the word “Sheikhna Bak” Since this chronogram was beyond eloquence, I (the author) while writing the details of events of his majesty set right this very word and said “Sheikh Bakan” 753
The Khalifas of Hazrat Makhdum are the men of distinction and excellence. Among these, mention of a few shall be made at their place. (Ref: Waqat-i-Kashmir by Khwaja Azam Dedamari)
His Mausoleum: The mausoleum of Hazrat Makhdum (RA) has remained of extreme importance due to its history and the reverence of Kashmiris. The last resting place of Hazrat Makhdum (RA) is located slightly at a higher level on Kohi Maran -Hari Parbhat on its south side. Nearby down on the slope the mosque of Sara Shakoh and the signs of Dara palace in partly ruins are a sight of attraction to the visitors. In reality the pilgrimage centre of Hazrat Makhdum (RA) is comprised of a vast complex of a few famous well known historical buildings and mosques. According to Kashmir encyclopaedia there are included the mausoleums of following persons, mosques and historical buildings:
Mausoleum of Hazrat Sultan-ul-Arifeen (RA), Hazrat Baba Dawood Khaki (RA), Masjidi Jahangir, Masjidi Salar Beg, Zakir Masjid, Masjid Haft Sadat, Maryam Mahal, Masjidi Ata Mohammad Khan, pavilion, special inn and water tank.
Some famous persons buried outside the mausoleum of Hazrat Makhdum are:
Haft Sadat (Sayid Jalal, Sayid Baqir, Sayid Husain, Sayid Ahmad, Sayid Jafar, Sayid Ibrahim, Sayid Mohammad, Shaikh Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Governor Kashmir, Sayid Manik Shah, Sayid Mir Khan, Sayid Mohammad Azam, Sayid Mohammad Adil, Sayid Mohammad Alam, Khwaja Zia-ud-din, Baba Maqsood Makhdumi, Sayid Mohammad Daulat, Shaikh Hasan Lalo, Shah Rahmatullah etc.
About Zakir Masjid got built by Hazrat Makhdum (RA), it is recorded that on the south of Koh-i-Maran he got built a small mosque named Zakir Masjid for prayers through his disciple Mir Sayid Ahmad Khan by excavating a part of hill. This mosque continues to exist even today. There is a small door to enter on the east side. On its north side there are four small rooms, where usually people sit in seclusion (ietikaf). This is a single storeyed mosque, the roof of which is round like a dome. Above the entrance is written by “Auqaf buqa aliah Sultanyah”
“The first sitting place of Hazrat Mahboob-ul-Alam. This mosque was built in 1550 AD and was reserved for the prayers, worshipping and preaching of religion, and guidance by Hazrat Sultan-ul-Arifeen RA”
The mausoleum of Hazrat Makhdum (RA) is located on the south of the mosque.
In the last resting place of Hazrat Makhdum (RA) on the right side is buried his first khalifa Hazrat Baba Dawood Khaki (RA). On all the four sides of both the graves are fixed marble slabs. Both the graves are covered with green blankets of brocade and gold threads. There is a corridor around the graves, on the east of which about nine feet away on the east side there exists the grave of a famous governor of Sikh rule Shaikh Ghulam Mohi-ud-din (d.1843 AD)
The mausoleum of Hazrat Makhdum (RA) was built when the Mughal king Akbar built Nagar nagar in 1006 AH / 1597 AD. Hence the mausoleum of Hazrat Makhdum (RA) was built on the orders of Akbar Badshah. On the north of this mausoleum at a small height is located the mosque of Salar Beg. This mosque was built by Salar Beg during the reign of Jahangir in 1095 AH/1606 AD. Inayatullah Governor too was among the devotees of Hazrat Makhdum (RA). He too built a place of worship near the mausoleum of Hazrat Makhdum (RA). This mosque is famous as “Masjidi Inayat Khan”. One more governor of Afghan period Ata Mohammad Khan Bamzai showed great reverence with the mausoleum of Hazrat Makhdum (RA). He not only got Masjidi Inayat Khan repaired, but also expanded it. Ata Mohammad Khan was the first governor in the history of Kashmir who issued coins jointly in the names of Hazrat Sultan-ul-Arifin Shaikh Hamza Makhdum (RA) and Alamdar-i-Kashmir Hazrat Shaikh Noor-ud-din Reshi (RA).
Shaikh Ghulam Mohi-ud-din was the governor of Sikh period, he too was among the devotees of Hazrat Makhdum (RA). He was so devoted that he had expressed his last wish that after his death, he should be buried outside the mausoleum of Hazrat Makhdum at such a place, through which the visitors pass to the mausoleum of Hazrat Makhdum. Hence this lover of Hazrat Makhdum was buried in the corridor of mausoleum, which is only 9 feet away from the holy grave of Hazrat Makhdum. Shaikh Ghulam Mohi-ud-din during his rule built a stone staircase from Bachi darwaza to the mausoleum of Hazrar Makhdum (RA) which involved a heavy expenditure.
For the maintenance of the mausoleum of Hazrat Makhdum (RA) a management committee was framed in 1943 AD. Nowadays the look after of the mausoleum and its adjacent historical buildings is undertaken by this very management committee.
Today the 24th Safar 1445/11 November 2023 falls his 544th birth anniversary and every year 24th Safar is celebrated his urs day.
The author is a Former Chief Engineer
